LONDON HAS FALLEN To Film in 2014 With Original Cast

October 30, 2013 by Jill Landon Posted in Movie Announcements Tagged Aaron Eckhart, Gerard Butler, London has Fallen, Morgan Freeman, Movie Announcements

It seems the studios want Gerard Butler to be John McClane. Unfortunately, Bruce Willis is already John McClane, so the Diehard rip-off, Olympus Has Fallen, will be getting a sequel, set in London. The title is, you guessed it, London has Fallen and Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman are set to reprise their roles. Also reprising their roles will be Olympus screenwriters, Katrin Benedikt and Creighton Rothenberger. No director has yet been chosen.

The new film will follow Gerard Butler, as he attempts to foil a terrorist plot set to trike London during the Prime Minister’s funeral, along with his sidekick, Aaron Eckhart as the president of the United States (because who else is more equipped to personally handle terrorist threats) and an English MI6 agent.

Shooting begins in London on May 5, 2014, so this one is still a little ways down the pipeline, but it promises to be just as absurdly huge in scale as the first. The production deserves much applause for actually planning to film in London, as opposed to a green room. Practically solidified by this news are plans for London Down, much to everyone’s eventual confusion. You heard it here first.

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Sam Raimi Confirmed to Direct ARMY OF DARKNESS 2

October 28, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Announcements Tagged Army of Darkness 2, Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead, Sam Raimi

While last week saw Bruce Campbell confirmed to return to his most iconic role as the chainsaw-armed Ash, today sees confirmation that Sam Raimi will step behind the camera and actually direct Army of Darkness 2. Although Raimi’s involvement was a strong possibility, there was no official word as to whether he or 2013’s Evil Dead director Fede Alvarez would helm the project. Now, rest assured that the campy horror maestro is officially directing. News that Raimi will direct comes straight from the horse’s mouth as Alvarez confirmed that he would not be directing and Raimi would via his official Twitter account.

Although Raimi has had a bit of an unpredictable track record of late – and his last film, Oz: The Great and Powerful, was absolutely dreadful The 2013 remake/reinvention of the Evil Dead franchise saw life return to the franchise, life that Army of Darkness 2 looks to capitalize on. Speculation has already started to stir about hopes of “world building” – a tactic that could bring together the events of both the old and new franchise in an Avengers style mash-up.

Whether or not Ash will end up crossing paths with Jane Levy‘s Mia or not, you can rejoice in the fact that Raimi is returning to his bread and butter: campy horror. Raimi build his name around this brand of funny, gory films before stepping in to helm the Spiderman trilogy. 2009’s utterly terrific Drag Me To Hell proved that Raimi can easily jump back onto the saddle and direct horror like the back of his hand. While Army of Darkness 2 won’t see a release date for at least a few years, we can only cross our fingers that it will signal a return to form for the auteur.

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As Expected, JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT Moves from Crowded Christmas Date

October 25, 2013 by Jill Landon Posted in Movie Announcements

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’s release date has officially been pushed back to January, 17 2014. As speculated, Jack Ryan joins Monuments Men in an all out scramble of recent release date shifts. Here though, nobody was speculating Oscar potential for Kenneth Branagh’s directorial effort, but an extremely promising award season probably has something to do with the delay. The film will likely benefit, by not contending with films like 12 Years a Slave, Nebraska, The Wolf on Wall Street, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and many more that are coming out in the Fall/Christmas season.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit will likely do well in the early 2014 season. Our insatiable hunger for edge-of-your-seat thrillers alongside interest garnered by Tom Clancy’s recent passing should make sure of that. Check it out on its new release date, January 17^th, 2013.

Per the synopsis, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit provides an origin story to a known winning franchise:

“Jack Ryan, a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack. Prequel/reboot based on the Tom Clancy character featured in films like The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Dangers and The Sum of All Fears.”

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, Nonso Anozie, and David Paymer. It’s currently set up for a Christmas, 2013 release.

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Clooney's MONUMENTS MEN Pushed to 2014, Leaves Oscar Race

October 23, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Announcements Tagged 2014 Oscars, George Clooney, Oscars, Release Dates, The Monuments Men

Another one bites the dust as George Clooney‘s much anticipated WWII drama The Monuments Men will no longer make its December 18 release date, effectively slicing it out of next year’s Oscar consideration. Following today’s official announcement that The Wolf of Wall Street will now see a Christmas day release, it seems that big 2014 Oscar contenders are crumbling like dominoes. As for the reason for the move, Clooney has cited unsatisfactory progress within the special effects department.

“We just didn’t have enough time,” Clooney told the Los Angeles Times, “If any of the effects looked cheesy, the whole movie would look cheesy. We simply don’t have enough people to work enough hours to finish it.” While the reasoning is fair, it does seem like they have quite a bit of time in the nearly two months before that release. It makes me wonder if there isn’t more to the story than is being shared at this point. On the push to 2014 affecting the film’s Oscar odds, Clooney made it clear that Oscar attention was never his goal for the film. He added, “All we’ve ever said, from the very beginning, is that we wanted to make a commercial, non-cynical piece of entertainment.”

Although Clooney seems insistent that Oscars were never the hope, the move to an early 2014 date will most certainly lower any chances for an Oscar. Whether it will remain a player next year is impossible to say now but I would put my money on a steadfast “no”.

The Monuments Men is written, starring and directed by George Clooney. It also stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and John Goodman. It hits theaters in the thick of Oscar season on December 18.

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Scorsese's THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Pushed to Christmas Release

October 22, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Announcements

The writing was on the wall for a late stage move for The Wolf of Wall Street. Now we can rejoice that it didn’t get pushed any further than Christmas Day, leaving it as an 2014 Oscar contender. Not on track to hit the original release date of November 15, a fast approaching, now open slot, Scorsese’s latest apparently needed quite a trim, as the original cut ran over three hours and needed to lose quite a lump of those minutes for profit-seeking reasons. This month-plus push really only gives Scorsese a few more weeks to cut because it will still lead the Marrakech International Film Festival on November 29.

A push of this nature into a massively crowded release period may mean some shuffling as Paramount is also scheduled to release Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit on that same day. Although typically a loaded release date, this Christmas will sees the release of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, 47 Ronin, Believe, Grudge Match, August: Osage County, and the limited releases of Labor Day and The Invisible Woman. With seven films now looking to open wide on the same day, just you wait for an official announcement that Jack Ryan won’t see the light of day until January.

The Wolf of Wall Street is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo Dicaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bernthal, Jon Favreau, Kyle Chandler, Jean Dujardin, Rob Reiner and Spike Jonze. It hits theaters November 15.

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2014 Oscar Race Loses Some Serious Contenders

September 30, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Announcements 2 Comments

Last week, two serious Oscar contenders declared that they would no longer be vying for the golden ticket this year, as they’ve been pushed to 2014. Boththe Nicole Kidmanstar-vehicle Grace of Monaco and Bennett Miller‘sFoxcatcher with Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo were originally scheduled for Oscar-qualifying releases this fall but due to “not being finished” have been pushed into the next year.

What is still unclear at this point is whether they will be released in the first quarter of the new year in a period known as “the dumping ground.” Infamous for being a period of flops and failures, the early months of any year don’t usually see much in terms of Oscar chances. On the flip side of the spectrum, since the competition is low, it’s often an easy month for better quality films to sweep up the floor.

Another film on the heels of a move is Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio‘s much anticipated The Wolf of Wall Street. Apparently, that film is also not on track to hit it’s November 15 release date and will indefinitely be delayed to a later date. While lots of speculation has suggested that the move will mean a push into 2014, there is still a chance that it makes an Oscar qualifying run in mid-to-late December.

Considering how crowded the release calendar already is for December and how Scorsese’s penultimate film, Shutter Island, make an unexpected boat-ton of money with an early year release, there’s really factors that could mean a shift to both sides of the fence. My hope is that we do see Wolf sometime soon as I’m a huge Leo and Scorsese fan and have high hopes for the film. Having to wait until next year’s fall season would be a huge bummer.

Films shifting unexpectedly is no new phenomenon but having these three big contenders all up and bailing in the span of a week really blows a hole in this year’s ceremonies. A strange coincidence? Maybe. Or perhaps everyone is a little frightened on the heels of the outpouring of love for 12 Years a Slave.

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Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Set Plans for Adult Animated Feature SAUSAGE PARTY

September 26, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Announcements

Following the tremendous critical and commercial success of This is the End, director/writer duo Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have their next project in line and it’s probably not what you expected. A joint production of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Annapurna Pictures and Point Grey, Sausage Party is an existentialist journey of a sausage discovering himself on the eve of the mass sausage-selling holiday, July 4th.

Not your typical animated film, Sausage Party is being described as not at all for kids. Who would have guessed with a name like Sausage Party? Written by Rogen and Goldberg alongside Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir, with story credit also due in part to Jonah Hill, Rogen/Golberg won’t actually be directing the film. In their stead, Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2, Monsters vs. Aliens) and Greg Tiernan will take over that particular duty, freeing the comedy duo up to focus their efforts on other projects as well, including their upcoming comedy, The Neighbors.

Of the announcement, Columbia Pictures president Hannah Minghella said;

“We’re thrilled to be back in business with Seth and Evan. This project has all the irreverent, insightful and risqué R-rated humor we have come to expect from them. Matching their unique comic sensibility with an animated film is a fun and inspired idea. We are confident Seth, Evan, Conrad and Greg will deliver one of the most memorable animated movies of all time.”

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James Cameron Says AVATAR 2, 3 & 4 a Go

August 10, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Announcements

Master of making everyone in the world give him money, James Cameron, has announced today that he will not only begin production on Avatar 2, but will simulataneously be filming a third and forth film, making all three sequels at once. While this kind of consecutive filmmaking is no novel approach, just look to Peter Jackson‘s Middle Earth saga, he’s really banking on the fact that people are gonna want to return to Pandora not one, not two but three more times.

While Cameron has a preternatural ability to judge what the public wants, this move is as ambitious as it is excessive. Per today’s press release, Cameron had the following to say:

“Building upon the world we created with Avatar has been a rare and incredibly rewarding experience. In writing the new films, I’ve come to realize that Avatar‘s world, story and characters have become even richer than I anticipated, and it became apparent that two films would not be enough to capture everything I wanted to put on screen. And to help me continue to expand this universe, I’m pleased to bring aboard Amanda, Rick, Shane and Josh — all writers I’ve long admired - to join me in completing the films screenplays.”

The four names Cameron refers to will all be aiding the admittedly lackluster writing from Cameron to flesh out this three-legged journey back to the CGI, 3D world. Josh Friedman has got sci-fi cred from Spielberg’s War of the Worlds and the popular, but early cancelled,Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles. Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver both worked on Rise of the Planets of the Apes while Shane Salerno wrote Armageddeon and Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem.

Avatar 2 is set to hit theaters December 2016, with each sequel following suit the following year. This gives Avatar 3 a December 2017 release and Avatar 4 a December 2018 date. WETA Digital, who is also responsible for the upcoming Hobbit sequels and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, will run the technical components of Cameron’s world.

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DC Announces BATMAN/SUPERMAN Movie as Next Project, THE FLASH and JUSTICE LEAGUE to Follow

July 23, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Announcements

DC certainly seems to have stolen the thunder over at the San Diego Comic Con by announcing that the next project on their slate will be a team up film featuring Batman and Superman. Following the success of Man of Steel, this first step towards the eventual Justice League will start building the larger DC universe. This is definitely an unexpected move considering that most were expecting a strict sequel in the form of Man of Steel 2 or a Justice League movie but no one really saw the two man super team up coming. This currently unnamed film will release in 2015, aka, the biggest year for movies in the history of histories (Star Wars 7, Avatar 2, The Avengers 2, etc.)

Man of Steel crew Henry Cavill, director Zack Snyder and writer David S. Goyer will all return but what is not clear is who exactly will be filling the batshoes. Christian Bale has said multiple times that he will not be donning the cowl again as Batman but, in his many insistent denials, he said always stated that he is not interested in it purely because Christopher Nolan, director of the Dark Knight trilogy wouldn’t be involved. But hold your horses Bale because Nolan is signed on as a producer here and will probably work in a similar capacity to his involvement with Man of Steel. Does that assure the return of Bale? Absolutely not but it is a step in the right direction.

While DC can probably get away with recasting Batman, there is obvious power in continuing the much beloved Dark Knight franchise and I can’t deny that I would be super-duper stoked if they did continue that particular iteration of the character.

After the Batman/Superman film releases, DC will push forward movie featuring Barry Allen, aka The Flash, which will release in 2016 followed by a Justice League movie in 2017. I’m glad to see that DC is willing to do some world building before launching right into Justice League and with Flash, Batman and Superman established, they will stand on pretty good ground in terms of mass familiarity with the characters. What is unclear is how Green Lantern will factor into the equation. Whether they omit him entire, reboot him or recast him, it’s clear that they need to scrub the bad taste that the Martin Campbell/Ryan Reynolds tanker in some way or another.

While I am naturally skeptical about any kind of superhero news, this is actually a pretty thrilling set up and one I’m hoping with pay off immensely. Luckily, we only have two years to wait to see the product. More casting news and other info is sure to follow.

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Avengers 2 Earns Nerdy Title THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

July 23, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Announcements

Up until now, the follow up to The Avengers has been a largely unknown quality outside the fact that writer/director Joss Whedon would return but with the title treatment, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, legions of Marvel fans are taking to speculation as to what this next installment would entail.

Culled straight from the pages of Wikipedia Ultron is Marvel supervillian whose “common powers include superhuman levels of strength, speed, stamina, durability, and reflexes; flight at subsonic speeds; and various offensive weapons such as concussive blasts of energy fired from its optical sensors and hands, and an “encephalo-ray”, which places victims into a deathlike coma. The latter ray also allows Ultron to mesmerize and mind-control victims, or implant subliminal hypnotic commands within their minds to be enacted at a later time.”

The Ultron story arc is a limited comic series written by Brian Bendis but Whedon has insisted that this will be an original story and not adapted directly from the comic pages. Per Whedon,

“Well, because there was a book called ‘Age of Ultron’ quite recently, a lot of people have assumed that is what we’re doing, but that is not the case,” Whedon reportedly reveals in the interview. “We’re doing our own version of the origin story for Ultron. In the origin story, there was Hank Pym, so a lot of people assumed that he will be in the mix. He’s not. We’re basically taking the things from the comics for the movies that we need and can use. A lot of stuff has to fall by the wayside.”
“We’re crafting our own version of it where his origin comes more directly from The Avengers we already know about.” Whedon reportedly continues. “It’s a little bit darker than the other film because Ultron is in the house. There’s a science fiction theme that wasn’t there in the other one. Ultron is definitely something that evolves, so we’re going to get together a couple of different iterations. Nothing can be translated exactly as it was from the comics; particularly Ultron.”

As far as I’m concerned, I’ll trust the man but boy, oh boy is that a nerdy title.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron is directed by Joss Whedon and stars Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo and Samuel L. Jackson. It hits theaters May 1, 2015.

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