Hello ladies and gentlemen, here is some movie news with some of my thoughts and opinions (which will be in BOLD print). So without further ado...
(NOTE: All of these stories come from comingsoon.net)
Sir Christopher Lee, one of the most iconic and revered actors of the 20th Century who has continued to find fans well into his later years, reportedly passed away at the age of 93 on Sunday morning. It’s being reported that he had been hospitalized at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for respiratory problems and heart failure before his death. (The delay in reporting was out of respect for the wishes of Lee’s wife of 50 years to inform his family before releasing the news to the public.) After appearing in 1947’s gothic romance Corridor of Mirrors, Lee’s career exploded in the ’50s when he began getting work in the horror films produced by Hammer, first appearing in 1957’s The Curse of Frankenstein, before taking on the role of Dracula for 1958’s Dracula. He would continue to reprise the role for the 1965 sequel Dracula: Prince of Darkness and five more films after that. Lee also starred in Hammer’s The Mummy in 1959 and Rasputin, the Mad Monk. Another iconic horror role for Lee was playing Lord Summerisle in 1973’s The Wicker Man and another iconic role from around that time was the villain Scarmanga in 1974’s The Man with a Golden Gun.Besides playing Sherlock Holmes in 1962’s Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace, Lee also appeared in two other Holmes movies opposite other actors in the role, including Peter Cushing in 1959’s The Hound of the Baskervilles and Robert Stephens in Billy Wilder’s 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. In 2001, Lee suddenly found himself with a new audience of fans with his role as the wizard Saruman in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, a role he revived for the recent “The Hobbit” trilogy. He was also cast by George Lucas as the evil Count Dooku in 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, taking part in an unforgettable lightsaber battle with Yoda. Despite his desire to break away from horror films throughout the ’70s, Lee returned to Hammer in 2011 playing Hilary Swank’s neighbor in the thriller The Resident. A fan of his horror work, director Tim Burton began to cast Lee in many of his films, including Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows, and Burton presented Lee with a BAFTA Academy Fellowship in 2011. Lee’s final film, the fantasy Angels in Notting Hill, has yet to be released.
This is really sad news to hear. Now it has become public knowledge that Sir Christopher Lee wasn't in the greatest health when he was working on the set of The Hobbit films as the one scene he has in An Unexpected Journey was all done on a green screen in his England home. He has played so many iconic characters and I'm mostly going to remember him for his role of Saruman in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings franchise and his role as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels. He was truly an inspiration to all and if you get the chance to look at everything the man has done in his personal life will amaze you. All I can say is he lived to be 93 years old and he live and long and happy life. R.I.P. Sir Christopher Lee.
StudioCanal and Working Title have revealed the first trailer for Stephen Frears’ formerly-untitled Lance Armstrong biopic now named The Program, starring Ben Foster as the controversial cyclist. You can check out the trailer below. The film charts the thrilling rise of pro-cyclist Lance Armstrong through the ’90s and early 2000s, battling cancer, as he and his fellow American teammates dominate and change the quintessentially European sport of cycling. Winning the Tour de France an unprecedented seven times, Lance retires as one of the great sporting heroes of our time, and worth millions of dollars. David Walsh, sports writer, is at first charmed by Lance’s charisma and talent. Seven Tours later, and ostracised by the cycling community for speaking out, he believes the world is being sold a lie. A lone voice, it is several years before Lance is exposed. The Program co-stars Chris O’Dowd, Guillaume Canet, Jesse Plemons, Dustin Hoffmam and Lee Pace, and is directed by Frears (Philomena, The Queen) from a screenplay by John Hodge (Trainspotting). It currently has no U.S. release date.
This was a great trailer. The Lance Armstrong story is an interesting one from a various amount of angles and this film looks to tackle all of them. Ben Foster is an amazing, talented and over-looked actor and he looks almost unrecognizable as Lance Armstrong. This looks like this will be an intense film and even if you know the whole story you will still be on the edge of your seat and I cannot wait to see the film.
According to Deadline, the character that Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor is rumored to play opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in Marvel Studios’ forthcoming Doctor Strange is none other than the Master of the Mystic Arts’ arch enemy, Baron Mordo! When Baron Karl Amadeus Mordo first appeared in Marvel Comics’ “Strange Tales” #111 (Doctor Strange’s second issue), he was a treacherous student of Tibetan sorcerer The Ancient One. The Baron’s planned betrayal was one of the catalysts for Stephen Strange to devote his life to magic, and after Mordo’s exile, he has frequently used black magic and invoked demons against Strange, two big no-no’s for the good Doctor. It is stated that Ejiofor’s Mordo will not be totally evil in the film, but rather an amalgamation of several characters in the Strange canon, which points to him possibly beginning as an ally and gradually turning to evil. Tilda Swinton has signed to play The Ancient One, and it should also be noted that Ejiofor has displayed excellent fighting prowess in both Serenity and Redbelt, the latter of which he learned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for. Scheduled to hit theaters November 4, 2016, Doctor Strange is scripted by Jon Spaihts and directed by Scott Derrickson. It is said to follow the story of neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.
This is terrific casting. Once again Marvel has outdone themselves by getting Chiwetel Ejiofor who is arguably one of the best actors working in Hollywood today and adding him to any film is a great idea. It's also interesting that we are going to have two former Academy Award nominated actors going head-to-head. Ejiofor has played villains in the past so this will be nothing new for him and I can't wait to see how he handles the character.
Warner Bros. Pictures has debuted the new trailer for Guy Ritchie’s big screen adaptation of the ’60s TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. You can watch the trailer below. Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. centers on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe. The film also stars Alicia Vikander, Jared Harris, Elizabeth Debicki, Luca Calvani and Hugh Grant. The script was written by Ritchie and Lionel Wigram, and the action adventure was produced by Ritchie, Wigram, John Davis, Steve Clark-Hall and executive produced by David Dobkin. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. will be released in theaters on August 14, 2015.
This was a really fun trailer. Now just to let everyone know I have never seen the television show so I don't honestly know the tone of the original show and I can't compare it to the film. From everything I have seen Cavill and Hammer look like they have amazing chemistry and that bodes well for the film. To quote Calvin Candie form Django Unchained "The first trailer had my curiosity, but the second trailer got my attention. The film looks fun and action-packed and I can't wait to see it.
Despite not being a recognized IP or having any bankable stars to speak of, Kingsman: The Secret Service became a surprise box office hit this year, grossing over $400 million worldwide. Back in April, a rumor hit that 20th Century Fox was developing a sequel, and now co-writer/director Matthew Vaughn has confirmed to Yahoo! that is indeed the case. “Well, the good news is that I’m writing it next door at the moment,” Vaughn said. “If I think I can get the script good enough, then we are making it. We are doing our damndest to make that happen.” In addition to a new American agent character making his way into the Kingsman fold, Kingsman: The Secret Service 2 might also include another surprising element: Vaughn himself behind the camera again, despite having never directed a sequel to his own films before. “I’m in love with these characters and I want to work with them again so I’ll probably be breaking the rule of me tending not to make sequels,” Vaughn admits. The filmmaker currently has his hands full on the planet Mongo crafting a big screen remake of Flash Gordon for Fox, but as fans know, Vaughn is a fickle filmmaker who doesn’t stay long on projects that he’s not fully passionate about, dropping out of Thor, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past (as well as Star Wars: The Force Awakens if rumors are to be believed). Until cameras are rolling, there’s no telling what Vaughn’s next directorial effort might be. Based upon the 2012 Icon Comics miniseries by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar, Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. The film stars Academy Award winners Colin Firth and Michael Caine alongside Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong and newcomers Taron Egerton, Sofia Boutella and Sophie Cookson. Scripted by Vaughn and Jane Goldman, Kingsman: The Secret Service is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
This is great news to hear. I absolutely loved the first film and right now it currently sits at number 2 on my top 10 favorite of the year. It was hilarious, awesome and action-packed and I can honestly watch the film over and over. To know that a sequel is one the way gets me excited and I would love to see Matthew Vaughn come back for the sequel simply because Kick-Ass 2 just wasn't the same without him at the helm.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, which of these stories peaked your interest or was there another story that interested you? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
(NOTE: All of these stories come from comingsoon.net)
Sir Christopher Lee, one of the most iconic and revered actors of the 20th Century who has continued to find fans well into his later years, reportedly passed away at the age of 93 on Sunday morning. It’s being reported that he had been hospitalized at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for respiratory problems and heart failure before his death. (The delay in reporting was out of respect for the wishes of Lee’s wife of 50 years to inform his family before releasing the news to the public.) After appearing in 1947’s gothic romance Corridor of Mirrors, Lee’s career exploded in the ’50s when he began getting work in the horror films produced by Hammer, first appearing in 1957’s The Curse of Frankenstein, before taking on the role of Dracula for 1958’s Dracula. He would continue to reprise the role for the 1965 sequel Dracula: Prince of Darkness and five more films after that. Lee also starred in Hammer’s The Mummy in 1959 and Rasputin, the Mad Monk. Another iconic horror role for Lee was playing Lord Summerisle in 1973’s The Wicker Man and another iconic role from around that time was the villain Scarmanga in 1974’s The Man with a Golden Gun.Besides playing Sherlock Holmes in 1962’s Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace, Lee also appeared in two other Holmes movies opposite other actors in the role, including Peter Cushing in 1959’s The Hound of the Baskervilles and Robert Stephens in Billy Wilder’s 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. In 2001, Lee suddenly found himself with a new audience of fans with his role as the wizard Saruman in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, a role he revived for the recent “The Hobbit” trilogy. He was also cast by George Lucas as the evil Count Dooku in 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, taking part in an unforgettable lightsaber battle with Yoda. Despite his desire to break away from horror films throughout the ’70s, Lee returned to Hammer in 2011 playing Hilary Swank’s neighbor in the thriller The Resident. A fan of his horror work, director Tim Burton began to cast Lee in many of his films, including Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows, and Burton presented Lee with a BAFTA Academy Fellowship in 2011. Lee’s final film, the fantasy Angels in Notting Hill, has yet to be released.
This is really sad news to hear. Now it has become public knowledge that Sir Christopher Lee wasn't in the greatest health when he was working on the set of The Hobbit films as the one scene he has in An Unexpected Journey was all done on a green screen in his England home. He has played so many iconic characters and I'm mostly going to remember him for his role of Saruman in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings franchise and his role as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels. He was truly an inspiration to all and if you get the chance to look at everything the man has done in his personal life will amaze you. All I can say is he lived to be 93 years old and he live and long and happy life. R.I.P. Sir Christopher Lee.
StudioCanal and Working Title have revealed the first trailer for Stephen Frears’ formerly-untitled Lance Armstrong biopic now named The Program, starring Ben Foster as the controversial cyclist. You can check out the trailer below. The film charts the thrilling rise of pro-cyclist Lance Armstrong through the ’90s and early 2000s, battling cancer, as he and his fellow American teammates dominate and change the quintessentially European sport of cycling. Winning the Tour de France an unprecedented seven times, Lance retires as one of the great sporting heroes of our time, and worth millions of dollars. David Walsh, sports writer, is at first charmed by Lance’s charisma and talent. Seven Tours later, and ostracised by the cycling community for speaking out, he believes the world is being sold a lie. A lone voice, it is several years before Lance is exposed. The Program co-stars Chris O’Dowd, Guillaume Canet, Jesse Plemons, Dustin Hoffmam and Lee Pace, and is directed by Frears (Philomena, The Queen) from a screenplay by John Hodge (Trainspotting). It currently has no U.S. release date.
This was a great trailer. The Lance Armstrong story is an interesting one from a various amount of angles and this film looks to tackle all of them. Ben Foster is an amazing, talented and over-looked actor and he looks almost unrecognizable as Lance Armstrong. This looks like this will be an intense film and even if you know the whole story you will still be on the edge of your seat and I cannot wait to see the film.
According to Deadline, the character that Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor is rumored to play opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in Marvel Studios’ forthcoming Doctor Strange is none other than the Master of the Mystic Arts’ arch enemy, Baron Mordo! When Baron Karl Amadeus Mordo first appeared in Marvel Comics’ “Strange Tales” #111 (Doctor Strange’s second issue), he was a treacherous student of Tibetan sorcerer The Ancient One. The Baron’s planned betrayal was one of the catalysts for Stephen Strange to devote his life to magic, and after Mordo’s exile, he has frequently used black magic and invoked demons against Strange, two big no-no’s for the good Doctor. It is stated that Ejiofor’s Mordo will not be totally evil in the film, but rather an amalgamation of several characters in the Strange canon, which points to him possibly beginning as an ally and gradually turning to evil. Tilda Swinton has signed to play The Ancient One, and it should also be noted that Ejiofor has displayed excellent fighting prowess in both Serenity and Redbelt, the latter of which he learned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for. Scheduled to hit theaters November 4, 2016, Doctor Strange is scripted by Jon Spaihts and directed by Scott Derrickson. It is said to follow the story of neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.
This is terrific casting. Once again Marvel has outdone themselves by getting Chiwetel Ejiofor who is arguably one of the best actors working in Hollywood today and adding him to any film is a great idea. It's also interesting that we are going to have two former Academy Award nominated actors going head-to-head. Ejiofor has played villains in the past so this will be nothing new for him and I can't wait to see how he handles the character.
Warner Bros. Pictures has debuted the new trailer for Guy Ritchie’s big screen adaptation of the ’60s TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. You can watch the trailer below. Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. centers on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe. The film also stars Alicia Vikander, Jared Harris, Elizabeth Debicki, Luca Calvani and Hugh Grant. The script was written by Ritchie and Lionel Wigram, and the action adventure was produced by Ritchie, Wigram, John Davis, Steve Clark-Hall and executive produced by David Dobkin. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. will be released in theaters on August 14, 2015.
This was a really fun trailer. Now just to let everyone know I have never seen the television show so I don't honestly know the tone of the original show and I can't compare it to the film. From everything I have seen Cavill and Hammer look like they have amazing chemistry and that bodes well for the film. To quote Calvin Candie form Django Unchained "The first trailer had my curiosity, but the second trailer got my attention. The film looks fun and action-packed and I can't wait to see it.
Despite not being a recognized IP or having any bankable stars to speak of, Kingsman: The Secret Service became a surprise box office hit this year, grossing over $400 million worldwide. Back in April, a rumor hit that 20th Century Fox was developing a sequel, and now co-writer/director Matthew Vaughn has confirmed to Yahoo! that is indeed the case. “Well, the good news is that I’m writing it next door at the moment,” Vaughn said. “If I think I can get the script good enough, then we are making it. We are doing our damndest to make that happen.” In addition to a new American agent character making his way into the Kingsman fold, Kingsman: The Secret Service 2 might also include another surprising element: Vaughn himself behind the camera again, despite having never directed a sequel to his own films before. “I’m in love with these characters and I want to work with them again so I’ll probably be breaking the rule of me tending not to make sequels,” Vaughn admits. The filmmaker currently has his hands full on the planet Mongo crafting a big screen remake of Flash Gordon for Fox, but as fans know, Vaughn is a fickle filmmaker who doesn’t stay long on projects that he’s not fully passionate about, dropping out of Thor, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past (as well as Star Wars: The Force Awakens if rumors are to be believed). Until cameras are rolling, there’s no telling what Vaughn’s next directorial effort might be. Based upon the 2012 Icon Comics miniseries by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar, Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. The film stars Academy Award winners Colin Firth and Michael Caine alongside Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong and newcomers Taron Egerton, Sofia Boutella and Sophie Cookson. Scripted by Vaughn and Jane Goldman, Kingsman: The Secret Service is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
This is great news to hear. I absolutely loved the first film and right now it currently sits at number 2 on my top 10 favorite of the year. It was hilarious, awesome and action-packed and I can honestly watch the film over and over. To know that a sequel is one the way gets me excited and I would love to see Matthew Vaughn come back for the sequel simply because Kick-Ass 2 just wasn't the same without him at the helm.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, which of these stories peaked your interest or was there another story that interested you? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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