Finally, we get the teaser to the long-anticipated sequel to Joker (no article, please; that's how the film rolls) and it's something. Called Joker: Folie á Deux, the film takes place directly after Joker. We follow Arthur Fleck (played by Joaquin Phoenix), who is getting used to life behind bars. That is, until he sets his sad puppy dog peepers on Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga). Cue the fireworks.
Folie á deux is French for "shared madness" and it's inevitable that Arthur and Harley's fate might mirror that of another pair of loving maniacs (think Mickey and Mallory Knox from Natural Born Killers). What's interesting is that Harley isn't a playing a psychologist. Rather, from the teaser, it looks like she's a fellow patient at the asylum—wait, do people still say "asylum"? And it looks to have a lot of dancing and singing. In several sequences of a burst of colours and song, the cinematography is reminiscent of the musicals of the '60s.
Director Todd Philips, who is known for his The Hangover trilogy, Joker and his cameo in Old School that we will always bring up (see gif for reference), says in an interview at CinemaCon that this isn't a musical but "it’s a film where music is an essential element." He then adds that, "it’ll make sense when [we] see it." We are guessing, dream sequences that only Arthur and Haryley are privy to.
Other actors appearing in the sequel includes Zazie Beetz reprising the role of Arthur's former love interest; Leigh Gill returns as Arthur's clown coworker as well as Sharon Washington, Arthur's social worker. Seeing as how Robert De Niro's character ended up in the last instalment, we can rule out his appearance. Unless he appears in Arthur's imagination or something.
Joker: Folie á Deux is scheduled for theatres 4 October
The next Deadpool movie has been speculated to death. From the hearsay and scant images that we get from behind the scenes of the next Deadpool movie, all we gathered was that Hugh Jackman will reappear as Wolverine (in the blue and yellow suit natch). Other than that... nada.
That is until the recent Super Bowl LVIII, where the teaser was revealed, along with the official title: Deadpool & Wolverine. Here are three things that we took away from the teaser.
We know that Deadpool is prone to breaking the fourth wall but he's also not opposed to breaking the laws of time travel. Thanks to Deadpool's shenanigans, where he travelled back in time to right a few wrongs (see video below), it might incur the ire of the TVA (Time Variance Authority).
We first saw the organisation in the series, Loki, and while we didn't see Loki or Mobius, we saw Tom Wambsgans- sorry, the TVA agent, Paradox (played by Matthew Macfadyen). He's behind the kidnapping/recruiting of Deadpool for a mission. To give him a "chance to be a hero among heroes".
The third chapter of Deadpool will have a host of well-known faces. The teaser's opening shows a few well-known faces including Blind Al (Leslie Uggams); Shatterstar (Lewis Tan); Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and Peter (Rob Delaney).
The reappearances of Shatterstar and Vanessa—who died in the last instalment—are more proof that Deadpool's time-travel hijinks are what got the TVA's undies in a bunch. There are two other recognisable X-Men characters in the teaser.
There's the aforementioned Wolverine... but there's also Aaron Stanford's character, Pyro. Since this is a time-travel movie, we can expect to see other IP characters. Like 21st Century Fox's portfolio, after Disney acquired the media corporation in 2019.
Given the time-travel vehicle, it may not be out of the ordinary that Deadpool & Wolverine will retcon the MCU. Thanks to the various scandals (Joss Whedon; Jonathan Majors) and the pandemic (contrary to Kevin Feige's explanation), the MCU's Phase Four was delayed and had to be revised. Deadpool's devil-may-care antics can prune a few troublesome timelines. Adjustments to few narratives (mutants!) and swapping out Dr Doom for Kang the Conqueror could help the next MCU event.
It will be a huge overhaul. One that will impact numerous franchises. But it'll put Feige's grand plan for the MCU back on track. Maybe.
We'll find out when Deadpool & Wolverine lands in theatres on 26 July.
What do these two men have in common? One is an Irish MMA fighter and whiskey owner, known for brash tactics and putting people to sleep with his left hand; the other is an American actor who just seems like a really nice guy. So what gives? Well, the official Roadhouse trailer has been released, and if you’re a fan of sweaty dudes fighting in bars, then you’ve come to the right place.
The trailer looks like it’s going to give exactly what you pay for: minimal, and very cheesy dialogue, and a lot of testosterone.
This is also Conor McGregor’s first big screen debut, but this film was initially scheduled to star Ronda Rousey during her previous heyday as the most celebrated female athlete on the planet, but as the story of Icarus told us, sometimes you fly too close to the sun. During Rousey’s UFC championship reign she not only graced the cover of video games and was mentioned by Beyonce during her Coachella performance, but the fighter starred in the Fast & Furious part 87, The Entourage Movie, and one of The Expendables movies, and was slated to star in her own reboot of the 1989 Patrick Swayze classic, Roadhouse.
But that all came crumbling down when she took a head kick to the face, compliments to Holly Holm, and her sour pre-fight and post-fight antics quickly repelled most of her fans, along with movie deals, sponsorships, and star status. Can you believe that was almost 10 years ago?
Conor McGregor has seen a bit of a slump himself in his recent fights, but due to his unflinching brashness and take-it-or-leave-it personality, coupled with strategically endorsed sponsorships, whisky brands, and his tentative hints at a UFC return (against Michael Chandler), his star power has only barely waned, if at all. Conor is also a businessman, and one can’t help feel that, much like 1970s Arnold Schwarzenegger, he used prize fighting and charisma to get his way onto the Mt. Olympus of entertainment. If this film bodes well for the Irishman, the chance that we’ll see him return to 4am sprints, brutal weight cuts and bloodied fisticuffs seems rather slim.
Upon the trailer release, director Doug Liman, who got his start with one of the defining films of the 90s and a personal favourite, Swingers, will not be at the Roadhouse premiere at the upcoming SXSW festival.
Why?
“When Road House opens the SXSW film festival, I won’t be attending,” Liman ensured. “The movie is fantastic, maybe my best, and I’m sure it will bring the house down and possibly have the audience dancing in their seats during the end credits. But I will not be there. My plan had been to silently protest Amazon’s decision to stream a movie so clearly made for the big screen. But Amazon is hurting way more than just me and my film. If I don’t speak up about Amazon, who will? When Amazon bought MGM, one of the few remaining studios making big commercial films for theatrical release (movies like Bond, Creed) they announced that they would put a billion dollars into theatrical motion pictures, releasing at least 12 a year. They touted it as “the largest commitment to cinemas by an internet company.” I can tell you what they then did to me and my film Road House, which is the opposite of what they promised when they took over MGM.”
Much like Christopher Nolan going full scorched earth on Warner Bros when they furtively released his very misunderstood, Tenet, on their own streaming platform instead of a full theatrical release, Liman isn’t the first to argue against the greedy streaming giants. Perhaps due to financial competition and desperation, they are unequivocally doing anything to keep people in their homes and away from movie theatres, determined to build their ‘content’ library.
Either way, Roadhouse looks sick. And based on the trailer, McGregor and Gyllenhaal are ready to do some damage.
Originally published on Esquire ME
Adaptation of a book can be a herculean task. And none more daunting than Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem. As the first instalment of a trilogy, Liu's Three-Body, it will take a deft hand to adapt it to a different medium. Our trepidations are allayed when news broke that David Benioff and DB Weiss—who were behind HBO's Game of Thrones—will handle Three-Body. (Hopefully, it won't falter like GoT's final season but that's another story.)
Joined by Alexander Woo, who co-created The Terror, Benioff and Weiss will use the suicides in the scientific community as a jumping point for 3 Body Problem. At least, according to the full-length trailer that just dropped (a teaser was shown at last year's Tudum event). With Liu's blessings, 3 Body Problem will have narrative tweaks to the adaptation. Stuff like chronological shifts and characters and the setting being in the present-day UK. The trailer has Radiohead's "Everything in its Place" playing hauntingly in the background. Benedict Wong, plays the detective assigned to the case. As the trailer progresses, he recruits a scientist, Auggie Salazar (played by Eiza González), to assist him.
But this premise of weird deaths soon explodes into something far-reaching. And something beyond the ken of human experience as we stand at the precipice of an extraterrestrial invasion. Netflix commissioned eight episodes of 3 Body Problem. With an average of USD25 million spent on each episode, this series will be Netflix's most expensive production to date. It will also be the second-most expensive behind Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
3 Body Problem premieres March 21 2024 on Netflix.
So we return, for a fifth time, to the strange, dusty dystopia of George Miller. The 78-year old director (who directed the crowd's favourites Happy Feet and Babe: Pig in the City) once again co-wrote the script, and has reportedly been planning this Furiosa-led prequel for years. To give you a sense of what to expect if the trailer somehow wasn't enough; the latest instalment is helmed by the same production team as Fury Road.
"As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home."
—Warner Bros
We're not too sure who looked at Charlize Theron and thought, "You know who would make a young Furiosa?" and landed on Anya Taylor-Joy. Not that we're complaining. The luminary certainly snatched us and some awards in the unforgettable The Queen's Gambit.
If the first glance wasn't convincing, you'd probably be singing a different tune by the time the trailer ends. Besides her obvious evolution into the character we acquaint with in 2015, it's also fun that we get a glimpse of the early variation of her prosthetic arm.
To refresh your memory, the last time we saws her, Furiosa was busy *spoiler alert?* stealing the war rig from Immortan Joe aaand his five wives. She later joins forces with Max against Joe's army, discovers that her hometown has become a swamp, then eventually emerges victorious in the Citadel. Thereabouts.
Taylor-Joy is most notably joined by Chris Hemsworth as evil warlord Dementus, complete with prosthetic nose, and later, a very Thor-looking red cape. There's no word yet on who plays young Immortan Joe, but Nathan Jones reprises his role as Rictus Erectus (Joe's son) and Angus Sampson as the Organic Mechanic.
Other names listed are Daniel Webber, Tom Burke, Quaden Bayels, Ayla Browne and Lacey Hulme.
Furiosa is set for release on May 24, 2024.
Given the popularity of the John Wick series and its mythos, is it any wonder there would be a spin-off? The trailer for The Continental was released. From the looks of it, it looks like it maintained the action-packed sequences the films were known for. Here's what we can infer from the trailer.
Set in the 70s, we follow a young Winston Scott (played by Colin Woodell). This is all before he became the owner and manager of the Continental New York. Tasked with finding his brother, Frankie (Ben Robson), Young Scott has to contend with some very bad people who are looking for him as well.
Set up as a three-part miniseries, we get to see a young Charon (Ayomide Adegun [RIP Lance Riddick!]), interesting characters like The Adjudicator (Katie McGrath) and—really to hammer home the fact that it's set in the past—the World Trade Centre.
Even more surprising is the appearance of Mel Gibson, who is playing Cormac the manager of the Continental New York.
Given that this is an expansion of John Wick, would we get a glimpse of the titular character? Given that this is a prequel, we may not see Keanu Reeves. But we didn't think there would be a John Wick: Chapter 5 but that has been greenlit so anything can happen.
Aside from The Continental, another spin-off that fans of John Wick can look forward to is Ballerina. Len Wiseman is attached to direct. As for the lead? Ana de Armas is rumoured for the lead. Another is a Sophia-led movie starring Halle Berry and that crossover with Nobody (starring Bob Odenkirk).
If you ask me, it looks like a world without John Wick (let the man retire) will do just fine.
The Continental comes out on Peacock (and maybe on other streaming sites?) on 22 September.
We've heard about the new Timothée Chalamet-fronted Willy Wonka film for a while now. As a teaser, the actor posted an image of himself back in 2021, where he's bedecked in the signature purple coat and brown top hat. The caption—"The suspense is terrible, I hope it will last."—accompanied the image. While reaction to the images was mixed, the actor was correct: the suspense is terrible.
But now we have the full-length Wonka trailer. We follow a young Willy Wonka before his candy empire as he tries to realise his dream of having a chocolate shop, he has to face off with the Chocolate Cartel. Although Chalamet displayed mannerisms and whimsy that millennials might reference Johnny Depp's portrayal of the 2005 version of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka is actually a prequel to the Gene Wilder-led Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971).
Y'know, Gene Wilder. This face that launched a thousand Condescending Wonka memes.
While this isn't based on any existing Roald Dahl's work, fingers crossed that this prequel brings back the awe and wonder of the 1971 film. We spy musical numbers, that familiar tune of "Pure Imagination", the involvement of Keegan-Michael Key, the directing prowess of Paul King of Paddington and Paddington 2 (fight me, Paddington 2 is pretty great film). Oh, and... a (much smaller) Oompa Loompa; one that's played by Hugh Grant as he launches into a dance and the Oompa Loompa song.
The Wonka film comes out on Christmas Day in theatres.
Killers of the Flower Moon took a while to be adapted. The rights to adapt David Grann's book started in 2016 but like any other project, the development of the film was halted due to the global pandemic. Still, the film was finally finished. It made its premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2023 and received a nine-minute standing ovation.
While we have to wait a few months to watch it, Apple TV+ unveils the trailer of Killers of the Flower Moon today.
With stirring Native American pow wow chants spliced with dubstep ("Stadium Pow Wow" by The Halluci Nation née A Tribe Called Red), the trailer brings across the palpable tension of a community gripped with terror.
The American Western crime drama (that's a mouthful) is based on the real-life murders that plagued the Osage Nation. Set in the 1920s, the epic is directed and co-produced by Martin Scorsese and stars an ensemble cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone and Jesse Plemons.
Given the subject matter, Scorsese involved the Osage Nation during the film's development. In a press release, Scorsese said, "We are thrilled to finally start production on Killers of the Flower Moon in Oklahoma. To be able to tell this story on the land where these events took place is incredibly important and critical to allowing us to portray an accurate depiction of the time and people. We're grateful to Apple, the Oklahoma Film and Music Office and The Osage Nation, especially all our Osage consultants and cultural advisors, as we prepare for this shoot."
In light of the current book bans and revisionisms in America, we are glad that someone made use of the medium to spotlight America's "hidden histories". (Another example was HBO's Watchmen which featured the Tulsa Race Massacre.)
America's history may not strike a chord with Singapore audiences but the cast and the dramatisation of a real-life event should be enough to get butts in seats.
Killers of the Flower Moon is tentatively slated to be in theatres on 6 October and later for online streaming on Apple TV+.
