The Watchers Review Of 2019 (Part One)

Our Review of 2019 is now available, in a handy two-part podcast!

In the first part, we discuss the films we liked/enjoyed/didn't think sucked. Matt also gives his review of the best horror films of 2019.



Part 2, where we sharpen our claws and get certain grievances off our chests, will be released shortly. 

Comicbook Movie Round-Up: April 2019 (Part 2)

In the second part of this comic-book movie round-up, we take a look at what films featuring DC's characters are planned: but apparently the phrase DCEU (DC Extended Universe) is no longer being used. From what I understand, DCEU wasn't ever an official term, and now it's being referred to as Worlds Of DC instead - I think it's got a better ring to it, actually.

JOKER

First off, there's been a first trailer and poster for Todd Phillips' Joker in which Joaquin Phoenix is frankly bloody amazing as the failed stand-up comedian (here named Arthur Fleck) who turns to the dark side.

Now, first off, when the project was announced, I was... less than impressed. An origin story for a character who is the more terrifying because you don't know how he became that way? This was compounded at the casting of Phoenix in the main role, as I haven't particularly taken to him as an actor in the past. But, based on this first trailer, I will hold my hands up and say I'm actually looking forward to seeing it. I love how dark and uncompromising it is- playing more like Taxi Driver than Batman Begins.

Joining Phoenix will be Zazie Beetz (no stranger to comic-book movies as she played Domino in Deadpool 2), Brett Cullen, Frances Conroy, Douglas Hodge, and Robert de Niro as Murray Franklin.

BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)

I'm sorry, but I still can't take the full title seriously. Nonetheless, Harley will be fantabulously emancipated in February 2020, as that's when this film hits cinemas.

Written by Christina Hodson and directed by Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs, Down River), the film sees a Gotham where Batman has disappeared, leaving the city unprotected, and crime is running rife. A young girl, Cassandra Cain, finds a diamond belonging to a dangerous crime lord- so Harley teams up with others to protect the child. Joining Margot Robbie will be Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Helena Bertinell/Huntress), Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Black Canary), Ella Jay Basco (Cassandra Cain), and Rosie Perez (GCPD Detective Renee Montoya). 

Together, this team will take on a double threat as both Black Mask and Victor Zsasz will feature, played by Ewan McGregor and Chris Messina respectively. A shame that they couldn't get Anthony Carrigan who plays Zsasz in Gotham to reprise his role, as he's genuinely one of the (very) few good things about the show. That said, Chris Messina is a fine actor- I very much enjoyed him in Argo, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Six Feet Under- so I'm sure he'll do well. 

There have been rumours that Jared Leto has been seen on set, reprising his role as the Joker. I'll be INCREDIBLY surprised if that turns out to be true, given his role in Morbius (see Part 3 for more details on this). 

Robbie was easily one of the best things about Suicide Squad, and hopefully this film will give her the chance to explore the character further.

WONDER WOMAN 1984

Fans were disappointed to find out that Wonder Woman 1984 was going to be delayed by approximately six months, meaning that we won't get to see Diana Prince kicking ass and taking names until June 2020 (instead of November 2019). The reason for the delay? A pretty good one, actually. 

In an interview, Geoff Johns confirmed the delay was so post-production on the film didn't have to be rushed to make the original release date. It's also a canny move to shift such a marquee film from the end of the year to the start of summer (one criticism that people had about Aquaman).  

As previously announced, Patty Jenkins is back in the director's chair with Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, and Robin Wright all reprising their roles from the original Wonder Woman. New arrivals to the cast include Kristen Wiig as Barbara Ann Minerva (a.k.a. Cheetah) and Pedro Pascal in an as-yet-unnamed role (but there's been some supposition online that he'll be playing Maxwell Lord). Time will tell...

THE BATMAN

Ah, the saga of The Batman continues (DC are liking the definite article for their films these days, aren't they?). To virtually nobody's surprise, Ben Affleck WON'T be returning to the role for this film, although he's still onboard as a producer. The script focuses on Batman early in his career and apparently has a focus on the detective aspect of his character, a fit for the noir style director Matt Reeves is going for. No casting has been announced, although the film has a scheduled release date of June 2021.

THE SUICIDE SQUAD

Another film with a slightly troubled production history (losing two directors- David Ayer and Gavin O'Connor- then script issues, then cast availability issues) but all that's in the past and the film is on track for an August 2021 release. 

James Gunn (yep, the Guardians Of The Galaxy guy) will direct from his own script. Will Smith will not be reprising his role as Deadshot but Idris Elba won't be replacing him in the role; Elba will be playing a new character, which means Smith can return in the future. 

Aside from Elba, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney and Oscar-winner Viola Davis will be reprising their roles as Rick Flag, Captain Boomerang, and Amanda Waller for this film- as will Margot Robbie, who will come to this production once Birds Of Prey wraps.

THE FLASH

Well, it's certainly one way of keeping yourself in a job: Ezra Miller has been hired to co-write a new draft of the upcoming Flash solo movie (along with Grant Morrison). This is another one that's had a troubled production history- I'm noticing a bit of a theme here- with directors and writers attached then leaving the project since 2014. 

In 2017 it was announced that this would be a movie based on the Flashpoint arc- a highly-regarded story where Barry's attempt to save his mother's life creates an alternate reality where (among other things) Themyscira and Atlantis are at war, Thomas Wayne is Batman, and the Justice League was never established- I'm not sure whether that is still the case. 

At the moment, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are still attached to direct but- honestly- who knows what'll happen when (if?) production actually starts. It currently has a 2021 release date, but I wouldn't hold your breath. 

AQUAMAN

A sequel to Aquaman was confirmed in January 2019 after the positive reaction the film got- and those all-important ticket sales receipts. Jason Momoa will almost certainly be back as Arthur Curry, although the film won't be released until December 2022. A 'horror-tinged' spin-off called The Trench will come first, although it's unlikely that it will be part of the Aquaman series. 

SHAZAM!

Shazam! has barely had time to get comfy in the multiplex, and a sequel has already been announced. Screenwriter Henry Gayden is returning to pen the sequel; no other cast or crew have been confirmed as yet. The long-gestating Black Adam film- with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in the title role- is due to start principal photography towards the end of 2019, so it might be a Shazam!/Black Adam showdown in Shazam! 2

So, Worlds of DC looks to be in rude health; I think the obsession of having a shared universe has waned and they've decided to focus more on the individual characters. This can only be a good thing.


In the third and final part, we'll be taking a look at Sony's plans for their 'Universe of Marvel Characters' and have a look at exactly what's going on with the X-Men films...

Comic Book Movie Round-Up: July 2018

It's been quite a while since we've done one of these and I figured- before this year's San Diego International Comic-Con (where there's usually a shedload of news)- I'd clear the decks and get caught up with a lot of comic book movie news from the last few months. 

Oh, by the way, there may be potential spoilers ahead. Don't say you weren't warned!

MARVEL NEWS

Whilst Marvel won't have a presence at this year's Comic-Con, there's still plenty of news to share about their upcoming slate.

Captain Marvel has finished shooting. Joining Brie Larson - who will play Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel- is Samuel L. Jackson will reprise his role as  Nick Fury for the ninth time on screen. Because it's set in the 1990s, he won't have the iconic eyepatch. Former MCU participants Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, and Clark Gregg will reprise their roles as Korath, Ronan the Accuser, and Agent Phil Coulson respectively. 

New cast members include Ben Mendelsohn, Gemma Chan, and Jude Law (who is playing Danvers' mentor Walter Lawson a.k.a. Mar-Vell), whilst multiple Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening  has reportedly been cast in an unknown role. Captain Marvel is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and will be released in early 2019.


The title of Avengers 4 is still shrouded in mystery- or is it? Reports suggest that the full title may be Avengers: End Game. Cinematographer Trent Opaloch- who was worked on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War- updated his website to list Avengers 4 under that title before quickly changing it back. 

The sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming is going to be called Spider-Man: Far From Home (which was 'leaked' by Tom Holland and then confirmed by Kevin Feige). The film that will kick off Phase 4 of the MCU, it will see Peter Parker on a trip around the world, fighting bad guys. Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Jacob Batalon, and Michael Keaton will all reprise their roles from the original film, whilst Jake Gyllenhaal is down to play villain Mysterio. It has been confirmed that Benedict Cumberbatch WON'T be appearing as Doctor Strange in this movie. 

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is about to enter pre-production. Once again written and directed by James Gunn (who has already delivered a draft script), it's due to start shooting early 2019- most likely for a 2020 release. Gunn has said that Vol. 3 ISN'T set before Infinity War, and that it will 'end this iteration' of the Guardians team. It'll also 'complete the story of the three films'.

There's a standalone Black Widow movie coming - and it's already got a director. Cate Shortland will be taking the reins, with Scarlett Johannson reprising her role as Natasha Romanoff. This will be the first solo female-directed MCU film. 

Kevin Feige has also teased a sequel to Doctor Strange, but no firm details given other than that. 

DCEU NEWS

DC WILL be presenting at Comic-Con this year, so expect a lot of hype and some cool trailers and such from their upcoming roster. 

Expected in the UK on 14th December 2018, Aquaman is directed by James Wan. Jason Momoa will reprise his role from Justice League, facing off against Patrick Wilson as Aquaman's villainous half-brother Orm Marius (also known as Ocean Master). Other cast members include Amber Heard as Mera, Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, and Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna (Aquaman's mother). Several official pictures of various cast members have been released:

Directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation, Lights Out). SHAZAM! will hit cinemas on April 5th 2019. Shazam is a bit of an odd choice, as it isn't particularly well known outside of comic-book circles. The basic premise is a young boy, Billy Batson, is granted superpowers by a mysterious wizard and- when he says the magic word 'Shazam!'- transforms into an adult with strength, speed and various other powers. Zachary Levi has been cast as the adult Billy, with Asher Angel playing him as a child. 

Djimon Hounsou will be 'crossing the floor' and going from the MCU to DCEU (actually, just like Zachary Levi) as he'll be playing The Wizard, the mysterious sorcerer who bestows super powers upon the young Billy. Dwayne Johnson has been cast as Shazam's nemesis Black Adam, but reportedly won't be in the film at all (but may appear in his own film, or possibly Suicide Squad 2). Other cast members include Dylan Grazer, and Mark Strong who will play the villain Dr. Sivana.

After Shazam, we get Wonder Woman 1984, in cinemas in November next year. Directed by Patty Jenkins, this will see Diana come to America to deal with a new threat. Gal Gadot will reprise her role as Diana/Wonder Woman, as will Chris Pine- although quite how that'll work given Steve Trevor died at the end of the first film is anyone's guess at the moment. In terms of villains, Kristen Wiig has been cast as Dr. Barbara Minerva (a.k.a. Cheetah). Pedro Pascal has been cast in an unknown role, and there are hopes to get original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter a role in the film (which would be frankly splendid)

Margot Robbie will reprise her role as Harley Quinn in Birds Of Prey, which she describes as an 'R-rated girl gang film'. Joining Harley in this iteration of the girl gang will be Black Canary (Dinah Lance), Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), Cassandra Cain, and Renee Montoya. The villain is supposedly a Batman comics villain who hasn't yet appeared on the big screen. No other casting has yet been announced. Birds Of Prey will be directed by Cathy Yan, and written by Christina Hodson. 

The Batman, the Matt Reeves-directed solo adventure, is still part of the DCEU plan (for now). However, it looks increasingly likely that Ben Affleck will not be playing the Caped Crusader in it. Whilst nothing official has been announced (which might change come this weekend), rumour has it that the film will focus on a younger Batman- and may contain The Penguin as the main villain. 

The Flash solo movie is still on the cards, with Spider-Man: Homecoming writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein directing. Ezra Miller is still on to play Barry Allen and the rumours have it that the film will heavily adapt the Flashpoint storyline- where Barry creates a terrible alternate world when he tries to save his mother. Kiersey Clemons will make her debut as Iris West, after being cut from Justice League. 

OTHER NEWS

Warner Brothers and DC have confirmed that Joaquin Phoenix will play the Joker in an upcoming film directed by Todd Phillips. This will be a gritty 80s origin story, but is unconnected to the wider DCEU. 

Current DCEU Joker Jared Leto is, however, taking a role in an offshoot of the MCU. He's been cast as the lead in Morbius The Living Vampire, a spinoff from Spider-Man (so in the same vein as the upcoming Venom). Daniel Espinosa is slated to direct. 

Another spinoff from the Spider-Man universe will be Silver & Black, focusing on the characters of Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) and Silver Sable. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood is attached, although no casting or release date has yet been announced. 

X-Men spin-off Dark Phoenix has been pushed back to February 14th 2019, to allow for reshoots. Directed by Simon Kinberg, Dark Phoenix focuses on the young Jean Grey (Sophie Turner). Several members of the casts of the X-Men prequel trilogy (First Class, Days Of Future Past, and Apocalypse) will reprise their roles, with James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Alexandra Shipp, Tye Sheridan, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters and Olivia Munn all coming back. 

They'll be joined by Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain in a mystery role- but she's definitely not the alien empress Lilandra. 

Originally due April 2018, Josh Boone's New Mutants has also been pushed back to August 2nd 2019 (a second push-back from February 2019), not only to allow for reshoots, but to include a new character. Taking a more horror-themed route, the film will focus on a new generation of X-Men, to be played by Anya Taylor-Joy, Henry Zaga, Charlie Heaton, and Maisie Williams. 

I did say there was a lot to catch up on... No doubt there'll be much more to talk about once the dust settles from Comic-Con!