Is it possible that Wolverine and Spider-Man could appear on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? How did Michael B. Jordan react when asked about Fantastic Four, on camera? Did a Cleveland reporter get a huge scoop about The Avengers 2 on the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Want to see a video of a stunt from that set? Is Conan O’Brien excited about Man of Steel? Which day has been officially dubbed Man of Steel day? Read about all this and more in today’s Superhero Bits. Read More »
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Posted on Friday, May 17th, 2013 by Angie Han
Josh Trank‘s Fantastic Four hasn’t announced any stars just yet, but we got some tantalizing hints a couple weeks back when Michael B. Jordan and Allison Williams were rumored for major roles. The reports got a lot of buzz, most of it good — but predictably, there were a few folks unhappy with the fact that Jordan is black, whereas Johnny Storm has traditionally been portrayed as white.
While Jordan won’t confirm his casting right now, he was happy to address some of the negative feedback he’s gotten. Put simply, he doesn’t see why his race should be a problem: “It’s 2013.” Hit the jump to read the rest of his comments.
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I was very moved by Ryan Coogler‘s film Fruitvale Station when it played Sundance under the title Fruitvale. Michael B. Jordan stars as Oscar, a young man detailed by police at an Oakland, CA BART station after a brawl on a train early on New Year’s Day. The night ended in tragedy, and the cell phone cameras carried by many witnesses documented an almost inexplicable display of police force.
The film succeeds by drawing a portrait of Oscar as a troubled young man with ambitions rather than pretending he was a saint. Jordan’s performance is impressive and he displays an incredible ability to express himself in bursts of energy without going outside the tone that Coogler generally strives to maintain. This first trailer gives you a good look at all of Oscar’s characteristics, from his serious problems to his best moments. It comes right up to the line of showing precisely how the night ended, and is a good primer for the film. Read More »
Posted on Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 by Angie Han
Let’s be real: Superhero movies have historically tended to be lily-white affairs. Sure, there’s the occasional Nick Fury or Storm or War Machine, but the vast majority of leading heroes have been Caucasian. If a new casting rumor is to be believed, though, Josh Trank‘s upcoming Fantastic Four could be an exciting exception.
Trank is reportedly considering his Chronicle star Michael B. Jordan for the role of Johnny Storm a.k.a. The Human Torch, a traditionally white character who was played by Chris Evans in earlier films. Combined with whispers from earlier this week that Allison Williams could play Sue Storm, it looks like casting on the movie is starting to heat up. More information after the jump.
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Posted on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013 by Angie Han
Briefly: Every year at the Sundance Film Festival, there are a few films that come out of seemingly nowhere to blow everyone away. This year, one of the favorites was Fruitvale, from first-time feature director Ryan Coogler. The fact-based drama starred Michael B. Jordan (Friday Night Lights, The Wire) as Oscar Grant, a young Oakland man tragically killed by BART police officers on New Year’s Day 2009.
The Weinsteins quickly scooped up the Grand Jury Prize winner and set it for an October 18 release, but now they’ve bumped up the opening to July 26. Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine and James Mangold’s The Wolverine are slotted to open on the same date. Click here to read Russ’ Sundance review of Fruitvale.
If a movie can be both gentle and scathing, Fruitvale is it. In this simple but stunningly effective film, first-time feature director Ryan Coogler responds to the shooting death of a 22-year old Oakland man at a BART station on New Year’s Day 2009. The writer/director recreates the horrific action in a straightforward manner that is largely free of hyperbole and excess emotional manipulation. The climax of the film is one of the most powerful sequences you’re likely to see on a movie screen this year. Read More »
Chronicle is not a superhero movie. It is a film about three young guys who, after exposure to a mysterious energy source, develop strong telekinetic powers. More to the point, Chronicle is about how having that empowerment in common forges a strong friendship between them, and the ways they deal with the unexpected power surge.
In the sort of telling which has become so familiar thanks to comic books and the TV shows and movies that follow them, those kids should quickly learn that their powers come with an obligation to help society. Then they foil some small-time crime and forge identities through which they can become virtuous examples of humanity, evolved.
That’s not how Chronicle works. I’m not sure these characters would know how to help humanity if they wanted to. There is nothing truly ‘realistic’ in this film, but there is something intimately recognizable in the ways in which these guys deal with their new powers. They’re kids. They play around with pranks and fun. They realize they can fly, and talk about destination vacations for the telekinetically-enhanced. Then — and this is what makes Chronicle stand out, and what really makes it worth seeing — their powers become lenses that magnify their true natures, to destructive and tragic effect. Read More »
Yesterday, 20th Century Fox invited a group of journalists on to the studio lot to preview footage from the found footage superpowers film Chronicle. The film was co written by Max Landis (son of filmmaker John Landis) and Josh Trank, who makes his feature directorial debut (you may have seen Trank’s viral short film Stabbing at Leia’s 22nd Birthday). The story follows three high school kids who gain super powers — the power of telekinesis. The movie stars a couple young up-and-coming television stars — Michael B. Jordan (Vince from Friday Night Lights, Alex from Parenthood) and Dane DeHaan (Jesse from In Treatment). After the footage screening, I recorded my first impressions with Alex from FirstShowing. You can watch our short video blog embedded after the jump, alongside two clips from the film and a 60-second trailer.
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