After a distinguishd cinematography career and winning an Emmy for The Handmaid’s Tale, Reed Morano made the move to feature film directing with I Think We’re Alone Now. No, it’s not a biopic of ’80s pop singer Tiffany, but a post-apocalyptic drama led by Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning. It’s a film I had the chance to check out at Sundance and was won over by the atmospherics and Morano’s eye for indellible imagery.
The new teaser does a good job of keeping the film’s secrets at bay, because there’s a lot that shouldn’t be spoiled. Dinklage plays a man living alone in a town wiped out by some cataclysmic event, and frankly he’s happy to have the place to himself. That is until he meets Grace (Fanning), who shows him how to open up his life to others.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this movie does, and where it can take Morano’s career. I Think We’re Alone Now opens in NY and LA on September 14th before going wide a week later.
From mastermind filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the hit new
sci-fi action adventure film Ready Player One. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, the future-set film tells the story
of Wade Watts, a young man, who, like most people in the year 2045, is immersed
in the OASIS, a virtual reality world where anything is possible. When it’s
creator (Oscar winner Mark Rylance) suddenly dies, his big secret is revealed-
he hid a secret Easter Egg somewhere in the world, and the person who finds it
will inherit his fortune. The OASIS descends into chaos, as people stop at
nothing to uncover the Egg. Alongside his unlikely group of friends, Wade sets
out to find the Egg first and bring peace to the OASIS.
We Said: “Nostalgia is a
precious thing, and nobody nurtures it better on the big screen than Spielberg
does. From the jukebox soundtrack to the John Hughes-esque love story,
Spielberg manages to inject just enough heart into all of that spectacle. Ready
Player One probably isn’t going to sit alongside E.T. as one of
Spielberg’s all-time greats, but what if E.T. could cross paths with Donkey
Kong? Now that would be something.” Rating:
3.5 out of 5
For another year I skipped Kevin Smith’s annual Hall H chat at Comic-Con because there are just more entertaining options out there. Like sleeping. This time he came with actual updates on his Jay and Silent Bob Reboot movie, including when he plans to start production and the guests he expects to appear.
Smith said he plans to start shooting in November, with the story sending Jay and his hetero lifemate Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Smith himself in case you don’t know) on another daffy road trip to stop a reboot of the Bluntman & Chronic movie they interfered with in the 2001 film. Given his work directing episodes of CW’s The Flash, it shouldn’t be a surprise Smith names Grant Gustin, Carlos Valdes, and Tom Cavanagh
as likely cameos. The first movie had dozen of huge celebrities appear, so many I doubt Smith can come close to matching up.
Hopefully all of this means we will see Jay and Silent Bob Reboot sometime in 2019. [Comingsoon]
Warner Bros. didn’t have any real news on Batgirl or Birds of Prey at Comic-Con, but there is an interesting, if sketchy rumor out there. While Batgirl won’t be joining the all-girl gang, her solo movie is still in the works and according to one source Kristen Stewart is the prototype actress sought for the role…
At WB they described the kind of actress they want for Barbara Gordon as “Kristen Stewart prototype” so I guess they really want her to play Babs… (In her solo movie, cuz she’s not in Birds of Prey AT ALL).
The source here has been hit-or-miss so take it with a grain of salt. Also, the assertion “they really want her to play Babs” doesn’t make much sense. If they wanted Stewart, they would just say they want Stewart. She’s not exactly the type to jump into big franchise roles anymore, is she? It’s been months since we heard anything about her potential gig as part of Elizabeth Banks’ Charlie’s Angels reboot.
My guess is Warner Bros. wants a newer, younger star for Batgirl, but we shall see.
First time writer/director Elizabeth Chomko arrived at Sundance with her film, What They Had, and a cast that includes Hilary Swank, Blythe Danner, Robert Forster, Michael Shannon, Taissa Farmiga, and Josh Lucas. Wow. She left with a bunch of strong reviews that her work and that of the talented cast elevated what could have been just another indie film about dysfunctional family dynamics.
There’s no denying the barebones of the plot sound very familiar. Swank stars as a woman who returns home to Chicago to help take care of her Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother. The hope is she and her brother will be able to convince their father it’s time to put mom in a nursing home, thus ending their life-long love story.
The trailer has Swank and Shannon looking especially good, but I like most that it has plenty of humor to go along with a potentially heavy subject. I’m expecting a lot, and hopefully Chomko can deliver. What They Had opens October 12th.
How’s this for a resume? Two John Wick films, Captain America: Civil War, Atomic Blonde, and Deadpool 2. Those are all credits that belong to director David Leitch, some of which saw him behind the camera solo, others working alonside Chad Stahelski, and in the case of ‘Civil War’ as a second-unit director. It’s no wonder he’s the most sought-after action filmmaker around, with the Hobbs & Shaw spinof next on his agenda. And then after that? Leitch is in line to remake the Bruce Lee classic, Enter the Dragon.
Leitch is in talks for the long-in-the-works remake of Bruce Lee’s 1973 martial arts classic, Enter the Dragon. The film was completely original for its time, thrusting Lee into the middle of a spy story that doubled as a kickass kung-fu flick. He played a man recruited by the British government to infiltrate an underground martial arts tournament in hopes of defeating the crimelord behind it. What he also discovers is that his sister’s killer is working as a body guard for the crimelord running the tournament. The film also co-starred the late Jim Kelly, the great powerhouse fighter Bolo Yeung, and the underrated John Saxon.
A writer is still being found, and it’s way too early for any casting info. That said, might I suggest The Raid‘s Iko Uwais to nail this thing down? Donnie Yen, maybe? Whoever is chosen has some huge slippers to fill. [Deadline]
There hasn’t been a ton of buzz surrounding Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel, and I don’t know if that’s good or bad. The previous trailer came out late last year, but you haven’t heard the usual rumblings associated with American adaptations of classic manga/anime, like you did with Ghost in the Shell. A brand new trailer hit during Fox’s panel at Comic-Con a few days ago, and again the response has been very muted.
The Maze Runner breakout Rosa Salazar stars as Alita, a warrior cyborg who must survive the streets of Iron City while also learning the truth of her mysterious past. The film co-stars Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Lana Condor, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., and Eiza Gonzalez. This is one of the best casts Rodriguez has ever worked with, and let’s hope he and James Cameron, who co-wrote the script and produces, can create an imaginative world that matches the vibrancy of the graphic novels. If anybody can it’s Rodriguez and Cameron.
Here’s the synopsis: Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita (Rosa Salazar) is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the unconscious cyborg Alita to his clinic. When Alita awakens she has no memory of who she is, nor does she have any recognition of the world she finds herself in. Everything is new to Alita, every experience a first. As she learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield Alita from her mysterious past while her street-smart new friend, Hugo (Keean Johnson), offers instead to help trigger her memories. A growing affection develops between the two until deadly forces come after Alita and threaten her newfound relationships. It is then that Alita discovers she has extraordinary fighting abilities that could be used to save the friends and family she’s grown to love. Determined to uncover the truth behind her origin, Alita sets out on a journey that will lead her to take on the injustices of this dark, corrupt world, and discover that one young woman can change the world in which she lives.
So just think about that cast already: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz assuming she signs on. That’s a Hell of a lineup and suggests director/co-writer Todd Phillips has a damn good script on his hands. De Niro’s role is described as “a formative figure in the development of the character who eventually becomes The Joker.” His character is apparently not a villain, however.
It’s possible De Niro’s involvement goes back to when Martin Scorsese’s name was closely attached as an exec-producer. With Taxi Driver and King of Comedy seen as tonal inspirations it makes sense to go after De Niro, even if Scorsese is no longer part of the production. At least he doesn’t seem to be.
The Wrap adds that Six Feet Under star Frances Conroy is also joining the film, taking on the role of Penny, the mother to Phoenix’s character. They also add a detail about De Niro, saying his role is that of a talk show host. As for Penny, we’ve heard rumors of her being linked to Thomas Wayne, the father of Bruce Wayne. There’s nothing else to suggest Bruce Wayne/Batman will appear, especially with the film being much darker and separate from the DCEU label.
We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free advance screening of Teen Titans GO! To The Movies, which finally gives DC Comics’ animated heroes their shot at the big time!
SYNOPSIS: When the Teen Titans go to the big screen, they go big! “Teen Titans GO! to the Movies” finds our egocentric, wildly satirical Super Heroes in their first feature film extravaganza—a fresh, gleefully clever, kid-appropriately crass and tongue-in-cheek play on the superhero genre, complete with musical numbers. It seems to the Teens that all the major superheroes out there are starring in their own movies—everyone but the Teen Titans, that is! But de facto leader Robin is determined to remedy the situation, and be seen as a star instead of a sidekick. If only they could get the hottest Hollywood film director to notice them. With a few madcap ideas and a song in their heart, the Teen Titans head to Tinsel Town, certain to pull off their dream. But when the group is radically misdirected by a seriously Super-Villain and his maniacal plan to take over the Earth, things really go awry. The team finds their friendship and their fighting spirit failing, putting the very fate of the Teen Titans themselves on the line!
The screening takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, July 24th at 7:00pm at AMC Mazza Gallerie. If you’d like to attend, simply register at the Warner Bros. ticketing site here and download an entry pass. Please remember that all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure receiving a seat. Enjoy the show!
The biggest news to emerge out of Comic-Con just happened to be by Marvel Studios, who weren’t even officially there. That would, of course, be the shock firing of Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn over tweets posted a decade ago, resurfaced by a right-wing crank who has said far far worse. There has been backlash already; Dave Bautista quickly leapt to Gunn’s defense and a petition to rehire the director is packing up steam.
Now we’re hearing more from the Guardians cast, and most seem to have his back on this even if they are being coy about it. But let’s start with Bautista who had more to say after his opening salvo a few days ago…
What happened here is so much bigger then G3, @JamesGunn ,myself,@Disney etc. This was a #cybernazi attack that succeeded. Unless we start to unite together against this crap, whether people are offended are not! …it’s going to get much worse. And it can happen to anyone https://t.co/AMZEd0tfqb
What will you do when the #cybernazis attack you? Who will stand by you? Who will cowardly distance themselves from you? Who will punish you for horrible JOKES in the past instead of defending you for INSPIRING millions? MILLIONS!!! #Redemption#injustice@JamesGunn
Next up is Michael Rooker, a longtime collaborator with Gunn, who has decided to drop out of Twitter altogether…
2/2
This account will be inactive after today. We’re very tired & upset over the ongoing BULLSHIT… neither I nor my rep will use Twitter again. Twitter sucks and I want nothing to do with it.
Zoe Saldana also played it close to the vest, but still showed her support for Gunn without mentioning his name…
It’s been a challenging weekend I’m not gonna lie. I’m pausing myself to take everything in before I speak out of term. I just want everyone to know I love ALL members of my GOTG family. Always will.
And naturaly James’ brother Sean Gunn had a lot to say on the matter. While Bautista may be the most outwardly enraged, it’s Sean who really goes extensively into how much James has changed over the years. Here’s just the beginning of his ten-part tweet…
1. I hope it goes without saying that I love and support my brother James. And I’m quite proud of how kind, generous, and compassionate he is with the people in his life, whether they are friends, family, colleagues, fans, or strangers.
2. Since he was a kid, it was clear he had a desire (maybe destiny) to be an artist, tell stories, find his voice through comics, films, his band. The struggle to find that voice was sometimes clunky, misguided, or downright stupid, and sometimes wonderful, moving, and hilarious.
