It’s no surprise that Philip Seymour Hoffman was working a number of projects when he passed away in February. He’s got a small handful of films on the way even before the next two installments of The Hunger Games.
One of those projects just released its first trailer. A Most Wanted Man is a John le Carré adaptation, so you know there’s lots of spies and international intrigue. Also starring Robin Wright, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, and Daniel Brühl, and directed by Anton Corbijn (Control, The American).
For those unfamiliar with Anton Corbijn’s work, here’s his video for Arcade Fire’s “Reflektor”…
Directed by Luc Besson (The Professional, The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita), Lucy stars Scarlett Johansson as a drug mule who gains super powers. Morgan Freeman co-stars. Everything about this project just screams “awesome!”
John Carney’s follow-up to the fantastic indie-musical Once premeired in Toronto last fall under the name Can a Song Save Your Life? The Weinstein Company, apparently feeling that title was unable to save an already difficult marketing campaign, has changed the name to Begin Again.
Personally I don’t think the new moniker is any better, but no matter. The film it self looks intriguing. Carney continues his infatuation with down-and-out musicians. Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightly star, alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Catherine Keener, Ceelo Green, and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine in his first movie role.
Watch out for another Best Song contender with this one. Even unheard, the pedigree is too strong to ignore.
And then there’s this. Michael Bay’s new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie has a shiny new trailer just released today. With with explosions galore and Megan Fox as April, it sounds like Bay to a T(MNT), so you might be surprised to learn he’s only producing. The director is Jonathan Liebesman, of such brainless actioners as Battle Los Angeles and Wrath of the Titans.
The only thing that sounds the least bit redeeming is the wonderful William Fichtner as the villainous Shredder. I might just watch it for that reason alone.
I want Jupiter Ascending to be a good movie, but I have reservations. The Wachowskis are talented filmmakers who can be counted on for stunning visuals. But their style of storytelling has always been an acquired taste, and I’m not sure I’ve ever fully acquired it. Their last film, Cloud Atlas, had the odd ability to come across as both amazing and overbearing almost simultaneously.
Also, is it just me, or does the name Jupiter Ascending sound designed to be reworked into a whole series… Jupiter Evolving, Jupiter Passing, Jupiter Reviving, etc. etc. I barely know the premise, and I feel we’re in for several more years of these films. So they better be good!
I have been waiting for this movie for far longer than it was even in development – over 2 decades, in fact. Lois Lowry’s The Giver was my absolute favorite book as a child. I probably read it 5-10 times between the ages of 8 and 18. There’s very little I can say without ruining the plot’s big reveals, but suffice to say it opened my eyes to a whole new level of storytelling that I had never encountered before. Getting pre-teens to think philosophically about the world they are growing up into? That’s impressive.
I knew Jeff Bridges had been sitting on the movie rights for a long time. Originally his father, the great Lloyd Bridges was going to play the titular Giver. But as Lloyd passed away, and the project got put on hold for several years, Jeff grew into the role, which calls for a village elder, of sorts.
What I didn’t know, was the Meryl Streep was also cast, nor that they landed fantastic director Phillip Noyce to helm the project. His work on Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Quiet American, and Salt are a good clue this is going to be handled expertly.
Still, for all who haven’t yet, I recommend reading the book first. It’s a quick read. There’s plenty of time to get it in – several times over – before the movie opens on August 15.
The newest Maleficent trailer (we must be on #4 or 5 at this point) focuses on juxtaposing the original Disney animation from Sleeping Beauty against new footage from the upcoming live action update. Is it just me, or does Angelina Jolie look almost as CGI-enhanced as her character from the motion capture animated Beowulf (2007)?
…aaand I was just about to click “publish” on this post when, what do you know, another new trailer arrives. This one seems to give a better sense of the plot…
Juliette Binoche is a war photographer juggling family with an extremely dangerous profession. This promises to have some stunning camerawork. Also starring Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister, in case you were wondering).
Get On Up is a new biopic of James Brown, directed by Tate Taylor (The Help), and starring Chadwick Boseman (Jackie Robinson in laster year’s 42), Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Dan Aykroyd, and Craig Robinson.
The Screen Life 