Posted on Wednesday, October 31st, 2012 by Angie Han
While it’s understandable that some diehard fans think the very idea of another Star Wars trilogy is unforgivable sacrilege, we’re more inclined to think it could be an unexpected blessing. Disney’s got their hands on one of the richest mythologies in pop culture, and enough clout that it can book some serious talent to do it justice. So with that in mind, we’ve put together a list of ten filmmakers we’d love to see explore a galaxy far, far away — and five we’d rather stayed here on Earth. Hit the jump to read.
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Posted on Wednesday, October 24th, 2012 by Angie Han
Had all gone according to plan for Alfonso Cuarón‘s Gravity, we’d be eagerly talking up its Oscar potential in anticipation of its release next month. However, Cuarón’s effects-heavy sci-fi epic apparently needed a bit more time to come together than had originally been projected. In May, Warner Bros. announced it’d be pushing back the release to an unspecified date in 2013. The open-ended nature of the announcement naturally had some movie lovers fearing production woes and wondering when we’d finally get to see the finished product.
The studio still hasn’t announced an exact opening date for the movie, but there’s now reason to believe it’s just about ready to go. The MPAA has handed a PG-13 rating to the film. The rating itself is interesting, since it clues us in to the level of intensity we can expect. But the fact that it’s been rated at all is just as noteworthy, because indicates the movie is near or at completion. It’s rare for the MPAA to rate a movie that’s nowhere near finished. More after the jump.
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Yes, J.J. Abrams is set to produce another possible show for NBC. This one however, which already has a network commitment to at least produce a pilot, is a bit different. Alfonso Cuaron, the director of Children of Men and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, will co-write and direct the pilot, which sounds like a girl-power blend of Heroes and The Terminator. The show, which is still untitled, is about a girl with special powers that won’t fully blossom for seven years and the man who is broken out of prison to protect her until then. Read more after the jump. Read More »
One of the most anticipated films of 2012 has officially been delayed. Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity, originally set for release in November, has been moved to a not-yet-specified date in 2013. The film, which stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, recently began test screening and it’s safe to assume Cuaron and the Warner Bros. executives felt it needed a bit more time to reach its full potential. The sci-fi thriller is said to be very effects heavy.
As one Warner Bros. film goes into release limbo, another has come out. Ruben Fleischer‘s period film Gangster Squad has been slotted for September 7. Starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling, the film was moved off the schedule a few weeks back but, with a strong response to its recently released trailer, is now back on. Read More »
The expectations are sky-high for Alfonso Cuarón‘s Gravity, the director’s first film since 2006′s Children of Men. In fact, between the A-list cast (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney), its intriguing sci-fi premise, its ambitious long shots, and gushing praise from colleagues like Guillermo del Toro, we have plenty of reason to believe the film could be his most brilliant yet. On the other hand, this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve been dead wrong about a movie this early on.
This week in Pasadena, Gravity had its first test screening, and while the cut was apparently very rough, audiences saw enough to form some strong opinions about it. From here, it sounds like it could be this year’s Tree of Life — gorgeous, innovative, worthy of acclaim, and perhaps a little divisive. Hit the jump to see some reactions.
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Posted on Thursday, April 12th, 2012 by Angie Han
Chatter about who could or should direct the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire began the second word got out that the first film’s helmer, Gary Ross, might be leaving the franchise. And now that his departure’s officially been confirmed, the conversation has further heated up, not just among fans but among Lionsgate studio execs as well.
A search has begun in earnest for Ross’ replacement, and if the first three names we’ve heard are indicative of the direction that Lionsgate is going, Ross’ exit could actually end up being a blessing in disguise. Among the filmmakers supposedly in the mix are Alfonso Cuarón, David Cronenberg, and Alejandro González Iñárritu. Read more after the jump.
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Alfonso Cuarón‘s new film Gravity placed in my ‘most anticipated of 2012′ list — and similar lists from many others — in part because the film is an original sci-fi story that stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts who have to contend with an accident while on a mission in space.
We’ve heard a lot about the production of the film; it is said to be a ground-breaking combination of live-action and CGI, possibly made to look as if it is assembled from only a few takes. Guillermo del Toro has said the movie is “absolutely pushing a new boundary in filmmaking, completely mind-blowing. And they way they’re making [Gravity] will I think forever change certain types of productions. The engineering and the ingenuity of the machines they’ve created to film that way is fantastic.”
On a much less technically striking level, there is something else different about the movie: Bullock says that she (and perhaps Clooney) performed without makeup. Read More »
Enough about 2011; let’s look ahead to 2012. This past year was good about offering a diverse set of films that catered to many tastes, especially crowds that wanted something out of the range of standard multiplex fare. But 2012 looks like a much stronger year. We can almost always look ahead to a new year and say that there is a great batch of new films from established favorite filmmakers, movies with wonderful casts, giant event movies and promising indies. But 2012 looks like it has more of those than usual. It’s going to be a good year for movie watchers.
After some deliberation (which no doubt has still allowed me to overlook something for which I’ll facepalm later) here is a list of ten films that I’m very excited to see in 2012, followed by a full page of discussion about a whole bunch of other movies that didn’t make my personal cut but are still bright spots on the 2012 calendar for various reasons. This list could change a lot in the next couple weeks, as Sundance (and then Cannes in May) could reveal a good many new films that will be bright spots on the calendar in ’12.
I’ve also exercised a certain hopefulness here, as there are a few films that don’t yet have official 2012 release dates. Let’s hope they don’t slip. Read More »
