DAVID DUNN

As if we didn’t have enough superhero news to boast about today already.

Hours after Zack Snyder announced that he would be making a Superman/Batman crossover film as well as announcing release dates for The Flash as well as The Justice League pictures, Joss Whedon gave an announcement that told everyone what the title of the Avengers sequel will be.

It’s called The Avengers: Age Of Ultron.  Whedon announced at San Diego Comic Con as well as through the Twitter message below:

As if I wasn’t hyped up already.  For people who aren’t comic book nerds (like me), Ultron is a sentient robot entity created by one named Dr. Hank Pym that was initially made to help and aid the Avengers which inevitably turned against them, learning to fear and hate humanity for their flaws and their crimes.  It learned to rebel against its creators, similar to the complex between Frankenstein and the monster he created.

I will say nothing more about this.  My excitement is pumped up to 100 times 100, but I need to now see the movie in order to fairly judge it.  The concept is now at the best stage it possibly can be.  Now it is up to Whedon and the rest of his team to perfect the execution and make it work.

Are you guys excited?  Previously, it appeared that Thanos would be the main villain considering he appeared briefly in the end credits scene of The Avengers, but now it looks like Whedon is saving him for Avengers 3.  Excited?  Furious?  Comment below, let me know.

-David Dunn

Source: ComicBookMovie, Twitter

As if one heart attack wasn’t enough already today.

Shortly after an announcement was made earlier yesterday that a Superman/Batman team-up movie was released, another announcement came out that two other groundbreaking DC superhero movies will join both caped crusaders: a Flash movie, aimed for a tentative 2016 release date, and The Justice League, to be released sometime in 2017.  The report from the Huffington post is below:

“…the “Justice League” movie would follow both the Superman-Batman combo hit and the Flash film, which is slated for 2016. That likely puts those clamoring for “Justice League” facing a 2017 debut for superhero posse film.”

I’m up for this.  In the small tidbit of media I’ve seen him in, the Flash has always been a charismatic, charming, and gleefully immature hero that can bring the same crass and sarcasm to the screen as Robert Downey Jr. did for Iron Man.  You have to cast him right, but that’s another thing entirely.  I will be looking forward to this release, as well as The Justice League to quickly follow suite years later?

Agree?  Disagree?  The presence of the Justice League is quickly coming together, but whether fans will enjoy or appreciate that is yet to be seen.  Either way, let me know by commenting below.

-David Dunn

Source: Huffington Post, The Hollywood Reporter

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, waitaminute.  Please tell me this is real and not some sick joke from the producers over at Syncopy, can you?  Please?

Apparently this is real and this is happening: Zack Snyder, director of 300 and the recently-released Man Of Steel movie, has confirmed recently at San Diego Comic-Con that the Man Of Steel sequel will feature a DC crossover between Superman and the dark knight himself, Batman.  Full announcement by Snyder is below:

“I’m so excited to begin working again with Henry Cavill in the world we created, and I can’t wait to expand the DC Universe in this next chapter.  Let’s face it, it’s beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest Super Heroes in the world.”

I don’t know how to feel about this.  On one hand, Zack Snyder made a great superman picture with Man Of Steel, and with Christopher Nolan returning to produce and David Goyer returning to write the screenplay, its looking like we’ll be in solid hands.

At the same time though, Snyder is facing pressing issues with this concept if he indeed chooses to go forward.  For one thing, there’s the issue of trying to replace Batman from the Christopher Nolan trilogy (David Goyer already confirmed that this new Batman has nothing to do with Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy), but the biggest issue at stake here is how on earth are they going to make this work?  What will be the plot?  Who would be the villain?  How would you make the team-up convincing enough to replace The Dark Knight?  And don’t even get me started on casting.

What’re your thoughts, though?  Ecstatic?  Furious?  I know plenty of DC die-hards will be happy to hear this news, but what are the rest of you guy’s thoughts?  Comment below, let me know.

-David Dunn

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Moviepilot

Dan Brown fans, prepare to be excited.  Deadline recently announced that the director and star of the first two Davinci Code movies, The Davinici Code and Angels and Demons will return to direct the third entry in the series, Inferno.  Full announcement from Deadline is below:

Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, the star and director, respectively, of Sony’s first two tentpole movies based on Dan Brown’s novels, are returning for ‘Inferno’, we’ve learned. Hanks had been expected to reprise his role as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon.

Previously, Howard and his production team were going to produce the third book in the series The Lost Symbol into a movie, with Mark Romanek rumored to direct.  That project now appears dead since Howard is returning as producer and director to take the fourth book in the series and make it the third entry in the trilogy.

I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t seen any of the Davinci Code movies nor read any of the novels.  I never really got into them in my youth and figured I’d see them on DVD sometime in the near future.  That future might be more near than I thought, because I will definitely be loading up on my Davinci Code history before I go and give Inferno a fair chance.

On top of that, I’m a huge fan of Ron Howard.  His drama film A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe is among my favorite films of the decade, and has made a slew of intensely engaging pictures including Apollo 13, Cinderella Man, and Frost/Nixon.  He is releasing a biographical picture later on this year called Rush that focuses on the 1976 Formula One racing rivalry between racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, and it stars Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl in the lead roles.  I’m excited for the release of that picture, and I am just as anticipative for the release of Dan Brown’s Inferno.  

Agree?  Disagree?  I know people have had problems with The Davinci Code series in the past, but what are your thoughts on it?  Are you interested in seeing a sequel to complete the trilogy?  Or would you rather it be buried like the many secrets Robert Langdon has to uncover?

Either way, comment below, let me know.

-David Dunn

Source: Deadline, Cinemablend

Okay, I don’t know how to feel about this.

Deadline has recently reported that critically-acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg is interested not only in producing a remake for the 1940 John Ford classic The Grapes Of Wrath, but may also be interested in directing it as well.  Full announcement below:

“Dreamworks is in talks with the estate of author John Steinbeck to make a new version of ‘The Grapes of Wrath’. The novel was turned into a classic 1940 film by John Ford, the director who won one of two Oscars out of the seven nominations the picture received. I’d heard this suddenly became a hot movie property, and that Steven Spielberg swooped in to take it off the table over other bidders.”

The first moment I hear any sentence with “Steven Spielberg” in it, my ears pop up in anticipation and excitement.  He’s the iconic filmographer behind movies such as Jaws, E.T., Indiana Jones and Schindler’s List, and the credible producer behind hundreds of other films including Back To The Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Men In Black, Super 8, and Transformers.  The work he directs is consistently masterful and the majority of his productions pretty solid.  You can typically expect anything with his name attached to be a good movie.

At the same time though, do we really need a remake of The Grapes of Wrath?  That film was among the greatest visualizations of the great depression, and it accurately portrayed the many tragedies and conflicts families had to go through during that terrible time of american history.  Is it really necessary to remake that film?  Really?  We might as well remake The Godfather and Casablanca while we’re at it.

I could just be a stooge about this.  I know some Americans have yet to see the movie, so if nothing else this might breathe a new relevant awareness into theaters.  What do you guys think?  Are you happy to hear cinema master Steven Spielberg interested in a Grapes Of Wrath remake?  Or should the treasure just remain honored and buried?

Comment below, let me know.

At the very least, let’s be happy about one thing: that Michael Bay isn’t going through with his plans to remake Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.  Now that would have sucked.

-David Dunn

Source: Deadline, The Atlantic Wire

This is a joke, right?  Please tell me this is a joke?  Is it?  No?

Uggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……

It has been reported a few hours ago that there is a possible Magic Mike 2 in the works.  No surprise there, considering it featured a lot of skin and abs from the physically appealing Channing Tatum.  What’s interesting is that the director of the first film, Steven Soderbergh, won’t be returning to direct.  Word is that Tatum will take up the director’s chair, while Soderbergh (possibly under his pseudonym Peter Andrews) will be the director of photography.  Pulled quote from the Hollywood Reporter is below:

“He has said he would shoot it; he would DP it. And there’s another thing: Is that good? Because he is such an opinionated and talented man, if he wants to do a five-minute tracking shot through a forest, you don’t want to doubt him.”

Ugh.  Channing Tatum.  What’re you doing man?  You were so good in Side Effects and G.I. Joe Retaliation, where your characters essentially died in the first 20 minutes and were cut out from the rest of the movie.  You were so great at those roles!  Couldn’t you just stick to those for the rest of your career?

All joking aside, I’m not all hyped up for this bit of news.  For one thing, I am not a fan of Channing Tatum (obviously.  Unless he’s dying in a movie, that is), and I can only imagine his directing to be as bad as his acting is.  I am also not a fan of male strippers taking off their clothes down to their baby-smooth-skin, so again I don’t look forward to watching this.

Post-Script: Admittedly, I have yet to see the first one, but you can understand me avoiding it.  Hopefully I’ll be able to review it before the release of its sequel.  

What perplexes me the most is this: Steven Soderbergh is the cinematographer.  Only the cinematographer.  He has donned the position as DP for all of the feature films that he’s directed (including his Oscar-winner Traffic and the recently released Side Effects), and to see him act only as cinematographer with no more input is greatly unusual indeed.  Why the change?  It might have to do with his allegations of taking a hiatus from film a year ago, but does he really want to take orders from Channing Tatum?  Why on earth would he subject himself to that kind of torture?

Do you guys feel the same?  I know plenty of you lovely ladies out there can’t wait to hear about this, but is there anyone else who really does not want to see this happen?

Either way, comment below, let me know.

-David Dunn

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, The Guardian

Whew.  You can breathe again, true believers.

It has been no secret now that for the past few months, Marvelites were worried about what would become of their favorite heroes for the upcoming Avengers sequel.  First, the release dates of Ant-Man and The Incredible Hulk sequel has been moved.  Then, the cast started complaining about their salary and contracts with the studio.  Finally, Robert Downey Jr. made a passing statement that he might discontinue being Iron Man, considering his contract ended after the release of his third movie among other things.

That update is now luckily old news, fellow readers.  Marvel studios announced earlier this morning on twitter that Robert Downey will, in fact, be returning as Iron Man in time for the release of The Avengers 2 & 3.  Their announcement can be seen in the image below:

I couldn’t be happier to hear about this.  Even though Downey Jr. was sort of like a brat in demanding the studio for $100 million and a cut of the box office profits earlier in May, I am happy in hearing that he will be returning.  He embodied the role to perfection.  The character couldn’t have been cast more perfectly, no character more faithfully adapted.  The only way you could continue it without him is by killing him off in the second movie with Don Cheadle taking his place as Rhodey.  But who wants to see that?

What do you guys think?  Should Marvel have gone a different direction with the Iron Man character or were they smart in bringing Downey Jr. back on for another two movies?

Comment below, let me know!

-David Dunn

Source: EMPIRE, Marvel.com, Twitter

Really?  We’re rushing into the sequels when the second one hasn’t even come out yet?  Is that what we’re doing?  Really?

Apparently so, and I’m not happy about that one bit.  With the release of The Amazing Spiderman 2 coming up in May of next year, Sony is planning on gearing up for more of the web-slinging web-head.  According to multiple sources, Sony has just announced the release dates of their next two Spider-man movies, which we’re going to call Spidey 3 & 4.  The Amazing Spider-man 3 will be released on June 10th, 2016 and The Amazing Spider-man 4 will be released on May 4th, 2018.

My distaste for this could not be more scathing.  Fourth installments of movies (I’m going to call them Four-quels) typically are uninspired, lackluster movies, and normally don’t measure up to the greatness of the originals that inspired them.  There are a few minor exceptions: Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, for example, were excellent four-quels that helped expand on their already-extensive universes.  There are typically, however, more failures than successes.  Pirates of The Carribbean: On Stranger Tides.  Jaws: The Revenge.  Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of Crystal Skull.  Do I even need to mention Batman and Robin?

On top of that, why are they so quick to rush into the sequels?  The Amazing Spider-man 2 doesn’t even have a trailer out yet.  I can understand why they’re anxious to explore more stories and villains in the Spider-man universe, but why are they so eager to rush into it when they don’t even know how the second one will fair yet?  Don’t they want to hold off for just a little bit until they get an idea of the audience’s reception?

Either way, it doesn’t matter.  Sequels are inevitable regardless.

What do you guys think?  Are you guys excited for the news, or are you like me and prefer more patience?  Comment below, let me know.

-David Dunn

Source: IGN, USA Today, Empire

Okay, now I have reason to be excited for this.

Film Composer John Williams recently announced his involvement with the newest Disney-produced sci-fi sequel, Star Wars: Episode VII.  He will be returning to write the score for the movie with Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3) writing and J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8) directing.  This being the first collaboration between him and Abrams, Williams tells TotalFilm.com about his anticipation for working with the young director.

“…<J.J. Abrams> seems excited about the idea.” Williams said. “I have to say that J.J. is a much younger man than I, but I will try to keep up with him as much as I can.”

If we didn’t have a reason to be excited before, we have a reason now.  Williams, who is arguably one of the greatest film composers of our time, is one of the most highly-recognized and respected musicians of our generation.  Not only has he won academy awards for Fiddler On The Roof, Jaws, Star Wars, E.T: The Extra Terrestrial, and Schindler’s List, but he has also scored a collection of equally-memorable works in which he has not won for, including (but not limited to) Superman, Indiana Jones: Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Empire Of The Sun, Home Alone, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, and Harry Potter.

Yeah, you better be excited.

I’m not going to ask you whether or not you think this is a good decision on the production company’s part considering there is no possible way any sane person could see this as a bad idea.  Just leave a comment below and let me know how excited you are for Williams’ return!

-David Dunn

Source: TotalFilm, NextMovie

It looks like Tim Burton’s newest project is moving forward quite efficiently.  The Hollywood Reporter recently announced that Tim Burton’s production company is looking to add actor Danny Huston to its cast for Burton’s newest feature Big Eyes, starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz.

If you don’t know who Danny Huston is, you should.  He has portrayed a wide variety of both supporting and villainous roles in a collection of history biopics, including Jack Frye in Martin Scorcese’s The Aviator, Richard the Lionheart in Robin Hood, and Chief Prosecutor Joseph Holt in Robert Redford’s political film The Conspirator.  Sure, he sunk briefly by starring opposite of Hugh Jackman in the dismal and lifeless X-men Origins: Wolverine, but that is neither here nor there.  The guy is a great actor.

And to star opposite of Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz?  Aka, the Oscar-nominated performers who were recognized in movies like Doubt, The Fighter, Inglorious, and Django Unchained?  Now you can’t tell me you’re not excited for this.

At the same time though, some people have been wary of Tim Burton’s recent career, and I’d agree with them.  Although he has mainly been a success with movies like Alice In Wonderland and Frankenweenie, we have to remember he also made Dark Shadows and helped produce movies like 9 and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.  Uggghhhhhh…..

Despite this, I have confidence in his newest project.  This is based on the true story of Margaret Keene, an artist who broke mainstream success in the 1950’s-60’s for her paintings putting emphasis on the big eyes of her subjects, but her husband Walter took credit and compensation for the paintings she produced.  Waltz is set to portray Walter and Adams is set to portray Margaret.  Huston’s role has not been announced as of yet.

That being said, I’m excited for this movie.

What do you guys think though?  Are you on board for this cast and this project?  Or could you not care less on what Tim Burton is doing?

Comment below, let me know!

-David Dunn

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, ComingSoon.Net