A decent selection of new films come out today on blu-ray and dvd. The highlight for me is The Losers which features an ensemble cast that includes Idris Elba, Chris Evans, Zoe Saldana, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Jason Patric. I remember seeing the trailer for this a few months back and thought that it looked pretty entertaining. A little bit of a been there, done that type feel…but cool nonetheless. It features a simple plot – ‘After being betrayed and left for dead, members of a CIA black ops team root out those who targeted them for assassination.’ The film is directed by Sylvain White.
Willis, Morgan, and William Scott's comedy hits shelves today
Bruce Willis is back in a very familiar role – as a cop. I tell you, if Willis had not been an actor, he should have been a cop. He fits the profile of a man with a badge so well. In the comedy Cop Out, he teams up with Tracy Morgan and Sean William Scott. The premise is as follows – ‘A comedy about a veteran NYPD cop whose rare baseball card is stolen. Since it’s his only hope to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding, he recruits his partner to track down the thief, a memorabilia-obsessed gangster.’ The film looks like an OK time with several funny moments and decent action. What a lot of people might not know – it was directed by Kevin Smith, the famous director of Clerks and Chasing Amy. Smith also starred with Willis in Live Free or Die Hard.
Kirsten Stewart and Dakota Fanning lead the Runaways
Another eagerly awaited home release is The Runaways. Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning (both of Twilight Saga fame) star as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie in the coming-of-age biopic about the ’70s teenage band The Runaways. A lot of people wanted to see this when it came out in theaters a couple months back, but due to its limited release the film was hard to find in several cities. Due to Stewart’s fame at the moment, I think this film will do very well on DVD. It looks interesting, and I read that both lead actresses do fine jobs in their roles.
Radcliffe lands another post-Potter role
“Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe has signed to play the lead role in Hammer Films and Alliance Films’ adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel The Woman in Black. This is the second major role Daniel has landed since wrapping the final two Harry Potter films. The first was the remake of All Quiet on the Western Front. The story follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe), who is ordered to travel to a remote corner of the UK and sort out a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in an old and isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover its tragic secrets, and his unease grows when he discovers that the local village is held hostage by the ghost of a scorned woman set on vengeance. Production is expected to begin in the fall. Radcliffe appears to be choosing very good roles post-Potter.
Simon Pegg may return for the next M:I film
Simon Pegg is already in talks to return as lab geek Benji Dunn in Mission: Impossible IV, which is still targeted for a December 16, 2011 release. This role was a small one from the third Mission film, but ultimately it did help Pegg land the role he had in Star Trek. JJ Abrams directed both of those films. Don’t put a lot of weight on this story yet, due to the fact that Paramount has not even greenlit the fourth installment of this successful franchise.
The sequel begins filming next spring
Speaking of JJ Abrams and Star Trek, it appears we have a start date for the filming of the highly anticipated sequel. Producer Bryan Burk has stated that the movie will begin production in the spring of 2011. John Cho, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban and Anton Yelchin are expected to return in the June 29, 2012 release. This sequel has a lot to live up to for two reasons – the first one was probably the best reboot of any franchise, and this sequel is following in the footsteps of the original sequel, which is considered to be the best of the original Star Trek films.
Batman and Robin show up on the Arthur set
Ok, so after seeing the Batmobile photo a couple of weeks ago, I began wondering what was happening on the set of the Arthur remake. Now I’m really curious. More photos are popping up of Russell Brand and Luis Guzman all decked out in Batman and Robin gear. Brand won me over in Get Him to the Greek, and Luis Guzman (Waiting) has always been a consistently funny actor. Combine the two of them with remaking a classic comedy…we may have another great one coming our way.
Burton gets a new gig
Tim Burton has been hired to direct Monsterpocalyse. The film is currently being drafted by Burton regular John August, working alongside the creator of the game, Matt Wilson. The monsters, meanwhile, are being developed by Visual Effects Supervisor Ken Ralston. Skyscraper sized, the giant monsters are left behind after an attack on Earth and humanity builds giant robots for which to combat them. Of course, it will more than likely be in 3D based on the success of Alice in Wonderland. The studio is hoping to get this released by the end of 2012. Seems like a long way away.
