Today's News: New Black Underworld

This is all I have to show for this week, since there wasn't much news to begin with, plus I had to deal with a minor illness.

Fox maakt X-Men spin-off

Technically, Fox already was making an X-Men spin-off with Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool, but most fans wouldn't want to be reminded of the connection between the two names after the dismal way the character was handled in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. By any rate, this new project has far more ties with the X-Men proper to warrant the designation 'spin-off'. Same school, even some of the same characters, but mostly new faces. Younger ones, too, though the "true" X-Men are already undergoing a sort of rejuvenation with the younger cast currently assembled for X-Men: Apocalypse. But hey, that's likely a different time line, so that's where that comparison ends. Interestingly enough, reports indicate the studio opts for a standalone approach to this film, even though it offers much material for expanding the X-lore, which would help in building that cinematic universe Fox previously seemed eager to get going. Maybe they wisely let that thought go. It already seems they abandoned plans for a crossover between the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, and now even their X-titles will refrain from intertwining. Maybe Fox had a look at the manner in which rival studio Sony mishandled the Spider-Man franchise despite initially harbouring great plans for an epic fleshing out of the character's world. That failed, and Sony felt the need to work together with that other rival, Marvel itself, to recraft the character into something the fans do appreciate. It's not inconceivable Fox is attempting to keep the same from happening to their X-verse, so for now, they're taking it one step at a time again. It only takes one piece of the puzzle of a cinematic universe failing to fit in to get the house crashing down after all, and with six Marvel movies currently in the works, that's something Fox would want to deter. Besides, in the case of New Mutants, not much effort is needed to let the spectators know this story is taking place in the same realm as the X-films they've already seen. The name Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and the often dropped term 'mutants' are dead giveaways if ever we saw them. You don't need many recurring characters - apart from Xavier himself, perhaps - to understand the connection.

Regisseur voor Black Panther gevonden?

I find the notion of hiring a director based on the colour of his/her skin or her gender to fit the profile of the protagonist of the piece somewhat disturbing. It makes more sense to go for the quality of his/her work first and foremost, other attributes being a bonus rather than an obligation for the job. I thought it had already been disproven that only black people can direct other black people, and only women understand women. This is the 21st Century, shouldn't we have grown past such levels of discrimination? Even though, admittedly, it does benefit getting said minorities in the directing chair, since I won't deny the number of black and female directors for Hollywood blockbusters is still meagre at best. So sure, give Ava DyVernay the directing gig of either Black Panther or Captain Marvel, she's shown ample skills in making movies to deserve it. Considering her previous film, Selma, already dealt with what in a sweeping instance of generalization on my part can be termed "black issues", I would prefer to see her tackle Captain Marvel, just to show she can avoid limiting herself in terms of topics. However, Black Panther is definitely of historical significance to the coloured community - or at least, it ought to be - so as to avoid any potential black backlash, I can't blame Marvel for wanting a black director. At least Black Panther isn't a female character, so having a woman directing a male superhero is worthy of some notice. But I would have preferred it entirely if Marvel had shown some true guts and had stated they wanted DuVernay for something not related to her as a person, like Thor: Ragnarok. A black woman directing a blond, blue eyed male thunder god, now that would be progress.

Beckinsale terug voor Underworld 5

And here's a female's return to the big screen I could have done without. The Underworld movies can be categorized in the same type of film as the likes of Resident Evil, mindless action flicks that have a total B-movie vibe around them but still get surprisingly major releases. And both franchises are running for a lot longer than people usually realize. I wasn't even aware there was a fourth movie. Still, some people apparently keep paying to see them, so the studio keeps making more. All good and well, I understand the way the world works, even though I would have preferred to see that money spent on  more original projects. Kate Beckinsale isn't hard to look at anyway, though that's totally sexist of me. Her acting suffices for the subject matter, but is otherwise simply forgettable, few would disagree. Apparently, she wasn't expected to revisit this particular character again, but the odds turned out in Underworld's favour. Maybe she's hoping this franchise will develop in similar lines as the Fast & Furious franchise, which also seemed to be in decline halfway through, and then against expectations got bigger and better all of a sudden, to become the eagerly antincipated blockbuster series it is today. I doubt fate has that in store for Underworld, but that's what people undoubtedly said about F&F back in the days. Playing an undead character sure doesn't hurt Beckinsale's chances.

Today's News: It's a Marvelous world

It's a tumultuous week in terms of Marvel movie news.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157762/marvel_maakt_black_panther

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157763/marvel_kondigt_infinity_war_aan

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157764/titels_captain_america_3_en_thor_3_bekendgemaakt

Quite the stirring live-event that was, when Marvel announced its new five-year plan. It looks like the Marvel Cinematic Universe will undergo a lot of upheaval soon. Old characters get tossed around and in some cases, likely killed. Fortunately, fascinating new characters will step in to even the score a bit. Question of course, is whether these new kids will prove to have an equal amount of staying power. Marvel sure has listened to the fanbase's loudest requests, while at the same time opting for diversification of characters. A black superhero film, a female heroine carrying her own movie; the sky is the limit as it is in the comics. Time to kill of all the chauvinist blond male characters while we're at it, they must have thought. And so Cap is marching towards Civil War. It killed him in the comics and, just as in the case of the source material, his successor is already in place to take over the shield. At the same time, Thor is facing Ragnarok and the end of all things, which also doesn't bode well for him, not to mention the universe. The universe is in deep trouble already as Thanos is finally stepping up out of the shadows of cosmic villainy to assume his place as ultimate bad guy, as he at last acquires that Infinity Gauntlet with which Marvel has been teasing us for a few years now. A single movie wasn't enough to tell that epic tale of heroism and sacrifice, so it's split into two parts. It may even be enough to throw the Guardians of the Galaxy into the mix - as they have plenty of ties to Thanos too - though both movies are explicitly labelled as Avengers flicks. Shit is swiftly hitting the fan.

What will remain for Marvel's Phase 4, one cannot help but wonder. The Infinity War seems a very tough act to follow. Though it appears unlikely the very popular founding Avengers like Cap, Thor and Iron Man will be retired for good, it seems the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have to make do without them sometime soon. New heroes will rise, but a team consisting of Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther and Captain Marvel will find itself with the task to fill some very big boots. Diversity is key, possibly enticing a broader audience, while also adding more room for relatable conflicts and engaging character dynamics, the type of things Joss Whedon excels at (I doubt the Avengers movies will lose him as showrunner anytime soon). Of course, such a group will only be as good as its separate components. Captain Marvel remains to be cast, but it's now very likely Benedict Cumberbatch will assume the mantle of Doctor Strange. Though he was not my first choice, casting such a fine actor definitely won't hurt. I'm less sure about the casting of Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, simply because I'm not familiar with the man's work. He's rather unknown, which is probably for the best, as to the general audience the same can be said for Black Panther himself. It wasn't like Chris Hemsworth was such a wellknown guy before he became the God of Thunder, yet that turned out pretty well. Seasoned actors and eager young dogs, a potent combination as ever. Fortunately the Marvel veterans will still be around for a movie or two to guide these newbies, nevermind their acting experience, into the Marvel fold. I bet we can expect a situation along the lines of that old saying, 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'. And though I'm a strong proponent of change in movies, I would like to stay the Marvel Cinematic Universe equally exciting at is it, if not more so. Seems that's exactly what's gonna happen.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157724/eerste_poster_fast__furious_7

This franchise, too, has hardly changed since its inception. New faces come and go (and usually come again), but the core ensemble remains the same, as does the recipe of fast cars, tough guys, sexy dames and plenty of action. Paul Walker's untimely death has not changed that, though whether the studio feels the need to make another movie without him after Furious 7 remains to be seen (though I know the answer, if the boxoffice will be any indication). It's safe to say Furious 7 is the most ambitious entry in the franchise so far, even though the ingredients have not been altered. Virtually the entire main cast is back, while several popular actors have been added to the mix to spice things up even more. A director hardly familiar with the genre but quite proven in another has so far steered this project succesfully around its many pitfalls, including the loss of Walker. This conservative teaser poster is a clear indication little has changed to the franchise's success formula despite everything thrown at it. The audience will get what it wants, and a lot more. It's just those shorter titles people will have to get used to, since nobody has time anymore for long titles these days.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157735/nieuwe_posters_exodus_gods_and_kings

Which didn't stop the producers of Exodus: Gods and Kings to add a redundant subtitle to the name of the film. Exodus itself would definitely have sufficed. The addition is just there to hit the character struggle at the core of the movie's narrative home that much harder. It seems to be a classic story of brohter versus brother, one of them being the Pharaoh/King, the other his closest friend who ends up defying him because God tells him to do so (ah, the destructive power of faith running rampant!). I think these posters oversell that point and focus a little too much on these characters, even though I know full well it's all about them. I guess the supporting cast wasn't interesting or vital enough to warrant posters of their own. No one-sheets with grand actors like Ben Kingsley or Sigourney Weaver, or younger, more popular ones like Aaron Paul. Too bad, but at least we get a good chance to admire the detailed work that went into making Bale and Edgerton's fabulous period armour.