Awards Season 2022: Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) Awards Winners

Just a quick update for you today, to let you know the film winners from the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards, held last night (Sunday 27th February) at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California:

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

CODA

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Will Smith (King Richard)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain (The Eyes Of Tammy Faye)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Troy Kotsur (CODA)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

No Time To Die

It's always nice when awards bodies shake things up and make it feel less like a coronation and more of a competition.

Whilst Troy Kotsur's performance has been nominated multiple times throughout this awards season, this is his first win (with Oscar frontrunner Kodi Smit-McPhee previously winning the Golden Globe for his turn in The Power Of The Dog). CODA's Best Cast win seemed to come as a big surprise to a lot of people, not least actress Marlee Matlin (who plays Kotsur's wife). 

Whilst we're on the subject of shaking things up, Chastain's win for playing disgraced televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker has also put the metaphorical cat amongst the pigeons, especially as a) Nicole Kidman won the Golden Globe, and b) none of the Best Actress Oscar nominees were also nominated for a BAFTA. It'll be interesting to see how things pan out over the next few weeks.  

Helen Mirren was this year's recipient of the SAG Life Achievement Award, following in the footsteps of such figures as Betty White, Rita Moreno, Julie Andrews, and Lily Tomlin. 

In the television categories, Korean action drama Squid Game took home three awards whilst Ted Lasso won two, and Kate Winslet was awarded Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for Mare Of Easttown. 

Congratulations to all winners!

Next stop with awards season is this Sunday (6th March) with the Independent Spirit Awards, bucking tradition and being handed out weeks before the Oscars rather than the day before. 

[For the handful of people who may care, this is to let you know that there might be a delay with the blog featuring the Spirit Awards winners as Awards Guru (TM) Tez- i.e. the only one of the Watchers who is actually bothered about this frippery- is on holiday next week, and the results might not be available before he goes. He'll make every attempt to get the post sorted before he heads off, but- if he's not able to- he'll discuss the results when he's back on Friday 11th March] 

Awards Season 2022: BAFTA Film Awards Nominations

The nominations for the 75th British Academy (BAFTA) Film Awards were announced this afternoon, by Tom Allen (Bake Off: The Professionals, Live At The Apollo) and A.J. Odudu (Big Brother's Bit On The Side, Strictly Come Dancing) at the organisation's newly redeveloped London headquarters, BAFTA195 Piccadilly.

Like last year's announcement, this year's took place at a much more agreeable time of 12:10pm. After a couple of technical issues, and a lot of cringy "banter", nominees in several major categories were announced. 

Here's a selection of the nominees:

BEST FILM

Belfast

Don't Look Up

Dune

Licorice Pizza

The Power of the Dog

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

After Love

Ali & Ava

Belfast

Boiling Point

Cyrano

Everybody's Talking About Jamie

House of Gucci

Last Night in Soho

No Time To Die

Passing

LEADING ACTOR

Adeel Akhtar (Ali & Ava)

Mahershala Ali (Swan Song)

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)

Leonardo DiCaprio (Don't Look Up)

Stephen Graham (Boiling Point)

Will Smith (King Richard)

LEADING ACTRESS 

Lady Gaga (House of Gucci)

Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza)

Emilia Jones (CODA)

Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World)

Joanna Scanlan (After Love)

Tessa Thompson (Passing)

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Mike Faist (West Side Story)

Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)

Troy Kotsur (CODA)

Woody Norman (C’mon C’mon)

Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Caitríona Balfe (Belfast)

Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter)

Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)

Ann Dowd (Mass)

Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)

Ruth Negga (Passing)

DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)

Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)

Audrey Diwan (Happening)

Julia Ducournau (Titane)

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car)

Aleem Khan (After Love)

A full list of nominees in all categories can be found here.

As they did last year, BAFTA had previously announced longlists for all categories, so you can see what was in contention for nominations here. 

Dune leads the field with 11 nominations across all categories, with The Power Of The Dog in second with 8.

Some interesting omissions- notably Olivia Colman, Andrew Garfield and Kirsten Dunst in the acting categories, and Kenneth Branagh in Best Director- although I don't think this will affect their Oscar chances too greatly. I was happy to see Aaron Sorkin's script for Being The Ricardos recognised in the Best Original Screenplay category, and Everybody's Talking About Jamie in Outstanding British Film. 

The nominees for the 2022 Rising Star award - the only BAFTA awarded by public vote- have also been announced: this year's nominees are Ariana DeBose, Harris Dickinson, Lashana Lynch, Millicent Simmonds, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Find out more about them, and cast your vote here.

The 75th BAFTA Film Awards will be handed out on Sunday 13th March 2022 in an in-person ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall, with Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids) taking hosting duties. 

[Somewhat awkwardly, this is also the date that the rescheduled Critics Choice Awards will also take place.]

Congratulations to all nominees!

We are getting to the sharp end of the awards nominations now, with the Razzies due to announce theirs on Monday (7th February) and the Oscars on Tuesday (8th February).

I'll be making my Oscar nomination predictions as usual; expect them at some point on Monday. 

Awards Season 2022: Golden Globes Winners

Last night (Sunday 9th January 2022), the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced the winners of the 79th Annual Golden Globe Awards, for both television and film.

There was no traditional ceremony, no red carpet, no telecast, and no media. The winners were released via Twitter and a press release afterwards. The show itself focused on the HPFA's philanthropy. As one unnamed commentator said, "This was essentially the most expensive Instagram production ever."

Here is the full list of film winners.

Best Motion Picture (Drama): The Power Of The Dog

Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): West Side Story

Best Director: Jane Campion (The Power Of The Dog)

Best Actor (Drama): Will Smith (King Richard)

Best Actor (Comedy or Musical): Andrew Garfield (tick, tick… Boom!)

Best Actress (Drama): Nicole Kidman (Being The Ricardos)

Best Actress (Comedy or Musical): Rachel Zegler (West Side Story)

Best Supporting Actor: Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power Of The Dog)

Best Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)

Best Screenplay: Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)

Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer (Dune)

Best Original Song: "No Time To Die" (No Time To Die)

Best Foreign Language Film: Drive My Car

Best Animated Feature Film: Encanto

The Power Of The Dog and West Side Story were the big winners of the evening, with three Globes apiece. 

Yesterday should also have been the 27th Critics Choice Awards ceremony, but - in a statement released just before Christmas- a decision was made to postpone the ceremony, given the current public health crisis (something that has also seen the Grammys and the Sundance Film Festival cancel in-person events). A new date is still to be announced. 

Congratulations to all winners!

Next up with awards season is the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards nominations, which will be revealed on Wednesday (12th January)

The Watchers Film Show Review Of 2021

 

Here's your starter for ten: what do Last Night In Soho, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and No Time To Die? Also, what links Venom: Let There Be Carnage, A Quiet Place: Part II, and Space Jam: A New Legacy? 

Yes, each set of three films do have the same number of words in their titles, but that wasn't the answer on the card. The correct answer is: all of them get a mention in the Watchers Film Show Review of 2021.

This is, amazingly, the 11th annual round-up of the good and the bad in film according to us three nerdy blokes. 

In this bumper edition, we talk the triumphs and turkeys of 2021, Matt gives us his round-up of the best horror of the year, and we look forward to what 2022 has in store (cinema-wise, of course). 

We hope you enjoy it!

 

 

The Watchers Film Show: No Time To Die

 

We're baaaaaaaaaaack!

We've been away for a while, but if there's one thing that's going to get the three of us back together it's going to be to chat about one of the most hotly anticipated movies of 2021: No Time To Die

So, we've recorded a special podcast where we break down our thoughts about the film and the wider Daniel Craig era, and discuss where it might (and should) go from there.

Take a listen below and let us know what you think!

 

State Of Play: January 2021

Hope you're all doing well and January has been as kind as it can be to yourselves. 

We're still in the grip of a deadly pandemic and the cinema schedules keep changing left, right, and centre, so thought it was worth looking at the lie of the land as we come to the close of the first month of a new year. 

To very few people's surprise, news broke late last week that No Time To Die was being shunted back again, this time to 8th October 2021 (from its revised April 2021 release). It's disappointing, but understandable. The world is still very much in flux, so I can appreciate the studios wanting to err to the side of caution. If it keeps this date, it will arrive a few days shy of six years after the last Bond movie, Spectre.

This decision has set off a bit of a domino effect, with a lot of other films now having been moved, including Edgar Wright's horror-thriller Last Night In Soho (now due October 22nd 2021), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (now 11th November), and A Quiet Place: Part II (17th September), with Jared Leto's Morbius, and Tom Holland's Uncharted shifted into 2022.  

Before Christmas, Warner Bros. announced that their full slate for 2021- 17 films in total, including The Matrix 4, Dune, and The Suicide Squad- would follow the example of Wonder Woman 1984 and be released on both HBO Max and in cinemas (where possible) on their respective release dates. Already, the Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark has had a date change, so others may follow.

Here are the current releases at the moment, correct as of 25th January 2021. Films below marked with an asterisk are Warner Bros. films and will be released on HBO Max on day of release as well as cinemas. 


2021

March 5     Coming 2 America (Amazon Prime)

March 5     Raya And The Last Dragon (Disney+)

March 26     Godzilla Vs. Kong *

May 7     Black Widow

May 28     F9

June 18     In The Heights *

July 2     Top Gun: Maverick

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

July 16     Cinderella

July 30     Jungle Cruise

August 13     BIOS

August 20     The King's Men

September 17     A Quiet Place: Part II

September 24     The Many Saints Of Newark *

October 1     Dune *

October 8     No Time To Die

October 15     The Last Duel

October 22     Last Night In Soho

November 5     Eternals

November 11     Ghostbusters: Afterlife

November 19     Mission: Impossible 7

December 3     Nightmare Alley

December 10     West Side Story

December 17     Sony/Marvel Spider-Man 3

December 22     The Matrix 4 *



2022

January 21     Morbius

February 11     Thor: Love And Thunder

February 11     Uncharted

March 4     The Batman

March 25     Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

July 8     Black Panther 2

July 15     Fantastic Beasts 3

November 4     The Flash

November 11     Captain Marvel 2


At the moment, the first big blockbusters of 2021 will be Black Widow and F9 in May - but it's probably too early to say that those dates will definitely hold. 

This is something that I found out today, and which I found very telling: of the many films who advertised during last year's SuperBowl (a traditional spot for new releases to advertise to a massive audience and where the cost of a 30-second slot was around $5.6m), only four have actually been released: they are The Invisible Man, Sonic The Hedgehog, Mulan, and The Spongebob Movie: Sponge On The Run. 

We'll keep you updated if when things change again. 

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...

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. 

The Watchers Film Show: Lockdown Special 2

In the second of our Lockdown Specials, we discuss the current state of play with cinema and the amended release schedule for several of the big movies that were due to be released over the coming months. 

This information was accurate at the time we recorded the Special, however, because the circumstances we are in are constantly shifting, they may have already changed again!

So, if you want to find out when to expect films such as No Time To Die, Black Widow and Fast & Furious 9, check out the video above!

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.