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...
Walt Disney Pictures continues through the casting stage on it’s upcoming big screen sequel, Mary Poppins Returns. Already set to star Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the feature is now looking at adding three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep. According to Variety, Streep would play Poppins’ cousin, Topsy. That’s very likely a take on the character Topsy Tartlet who, in the P.L. Travers book Mary Poppins Comes Back, marries into the name Topsy Turvey. Reuniting the director and producing team behind Disney’s hit film musical Into the Woods, Mary Poppins Returns will be directed by Oscar nominee, Emmy and DGA Award winner Rob Marshall and produced by Marshall, Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee John DeLuca and Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Marc Platt. The screenplay will be written by Oscar nominee David Magee based on The Mary Poppins Stories by P.L. Travers, with Oscar nominee and Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman composing an all-new score and Shaiman and Emmy nominee and Tony Award winner Scott Wittman writing original songs. Blunt has been cast as Mary Poppins and Miranda will play a new character, a street lamplighter named Jack. Drawing from the wealth of material in P.L. Travers’ seven additional novels, the story will take place in Depression-era London (when the books were originally written) and follows a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, who, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Look for Mary Poppins Returns to hit the big screen December 25, 2018.
This is terrific casting. Meryl Streep is easily the greatest actress of all-time and it shows by her remarkable achievements in her long career. When this film was first announced I immediately thought Meryl Streep would be a perfect choice to play Mary Poppins and while she won't be in the title role, I'm glad she's involved. The one thing I'm not to certain about is her playing Mary Poppins's sister. I mean don't get me wrong, Streep is a gorgeous women, but she is also 67 compared to Blunt being 33 which is a huge gap. I don't know much about the character Topsy Turvey, but if you are going to have a sister, then wouldn't you cast someone closer in age?
For some time, Marvel Studios has hinted that their two-part Avengers: Infinity War will be getting new titles. Today, there’s a minor update as Walt Disney Pictures confirms that the first film will retain the Avengers: Infinity War title and that the second is now officially known as an Untitled Avengers film. Production on the two Infinity War movies is set to begin in November of this year in Atlanta, Georgia with both movies being shot back to back. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who return after Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, will direct the features. It remains to be seen which characters will be the primary focus of the films, though we do know that Captain Marvel will appear in the movies ahead of her solo movie in 2019. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely will pen the scripts for the two features which directors Anthony and Joe Russo will film entirely in IMAX. Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War is slated for a release in theaters on May 4, 2018. The followup will then open on May 3, 2019. Both films are now also confirmed for 3D releases.
This honestly makes no sense. I think the Infinity War title is a perfect choice for these films and I'm glad the first film will still have the title, but just make the second film Infinity War as well. I mean what other title could possibly fit with the story they are going to tell. It is going to be an all out war in these films so it just makes sense not to have Infinity War as the title. If anything, then change the title of the first film to something like Rise of Thanos and then have Infinity War for the second film. By making just the first film Infinity War, you sort of don't have any idea what is going to happen in the second film and it makes you wonder if the war will be over in the first film which to me would be an absolutely horrible decision.
Given the secrecy that has surrounded the character since 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, it surprised many when director James Gunn revealed the identity of Star-Lord’s father at the Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con, revealing Kurt Russell was playing Ego the Living Planet, and Peter Quill’s papa. Some, however, considered this in itself a spoiler, but Gunn has taken to Facebook to explain why it isn’t, writing: “There have been a minority of folks who have questioned, and even been angry, that I and Marvel would reveal something so major months before the film comes out…I get it. If we lived in a perfect world, I wouldn’t tell you ANYTHING before you walked in to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I wouldn’t tell you Groot was now Baby Groot, I wouldn’t tell you Mantis was in the movie, I wouldn’t say that Ayesha and Taserface are our antagonists, that Yondu and Nebula have incredibly important roles in the film, nor would I tell you that Quill’s father is Ego the Living Planet. However, the world is imperfect…We have to advertise our film. And it will be impossible to show you very much of Vol. 2 since Ego is very much a part of all of it. We just don’t have a way around it.’ “Knowing who Quill’s father is will not diminish your enjoyment of the film in any way. The story is not built to be a shocking twist in the same way Luke’s father was Darth, Soylent Green was people, Rosebud was a sled, or that that pretty woman from Crying Game had a penis (I guess I should have said spoilers before all that). Ego the emotional center of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from the beginning to the end, and is not a twist. And believe me – there are many, many more surprises we still have in store for you from Vol. 2 – hopefully the biggest of which is how much you’ll love the movie itself. Because, to me, that’s the only twist that matters.” The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 cast includes the return of Chris Pratt as Peter Quill aka Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Michael Rooker as Yondu, Karen Gillan as Nebula, and Sean Gunn as Kraglin. New cast members also include Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell as Peter Quill’s father, Ego the Living Planet. Look for the sequel to hit the big screen May 5, 2017.
Long in development, Sony Pictures‘ plans for an Uncharted movie appear to be moving forward today as Variety brings word that Joe Carnahan (Narc, The Grey) has boarded the project as a screenwriter. The trade notes that Carnahan does not, at this stage, plan to direct as he’s committed to helming Bad Boys 3 for the studio. Should the Uncharted movie wind up again delayed, however, it’s possible that Carnahan could wind up in the director’s chair. Based on the action-adventure video game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune from Sony Interactive, the story follows a descendant of explorer Sir Francis Drake, a treasure hunter named Nate Drake who believes he has learned the whereabouts of El Dorado, the fabled South American golden city, from a cursed golden statue. The search becomes competitive when a rival hunter joins the fray, then is escalated when creatures — actually mutated descendants of Spaniards and Nazis — begin attacking those hoping to learn the treasure’s true secrets. Carnahan is far from the first name to take a stab at the Uncharted movie script. Previous drafts were written by Academy Award-winning writer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty), Oscar nominee David O. Russell, Doctor Strange‘s Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, Safe House‘s David Guggenheim, and Cormac and Marianne Wibberley of National Treasure fame. The Uncharted movie currently has a planned release date of June 30, 2017. Bad Boys 3, meanwhile, is set to arrive earlier that same month, hitting the big screen June 2.
This is a great decision. Joe Carnahan is a terrific writer and I think due to his previous work, he is the right choice for this film. Now as for the question of him directing, it wouldn't shock me in the least little bit. If Carnahan can finish Bad Boys 3 early enough to direct Uncharted and have the film come out next year that would be great, but it will probably get pushed back to maybe November 2017 or possibly early 2018. If he directs, an you look at his history with actors, then two main parts might alredy be cast. He has worked with Chris Pine multiple times (Smokin' Aces and Stretch) so he might be Nathan Drake which I would be ok with (although I want Chris Pratt) and he's worked with Liam Neeson before (The Grey and The A-Team) so he might be Sully which I am totally down for (although I want J.K. Simmons). I'm a fan of this game franchise and I really hope things can finally get moving on this film because it has been a long time coming and it would really do well.
Morgan Freeman is in negotiations to play the mysterious Drosselmeyer in Disney Pictures‘ new live-action version of “The Nutcracker,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Mackenzie Foy is playing Clara in the film, while American Ballet Theatre dancer Misty Copeland plays the lead ballerina role for the dance sequences. Lasse Hallstrom (The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Cider House Rules, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape) is on board to direct the revisionist take under the title The Nutcracker and the Four Realms from a script by Ashleigh Powell. Most famously adapted as a ballet by Tchaikovsky in the late 19th century, the tale originated as a short story titled “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816. In it, a young girl’s dolls come to life on Christmas Eve alongside a noble nutcracker, who protects her from a villainous army of mice. There is no word on how much fidelity this new take will have to the original source material, although Powell apparently spent two solid years developing the project. Mark Gordon is producing the live-action The Nutcracker and the Four Realms project, with Lindy Goldstein executive producing. Technically this is yet another live-action remake of a classic Disney animation, as a famous segment in 1940’s Fantasia was built around the ballet, albeit with little naked fairies doing the dancing. More recent live-action attempts have met with box office failure, including George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker in 1993 featuring Macaulay Culkin, and 2009’s $90 million dud Nutcracker in 3D starring Elle Fanning, Nathan Lane and John Turturro.
Jonah Sparks
(NOTE: All of these stories come from comingsoon.net)
This is terrific casting. Meryl Streep is easily the greatest actress of all-time and it shows by her remarkable achievements in her long career. When this film was first announced I immediately thought Meryl Streep would be a perfect choice to play Mary Poppins and while she won't be in the title role, I'm glad she's involved. The one thing I'm not to certain about is her playing Mary Poppins's sister. I mean don't get me wrong, Streep is a gorgeous women, but she is also 67 compared to Blunt being 33 which is a huge gap. I don't know much about the character Topsy Turvey, but if you are going to have a sister, then wouldn't you cast someone closer in age?
This honestly makes no sense. I think the Infinity War title is a perfect choice for these films and I'm glad the first film will still have the title, but just make the second film Infinity War as well. I mean what other title could possibly fit with the story they are going to tell. It is going to be an all out war in these films so it just makes sense not to have Infinity War as the title. If anything, then change the title of the first film to something like Rise of Thanos and then have Infinity War for the second film. By making just the first film Infinity War, you sort of don't have any idea what is going to happen in the second film and it makes you wonder if the war will be over in the first film which to me would be an absolutely horrible decision.
Listen I love James Gunn as a director, but I hate these comments so much. Look I get it, to you it isn't a spoiler mainly because you were the one who wrote Ego into the film and it's his and Kevin Feige's decision to do so. However to some, the reveal of Star-Lord's father before the film is released is kind of stupid. Gunn wants to talk about advertising the film, then show a trailer to get people excited. I know Marvel wants to focus on Doctor Strange, but they were gonna have to show a trailer for the film soon anyway so why no 10 months in advance, if not just a 30 second tease, just give the fans something. This reveal could've been something special and it would've kept everyone guessing until they saw the film. Now if you are a diehard comic geek and you know anything about Ego the Living Planet, then you could get an idea of where the film is going. Now people are having to look up who the character is and will get to know him better which isn't always a bad thing, but the reveal could've be saved for the film and no one told you to blow your load this early.
This is a great decision. Joe Carnahan is a terrific writer and I think due to his previous work, he is the right choice for this film. Now as for the question of him directing, it wouldn't shock me in the least little bit. If Carnahan can finish Bad Boys 3 early enough to direct Uncharted and have the film come out next year that would be great, but it will probably get pushed back to maybe November 2017 or possibly early 2018. If he directs, an you look at his history with actors, then two main parts might alredy be cast. He has worked with Chris Pine multiple times (Smokin' Aces and Stretch) so he might be Nathan Drake which I would be ok with (although I want Chris Pratt) and he's worked with Liam Neeson before (The Grey and The A-Team) so he might be Sully which I am totally down for (although I want J.K. Simmons). I'm a fan of this game franchise and I really hope things can finally get moving on this film because it has been a long time coming and it would really do well.
Morgan Freeman is in negotiations to play the mysterious Drosselmeyer in Disney Pictures‘ new live-action version of “The Nutcracker,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Mackenzie Foy is playing Clara in the film, while American Ballet Theatre dancer Misty Copeland plays the lead ballerina role for the dance sequences. Lasse Hallstrom (The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Cider House Rules, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape) is on board to direct the revisionist take under the title The Nutcracker and the Four Realms from a script by Ashleigh Powell. Most famously adapted as a ballet by Tchaikovsky in the late 19th century, the tale originated as a short story titled “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816. In it, a young girl’s dolls come to life on Christmas Eve alongside a noble nutcracker, who protects her from a villainous army of mice. There is no word on how much fidelity this new take will have to the original source material, although Powell apparently spent two solid years developing the project. Mark Gordon is producing the live-action The Nutcracker and the Four Realms project, with Lindy Goldstein executive producing. Technically this is yet another live-action remake of a classic Disney animation, as a famous segment in 1940’s Fantasia was built around the ballet, albeit with little naked fairies doing the dancing. More recent live-action attempts have met with box office failure, including George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker in 1993 featuring Macaulay Culkin, and 2009’s $90 million dud Nutcracker in 3D starring Elle Fanning, Nathan Lane and John Turturro.
This is a terrific casting choice if it becomes true. Morgan Freeman is an actor everyone generally loves and he's great in just about every film he is in. Adding him to a Disney film is a fantastic idea and it just shows how much power they have as a studio. Now I'll be the first one to admit that I know little to nothing about The Nutcracker so I have no knowledge on the character freeman would be playing or how important he is to the story. I just know Freeman is a fantastic choice and I can't wait to see how it turns out.
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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