Film News Roundup: 9

Another one bites the dust; George Clooney’s “The Monuments Men” has been taken out of the running for the upcoming Academy Awards. Highly touted as an Oscar contender, the film was originally set to open Dec. 18; now it has moved to Feb. 7.

The LA Times reported that Clooney needed more time to complete the film. Clooney said, “We just didn’t have enough time … If any of the effects looked cheesy, the whole movie would look cheesy.  We simply don’t have enough people to work enough hours to finish it.”

While it’s disappointing that the film won’t content for any major awards, it certainly makes sense to delay the film to give audiences a better product. Regardless, the film looks to be a fun time at the movies when it finally opens next year.

In other news, there has been a shakeup regarding “Star Wars: Episode VII; Lucasfilm announced that director J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan have take over screenwriting duties from  Oscar winner Michael Arndt.

The franchise is in competent hands; Abrams credits as a screenwriter include “Super 8,” “Cloverfield,” and, “Mission: Impossible 3.” Kasdan on the other hand has previously worked in the “Star Wars” universe, co-writing “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.”

It’s not unusual that movies of this magnitude go through rewrites. However, rumors have been swirling that Abrams hasn’t been happy with much of the pre-production, to the point that he might drop from the project completely. One issue was the direction of the script. It’s unknown if Arndt will have any input moving forward.

The movie is slated for a summer release in 2015 and the current plan is to begin shooting in spring 2014. Let’s hope that this screenwriting shuffle doesn’t delay the release of the film.

Comic-book movie fans rejoice; the latest poster and the first full length trailer for Joe and Anthony Russo’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” have arrived. In the sequel, Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) team up with the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) to fight a villainous plot that threatens the safety of the world. However, they come across a formidable assassin- the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).

The trailer gives us a look at the scale and scope of the film; the film’s action pieces look highly captivating and larger than ever. The film is described as a “political thriller”; from the look of it hits mark as Captain America begins to question how far S.H.I.E.L.D is willing to go to protect the security of the world.

The film also stars Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson, Emily VanCamp, Cobie Smulders, and Frank Grillo. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” arrives in theaters April 4, 2014. Check out the poster and trailer below.

Film News Roundup: 8

            Edgar Wright’s “Ant-Man” is set to start shooting soon; word is that casting for the titular character is down to two actors. Variety reports that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Paul Rudd are the top choices to play Ant-Man, aka, Hank Pym.

            Pym is a brilliant scientist who creates a serum that gives him the ability to shrink in size. Wright’s comedic sensibility seems to fit well with both actors; Rudd and Gordon-Levitt have shown the ability to portray wise-cracking personalities in the past; although, I would give Rudd the advantage when it comes to comedy.

             Gordon–Levitt, who is 32 years old, is a rising star who’s coming off his directorial debut with “Don Jon.” The 44 year-old Rudd has primarily appeared in comedies in the last decade and can currently be seen in the upcoming film “Anchorman: The Legend Continues.” It’s a win-win situation for Marvel Studios; both are highly charismatic actors, who can bring something special to the role

            Hopefully we’ll hear the casting announcement soon. “Ant-Man” opens in theaters on July 31, 2015.

In other casting news, director Colin Trevorrow’s “Jurassic World” has started to fill its cast. Twelve year-old Ty Simpkins, previously seen in “Iron Man 3,” has landed one of the lead roles in the film. Also, 18 year-old Nick Robinson, star of the indie film “The Kings of Summer” has landed another lead role in the film.

            The film is also looking to cast its adult leads. Josh Brolin is reportedly in early talks to join the film alongside Bryce Dallas Howard. Furthermore, “New Girl” star Jake Johnson-previously worked with Trevorrow on “Safety Not Guaranteed”-is being eyed for a role.

            Much like the previous “Jurassic Park” films, “Jurassic World” is building a phenomenal ensemble cast. Hopefully the actors come to a deal to join the film sooner than later. “Jurassic World” is slated to open June 12, 2015.

            The first poster and trailer for writer/director Wes Anderson’s new film “The Grand Budapest Hotel” have arrived. The story revolves a hotel concierge working at the legendary hotel who takes in a young employer as his protégé during 1920s Europe.

            The film boasts an incredible cast of actors that includes Ralph Fiennes, Saoirse Ronan, Jude Law and frequent collaborators Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson.

            “The Grand Budapest Hotel” has all the whimsical characteristics you have come to expect from a Wes Anderson film: quirky humor, deadpan delivery, and his ever famous muted color palette. The film looks charming and eccentric as any other of Anderson’s works.  The standout in the trailer has to be Ralph Fiennes; opposed to his previous work as villains, his comedic turn as the legendary concierge is refreshing.

            Check out the poster and trailer below. The film also stars, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Lea Seydoux, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, and Tom Wilkinson. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” hits theaters March 7, 2014.

           

 

Film News Roundup: 7

            “Sons of Anarchy” actor Charlie Hunnmam has dropped out of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” film adaptation. Last month the actor was cast in the coveted role of Christina Grey; now the filmmakers and actor are citing that his TV schedule hasn’t allowed him to prepare for the role adequately. With production set to start later this month, Universal Studios and the filmmakers will be reeling to replace Hunnam.

            Furthermore, two sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Hunnam was “overwhelmed with the attention he received from being cast in the movie and got cold feet about carrying such a high-profile project.”

            Despite what side of the story you might believe, Hunnam’s involvement in the film definitely peeked my interest; sad to say that my interest has dwindled to zero. Maybe it’s for the better; this role could’ve made his infamous, a la the “Twilight.”

            Hunnam’s next film project will be “Crimson Peak” with his “Pacific Rim” director Guillermo de Toro, which also stars Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, and Mia Wasikowska.

            Also, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are set to reunite in a new comedy titled “Devil’s Night.” The film is about a pair of quarreling neighbors who join forces to stop a group of kids from destroying the town on the eve of Halloween.

There’s no doubt that the chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly is unquestionable; just see “Talladega Nights” and “Step Brothers” for reference. “Devil’s Night” will mark the third time Ferrell and Reilly have co-starred in a film; it sounds like another slam dunk for the duo.

Ferrell can be seen next in (also Reilly, providing a cameo) “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”, opening December 20^th

Finally, earlier this week a new trailer for George Clooney’s “The Monuments Men” was released. While the first trailer showcased the comedic tone the film, the second emphasizes the serious side of the film. Written, directed, and starring Clooney, the film follows a World War II platoon made up of museum directors, curators, and art historians tasked to retrieve stolen art pieces from Nazi thieves.

The film is highly regarded as an Oscar contender and this trailer solidifies its argument; this is one film I can’t wait to see myself and it surely will be one of the films to beat at the Academy Awards.  The film boast an ensemble cast that includes, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, and Hugh Bonneville. “The Monuments Men” opens in theaters December 18^th. Check out the trailer below.

Film News Roundup: 6

            This past week we were treated to our first look, in the form of a poster and trailer, for director Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.” This marks the fifth installment of the “Jack Ryan” film franchise. Chris Pine stars as the titular character previously played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck.

            The film is a reboot of the “Jack Ryan” film series. The film follows Jack Ryan, a young CIA analyst who uncovers a Russian ploy to collapse the U.S. economy via a terrorist attack.

The trailer offers a promising look at a great action thriller, without giving away too much of the large set pieces. It has been a film I’ve been waiting to see and certainly this teaser trailer has sold me on it.

Check out and trailer below. The film also stars Branagh, Keira Knightley, and Kevin Costner. “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” opens in theaters Christmas day.

            Casting rumors have been swirling since summer of who will be portraying the mutant siblings, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in “The Avengers: Age of Ultron.” It’s been know for a while that both Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have been the frontrunners for the roles but no official announcement has been made, until now; sort of.

Actor Samuel L. Jackson recently was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal and he apparently let slip that Olsen has joined the cast of heroes. “I know we’re shooting in London, that James Spader is Ultron and going to be the bad guy, and that we added Ms. [Elizabeth] Olsen [who will play the Scarlet Witch], but I don’t know what she’s doing, if she’s on the inside or the outside,” Jackson said.

It’s safe to bet at this point that we’ll be seeing Olsen and Taylor-Johnson in the film, baring any last moment negotiations gone awry. “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” opens in theaters May 1, 2015.

Finally, two major film releases have been added to the 2015 film schedule. Legendary and Universal Pictures are set to release ‘Warcraft” December 18, 2015. The movie is based on the multiplayer online role-playing game “World of Warcraft.” The movie is described as “an epic adventure of world-colliding conflict.” Duncan Jones is set to direct the film and filming begins January 13, 2014.

Universal has also set a release date for “Ted 2.” The sequel is slated to open in theaters on June 26, 2015.  Seth MacFarlane returns as writer, director and starring alongside Mark Wahlberg. MacFarlane is also set to release his second feature film “A Million Ways to Die in the West” on May 30, 2014.
Until next time, this has been Matinée Idol.

Film News Roundup: 5

            Sad news for cinephiles this week; two major Oscar contending films seem to be out of running.  

Rumor is that Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Matthew McConaughey, might not make its Nov. 15 release date due to the length of the first cut. It’s reported that Scorsese’s cut of the films stands at 180 minutes long; Paramount studio’s executives are hoping that the director can cut the running time of the film.

Rather than being pushed out of awards season completely, Paramount is hoping it can still make a push for the film during the Christmas holidays. The studio is likely to push back Kenneth Branagh’s “Jack Ryan”, starring Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, and Kevin Costner, from its Christmas date to Jan. 17 in order for “The Wolf of Wall Street” to stay in the awards race.

It’s also being reported that Sony Pictures Classics has decided to delay Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher to 2014, completely taking it out of the awards race. The decision was based on giving Miller more time to finish the film.

“Foxcatcher” is based on the true story of Olympic wrestling champion brothers Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and Dave Shultz (Marl Ruffalo) and their relationship with the eccentric multimillionaire John du Pont.

On a more exciting note, filming is underway for Peter and Bobby Farrelly’s sequel to “Dumb and Dumber.” The first images of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels back in their character costumes have hit the web.

The sequel, titled “Dumb and Dumber To,” picks up 18 years after the events of the first film. I’m sure many fans, like me can’t wait to see this film and see what other ridiculous things Harry and Lloyd will be up to.

Check out the image below. “Dumb and Dumber To” is set to hit theaters in 2014.

In casting news, Jennifer Lawrence is reuniting with her “Hunger Games” director Gary Ross on a new adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel, “East of Eden.” Steinbeck’s novel is a retelling of the story of Abel and Cain, concentrating on two families: the Trask and the Hamiltons.

Lawrence is set to play the mother of the Trask brothers, Cathy Ames; a cold and cruel mother. Ross and Lawrence will also be busy on another upcoming novel adaptation of Hanna Kent’s novel, Burial rites.

Lawrence is easily one of the most highly touted young actresses in film and undoubtedly will be seeing from her for years to come. Coming off her Oscar winning performance in “Silver Linings Playbooks,” Lawrence can be seen next in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and David O. Russell’s “American Hustle.”

Until next time, this has been Matinée Idol.

Film News Roundup: 4

Filming for James Wan’s “Fast & Furious 7” is currently underway and its cast just got a tad bigger. Joining the ensemble cast is Lucas Black. Black will be reprising his role of Sean Boswell: the lead character of “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.”

It’ll be interesting to see how Black’s character will fit into the storyline that has been established in the last two films. Nonetheless, the “Fast & Furious” franchise has made a fan out of me with its last two outings. The films series has redefined itself into the most popular ongoing action franchise with its excellent use of car chases and mind-numbing action.

The film stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Djimon Honsou, and Dwayne Johnson. “Fast & Furious 7” opens in theaters July 11, 2014.

In other news, Disney yet again made more changes to their upcoming slate of films.

Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur” has been bumped from its May 30, 2014 release date to November 25, 2015. This comes on the heels of director Bob Peterson being removed from the film project.

2014 will mark the first year since 2005 without a Pixar film being released.

Also shifting dates from November 25, 2015 to June 17, 2016 is Andrew Stanton’s sequel “Finding Dory.”

This is definitely sad news for Pixar’s fans. Pixar has arguably made the best animated films of the last twenty years. It’s disappointing to hear that I will have to wait longer to see these films but my anticipation has grown exponentially at the same time.

Sticking with animated films, Universal Pictures has moved its “Despicable Me” spinoff “Minions” from its December 19, 2014 release to July 10, 2015.

The minions have become a fan favorite of children and adults alike. With Despicable me 2” grossing $840 million worldwide, there’s no doubt that Universal’s “Minions” is going to be massive for the studio, come summer 2015.

Finally, David Ayer’s World War II drama, “Fury,” has started film and we have our first official image of the cast in costume.

The film stars Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Peña, Logan Lerman, and Jon Bernthal. Pitt plays the leader of the tank crew Fury, as they make their way through enemy lines on the final days of the war.

“Fury” hits theaters November 14, 2014. Check out the image below.

Until next time, this has been Matinée Idol.

Film News Roundup:3

            This week Disney made two changes to its summer 2015 film lineup.

            Previously scheduled for a Nov. 6, 2015 release, Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man” has now been bumped to the summer date of July 31, 2015. The Edgar Wright helmed film will hit theaters just two weeks after Warner Bros. untitled “Man of Steel” sequel.

            Relatively unknown to the public, Ant-Man is the superhero guise of Biophysicist Dr. Henry “Hank” Pym. After creating a chemical substance that enables him to alter his size, Pym created a helmet that allows him to communicate with ants, subsequently becoming the hero knows as Ant-Man.

            While this new date gets “Ant-Man” away from the next installment of the James Bond film series, it pins the film into an already highly competitive 2015 summer. Hopefully, Disney’s confidence in the film will show at the box-office come 2015.

            Speaking of confidence or the lack thereof, Disney has decided to push the reportedly titled “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” from its July 10, 2015 date. The fifth installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series is now slated for a 2016 release date.

            Apparently rumors have surfaced that co-directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg have ordered rewrites to the script, which has delayed production.

            That being said, the quality of the sequels has dipped since the mostly beloved first film. Personally, my expectations aren’t too high but who knows, I might be surprised by the final product.

            Similarly, Universal Pictures had news of their own this week. The studio has set their fourth installment of the “Jurassic Park” franchise, now titled “Jurassic World” for the release date of June 12, 2015.

            Back in March, it was officially announced that “Safety Not Guaranteed”- an excellent and charming film-director, Colin Trevorrow was set to direct. However, production was delayed after rewrites were done on the script. Deeming it impossible to reach their release date of June, 13, 2014, Universal pushed the film back.

            The addition of “Jurassic World” to the summer film slate of 2015 is going to make it an unbelievable time at the summer box-office. I couldn’t be more excited to see what this film adds to what Steven Spielberg started twenty years ago. The film seems to be in very capable hands with Trevorrow; that being said, who doesn’t want to see dinosaurs roaming in today’s world, I know I do.

            Easily the biggest film announcement made this week was by Warner Bros.  After the world wide success of the “Harry Potter” franchise, it seems that we’ll be getting a new film series revolving around J.K. Rowling’s “World of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” Rowling herself is onboard to make her screenwriting debut, penning the script to her book “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”: the fictional textbook used by students at Hogwarts.

            “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be an original story set in New York 70 years prior to the events of “Harry Potter.” The film series will focus on the author of said textbook, Newt Scamander.

            This is definitely exciting news to all the fans of Rowling’s “Harry Potter.” It will be fascinating to see the expanded universe that Rowling has created hit the big screen in the near future.

            Until next time, this has been Matinée Idol.