Chris Hemsworth will carry Mjolnir and the heavy burden of the Marvel comic adaptation of Thor on his shoulders. Not a big name in North America, Hemsworth gained most of his fame for his 171 episodes of Home and Away and recently played George Kirk, the father of James Kirk at the beginning the new Star Trek film.
Screenwriter Mark Protosevich has developed a script for the live-action Thor film. Described his plans for it "to be like a superhero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It's the story of an Old Testament god who becomes a New Testament god". In December 2008, Kenneth Branagh confirmed that he has been hired to direct the film. Branagh stated that he hopes to begin filming in January 2010. The film has a scheduled release date of May 20, 2011.
ShoWest, one of several Nielsen Business Media's Film Group events, is a movie theater industry trade show or exposition established by NATO in 1975, usually held in March. This year the show is running from March 30th till April 2nd in Las Vegas, Nevada. Excerpt summarizing the event taken from ShoWest's website
"ShoWest is the most prestigious and longest running convention and trade show for the cinema exhibition and distribution community. Cinema Exhibition professionals come to ShoWest for exciting film screenings of major studio and independent feature films slated for Summer release as well as product reel presentations, exciting special events with Hollywood’s hottest stars, educational seminars and to find the latest products, services and technologies at the largest trade show of its kind."
According to Rick Lyman, of The New York Times, it is "the largest and most important gathering of theatre operators" in the world, at which "the theatrical distribution business takes stock of its problems, which have been legion, and assesses its future, always through the rosiest glasses available."
Probably the biggest news, we are getting a Spider-Man 4 in the summer of 2011. Joining Spider-Man in 2011 will be a couple more sequels, Men In Black 3, which was a surprise but really shouldn't be as the Men In Black series has made over $800 million worldwide. No details were given if Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith will return. Another film in development is a third film in the Ghostbusters series.
3-D news filled a good chunk of the day 2, with Tim Burton'sAlice in Wonderland, Up, King of the Elves, Mars Needs Moms, G-Force and Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol all getting the buzzed about. Pixar also announced Cars 2, debuting June 24th, 2011. Up and G-Force had 3-D trailers viewing at ShoWest.
Walt Disney Studios previewed its two upcoming 2D films, The Princess and the Frog and Old Dogs. Disney's long-awaited return to 2D hand-drawn animation will be The Princess and the Frog, which promises a lot of the things that long-time fans of Disney animated films have long cherished: comedy, romance, talking animals and musical numbers (provided by Randy Newman). Old Dogs is a live action and starring John Travolta and Robin Williams, two well-to-do executives whose burgeoning careers are suddenly sidelined when they're forced to take care of the formers three illegitimate kids with a woman he hasn't seen in years. Both films are due Thanksgiving weekend.
Not much is known about Neil Blomkamp'sDistrict 9, produced by Peter Jackson, which comes out on August 14. Not much about the plot has been revealed but we are told it is similar to Children of Men crossed with Men In Black.
G.I. Joe footage was shown as well, although I am hearing not much more than an extended trailer. We can expect to see the footage in front of either Star Trek or Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Many other films showed extended trailers or clips. Year One, The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3, Angels and Demons, The Ugly Truth, Julia & Julia and many more.
Plot - When five sorority girls inadvertently cause the murder of one of their sisters in a prank gone wrong, they agree to keep the matter to themselves and never speak of it again so they can get on with their lives. This proves easier said than done when, after graduation, a mysterious killer goes after the five of them and anyone who knows their secret.
Directed by Stewart Hendler and starring Jamie Chung, Rumer Willis, Caroline D'Amore, Margo Harshman and Audrina Patridge. This is a remake of the 1983 film The House on Sorority Row.
If you have not watched Ong Bak starring Tony Jaa, well then I may just have to ask what is wrong with you!? The 2003 Thailand martial arts film gained quite a bit of praise for the high quality stunts and fight scenes. This was Tony Jaa’s breakout feature. Jaa has since starred in Tom-Yum-Goong (distributed as the Protector (US) or Warrior King (UK)). Aside from some minor roles and a few small projects before Ong Bak, Jaa doesn’t have much of a resume. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check the films out though. If you like martial arts there are great quality, not much story but the action is worth it. Using various styles of Muay Thai, the fights scenes are elegant and vicious. Although Ong Bak 2 was delayed with many production troubles it is now finished and was released in Thailand on Dec. 8th 2008. This is a brief trailer that doesn’t describe much of the story, but shows us a few action sequences. It has me pumped and anxiously awaiting the North American release.
Colin Enquist
Plot: In this prequel to Ong Bak, Tony Jaa play Tien a man who was born into nobility but had it stripped from him after his parents were brutally murdered. Tien is forced to live on the streets where he is eventually captured by a group of thieves who take him in and teach him how to steal and fight. A competition is being held to find the best knights to serve under the very man who had killed Tien's parents all those years ago. Tien passes the tests easily and is made Lord Rachasana's 2nd Knight. Now, he has his opportunity to strike but he will have to use all his skill and ingenuity if he is going to get his revenge on the man who killed his parents.
While a few of these movies won’t be big box office hits. These are the movies I am most looking forward to watching coming up this New Year. It looks like May will be the busiest month with a movie every week. Guess I should go get my popcorn ready! I would also like to thank Trailer Addicts for making the movie trailers easy to place for your viewing pleasure. Check back shortly after the movies come out as there more than likely will be a review for it.
The Unborn – Jan 2 – David S. Goyer hasn’t succeeded as a director as he has a screenwriter, but the trailer looks good enough that I will check it out.
The Plot: Haunted by strange dreams and recurring ghostly visions, Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) turns to a spiritual advisor (Gary Oldman) for help. Together, they learn that Casey had a twin brother who never made it to term, and that her intended sibling is tied to a curse that requires Casey's death in order to manifest itself in our world.
Notorious - Jan 16 – A bio pic of the West Coast rapper looks good from the strong cast and with newcomer Jamal Woolard playing a young Notorious B.I.G. looking to make a name for himself. Derek Luke plays Sean “Puffy” Combs who I was surprised didn’t play the role himself.
The Plot: A chronicle of Christopher Wallace's (Woolard) rise from the streets of Brooklyn to become Notorious B.I.G., one of biggest and best rappers of the 1990s, under the tutelage of mentor/producer Sean Combs (Luke)
Watchmen – Mar 6 – Another comic book based film that looks like it could be really good given the director loves the material and didn’t want to do a disservice to it. But with a lawsuit between WB and Fox on who owns the rights the movie has a possibility of the release being pushed back.
The Plot: Set in an alternate vision of the year 1985, the murder of an ex-superhero causes a vigilante named Rorshach (Haley) to look into the matter, an investigation that reunites him with his surviving old colleagues -- all of them former superheroes themselves -- and gradually unveils a conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine – May 1 – With Hugh Jackman returning as the character who made him a household name and his arch nemesis Sabertooth (Liev Schreiber) returning in this prequel we could be looking at another great X-related film. Although the first trailer didn’t make it look fantastic, it definitely looked better than X3.
The Plot: An origins story that follows the early life of James Howlett (Jackman), also known as Logan, and best known as Wolverine. The chronicle of his younger years as a mutant connects to his relationship and eventual falling out with Victor Creed/Sabretooth (Schreiber), and his fateful entry into the Weapons X project, the governmental program that turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons.
Star Trek – May 8 – I have never been a huge Star Trek fan but after hearing JJ Abrams was going to be taking the helm I was intrigued. And after seeing the first trailer I will be going to see this one in the theatres.
The Plot: The origin story of Captain James T. Kirk, Spock and the crew of the USS Enterprise before they had boldly gone where no man had gone before.
Angels and Demons – May 15 – May will be a busy month already without the sequel to The Da Vinci Code being released. I enjoyed Angels and Demons the book over The Da Vinci Code so I have high hopes for this movie.
The Plot: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) finds himself in Rome, where he has to race against time to prevent the Illuminati, a secret society, from putting in motion a terrorist act that could destroy the Vatican. He's aided in his quest by the beautiful Italian scientist Vittoria Vetri (Ayelet Zurer).
Terminator Salvation – May 22 – Christian Bale looks like he is more than ready to step into John Conner’s shoes, with McG at the helm and a solid supporting cast of Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin and others. Another movie franchise I was never fond of looks like it could draw me in for a look see.
The Plot: John Connor (Bale) is joined in his attempt to defeat Skynet and its army of Terminators by Marcus Wright (Worthington), a man who apparently has been rescued from the past, though Connor wonders if instead he's been sent from the future as a foil to his plan. As Connor and Wright push deep into the heart of Skynet, they get closer and closer to learning the secret behind the organization's mission to wipe humankind off the planet.
Up – May 29 – Another Pixar movie taking to the skies, this one literally. Until Pixar makes a bad film I don’t think you can go wrong walking into the theatre to see this movie.
The Plot: By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.
Public Enemies – Jul 1 – Johnny Depp and Christian Bale star in this Micheal Mann film base of the real life gangsters of the 1930s. Also has a fantastic supporting cast.
The Plot: The incredible and true story of legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger (Depp)the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoovers fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public. No one could stop Dillinger. No jail could hold him.
Transformers Revenge of the Fallen – Jul 3 – Not much is known about the plot yet and no trailer or poster has even been released at this point. But with everyone from the original reprising there roles I don’t think you can not go see this unless the trailer looks god awful.
The Plot: Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to protect humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – Jul 17 – I have liked each movie more and more in this franchise so my hopes are rather high for this movie. After being pushed back from a summer 08 release it will finally see the light of day.
The Plot: In his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter discovers even more about the evil Lord Voldemort's past, thanks to his mentor Dumbledore and mysterious textbook marked "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince." By the end of the year, nothing will ever be the same.
Chris Hemsworth will carry Mjolnir and the heavy burden of the Marvel comic adaptation of Thor on his shoulders. Not a big name in North America, Hemsworth gained most of his fame for his 171 episodes of Home and Away and recently played George Kirk, the father of James Kirk at the beginning the new Star Trek film.
