Review of 2015 from January to August

A couple of months ago we released our top picks for the first half of the year but, with the summer season finishing, we’ll give an overview of the year’s films from a commercial and critical perspective.

Film: Taken 3
Director: Olivier Megaton
Starring: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Dougray Scott
IMDb/RT: 6.1/10 – 9%
Budget: $48 million
Opening weekend: $39 million
Box-office: $325 million
Summary: The second highest grossing outing in the series is thankfully the last. There’s been growth since Taken ($226 million) but less than Taken 3 ($376 million).

Film: Blackhat
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Leehom Wang, Ritchie Coster, Holt McCallany, Viola Davis
IMDb/RT: 5.4/10 – 34%
Budget: $70 million
Opening weekend: $4 million
Box-office: $18 million
Summary: The star of Thor ($644 million) and Rush ($90 million) and the director of Heat ($187 million) and Collateral ($217 million) should have been a match-up to enjoy but somehow Blackhat flopped.

Film: The Wedding Ringer
Director: Jeremy Garelick
Starring: Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Kaley Cuco Sweeting, Alan Richson, Jorge Garcia
IMDb/RT: 6.7 – 27%
Budget: $23 million
Opening weekend: $20 million
Box-office: $79 million
Summary: A slip up in comparison to Kevin Hart’s 2014 hit Ride Along ($154 million).

Film: Mortdecai
Director: David Koepp
Starring: Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Paul Bettany
IMDb/RT: 5.5/10 – 12%
Budget: $60 million
Opening weekend: $4 million
Box-office: $30 million
Summary: This disastrous caper is proof of former superstar Johnny Depp’s dwindling popularity outside of Pirates.

Film: Jupiter Ascending
Directors: Andy and Lana Wachowski
Starring: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Terry Gilliam
IMDb/RT: 5.5/10 – 25%
Budget: $176 million
Opening weekend: $18 million
Box-office: $182 million
Summary: This effort from the creators of The Matrix ($463 million) suffered from its release delays and ridiculously overpriced budget.

Film: Fifty Shades of Grey
Director: Sam Taylor Johnson
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eloise Mumford, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden
IMDb/RT: 4.2/10 – 25%
Budget: $40 million
Opening weekend: $85 million
Box-office: $570 million
Summary: Being critically reviled didn’t get in the way of this erotic drama.

Film: Kingsman: The Secret Service
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Samuel L Jackson, Sophie Cookson, Mark Strong
IMDb/RT: 7.8/10 – 75%
Budget: $81 million
Opening weekend: $35 million
Box-office: $406 million
Summary: The spy thriller from Kick-Ass ($96 million) Vaughn turned out to be his most acclaimed and profitable yet, even out grossing the likes of The Bourne Legacy ($276 million).

Film: Focus
Director: Glenn Ficara, John Requa
Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney, BD Wong
IMDb/RT: 6.6/10 – 57%
Budget: $50 million
Opening weekend: $19 million
Box-office: $159 million
Summary: A strong performance from Smith renews his popularity after the mediocre After Earth ($243 million).

Film: Chappie
Director: Neill Blompkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Die Antwoord
IMDb/RT: 7.0/10 – 30%
Budget: $49 million
Opening weekend: $13 million
Box-office: $102 million
Summary: A let down in comparison to Blomkamp’s more lucrative works – District 9 ($210 million) or Elysium ($286 million).

Film: Cinderella
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgard, Helena Bonham Carter
IMDb/RT: 7.1/10 – 85%
Budget: $95 million
Opening weekend: $68 million
Box-office: $542 million
Summary: Branagh’s lavish take on the period fantasy romance has successfully found a new following for the fairy tale.

Film: Insurgent
Director: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Kate Winslet
IMDb/RT: 6.4/10 – 30%
Budget: $110 million
Opening weekend: $53 million
Box-office: $295 million
Summary: The Divergent series has quickly turned out to be the inferior of The Hunger Games.

Film: Home
Director: Tim Johnson
Starring: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Jones, Steve Martin
IMDb/RT: 6.7/10 – 45%
Budget: $135 million
Opening weekend: $52 million
Box-office: $387 million
Summary: Dreamworks are struggling to stand out with their new properties in a market dominated by the likes of Warner Bros’ The Lego Movie or Disney’s Frozen.

Film: Get Hard
Director: Etan Cohen
Starring: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie, Tip Harris, Craig T Nelson
IMDb/RT: 6.1/10 – 29%
Budget: $40 million
Opening weekend: $34 million
Box-office: $106 million
Summary: The combination of these celebrated comics ought to have been special but didn’t come close.

Film: Furious 7
Director: James Wan
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham
IMDb/RT: 7.4/10 – 81%
Budget: $190 million
Opening weekend: $147 million
Box-office: $1.512 billion
Summary: The blockbuster sequel made seven times more than the original did 14 years ago ($207 million) but the series might not have much room to grow into for film eight.

Film: The Avengers: Age of Ultron
Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, James Spader
IMDb/RT: 7.8/10 – 74%
Budget: $280 million
Opening weekend: $191 million
Box-office: $1.401 billion
Summary: A slight slip up from 2012’s Avengers Assemble ($1.520 billion), the sequel still delivered the goods for the fans.

Film: Pitch Perfect 2
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Hailee Steinfeld, Elizabeth Banks
IMDb/RT: 6.7 – 67%
Budget: $29 million
Opening weekend: $69 million
Box-office: $285 million
Summary: Pitch Perfect is quickly rivaling Jump Street and Bridesmaids to be the best comedy of the decade so far, while growing from the original’s $115 million.

Film: Mad Max: Fury Road
Director: George Miller
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Rosie Huntington Whitely, Zoe Kravitz, Nicholas Hoult
IMDb/RT: 8.3/10 – 98%
Budget: $150 million
Opening weekend: $45 million
Box-office: $374 million
Summary: A stunningly successful return from the road warrior.

Film: Tomorrowland
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Britt Robertson, George Clooney, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Hugh Laurie
IMDb/RT: 6.6/10 – 50%
Budget: $190 million
Opening weekend: $33 million
Box-office: $208 million
Summary: While it polarized critics, concealing many secrets during marketing may have been the financial downfall of the underrated sci-fi adventure and another disappointment for Disney after John Carter ($284 million) and The Lone Ranger ($260 million).

Film: San Andreas
Director: Brad Peyton
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Paul Giamatti
IMDb/RT: 6.4/10 – 50%
Budget: $110 million
Opening weekend: $55 million
Box-office: $469 million
Summary: The disaster thriller was a success but not a 2012 ($769 million) style smash hit.

Film: Spy
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Jude Law
IMDb/RT: 7.3/10 – 94%
Budget: $65 million
Opening weekend: $29 million
Box-office: $236 million
Summary: After striking big with Bridesmaids ($288 million) and The Heat ($229 million), Paul Feig is continuing to put himself on a good track for the Ghost Busters reboot.

Film: Jurassic World
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy, Vincent D’Onofrio
IMDb/RT: 7.3/10 – 71%
Budget: $150 million
Opening weekend: $208 million
Box-office: $1.642 billion
Summary: With a sequel coming in 2018, the franchise (dormant for fourteen years) is now set for big things.

Film: Inside Out
Directors: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen
Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Kyle MacLachlan
IMDb/RT: 8.6/10 – 98%
Budget: $175 million
Opening weekend: $90 million
Box-office: $701 million
Summary: Inside Out has become Pixar’s third biggest original feature.

Film: Ted 2
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Patrick Stewart
IMDb/RT: 6.6/10 – 46%
Budget: $68 million
Opening weekend: $33.5 million
Box-office: $180 million
Summary: A very disappointing follow up to 2012’s Ted ($549 million). After the mediocre performance of MacFarlane’s western A Million Ways to Die in the West ($86 million), there’s increasing doubt in the Family Guy creator’s popularity.

Film: Terminator Genisys
Director: Alan Taylor
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke, JK Simmons
IMDb/RT: 6.9/10 – 26%
Budget: $155 million
Opening weekend: $27 million
Box-office: $352 million
Summary: While it was a healthy opening but the franchise has long lost its previously stellar hype. Still not an improvement on 2009’s Terminator Salvation ($371 million).

Film: Magic Mike XXL
Director: Gregory Jacobs
Starring: Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Amber Heard, Jada Pinkett Smith
IMDb/RT: 6.3/10 – 65%
Budget: $14 million
Opening weekend: $123 million
Box-office: $117 million
Summary: The progressive stripper comedy sequel has decreased from Steven Soderbergh’s 2012 original ($167 million) and other raunchy blockbusters have been more profitable – for example Fifty Shades of Grey ($569 million) – but it’s still an impressive tally.

Film: Minions
Directors: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Pierre Coffin, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Geoffrey Rush
IMDb/RT: 6.7/10 – 54%
Budget: $74 million
Opening weekend: $115 million
Box-office: $1.004 billion
Summary: This triumphant spin off managed to surpass and compete with the previous instalments of the beloved Despicable Me franchise ($543 million – $970 million).

Film: Ant-Man
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Pena, Michael Douglas
IMDb/RT: 7.8/10 – 79%
Budget: $130 million
Opening weekend: $57 million
Box-office: $363 million
Summary: It’s an underperformance in comparison to Marvel’s fellow Phase 2 superhero flicks such as Iron Man 3 ($1215 million), Thor: The Dark World ($644 million), Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($714 million) or Guardians of the Galaxy ($774 million) but is a worthy reception for the kings of summer blockbusters.

Film: Trainwreck
Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, John Cena, Tilda Swinton
Budget: $35 million
Opening weekend: $30 million
Box-office: $123 million
Summary: A traditional fooled-around-and-fell-in-love rom-com might have sank but the presence of rising star Amy Schumer has elevated this to the likes of Apatow’s The 40 Year Old Virgin ($177 million) or Knocked Up ($219 million).

Film: Pixels
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Josh Gad, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage
IMDb/RT: 5.6/10 – 17%
Budget: $88 million
Opening weekend: $24 million
Box-office: $174 million
Summary: This sci-fi adventure’s financial reception didn’t live up to the premise but a budget half the size of Tomorrowland’s means that it may actually breakeven at the box-office.

Film: Southpaw
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Oona Laurence, Naomie Harris, Rachel McAdams
IMDb/RT: 7.8/10 – 60%
Budget: $25 million
Opening weekend: $17 million
Box-office: $67 million
Summary: This sport drama failed to rekindle the mass popularity of boxing flicks such as Rocky ($225 million).

Film: Paper Towns
Director: Jake Schreir
Starring: Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Halston Sage, Jaz Sinclair, Austin Abrams
IMDb/RT: 6.9/10 – 55%
Budget: $12 million
Opening weekend: $13 million
Box-office: $75 million
Summary: A decent opening for the young adult romantic drama but well off the other John Green adaptation The Fault in Our Stars ($307 million).

Film: Vacation
Directors: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Starring: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Leslie Mann, Chris Hemsworth, Chevy Chase
IMDb/RT: 6.3/10 – 26%
Budget: $31 million
Opening weekend: $15 million
Box-office: $69 million
Summary: The comedy reboot of the adored Chevy Chase franchise didn’t inspire a great amount of nostalgia for fans of the originals.

Film: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin
IMDb/RT: 7.8/10 – 93%
Budget: $150 million
Opening weekend: $56 million
Box-office: $445 million
Summary: The Cruise action vehicle builds off the wobble of Edge of Tomorrow ($369 million). The spy series returned in style and will grow throughout the summer.

Film: Fantastic Four
Director: Josh Trank
Starring: Miles Teller, Michael B Jordan, Jamie Bell, Kate Mara, Toby Kebbell
IMDb/RT: 4.0/10 – 8%
Budget: $120 million
Opening weekend: $26 million
Box-office: $134 million
Summary: A superhero reboot full of hope and promise morphed into the year’s most depressing car crash. It was even a decrease from the 2005 film ($330 million) and its sequel ($289 million).

Film: Straight Outta Compton
Director: F Gary Gray
Starring: O’Shea Jackson Jr, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Aldis Hodge, Paul Giamatti
IMDb/RT: 8.4/10 – 89%
Budget: $28 million
Opening weekend: $60 million
Box-office: $125 million
Summary: The musical biopic has become one of August’s biggest hits but did smaller numbers than 2002’s Eminem effort 8 Mile ($242 million).

Film: The Man From UNCLE
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant
IMDb/RT: 7.6/10 – 67%
Budget: $75 million
Opening weekend: $13 million
Box-office: $57 million
Summary: The star studded spy thriller from the director of the Sherlock Holmes films ($524 million – $545 million) has struggled to find a home with fans.

Guardians 2 title revealed and Comic Con lineup announced

Marvel’s third phase has titled its new properties fairly simply – Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Inhumans – while their sequels have received subtitles – Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok and The Avengers: Infinity War. The new Spider-Man’s title is yet to have been revealed but the latest news from Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is that the sequel has been titled: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.

Gunn directs the cast of Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Star Lord, Bradley Cooper (Limitless) as Rocket, Zoe Saldana (Avatar) as Gamora, Vin Diesel (Pitch Black) as Groot, Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) as Thanos, Karen Gillan (Oculus) as Nebula, Dave Bautista (Riddick) as Drax, Seth Green (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Howard the Duck and Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) as The Collector

The schedule for the famed San Diego Comic Con 2015 has been revealed.

Thursday:

• Lionsgate: ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2′: 12:00 PM-1:15 PM, Hall H
  Lionsgate presents an exclusive first look at one of the studio’s highly anticipated films coming to theaters this fall. Get a sneak peek into the powerful final chapter of the epic The Hunger Games film franchise. Attendees will be shown exclusive, never-before-seen footage from Mockingjay: Part 2 and treated to a cast and filmmaker Q&A session revealing details on the big-screen finale. Featuring stars Jennifer Lawrence and Julianne Moore and director Francis Lawrence.
• CBS TV Studios Comic-Con Lineup: 12:00 PM-3:30 PM, Ballroom 20
  Exclusive Sneak Previews and Panels for the CBS series ‘Extant’, ‘Zoo’, ‘Under the Dome’, ‘Limitless’, and ‘Scorpion’.
• ‘Doctor Who’: BBC America’s Official Panel: 2:15 PM-3:15PM, Hall H
  Following his record-breaking first season as the Doctor, Peter Capaldi will make his first ever appearance at Comic-Con with stars Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) and Michelle Gomez (Missy), and lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat. Doctor Who follows the adventures of the Doctor, the time traveler who will continue to journey through all of space and time in epic adventures in the new season premiering this fall. Capaldi’s first season delivered BBC America its highest rated season ever and is available now on all digital platforms.
• ‘Sherlock’: 3:45 PM-5:15PM, Ballroom 20
  Steven Moffat (co-creator, executive producer, and writer), Sue Vertue (executive producer) and Rupert Graves (actor, DI Greg Lestrade) discuss the latest adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his long-suffering faithful friend, Dr. John Watson. Sherlock will return to BBC in a forthcoming special.
• MTV’s ‘Teen Wolf’: 5:00 PM-6:00PM, Ballroom 20
  Teen Wolf cast members and executive producer are taking Comic-Con by storm for the sixth consecutive year. The pack of MTV’s hit series Teen Wolf will dish secrets, share a sneak peek of the upcoming season, and answer fan questions.
• ‘Damien’: 6:45 PM-7:45 PM, Room 6A
  From executive producer Glen Mazaara (The Walking Dead, The Shield), Damien follows the adult life of Damien Thorn, the mysterious child from the 1976 motion picture who has grown up seemingly unaware of the satanic forces around him. Haunted by his past, Damien must now come to terms with his true destiny: that he is the Antichrist. Starring Bradley James (Merlin), Barbara Hershey, Megalyn Echikunwoke and Omid Abtahi. Get an exclusive first look at the show followed by a Q&A with cast and producers, plus a special guest appearance.

Friday:

• ‘Lucifer’ Pilot Screening and Q&A: 11:30 AM-12:30PM, Room 6BCF
  Lucifer is the story of the original fallen angel. Bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar has resigned his throne and retired to the City of Angels, where he owns an upscale piano bar called Lux. When a beautiful pop star is murdered, for the first time in roughly 10 billion years, he feels something awaken deep within him. Is he actually capable of feelings for a human being? The very thought disturbs him. The murder attracts the attention of LAPD homicide detective Chloe Dancer, who finds herself both repulsed and fascinated by Lucifer. At the same time, God’s emissary, the angel Amenadiel, has been sent to Los Angeles to convince Lucifer to return to Hell. But with the City of Angels at his feet and a newfound purpose, Lucifer’s having too much fun to go back now. Sexy, dark and irreverent, Lucifer makes its Comic-Con debut with a screening of the complete pilot episode, followed by a Q&A with series stars and producers. From Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Aggressive Mediocrity in association with Warner Bros. Television, and based on characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg for DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint, Lucifer premieres Midseason on FOX.
• AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’: 12:00 PM-2:00 PM, Hall H
  Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Chandler Riggs, Sonequa Martin-Green, Michael Cudlitz and Lennie Jamesjoin executive producer and showrunner Scott M. Gimple, executive producer Robert Kirkman, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer Dave Alpert, and special effects makeup supervisor and executive producer Greg Nicotero in a panel moderated by Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist, Talking Dead). The panelists will discuss the shocking finale of Season 5 and what to look forward to in Season 6, debuting this fall on AMC. Join the panelists for a Q&A session and an official sneak preview of Season 6.
• ‘Minority Report’: 1:45 PM-2:45 PM, Ballroom 20
  Be one of the first to take a look at FOX’s new fall sci-fi action thriller. Based on the hit futuristic Steven Spielberg feature, Minority Report follows the unlikely partnership between a man haunted by the future and a cop haunted by her past, as they race to stop the worst crimes of the year 2065 before they happen. Join Stark Sands (Inside Llewyn Davis), Meagan Good (Think Like a Man franchise, Californication) along with other cast and producers for a special screening followed by a Q&A.
• ‘Game of Thrones’ Panel and Q&A: 2:30PM-3:30PM, Hall H
  Based on the bestselling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, HBO’s Game of Thrones concluded its 10-episode fifth season in June and will begin filming its sixth season this summer. The series, executive produced and written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, is an epic story of treachery and nobility, set on the continent of Westeros, where summers and winters can last years. Panelists include (in alphabetical order) Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy/Reek, John Bradley as Samwell Tarly, Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth, Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth, Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell, Conleth Hill as Varys, David Nutter (director), Hannah Murray as Gilly, Carolyn Strauss (executive producer), Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Carice van Houten as Melisandre, and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark.
• Marvel Television Presents: 3:00 PM-4:15 PM, Ballroom 20
  Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s head of television) brings you exclusive news and surprises about your favorite action-packed Marvel series on ABC. Join Jeph, showrunners, and the casts of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter for this can’t-miss panel that’ll have everyone talking! Featuring Clark Gregg and Hayley Atwell.
• ‘iZombie’ Special Video Presentation and Q&A: 5:45 PM-6:45PM, Ballroom 20
  After the shocking events in the season finale of brainy hit iZombie, be among the first to get the scoop on what’s in store for Season 2. Now that Liv (Rose McIver) gave the cure for zombie-ism to Blaine and Major (one that she desperately wanted to take herself!) will Ravi find a way to develop another cure? Will Clive remain in the dark about the existence of zombies? A special video presentation will be followed by a Q&A with series stars as well as executive producers Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) and Diane Ruggiero-Wright (Veronica Mars). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Spondoolie Productions and Warner Bros. Television and based on characters created by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, published by DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint, iZombie returns this fall with all-new episodes on Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW. iZombie: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 29.
• Lucasfilm: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’: 5:30 PM-6:30 PM, Hall H
  Lucasfilm president and producer Kathleen Kennedy, director J.J. Abrams, writer Lawrence Kasdan, and special guests provide a special look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Featuring Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o and Andy Serkis.
• ‘Orphan Black’: BBC America Official Panel: 5:45 PM-6:45 PM, Room 6BCF
  Stars Tatiana Maslany (Sarah and the Leda clones), Jordan Gavaris (Felix), Maria Doyle Kennedy (Mrs. S), Dylan Bruce (Paul), Kristian Bruun (Donnie), and Ari Millen (Mark and the Castor clones) and co-creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson look back at last season before filming begins on Season 4. Orphan Black Season 3 is currently on VOD. For those new to the Clone Club, you can also start watching the BBC America series by streaming the first two seasons on Amazon Prime or download the entire series from any of the major digital platforms.
• Star: ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’: 6:00 PM-7:00PM, Room 6A
  Original filmmakers Sam Raimi (executive producer, director, writer), Rob Tapert (executive producer), Bruce Campbell (executive producer and star of the series, Ash), Ivan Raimi (co-exeuctive producer), and Craig DiGregorio (executive producer), along with Lucy Lawless (Ruby), discuss the highly anticipated new series and what fans can expect in the premiere season.
• ‘Yoga Hosers’: 7:15 PM-9:00 PM, Hall H
  An evening with Kevin Smith. After all the interesting and exciting movie panels are over, Hall H belongs to a middle-aged loser who dresses like a 12-year-old! Ask Kev questions about AMC’s Comic Book Men and his forthcoming Mallrats sequel Mallbrats, and see the world premiere of the trailer to his new movie, Yoga Hosers. Wrap up a busy Friday with the Clown Prince of Comic-Con! With special guests from the Yoga Hosers cast. Featuring Johnny Depp and Haley Joel Osment.

Saturday:

• Warner Bros.: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM, Hall H
  A “sneak peek” at a few upcoming releases from Warner Bros. Likely including The Man From UNCLE (Armie Hammer, Guy Ritchie), Pan (Hugh Jackman, Joe Wright), In the Heart of the Sea (Chris Hemsworth, Ron Howard), Point Break (Edgar Ramirez), Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ben Affleck, Zack Snyder), Central Intelligence (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart), Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie), Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur (Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law), Suicide Squad (Jared Leto, David Ayer) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Eddie Redmayne, David Yates).
• The Weinstein Company: ‘The Hateful Eight’: 1:30 PM-2:15 PM, Hall H
  Academy Award-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino brings fans an exclusive look at his highly anticipated 8th film, The Hateful Eight. Followed by a Q&A session with the cast: Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bruce Dern.
• Legendary Pictures: 2:30 PM-3:30 PM, Hall H
  Filmmakers and talent from Legendary’s upcoming Warcraft (Duncan Jones, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell) and Crimson Peak (Guillermo Del Toro, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain), distributed by Universal Pictures, will discuss the innovative slate and present never-before-seen material. Chris Hardwick (AMC’s Talking Dead) hosts the panel that will also include surprises from highly anticipated legendary movies, including Great Wall, Krampus, and more.
• 20th Century Fox: 5:45 PM-7:30 PM, Hall H
  20th Century Fox Presentation including Fantastic Four (Miles Teller), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (Dylan O’Brien), The Martian (Matt Damon), Bridge of Spies (Tom Hanks), Kung Fu Panda 3 (Jack Black), Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), X-Men: Apocalypse (Jennifer Lawrence), Independence Day: Resurgence (Jeff Goldblum), Gambit (Channing Tatum), and Assassin’s Creed (Michael Fassbender).
• Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment Screening Block: 8:00 PM-11:00 PM, Hall H
  Includes Supergirl season 1 (Melissa Benoist), Gotham season 2 (Ben McKenzie), Arrow season 4 (Steven Amell), The Flash season 2 (Grant Gustin) and Legends of Tomorrow season 1 (Brandon Routh).

Sunday:

• TV premieres including Heroes Reborn, American Horror Story, Scream Queens, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries.

Eric Bana joins King Arthur, new Man from UNCLE trailer and first still from Spectre

Idris Elba’s departure caused some issues in casting for the new King Arthur reboot, from Sherlock Holmes/Snatch/Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director Guy Ritchie, but from there Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim, Sons of Anarchy), Astrid Berges Frisbey (I Origins), Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy, Gladiator) and Jude Law (The Aviator, Road to Perdition, Artificial Intelligence) joined. Now Eric Bana (Star Trek, Hanna, Munich) is confirmed to be playing Arthur’s father Uther in the new film, which is setting up a franchise.

On the subject of Guy Ritchie, we have the trailer for his spy thriller The Man From UNCLE. It sees a Russian and American agent in 1963 forced to work together to prevent a nuclear disaster. It stars Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), Armie Hammer (The Social Network, The Lone Ranger), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, A Royal Affair), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby), Jared Harris (A Game of Shadows, Lincoln) and Hugh Grant (Notting Hill, Cloud Atlas).

UNCLE isn’t the only spy movie planned this year with Kingsman: The Secret Service released and Melissa McCarthy’s comedy Spy and Mission: Impossible 5 still to come. The biggest release though is Spectre, the twenty fourth Bond instalment. The very first still has been revealed and shows Bond in action in the Austrian Alps.

Oscar winner Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road, Jarhead, American Beauty) directs the cast of Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Lea Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Colour), Naomie Harris (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), Ben Whishaw (Cloud Atlas), Monica Bellucci (The Matrix), Andrew Scott (Sherlock), Rory Kinnear (The Imitation Game) with Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, Big Eyes) as Oberhauser and Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, In Bruges) as M.

The Man From UNCLE – August 14th

Spectre – October 23rd

Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur – July 22nd 2016

The 2015 Preview Issue

2015 is the new 2012 (The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall, The Hunger Games, The Hobbit), which itself was the new 1999 (The Sixth Sense, The Phantom Menace, The Matrix, Two Story 2). Its releases should not only be huge financial successes but promise to be delightful watches as well. Here’s what we reckon will be topping the year’s box office in twelve months time.

1. The Avengers: Age of Ultron – Director: Joss Whedon – $1.7 billion
2. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens – JJ Abrams – $1.4 billion
3. Spectre – Sam Mendes – $1.2 billion
4. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – Francis Lawrence – $925 million
5. Furious 7 – James Wan – $875 million
6. Minions – Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin – $800 million
7. Jurassic World – Colin Trevorrow – $775 million
8. Inside Out – Pete Docter – $725 million
9. Mission: Impossible 5 – Christopher McQuarrie – $700 million
10. Ant-Man – Peyton Reed – $675 million
11. The Good Dinosaur – Peter Sohn – $625 million
12. Ted 2 – Seth MacFarlane – $600 million
13. Terminator Genisys – Alan Taylor – $575 million
14. The Fantastic Four – Josh Trank – $550 million
15. Tomorrowland – Brad Bird – $525 million

We reckon The Avengers sequel will edge Star Wars seeing as the former series’ commercial success is actually growing. Pixar’s double-billed return to original storytelling with Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur should score them impressively but Minions will triumph on the animation front. The only other original work we expect to see doing well is sci-fi adventure Tomorrowland. The race in the new crop of reboots will be won by Jurassic World, beating off competition from Terminator and Fantastic Four. Close to gracing the Top 15 will be sequels to YA franchises (The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials, Insurgent) and there might be an upset for Chris Columbus/Adam Sandler comedy Pixels and Joe Wright/Hugh Jackman fantasy adventure Pan. Should it finally get a major release, The Interview may well be a smash hit.

Now here are our top twenty to one most anticipated releases of the year.

20) The Fantastic Four

Director: Josh Trank
Writers: Josh Trank, Simon Kinberg, Jeremy Slater, TS Nowlin
Starring: Miles Teller, Jamie Bell, Kate Mara, Michael B Jordan, Toby Kebbell
Premise: For a very long time, next to nothing had been revealed about Fox’s Fantastic Four reboot. Star Wars took a similar approach and that sent fans running wild with speculation but no such hype surrounded the FF, exposing a serious lack of interest. Still, Chronicle’s Trank is a promising hope and the the high-end castings of Teller (Whiplash), Bell (Bill Elliot), Mara (House of Cards), Kebbell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and Jordan (Fruitvale Station) ought to liven things up.
Release: August 6th

19) Everest

Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Writers: William Nicholson, Mark Medoff, Justin Isbell, Lem Dobbs, Simon Beaufoy
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Robin Wright, Jason Clarke, Elizabeth Debicki, John Hawkes, Emily Watson
Premise: An absolute first-rate cast from two teams who embark on an expedition to the peak of the world’s highest mountain, where they also face the world’s toughest terrain. The stills so far reveal some spectacular drama.
Release: October 2nd

18) Mission: Impossible 5

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writers: Drew Pearce, Will Staples
Starring: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Alec Baldwin, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Ving Rhames
Premise: It’s hard to get excited when all we have to go on is a few on-set snaps but we can still expect a high-end spectacle of action. Uniting Cruise and McQuarrie (star/writer of Edge of Tomorrow) is a solid move and the returning cast of Ghost Protocol (Pegg, Renner, Patton) hints at more franchise continuity than before.
Release: December 26th

17) The Man From UNCLE

Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Guy Ritchie, Lionel Wigram, Jeff Kleeman, David Campbell Wilson
Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Hugh Grant, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris
Premise: Bond and Hunt are both set in stone in their nationalities but spy reboot The Man From UNCLE pitches a teaming up of the American Napoleon Solo (Cavill) and the Russian Illya Kuryakin (Hammer). With Sherlock Holmes/Snatch director Guy Ritchie helming it ought to be a truly gripping thriller.
Release: August 14th

16) Child 44

Director: Daniel Espinosa
Writers: Richard Price
Starring: Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace, Paddy Considine, Jason Clarke, Dev Patel, Joel Kinnaman, Charles Dance
Premise: In Stalin-era Soviet Union, a detective investigates a series of murder, the complication is that the state believes crime doesn’t exist. The cast alone is enough of a reason to get interested and Daniel Espinosa proved his action credentials in Safe House.
Release: April 17th

15) Minions

Director: Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin
Writer: Brian Lynch
Starring: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton
Premise: There are very few well favoured comedy spin offs but the first trailer for Despicable Me’s spawn the Minions looked promising.
Release: June 26th

14) Untitled Steven Spielberg Cold War Project

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Matt Charman, Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: Tom Hanks, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda, Mark Rylance
Premise: We know nothing more than the title suggests but another collaboration between Spielberg (Jaws, ET, AI, Minority Report, Schindler’s List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park) and Hanks (Forrest Gump, Captain Phillips, Cast Away, The Green Mile, Road to Perdition) is a huge attention grabber. The pair’s previous collaborations are Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal and Saving Private Ryan.
Release: October 9th

13) Chappie

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writers: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel, Sigourney Weaver
Premise: The director of District 9 takes on a slightly more light hearted venture as Chappie, a discarded robotic cop, us taken under the wing of a group of scientists who teach it. Soon, others realise that Chappie is potentially dangerous.
Release: March 6th

12) The Walk

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Robert Zemeckis, Christopher Browne
Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale
Premise: As chronicled in the Oscar winning documentary Man on Wire, stuntman Philippe Petit begins his ultimate accomplishment by wire walking from one Twin Tower to the other. This is the first teaming up of the duo Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away) and Joseph Gordon Levitt (Looper, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception).
Release: October 2nd

11) Ant-Man

Director; Peyton Reed
Writers: Gabriel Ferrari, Andrew Barrer, Adam McKay, Edgar Wright
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena, Judy Greer

10) Inside Out

Director: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen
Writers: Michael Arndt, Pete Docter
Starring: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Lane
Premise: Pixar’s second release of 2015 is the brilliantly madcap concept of emotions, symbolised as the characters above, controlling the emotions within our mind. Unlike The Good Dinosaur, this has a Pixar regular, Pete Docter (Monsters Inc, Up), at the helm as well as Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arndt.
Release: July 24th

9) Jurassic World

Director: Colin Trevorrow
Writers: Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Nick Robinson, Ty Simpkins, Omar Sy, Judy Greer, Jake Johnson, Vincent D’Onofrio
Premise: We’re well prepared for a sequel that won’t live up to the original’s same magic. Still, Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) and his new set of leads – Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), Howard (The Help), Robinson (The Kings of Summer) and Simpkins (Insidious) – look set to give a fresh rebranding.
Release: June 12th

8) Tomorrowland

Director: Brad Bird
Writers: Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird
Starring: Britt Robertson, George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Judy Greer
Premise: One f the year’s most secretive releases comes from Pixar protogee Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) and, while it is a fairly original prospect, it’s in fact roughly based upon Walt Disney’s own bright and bold vision of the future.
Release: May 22nd

7) Mad Max: Fury Road

Director: George Miller
Writers: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Zoe Kravitz, Nicholas Hoult
Premise: Pleasing the die hard fans of the original will be a tough task but the footage so far revealed for this sequel is phenomenal. It’ll be massively entertaining to see Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Locke) in a rawer action role.
Release: May 15th

6) The Martian

Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Drew Goddard
Starring: Matt Damon, Jessican Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kirsten Wiig, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean
Premise: The film’s tone, either epic or dramatic, has yet to have been established but it sees Damon’s astronaut stranded on the red planet. Still, we’re immediately excited to see what legendary Brit director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Black Hawk Dawn, Alien, Blade Runner) can bring next.
Release: November 27th

5) Spectre

Director: Sam Mendes
Writers: John Logan, Neil Purvis, Robert Wade
Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci, Andrew Scott, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, Jesper Christensen
Premise: After Skyfall became one of the undisputedly great Bond films (rivalling Dr No, Goldfinger, GoldenEye and Casino Royale) and its follow up is hoping to be just as successful. In this new adventure, Bond (Craig) tracks a mysterious signal from a previous mission and finds a secret organisation, led by Waltz’s Oberhauser.
Release: October 23rd

4) In the Heart of the Sea

Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Charles Leavitt, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Charlotte Riley, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson
Premise: Fresh off of smash hit racing drama Rush, Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind) returns with a period thriller based on the true story that inspire Moby Dick. Hemsworth’s whaling crew are stranded in the see for weeks on end as the most fearsome whale they have ever witnessed haunts them. The trailer is awesome, terrifying and truly monstrous.
Release: March 13th

3) Crimson Peak

Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Writers: Guillermo Del Toro, Matthew Robbins, Lucinda Coxon
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, Doug Jones, Burn Gorman
Premise: The masterful Mexican Del Toro, director of Pan’s Labyrinth and Pacific Rim/writer of The Hobbit trilogy, returns to properly gothic horror as aspiring author Edith Cushing (Wasikowska) moves into a new home with her sinister new husband Thomas Sharpe (Hiddleston). If it’s what it promises to be, we could have a chilling masterpiece on our hands.
Release: October 16th

2) The Avengers: Age of Ultron

Director: Joss Whedon
Writer: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, James Spader, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Samuel L Jackson, Andy Serkis, Cobie Smulders, Don Cheadle, Stellan Skarsgard, Hayley Atwell, Thomas Kretschmann
Premise: Stark’s robot peacekeeping program gets out of hand as his creation begins its own global dominations. Marvel’s other properties (Inhumans and Doctor Strange) are being set up elsewhere but this is sowing the seeds of Civil War, Black Panther and Infinity War. Still Whedon’s superhero sequel will be darker, bolder, bigger and better.
Release: April 24th

1) Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

Director: JJ Abrams
Writers: JJ Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan
Starring: Andy Serkis, Max Von Sydow, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Warwick Davis, Christina Chong, Iko Uwais, Maisie Richardson Sellers
Premise: Besides the setting (30 years on from Return of the Jedi) we know almost nothing but how could anything else be number one? Perhaps it would have been lower down before that trailer landed but it just blew 90% of our worries out the water. We’re equally terrified and excited to what JJ will produce. Others may be surefire hits but this is the one we hope for the most.
Release: December 18th

Captain America writers talk new villain and Man From UNCLE gets a new release date

With a summer packed full of potential $1 billion plus movies (Avengers 2, Star Wars 7, Bond 24, The Hunger Games 4, Mission: Impossible 5, Jurassic World, Fast and Furious 7 and The Minions all prime contenders) box office goods are assured for some but not for all. Dozens of riskier projects are frantically scrapping for golden release dates in fear of the saturated 2016 schedule. It has now been announced that spy thriller The Man From UNCLE has leapt from January to a lucrative August release. The film is directed by Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and stars Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Immortals) and Armie Hammer (The Social Network, The Lone Ranger).

Also, action American Sniper has shifted into a much more awards friendly Christmas opening (could it be a genuine awards contender alongside Boyhood, Foxcatcher, Interstellar or Gone Girl?). Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, Invictus, Changeling, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters From Iwo Jima) directs, after succeeding Steven Spielberg, with Bradley Cooper (Limitless, American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook, The Hangover, Guardians of the Galaxy) and Sienna Miller (Stardust, Casanova, GI Joe) starring.

Marvel’s thriller sequel Captain America: The Winter Solider has become of the year’s biggest financial and critical hits and directing pair Anthony and Joe Russo are confirmed to return. So far we know nothing to with characters or even a title. With Marvel’s rich expanse of unexploited villains, most of the speculation is on who could be the new instalment’s chief wrongdoer. Writer Christopher Markus, partner in crime of Stephen McFeely, has expressed his preferences. “I don’t know if there’s anybody that we had in the wings that we couldn’t pull off. There are people that I’m always wanting to bring in. I want to put Modok into something.”

However he did state that Modok’s presence may be hard to pull off. “You can’t just drop a giant floating head in! It’s not like “Oh, we have to go talk to this guy – there’s something I should tell you about him first.” Suddenly the whole movie needs to take on that structure in order to accommodate him. I never win that fight!” Modok, who many would suggest as the ideal role of Torchwood/Pacific Rim star Burn Gorman, may be a possibility for future MCU films but we’ve got a few more spoiler heavy suggestions below.

The concept of AIM, and therefore Modok, could be possible following the corporation’s introduction back in Iron Man 3. Then there’s the real Mandarin, the leader of The Ten Rings, who was teased by Scoot McNairy’s assassin in the One Shot short film All Hail the King although The Ten Rings are more of Iron Man’s story arc. The most likely suggestion would be the trilogy coming full circle with Cap’ battling the forces of Hydra, fronted by Toby Jones (Harry Potter, Berberian Sound Studio) as Arnim Zola, Thomas Kretschmann (The Pianist, Stalingrad) as Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker or Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, V For Vendetta) as a revived Red Skull – I’d say the Baron is more likely.

Captain America 3 will likely star Chris Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier), Emily Van Camp (Agent 13), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Cobie Smulders (Agent Hill), Frank Grillo (Crossbones) and Samuel L Jackson (Nick Fury) while I reckon Thomas Kretschmann (Baron Von Strucker), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson) or Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) could crop up.

American Sniper – December 25th

The Man From UNCLE – August 14th 2015

Captain America 3 – May 6th 2016

Guy Ritchie may revive King Arthur, JJ Abrams talks 3D & secrecy in Star Wars and Cap America 3 in the works

The success of bringing Celtic legend King Arthur has varied dramatically. They’ve ranged fro, classics such as Excalibur, The Sword in the Stone and, erm, Monty Python and the Holy Grail to flops like King Arthur and First Knight. Since the disappointment of the 2004 instalment, Warner Bros has been trying to get a new Arthur project into cinemas. Two ideas were considered, one conception led by Guy Ritchie (Rock ‘n’ Rolla, Sherlock Holmes) and the other by the more comedically seasoned David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers, Fred Claus) who pitched Arthur and Lancelot. Dobkin was hired and got as far as hiring Kit Harrington and Joel Kinnaman for the leads and Gary Oldman was in negotiations to play Merlin before the project fell through, due to budget disagreements, and was shelved.

Now, Ritchie is in line to take up the mantle as Arthur’s director. The hope is that this’ll spawn into a franchise and saga of Arthurian goodness, according the reliable Deadline. I’d presume the approach will be to go for a more traditional fantasy tale with magic, witches, Merlin and all as previous attempts to ground and realise the story have flopped. Ritchie himself is still hard at work on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., starring Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill so should he accept the Arthur role that’d confirm his departure from the beloved production of sequel Sherlock Holmes 3, starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law.

Above is JJ Abrams, creator of Lost, Alias and Felicity and director of Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Super 8 and Mission: Impossible 3 as well as writer/director of the upcoming sequel Star Wars: Episode VII. He recently talked, to The Daily Telegaph, about some of the major issues found in his previous works that he hopes to resolve with his work on Star Wars, namely 3D and secrecy.

Abrams professes he’s “not a 3D fanatic” but “understood why it was important to the studio” to release Into Darkness in the format. His films have been known to take some not-the-norm promotion techniques but says that Episode VII’s will be more conventional. “Star Wars is in every way a different animal,” he said. “It’s always been a more open, fan-engaged universe than I’ve been used to, so I’m sure there’ll be some sort of compromise.” Having seen Into Darkness or not, you’ve probably picked up that the villainous John Harrison’s real identity was leaked online for all to see several months before the film’s release and that’s not the only high-profile case, see Naomie Harris’ Eve, not, Moneypenny. “We were trying to preserve the unexpected for the audience”, he explained, “but it came across as if we were trying to be too clever”. “It feels to me like there’s a purity in not knowing every little thing.”

The mega-franchises butting heads in 2015 will be Marvel, who launch Avengers 2 and Ant-Man, and Star Wars, who release the aforementioned Episode VII. Additionally, this year Disney’s Marvel finds only its main competition from Sony’s Marvel (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Fox’s Marvel (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Hunger Games 3, Hobbit 3, Transformers 4 and Godzilla. Disney Marvel are to release the double bill of Captain America 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy; today, we focus on the former. Stars, directors and producers alike are appropriately confident about Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L Jackson, Frank Grillo, Toby Jones, Hayley Attwell, Dominic Cooper, Sebastian Stan and Emily VanCamp.

Variety now reports that this goes to the extent of a third Cap film entering development. Winter Soldier director Joe and Anthony Russo are in talks to call the shots again, meaning they’ll join Jon Favreau and Joss Whedon as the only directors that Marvel have called back for a second sitting. Marvel have confirmed that two new project will arrive in 2016 and 2017, the former confirmed to be Doctor Strange while the latter is rumoured to be Black Panther, with sequels accompanying them. Will Cap 3 and Thor 3 be those sequels? And, if so, will Cap 3 come around as early as 2014? Follow Tuorhoth Movies for each development as it happens to find out more.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – March 28th

Guardians of the Galaxy – August 1st

The Avengers: Age of Ultron – May 1st 2015

Ant-Man – July 17th 2015

Doctor Strange – 2016

Captain America 3 – 2016?

Thor 3 – 2017?

Black Panther – 2017?

King Arthur – 2017?

Star Wars: Episode VII – December 18th 2015

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. – 2015

Sherlock Holmes 3 – 2017?

Jared Harris joins Man From U.N.C.L.E., Transformers 4’s full title and LFF line up

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. has gone through some tough times in production. Now Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie is set to direct and Game of Shadow’s Moriarty, Jared Harris, will be working with Ritchie once more.

Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger, The Social Network) and Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Immortals) will play the leads Illya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo. Elizabeth Debecki (The Great Gatsby, A Few Best Men) and Alicia Vikander (Catherine Mathilde in the brilliant Danish period drama A Royal Affair and the upcoming fantasy Seventh Son) also star. Harris and Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral) are most likely going to be playing the villains that Solo and Kuryakin will face but little is known of the plot. It’ll most likely feature infamous villain T.H.R.U.S.H.

After his new caper comedy with Dwayne Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, Rebel Wilson, Ed Harris, Ken Jeong and Anthony Mackie Pain and Gain, Michael Bay will be returning to his best known franchise. And now, Transformers 4 has a title: Transformers: Age of Extinction. The recent confirmation that Dinobots would be the new antagonists, see our Sci-Fi Special, has been followed by a poster bringing us the name of the film for the first time, alongside a release date of 06 . 27 . 14. Mark Wahlberg (2 time Oscar nominee and star of comedy’s Ted and Boogie Nights), Jack Reynor (Irish actor from drama What Richard Did) and Nicola Peltz (Bradley Martin in TV’s upcoming Psycho prequel Bates Motel with Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga) team up in a bid to defeat both the Dinobots and evil billionaire human Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer – X-Men: The Last Stand, Cheers, Fraiser).

The line up for the BFI LFF (British Film Institute London Film Festival) has been officially announced. We already knew that Paul Greengrass (director of The Bourne Ultimatum, Green Zone) and Tom Hanks’ (star of Forrest Gump, Toy Story) kidnapping thriller Captain Phillips will open the festival and Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson’s Saving Mr Banks, as well as telling the story of Walt Disney trying to get the rights to make Mary Poppins into a film from the author PL Travers as she recalls her childhood in Australia and her inspirations for the story, will close it.

Alfonso Cauron’s space set thriller, Gravity, starring George Clooney (Oceans trilogy) and Sandra Bullock (The Heat), has delighted audiences, with 5 star ratings all round, at the Venice, and soon, Toronto film festivals. Steve McQueen’s (Shame, Hunger) 12 Years a Slave stars Brad Pitt (Fight Club), Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek: Into Darkness), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Children of Men) leading a cast including Paul Dano (Looper), Paul Giamatti (The Illusionist) and the youngest ever Oscar nominee, Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild). Joel and Ethan Coen (famed directing brothers from the brilliant True Grit, The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men) bring us Inside Llewyn Davis, the story of a street folk singer making his way through New York in the 1960’s. Starring Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and John Goodman, this film builds up the incredible line up of the LFF 2013.

Also featuring are: Philomena (Stephen Frears’ drama with Steve Coogan and Judi Dench), Labour Day (Jason Reitman’s directing effort with Tobey Maguire, Josh Brolin, Kate Winslet and Clark Gregg), The Invisible Woman (Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this drama that is unrelated to Marvel’s Fantastic Four. Also starring Felicity Jones and Kristin Scott Thomas). The Palme d’Or winner, Blue is the Warmest Colour, will headline, as will Only Lovers Left Alive (Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Mia Wasikowska, Jeffery Wright and Anton Yelchin starring in a vampire romance) and Don Jon (The Dark Knight Rises and Looper star Joseph Gordon Levitt releases his first time directing job in a comedy he also writes and stars in. Also with Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore).

Joseph Gordon Levitt will be there at the event itself. Also appearing in person are Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Sandra Bullock, Judi Dench, Steve Coogan and Ralph Fiennes (a list featuring 6 Oscar wins and an additional two nominations), as well as others, are expected to attend. 234 films, in total, will be screened. For the full list go to the official BFI London Film Festival.

Man From U.N.C.L.E could be out in  2016 or 2017

Transformers: Age of Extinction is out July 10th 2014

The 57th BFI London Film Festival begins October 9th and concludes October 20th. Tickets are on sale from September 20th.

The Lone Ranger review

Director: Gore Verbinski

Starring: Armie Hammer, Johnny Depp, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, William Fichtner, Helena Bonham Carter, James Badge Dale

There’s no avoiding the fact that reviews and box-office for The Lone Ranger have been horrific. Although it’s now made just over it’s $215 million budget, you can’t call it a success until it’s made double that. Mainly American critics have ranted over and over about Johnny Depps’ latest Western and, while I hugely enjoyed The Lone Ranger, it’s fairly easy to see why.

In 1933, the hundred year old Comanche Tonto (Johhny Depp)  recalls the story of The Lone Ranger that took place in 1869. Violence fearing lawyer, John Reid (Armie Hammer) joins his brother (James Badge Dale) in a group of Texas Rangers that set out to find train robber Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner). A sudden ambush by Cavendish and his gang on the team kills all but one of the loyal members of the group. John joins forces with the mysterious, and possibly crazy, younger Tonto. He takes up the infamous mask and persona of The Lone Ranger and they out to get vengeance against Cavendish and businessman Latham Cole (Tom Wilkinson) who has a greater plot afoot.

The films faults only form a very small list. Many have criticised the running time of 150 minutes but that’s hardly derailed 2 and half hour hits such as The Avengers or Avatar. The key reason, and the answer as to why the films got a much more positive reception out of America, to the critical failure is because it antagonises America’s industrial founders as well as their army leaders so it’s falling short of a patriotic cowboy movie. Other good reasons could be that there’s a lack of interest for the source material seeing as the last theatrically released Lone Ranger films came out well over thirty years ago or that the film’s 2nd most famous star, Helena Bonham Carter, is limited to two scenes, one of which she only has about five lines in. But once your able to forgive the minor problems of Gore Verbinski’s production, it’s easy to enjoy this great romp of an adventure.

Johnny Depp is priceless is his new role. He’s not a convincing American Indian but brings out possibly the best on-screen sidekick for a long time. He almost deserves nominations for facial expressions alone and he delivers every gag with a brilliant straight face. Thankfully his promotion from generic sidekick to a lead of the same importance of the Lone Ranger himself is a huge bonus to the film. Armie Hammer’s Reid’s transition from terrified lawman to best shot in the West is a sudden, unexplained and unjustified but he certainly has bags of charisma. He’s an entertaining screen presence, despite being slightly overshadowed by Depp, and he can certainly act, as he proved in The Social Network. He brings a touch of humour to what could be a extraordinarily bland role.

William Fichtner’s villain, Butch Cavendish, is an excellent one: dark, unforgiving and frighteningly gruesome. At the end of the exhilaratingly tense canyon sequence, the whole audience was shocked at the loss of heart from Dan Reid, Iron Man 3’s James Badge Dale in a disappointingly small role,at Cavendish’s hands, and knife. He’s a potentially iconic villain who’s slightly put to the side for Tom Wilkinson’s fairly generic, rich baddie.

Most of the performances where up to scratch. Ruth Wilson is a great actress despite the unconvincing accent. Same to be said about Helena Bonham Carter, who’s good in a tiny role.

There’s a twenty minute sequence of the film where the  level of excitement severely drops as night falls over the silver mine but every other moment of the film is huge fun. The special effects are top notch at every point, the one exception being John and Silver the horse’s escape from the burning house. The screenwriting trio of Justin Haythe, Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio brilliantly incorporate humour into the action.

It is sad to see Westerns performing so badly at the box-office these days. Cowboys and Aliens had huge stars such as Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Sam Rockwell as well as Jon Favreau, Iron Man and Iron Man 2, on directing duties plus a screenplay from Bad Robot regulars Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof but only got $10 million more than it’s $160 million budget. Jonah Hex is another obvious example. Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, John Malkovich, Will Arnett, Wes Bentley and Michael Fassbender all starred and yet $10 million came out of a $47 million budget. But they’re not all complete bombs these days. For every Jonah Hex there’s been a Rango, Gore Verbinski’s animated, bizzare Oscar winning triumph for the genre which grossed $245 million worldwide, or a Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino’s smash hit won 2 Oscars and grossed $424 million despite an unconventional 18 certificate. It’s a shame to see The Lone Ranger added to the pile of box-office bombs but that doesn’t mean there’s not fun to be had here.

The crow on Tonto’s head has to have been one of the best gag providers in recent years. Tonto is one of the key reasons as to why this film is so lovable. The final action sequence is absolutely stunning. As soon as the classic William Tell Overture kicks in, you’ll be grinning from ear to ear as the edge of seat train and brass band related mayhem ensues. The Lone Ranger does a rare thing of giving you a satisfying adventure as well as leaving an expandable story to expand on. I would happily watch a trilogy of Lone Ranger films but the biggest shame of film is that there’s no chance of that happening after the film has so far taken $217 million from a $215 million budget. It’s the 2nd huge budget Disney commercial flop in as many years after last years infamous John Carter. This will unfortunately mean that, due to both Carter and the Ranger being non-sequels from massively successful directors and incredible cast lists, we’ll just be getting franchise continuations from Disney.

I strongly encourage you to see The Lone Ranger for two reasons. 1) I want there to be a sequel. 2) It’s hugely entertaining. Johnny Depp, even if the intimidating shadow of Captain Jack Sparrow is looming over him and director Gore Verbinski, gives one of the most genuinely funny performances of the year. All Hammer, Wilson and Fichtner are excellent as is the film. Great storytelling and imagination and not for that faint of heart.

9/10

(as Silver climbs up a tree) “Something very wrong with that horse”