We are The Watchers.
We are three movie buffs on a mission to bring you real views on movies - no bull, no lies, just real gut instincts.
We watch then we record as soon as we get out of the theatre!
The Watchers Review of 2020 is now available! You can listen to it via iTunes or Podbean.
In an unprecedented year, our review of the year is also somewhat different - we still talk about our favourite films of the year but also take a look at how the world of cinema has been affected by world events and what we're now looking forward to in 2021 (circumstances permitting, of course!)
Have a listen and let us know what your films of 2020 are, or what you're looking forward to in the new year!
This year's Geek Mecca- a.k.a. San Diego Comic-Con- was (unsurprisingly) cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, they decided to move it online for Comic-Con@Home which ran from July 22-26. Over 350 panels, covering TV, film, and comic-books, took place over the five-day convention, with many still available to watch online. Some highlights of the event included a panel on how the seventh season finale of The Blacklist was partially animated due to filming being shut down; an interesting discussion on why horror is (and always has been) a Queer space; An Evening with Kevin Smith; and a panel celebrating fifteen years since the release of Constantine (starring Keanu Reeves as the titular Hellblazer), which saw Reeves joining director Francis Lawrence and produer Akiva Goldsman to discuss the film and an intended sequel that was, sadly, never made.
With a lot of major film franchises not present at the event, the news coming out of Comic-Con this year might seem a little sparse, but there was still a lot of interesting stuff to whet our appetites for the rest of the year and into 2021.
The New Mutants
Given the utter saga it's taken to get this film finished, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it would just limply drop on a streaming service, especially given the coronavirus situation. Not so. As of time of writing, the film is still set for a cinema release on August 28th and director Josh Boone has pretty much said he doesn't care how the film gets released, just that it does. During the panel, the opening scene of the film was shown and it's... interesting.
What's even more interesting is that, prior to Disney's acquisition of Fox's film assets (which includes X-Men), this was going to be the first in a trilogy of films. Had the sequels come to fruition, the characters of Warlock and Karma would have been introduced, and the "Inferno" storyline- which sees a demonic invasion of Earth- would have been adapted.
Jurassic World: Dominion
Having recently started filming again at Pinewood Studios, director Colin Trevorrow announced in the "Directors on Directing" panel that Jurassic World: Dominion would go back to using animatronic dinosaurs (used extensively in the original Jurassic Park trilogy) rather than relying on CGI and visual effects. Trevorrow stated that “We’ve actually gone more practical with every Jurassic movie we’ve made since the first one, and we’ve made more animatronics in this one than we have in the previous two".
Bill & Ted Face The Music
Not only was a new trailer shown for the third Bill & Ted movie, it was announced that- due to the current state of things- the film would open simultaneously in cinemas (where possible) but also on demand on September 1st.
Killroy Was Here
During the previously-mentioned Evening with Kevin Smith, the filmmaker dropped a trailer and discussed his upcoming low-budget horror anthology Killroy Was Here. Based on the iconic but mysterious graffiti of a cartoon man with a large nose peering over a wall (first originating during the Second World War among GIs), it offers a fictionalised account of its origins whilst showing several shorts featurng the character. Smith previously discussed the project by saying "This is a monster movie in the sense of a classic morality tale. No one wants to see you spill the blood of innocents, but when someone crosses the line and goes bad, you get to make them pay in horrible ways, and the audience cheers. We wanted to make an anthology film in the vein of ‘Creepshow.’ Killroy is like the Golem, the Boogeyman and the Grim Reaper combined." Students from Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida participated in the project, which stars regular Smith collaborator Jason Mewes. There's no official release date but Smith says it will "probably" be released by early 2021.
TV trailers and news
- A trailer for the second series of His Dark Materials, the fantasy adventure based on Philip Pullman's books, was shown, with Terence Stamp, Simone Kirby, Jade Anoukam and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (as the voice of Andrew Scott's daemon) announced as joining the cast. - Amazon's The Boys has been renewed for Season 3 (before Season 2 has even aired), with an aftershow (hosted by Aisha Tyler) also planned. - Hulu's new Marvel show Helstrom (based on a character who, initially, was the Son of Satan) got a trailer, and a release date; the 10-episode series will air on October 16th - Season 11 of FXX spy spoof comedy Archer got a trailer, and a release date: it will premiere on Wednesday 16th September
Release schedule delays
This news wasn't officially announced at Comic-Con but came out at the end of last week. - Mulan: perhaps the biggest surprise is the removal of Niki Caro's live-action adaptation of Mulan from the release schedule; originally due on August 21st, it was hoped that this could at least salvage something of the 2020 summer blockbuster season. But with Christopher Nolan's Tenet also removed from the schedule (before yesterday's news that it will open internationally before the US), it seems that studios and distributors have finally accepted that this summer is going to be a bit of a write-off. No new date has been given. - The French Dispatch: Wes Anderson's whimsical paean to the press has also disappeared from Disney release schedules as well. - Star Wars movies: Disney have announced that the three planned Star Wars movies (presumably one being directed by Taika Waititi) will now be released in December 2023, 2025, and 2027. - Avatar sequels: the Avatar sequels (2-5) will now be released in December 2022, 2024, 2026, and 2028, meaning Disney gets Christmas sewn up for most of the 2020s. - Death On The Nile - whilst still planned for release this year, this "sequel" to Murder On The Orient Express which will see Kenneth Branagh reprise the role of Hercule Poirot has been pushed back to October 23rd - A Quiet Place Part 2: John Krasinski's horror sequel will now be released on April 23rd 2021 (instead of September 4th this year) - Top Gun: Maverick - for those who feel the need, the need for speed, you'll have to wait a little bit longer to see Tom Cruise back in one of his most iconic roles; instead of a Christmas 2020 release, it will not hit screens on July 2nd 2021.
We hope that you are all keeping well and are coping in this brave new world we find ourselves in. It's no understatement to say that the coronavirus outbreak has meant a fundamental shift in the way we are living our lives. As a result of this, the entertainment industries have found themselves in a position where planned releases and schedules have gone out the window in light of the very serious events happening around the world. Many productions- including Mission: Impossible 7, Jurassic World: Dominion, The Batman, The Matrix 4, and Fantastic Beasts 3- have halted in the wake of the pandemic, which may well affect their release dates in the future. Below is a partial list of some of the big films that have been completed and were due this year whose release has been delayed.
No Time To Die The 25th Bond film- with Daniel Craig on his fifth appearance as 007, and a cracking theme song by Billie Eilish- was due to be released on April 2nd. It will now be released in November instead. A Quiet Place Part II This horror sequel was due to hit theatres in March; it will now be released on September 4th. Fast And Furious 9 This is one of the longer delays, with the film- the ninth (ninth!) in the series, how mad is that? (I suppose it's technically 10th if you include Hobbs & Shaw... anyway...)- now due for release in April 2021 (instead of May 2020)
Mulan The live-action Mulan, directed by Niki Caro and starring Yifei Liu in the lead role, was due for release on March 27th. It will now open on July 24th. The New Mutants This film which, it's fair to say, has had something of a troubled journey to the screen was due on April 3rd. "Out of an abundance of caution", it has been delayed. But, unlike a lot of other films on this list, no new release date has been set as yet. Wonder Woman 1984 Only a delay of a few months for this DC film, with it set to be released on August 14th 2020 (instead of June 5th)
Minions: The Rise Of Gru Another long delay here, with the release of the Illumination Entertainment's sequel pushed back a year to July 2nd 2021. In The Heights The movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's stage musical was due for release on June 26th 2020 but (as with The New Mutants) no new date has been set as yet. Morbius Yep, I'd kind of forgotten about this film, but it was due for release this summer. Now, Jared Leto's vampiric antihero will be hitting the screen in March 2021.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife Joining Morbius in a slot next March is the Ghostbusters sequel, starring Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and a few familiar faces... Top Gun: Maverick When you've been waiting 35 years for a sequel, a few months is small change in comparison. Top Gun: Maverick will hit cinemas in December 2020 (rather than June) Candyman The horror remake or "spiritual sequel" (as its been called), produced by Jordan Peele, and starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Tony Todd will be released on September 25th 2020 (a few months later than originally planned)
Jungle Cruise The Dwayne Johnson family adventure comedy also gets a long delay, now due on July 30th 2021 (a full year from its planned original release) Indiana Jones 5 As part of Disney's massive overhaul of its release schedule, the fifth Indiana Jones movie has also been shifted: it's now slated for release on July 29th 2022.
MCU Movies I thought it best to leave these til last, as there's been something of a domino effect from the decision to move Black Widow from its May release. In fact, the entire release calendar for all of Phase 4 has been altered and now reads as follows: Black Widow - November 6th 2020 The Eternals - February 12th 2021 Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings - May 7th 2021 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness - November 5th 2021 Thor: Love And Thunder - February 18th 2022 Black Panther 2 - May 8th 2022 Captain Marvel 2 - July 8th 2022 Of course, this could all change tomorrow. Another slew of movies could be delayed, cancelled, or moved to a streaming service (such as Artemis Fowl now being released on Disney+ instead of getting a theatrical release). We simply don't know. These are uncharted waters. We'll try and keep on top of it. In the meantime, take care of yourselves, keep safe, and raid the various streaming sites for an eclectic and exciting blend of movies which might help pass the time.
