The Watchers Review Of 2020

 

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!

Mini-Countdown: Longest Waits For A Sequel

2020 has had little cheer so far, but it has brought us some joy in the release of Bill & Ted Face The Music, which has been released nearly three decades after the last instalment in the Bill & Ted story. It's been 29 years since Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey but this is by no means the longest wait between instalments of a franchise (or between a film and its sequel).  

So, inspired by the release of Bill & Ted Face The Music (we will be recording a special Bill & Ted podcast shortly), here are some more of the longest waits for the next part of a story. 

1. 54 Years: Mary Poppins (1964) and Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

A whopping five-and-a-bit decades separates the wonderfully whimsical Mary Poppins from its sequel, which is the longest gap between sequels in cinema history to date. Yes, Emily Blunt has taken the reins from Julie Andrews, but it's the same Mary Poppins who visited the Banks family all those years ago: "Close your mouth, please, Michael, we are *still* not a codfish...Jane Banks, still rather inclined to giggle, I see". 

P.L. Travers (author of the original Mary Poppins novels) notoriously disliked the original film, but authorised the stage version (which debuted in 2004) on the proviso that nobody involved in the movie- particularly composers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman- were involved, even stipulating it in her will. However, the success of the stage version led to Walt Disney Studios being able to negotiate with Travers' estate to bring Mary Poppins Returns to the screen.

2. 35 Years: Top Gun (1986) and Top Gun: Maverick (2021) and Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Many sequels operate under the system of "passing the torch", introducing the next generation (it's what The Force Awakens did, for instance). There are elements to this in both of these sequels, both of which have a gap of 35 years; in Blade Runner 2049, it's down to Ryan Gosling's K to find Deckard and in Maverick, Tom Cruise's Maverick comes against the new generation of recruits: including the son of his former classmate Goose. Obviously, this assumes that Maverick will stick to its 2021 release - however, with everything going on at the moment, that could well change. 

3. 32 Years: Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi (1983) and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

Before anyone starts, a little primer. This is from Dictionary.com - Sequel (/ˈsi kwəl/) : noun; a literary work, movie, etc., that is complete in itself but continues the narrative of a preceding work.

Yes, I know there were Star Wars films between 1983 and 2015. They were Episodes 1-3. PREQUELS. Again from Dictionary.com - prequel (/pree-kwuhl/) noun: a literary, dramatic, or filmic work that prefigures a later work, as by portraying the same characters at a younger age

The direct sequel from Return Of The Jedi is The Force Awakens. So there was a 32 year wait to continue the Skywalker saga. Don't @ me. 

4. 29 Years: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Along with Bill & Ted, it was 29 years between Max's adventures in the Thunderdome with Auntie Entity (Tina Turner) and his time with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) on Fury Road. And in that time, Max underwent a bit of a change- going from Mel Gibson to Tom Hardy.

5. 28 Years: TRON (1982) and TRON: Legacy (2010)

A bit more of the "next generation" torch-passing with TRON: Legacy, with Sam (Garrett Hedlund) entering the virtual world that his father (Jeff Bridges) has been living in for the last 20 years. There will be a third instalment to the TRON franchise, starring Jared Leto, but the gap between Parts 2 and 3 won't be quite as long as between Parts 1 and 2. 

Other long waits:

• 23 years between Psycho (1960) and Psycho II (1983)

• 23 years between Wall Street (1987) and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)

• 20 years between Rambo III (1988) and Rambo (2008)

• 20 years between Dumb And Dumber (1994) and Dumb And Dumber To (2014)

• 19 years between Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989) and Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)

• 17 years between Bad Boys II (2003) and Bad Boys For Life (2020)

• 16 years between Rocky V (1990) and Rocky Balboa (2006)

• 16 years between The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990)

• 15 years between Zoolander (2001) and Zoolander 2 (2016)

• 14 years between My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)

Are there any other long waits (at least a decade) that you can think of? Let us know in the comments below. 

News From Comic-Con 2020

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. 

State Of Play: June 2020

Over the past week or so, there have been a lot of changes happening to release schedules and how filming can or might continue in the current climate, so I thought it might be worth doing a quick round-up of where things stand at the moment. 

Of course, given the nature of the world at the moment, this is accurate as of today (15th June) but could well change again.


Release Schedule Changes

This one has come as a bit of a surprise. Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s next mindbender, had- up until last week- been resolutely sticking to its release date of July 17th 2020. This has now changed, albeit only by a few weeks and not months like some other films. Tenet is now due to be released on July 31st 2020, two weeks later than expected. 

Wonder Woman 1984 has been shifted again and will now open on 2nd October 2020 (from its date of August 14th). This is the fifth release date that the film has been given; it was originally due for release in December 2019, then November 2019, then June 5th 2020 before its move to August 14th as the COVID-19 pandemic started to take hold. Hopefully it won’t need to be moved again. 

But with Wonder Woman 1984 being moved back, it has meant that Bill & Ted Face The Music has been brought forward a week, and will now be released- all being well- on August 14th 2020 instead.   

No Time To Die- the twenty-fifth Bond film- will be released slightly earlier than expected- November 12th 2020 in the UK (and November 20th in the US)


Looking forward to 2021, there’s been a little movement with several films changing release dates next year. 

Everybody's Talking About Jamie – the big-screen adaptation of the West End musical about a teenage drag queen- starring Max Harwood as Jamie, with Sarah Lancashire as Jamie’s mum Margaret, and Richard E. Grant as Jamie’s drag mentor Loco Chanelle- will now be released on January 22nd 2021 (instead of October 23rd 2020). Opening post-Christmas, in the traditionally bleak January, might provide "a little bit of glitter in the grey" (as one of the songs says)

Bios – This quirky Tom Hanks-starring sci-fi- about an ailing inventor in a post-apocalyptic Earth who builds an android to look after his beloved dog when he dies- which co-stars Caleb Landry Jones, Samira Wiley, and Skeet Ulrich, and is directed by Miguel Sapochnik will now be released on April 16th 2021 (moved from October 2020)

Godzilla Vs. Kong – The next instalment in what has been termed the Legendary MonsterVerse (after Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla: King Of The Monsters) will now be in cinemas on May 21st 2021 (from November 2020). The cast includes Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Demián Bichir, and Zhang Ziyi and two giant CGI monsters knocking seven bells out of each other. 

In The Heights – Another big-screen adaptation of a stage musical, this one by Hamilton supremo Lin-Manuel Miranda, comes to screens on June 18th 2021 (a delay of just over a year). Anthony Ramos takes the lead role of bodega owner Usnavi, with Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, and Jimmy Smits in supporting roles. 

The Beatles: Get Back – Peter Jackson’s documentary, about the making of Let It Be, is moving its release from September 4th 2020 to August 27th 2021. 

The Batman – Matt Reeves’ take on the Caped Crusader with Robert Pattinson under the cowl, aided and abetted by a veritable rogues gallery of actors- including Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman), Paul Dano (The Riddler), Jeffrey Wright (James Gordon), John Turturro (Carmine Falcone), Colin Farrell (The Penguin), and Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth)- will now be released on October 1st 2021 (a shift of a couple of months, from June 25th 2021)

Looking even further forward, the as-yet-untitled fourth Matrix movie- which sees Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss joined by new cast members Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, and Neil Patrick Harris- is now going to be released on April 1st 2022.

When announcing the change to the Matrix sequel, Warner Brothers also dropped Robert Zemeckis’ remake of Roald Dahl’s The Witches from their schedule. Originally due for release in October 2020, the film stars Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock, with Anne Hathaway taking the role of the Grand High Witch (played memorably and terrifyingly by Anjelica Huston in the 1990 original). Whether the film will see the light of day via a streaming service or if it will get a release date somewhere along the line, who knows?

Streaming Premieres 

On the subject of streaming services, several movies have taken the route of Trolls World Tour, Artemis Fowl, and Scoob!, and are premiering online instead. 

You Should Have Left – this Universal Pictures/Blumhouse Productions supernatural thriller- starring Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried – will launch via premium video-on-demand, starting June 19th (a.k.a. this coming Friday!)

Greyhound – this Tom Hanks war drama debuts on July 10th 2020 exclusively via Apple TV Plus. Set in the early days of World War II, an international convoy of 37 Allied ships, led by Ernest Krause (Hanks), crosses the treacherous North Atlantic while being hotly pursued by wolf packs of Nazi submarines. Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan and Elisabeth Shue co-star. 

The One And Only Ivan - directed by Thea Sharrock, this live-action/CGI hybrid about a special gorilla (voiced by Sam Rockwell) will debut exclusively on Disney+ on August 21st 2020. Other cast members include Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Chaka Khan, and Bryan Cranston.



Restarting Film Production 

On June 1st, a 22-page "white paper" written by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force (comprising representatives from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and the Teamsters labour union) was delivered to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and California Governor Gavin Newsom, detailing how studios could resume filming during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Their recommendations include: 

• Regular, periodic testing of cast and crew
• Physical distancing of cast and crew maintained (whenever possible)
• Make-up artists and hairstylists using personal protective equipment (PPE) and keeping people in close proximity to performers at a minimum 
• Daily symptom monitoring of all cast and crew
• Appointing a COVID-19 Compliance Officer (or officers) who have with specialised training, responsibility and authority for COVID-19 safety compliance and enforcement, available at all times during working hours
• No craft service buffets; instead, providing individually packaged meals and snacks, avoiding communal trays, bowls or utensils
• Eliminating paper scripts and sign-in sheets, using digital alternatives where possible

All of these suggestions sound reasonable and not too onerous. Whilst there’s no news as yet on whether New York is allowing filming to resume (and under what circumstances; although given that Governor Cuomo threatened today to close down Manhattan and the Hamptons due to people not observing social distancing advice, I wouldn’t hold your breath), California officials released state guidelines and announced film and TV productions could resume as early as Friday 12th June.

In addition to those above, the state guidelines also recommend:

• Limiting filming hours to between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
• Holding remote auditions and discouraging open casting calls
• Hair and makeup services should only be provided for cast members who cannot do it themselves
• Scenes that require a large number of cast members are discouraged, and scenes where cast must be closer than six feet should be kept as brief and as silent as possible
• Before filming any scene, cast are required to wash their hands
• Cast are encouraged to use their own props, such as by using their own cell phones in scenes. 
• Scripts and contracts are recommended to be shared digitally
• During auditions, actors must receive single-use scripts if they are unable to hold remote auditions.
• Face coverings are required for cast and crew when they will be interacting with others, aside from when their work requires them to not have a mask on (e.g., an actor filming a scene)
• Cast and crew must also be regularly tested for COVID-19 and if a producer, director, showrunner or any other manager is aware of three or more COVID-19 cases on their production within a span of 14 days, they must notify the Department of Public Health.
• Shared items must be disinfected between use

Given that there would need to be a fair amount of prep to be done to ensure these guidelines can be followed, it’s unlikely that many studios and productions will be starting up again so soon. 

That said, several productions have restarted, or are preparing to restart in other countries. 

In Australia, Kurt Wimmer’s reimagining of Stephen King’s Children Of The Corn continued filming, using stringent health and safety protocols, and multiple insurance policies. Principal photography began in New South Wales in early March, when the COVID-19 outbreak forced the majority of productions around the world to shut down. The cast includes Elena Kampouris, Kate Moyer, Callan Mulvey, and Bruce Spence.

James Cameron and producer Jon Landau are preparing to resume filming on the Avatar sequels by returning to New Zealand at the start of June. This will be the first major film series to resume production after the industry-wide pause.

It’s also been reported today that Jurassic World: Dominion will be the first major U.K.-based studio production to start filming again, with cameras set to roll at Pinewood Studios on the second week of July. Universal have been working with the British Film Council and U.S. unions to ensure the production meets required safety standards and have imposed additional measures (to go beyond those standards).


Cinemas in the UK 

So with production tentatively starting again, and release schedules amended, the big question remains: when can we actually go back to the cinema and see a film on the big screen?

Well, it’s a little bit complicated. 

Whilst Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to announce their provisional dates, indoor cinemas in England may be able to open from July 4th 2020 (subject to sufficient progress being made against COVID-19, allowing lockdown measures to be relaxed; a decision about this will not be made until closer to the time). Outdoor cinemas in England (of which there are around 20) are able to open from today.

Cineworld are preparing to open all of its UK cinemas (128 in total) on July 4th, and "have put in place procedures to ensure a safe and enjoyable cinema experience" although they haven't announced what these procedures are. Vue have already announced how the measures they will take if they are allowed to reopen, including "physically isolating family groups through our online booking systems, staggering film times to maintain social distancing and operate responsibly, and introducing enhanced cleaning and employee-protection protocols."

As with everything since lockdown began back in March, we just have to keep our heads down and wait and see what happens. 

Happy New Year from The Watchers!

Happy New Year!

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new year, and a new decade! 

Hopefully 2020 has got off to a good start for you all with minimal hangovers and much cheer, and you had a brilliant and enjoyable Christmas 

So what cinematic gems do we have to look forward to this year? Well, how about Bad Boys For Life, A Quiet Place: Part II, Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn), No Time To Die, Black Widow, Fast & Furious 9, Wonder Woman 1984, Top Gun: Maverick, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Morbius, Bill & Ted Face The Music, The King's Man, Tenet, Death On The Nile, Halloween Kills, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, The Eternals, Godzilla Vs. Kong, Raya And The Last Dragon, Coming 2 America, and In The Heights to name but a few?

Could be a very busy year for us! We'll be reviewing these and many more as the months pass by, so keep your eyes on the blog and your ears on the podcast. There'll be a veritable deluge of awards stuff coming in the next week or so, so be prepared for that. 

Our very best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020

The Watchers

(Rhys, Matt & Tez)