When a movie duds like Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald did, the natural thing is to get as far away from it as possible. The film sits at a lowly 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, but more than that it saw a marked drop in box office from the first movie, very nearly derailing the entire franchise. But in a new interview with Syfy, actor Dan Fogler, who plays muggle Jacob Kowalski, says fans can expect the next movie to be closer to the original.
“I can say I read the [Fantastic Beasts 3] script and the character development is really lovely and it’s very similar to the feel of the first movie, which I think is great,” Fogler said.
He continued, “It’s leading toward this massive war with the backdrop of World War II, so you can just imagine epic battle scenes are coming.”
Character development was definitely a major problem, with way too many characters and not enough time devoted to them. Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander was lost in the mix, in favor of plot twists that felt artificial and lacking in the magic we expect from the Harry Potter movies. The problem caused writer JK Rowling to take another crack at the Fantastic Beasts 3 script, necessitating a delay in production.
But then, what were we expecting Fogler to say? Nobody says “Yeah, we want the next movie to be more like the one you hated.” Of course, he wants fans to believe the magic has been recaptured, so let’s just hope he’s not pulling our wands. Fantastic Beasts 3 opens November 12th 2021.
When it comes to packing the most talent possible into the stars of your film you can’t do much better then Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, mix them in with the only cable channel to regularly make original films on an award winning level, HBO, you’d have a hit. Hell, if only the movie was based on a true story it could be award worthy…oh wait, it is. Bad Education a movie about the largest case of embezzlement to ever scandalize a public school in the US, debuted at the Toronto Film Festival to great reviews and will be arriving on your home TV at the end of April, when we’ll be saying goodbye to quarantine (with any luck). Jackman and Janney seem to be their usual top-caliber selves, who would’ve thought that Mr. Charisma could be so small and slimey. The surprise for me came in the form of Ray Romano, who seems to be able to play serious(-ish) alot better then I would’ve imagined
With so much attention focused on recent movies headed to digital and the delayed release dates for upcoming blockbusters, it’s easy to forget the domino effect the coronavirus outbreak has on all film productions. That includes movies that aren’t due to open until 2021, and may not have even begun shooting yet. According to Variety, some of the most high-profile studio projects are going to see their release dates moved as a result of the epidemic.
The Matrix 4, The Batman, Red Notice, Mission: Impossible 7 and others have seen their productions stalled due to the outbreak. With so much uncertainty about when the could ramp up again, many of them will see their 2021 release dates delayed. There’s an outside shot these films make their original target dates, but it’s unlikely.
There’s an avalanche effect to all of these stoppages, too. Big, in-demand stars such as Chris Pratt (working on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), Tom Holland (Uncharted), and Dwayne Johnson (Red Notice) could see their availability limited as schedules shift. The report quotes a source who says “the expectation is that in-demand stars such as Chris Pratt in ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ or Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds in ‘Red Notice’ will be able to convince forthcoming productions to move their start dates further into the future so they can finish shooting.”
Interestingly, Marvel has yet to move Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as work on that continues remotely. This is surprising considering the other problems the sequel has faced, including the loss of director Scott Derrickson in favor of Sam Raimi. Filming is still set to begin in June as normal.
Hard to believe five years have already passed since George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road. One of the most acclaimed films of the past decade, it had fans craving a sequel that would feature more of Charlize Theron as Furiosa. A spinoff featuring the character has been rumored ever since, but no followup has ever been confirmed. Well, maybe now that has changed.
At the tail end of a Variety piece about delayed productions comes word that Miller is indeed developing a Furiosa spinoff. Not only that, but he’s begun talking with actresses, with EMMA and The Witch star Anya Taylor-Joy on the list.
Now, does this mean Taylor-Joy has locked down the role? Not at all, but with production eyed for 2021 it’s a safe bet Miller will have his star soon after development continues. The assumption is this would be a prequel, with Taylor-Joy as a younger version of the character. There’s no concrete info on that, though, and if true would mean a limited role for Theron if she’s involved at all. It’s also possible Taylor-Joy and Theron share the screen, which is definitely preferable if up to me.
IFC Midnight is a studio that’s well-known to hardcore genre fans, but these guys have been putting out quality films that really scare for so long now that I think we really need to expand their profile so that they sit right up there with Blumhouse. If you’re looking for a scare while quarantined that’s more detached from reality then the horror movie playing on the news every night I suggest you check out their full slate at the official IFC site. That should keep you busy until May 1st, when the next terrifying release from IFC Midnight hits VOD, The Wretched, written and directed by Brett and Drew Pierce. You know what I love about this trailer? I don’t exactly know what the plot is after watching it, there’s still mystery surrounding what I’m in for which is a skill overlooked by most folks cutting trailers these days. Here’s the official synopsis:
Following his parents’ separation, a rebellious teenage boy, Ben, is sent to live with his father for the summer and work at the local marina in order to gain some form of discipline. The idyllic tourist town offers little solace for him, however, as he is forced to deal with the local, privileged teens and his father’s new girlfriend. Ben’s problems grow increasingly disturbing when he makes a chilling discovery about the family renting the house next door. A malevolent spirit from the woods has taken ahold of the parents and starts playing a sinister game of house, preying upon the children and wiping away any trace of their existence. Ben’s suspicions of the supernatural horrors go unheeded and he launches a perilous crusade in order to put an end to the skin-walking witch’s reign of terror.
Sounds sufficiently creepy in theory and the trailer makes me think that theory is sound. Check it out below, I always love when a good mystery is at the core of a horror film it adds the needed substance to what would otherwise be just creepy imagery and jump scares.
The Wretched Hits Digital Platforms and VOD on May 1st
I’m loathed to call the $2 trillion bill making its way through Congress a “stimulus”, but it is indeed a massive spending package meant to ease the pain of people and businesses struggling due to the outbreak. The movie business has been hit particularly hard, with theaters closed all across the country, leading to lost revenue and scores of layoffs. The National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) is feeling confident now, as the spending bill has passed the Senate and seeks passage in the House.
In a press release, NATO says the $2T spending package will not only help individual Americans, but will ensure a bright future for movie exhibitors at a time when people are forced to stay in their homes…
“With this aid, movie theaters can get through this crisis confident in being able to re-open, knowing their vital, trained workforce is able to weather this pandemic and have jobs waiting for them when it is safe to reopen.”
The bill includes $454B in loan guarantees to help movie theaters pay fixed costs. There’s also expanded unemployment relief that comes at a time when Hollywood has been blasted by job losses.
The big provision that I really like is the tax credit for employee retention, helping businesses to keep their staff on payroll.
So I have other issues with the bill as a whole, but this is hardly the place to get into them. Overall, there is very good stuff in here to help the entertainment industry at a time of great uncertainty. We rely on movies and TV to help us through rough times exactly like this, and anything that helps ensure their future is good news.
Check out the full statement below:
We applaud the bipartisan agreement reached in the Senate today to provide relief to movie theaters, their employees, and so many other public-facing industries that have had to close their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this agreement, movie theaters can look forward with confidence to re-opening and once again serving their communities when this crisis has passed.
While some details remain to be worked out, the broad provisions of the agreement help movie theaters and their workers in so many ways.
–A $454 billion loan guarantee fund provides access to capital allowing movie theaters and other businesses to pay their fixed costs while they are unable to generate revenue through normal operations.
–Expanded SBA programs that will allow small businesses – the vast majority of theater companies – to do the same, with several categories of expenses eligible for loan forgiveness.
–Provisions allowing deferral of payroll taxes, expanded opportunity for loss carrybacks for businesses, and technical corrections regarding qualified improvement property.
–Employee retention tax credit for businesses that keep people on the payroll despite closures or that see large sales losses.
— Up to four months of direct aid to workers through extended and expanded unemployment insurance, including increases in the weekly dollar amount and eligibility for part-time employees.
— Advanced tax deductions to workers payable now.
With this aid, movie theaters can get through this crisis confident in being able to re-open, knowing their vital, trained workforce is able to weather this pandemic and have jobs waiting for them when it is safe to reopen.
We are grateful for the work of Congress and the Administration and those, in and out of the entertainment industry who have supported our efforts on behalf of this industry that is so central to our culture and civic life. We look forward to its quick passage in the House and signature by the President.
It didn’t take long for Alan Yang to make an impact in the world of TV. Not only did he write and direct multiple episodes of Parks & Rec, he went on to do the same for The Good Place, then create the hit Netflix series Master of None. Now he makes his directorial debut with Tigertail, which has also found a home at Netflix.
Tigertail stars The Farewell‘s Tzi Ma, John Cho, Hong-Chi Lee, Christine Ko, Joan Chen, Yo-Hsing Fang, Kuei-Mei Yang, Kunjue Li, and Fiona Fu. The story follows a Taiwanese man who leaves his home and the woman he loves for a chance to pursue the American Dream. It’s a decision that leaves him with many regrets as he reflects upon life decades later.
Netflix will premiere Tigertail on April 10th.
SYNOPSIS: A Taiwanese factory worker leaves his homeland to seek opportunity in America, where he struggles to find connection while balancing family and newfound responsibilities in this multi-generational drama from writer-director Alan Yang.
Two snowbound movies from Disney’s 20th Century Studios are getting an early digital release. The Call of the Wild and Downhill are coming to digital tomorrow, just about a month from their theatrical releases, due to the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down movie theaters worldwide.
The Call of the Wild and Downhill will be available for digital purchase tomorrow, March 27th. They follow in the footsteps of other Disney films to break the theatrical window and come home early, including Frozen 2 and Onward.
The Call of the Wild will be available for $14.99, and for that you can see Harrison Ford survive the harsh Yukon with a CGI dog. The film is an adaptation of the classic Jack London novel, and it did pretty well at the box office with $107M. If only it hadn’t cost about $125M. I didn’t really dig it because the CGI clashed with the story’s natural environments, but would make an entertaining family movie while everyone is stuck inside.
Downhill, a remake of the far-superior Swedish dark comedy Force Majeure, is available for $9.99. The American version is led by Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, centering on a couple vacationing in the Alps only to have the husband abandon his family during an avalanche. Despite the cast and okay reviews out of Sundance, it failed to find an audience and made just $8.9M. I enjoyed it enough, and Louis-Dreyfus puts in one of her best big-screen performances, but I don’t know if couples kept in close quarters for weeks at a time want to watch another one crumble, comedy or not.
Of the many…many…many Marvel rumors that go around constantly, the debut of Namor is right at the top of the list. Depending on who you ask, the King of Atlantis is about to show up in Black Panther 2, maybe Doctor Strange 2, or he was teased in Endgame and we all missed it. There are just so many and that’s just a sampling. Well, here’s another one that claims to know where Namor will show up, so let’s just add it to the list.
According to MCU Cosmic (judge accordingly), the sinking of Atlantis will be shown in The Eternals, possibly in an opening montage sequence . While Namor isn’t directly referenced, the sinking of his underwater kingdom is an obvious way to introduce him. I look at this differently than when Wakanda was teased in The Avengers because it wasn’t part of the plot, just an Easter Egg. If Atlantis is shown, expect Namor the Submariner to soon follow.
So we’ll see. TheEternals is looking to be a gigantic movie for Marvel, with repercussions both earthly and cosmic. It wouldn’t be my way to bring Namor into the fold, but Marvel doesn’t need any advice from me.
The Eternals is currently set for November 6th, but don’t be surprised if that moves.
Marvel Studios understandably took a lot of heat for waiting so long to have a female director, something they wouldn’t do until Anna Boden co-directed Captain Marvel. But in reality, Marvel already had hired a woman, way back in 2011 when Wonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins was to direct Thor: The Dark World. She ultimately left over creative differences, but in a new interview with Vanity Fair she revealed the reasons went far deeper than that.
I bet you can figure out what those reasons were.
Turns out, Jenkins saw the writing on the wall and that it was going to be a terrible movie. And as a female filmmaker, when so few women are asked to direct superhero films, she was worried about the impact to her career long-term…
“I did not believe that I could make a good movie out of the script that they were planning on doing,” said Jenkins. “I think it would have been a huge deal—it would have looked like it was my fault. It would’ve looked like, ‘Oh my God, this woman directed it and she missed all these things.’ That was the one time in my career where I really felt like, Do this with [another director] and it’s not going to be a big deal. And maybe they’ll understand it and love it more than I do.”
“You can’t do movies you don’t believe in. The only reason to do it would be to prove to people that I could. But it wouldn’t have proved anything if I didn’t succeed. I don’t think that I would have gotten another chance. And so, I’m super grateful.”
She had reason to be concerned. All one needs to do is look at what befell directors like Lexi Alexander (Punisher: War Zone) and Karyn Kusama (Aeon Flux) as women who got their big blockbuster shot, and then were never given that opportunity again when the movies failed.
Jenkins turned out to be right, of course. Thor 2 is considered one of the worst MCU movies if not the worst, and she went on to direct Wonder Woman, one of the most highly-regarded superhero films in years. Wonder Woman 1984 is next for her on August 14th.
