I didn't see anything this weekend - mainly because I'm not going to travel all the way to London for a foreign language short anthology with decidedly mixed reviews - so I thought why not resurrect my news features. Back before my 2011 hiatus I was regurgitating news on a weekly basis, relaying the lovely readers with the odd casting gossip and production release that nudged my fancy. When I came back it was quietly shelved due to the enormous work involved - however I really miss scanning the web for the latest script options to see what might be coming up in 4 years time so it's back back back. Only now I'll only be doing it once a month and will in essence be waiting for the films that really interest me to go into pre-production on IMDb. So here we are, the first edition of the new monthly column "Coming Soon" dedicated to the best the movies to look forward to.
Skinny and Cat
Luckily we're starting with a headline grabbing return to directorial duties for Barbra Streisand following a 16 year gap since The Mirror has Two Faces was critically mauled. Furthermore it's a significant departure from her previous gigs - not only because she doesn't appear to be the star but also because the film will document the marriage of photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White and novelist Erskine Caldwell (presumably he's skinny, she's cat) between 1939 and 1943.
It's potentially a fascinating piece of modern history, Bourke White (pictured) remains one of the most influential figures in 20th century photography, the only Western journo in Moscow during the German invasion and also known for her Buchenwald pictures she met Caldwell in the mid 30's and collaborated on a number of projects highlighting the socio-economic effects of Dust-bowl Oklahoma.
I don't know what causes the breakdown in their marriage, but given it's two successful, arty and politically active figures in the turbulent 1940's I expect the narrative to be bursting with showy moments for the two leads, Colin Firth and Cate Blanchett and don't be surprised if one or both of them turn up at the Academy in 2015.
Read on for dancing penguins, disgraced politicians and the only news stories that really matter (to me, anyway).
American Bullshit
It's no surprise to see the 2010 blacklist script by Eric Singer making it into production, documenting the infamous FBI sting operation Abscam that took down Senator Harrison Williams (left) and 5 Representatives on corruption charges in the late 1970's radically changed the way America viewed it's politicians and ultimately clarified the way the FBI could handle corruption cases and the entrapment rules they must follow. Using a fake Sheikh (similar to more recent tabloid tactics) vast brides were paid through a holding company to purchase asylum in the US for the undercover agents.
There's a bit of a trend towards wacky Government shenanigans in the 70's that started with The Men who Stare at Goats and continues with Argo later this year so there's a proven audience for this sort of satirical patriotism. David O'Russell will direct with Christian Bale, Amy Adams and possibly Bradley Cooper starring.
Great Wall
I have mentioned Ed Zwick's semi-history of the only man-made object visible from space, so I won't go into it too much. Only to say I am a touch concerned by the early casting of Hanry Cavill and Benjamin Walker, both of whom have points deducted against them for faltering starts to their blockbuster careers - The Immortals and Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter respectively and both are noticeably not Chinese, and whilst I appreciate the addition of Ziyi Zhang to the headlining cast surely the story should focus on the generations of Warriors, Emperor's and Peasant's who were instrumental in the building of the wall.
Murder Mystery
Everyone likes a whodunnit, don't they? Admittedly most of us prefer to relax in front of the TV on a Sunday afternoon rather than head to the cinema but then again how often will you see Charlize Theron as one half of an American couple heading to a isolated European hotel (hopefully as cliched as the picture to the right) only to stumble upon the corpse of another guest. We don't yet know the tone, or the vital husband part of the casting, so there's limited reason for excitement, however if they go for a campy Agatha Christie feel I'm sure I'll be persuaded to see it.
Saving Mr. Banks
In spite of it's reputation as one of the greatest Children's films of all time Australian writer P.L. Travers was extremely reluctant to allow anyone to adapt her Mary Poppins series of books and was notoriously bitter about the final film, feeling it missed the tone of her writing and hating the animated sequences ordering Walt Disney to remove them - you probably know he ignored her request.
This sounds like a delicious blend of two headstrong figures butting heads over a cinematic collaboration so expect audiences and critics to love it. So far Tom Hanks is in to play Disney and Emma Thompson Travers with Colin Farrell as her father. If that sounds odd it's probably worth noting he died when the author was just 8, a demoted banker much like the Mr. Banks character brought to life by David Tomlinson, and no doubt the similarities between the father character in the book and Travers' own life will be highlighted.
Splinter Cell
Mark this down as a project I am vaguely curious about at this stage, but certainly won't be making any promises about actually seeing it. Based on the computer game (left) which in turn was based on an concept by best-selling author Tom Clancy... The game is virtually unique in that it positively encourages stealth and non-lethal tactics, in many ways emulating the blacks ops background that it's hero Sam Fisher possesses. There has never been a successful game to screen adaptation so plenty of healthy scepticism is required but with the right director and cast on board this does have potnetial to be a taut thriller.
Three Nights
Baseball is probably the most filmed sport outside of boxing, probably because it's relatively easy to understand the rules, is instantly connected to the American cultural experience and combines an element of team responsibility and individual attainment, so the sport has played host to a gamut of genre's from inspirational biopic (Pride of the Yankee's) to social realism (Sugar) to classic good vs. evil triumphalism (The Natural). Yet few of these films are actually about Baseball. So who knows if this latest Edward Burns and Billy Bob Thornton starer will actually be about the on-pitch activities in a play-off or about the diverse strategies employed by the coaches. My money's on Ed Burns' side winning either way.
You Belong to Me
Rob Reiner may be more known for his slight sentimental output of the last ten years but it's worth remembering that at one stage his was one of the most reliable directors in Hollywood, bouncing from glorious comedy (The Princess Bride) to iconic coming of age drama (Stand by Me) to disturbing thriller (Misery) with deft professionalism. Hopefully his next project will be a return to form in the later genre as his psychiatrist hero accidently mentions enough of his personal life to send his psychotic patient into a Cape Fear like attack on the good doctor. At the moment it's still to be cast but Reiner has a lot of friends in Hollywood so expect a A-list family unit to boost the ticket sales soon.
The last time Reiner had a unbalanced protagonist there was no scrimping on either the tension or the genuinely terrifying violence - hopefully he'll still have the same nerve.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
On the trail of the Story (Coming Soon - July 2012)
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Seeing the film news from Space (Film News - 27/08/11)
I'm feeling a little smug right now, mainly because of the first news story. I won't go into it just yet but it proves a theory I put forth several months ago and justifies some expenditure I have made over the last few weeks - in spite of the gentle ribbing I received from my friends. Away from that there have been some nice little stories hanging around under the headlines, and thriller fans will be keen on a couple of the upcoming films. Until then time to stay smug.
The Great Wall
Back in April I wrote about the growing movie market in China and how we should expect to see more collaborations between Hollywood and the Chinese film Industry. Indeed at the time the Yang Guifei movie was cited as a specific example.
Now we've moved and Ed Zwick who has local form with The Last Samurai and will now be heading to Northern China to document the history of the world's most famous piece of masonry.
The oldest sections of The Wall was originally built around the 5th Century BC although it's the Ming dynasty's work in the 14th century AD that is most recognizable. Like most walls it's purpose is mainly defensive, keeping the Monguls from conquering vast swathes of the Northern Provinces. The exact period the film will cover has yet to be decided but expect the Ming Dynasty when the majority of work was done to be the central topic.
The most interesting part of the story though is that this is the first film from Legendary East, the historic spin-off company from Legendary Films, spearheaded by Thomas Tull, that will produce and finance films made in China and Hong Kong with international investors. As I said before this year is marking a major change in the worldwide dominance of Hollywood, and it will take this sort of thinking to keep the studios on top.
If you've lived under a rock your entire life here's a picture of the Great Wall of China.
Read on for FBI love affairs, mysterious cargo, soul singers and a trip to Germany, as well as the latest in casting news and a rundown on the changes to UK release dates over the last month.
Above Suspicion
Our first thriller of the week is this appallingly titled project which sees an FBI agent falling for an informer and getting framed for a murder. Sounds awfully unoriginal but Philip Noyce (left) is potentially behind the camera for this one and with his form on other silly cop films like last years Salt and The Bone Collector it could still end up being a lot of fun.
Line of Sight
Perhaps boasting a more bizarre plot will make this second genre pic look more intriguing, however it's title is just as bland and uninteresting as the the above. Ben Affleck is considering this tale of "an elite commando squad transporting cargo whilst dealing with a global threat". Which has just enough undefined nouns to make the by-line meaningless. So it the cargo a nuclear bomb of a truck of stuffed toys, is the threat neo-fascist terrorists or childhood obesity rates. We'll just have to wait and see!
Untitled Aretha Franklin Biopic
Aretha Franklin (69, right) has been talking up the possibility of her biopic getting made (which frankly smacks of being a touch self-centred to me) including the suggestion that Halle Berry would be the best person to take the role. I'm not going to make disparaging personal comments (feel free to make them in the comments) but Franklin and Berry are hardly similar in body shape are they?
Untitled Woody Allen picture
We don't have much on Woody Allen's next European postcard, other than early indications are he's moving on to Munich for his next picture. Munich's most famous cultural event is of course Oktoberfest (the beer festival) which will hopefully get a cameo in Allen's film, although I suspect it will spend more time in the upper middle class pastimes of looking at the delightful neoclassical architecture.
The last time I can remember Oktoberfest in cinema!
Casting News
Two stories directly relating to cast lists this week, the easier one is the revelation that Chazz Palminteri has signed on to play Paul Castellano in Mafia family drama Gotti: In the Shadow of my Father, oddly though this isn't the first time he's played Castellano having taken the role in TNT's TV movie Boss of Bosses 10 years ago. Perhaps more exciting is Christian Bale's (looking thoughtful in the picture below) upcoming slate, this week it was revealed he has five wildly divergent projects vying for his signature after the next Batman movie. The options include Scott Cooper's Out of the Furnace (Formerly Known as The Low Dweller), Gold, Noah, Oldboy and - most bizarrely - A Star is Born. Mind you when you look at this list there's still a trend of highly driven and obsessive characters which goes to prove even t this level there's type-casting.
Release Schedules
Machine Gun Preacher - The biker cum missionary biopic has shifted it's release date another couple of weeks, each time coming forward which obviously indicates the films at least ready and the producers want it to be seen early in the awards season, so I guess I'll have to do that. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition on 04 November 2011.
J. Edgar - Talking of biopics one of the most anticipated in that much maligned genre is Clint Eastwoods look at the infamous head of the FBI - with Dustin Lance Black scripting it's going to be fascinating how the film balances old and new Hollywood attitudes to Hoover's sexuality. Get obsessed with communists on 20 January 2012.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Hollywood still remains surprisingly coy about directly addressing 9/11, and the few that have looked at the aftermath have come across as maudlin, so maybe this Stephen Daldry directed drama from a child's eye perspective may buck the trend. Notice the event but struggle with it's meaning on 03 February 2012.
Odd Life of Timothy Green - Over the last month we've seen the trailer, poster and, at Disney's recent convention, and the buzz has been as strange as the concept with the family friendly fantasy being lambasted for it's weird vibe. Bury your wishes in the garden on 17 August 2012.
World War Z - The zombie apocalypse will be coming soon, by the end of next year we'll be recovering with Brad Pitt talking to the survivors finding out what really happened in those dark days. Begin the fight back against the shuffling hordes on 04 January 2013.
Bad news though for some other films I had high hopes for. Release dates for both The Dark Tower and The Lone Ranger has both come and gone, just another step for both of those projects on the road to complete abandonment. The football rom-com Playing the Field might be looking at a similar fate with it's March release being pulled, however at least the Gerard Butler vehicle has been made. That's something that Nikita Mikhalkov must be content with too with the knowledge his Burnt by The Sun 2 (sequel to the 1994 Oscar winner) has gone straight to DVD in the UK - perhaps avoiding the wrath of critics who've been queueing up to vent their vitriol.
In spite of how rubbish the films reception seems to have been there's no denying the retro look of this poster really works.
