Best Stories Of The Week: Muppets, Mutants, Mad Max & More
We’re always thankful when it’s Friday. Not only is it the beginning of the weekend, but that’s when new movies are in theaters everywhere. And now Friday will also be when you can catch up on all the important stories from the week before. Starting with this post, every Friday, we’ll recap some of the best stories of the week, from the biggest trailers to the most buzzed about movie news to our own features and editorials.
This week was chock full of big stories, from a new trailer forGuillermo del Toro’sCrimson Peakto a sneak peek at the return ofThe Muppetsto television. We also had a glowing review ofMad Max: Fury Road(in theaters now), news of a new project at Fox expanding theX-Men universeand much more. Check out all the best stories of the week after the jump!
Warner Bros. has commissioned another big screen adaptation ofThe Fugitive, the classic TV series which was already turned into a fairly iconic crime thriller starringHarrison FordandTommy Lee Jones. In fact, there’s even a chance that Ford and Jones could return in some capacity. Get more details, including who’s writing the script,right here.
Check out the trailer for the truly unique dramaThe Tribe, which our own Russ Fischersays still haunts him.
Our own Peter Sciretta went to the grand opening of the newSpringfieldattraction atUniversal Studios, recreating iconic locations, characters and treats fromThe Simpsons. Check out a whole slew of photosright here.
And in case you didn’t know, beforePeter Scirettacreated /Film and went vagabonding around the hometown ofThe Simpsons, he was an aspiring filmmaker, just like many of you. He recounts the whole process of making his first movie in thisvery personal feature from this past week, and you may also watch the film’s trailer. If you have any interest in filmmaking, it’s a must-read.
Continuing Hollywood’s obsession with remakes, we learned thatSony Picturesis developing aremakeof the 90s cult classicThe Craft. It looks like the 90s are becoming the new 80s and studios begin plucking properties that are rope for remakes and reboots. Find out who’s directing the remake ofThe Craftright here.
Join the rest of the internet in being perplexed, mystified and blinded by the colorful and crazy trailer forJem and the Holograms, the adaptation of the animated series from the 80s, withG.I. Joe: RetaliationdirectorJon M. Chuat the helm. Check out thefilm’s poster right here, and seemore images from this insane flick over here.
Join the discussion about whether it’s fair to be apprehensive about a movie based on the studio’s apparent lack of faith in a movie. This all started when it was noted that press screenings ofCameron Crowe’s latest movieAlohaare only happening a few days before the film hits theaters, and reviews are embargoed until the day before it arrives. Learn more about the studio’s release strategy process and chime in with your thoughtsright here.
ForX-Men: Apocalypse, franchise starJames McAvoywill finally be going bald to playProfessor Charles Xavierthis time. DirectorBryan Singerposted a behind the scenes photo of McAvoy getting his head shaved so it can be nice and shiny. See McAvoy with no hairright here.
After being previously rumored to lead theHarry Potterspin-off prequelFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, best on the fictional textbook from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,Eddie Redmayne(The Theory of Everything) is officially in talks for the lead role in the film.Check out the full reportto see what we know about the movie so far.
In honor ofPitch Perfect 2, featuring the stellar a cappella group The Barden Bellas, we put forth a list of theTop 15 Best Bands in Movies. It doesn’t include solo artists or real bands happen to appear in movies. These are bands that were first created as characters, though some of them were also legitimate musicians who went on to have real albums that topped the charts.Find out if your favorite band made the cut on the full list.
After returning to the big screen in 2011 after an extended hiatus,The Muppetsare heading back to television with an all-new series on ABC. This time there’s a documentary following everyone’s favorite Jim Henson creations as they embark on creating a new television show. It looks like exactly what a great new Muppets television show should be.Get more information about the show in our original post.
Brad Birdsees his latest film, the sci-fi adventureTomorrowland, hit theaters next week. And for his next project, it sounds like he’ll be sticking around at Disney. Fans have been waiting years forThe Incredibles 2, and Bird has confirmed that it will be his next film. We speculate as to when we might see the film in theaters inour full report over here.
As production nears, the cast of the firstStar Wars Anthologyfilm is growing. Mexican actorDiego Lunahas joined the cast ofStar Wars: Rogue One, though specifics on his character have yet to be revealed. However, we might have some brief new information on whoBen Mendelsohnwill be playing.Get more details in the original news post.
WithCaptain MarvelandBlack Panthernot too far away on Marvel’s future slate, the studio is on the hunt for a director for both projects. And one of the names in the mix for one or the other isAva DuVernay, fresh off directing last year’s Best Picture nominated historical drama Selma. Either one would benefit from her talent behind the camera.Learn more right here.
An extended trailer forCBS’s first comic book television series,Supergirl, has soared in. Fans seem to be pretty divided, so watch the trailer for yourself, and thenjoin the discussion with your thoughts.
While we’ve heard that Bryan Singer’sX-Menfranchise may be coming to an end, in favor of continuing the series with theX-Men: First Classcast, 20th Century Fox won’t be abandoning mutants anytime soon. This week brought news thatThe Fault in Our StarsdirectorJosh Boonewill be at the helm ofThe New Mutants, a spin-off of the X-Men franchise following a whole new team of gifted people. If you don’t know anything about The New Mutants,we’ve got plenty of details in our original story.
It sounds like we might be getting our newSpider-Manvery soon. A fairly reliable rumor has surfaced saying thatEnder’s GameandHugostarAsa Butterfieldis now in official negotiations to play the new Peter Parker who will be made part of Marvel’s cinematic universe. However, other sources are saying that a final decision hasn’t been made and someone else could end up with the gig. Get all thedetails onSpider-Mancasting right here.
Simon Pegghas beenrumored for some sort of small cameoinStar Wars: The Force Awakenssince last fall, but we don’t know who he might play. Well, while promoting theromantic comedyMan Upacross the pond, a reporter asked about his potential cameo. Pegg confirmed that he’s in the movie, and then he also confirmed another rumor thatDaniel Craighas a cameo too. But to find out who’s he’s playingyou’ll have to read our original story.Supergirlisn’t the only new DC Comics television series hitting the air this fall.The CWcontinues to bring DC’s heroes to the small screen withDC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Coincidentally enough, the series stars former Superman starBrandon Routhas part of a team of heroes trying to save the day, all with the help of time travel. Check out the first trailer, and thenlet everyone know what you think over here.
What a lovely day!Mad Max: Fury Roadis in theaters now. It has a98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while it may not topplePitch Perfect 2at the box office this weekend, audiences should be seeking out this truly epic action flick immediately. It’s the first time in a long time you’re able to call a film a non-stop thrill ride and actually mean it. Our ownRuss Fischerhas moreextensive thoughts on the film in his glowing review, plus he alsoput together a primer on the moviefor people who may need some extra information. So see what he thinks and then see the movie. Or see the movie and then read that stuff. It’s your life.
The Simpsonsmay be losing one of the most integral parts of the show. Voice actorHarry Shearer, who helps bring characters likeMr. BurnsandNed Flandersto life on the long-running animated series, isreportedly leaving the showafter some disputes behind the scenes for his new contract for the recently ordered two-season renewal. There’s a chance a deal could still be worked out, but we’ll see what happens. In the meantime, check outGermain Lussier’s countdown ofHarry Shearer’s 25 greatest characters from the showthat we may end up losing.
Finally, we have the gorgeous new theatrical trailer forGuillermo del Toro’s gothic haunted house horror flickCrimson Peak. The film featuresTom HiddlestonandMia Wasikowskaalong with some pretty creepy imagery and ghosts. It certainly looks like one of the most grand horror movies we’ve seen in a long time. But we also hope it’s truly scary as well. Sound off with your thoughts in our original post.
That’s all for theBest Stories of the Weekfor now. Stay tuned to see what happens next week!
