Happy New Year from The Watchers!

 

Happy New Year!

Hopefully, 2021 has got off on the right foot with you all! It might have been a very different New Year's Eve than in other years, but we hope it was enjoyable however you spent it.  

It's safe to say that 2020 was a challenging year for many of us in many different ways, so we dearly hope that 2021 is a better year for everyone. 

Whilst the stroke of midnight didn't magically erase any of the issues that plagued 2020- with us all waking up like Dorothy at the end of The Wizard Of Oz and realising the past 12 months were a particularly virulent fever-dream- there are many reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the upcoming year. We might not be out of the woods just yet, but at least we've got more of an idea of which way we're heading. 

In terms of 2021's film releases, the ones that The Watchers are looking forward to are No Time To Die, Black Widow, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Death On The Nile, Halloween Kills, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Eternals, Justice League: The Snyder Cut, and A Quiet Place: Part II, although we are sure that there will be many others along the way. 

We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation as things are still liable to change (especially in the first quarter of the year). For the half-dozen or so awards enthusiasts among you, there will also be full coverage of the 2021 awards season when that rolls around. Tez is itching to get his spreadsheet started... 

All the very best for a precedented and stable 2021, with few surprises (unless they're good, of course)

The Watchers

(Rhys, Matt & Tez)

State Of Play: October 2020

Hello everyone, 

We hope this finds you well and that you're keeping safe and sound.

There's been a lot, LOT, of movement in the last few weeks regarding movie release schedules, so we figured it was time to do a bit of a round-up on where things stand at the moment. 

As with a lot of things in the current COVID-19 pandemic, things can change in a heartbeat so this is as we know it today (Sunday 4th October). This is, of course, always subject to change. 

Disney were the first to start rearranging their winter roster, moving Black Widow to May 2021 (which has a knock-on effect for at least two other MCU movies; see below) and postponing Steven Spielberg's new version of West Side Story (starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as the star-cross'd Tony and Maria) until December 2021. 

At the moment, Disney still plan to release Pixar's next movie Soul and the latest star-studded Agatha Christie adaptation Death On The Nile in cinemas this year (Soul at Thanksgiving weekend, and Death On The Nile a week before Christmas). None of the films were moved to Disney+ (as Mulan had), although the situation remains very much in flux at the moment. Given recent news reports, and the likelihood that Cineworld will close cinemas in the U.S. and the U.K. and Ireland shortly, I would be immensely surprised if these films see cinema screens this year. 

If Death On The Nile does still get a cinema release on December 18, it will be going up against Warner Bros.' new version of Frank Herbert's Dune (directed by Denis Villeneuve, and starring Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, and Zendaya), which is still scheduled for this date. Wonder Woman 1984 had another date change, as the film will now be opening on Christmas Day instead. (Movie-going on Christmas Day is apparently a thing in America, so will probably open Boxing Day in the UK, if the release goes ahead) 

Director Patty Jenkins said "Because I know how important it is to bring this movie to you on a big screen when all of us can share the experience together, I’m hopeful you won’t mind waiting just a little bit longer. With the new date on Christmas Day, we can’t wait to spend the holidays with you."

In our June State of Play update, we mentioned Robert Zemeckis' new version of The Witches (starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, and Stanley Tucci) being dropped from Warner Bros. cinema schedule in the US. Well, at the start of this month, it was announced that the film will make its debut on HBO Max on October 22 2020, with an international cinema release following a week later (where possible).

However on the same day as that, it was announced that No Time To Die, the 25th Bond film, was also going to be postponed until 2021. Originally set for release on November 12 in the UK and November 20 in the US, it's now set for April 2 2021 [almost a year after its initial release date]. In a statement on the official 007 site, the delay is "in order [for the film] to be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience. We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans". 

As well as disappointing fans, it's no doubt disappointed cinema chains too: it has been one of the reasons mooted for Cineworld's decision to potentially shut down its cinemas. As a result of No Time To Die being shifted, F9 (Fast & Furious 9) has also moved in the schedule to the end of May 2021.

So that's where things stand at the moment. These are the current release dates for some of the films mentioned; obviously all of them are due to change if circumstances continue or change.

2020

November 20         Soul

December 18         Death On The Nile

December 25         WW84


2021

February 12         The King's Man

April 2         No Time To Die

May 7         Black Widow

May 28         F9

July 9         Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

November 5         Eternals

December 10         West Side Story

Keep safe everyone. It certainly looks as if things are far from being over...

Delayed Movie Releases - April 2020

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. 

News From Comic-Con 2019

San Diego Comic-Con celebrated its 50th birthday this year, running from July 18-21 for four days of geeky goodness. Here's some highlights of this year's event.

MARVEL PHASE 4 - AND BEYOND?

Having missed out last year's Comic-Con, Marvel Studios made a triumphant return to Hall H on Saturday evening, as studio head Kevin Feige (along with some guest stars) detailed the forthcoming MCU movies and TV shows (for Disney+) which will be released over the next couple of years.

Some things that had been rumoured were confirmed, a few things were announced that sent fans into a frenzy, and a couple of things were teased which could be interesting down the line. They also shared the rather stunning news that Avengers: Endgame has become the top-grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office, not adjusted for inflation, ending Avatar's decade-long reign.

So buckle up, here's the scoop on Phase 4 (or whatever the hell we're meant to be calling it now).

BLACK WIDOW
Directed by Cate Shortland
Release date: May 1, 2020

Scarlett Johansson was on hand to show the first footage from Black Widow (which is currently in production and has shot for 30 days so far). The teaser shows Johansson and Florence Pugh (who's playing Yelena Belova, a 'sister' to Natasha) knocking the hell out of each other, before ending with a shot of one of the film's major antagonists: Taskmaster. No word on who is under the mask, though.

It could potentially be David Harbour. The Hellboy and Stranger Things star is playing Alexi, part of the Soviet Union's Red Guardian project (think a Russian Captain America). Oscar winner Rachel Weisz will be playing Melina Vostokoff (aka Iron Maiden), a veteran of the Red Room training, whilst O.T. Fagbenle (The Handmaid's Tale) will be playing Natasha's fixer, Mason.

One thing that has been clarified is exactly WHEN this film takes place. Many thought that it might be a prequel/origin story, but it's since been announced that the action of the film takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. This'll fill in some of the gaps in Natasha's story as she went on the run after helping Captain America and Bucky escape. Plus part of the film takes place in Budapest. Wonder if we'll end up remembering Budapest very differently afterwards?

ETERNALS
Directed by Chloé Zhao
Release date: November 6, 2020

After months of speculation, leaks, rumours, and theories, the panel confirmed that Angelina Jolie would indeed be joining the MCU as part of the cast of Eternals. She'll be playing Thena, one of the immortal aliens sent to Earth by the Celestials to protect humankind from the Deviants. Sounds epic. And with a timeline set to span eons, epic might be the right word.

Joining Jolie- who was making her Comic-Con debut at the panel- are Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari (who'll be playing the first Deaf hero in the MCU), Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak (the leader of the group), Lia McHugh as Sprite, and Don Lee as Gilgamesh. A very diverse cast for a very epic movie. As someone who knows absolutely nothing about the Eternals, I'm very excited to see this come to life

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Release date: February 12, 2021

This project had been previously announced (well, that there would be a Shang-Chi movie coming) but we had the announcement of the full title and some major casting, including the leading man. Chinese-Canadian actor and stunt performer Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience, Taken) will be taking the lead role as Shang-Chi. Apparently, the ink may still be a little wet on Liu's contract as he was only signed last week!

Shang-Chi (created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin) first hit the comicbooks in 1973 and is the son of Fu Manchu, trained in martial arts by his father then sent into the world to do his bidding. There'll be some updating of the character to avoid any of those pesky 1970s Asian stereotypes. 

Comicbook aficionados may also have had their interest piqued by the 'Legend of the Ten Rings' part of the title. The villainous Mandarin is known to use the Ten Rings in his nefarious plots. But, hang on, we've already seen the Mandarin in Iron Man 3. Well, no. Ben Kingsley's character was an actor hired as a front. But Shang-Chi will introduce the real Mandarin- and he'll be played by veteran Hong Kong actor Tony Leung (Infernal Affairs, Lust, Caution and Chungking Express). They'll also be joined by Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians, Ocean's Eight) in an as-yet-unannounced role. Interesting times ahead.

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Release date: May 7, 2021

Scott Derrickson (who directed the first Doctor Strange movie) started his film career in horror movies: The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, Sinister, and Deliver Us From Evil were all directed by him. And it sounds like he's going back to his roots- and Strange's roots- for the next film, using 'the gothic and the horror and the horrific' of the original comicbooks to make 'the first scary MCU film'.

Sounds as if Benedict Cumberbatch might need a helping hand as the Sorceror Supreme goes to places unknown... luckily, Scarlet Witch will be there for him (as Elizabeth Olsen has confirmed she'll be appearing as Wanda, and that the Disney+ show WandaVision links to the film). No other details were given, but there's still plenty of time as it's nearly two years away.

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER
Directed by Taika Waititi
Release date: November 5, 2021

Natalie Portman is back in the MCU. I repeat: NATALIE PORTMAN IS BACK IN THE MCU. For me, this was one of the biggest surprises of the panel (if not Comic-Con as a whole). Earlier last week, it had been rumoured that Taika Waititi had signed on to direct a fourth Thor film (after his success with Thor: Ragnarok). So, to have it confirmed was no surprise. But to have Portman back is major, given her less-than-enthusiastic response in the past. But maybe the idea of playing Thor was enough to get her back?

No, I've not gone mad. Natalie Portman will play the Mighty Thor. This is based on a 2014 comicbook storyline where Thor loses his powers and Jane Foster is deemed worthy to wield Mjolnir, so takes on the mantle of the God(dess?) of Thunder. Alongside Portman and Chris Hemsworth (naturally), Tessa Thompson will also be back, reprising her role as Valkyrie (who, at the end of Avengers: Endgame, became the ruler of New Asgard). No word on whether Tom Hiddleston will pop up, but you never know...


ONE MORE THING...

As if all of this wasn't enough, Feige couldn't help but tease a few more ongoing projects: sequels to Black Panther and Captain Marvel are in development (no surprise to either of those), as is James Gunn's Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3. But there's also going to be a Fantastic Four movie and a movie about... mutants (read: X-Men). Then to REALLY end things on a high, they announced this....

BLADE!

Well, not only did they announce the project - they also announced the new leading man. Double Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Green Book) will be playing the vampire hunter (previously played on screen by the utter legend that is Wesley Snipes). No confirmed release date but a very exciting announcement.

So there we have it! As if this wasn't enough, there's still this year's Disney expo (D23) in August - so there might be more news then!

* * * 

OTHER FILM NEWS

IT: CHAPTER TWO

One of the first trailers to hit from SDCC this year was the frankly nerve-jangling one for It: Chapter Two:

Set 27 years after the events of the first film, the now adult Losers Club (played by Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader amongst others) return to Derry to face off with the evil Pennywise for the last time. Bill Skarsgård still looks absolutely terrifying as the demonic clown, and you can even see a glimpse of the scene which apparently uses the most amount of fake blood ever in the movies. Poor Jessica Chastain...

HALLOWEEN

Sticking with horror for the moment, it was announced that- due to the success of last year's Halloween reboot- two more films are on their way. Entitled Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, they'll be released in 2020 and 2021 respectively.  

TOP GUN MAVERICK

A trailer dropped for next year's Top Gun: Maverick. 34 years since the first film, Maverick still has that need for speed:

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

At the Terminator: Dark Fate panel, it was revealed that Edward Furlong would be returning to his iconic role as John Connor for the first time since Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which was 28 years ago. What's interesting is that Dark Fate is essentially a direct sequel to Judgment Day (thus disregarding Rise Of The Machines, Salvation, and Genisys). Considering the critical drubbing Genisys got, a reboot of it mightn't be too bad an idea.  

JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT

I didn't know this was in the works, so it tickled me immensely to see that Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes were reuniting for another Jay and Silent Bob movie. Taking a satirical look at reboots, remakes, and sequels, the film will see Jay and Silent Bob return to Hollywood to stop a reboot of the Bluntman And Chronic movie from getting made. Trailer is here (it's Not exactly Suitable For Work, but would you expect anything less?)

* * *

TV NEWS

It's rare that Comic-Con will give me more TV stuff to be excited about than movies, but that was definitely the case this year. There's a lot of really good TV stuff on its way. 

STAR TREK: PICARD

Sir Patrick Stewart got an absolutely storming reception when he appeared to talk about Star Trek: Picard. Since the project was announced, fans have been foaming at the mouth for more information, and we were not left disappointed. The fact that several familiar old faces popped up in the trailer was the icing on the cake.

HIS DARK MATERIALS

A rather lavish trailer for the new HBO/BBC co-production of His Dark Materials, based on the best-selling and award-winning novels by Philip Pullman. It's got a fantastic cast, headed by James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Logan's Dafne Keen as Lyra. With the scope and range of a TV show, hopefully it'll do the source material justice.

WATCHMEN

It's rare that you'll hear me say this, but I admire Zack Snyder for his work on Watchmen. Famously thought unfilmable, he made a decent fist of it back in 2009 and- whilst it was never going to please everyone- it was as faithful as it could be (up to a point, of course). 

Ten years on, HBO have greenlit a new Watchmen series. However, this is a continuation of the acclaimed graphic novel (rather than a remake). Set in contemporary America, costumed heroes are outlawed and the doomsday clock continues to tick. With a cast including Jeremy Irons, Regina King, Frances Fisher, Louis Gossett Jr, and Tim Blake Nelson, it definitely looks worth a watch!  

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE

I was chuffed when this project was announced. With a star-studded voice cast (Helena Bonham Carter, Mark Hamill, Taron Egerton, and Alicia Vikander to name but a few) and the same attention to detail and craftsmanship that made the original film such a beloved classic, August 30th can't come quickly enough for me.

THE WITCHER

For those looking for their next sword-and-sorcery fix, The Witcher looks to deliver that in spades. Henry Cavill stars as Geralt of Rivia, and he's supported by Freya Allan, MyAnna Buring, Lars Mikkelsen, and Jodhi May. 

This show will be based on the novels and short stories by Andrzej Sapkowski, rather than the video games (in fact, showrunner Lauren Schmidt has said the show will not be adapting the video games). Henry Cavill was on hand during the panel to talk about the project: 

Sorry... where was I? 

OTHER TV NEWS 

Other bits of interesting TV news: 

• It's been confirmed (to nobody's great surprise) that Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. will conclude its run after Season 7.

• FX's spy cartoon series Archer has been renewed for an eleventh season! For the past few years, they've played with genre as the main character has been in a coma but, for Season 11, we're back to the real world- and Archer will be waking up! 

• Rick Grimes' spin-off movie (from The Walking Dead) will be released in cinemas only. Maybe that should have come under movie news instead?

So, there we go. Lots to look forward to in the coming year!