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.

Luc Besson’s Valerian announced, new Mad Max title, Ed Zwick in talks for Reacher 2 and first Maze Runner 2 trailer

The latest work of BAFTA nominated French filmaker Luc Besson has been announced. The director of The Big Blue, Nikita, Leon, The Fifth Element and Lucy will helm sci-fi comic book adaptation Valerian. The film will reportedly star Dane DeHaan (Chronicle, Lawless) and Cara Delevingne (Anna Karenina, Paper Towns) and is heading for a summer 2017 release.

Action thriller and adaptation of the Lee Child novels Jack Reacher may have been a mild disappointment to some but was a decent box-office hit with $220 million from a $60 million budget. Director Christopher McQuarrie is now preoccupied with Mission: Impossible but a new director is in line for the sequel. Oscar winner Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai, Glory) is reportedly in talks for Never Go Back which has Tom Cruise (Minority Report, A Few Good Men, Jerry Maguire, Edge of Tomorrow) confirmed to reprise his role.

With respectable box office numbers and critical acclaim, action reboot Mad Max: Fury Road is the most talked about film of the moment. Director George Miller (who also helmed the original trilogy has revealed that his plans for Mad Max 5 are going ahead. He’s also announced the current title, Mad Max: The Wasteland. We can expect Tom Hardy (Bronson, Inception, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Warrior, Lawless, Locke, The Dark Knight Rises) to reprise his role as Max Rockatansky.

Finally, we have our hands on the first poster and trailer for the sequel to smash hit The Maze Runner. It’s slightly understated in comparison to larger young adult franchises such as The Hunger Games but it easily outgrossed the likes of Divergent with $340 million from a small $35 million. The Scorch Trials is directed by Wes Ball and stars Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), Kaya Scodelario (Moon), Thomas Brodie Sangster (Wolf Hall), Nathalie Emmanuel (Furious 7), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones), Giancarlo Esposito (The Usual Suspects), Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan) and Patricia Clarkson (Shutter Island).

Maze Runner: Scorch Trials – September 18th

Valerian and the City of A Thousand Planets – July 21st 2017

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back – 2017?

Mad Max: The Wasteland – 2018?

Final candidates in Spider-Man castings and Josh Trank exits Star Wars spin off

We picked up a report recently that Marvel’s candidates for the role of Spider-Man were considerably younger than previous stars Toby Maguire (The Great Gatsby) and Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as well as earlier rumours about Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) and Logan Lerman (Fury). The latest news on the subject is that The Fault in Our Stars’ Nat Wolff, The Way Way Back’s Liam James and Interstellar’s Timothee Chalamet are out of the running and two contenders remain. There are young Brits Asa Butterfield (Hugo, Ender’s Game) and Tom Holland (The Impossible, Wolf Hall). The information comes from well informed Hollywood insider Devin Faraci. The MCU Spider-Man debuts in next year’s Captain America: Civil War before his spin off in 2017, directed by Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods).

Josh Trank’s career seemed to be on a great track after the found footage superhero hit Chronicle. Fox snapped him up for the upcoming reboot Fantastic Four while Disney employed him for the second Star Wars Anthology spin off. However, Fantastic Four has been plagued by reshoots and rumoured behavioural issues and that may have worried the Star Wars brain trust (Lawrence Kasdan, Kathleen Kennedy, Rian Johnson, JJ Abrams). The latest announcement is that Trank is no longer attached to the film despite a year’s work on it. We might be hearing about a replacement very soon.

By comparison, spin off Rogue One is running smoothly with director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) and stars Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games) and Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises). Meanwhile, The Force Awakens is directed by JJ Abrams (Star Trek Into Darkness) and stars Harrison Ford (Blade Runner), Oscar Isaac (Drive), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Adam Driver (Tracks), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Mr Selfridge), Max Von Sydow (Minority Report) and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings).

Rogue One – December 16th 2016

Star Wars spin-off – May 2018

Spider-Man – July 28th 2017

Asa Butterfield and Tom Holland in Spider-Man rumours and Riz Ahmed joins Rogue One

Since Sony’s Spider-Man franchise dissolved, its been up to Marvel to find the new casting. Previous reports cited that 23 year olds Logan Lerman (Fury) and Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) were the frontrunners to play a teen Peter Parker but these new cast contenders seem far more intriguing.

Star: Asa Butterfield
Age: 18
Nationality: England
Roles: Hugo, Ender’s Game, X+Y

Star: Timothee Chalamet
Age: 19
Nationality: United States
Roles: Interstellar, Men Women & Children, Homeland

Star: Tom Holland
Age: 18
Nationality: England
Roles: The Impossible, Locke, Wolf Hall

Star: Liam James
Age: 18
Nationality: Canada
Roles: The Way Way Back, 2012, Psych

Star: Nat Wolff
Age: 20
Nationality: United States
Roles: The Fault in Our Stars, Stuck in Love, Paper Towns

Following a breakout role in the chillingly brilliant thriller Nightcrawler, Four Lions breakout star Riz Ahmed is a rising star that has grabbed the attention of the new Star Wars brain trust. The writing/directed/producing team of The Force Awakens and beyond (Super 8’s JJ Abrams, Looper’s Rian Johnson, Empire Strikes Back’s Lawrence Kasdan, Lincoln’s Kathleen Kennedy) are also overseeing the first of the Star Wars Anthology, Rogue One, and Ahmed is reportedly in the running for the lead role while Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games’ Finnick) has also been mentioned in connection. Rogue One is set between Episodes III and IV and depicts the rebel plot to steal the plans of the death star. Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters) directs the cast of Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises) and Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything).

Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One – December 16th 2016

Spider-Man – July 28th 2017

Fault in Our Stars wins at MTVs, Rebecca Hall joins BFG and Stallone in first still from Creed

BIrdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Birdman, Guardians of the Galaxy and Boyhood were among the most celebrated films of the previous awards season but the MTV Awards have a history of selecting mainstream flicks. Previous films to have been crowned include Terminator 2, A Few Good Men, Scream, There’s Something About Mary, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, Napoleon Dynamite, Wedding Crashers, Transformers, Twilight, The Avengers and The Hunger Games: Caching Fire. Last night’s results are in on the 2015 awards (novelty awards included).

Best Movie:

The Fault in Our Stars
American Sniper
Boyhood
Gone Girl
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Selma
Whiplash

Best Male Performance:

Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Channing Tatum – Foxcatcher
Miles Teller – Whiplash

Best Female Performance:

Shailene Woodley – The Fault in Our Stars
Scarlett Johansson – Lucy
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Emma Stone – Birdman
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

Best Breakthrough Performance:

Dylan O’Brien – The Maze Runner
Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood
Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
David Oyelowo – Selma
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl

Best Scared Performance:

Jennifer Lopez – The Boy Next Door
Zack Gildford – The Purge: Anarchy
Dylan O’Brien – The Maze Runner
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Annabelle Wallis – Annabelle

Best On Screen Duo:

Zac Efron & Dave Franco – Bad Neighbours
Bradley Cooper & Vin Diesel – Guardians of the Galaxy
James Franco & Seth Rogen – The Interview
Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill – 22 Jump Street
Shailene Woodley & Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars

Best Shirtless Performance:

Zac Efron – Bad Neighbours
Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Channing Tatum – Foxcatcher
Kate Upton – The Other Woman

Best Fight:

Dylan O’Brien vs Will Poulter – The Maze Runner
Chris Evans vs Sebastian Stan – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Jonah Hill vs Jillian Bell – 22 Jump Street
Edward Norton vs Michael Keaton – Birdman
Seth Rogen vs Zac Efron – Bad Neighbours

Best Kiss:

Ansel Elgort & Shailene Woodley – The Fault in Our Stars
Rose Byrne & Halston Sage – Bad Neighbours
James Franco & Seth Rogen – The Interview
Andrew Garfield & Emma Stone – The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Scarlett Johansson & Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Best WTF Moment:

Seth Rogen & Rose Byrne – Bad Neighbours
Rosario Dawson & Anders Holm – Top Five
Jonah Hill – 22 Jump Street
Jason Sudeikis & Charlie Day – Horrible Bosses 2
Miles Teller – Whpilash

Best Villain:

Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Jillian Bell – 22 Jump Street
Peter Dinklage – X-Men: Days of Future Past
(Spoilers) – Gone Girl
JK Simmons – Whiplash

Best Musical Moment:

Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Bill Hader & Kristen Wiig – The Skeleton Twins
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Seth Rogen & Zac Efron – Bad Neighbours
Miles Teller – Whiplash

Best Comedic Performance:

Channing Tatum – 22 Jump Street
Rose Byrne – Bad Neighbours
Kevin Hart – The Wedding Ringer
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Chris Rock – Top Five

Best On Screen Transformation:

Elizabeth Banks – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Steve Carell – Foxcacher
Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Zoe Saldana – Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Hero:

Dylan O’Brien – The Maze Runner
Shailene Woodley – Insurgent
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Martin Freeman – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy

Trailblazer Award:

Shailene Woodley (The Descendants, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, The Spectacular Now)

Comedic Genius Award:

Kevin Hart (Get Hard, Ride Along, Think Like a Man, The Wedding Ringer)

Generation Award:

Robert Downey Jr (The Avengers, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Sherlock Holmes, Zodiac)

Here’s the winners’ leaderboard:

Bad Neighbours, The Fault in Our Stars, The Maze Runner – 3
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – 2
22 Jump Street, American Sniper, The Boy Next Door, Into the Woods – 1

With various big names already attached to his fantasy adventure The BFG, famed director Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, Lincoln) has enlisted even more cast members for the project. Rebecca Hall, the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated star of Iron Man 3, The Town, The Prestige and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, was the first major addition in an announcement that included Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows, Flight at the Conchords) and Penelope Wilton (Shaun of the Dead, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). The cast already includes Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall, Bridge of Spies), Bill Hader (Superbad, The Skeleton Twins) and Martin Freeman (Fargo, Sherlock, The Hobbit trilogy).

It’s so far unclear if the new film Creed will be an Oscar favourite or a limp reboot of the lagging Rocky franchise (one that began with a Best Picture win in 1976 steadily declined through four sequels in the 1980s and returned with the minor hit of 2006’s Rocky Balboa). The new addition of the franchise has Michael B Jordan (Chronicle, The Fantastic Four) reteaming with his Fruitvale Station (an acclaimed urban drama) director Ryan Coogler to play Creed’s grandson who recruits Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone – First Blood) as his new mentor to become a new boxing legend. The film’s first still has been revealed. Graham McTavish (The Hobbit, Outlander) and Tessa Thompson (Selma, Dear White People).

Creed – November 25th

The BFG – July 22nd 2016

Tron 3 is confirmed for Autumn shoot, first look at Maze Runner 2 and Guy Ritchie reveals King Arthur

The follow up to the 1982 sci-fi cult classic Tron had mixed success commercially and critically but Joseph Kosinski has been determined to make a sequel to his Legacy – a film more renowned for the Daft Punk soundtrack. In a surprising announcement, the Oblivion director has confirmed his project is set to shoot this autumn. From what we’ve heard, it sounds as if various cast members, including Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Garrett Hedlund (Unbroken), Olivia Wilde (Rush) and Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins). Perhaps Michael Sheen (The Queen) can return as his eccentric club owner Castor.

Next today is Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie’s first look on the set of his fantasy epic Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur. The franchise starter will star Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim, Sons of Anarchy), Jude Law (Artificial Intelligence, The Aviator), Astrid Berges Frisbey (I Origins), Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Guardians of the Galaxy), Mikael Persbrandt (In a Better World, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and Eric Bana (Hanna, Munich, Stark Trek).

Sci-fi action The Maze Runner took us all by surprise when it significantly outgrossed fellow young adult flicks Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars, despite those film’s great success in the US. The sequel to it, The Scorch Trials, was quickly confirmed and the first stills have been revealed. The plot this time sees the Gladers enduring WCKD’s brutal second challenge. It’ll star Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), Kaya Scodelario (Moon), Thomas Brodie Sangster (Wolf Hall), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan) and Patricia Clarkson (Shutter Island) with director Wes Ball.

The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials – September 28th

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

Tron 3 – 2017

MTV Movie Award Nominations – Guardians, Mockingjay, Neighbours and Fault in Our Stars lead

Boyhood, Birdman, Whiplash, The Theory of Everything, Still Alice and The Grand Budapest Hotel were the undisputed champions of the awards season but the MTV Awards (which is just a novelty promotional event for 2015’s films) can still provide an alternate choice. Let’s have a look:

Movie of the Year:

American Sniper
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Guardians of the Galaxy
Gone Girl
The Fault in Our Stars
Boyhood
Whiplash
Selma

Best Female Performance:

Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Emma Stone – Birdman
Shailene Woodley – The Fault in Our Stars
Scarlett Johansson – Lucy
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

Best Male Performance:

Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Miles Teller – Whiplash
Channing Tatum – Foxcatcher

Best Scared Performance:

Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Annabelle Wallis – Annabelle
Jennifer Lopez – The Boy Next Door
Dylan O’Brien – The Maze Runner
Zach Gilford – The Purge: Anarchy

Breakthrough Performance:

Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
David Oyelowo – Selma
Dylan O’Brien – The Maze Runner
Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood

Best Shirtless Performance:

Zac Efron – Bad Neighbours
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Channing Tatum – Foxcatcher
Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Kate Upton – The Other Woman

Best Duo:

Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill – 22 Jump Street
Zac Efron, Dave Franco – Bad Neighbours
Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel – Guardians of the Galaxy
James Franco, Seth Rogen – The Interview

Best Fight:

Jonah Hill vs Jillian Bell – 22 Jump Street
Chris Evans vs Sebastian Stan – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dylan O’Brien vs Will Poulter – The Maze Runner
Seth Rogen vs Zac Efron – Bad Neighbours
Edward Norton vs Michael Keaton – Birdman

Best Kiss:

Ansel Elgort, Shailene Woodley – The Fault in Our Stars
James Franco, Seth Rogen – The Interview
Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone – The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Rose Byre, Halston Sage – Neighbours

Best Villain:

(Spoilers) – Gone Girl
JK Simmons – Whiplash
Jillian Bell – 22 Jump Street
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Peter Dinklage – X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Comedic Performance:

Channing Tatum – 22 Jump Street
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Rose Byrne – Neighbours
Chris Rock – Top Five
Kevin Hart – The Wedding Ringer

Best Onscreen Transformation:

Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Elizabeth Banks – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Zoe Saldana – Guardians of the Galaxy
Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood

Here’s the leaderboard:

The Fault in Our Stars, Guardians of the Galaxy – 7
Bad Neighbours – 6
22 Jump Street, Whiplash – 5
Gone Girl, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – 4
Boyhood, Foxcatcher, The Maze Runner – 3
American Sniper, Birdman, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Interview, Top Five, Selma – 2

Lawrence and Spielberg team, Hawke joins Magnificent 7, new Avengers shots, Goddard set for Spider-Man and new still of Gordon Levitt in Snowden

Steven Spielberg (Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, Munich, War Horse, Lincoln) has had some difficulty getting his upcoming projects of the ground. Having passed on Best Picture nominee American Sniper, sci-fi Robopocalypse falling through and various projects including Grapes of Wrath, Napoleon and West Side Story failing to get off their feet, Tom Hanks thriller St James Place and Mark Rylance fantasy The BFG are set for the next couple of years.

The war photography biopic of Lynsey Addario, titled It’s What I Do, is now on its feet had has cast its lead in Oscar winning star Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, X-Men: First Class). The script, based on the autobiography called “A Photographer’s Life of Love and War”, has been doing the rounds at Working Title, The Weinstein Company and Noah director Darren Aronofsky before settling at Warner Bros.

Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen were the headlining acts of the original film but the new western remake Magnificent Seven, from Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, has assembled its own team. As well as Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Lego Movie), Fuqua may be gathering a Training Day reunion with lead Denzel Washington (Flight, Inside Man, Man on Fire, American Gangster) now accompanied by Ethan Hawke (Boyhood, Before Sunrise, Sinister, Dead Poets Society).

The announcement of Marvel’s new attempt at Spider-Man may go down as one of the biggest shock stories of 2015. With star Andrew Garfield and director Marc Webb dropped, new hirings are in order and its rumoured that Drew Goddard is entering negotiations to helm the reboot. Goddard, who directed the brilliant horror spoof The Cabin in the Woods, was previously attached to the now scrapped Sinister Six spin off. In terms of casting, Logan Lerman (Fury), Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner) and Donald Glover (Community) are in consideration.

Next up, Captain America (Chris Evans – Snowpiercer) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker) are next on the roll call of the Avengers in their new adventure Age of Ultron. The returning cast includes Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher), Scarlett Johansson (Under the Skin), Robert Downey Jr (Sherlock Holmes), Chris Hemsworth (Rush), Paul Bettany (Margin Call) and Samuel L Jackson (The Incredibles) with newbies Elizabeth Olsen (Godzilla), Aaron Taylor Johnson (Kick-Ass) and James Spader (The Blacklist).

A depiction of the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, Citizenfour, was this year’s winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary but Oliver Stone, the acclaimed director and historian behind JFK, Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon and Wall Street, has been handling the theatrical adaptation. Its our favourite for headlining next year’s Oscars. The first stills from the film have been released.

It’ll star Joseph Gordon Levitt (Looper, Inception), Tom Wilkinson (Selma, Michael Clayton), Shailene Woodley (Fault in Our Stars, Divergent), Rhys Ifans (Amazing Spider-Man, Notting Hill), Melissa Leo (Prisoners, The Fighter), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek Into Darkness, Heroes) and Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas, Lord of War, Face/Off, Kick-Ass).

The Avengers: Age of Ultron – April 23rd

Snowden – December 25th

The Magnificent Seven – 2017?

It’s What I Do – 2017?

Spider-Man – July 28th 2017

The Maze Runner review

Director: Wes Ball

Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Aml Ameen, Blake Cooper, Ki Hong Lee

When executed correctly a young adult novel adaptation can be massively lucrative. Twilight began this new craze with poor critical results but remarkable box office takings in the four ensuing sequels. In 2012 The Hunger Games’ gross inspired other studios and by the next year they were rattling out with little success: The Host, Beautiful Creatures and The Mortal Instruments (an intended franchise starter) all crashed and burned although there were based on perhaps lesser known works. The genre is hardly a fad however as Hunger Games’ follow up, Catching Fire, stormed through the charts. The mediocre Divergent failed to fuel the fire but new attempt The Maze Runner has an air of next big thing to it.

Thomas (O’Brien) awakes in an elevator shaft with no memory of his name or background. He then arrives in a large field populated by a group of young men who receive a newcomer once a month. The field, known as The Glade, is surrounded on all sides by a giant maze that may lead to their escape. To the disgust of the resident enforcer Gally (Poulter), the boy is accepted by second in command Newt (Brodie Sangster) to search for the exit.

This edition to the YA anthology is one of the most thrilling yet, the most exciting prospect coming from debut director Wes Ball. Proving himself as more than a cheap studio hiring, Ball brings a surprising amount of style and suspense to his first feature film. The flashy shooting is easily enough to distract from the fairly standard dialogue.

An intriguing ensemble has been cast for the group known as the Gladers. Many of them are several years older than the characters they play, a frustrating trait of the genre. Teen Wolf’s Dylan O’Brien makes a remarkably dull lead as Thomas, the physically fit, good looking child genius, becomes a bland and annoying subject for the plot. Our anger only grows as he inexplicably rises through three years’ worth of ranks within days.

The other key presence is Kaya Scodelario’s Teresa, the first girl to arrive in the Glade and who has some intangible link to Thomas’ past. Her dramatic and meaningful entrance soon culminates to have no effect on the plot. There are plenty of named minor characters who I feel I should have got to know but yet didn’t care for.

There were still some likeable additions: team leader Alby (Ameen), lead runner Minho (Hong Lee) and the much younger Chuck (Cooper). This may well be Brit favouritism but I particularly liked former Game of Thrones star Thomas Brodie Sangster as agricultural head Newt but it’s Will Poulter who’s proved his immense versatility as the bullying Gally, once more a villain more engaging then the hero.

The maze is populated by several creatures known as Grievers, slimy bulbous creatures placed on mechanical spider legs, but we’re still not sure if these mediocre monsters, the mysterious organisation WICKED or the maze itself. The story seems reluctant to establish one central antagonist.

The plot itself seems to require these additional threats in order to sustain the excitement but the narrative really takes off in its final act as the mystery partially unravels, a reverse of a usual blockbuster’s structure.

Eventually the film may misjudge its own pop culture stature – the book is no where near as famous as Harry Potter or The Hunger Games were. It’ll toss in endless terms (“Gladers”, “Runners”, “Grievers”) as if their creating iconic mythology. They don’t quite appreciate that we’ll always be intrigued about the inner workings of Hogwarts but not a large field. Sadly it’s a but too much to bother to take on board.

Through the flaws, this franchise kickstarter is ultimately exciting. Not only in the brutal, tense, thrilling and ambitious tone but the way it has me excited for the future of film, knowing the talents of Will Poulter and Wes Ball are now being unleashed. The killer twist will likely wrangle viewers all the way to The Scorch Trials next year.

7/10

“I am sure by now you all must be very confused… angry, frightened. I can only assure you that everything that’s happened to you… everything we’ve done to you… it was all done for a reason.”

Weekend box-office – 27th of September to 3rd October 2014 – will Neeson get lost in The Maze Runner or take A Walk Among the Tombstones?

The great American box-office dry spell ended last week as Idris Elba thriller No Good Deed took the top spot from Guardians of the Galaxy (the end of an era) although it was still a fairly mediocre debut. This week, three new major releases are competing: Liam Neeson’s dark thriller A Walk Among the Tombstones; Shawn Levy’s family drama This is Where I Leave You and young adult fantasy The Maze Runner. Two of these ought to be smash hits but the fact that they’re clashing may be their undoing. Last week, we tipped the box-office in favour of The Maze Runner but let’s find out what really went on.

US:

1. The Maze Runner – Director: Wes Ball – $32.5 million
2. A Walk Among the Tombstones – Scott Frank – $12.8 million
3. This is Where I Leave You – Shawn Levy – $11.6 million
4. No Good Deed – Sam Miller – $9.8 million
5. Dolphin Tale 2 – Charles Martin Smith – $8.9 million

UK:

1. The Boxtrolls – Graham Annable, Anthony Stacchi – £1.3 million
2. A Walk Among the Tombstones – Scott Frank – £1.3 milion
3. Pride – Matthew Warchus – £0.6 million
4. Lucy – Luc Besson – £0.6 million
5. The Riot Club – Lone Scherfig – £0.5 million

The Maze Runner’s victory has been lessened by this packed week of releases. As franchise starters go, this is an overall success. This is less than the blockbusting likes of The Hunger Games, Twilight or Divergent although far greater than the car crashes like The Mortal Instruments. A $30 million debut has secured a sequel so we ought to be seeing a lot of the series over the next few years. Liam Neeson’s resurgence as an action star began with Taken and The Grey and has since found greater financial takings with the increasingly generic likes of Taken 2 and Non-Stop. His attempt at darker material has only gained muted responses from both UK and America.

In the UK, The Boxtrolls’ British appeal is extending its run although I wouldn’t be surprised if this success eludes it in America. Pride in continuing to prove popular but ruling class drama The Riot Club seems to have slumped, despite the popularity of its younger stars. This week I’ve scored 3/10.

US:

1. The Equalizer – Antoine Fuqua
2. The Boxtrolls – Graham Annable, Anthony Stacchi
3. The Maze Runner – Wes Ball
4. Say When – Lynn Shelton
5. A Walk Among the Tombstones – Scott Frank

UK:

1. The Equalizer – Antione Fuqua
2. The Boxtrolls – Graham Annable, Anthony Stacchi
3. What We Did on Our Holiday – Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
4. A Walk Among the Tombstones – Scott Frank
5. Pride – Matthew Warchus

Dylan O’Brien in The Maze Runner, this week’s US number one.

Isaac Hempstead Wright in The Boxtrolls, this week’s UK number one.