Sunday, December 6, 2015

Weekend Movie News 12-4-15 to 12-6-15

        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)


Following its premiere on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the new Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer has arrived and you can check it out below. Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before. Directed by Zack Snyder and written by Chris Terrio from a screenplay by David S. Goyer, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice stars Henry Cavill in the role of Clark Kent/Superman and Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, with Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane returning from Man of Steel, joined by Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, and Holly Hunter in a role newly created for the film. Jason Momoa will also be making an appearance as Aquaman. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is set to open worldwide on March 25, 2016.


        I really enjoyed the trailer. As I have said many, many, many times before I am a massive Batman fan and after have The Dark Knight Returns (some of the films plot comes from that graphic novel) I couldn't be more excited to see this film and this trailer just amped up the anticipation. Now having heard all of the backlash the trailer has gotten I can see both sides of the argument. On one hand it did show a lot of unnecessary stuff (i.e. Doomsday) and the whole shot of the trinity standing together to end the trailer. Now you could argue that while the film's title does say Batman v. Superman, we all knew that eventually Batman and Superman would team up. Another thing that bothered a few people was the cartooish portrayal of Lex Luthor by Jesse Eisenberg. All I can say about that is that I don't think that will be what he is like behind closed doors. I think that he only acts that way to try to fit in, but underneath he is maniacal and crooked human being that will be a fantastic villain. Look I know I might be a little to optimistic, but I'm still looking forward to this movie.



        Birth.Movies.Death reports that Creed and Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler is in talks with Marvel Studios to direct the long awaited Black Panther movie,  the title hero who recently appeared on the cover of EW for the upcoming Captain America: Civil War. The outlet notes that negotiations are still underway for the project, so it’s possible that talks could fall through as Coogler isn’t the first director to be targeted for the film either. Selma‘s Ava DuVernay previously confirmed she turned down the opportunity and previous reports revealed that Straight Outta Compton‘s F. Gary Gray was in contention before signing on to helm Furious 8. Chadwick Boseman is set to star as the title hero in Black Panther which features a script by Joe Robert Cole. The film is set for release on February 16, 2018. It’s unclear what other characters will appear in the film, though Andy Serkis’ Ulysses Klaw, who made his debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron, could appear as the pair have already allegedly crossed paths in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Boseman will make his debut as the character in Captain America: Civil War, slated to debut in theaters May 6, 2016.

        If true, then this would be a fantastic choice. Ryan Coogler is a director who is slowly establishing himself as a powerhouse director and this film would ultimately prove that. With him working with Warner Bros., I'm surprised they haven't locked him up for DC Extended Universe and it would be a major steal for Marvel to lock him up. Now I've been campaigning for Antoine Fuqua to direct the Black Panther film, Ryan Coogler would be a great choice and I'm excited to see if he will be the man in charge of my most anticipated Marvel solo film for new character involved in Phase 3.



        Indiana Jones series producer Frank Marshall recently claimed–contrary to rumors of a Bradley Cooper/Chris Pratt-type filling the role for future installments–that a hypothetical Indy 5 would not do “the Bond thing where we’re going to call somebody else Indiana Jones.” Now series mastermind Steven Spielberg has doubled down on this rhetoric, telling Screen Daily that adventure still has a name: Harrison Ford. “I don’t think anyone could replace Harrison as Indy, I don’t think that’s ever going to happen,” confirmed Spielberg. “It’s certainly not my intention to ever have another actor step into his shoes in the way there have been many actors that have played Spider-Man or Batman. There is only going to be one actor playing Indiana Jones and that’s Harrison Ford.” A lot of people may wonder why Spielberg would want to return to this well after years of creative struggle resulted in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which has become something of a punchline in the director’s filmography. It might have something to do with the fact that, despite the bitter reception it received, the fourth Indy installment still stands as the director’s highest-grossing movie of the last 22 years. Let that sink in for a second. Now imagine how much it would have made if the film was well-received? Yeah. “Because there are more adventures out there than films,” Spielberg stated as his reason to want to do another. “So as long as there’s more adventures out there, I’ve got a bullwhip, a fedora, a leather jacket and a man on a horse who knows how to get the job done.” With Ford now 73-years old and Academy Award winner Spielberg turning 69 on December 18, a fifth Indiana Jones seems like something that needs to happen sooner rather than later. Not that we have any doubts that an elder Spielberg can still bring the heat (70-year-old George Miller proved with Mad Max: Fury Road that geezers can make action movies too) and there’s probably a sense from all major parties (George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy, etc) that they don’t want the series to go out taking one on the chin. Frank Darabont’s superior script for part 4 was scrapped because Lucas wanted the film to have more action, Spielberg chose to shoot the whole globe-trotting story in the U.S. to be closer to his family, Shia LaBeouf publicly trashed it and John Hurt quipped about “the lack of enjoyment in making it.” The biggest problem with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was it was so concerned with pleasing all the people making it that they forgot about the ones who would be watching it, ultimately failing to please anybody. It’s not likely they’ll make that mistake again.

        These are really stupid comments. Look I'm a huge fan of Stephen Spielberg as he is one of my top 5 favorite directors of all-time and I think he needs to stop talking. Yes he may not want anyone else to play Indiana Jones other than Harrison Ford and as much as it pains me to say this, Harrison Ford isn't getting any younger and he can't play the character for forever. It's also not up to Spielberg as the franchise is apart of Lucasfilm and while the head of Lucasfilm is Spielberg's friend Kathleen Kennedy, we live in a society where films are in the business of making money and if she thinks a new actor should play Indiana Jones or a new character in the franchise to take up the mantle, then it's her decision and Spielberg can just get over it. I would love to see another Indiana Jones film with Harrison Ford and Stephen Spielberg, but if Kathleen Kennedy wants to go in another direction, then everyone has to go by what she says. 



        Last month, it was revealed that the in-development Friday the 13th reboot had been delayed until 2017 and now TheWrap brings word that the film’s director David Bruckner, who previously directed The Signal and the “Amateur Night” segment in VHS, is no longer attached to the project. The outlet notes that while the film’s producers rework the script, they didn’t want to tie the director down to the project as development continues. Building off of that story, Variety reports that Prisoners and Contraband writer Aaron Guzikowski, who is also penning one of the planned Universal Monster movies, has entered negotiations to write the script for the film, taking over from Hannibal scribe Nick Antosca. They report that the film’s plot is “under wraps,” but the smart money would be that it centers on hockey-mask wearing killer Jason Voorhees stalking and slashing teenagers at Camp Crystal Lake. The Friday the 13th franchise currently consists of ten original “solo” films, the 2003 crossover Freddy vs. Jason, and, most recently, the 2009 reboot. There was also a short-lived television series that, despite its title, was unconnected to the plot of the film franchise. A new Friday the 13th television series is also currently in development for The CW. Paramount Pictures currently has Friday the 13th is set for release on January 13, 2017.

        I honestly could care less about this news. Now granted, every movie piece of movie news may be important to someone else because all film is subjective, but I'm just tired of this franchise and I honestly don't need another film so losing a director isn't a big worry for me. The write also doesn't do a lot for me either because I haven't seen anything he has written. My biggest pet peeve is the fact that it is coming out on Friday the 13th and that's stupidest gimmick in film history, plus it's in January so it's almost destined to become a pile of crap horror film. 



        Warner Bros. Pictures has released the official The Nice Guys trailer, which offers a Red Band look at director Shane Black’s (Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) new film and you can check it out below,“It is an R-rated film and it’s a caper,” Black recently told People Magazine. “It’s a little fast, a little funny and a little rough in places, kind of coarse. These guys are working-class dudes, they’re not really sophisticated private detectives, so it’s a chance to do the kind of thriller I don’t see too much of anymore.” Set in Los Angeles in the 1970s, The Nice Guys pairs a fighter and a private detective together as they attempt to solve a murder. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe star a the titular “nice guys,” alongside Keith David, Matt Bomer, Beau Knapp, Angourie Rice, and Margaret Qualley. Shane Black co-wrote the script for the film with Anthony Bagarozzi. The Nice Guys is set to debut in theaters on May 20, 2016.


        This was a fantastic trailer. One of the things Shane Black is great at is the buddy cop comedy genre and how to make the films everlasting. He wrote the first two Lethal Weapon films and he wrote and directed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and all of those films are just fantastic action comedies and I think this could be his next great film. It looks like Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe have great chemistry and they are going to be a very interesting pair to see on screen togehter. This wasn't on my radar at all, but now I'm looking forward to seeing it. 

        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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