Disney keeps churning out live action updates for their most beloved films! We just saw the release of Dumbo in theaters (you should see it if you haven’t yet). Next up, is the release of Aladdin in May. You won’t have to wait long after that for another big movie event! This morning, the full trailer for The Lion King was released. It is quite an epic trailer filled with memorable moments from the original film. A lot of the effects look very similar to 2016’s live action update of The Jungle Book . This is a great sign because the animals in that film looked strikingly real. Both The Jungle Book and The Lion King are directed by Jon Favreau. There is quite a voice cast set for the film with actors including Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, Beyoncé, and Seth Rogen. The Lion King will be in theaters on July 19th! Watch the trailer right now:
Grease Prequel in Development
Prepare yourselves, Grease fans, A prequel to the beloved musical is in the works at Paramount. The prequel will be titled Summer Nights and focus on the summer Danny and Sandy fell in love. Screenwriter John August will be writing the screenplay. There is no cast attached to the project yet.
My biggest question is why is it necessary to make a whole movie around a plot point that Summer Lovin’ recapped for the audience in a 3 minute song? There’s no point in messing with something that’s so iconic. Didn’t we all see what happened with Grease 2?
Homecoming: Beyonce Documentary Will Premiere on Netflix
Beyoncé’s major headlining Coachella performance from April 2018 will be coming to a screen near you soon. Netflix has announced they are teaming up with Beyoncé to release Homecoming, a documentary/concert experience that will showcase Beyoncé’s road to Coachella. Netflix said the documentary will showcase “an intimate, in depth look” at the performance and will take viewers on “the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement.” It will also include never before seen footage of rehearsals and moments with the star’s family. The trailer includes clips from the show and narration from Maya Angelou. Check it out to get a sneak peak before Homecoming premieres on April 17th!
Under the Silver Lake to Premiere on VOD
The mystery of this film’s release has finally been solved! For anyone hoping to see A24’s surrealist noir, Under The Silver Lake, the time is almost here! After a year of delays, it has been announced that the film will be released in limited theaters on April 19th and on VOD (Amazon, iTunes, google Play, and Fandango Now) on April 23rd. Under the Silver Lake is the story of a man (played by Andrew Garfield) hoping to find a missing girl (played by Riley Keough) from his apartment complex, only to get caught up in the world of conspiracies.
Amy Adams Will Star in Ron Howard Netflix Film
Variety has reported that Amy Adams is teaming up with director Ron Howard in a film called “Hillbilly Elegy” that will premiere on Netflix. The film is based on a novel written by J.D. Vance that follows an Appalachian family through 3 generations. It focuses on the youngest member of the family when he is forced to return to his hometown. Vanessa Taylor, the screenwriter of The Shape of Water will be writing the screenplay for the film. Sounds like an intriguing storyline!
Apple Announces New Streaming Service
At Apple’s yearly event that took place on Monday, the company announced their new streaming platform called Apple TV+ According to Apple’s website, “this service will offer users the ability to subscribe to channels a la carte, without ads.”
It’s not just channels that Apple TV + will offer though. There are several TV shows and original films in development that were announced Monday. Several celebrities made appearances at the announcement to promote upcoming projects with the streaming service including Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Anniston, Steve Carrell, and Steven Spielberg. (Spielberg’s attendance is very ironic considering he recently went out of his way to express his distaste with Netfix’s Oscar campaigns.)
Let’s take a look at some of the projects that were announced:
The Morning Show
Starring: Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell
The Morning Show is set in a fast-paced news environment and focuses on the relationship dynamics of men and women in the workplace.
Amazing Stories
This is originally a Steven Spielberg series from the 1980’s, but it’s being rebooted with Spielberg listed as producer. Amazing Stories is a sci-fi anthology series. Steven Spielberg says it will explore “a universal human trait to search for meaning.”
Little Voice
Speaking of Steven Spielberg, his frequent collaborator, J.J. Abrams, is also involved in Apple TV+ programming. Abrams is co-producing the show Little Voice with Sara Bareilles. It’s said to be a 10 episode love letter to the musicality of New York. There is no word on who will star.
Dickinson
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Jane Krakowski
This series is the coming-of-age tale of acclaimed writer Emily Dickinson. It’s said that the show will have a comedic tone and a slightly modern take.
Defending Jacob
Starring: Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaden Martell
I can’t believe Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery are going to be in a show together. This is the kind of casting I expect to see from a premium streaming service. Anyway, this limited series is based on a novel of the same name. It follows the dark tale of a father who learns his son is accused of murder.
Little America
If you saw The Big Sick, you remember husband/wife duo Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon can write a good screenplay. Well, they’re back at it with Little America, a series that dives into true stories of immigrants living in America.
See
Starring: Jason Momoa, Hera Hilmar, Christian Camargo
See will be an epic, 10 episode series. It takes place in a futuristic world where a virus has wiped out most of mankind and left the survivors blind.
Truth Be Told
Starring: Octavia Spencer, Lizzy Caplan, Ron Cephas Jonas
This series is said to challenge the public’s obsession with true crime.
Untitled Damien Chazelle Series
DAMIEN CHAZELLE HAS A SHOW IN DEVELOPMENT! A WHOLE SHOW! The director of La La Land is going to give us 10 episodes of something. What will it be about? Who knows at this point! Unfortunately, no details have been released yet. I just know that this is exciting.
On The Rocks
Starring: Rashida Jones, Bill Murray
In this film, directed by Sofia Coppola, a woman reconnects with her father in an adventure through New York City. If you’re a Sofia Coppola fan like me, there are a few things you know to look out for before the movie is released! 1) A great soundtrack 2) An existential crisis among a main character 3) A Jason Schwartzman cameo. It’s the recipe for success.
Here’s a quick promo highlighting all of the content that’s coming to Apple TV+
There’s no official date for when these shows will be made available, but Apple says the service will launch in the fall. One major element missing from this announcement? The price! There was no mention at all of how much Apple TV+ will cost for users interested in the service. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
See Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
91 years ago today, Fred Rogers was born. There are many ways to celebrate his birthday. You could watch the excellent documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor that was just released last year. You could look up some old Mr. Rogers clips on Youtube. Or you could do something that Mr. Rogers encouraged and be kind to everyone around you. A nice little gift for Mr. Rogers birthday is this new picture that Sony Pictures has released of Tom Hanks portraying the TV icon for the upcoming biopic, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is directed by Mirielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and will tell the true story of a cynical journalist (played by Matthew Rhys) who is sent to write a profile on Fred Rogers. His time spent with Mr. Rogers changes his outlook on life. This role will continue the THPAAI (Tom Hanks plays an American Icon) trend that we have been seeing the last few years. He’s played Walt Disney, Captain Phillips, Chesley Sullenberger, and now, Mr. Rogers. He’s on a roll! A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood will be in theaters on November 22nd. That’s prime Oscar season. Get excited.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Trailer
Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie all in a movie together? Now this is one that can’t be missed! We’ve heard the buzz and seen the on-set photos, but now it’s time to get a look at the first trailer for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood! The movie follows a washed up actor and his stunt double in 1969 Hollywood. Leonardo DiCaprio will be playing washed up actor, Rick Flair and Brad Pitt will play his stunt double, Cliff Booth. Margot Robbie is portraying the doomed Sharon Tate. There will be parts of the film that focus on the Manson family, but it is unclear how much the film will explore the disturbing subject matter based on this comedic trailer. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is directed by Quentin Tarantino and the supporting cast includes Al Pacino, Luke Perry, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, and Dakota Fanning. It will be in theaters on July 26th!
Toy Story 4 First Trailer
You’ve got a friend in them. Just when you thought the classic Toy Story trilogy was complete, Pixar returns with another installment of the franchise! The first full trailer for Toy Story 4 was released this morning. This time around, the toys embark on a road trip with their new friend “Forky” where they meet up with old friends from the past. Shenanigans ensue, of course. Toy Story 4 has a very impressive voice cast including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Keegan Michael-Key, Jordan Peele, and Keanu Reeves. You can see it in theaters on June 21st!
Natalie Portman Goes to Space with Lucy in the Sky
A first look at Natalie Portman’s latest role has just been released. In the psychological thriller, Lucy in the Sky, Portman plays an astronaut who returns from space and has a difficult time re-acclimating to Earth. Lucy in the Sky co-stars Jon Hamm, Dan Stevens, Nic Offerman, and Zazie Beetz. It is the directorial debut of screenwriter Noah Hawley. Watch the trailer below:
3 Big Takeaways from the New Avengers Trailer
Happy Thursday everyone! You’ve almost made it to the weekend and to celebrate that, here’s a look at the brand new Avengers: Endgame trailer. Keep reading below to find out my 3 major takeaways from this preview!
1. Tony Stark is back with the team
From first looks at Endgame, it seemed Tony Stark/Ironman was stuck in space on a ship, after losing Peter Parker. However, this trailer suggests otherwise. Unless that sequence takes place later in the movie, it looks he’ll be back with The Avengers to attempt to stop Thanos and save the world.
2. Major Style Changes
Black Widow and Hawkeye are sporting several different hairdos in this 2-minute trailer making me wonder...could there be a hair stylist joining the Avengers? Another big change are the white suits worn by the team in the dramatic final moment of the preview. These are not the regular individual character suits, but more of a uniform look.
3. Thor and Captain Marvel
One of the standout moments of the trailer is when Thor interacts with Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. It’s very short, but it shows the two could have some promising screen time together. Can you imagine these two fighting together to save the world? It’d be pretty epic!
Avengers: Endgame will be in theaters on April 26, 2019!
Jennifer Hudson Cast in Aretha Franklin Biopic
Could another Oscar be calling her name? We all remember Jennifer Hudson’s fantastic performance as Effie in Dreamgirls, but it looks like something equally big is on the horizon for her. Not only is she about to appear in the film adaption of Cats out this December, now she is set to play Aretha Franklin in a biopic of the iconic singer. The film will appropriately be titled, Respect. Before she passed away, Aretha Franklin picked out Jennifer Hudson to be the actress to play her in a movie of her life. Talk about a major moment! Respect will follow the beginning of Aretha Franklin’s career and will hit theaters August 14, 2020.