Category: film

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A fifth Indiana Jones? Frank Marshall points to “not happening”

Interviews with producer Frank Marshall seem to indicate that Indiana Jones 5 seemes unlikely to happen. Marshall is likely to be pretty close in the loop on such things, as one of the producers on all four films in the Indiana Jones series and husband to Kathleen Kennedy, fellow Indy producer and recently named to be George Lucas’ successor at Lucasfilm.

Talking with Collider, Marshall responded that there’s no MacGuffin for a fifth film, and that Lucas, who is retiring from the reins at Lucasfilm, isn’t that interested in another flick for the archaeologist:

“Yeah, no he isn’t [hungry to do another Indiana Jones]. And he’s obviously passing the baton to my wife, so.”

Earlier in the week, Marshall told Crave that Lucas wasn’t working on the screenplay to an Indiana Jones film, claiming that a “really good story” is “hard to do”. With Lucas not at the helm of the franchise, does this mean that that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was Indy’s last hurrah? Marshall seems to think so:

“I say, for me, [Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is] the last hurrah.”

Meanwhile, the Blu-ray release of Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (there’s a fitting title if Marshall’s talk proves correct) comes out September 18.

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Mary Poppins to face Voldemort at the Olympics?

A British newspaper is reporting that a 40-foot He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and Mary Poppins – among other noted characters of British literature – will be featured in the Opening Ceremonies of the London Olympics on Friday. The Sunday Times writes:

About 30 actors each depicting Mary Poppins, the magical English nanny played by Julie Andrews in the 1964 Disney film, will descend from the roof of the stadium on wires and “float” to the ground with their opened umbrellas. The nightmare will be banished and happiness restored. “It’s a jaw-dropping sequence,” said one source.

If this is true, it’s going to be completely batshit. I hope it’s true.

In other news, I hear they’ve reached out for some rather unorthodox help in other areas.

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Amanda Plummer is Wiress in Catching Fire; Melissa Leo, Tony Shalhoub and Sam Claflin up for other roles

The big Hunger Games casting news today is the casting of Amanda Plummer. Plummer, perhaps most familiar as ‘Honey Bunny’ in Pulp Fiction, will be playing the role of Wiress (Nuts,) a previous victor of the Hunger Games and an important ally for Katniss and Peeta in Catching Fire.

Meanwhile, Variety reports that Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Snow White and the Huntsman) is a leading contender for the key role of Finnick. The fan-casting has been pretty contentious for this role, so things may get a bit testy if this pans out.

Variety also highlights some much less-likely-to-be controversial frontrunners: Oscar winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) for Mags, and Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub (Monk) for Wiress’ cohort Beetee, aka Volts.

I think Plummer is a great choice, and both Leo and Shalhoub would be fantastic (though Leo is rather young for Mags, who’s supposed to be 80-something) and big gets for the production. Claflin I’m not so sure about – I know that many Hunger Games fans were looking in a different direction. Still, there have been much worse choices in the hat for Finnick.

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Trailer: Oz The Great and Powerful

The first trailer (high-res) for Sam Raimi’s Wizard of Oz prequel, starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. It’s… I don’t know? But then again, I’m pretty sure Wicked overexposure – and that awful SyFy miniseries a few years back – has pretty much burned me out on Oz all-together. On the other hand, the cast is more or less a Successful Alumni of 90’s Teen TV reunion, which amuses me to no end. Your thoughts?

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Lionsgate splits Mockingjay adaption in two movies

It’s long been rumored that Lionsgate would follow in the footsteps of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Twilight: Breaking Dawn, but now it’s official: The adaption of the third Hunger Games book will be two movies, Deadline reports.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 will debut on November 21, 2014, with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 on November 20, 2015. The second adaption, Catching Fire, is slated for November 22, 2013 and due to begin filming early next year.

Does Mockingjay need two movies? Well, it’s not a huge book, ala Deathly Hallows, but there is quite a bit going on that could be expanded on… As we saw in The Hunger Games, opening the story up beyond Katniss’ immediate point of view gives a more detailed version of the story, and of all the books, Mockingjay may have the most spaces to fill. So while, yes, it’s an obvious money-grubbing, franchise expanding move, it could work out very well.

In other Hunger Games news, Lionsgate yesterday confirmed the first casting for Catching Fire: Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) will play Plutarch Heavensbee, the new Head Gamemaker. It’s been reported that Jena Malone (Donnie Darko, Sucker Punch) has been offered the role of Johanna Mason.

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SDCC: Lucasfilm brings out live snakes, Well of Lost Souls for Indiana Jones Blu-ray

COBRA!!!!!!Lucasfilm will be promoting the upcoming release of the Indiana Jones quadrilogy on Blu-ray by having a recreation of the Well of Lost Souls at Comic-Con, with live snakes. WITH LIVE SNAKES! Talk about a ubercool photo op for fans of the Harrison Ford adventures. or uberscary, if you are an ophidiophobe. Lucasfilm’s snake pit will be located at booth #2913. Those who pre-order the set will also get a $25 gift card to Sideshow Collectibles.

Check out the Indiana Jones Blu-ray trailer at the LA Times Hero Complex. They also report that, in time for the Blu-ray release on September 18, the Indiana Jones and the Adventures of Archeology museum exhibition will be finally hitting the States, starting off in Orange County’s Discovery Science Center (which just recently finished the Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibition).

No telling whether your photos will also have the tell-tale glass between you and the cobra, but at least you’ll get to say “Snakes? Why did it have to be snakes?”