Random Bits From The Week That Was...

So, here were are again... Friday! And, as always, there were a number of news stories that broke this week, that either I was too lazy to blog about, or they didn't require a full on rant, as is my usual...


Days Of Future Past Takes Off...

The folks over at Fox have to be pretty pleased with the numbers that the latest film in their X-Men franchise has been pulling in. Not only did it open with $110M domestically over the long, Memorial Day weekend, it also made a huge $171.08M internationally. This overseas number eclipsed the numbers put up by Avatar, making it Fox's biggest international opening weekend of all time. It's in tough this weekend, however, going against new releases Maleficent and A Million Ways To Die In The West. I expect that Maleficent will come out the clear winner, given it's family friendly vibe and that Million Ways will falter, as word is the film's not that good. It will be interesting to see the percentage drop for DOFP, given the strong word of mouth factor and the great reviews for the film.


Old and New Faces Will Appear In Apocalypse...

Since the release of DOFP and that post credits scene involving En Sabah Nur, speculation has been running rampant in regards to the next instalment, X-Men: Apocalypse, set for release in the summer of 2016. While nothing has been officially announced, as the project is still in the early stages of development, it has been speculated that the story will be more of a sequel to First Class, involving the main cast of that branch of the franchise. Set in the 1980's, it will be a study in the origins of the mutant species, which of course, means Apocalypse. Writer Simon Kinberg did announce this week that some of the original cast members would be back for the film, although how this is going to work, I'm not so sure. They may do another "alternate timeline/time travel" thing, which would be the only way for it to make sense, although I'm not sure that this is the right way to go, given that they just mucked with the timeline in DOFP. I had heard another rumour that Scott, Jean and Storm would be recast with younger actors, making the characters fit in with the First Class cast. I guess we'll see what happens with this one.


Fantastic Beasts Still Looking For A Director...

It appears that Alfonso Cuaron has dropped out of the next Harry Potter franchise film. Rumoured, last week, to be in deep discussion with Warner Brothers to direct Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, earlier this week Cuaron stated that he would not be directing the first film in the upcoming trilogy. It seems that immersing himself in another special effects laden project is not what he was looking for, which makes sense given the time and effort that went into his Academy Award winning film, Gravity. Of course, this leads to even greater speculation that he just may be the guy to bring the world of The Shining back to the big screen. Although he denies knowing anything about The Overlook Hotel project over at Warner Brothers, I wouldn't be surprised to eventually see his name attached. I think that this is a better project for his directing style than Fantastic Beasts (I am one of the very few people who did not like his take on The Prisoner of Azkaban) and am looking forward to hearing more about this project.


Plot Details For Pixar's "Inside Out" Released...

Sadly, there are no new Pixar films being released in 2014. However, there are a number of projects that are being geared up by the studio to be released in the next couple of years. Some that are very interesting. Set for release on June 19, 2015, "Inside Out" is one of them, and this week we got a peek at what the movie is about. Set inside the mind of 11 year-old Riley, as her world is turned upside down when her family moves to a new city. Guided by her emotions- Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness- we'll see the conflicts that arise in her head as her emotions try to help her navigate a new city, a new house and a new school. The voice cast for this project looks fantastic and I think that this is a perfect project for Pixar. Lately, some of their films, mostly their sequels, have been considered disappointments, so it's nice to see some new, interesting projects on the horizon. (Although the two sequels that they have planned next are on my must see list, Finding Dory and The Incredibles 2). Let's hope this marks a bit of a resurgence for the once, untouchable animation studio.


Del Toro's "Book of Life" Trailer Drops...

So, apparently, Guillermo Del Toro doesn't sleep. He has like 100,000 projects on the go at any one time (although one of them doesn't appear to be Hellboy 3!) and his fingers in a 100,000 others. Like this one. An animated movie, set for release on October 17, 2014, it tells the story of Manolo, a young man torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Visually, this project looks stunning. The vivid colours and imagery really pop, and the actors cast to voice the film are top notch. It has a very unique animated style, giving it an almost stop motion quality. Overall, it reminds me of Tim Burton's stop motion masterpiece, The Nightmare Before Christmas. This one was not on my radar before now, but has quickly become one of my most anticipated films of the year.


Fox Is Looking For A New Chairman of Entertainment It Seems...

Kevin Reilly will be stepping down as the Chairman of Entertainment over at the Fox Broadcasting Company. Holding the position since 2012, Reilly will depart the post by the end of June. With only three of the nine series that Fox debuted in the fall, earning renewals, it's no surprise that jobs will be on the chopping block. Returning programming at the network also took a hit this season, most of it's shows either flat or down in the ratings from previous years. Fox placed second overall in the demo this season, but fourth in total audience. Change, in the face of these numbers, was inevitable. While I enjoy programming over at Fox, it seems like the studio doesn't have any faith in their projects and they sharpen the axe quite quickly. It will be interesting to see how they handle the buzzy Gotham in the fall, if the numbers aren't what they hoped for. Of course, I'm still angry at the network and Murdoch for cancelling Firefly back in 2002. Apparently, I hold a grudge! :)


And finally...

New International Trailer For Apes on Horses Drops...

A new trailer for the upcoming Dawn of The Planet of The Apes dropped, and boy is it a doozy. Even though there is not a whole lot of new footage in the trailer, it is rearranged slightly, giving a different perspective on the film. I thought nothing of Rise of the Planet of the Apes when it was released, but was completely blown away when I eventually saw the film. It was an incredible story, told by an incredible cast and Andy Serkis as Caesar was amazing. I am greatly anticipating this one, and will be sure to review it once I finally see it on July 11th.

Random Bits From The Week That Was...

So, here we are again. It's a rainy Friday here at home and there have been bits and pieces of pop culture goodies that have come in over the week that I have either been too lazy to blog about, or they just didn't warrant a full on rant. So, here we go...


Gareth Edwards Set To Direct Star Wars Spin Off...

So, news broke last night that Disney has signed Gareth Edwards, the director of the recently released Godzilla, to helm their first Star Wars spin off movie. Set for release sometime in 2016, there have been very few details released in regards to this, or any other Star Wars project. Personally, I think that Edwards is a good choice for this project and that it will fit his directing style well. I thought that Godzilla was visually stunning, and while I understand some people's issue with the characterization, I personally didn't have a problem with the way that the characters were portrayed or developed. It will be interesting to see what project this actually turns out to be. A lot of people are speculating that it may be the much anticipated Boba Fett movie, which would be a great fit for Edwards. Disney is going to have to move forward pretty quickly if they want to make their 2016 release date, however, so I expect more news to be released soon.


Disney's "Big Hero 6" Gets Teased...

So, the House of Mouse has really stepped up their game in the animation department over the last couple of years, and I love it. Following the success of Wreck It Ralph (which I loved!) and Frozen (which I liked!), Disney is set to release another charming tale this November, entitled Big Hero 6. Based on a Marvel comic book of the same name, it's the story of brilliant robotics prodigy, Hiro Hamada, and his companion, a robot named Baymax, as they join forces with a team of first-time crime fighters trying to save their city. The animation looks great, a mix of contemporary and anime styles and so far, the characters look amazing, in what little glimpse we got of them, anyway. This is definitely on my must see list for the fall, and I am looking forward to a full trailer, so that I can get a little more in depth knowledge of the actual story.


Alfonso Cuaron Courted For 2 Big Projects...

So, it looks like Alfonso Cuaron may be headed back to the world of Harry Potter. Warner Brothers is said to be in deep negotiations with the Oscar winning director to helm their new Harry Potter based film, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Cuaron also directed the third Potter movie, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. To be perfectly honest, this news doesn't thrill me. While I get that Cuaron is a world class director, Azkaban is actually my least favourite film in the series. What others seemed to love about it, the artistic flair and tone, are the things that pulled me out of it. To each his own, I guess, and if this happens, I won't lose any sleep over it. The other big announcement involving Cuaron this week is that Warner Brothers is also courting him to direct their The Shining prequel, The Overlook Hotel. Apparently, Warner Brothers not only wants to be in the Ben Affleck business, but the Alfonso Cuaron business as well. I think that this is a better fit for Cuaron, and if he had to chose only one, I hope that it would be this one. I think his style is perfect for this kind of project and his take on it will be very interesting. I guess we'll see what happens.


The Coen Brothers Seem Set To Write Tom Hanks To Another Oscar...

Word has leaked that Dreamworks has hired Joel and Ethan Coen to do some additional writing on their Steven Spielberg directed, Tom Hanks starring Cold War political thriller, expected to start production in September. Holy dream-team, Batman! Based on the true story of prominent American attorney, James Donovan, who is enlisted by the CIA to negotiate the release of a pilot who was captured when his spy plane was shot down over Russia, this is definitely an Oscar buzz worthy project, and it hasn't even started filming yet. The combination of all this talent is mind-boggling and it will be interesting to see if the project lives up to the hype and expectation. I expect way more information to be released on this project and it's high-profile list of collaborators, in the coming months.


First Trailer For Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Secret Service Released...

So, apparently, Matthew Vaughn is sticking with the comic book adaptations. His follow up to X-Men: First Class, Kingsman: The Secret Service is based on Mark Millar's comic book series The Secret Service and depicts a veteran secret agent who leads a young protege into the world of espionage. To be perfectly honest, this is the first I've heard of this project, but it looks really good. The trailer is fun and the cast is stellar. Vaughn is one of my favourite directors, (he not only directed X-Men: First Class, but also Kick-Ass and one of my most favourite movies, Stardust, which if you haven't seen, you should really check out, by the way!) so I am looking forward to the release of this project in the fall. This one might be an opening weekend kind of thing, actually.


More Godzilla Coming Our Way....

After the massive success of Godzilla, ($93M domestically and $103M internationally in it's opening weekend), Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures announced they are developing a sequel to the monster movie. No word as of yet if Gareth Edwards will be back to direct (he's going to busy directing the new Star Wars spin-off, after all!), or any of the cast members will be returning, as this is still in the very early stages of development. But, let's face it, this is a no brainer. The movie opened with better opening weekend numbers than The Amazing Spiderman 2! Of course they're going to start production on a sequel. It's obvious that the general movie going audience is excited to see these big, epic monster movies and if they are done as well as this one, then all the better. It will be interesting to see how much the numbers drop this weekend, with the opening of X-Men: Day of Future Past, and what the second viewing numbers are like.