William Fichtner just made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles worth watching.
According to Deadline, Fichtner will be playing “a lead with iconic stature in the Turtles‘ mythology” in the Michael Bay-produced film. Based on that description, I would say Fichtner will be playing Shredder, which would be absolutely awesome.
Fichtner can be seen in this summer’s The Lone Ranger and Elysium.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is expected to hit theaters on June 16, 2014.
A couple of days ago we posted the new poster for Alfonso Cuarón’s new movie, Gravity, and now the first teaser trailers is here. The teaser is interesting as it could almost work as a short film the way it’s pieced together. The film stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. And by stars, I mean they are the only cast in the film (and no I’m not making that up). The visuals look great and if directed right, it could be pretty good. Take a gander and let us know your thoughts!
One of the most under-the-radar movies coming out this summer in my opinion is Louis Leterrier’s, Now You See Me. This movie seems to have an interesting story and it has an incredible cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Jessie Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson and Isla Fisher to name a few. Anyway, the marketing for this film has almost been non-existent and it’s probably due to the fact the budget is tied up in all the casting for the film.
Well Lionsgate has released the first four minutes of the film in an effort to get people excited about the movie. People haven’t really been talking about this film much, but it seems interesting so I think this is a good movie on Lionsgate’s part. Whether or not it sparks the right buzz is a different question. Now You See Me comes to theaters May 31.
What do you think? Is this a good idea? Comment and let us know!
Shane Black has found his next film.
According to The Wrap, Sony has closed a deal with Black to co-write and direct Doc Savage, which will reportedly be his next film. Doc Savage is a pulp character from the 1930s and 40s who appeared in novels, films, comic books, radio and television. He is a man of many trades who has been trained since birth to be nearly superhuman in every way. He uses his skills and powers to punish evil around the world.
Black recently directed Iron Man 3, which has grossed over $740 million worldwide and had the second-highest domestic opening of all-time last weekend. It was only a matter of time before he’d get hit up for his next film – which we all know will feature lots of comedy and some crazy twists and turns.
It’s been announced that Jurassic Park 4 has been put on hold and will be pushed back to a later date. Universal Pictures was very eager to get the film out as a big summer movie in 2014, but that gave little time for newly hired Colin Trevorrow and company to get production done in time, especially given the fact there will likely be lots of CG. At this time, they aren’t sure when production will resume. Here’s the official statement issued yesterday by Universal:
“In coordination with filmmakers, Universal has decided to release Jurassic Park 4 at a later date giving the studio and filmmakers adequate time to bring audiences the best possible version of the fourth installment in Universal’s beloved franchise. We could not be more excited about the vision that Colin Trevorrow has created for this film, and we look forward to watching as he and the producers create another great chapter in this franchise’s storied history.”
At this time I speculate that it’s still going to happen and Universal still seems happy to have Trevorrow on board, but they want to give him plenty of time to make sure the film is up to par. Given the fact that Jurassic Park 3 was a little bit of a let down, I imagine they will put everything they can into lifting the franchise back up to the first two films. Let’s not forget, this is also Trevorrow’s first big film and he may need that extra time to really make it grandioso. What do you guys think? Let us know in the comment section.
Hey everybody, Alfonso Cuaron has a new film coming out.
Who’s Cuaron you ask? He’s just the guy who directed 2006’s amazing sci-fi film Children of Men. And now we got our first look at his follow-up, Gravity, with this visually stunning poster. Gravity stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock who play two astronauts who get stranded in space.
This is one of my most anticipated films of the year, especially when word on the street is that Cuaron has shot this mostly in real-time. With this visual genius and these incredible actors, Gravity has the potential to be one of year’s best films.
Gravity hits theaters on October 18.
Captain Phillips, a new film directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks, is about the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
This was one of the most amazing stories I’ve ever heard of and is something you think you’d only see in a movie. The fact that this is backwards is incredible. I’m really excited for this.
Captain Phillips opens on October 11.
Martin Scorsese has found his lead for Silence.
According to Variety, Andrew Garfield will star in the legendary director’s adaption of a Japanese novel about a young Portuguese priest who travels to Japan to investigate claims that his mentor has apostatized himself. It’s set in the 17th century. Ken Watanabe will star as Garfield’s character’s interpreter.
Silence kind of has me intrigued. Scorsese obviously knows how to make great films and Garfield has proven he can lead a film (i.e. The Social Network, The Amazing Spider-Man). Curious to see how this one turns out.
The trio is back.
After Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, director Edgar Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will look to bring us another classic with The World’s End.
We recently got our first look at The World’s End with a teaser trailer and it looks like it could be fun. I like the premise of a group of friends trying to finish a pub crawl as an alien invasion (?) happens. And I like that Martin Freeman is in this.
The World’s End hits theaters on October 25.
The new Ender’s Game trailer was released this afternoon and it’s an interesting piece of marketing. Harrison Ford carrying the voice over work does a great job and the visuals smack you in the mouth. While it looks good, we’ve raved about lots of movies so far this year and a couple of them have been less than stellar. Iron Man 3 and Pain & Gain had great trailers that made us excited for the film, but as we left the theater, we experienced something very different. Not necessarily bad but definitely different.
So all that to say, it looks good but get excited at your own risk. Holy crap does it look good though.
Here is the official synopsis, courtesy of Summit:
In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham, all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin, a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite. Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military’s next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.
The film stars Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin, and some pretty big names such as Harrison Ford (Colonel Graff), Ben Kingsley (Mazer Rackham), and Viola Davis, as well as up and coming stars Aramis Knight, Abigail Breslin, Hailee Steinfeld, and Jimmy Pinchak. Ender’s Game is directed by Gavin Hood and comes to us November 1.
The first series in our InSession Movie Series is Baz Luhrmann. Neither Matthew, Nate or I have seen much of his work before and with the excitement of The Great Gatsby coming out, we thought we’d get to know him more. The movies we’ll be discussing are Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet, Australia, and Moulin Rouge!
Grades
Nate: F
JD: B-
Matthew: A-
Review
Click here to read our full review of Strictly Ballroom. Luhrmann’s 1992 film is his first film and it has plenty of layers throughout the movie that makes it good (or in Nate’s case why he hates it).
[divider]
Grades
Nate: D+
JD: B
Matthew: C
Review
Click here to read our full review of Romeo + Juliet. It’s a unique perspective on a play that is nothing less than a classic.
[divider]
Grades
Nate: C
JD: A-
Matthew: A
Review
Click here to read our full review of Moulin Rouge!. Beautiful colors, great performances, and perfectly executed musical pieces define this film.
[divider]
Grades
Nate: C-
JD: B
Matthew: n/a
Review
Click here to read our full review of Australia. Nate and JD disagree on a film that has a great story, but has some elements that become repetitive.
[divider]
There are a lot of great films coming out in May of 2013 to start off the summers movie season. Which movie this month will end up being the best?
On Episode 11 of our InSession Film Podcast, we discussed our Top 3 trilogies of all-time. This was a lot of fun.
Nate
1) The Lord of the Rings trilogy
2) Star Wars trilogy (original)
3) Toy Story trilogy
JD
1) The Lord of the Rings trilogy
2) The Dark Knight trilogy
3) Die Hard (1-3)
In Episode 11, we review Iron Man 3, discuss the Top 3 Trilogies of all-time and finish our Baz Lurhmann series and review his 2008 film, Australia. Plus a little bonus content at the end with a spoiler review of Iron Man 3 and our Extra Film segment of the week where we review Mud.
– Iron Man 3 Review
Grades
Nate: B-
JD: B-
Matthew: C
– We finish our Baz Luhrmann Series and review his 2008 film, Australia.
– Latest News
– John Williams will score the new Star Wars
– Steven Spielberg to direct American Sniper
– New Gears of War movie
– What We’ve Seen This Week
– Extra Film review of Mud
Subscribe to our Podcasts RSS
Subscribe to our Podcasts on iTunes
InSession Film Podcast – Episode 11
Tom Cruise is ready to go on another mission.
According to Deadline, Cruise will reprise his role as Ethan Hunt in a fifth Mission: Impossible film. Paramount and Skydance confirmed that he will star and produce. The writer and director have not yet been finalized.
The last film in the franchise, 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, made over $700 million worldwide, which is the most any Cruise film has ever made. That film was directed by Brad Bird and featured Jeremy Renner.
The Mission: Impossible franchise has a nice thing going right now. J.J. Abrams flipped the switch with 2006’s awesome third installment before Bird knocked it out of the park with the fourth. The franchise is flying high right now so it was only a matter of time before Cruise would sign up for another one.
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Writers: Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Brandon Walters
Synopsis: Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.
[/info]
DIRECTION
With Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!, it’s pretty apparent that Baz Luhrmann has a very unique (to say the least) visual style. Australia is not quite like those films, instead focusing more on landscapes and picturesque vistas. Luhrmann gets solid performances out of his cast, even though most of the characters aren’t very well written and are very one-dimensional. And that leads into Luhrmann’s biggest problem: the script, which is too long and just isn’t very good.
Grade: C+
[divider]
SCRIPT
Overlong, slow, cliched, melodramatic are the best ways to describe the script for Australia. This is a nearly three-hour film that could’ve easily been cut down to less than two hours and you really wouldn’t miss a thing. The main story arc of Hugh Jackman’s Dover and Nicole Kidman’s Lady Sarah Ashley is incredibly cheesy and very sappy and what was with making all the Aboriginal people seem like mystical beings? Just a disaster all around.
Grade: D
[divider]
PERFORMANCES
For the most part the performances are solid in Australia with Jackman doing by far the best work. Brandon Walters, who plays the young Aboriginal boy, also is really good in his first feature film role. Kidman is kind of hit or miss, sometimes good and sometimes terribly bad (she was more hit than miss in Moulin Rouge!).
Grade: B-
[divider]
SCORE
Like the rest of Australia, there’s nothing memorable of this front. The score by David Hirschfelder is uninspired and unoriginal, using a lot of themes that can be found in many other westerns and romantic melodramas. But if you’re into The Wizard of Oz, they do incorporate “Over the Rainbow” into the film quite a bit. So there’s that.
Grade: C
[divider]
Iron Man 3 had the second biggest opening ever at the box office. Iron Man 3 had huge expectations and it came through with an estimated $175.3 million, which ranks it second all-time behind last years, The Avengers that took home $207.4 million. The business overseas is also doing incredible earning well over $1 billion worldwide. Yes, already, $1 billion.
The debut for Iron Man 3 is a pretty giant leap over Iron Man 2, which opened up at $128.1 million. While the third films in trilogies aren’t usually this successful, Iron Man 3 pretty much serves as a sequel to The Avengers and the marketing for this film was incredible. Disney did a phenomenal job of making this film look like an epic return for Tony Stark as his home is destroyed and The Mandarin would be possibly the best villain Marvel has had yet. Well if you’ve read my review for Iron Man 3, you’ll see it’s slightly (eyes roll) different than that.
According to Box Office Mojo, Iron Man 3, accounted for over 82 percent of the Top 12’s movies at the box office. Pain & Gain struggled this weekend and dropped 63% to an estimated $7.6 million. I hope Michael Bay didn’t have huge expectations for this film as his film lost all it’s luster after reviews started coming out. I however liked it and thought it was very different for him, but I can also see why people certainly didn’t like it. Jackie Robison’s biopic, 42, earned another $6.2 million, which four weeks out now makes Pain & Gain’s box office weekend look even more weak. Oblivion had an okay weekend which topped out at $5.8 million.
Any other movie this weekend had zero chance of competing with Iron Man 3, but given the fact that it was so successful, those other films can walk away happy that they still made anything valuable. Were you able to see anything this weekend in the theaters? Let us know in the comment section after the jump!
While Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four movie franchises are still owned by other studios, Marvel was able to get back the rights to Ghost Rider and Blade. In 2010, they regained the rights to The Punisher and in 2012 captured the rights to Daredevil after Fox wasn’t able to get a reboot off the writers table.
In an interview with EW, Marvel CEO Kevin Feige confirmed that Sony and New Line released the rights of Ghost Rider and Blade back to Marvel (probably where they belong too).
“Whenever a character comes back to us, it’s usually because the other studios don’t want to make the movies anymore – and that usually means the [previous] movies may not have been particularly well-received… They all have potential, but we’re not going to say ‘We got it back – make it,'” said Feige.
That’s a pretty smart decision by Feige given where the Marvel Universe is right now, they don’t necessarily need to bring back The Punisher, Blade or Ghost Rhider. Daredevil on the other hand could be a more likely fit and it’s probably the more interesting stories and characters that could do well if given the right cast and director. Marvel has a good thing going right now with the Avengers story arches, I’m not sure if any of these movies would be beneficial at all. However, I always like the idea of Marvel getting back their properties as they also do a great job of bringing their own characters to life on the big screen. Out of all the movies done so far, Iron Man 3 was probably the biggest disappointment so far. Although, it does set up the Tony Stark character well for the rest of Marvel’s Phase 2.
What do you guys think? Should they make stand alone movies for these new regained characters?
