Tag Archives: Scarlett Johansson

Movie Trailers

The Jungle Book: New TV Spot & Cast Photos Showcase Amazing Visual Splendor

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Walt Disney Pictures has released a new TV spot showing off the photo-realistic  elements of Jon Favreau’s live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic adventure tale The Jungle Book, as well as a series of images featuring the film’s cast  posing next to their CGI counterparts.

The minute-long spot also brings out the immensely realistic recreation of the jungle and it’s residents, showing us effects of the state-of-the-art technology used for the movie. It certainly delivers on spectacle and is a return for Favreau to tent-pole films since his departure into mid-budget filmmaking with Chef. Take a look at the new TV spot for yourself:

Continue reading The Jungle Book: New TV Spot & Cast Photos Showcase Amazing Visual Splendor →

Movie News & Opinions

Ghost in the Shell: Scarlett Johansson Set for Lead Role

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When it comes to which female action star is prospering at the moment, we have to lend a round of applause to Scarlett Johansson. She’s been on fire lately thanks to her role as the acrobatic femme fatale Black Widow in several of Marvel Studios’ blockbuster films, and her surprise hit Lucy didn’t her either. However, it’s her latest reveal that we have high hopes for. Scarlett Johansson is set to star in the Ghost in the Shell big screen adaptation, which is big news for fans of the sci-fi themed anime.

English film director Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) has been tapped to handle the development of this film adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s beloved manga. Back in October of 2014, it was reported that Johansson was initially offered $10 million to take the role due to the exit of Margot Robbie (she reportedly ditched this to go film Suicide Squad instead). Once 2015 rolled around, it was revealed that Johansson finally decided to lend her action movie prowess to Ghost in the Shell.

Scarlett Johansson

This manga to film adaptation has been in the works for some time now. Once Sanders threw his directing credits behind the project last year, the film’s production finally began heading in the right direction. Two more Hollywood mainstays (Steven Paul and Avi Arad) are set to produce the movie, and Paramount Studios is said to be looking to throw their financial support behind the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsiepGvjjTM

So for all the uninformed Ghost in the Shell newcomers out there, here’s the basic rundown – the world of this manga is set primarily in the future. The use of technology allows the human race to swap out their body parts for cybernetic gear. Some humans have even gone so far as to replace their entire body with cybernetic parts, retaining their original being through the use of a “cyberbrain.” These brains are prone to hacking, which occurs when a criminal named the Puppet Master starts implanting false memories into people’s minds.

Ghost in the Shell

Johansson will take on the lead female heroine’s role and fight as a member of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission. She’ll have to use all of her covert-ops skills to hunt down and take down the dreaded Puppet Master. We’re hoping this Ghost in the Shell movie turns out be just as incredible as the original anime.

 Images: Marvel Studios, Universal Pictures, Shochiku

Movie Trailers

Her Trailer: Spike Jonze’s new Sci-Fi Romance

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Spike Jonze is back in the spotlight after about four years of no feature films, with his new flick Her. The story is about a heartbroken man who finds solace in an A.I computer that acts as his girlfriend, and it looks to be a cool blend of Sci-Fi over the basic falling in love storyline. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as the loner, who on paper sounds similar to his previous character in The Master as he looks to be disconnected and awkward in society. However, the portrayal in the trailer seems to be totally different, which goes to show Phoenix’s tremendous range. Accompanying him is a killer cast including Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers) as the computer voice Sarah, Rooney Mara (The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo), Amy Adams (The Master), Olivia Wilde (The Change Up), and Chris Pratt (Parks and Rec.). Check out the Her trailer below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzV6mXIOVl4#at=16

The film looks great, and it’s sure to be one in contention for awards later this year. What most excites me is the Sci-Fi Romance tone that Jonze seems to be getting at, akin to Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. Keeping the heart, and using the Sci-fi as simply a mechanism is what makes me excited for this.

Also, a neat note, this is Spike Jonze’s first solo screenwriting credit on a film, which hopefully proves to be a good thing as Sci-Fi is done best with a clear vision from start to finish.

her

Her opens November 20, just two days before the major blockbuster which is bound to make big bucks, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Movie Trailers

Hitchcock: Psycho and The Man Behind the Camera

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His influence on Hollywood horror, suspense, and thriller films is legendary, so much so that he’s been dubbed “The Master of Suspense.”  He worked with hundreds of famous names during the production of his movies, acting and producing talent alike.  His name is known worldwide.  And yet no one thought to make a movie about this great man as a director and person.

Now we’re getting two of them; Hitchcock and The Girl –  We’re only concerned with the first one for now though…

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Directed by Sacha Gervasi, Hitchcock will get a limited release in U.S. theaters this November.  Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Helen Mirren as his wife Alma Reville, the film follows the story of Hitchcock and his wife as he struggles to make the movie Psycho in 1959.  As if Hopkins and Mirren are not going to be enough joy to watch on-screen, they are joined by Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles, and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins; who of course played Norman Bates.

Hitchcock is supposedly going to be “a love story”, but we’re guessing from the trailer there will be a lot more to the film than hearts and kisses.

Hitchcock has elements of not just love between Hitchcock and Reville, but also some delightful hints of an underdog story.  According to Hollywood history, most people thought Hitchcock was mad to try a “low-class” horror film like Psycho, a situation which this trailer clearly exemplifies.  In addition, we see the typical struggle between an artist determined to go after his passion of creating a film and the producers and accountants who insist that it will be a financial flop.

Judging from the trailer, this film appears to have something everyone will enjoy.  There’s the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife for the romance lovers, and there’s the business and social tensions that arise around Hitchcock’s decisions for those of us who love a good drama.  Even more than that, though, will be the nostalgia this film brings to all film buffs.  Oh, and let’s not forget the dry British humor Hopkins already delivers so well in the three short minutes of the trailer.

Helen Mirren and Anthony Hopkins in Seriously, the breasts are there for a reason, darling.

Make sure to add Hitchcock to your list of movies to see this year — fortunately, you won’t have to wait very long.  In the meantime, check out this PSA in theatres now that Hopkins filmed as Hitchcock, begging movie-goers to avoid cell phone usage during films:

Movie News & Opinions

Your Writer/Director for The Avengers 2 is…

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Joss Whedon, come on down! You’ve just been chosen to continue on the path of greatness and while adding to your god-like status amongst the human population! According to several news sources, ranging from the Hollywood Reporter, EW.com, Newsrama etc., Joss Whedon is back in the saddle as your writer and director for Marvel’s The Avengers 2.

In the deal, Mr. Joss “I Own The World, Bow Before My Awesomeness” Whedon, signs a deal with Marvel Studios that keeps in the fold through the end of June 2015. In that, he will cover his duties as director and writer for The Avengers 2, as well as helping develop a live action series for ABC and, according to the Marvel Studios’ press release, “will also contribute creatively to the next phase of Marvel’s cinematic universe.” Basically, as I have read it, he will take the Jon Favreau role in making sure that the universe that Marvel Studios has cultivated will be ushered into the next set of movies, culminating in The Avengers 2 movie. You can bet that the TV show will deal in the Avengers universe and it is safe to say that it is NOT the Guillermo del Toro Hulk series being developed for ABC apparently. Excited much? Yessir. Let us face it, Joss Whedon knows his characters and his television. While not successful all the time in terms of nielsen ratings, his television shows always are great and at least will cater to the cult crowds and die hard geeks his drops his wisdom on. Plus if it’s set in the Marvel Universe, umm, insta-hit?

A live feed from the Whedon household after the deal

From a Hollywood perspective, this should be zero surprise of course. The Avengers has made 1.5 BILLION worldwide. A large part is because not only the commercial acclaim of putting together the most brilliant way to market your movie (uhh, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger? Yeah, those were basically marketing teasers for that movie, profitable ones too at the very least), but the critical acclaim that got people coming back for more. The onus on Whedon and Marvel was making sure the characters were enjoyable to watch and developed to where they both electrified the screen individually AND as a team. Whedon solidified the Marvel Studio’s universe in this movie because he made sure this ambitious project did not implode like a dying star. With egos and sheer enormous size of this project, this could have been an unmitigated disaster with everything that was going on but instead, Mr. Firefly himself controlled the movie and its stars (and the future of this universe) and made sure the next several movies are events flicks that people of all walks and sizes will need to see.

So let’s recap, this will be Joss Whedon’s universe for the next three years and with Iron Man 3 for May 3rd, 2013; Thor: The Dark World in November 8th, 2013; Captain America: The Winter Soldier for April 4th, 2013; Guardians of the Galaxy launching on August 1st, 2014; with possibly Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man figuring into the equation too, this will probably confirm Avengers 2 hitting theaters in 2015, right when the contract ends. Not too mention the TV show that, crossing my fingers and just a hypothetical guess, will probably be S.H.I.E.L.D. related? Excited? You know it baby. So much that this ScarJo pic will be used to match the badassness of this news.