Weekend box-office – 23rd of May to 5th of June 2015 – will Tomorrowland enhance the future?

We’ve have two weeks of box-office to cover.

Firstly, in the biggest movie showdown since Interstellar and Big Hero 6 went head to head last November, post-apocalypric action reboot Mad Max: Fury Road – starring Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) and Charlize Theron (Prometheus) – rivals musical comedy sequel Pitch Perfect 2 – starring Anna Kendrick (Into the Woods) and Rebel Wilson (Night at the Museum 3). This two horse race culminates in a major week for the box-office and last week we predicted a pitch perfect opening for the Barden Bellas.

Week 1:

US:

1. Pitch Perfect 2 – Director: Elizabeth Banks – $69.2 million
2. Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller – $45.4 million
3. The Avengers: Age of Ultron – Joss Whedon – $38.9 million
4. Hot Pursuit – Anne Fletcher – $5.7 million
5. Fast & Furious 7 – James Wan – $3.6 million

UK:

1. Pitch Perfect 2 – Elizabeth Banks – £5 million
2. Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller – £4.5 million
3. The Avengers: Age of Ultron – Joss Whedon – £1.7 million
4. Spooks: The Greater Good – Bharat Nalluri – £0.5 million
5. Far From the Madding Crowd – Thomas Vinterberg – £0,4 million

Week 2:

In the next week, Brad Bird (the mind behind the hits The Iron Giant, The Incredible and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) is launching his sci-fi spectacle Tomorrowland. At $190 million in costs, it might turn out to be another of Disney’s high budget/high profile live action disappointments John Carter and The Lone Ranger, despite the fact that talented directors Andrew Stanton (WALL-E) and Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) were at the helm.

US:

1. Tomorrowland: A World Beyond – Brad Bird – $33 million
2. Pitch Perfect 2 – Elizabeth Banks – $30.8 million
3. Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller – $24.6 million
4. Poltergeist – Gil Kenan – $22.6 million
5. The Avengers: Age of Ultron – Joss Whedon – $21. 7 million

UK:

1. Pitch Perfect 2 – Elizabeth Banks – £2.7 million
2. Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller – £2.6 million
3. Tomorrowland: A World Beyond – Brad Bird – £1.5 million
4. Poltergeist – Gil Kenan – £1.5 million
5. The Avengers: Age of Ultron – Joss Whedon – £1.1 million

Anna Kendrick in Pitch Perfect 2, last week’s US and UK number one and this week’s UK number one.

Britt Robertson in Tomorrowland, this week’s US number one.

Sam Rockwell in Poltergeist images, Cranston and Paul rumoured for new roles and new Daredevil trailer

“Theeere heeeere!”

Firstly today we have the very first look at the new remake of horror classic Poltergeist, courtesy of producer Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Evil Dead) and British director Gil Kenan (City of Ember). It’ll depict a family moving into a new home, occupied by evil spirits and will star Sam Rockwell (Moon, Seven Psychopaths, Iron Man 2, The Assassination of Jesse James), Rosemarie DeWitt (The Company Men, Kill the Messenger, Mad Men) and Jared Harris (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Mad Men, Lincoln, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

In 2014, Breaking Bad duo Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul went almost head to head with Godzilla and Need for Speed respectively getting released, the former Japanese beast being the obvious winner. They may be butting heads again as they are both connected with two different roles. Cranston (star of the Best Picture winning Argo) is rumoured for Star Trek 3.

The sequel (after both JJ Abrams and Roberto Orci quit) is on its third director with Justin Lin (Fast and Furious series) now set at the helm and will star Chris Pine (Into the Woods, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit), Zachary Quinto (Heroes), Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy), Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings, Dredd), Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Mission: Impossible 3), Anton Yelchin (Like Crazy, Fright Night) and John Cho (American Beauty).

Aaron Paul, last seen in biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings, may be in the running for the male lead in the first Star Wars spin off. Paul was involved in Star Wars before, playing Luke in Kevin Smith’s New Hope live script read. The subject of the film hasn’t been established but it’ll be directed by Godzilla’s Gareth Edwards and the female lead is in contention between Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything, Like Crazy), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) and Rooney Mara (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Her).

Finally today we have the first full trailer for Netflix and Marvel’s very first collaboration: Daredevil. This teaser is both surprisingly brilliant and brutal. Showrunner Steven S DeKnight (Spartacus) commands the cast of Charlie Cox (The Theory of Everything, Stardust), Rosario Dawson (Sin City, Trance), Elden Henson (The Hunger Game: Mockingjay), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), Ayelet Zurer (Man of Steel, Munich) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Men in Black, The Judge).

Daredevil – April on Netflix

Star Trek 3 – July 8th 2016

Star Wars spin-off – December 16th

Poltergeist – July 31st

Marvel sign up Michael Pena and Thomas Kretschmann, more casting for Avatar 2 and Poltergeist gets release date

The development of Marvel and Edgar Wright’s sci-fi outing Ant-Man has taken leaps and bounds in recent weeks. Paul Rudd was cast in the titular lead and we recently discovered that he was Ant-Man’s second alter ego Scott Lang and that Michael Douglas would play the first, Hank Pym. It now seems like a third star is lining into place. Michael Pena is the man the rumours are focused on and he’s potentially entering talks soon. He’s had supporting roles in American Hustle, Million Dollar Baby and Shooter but his main critical success came from being on half of the lead duo of End of Watch. There’s been no talk about what role he will play in Joe Cornish’s script but, after casting two heroes, a villain is the most likely outcome.

Another casting in Kevin Feige’s Marvel universe has been for The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk/Bruce Banner), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff), Chris Evans (Captain America/Steve Rogers), Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man/Tony Stark), Samuel L Jackson (Nick Fury), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), James Spader (Ultron), Aaron Taylor Johnson (Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye/Clint Barton and Don Cheadle (Iron Patriot/Jim Rhodes) are already signed on but a new casting has come in and, unlike Pena, a character has come attached to the story.

Baron Wolfgang von Strucker will be causing secondary havoc for the heroes to the primary evil shenanigans of Spader’s Ultron According to comic-lore, Von Strucker was a facially disfigured HYDRA agent who caused plenty of problems for, mainly, Captain America and Nick Fury. We’re not sure how much of the character’s story and features will make its way into director/writer Joss Whedon’s script and I’d be disappointed is it’s the same old WW2 soldier frozen and then revived in modern day as that was already done with both Cap and The Winter Soldier and is wearing a little thin already. Thomas Kretschmann will portray the Baron for the big screen. He’s had supporting roles in Wanted, King-Kong and Resident Evil but is better known for playing Van Helsing in TV’s reimagining of Dracula.

We’re slightly bereft of time so there’s little left to do other than to say that Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation, Man on Ledge, Wrath of the Titans) and Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness, Out of the Furnace, Colombiana) will respectively reprise their roles as Jake Sulley and Neytiri to join Stephen Lang in the cast of James Cameron’s epic sci-fi sequel Avatar 2 and that the new Poltergeist remake, directed by Gil Kenan (City of Ember) and starring Sam Rockwell, Jared Harris and Rosemarie DeWitt, has been moved from November 14th 2014 to February 15th 2015.

Ant-Man – August 14th 2015

The Avengers: Age of Ultron – May 1st 2015

Avatar 2 – December 2016

Poltergeist – February 15th 2015

New roles for McKellen, Cumberbatch, Harris and Walliams

Some big casting news for several English actors have come to our ears, and it’s some very big names: David Walliams (TV’s Little Britain), Jared Harris (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Hobbit, Warhorse) and Magneto and Gandalf himself Ian McKellen.

Harris first and Game of Shadows’ Moriarty, as well as star of Resident Evil and The Mortal Instruments, as taken on his second role of the week. After signing on for The Man From U.N.C.L.E with Armie Hammer, Henry Cavill, Hugh Grant and Alicia Vikander. Now he’s set for a role in the new Poltergeist remake.

Gil Keenan will direct the reboot of the classic 80’s ghostly horror that originally starred Craig T Nelson and Helen O’Rourke. Now Sam Rockwell (Moon, Seven Psychopaths and The Way Way Back) will lead a cast that’s made some major modifications today. Joining Rockwell and Rosmarie DeWitt (The Watch, Cinderella Man) are Harris, Nikki Blonsky and Kyle Catlett. Rockwell and DeWitt will most likely play the lead couple who move into their dream house with their teenage daughter (presumably played by Blonsky, the star of Hairspray) and younger son (the young star of TV’s The Following, with Kevin Bacon and Shawn Ashmore: Kyle Catlett) only to discover that it’s haunted. Notable TV ghost hunter (Harris) is called in to draw the Poltergeist out of the house. It’ll most likely differ from the original in some key aspects but they can’t do it without “they’re here!” or the clown.

Pudsey the Dog, along with his owner Ashleigh, was last year’s Britain’s Got Talent winner. While James Corden, Colm Meaney and Julie Walters will be the leading trio in biopic of opera singer Paul Potts (first ever winner of BGT) will be going down the route of a biopic, Pudsey: The Movie will have it’s own untold story of the canine going to “the sleepy village of Chuffington on Sea” while encountering ghastly landlords and vindictive felines. David Walliams, who was on the judging panel guiding Pudsey to victory, will voice the BGT champion in this small scale adventure.

Just a quick notice for the other two stars. Benedict Cumberbatch has signed on for The Lost City of Z. Brad Pitt’s company, Plan B, have had this particular project in production for a while. Pitt originally intended to star but is now comfortable that Sherlock is capable of helming the cast. After pulling out of Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak and quickly slashing the Star Wars rumours, we think Cumberbatch has his next major role, post Assange in The Fifth Estate, in the bag.

Acting legend Sir Ian McKellen will play a very different Sherlock Holmes. He’s not replacing Robert Downey Jr and teaming up with Jude Law and Guy Ritchie for a Game of Shadows sequel though. He will play the Victorian detective in, the Oscar winning, Bill Condon’s Slight Trick of the Mind. Condon brought us the last two instalments of the Twilight Saga (Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2). It’s set long after the death of John Watson (so no Jude Law or Martin Freeman then) and will see an ageing Holmes in a plot intertwining three stories involving Sussex, Japan and the still unsolved Case of the Glass Armonicist.

Poltergeist is out in 2014

Pudsey: The Movie will begin shooting this September so perhaps a late 2015 release

The Lost City of Z could be out in 2016

Slight Trick of the Mind will begin shooting April 2014 so perhaps a early 2015 release

The Twelfth Doctor revealed, Bourne 5, Poltergeist reboot and much more

If your’re reading this, thanks for still coming to Tuorhoth Movies despite our recent absence. In this post we’re going to give a very quick summary of what happened in the last few days in the film, and a small but of television, news world. If you’re avoiding the identity of the new Doctor Who, you may not want to read on.

We were given short notice that the 12th Doctor would be unveiled on Sunday with the BBC only making the statement a few days before. On the night, Zoe Ball presented the half an hour show on BBC One with her guests, all avid Who fans. They including Outnumbered’s Daniel Roche, Liza Tarbuck and the Fifth Doctor Peter Davidson himself as well as head writer Steven Moffat and a crowd 400 strong,

Towards the end of the show, we we’re getting closer to the all important name that, in the days prior, was the bookies favourite. It was none other than Peter Capaldi. The 55 year old Glaswegian star will be the third Scot to play the legendary role. He will be best known to BBC comedy fans as Malcolm Tucker in hit show The Thick of It, which last year had it’s fourth season, and it’s spin off film In the Loop. His 2nd role in film was in Local Hero and has since starred in World War Z (which we’ll get to later) and the upcoming films The Fifth Estate, Benedict Cumberbatch in Julian Assange biopic, and Maleficent, Angelina Jolie’s new dark fantasy. His role in World War Z could be a cunning in-joke to tease his next TV role as the Doctor. He’s credited as WHO (World Health Organisation) Doctor which I wouldn’t suspect is a coincidence.

Capaldi is no stranger to Doctor Who. When he was 15 year’s old, he wrote to the Radio Times about the show. In season four of the show’s revival, he played a citizen of the Roman Empire in The Fires of Pompeii and was also a major political figure in Torchwood’s Children of Earth run. Next year he will star in The Musketeers, BBC’s high budget take on the classic story.

Peter Capaldi will first be seen as The Doctor in this year’s Christmas Special, marking the show’s 800th episode, after Matt Smith gives up the role he’s had for four years. The 50th Anniversary special will be aired this November and will star Matt Smith (The Eleventh Doctor), David Tennant (The Tenth), John Hurt (The Time War incarnation of The Doctor), Jenna Louise Coleman (Clara Oswald), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), Jemma Redgrave (UNIT science officer Kate Stewart from season 7’s The Power of Three) and Joanna Page (Gavin and Stacey’s Stacey as Queen Elizabeth I). Peter Capaldi and Jenna Louise Coleman will star in Doctor Who season 8 in August 2014.

All Steven Moffat/Mark Gatiss/Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman fans will be delighted to see the new Sherlock series 3 trailer online. Sherlock will hopefully return this autumn or very early next year and yes that is John with the mustache.

Rashida Jones has joined the new Dreamworks animation BOO: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations. The Parks and Recreation star will lend her voice to the comedy that already stars Seth Rogen. While Hasbro get big box office success with Transformers and Battleship, Mattel are getting back at them with an adaptation of Max Steel in development. Is this the start of a new toy franchise war on the big-screen? Clint Eastwood has added more castings to his upcoming film Jersey Boys. The film is released next year and will star Christopher Walken and now Jeremy Luke and Joey Russo.

Jeremy Renner is now in talks for another Bourne film. He played rogue Aaron Cross in the relatively unliked Legacy were the absence of Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne was clear. Perhaps in this, Damon can return with Renner is a supporting role or perhaps an antagonist. Anthony Peckham, writer of Guy Ritchie, Jude Law and Robert Downey JR’s Sherlock Holmes and Clint Eastwood, Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman’s Invictus, is now on board to write the sequel with it’s announced 2015 release.

A new poster for Marvel’s new live-action TV show Agents of SHIELD is now up. We see all six of our heroes in front of a SHIELD crest. It doesn’t exactly tease much as to the events of this autumn. Steven Spielberg has left American Sniper. This is one of many delayed Spielberg projects after the development crash of Robopocalypse. Bradley Cooper was set to star in this reality based thriller but it’ll have to wait for a new director to board Warner Bros’ in their development.

Sam Rockwell is now in talks for a Poltergeist reboot. The star of Seven Psychopaths and Moon is reported by The Wrap to be in early discussions for the continuation of the chillingly brilliant 1982 ghostly hit but will most likely forget it’s hugely disappointing predecessors Poltergeist II: The Other Side, Poltergeist III and Poltergeist: The Legacy. It’ll be interesting to see the family adventure director Gil Kenan (Monster House, City of Ember) will make of a horror classic. The film will also star Cinderella Man’s Rosemarie DeWitt.

Ellen DeGeneres will host the next Academy Awards. The Finding Nemo and Ellen DeGeneres show star hosted the Oscars before, in 2007, and will present the world’s biggest movie calender event Spring next year.

Benedict Cumberbatch has joined animation The Penguins of Madagascar. The big screen spin off of Dreamworks’ Madagascar trilogy and the penguins own TV show will now star Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek: Into Darkness, Sherlock) and John Malkovich will voice Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private’s new nemesis.

JJ Abrams will not direct Star Trek 3, due to conflicts with Disney’s Star Wars, but it is unknown who will. He is however producer so we can expect him to oversee the project and make sure that lensflares burn our eyes at every possible second. It’s a done deal for screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and Star Trek will most likely return in 2016 as they celebrate 50 years of the franchise. Bond’s 50th anniversary party boosted Skyfall into the billion dollar territory (currently only achieved by 16 films ever) and it definitely could bring box office delights for Paramount.

Christopher McQuarrie will direct Mission: Impossible 5. He announced it on Twitter with two words Mission: Accepted. Series figurehead Ethan Hunt will return with Tom Cruise once more in the role while Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton are rumoured to reprise their roles from Ghost Protocol as well as Ving Rhames as Luther. Their unlikely to leave out comical IMF agent Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg). McQuarrie has worked with Tom Cruise before on ropey cop flick Jack Reacher as well as writing The Usual Suspects, The Tourist, Jack the Giant Slayer and Valkyrie.

Leonardo Di Caprio is set for Viking drama King Harald which Mel Gibson was developing. A new Muppets Most Wanted trailer has headed our way with promotion as the best motion picture ever. A fairly bold claim seeing as it has Scooter and a hoard of penguins shuffling to Maroon 5’s Moves like Jagger. Finally, we here shocking news that Harrison Ford will be in The Expendables 3. Bruce Willis has left the project now as Sylvester Stallone tweets Bruce Willis out, Harrison Ford in.