6-26-14 Movie News

        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)


        Previously teased earlier this month when director Guillermo del Toro revealed that he was writing a script for the film with Zak Penn, Legendary Pictures and Universal Studios have revealed that Pacific Rim 2 will debut in 3D and IMAX 3D  theaters on April 7, 2017. "The characters I love will return," del Toro told BuzzFeed in a statement. "Raleigh, Mako, Newt, Gottlieb and who knows, maybe even Hannibal Chau – but we are taking them into a fresh territory that will display amazing sights and battles. The first film set the stage and now we’re ready to have a blast."

        In addition, del Toro and Legendary debuted a video in which he announced not only the forthcoming sequel but an animated series and a continuation of the Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero prequel graphic novel. Check back for more details on the film and expansion of the "Pacific Rim" franchise as we learn them.

        The first film, which was made for about $190 million and opened in July of 2013, earned $411 million at the worldwide box office. Legendary's Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni once again produce alongside del Toro, Mary Parent and Callum Greene. Jillian Share will executive produce.

        This news is awesome. I absolutely loved the first Pacific Rim (it was my favorite film of 2013) and I have been dying to hear that a sequel is coming. I'm just geeking out right now and i can't wait til 2017. 



        The next Star Trek film (either the third or thirteenth, depending on your point of view) has set a course for the final frontier. Director Roberto Orci, in speaking to Geoff Boucher on the Humans From Earth podcast (via Badass Digest) revealed today that, unlike J.J. Abrams' Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, the new film will take place in deep space.

        "In this movie they are closer than they are to the original series characters that you have ever seen," says Orci. "They have set off on their five-year mission. So their adventure is going to be in deep space."

        Orci is joined on the project by screenwriters Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, who are helping him pen the next adventure of the Enterprise crew. The expectation is that the new film will land in theaters in 2016, just in time for the franchise's 50th anniversary. At the moment, however, no release date has been set.

        This is really great to hear. Look I loved the first two films from JJ Abrams and I'm a big fan of Star Trek, but I can see why Trekkies hate the JJ films and I think what Orci is saying is what is good for the franchise. I'm just excited for this film to come out and it'll be great if they can do it in 2016 for the 50th anniversary. 



        Already a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to his appearance in "All Hail the King," Scoot McNairy is headed to the Distinguished Competition. Deadline reports that the Argo star will play an unspecified role in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

        Also starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey, Tao Okamoto and Ray Fisher, the DC Comics film brings together the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight -- for the first time on the big screen.

        McNairy is currently in the theaters in The Rover opposite Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson. He's also starring on AMC's new series "Halt and Catch Fire" and will again star opposite Affleck in the upcoming Gone Girl.

        This is pretty interesting casting. I'm not really familiar with McNairy's work except for Argo and Monsters and he was pretty good in those films. Now form what I'm hearing is that he'll be Wally West aka The Flash and if that's the case then I'm all for it. We'll see in the next few weeks.



        20th Century Fox's President of Production Emma Watts is having a good year and some of that has to do with X-Men: Days of Future Past, which has brought in nearly $700 million at the global box office. Watts and the studio are already hard at work bringing the next round of Marvel properties to the big screen, and in a recent profile piece on The Hollywood Reporter, Watts talked about the importance of directors for their big budget hero romps. "We're making a big bet for 2015 with The Fantastic Four and director Josh Trank," Watts said. "To me, the key is the originality of the filmmakers and the choices they make. Josh is another really interesting example, who is using the vision he gave us in Chronicle to reinvent a franchise he's loved his whole life. It's not that you can't make original ideas -- you can, and we did it with Chronicle. The director is the key to not letting superhero movies go stale. That's the truth."

        When asked if we'd be seeing some "found footage elements" to The Fantastic Four, like what Trank did with the surprise hit Chronicle, Watts replied: "It's Josh, so it can't not have that feel. That's his talent, that's what he does, and that's what excites him about it. It is a really interesting young cast, and he is the magnet that's brought them all together."

        The subject of X-Men: Apocalypse was also brought up, with the outlet asking if director Bryan Singer would return behind the camera for the film. "Right now we are totally at the outlining phase," Watts added. "But nothing would make me happier than if it all worked out. It's always been the intention for him to do it."

        Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell will star as The Fantastic Four, set for release on June 19, 2015, with X-Men: Apocalypse scheduled for release on May 22, 2016.

        This interview has some good thing s and some bad. First off I love the choice of Josh Trank as director for The Fantastic Four and I hate found footage films and if the film is like then that will turn me off of the film big-time. Secondly I hope Singer is back for X-Men: Apocalypse. Look everything brought forth against him is nothing federal and hasn't been proven yet so I would like for him to come back since he did such a great job with X-Men: Days of Future Past.


        New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow have revealed the full trailer for director Steven Quale's Into the Storm. Check it out in the video below!

        Opening in theaters on August 8, the action thriller stars Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Arlen Escarpeta, Max Deacon, Nathan Kress, Jeremy Sumpter, Kyle Davis, Jon Reep and Scott Lawrence

        In the span of a single day, the town of Silverton is ravaged by an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes. The entire town is at the mercy of the erratic and deadly cyclones, even as storm trackers predict the worst is yet to come. Most people seek shelter, while others run towards the vortex, testing how far a storm chaser will go for that once-in-a-lifetime shot. Told through the eyes and lenses of professional storm chasers, thrill-seeking amateurs, and courageous townspeople, "Into the Storm" throws you directly into the eye of the storm to experience Mother Nature at her most extreme.


        This is a horrible trailer. First off it feels like a found footage film and I hate them simply because of the sloppy camera work and secondly the visuals look horrible. This film feels like something that should be on TV. This film looks horrendous and I already know the rating I'm going to give 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