If you’ve been wondering where the Star Trek film franchise would boldly go next, you’re going to have to wait. While a trio of movies have been in various stages of development, the one that had the greatest shot of actually happening was a reboot by Fargo creator Noah Hawley. And even that didn’t seem to be going anywhere, really. Well, for now it’s going absolutely nowhere, as Paramount has put the movie on hold.
Deadline reports new Paramount president Emma Watts has put Hawley’s Star Trek movie on the shelf until the future of the franchise can be assessed. The two other projects being considered is one that brings back the cast of J.J. Abrams’ movies, and was planned as a directing vehicle for S.J. Clarkson; the other is an R-rated movie written by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) and once-eyed for Quentin Tarantino to direct. Tarantino dropped out to pursue other things, but the project is apparently still viable.
So what’s the reason for Hawley’s film being put on ice? Well, the Star Trek movies haven’t been lighting it up at the box office lately, and the brand has found much greater success in series form on CBS All Access. It probably doesn’t help that a deadly virus is at the center of the story Hawley wants to tell. Could there be a worse time for something like that?
Speaking of timing, we now have some details on when Tarantino’s Star Trek film would’ve been set. Apparently, it was a largely Earthbound story taking place in the 1930s gangster era, and based on a classic Star Trek episode. I’m only a moderate Trekker but that sounds like the season 2 episode “A Piece of the Action” in which the crew land on a planet where the locals are living like gangsters from the 1920s.
Tarantino. Gangsters. Trek. Count me in. Too bad if it does happen it’ll be with a different filmmaker.
More than the pressure of being Batman, it was the failure of Live by Night that sent Ben Affleck’s career temporarily off the rails, I think. The 2016 film, a passion project he had been developing for a long time, was a critical and box office failure, and Affleck has stayed in front of the camera ever since. But now he’s ready to get back behind the camera with a film that will explore the making of a cinematic classic, Chinatown.
Deadline reports Affleck will write and direct The Big Goodbye, based on Sam Wasson book The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood. The film is set up at Paramount and produced by SNL‘s Lorne Michaels.
Chinatown is a true Hollywood classic and probably the most recognizable film noir of all. The 1974 film starred Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, with Roman Polanski directing. It was nominated for 11 Oscars and took home a win for Robert Towne’s screenplay. Affleck’s movie will focus on the behind-the-scenes story behind Chinatown, a gigantic coup for Paramount which was run by the legendary Robert Evans at the time.
Affleck is coming off career-best reviews for his performance in The Way Back, part of a busy year that has included The Last Thing He Wanted and the upcoming psychological thriller Deep Water. He’ll also be seen, probably for the last time, as Batman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Later this month Affleck will begin filming on Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel.
On this episode of Cinema Royale, we’re joined by Cortland Jacoby who talks with John about The Umbrella Academy season 2! We then spend some time by the beach with Gemma Arterton in Summerland, and…sadly, we also gotta talk about this Bryan Singer stuff on the anniversary of the X-Men franchise. All this and more!
HBO ringing in the fall with a new limited mystery series, The Third Day. A psychological thriller and mystery series, the show will star Jude Law and Naomi Harris as two visitors to a mysterious island and Katherine Waterston, Paddy Considine, and Emily Watson as the island’s cryptic residents.
The six-episode series will be divided into two parts equal parts, called Summer and Winter. Law will head the first section, forced to look closer at his grief and pain, according to the trailer. The second half also takes place on the island with the same supporting characters but will put Harris in the hot seat.
Now I am a fan of HBO, I’ll try out most anything the channel will put out but The Third Day looks weird. Normally, it is a good thing when the plot isn’t given away in the trailer so it does have that going for it. We will see what happens on September 14th when the show premieres on HBO and HBO MAX.
Take a look at the layered and insane trailer yourself.
Rich old folks in a big house out in the country, seems like a criminals dream mark, but all isn’t as it seems in the upcoming film The Owners Maisie Williams, in her first big project since Game of Thrones ended seems to be playing a different kind of bad ass, a decidely less enviable one. She and her friends, including her baby daddy, decide to rob a house in the country. During the robbery the targets return home, but when the group of baddies decide to “get rid” of the problem they learn that they aren’t the biggest baddies in the room. Definite vibes of the awesome cult hi Don’t Breathe abound, but without Stephen Lang this films going to need to do some innovating. From what we can see in the 2 minute clip below these folks may be in the twilight of their lives but appear to be in the prime of their madness. Only thing worse than creepy kids? Creepy grandparents, and these two play the duel role of sweet old couple and keepers of the madhouse inn equally well. Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!
The Owners is set for release September 21st, 2021
Director: Julius Berg
Writers: Julius Berg, Mathieu Gompel (as Matthieu Gompel)
Stars: Maisie Williams, Rita Tushingham, Sylvester McCoy
Unmet expectations seem to be a cultural theme in 2020, especially considering we’re in the middle of a pandemic. In I Used To Go Here, writer and director Kris Rey, takes that theme and grounds it in the personal and professional failings of a writer. Though life seems to intimate art, with the film’s shortcomings reflecting the character’s own book, Rey still manages to make something applicable to our own lives in I Used to Go Here.
Gillian Jacobs plays Kate, an optimistic but insecure writer who just published her first novel and is dealing with a broken engagement. Book sales aren’t going well and she is struggling to come to terms with the fact that her book may be a failure. Luckily her former professor and crush, David Kirkpatrick (Jemaine Clement), invites her up to her alma mater for the weekend to give a book talk and meet with some young writers. There, she is not only confronted with her present failures but, through current students, she must face the unmet expectations of her college self.
This is Kris Rey’s fourth film and you can tell that she feels comfortable enough to play around more than with her other films. This manifests its self with vibrant supporting characters but also with the script. While taking risks, however, the dialogue often swings and misses in the beginning, occasionally feeling like a student film.
This awkwardness of the script that adds to the unevenness of some of the performances, making you very aware that you are watching two people act. Feeling stale and amateurish, this performance/dialogue combo is hard to shake the rest for the film. Unfortunately, this mainly happens with Jacobs’ performance earlier on in the film. However, when the story gets into some emotional depth, Jacobs knows exactly what to do and gives a compelling and refreshingly honest take on failing adulthood.
Though the role seems on-brand for Clement, his Professor is the exact right amount of pretension, creep, and charming that you want a character like that to be. His performance is one of a few that redeems the film when it feels off, including Kate’s pregnant best friend, Laura, played by Zoë Chao, a performer that is slowly giving Judy Greer, that one actress who plays the best friend in every female-centered comedy, a run for her money. However, it’s the student, writer, and current resident of Kate’s old house played by Brandon Daley that takes the cake. Daley is a tall, dorky looking young man, aptly name Tall Brandon, that gives off slight Cousin Greg from Succession vibes. Daley steals the entire film, providing his should be forgotten character with enough unsaid backstory, mystery, and feeling for his own film. His comebacks are quippy and yet he still feels weird and sweet at the same time.
It’s slightly ironic that a film about unmet expectations didn’t meet my expectations. With Jacobs, Rey, and Clement’s names on the poster, I expected something more put together and even. Despite this, Rey’s intention and sincerity do seep through I Used To Go Here, creating some bits and bobs that are worth watching.
You can watch I Used to Go Here now on on-demand and streaming. Catch the trailer below.
DC FanDome is right around the corner, and the Warner Bros. event is looking to blow Comic-Con @ Home out of the water. All of the star power, superhero movie events, and sneak peeks that were missing from San Diego’s virtual con will be part of a DC Universe showcase that promises to make a lot of noise.
The 24-hour online event takes place on August 22nd, and pretty much everybody you want to see from all aspects of the DC Universe are going to be there. Among the biggest names to take part are Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson for The Batman; Gal Gadot, Kristen Wiig, Patty Jenkins, and Chris Pine for Wonder Woman 1984; James Gunn and the entire cast of The Suicide Squad; plus Andy Muschietti and Ezra Miller for The Flash.
On top of that, look for Dwayne Johnson to be there hyping Black Adam, which ties into appearances by Zachary Levi and David F. Sandberg for Shazam 2.
And of course, you know Zack Snyder is going to have a gigantic presence as he’s expected to bring the first footage from his cut of Justice League.
That’s just the movie side of things. Fans of the Arrowverse and DC Animation are going to get more than their fill, as well. You can check out the below video for more guest announcements, but already DC FanDome is shaping up to be pretty awesome.
Writer, director and sometimes actor Kris Rey has been a big player in the indie film scene for years. From her first film eleven years ago, It Was Great, But I Was Ready To Come Home, to 2014’s Empire Builder, to 2015’s Unexpected, Rey has used a grounded and realistic approach to tell complex female-driven stories rooted in reality and humor. Her latest I Used To Go Here continues that tradition but also unexpectedly speaks to the vibe of our uncertain and disappointing times.
In it, Gillian Jacobs plays Kate, a flailing writer, fresh off the lackluster release of her first book, who goes back to her alma mater for a book talk. Greeting her is her former professor and crush, David (Jemaine Clement), and the crushing reality of insincere praise and disappointing expectations. As she navigates the weekend, hanging with current students (Hannah Marks, who recently wrote and starred in Banana Split, Forrest Goodluck, Khloe Janel, Josh Wiggins, Brandon Daley) to soothe her anxiety, Kate realizes how she can move forward and not let this experience define her.
I sat down with Kris to discuss the origins of her script, the joys of working with her cast, and how the film’s message fits our current moment. Not only was she delightful and straight-forward but shared really great advice about how we can learn and grow from disappointment.
I Used To Go Here is available for on-demand and streaming now. Watch the interview below:
Liam Neeson. Made in Italy. It’s too much to hope this lite father/son drama is actually an undercover Taken spinoff with Neeson taking on the Mafia. Rather, the directorial debut by actor James D’arcy is a soft, predictable Tuscan melodrama about family bonding over past tragedies, undercooked like bad pasta and half as flavorful.
Made in Italy is similar to the pre-Star Wars dramas Neeson used to traffic in, back when he was known for kinder, gentler roles. He scrapped that persona to play everyone’s favorite badass Irish grandpa for a stretch, but has again settled back into a comfortable groove, albeit a bit rougher around the edges. Before we even meet his character, reclusive artist Robert Foster, he’s already been referred to as a “prick”. He then backs up this assertion by forgetting the name of his one-night-stand, and being unprepared to jet off on a roadtrip with his estranged son Jack, played by Neeson’s real-life son Micheál Richardson.
It’s Richardson who is meant to be the showcase here, as the plot largely revolves around Jack, his impending divorce, and need of a quick cash infusion to buy the art gallery he once shared with his soon-to-be ex. So he convinces that guy who was a prick five minutes ago to sell the rustic family villa in Italy, a place full of happier memories of a life before Jack’s mother tragically died.
Of course, the place is a dump and needs to be patched up, just as Robert and Jack’s relationship could use a bit of plaster and paint. Yeah, it’s one of those movies. D’arcy, who also wrote the script, isn’t going for a deep dive here. He’s going for big swing, Hallmark Channel feels. The rundown villa even includes a hideous Pollack-esque painting Jack splashed together in the heat of his grief. Something might need to be done about that.
On the plus side, Made in Italy has the picturesque, glistening beauty of a travelogue, which makes it always pleasant to look at. The film fits neatly into the same vibrant, postcard-quality camp as Under the Tuscan Sun and A Good Year. The Italian countryside, with all of its rustic charms, sun-kissed hills, and delectable cuisine, makes for a welcome place for well-to-do middle-agers to get their shit together. Although, to be fair, all of these movies have started to blend together for me, and the cinematography, while gorgeous, lacks personality.
While Neeson is reliably shaggy as Jack, Richardson doesn’t seem quite right for the role. Obviously, he’s believable as Neeson’s son, but Richardson is just too young to play someone so beaten down by life. He’s mismatched with co-star Valeria Bilello, who plays the film’s inevitable love interest, Nancy, a mother also intimately familiar with divorce. The only other female role of note belongs to the always-welcome Lindsay Duncan, who provides some needed humor as Kate, an ex-pat, also with her share of marital issues, whose tasked with trying to put the disheveled home on the market. She doesn’t get a lot to do other than hover around looking pained, but any amount of humor is a plus for a movie that is more melancholic than the setting would suggest.
Made in Italy is rooted in tragedy, one that steers uncomfortably close to reality for the father and son duo. Neeson’s late wife Natasha Richardson passed away suddenly and tragically, leaving her husband behind with their son. You could go the entire movie and not really think about the parallels, but it does cast a gloomy shadow if you do. One can only hope that wallowing in such a syrupy story of emotional healing was fulfilling for the cast, even if it leaves the rest of us hungry for something more substantial.
You think Hollywood studios are too powerful now? It’s nothing compared to the golden age of the ’20s and ’30s. Back then, movie studios were essentially monopolies, owning large blocks of movie theaters, controlling the means of production, distribution, and exhibition. That was until a landmark 1948 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Paramount Pictures. The studios were forced to divest of their exhibitor holdings, and rules were put in place to control the licensing relationship between the major studios. Those rules have been in place ever since, until now.
The Paramount Consent Decrees have been in place since the 1940s, and have governed the licensing rules of every major studio, including Disney who weren’t part of the original antitrust action. In layman’s terms, because I’m no lawyer and won’t pretend to be one, the Decrees prevented studios from taking ownership of movie theater chains, creating monopolies all across the country. They also prevented strongarm tactics such as “block booking” and “circuit dealing”.
Block booking would force theater owners to show multiple films from a single studio if they wanted an exhibitor license. Basically, if you wanted to show Avengers: Endgame which is going to make a bunker full of money, Disney would also make you pick up and promote some tiny Fox Searchlight movie which nobody knows about and would probably flop on its own.
Circuit dealing allows studios to demand that all theaters in a single region show their movies. Think of it like this: Disney (I’m not picking on them, seriously) strikes a deal to show Avengers: Endgame at AMC and Regal, but nobody else gets it at all. AMC and Regal would, for such exclusivity, pay a higher licensing fee.
You can see why these practices were frowned upon, and could be taken advantage of again now. The judge’s ruling today opens up the door to mega-mergers between studios and large theater chains, but also for tech companies like Amazon to swoop in. What happens if Amazon, Netflix, or Apple start buying up theaters and instituting these same strongarm tactics? Theater exhibitors, who have seen their power dwindle tremendously this year during the whole COVID-19 crisis, will have even less control.
Now, the regulation-opposed Trump DOJ and U.S. District Court Judge Analisa Torres believe the Decrees have outlives their usefulness because of the radically-changed marketplace. Movies have more ways to make money, many more theaters exist (although that’s changing), and there are definitely more outlets for distribution.
“Given this changing marketplace, the Court finds that it is unlikely that the remaining Defendants would collude to once again limit their film distribution to a select group of theaters in the absence of the Decrees and, finds, therefore, that termination is in the public interest,” Torres writes in a 17-page opinion.
Sounds like she’s basing that simply on faith that corporations will act in the public’s interest, and not that of their shareholders.
I would call that naivete, which continues as Torres comments on the possibility of studios licensing their projects to exhibitors in a pre-packaged basis when the two-year sunset period ends.
“In today’s landscape, although there may be some geographic areas with only a single one-screen theater, most markets have multiple movie theaters with multiple screens simultaneously showing multiple movies from multiple distributors. There also are many other movie distribution platforms, like television, the internet and DVDs, that did not exist in the 1930s and 40s. Given these significant changes in the market, there is less danger that a block booking licensing agreement would create a barrier to entry that would foreclose independent movie distributors from sufficient access to the market.”
What the judge fails to consider is that the Decrees were put in place to foster competition and diversity. What this decision assures is that there will eventually be less of both. It won’t happen immediately, but a studio will eventually test the waters. Think about what we’ve seen this year already. Look at the ripple effect of Universal simply releasing Trolls World Tour and other films early on VOD, and look at where we are now with the distribution model forever changed.
Obviously, I see this is a terrible decision. It was a bad idea when the DOJ set forth on this a year ago when nobody thought it would actually happen. Well, never put it past this government to sew as much chaos as possible in as many places as possible. When people ask me why I treat politics with such importance, it’s because politics touches on everything I care about and that you care about. Movies may be a form of entertainment, but they are as privy to the whims of the government as anything else. [THR]
