3-10-16 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)

        Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures have released the new Captain America: Civil War trailer, offering brand-new footage from the Phase Three starter. You can check out the new Captain America: Civil War trailer below. Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability. The film is set to feature the return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America, this time joined in his “solo” film by fellow Avengers Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as The Vision, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye and Don Cheadle as Jim Rhodes/War Machine. Sebastian Stan will also be back as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier alongside Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter / Agent 13, Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow / Crossbones, William Hurt as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War will debut in theaters on May 6, 2016. The film has a running time of 2 hours and 27 minutes, making it the longest Marvel movie to date.


        This trailer was absolutely amazing. Marvel has done a great job of making trailers that don't give anything away that's huge and in this film we get some tidbits of what we are going to see, but nothing that gives anything away. This film just feels like it is a culmination of what the MCU has been building to for the past 8 years and it's somewhat of an Avengers film without being a Avengers film. This film is going to be dark, gritty, action-packed and really emotional and this might be the best Marvel film ever. Also the big thing everyone is talking about is the appearance of Spider-Man and I cannot be happier to see our favorite web-slinging hero in the MCU. I think this costume looks fantastic as it's an old throwback to the 1960's and I'm really interested to see how much he'll actually be in the film. 

        Academy Award winner Halle Berry is in talks to join the cast of 20th Century Fox‘s upcoming Kingsman: The Secret Service sequel. The original film, a followup to Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of the Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons comic book, became a surprise hit, grossing $128 million domestically and another $286 million overseas for a worldwide total of $414.4 million. According to Deadline, Halle Berry would play the head of the CIA in what is said to be a two picture deal. The news comes on the heels of last month’s update that said Julianne Moore is in talks to play the film’s villain. Matthew Vaughn is confirmed to direct Kingsman 2, the first sequel he’s ever personally helmed. Taron Egerton (Eddie the Eagle) is returning to his star-making role as Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin, who is now fully-trained secret agent. While the first film took place primarily in England, the new one is said to focus more on the USA and the American branch of the title covert Secret Service agency. Colin Firth is not expected to return in either a flashback or as a new character, although the possibility of him playing his own twin brother was bandied about before being abandoned. Halle Berry, who took home her Oscar for her work in 2002’s Monster’s Ball, last appeared on the big screen in X-Men: Days of Future Past. On television, she recently finished her two-season run leading CBS‘ science fiction series, Extant. 20th Century Fox has set a June 16, 2017 release date for Kingsman: The Secret Service 2.

        This is fantastic casting. Halle Berry is easily one of the top 5 best actresses working in the business today and adding her to any film is a great idea. I think that she fits in well with this franchise and I have an auspicious feeling that she will be taking the place of Colin Firth's character and sorta be a mentor for Taron Egerton's character. This cast is shaping up to be a fantastic one I wouldn't be surprised to see more top notch actors and actresses join the cast.

        A Tomb Raider reboot has been in the works for some time now, with writers and directors boarding and abandoning the project over the years. Now it seems that the film could be moving towards an actual production, as Deadline reports that Warner Bros. and MGM are making a list of potential Lara Crofts, and on that list is Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley. No conversations have been had and Ridley is among many other actresses being considered for the role. Ridley is currently in the middle of production for Star Wars: Episode VIII, with Star Wars: Episode IX set to follow not long after, so the actress’ timetable for another adventure franchise could be slim. Check back here for further updates on the film, and Ridley’s potential involvement, as we learn them. Director Roar Uthaug (The Wave) is set to direct the film from a script by Transformers 5 scribe Geneva Robertson-Dworet. The original Tomb Raider was published in 1996 by the London-based video game company Eidos and became one of the most successful video games of the time. A reboot of the series, telling the origin of Lara Croft, was released in 2013 and sold over 5 million copies. The most recent game, titled Rise of the Tomb Raider, is available now for the Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Paramount Pictures previously made two movies about the daredevil archaeologist on a series of global missions. The films, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, starred Angelina Jolie and grossed a combined $432 million at the worldwide box office.

        This would be terrific casting. It's crazy to think that this woman has only been in one film and she's always being courted for major roles and I think that she is the perfect fit for this franchise and the character. If you take what she looked like in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens she sort looks like Lara Croft. There are probably more experiences actors that could do the same job, but it's refreshing to see some new blood in these big time roles. I don't know how likely it is she will be chosen for the role, but I'm really hoping that Warner Bros and MGM let Daisy Ridley take on the role. 

        MGM‘s Where’s Waldo movie, first announced back in 2011, is moving forward as The Tracking Board brings word that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have come aboard the project as producers. Through their Point Grey banner, the pair join producers Roger Birnbaum and Tom Engelman and executive producer Eric Ellenbogen. James Weaver will oversee production for Point Grey with Cassidy Lange and Tabitha Shick doing so at MGM. Deadline, meanwhile, is reporting that Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir are developing the script. They have worked on the screenplays to Point Grey projects like The Night Before and the upcoming Sausage Party. Unlike that latter film, which offers the R-rated animated adventures of talking lunchmeat, the Where’s Waldo movie is being envisioned as a family adventure. Created by Martin Handford and first published in 1987, “Where’s Waldo? (or “Where’s Wally,” as it’s known outside North America) is one of the most recognizable characters in the world. With more than 55 million books sold worldwide from New York to Sydney to London to Tokyo, “Where’s Waldo?” books are available in more than thirty-eight countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages. Although the “Where’s Waldo” book series does offer somewhat of an ongoing narrative and, with each book, an increasing roster of characters, the series is primarily famous for its intricate illlustrations and the challenge that the reader find the Waldo character hidden somewhere within each two-page spread. Although a Where’s Waldo movie has never before been attempted, the book series was adapted for the small screen in 1991. A 13-episode Where’s Waldo: The Animated Series ran domestically as a CBS Saturday morning cartoon.

        I love this idea. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are two great writers and producers and they have pretty much made nothing but great films and I think this is a perfect fit for them. Where's Waldo is fun yet boring character in the sense that his main thing is finding him. I like how they are wanting to make it family friendly, but it wouldn't be shocking if they changed course and made this raunchy and not so family friendly. I never thought I would want to see a Where's Waldo film, but with Rogen and Goldberg on board producing, I think this film is going to be really great. 

        Variety is reporting that Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, Southpaw) is set to co-star with Ryan Reynolds in Life, which is also set to star Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation‘s Rebecca Ferguson. Deadpool screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick wrote the screenplay for the original science fiction tale. Life will follow a crew aboard the International Space Station who, after retrieving a sample from Mars, discover that it displays signs of life. Said life, of course, proves to be more intelligent and cunning than expected. Life is set to be directed by Daniel Espinosa, the Swedish filmmaker behind films like Easy Money and Safe House. The latter, released in 2012, pulled in more than $208 million at the worldwide box office and starred Reynolds opposite Denzel Washington. David Ellison and Dana Goldberg are producing Life alongside Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn. Gyllenhaal is next set to shoot the Boston bombing drama Stronger, and will be seen onscreen in April starring in Jean-Marc Vallée’s Demolition.

        I really love this casting. Jake Gyllenhaal is a tremendous actor and I think he's great in just about everything (Prince of Persia is just dreadful) and I think he is going to be great in this film. It's also great to see both him and Ryan Reynolds in a film together. These two guys are considered by women to be two of the hottest guys on the planet and this film is going bring out the women in droves. That's going to help out a lot with the box office and it will make sci-fi films more recognizable to a different demographic. 

        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