Sci-Fi Storm

Deadpool shouldn’t be the successful film it is.

Sure, it’s a superhero movie and that’s all the rage. And it’s a Marvel movie at that. And it exists within the X-Men universe (which one isn’t clear, even to the protagonist) and features a couple of them.

But it’s R-rated, with lots of violence, nudity and sexual references, it parodies the genre and itself, makes fun of the star, breaks the fourth wall, it opened mid-winter, the studio cut the budget, it stars the guy who previously played Green Lantern…the list goes on. At best, it could make a moderately-successful movie off of a “puny” (for superhero movies) budget of $58 million. Some of the most generous estimates saw maybe $80 million.

Then WHY is it approaching $250 million this weekend?!? Because it’s a frakkin’ good movie.

From the get go the film doesn’t take itself too seriously. Instead of naming the actors, director, etc. in the opening credits, it does so descriptively; Ryan Reynolds as “God’s perfect idiot”, Morena Bacarrin as “a hot chick”, the producers as “asshats” and the director as an “overpaid idiot” and the writers as the “true heroes of the movie”. This, while Juice Newton’s “Angel of the Morning” is playing, during a slow motion continue shot of what appears to be massive carnage.

The vulgar references are not only keeping with the character, but help keep the focus of the movie light despite the violence. And even the violence is handled with levity.

Deadpool may have shown the studios the true power of social media as well, as even Reynolds campaigned for and championed this movie heavily, while Fox seemed willing to throw it away. Could it have been done PG-13? Sure. But it probably wouldn’t have been nearly as interesting.

Deadpool is laugh out loud funny – and it takes a lot to make me laugh out loud. Go see it…but please, leave the 10 year olds at home.

Update: Also announced today is that Benicio del Toro, Laura Dern and newcomer Kelly Marie Tran are joining the cast in (surprise!) unspecified roles.

Star Wars: Episode VIII officially entered production today, and it looks like it picks up right where it left off 🙂

Well, obviously that was filmed at Skellig Michael, where the final scene of Episode VII was filmed, and production begins on principal photography at Pinewood Studios today. But who cares – it has begun!

From the release:

Rey took her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will continue her epic journey with Finn, Poe and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the continuing Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Episode VIII, which began principal photography at Pinewood Studios in London on February 15, 2016.
(continue reading…)

Needing some time off after filming the Divergent films Insurgent and Allegiant back to back, director Robert Schwentke has decided to drop out of the final installment, Ascendant.

Ascendant was already slotted for a June 9th, 2017 release date, so Lionsgate will need to scramble to replace him.

If there was any thought that Star Wars: The Force Awakens would slow down by now, then you need to drink some more blue milk. Yesterday, the film hit $900 million at the domestic box office, after just 50 days of release, increasing it’s #1 position by a very large margin. And today it is expected to cross the $2 billion mark worldwide, closing in on #2 Titanic, which sits at $2.19B, and overall king Avatar at $2.78B.

We’re gonna need more duct tape…we know CBS has been excited about bringing MacGyver back as a rebooted series, and now they’ve given a green light to a series pilot, to be directed Furious 7‘s James Wan and written by Paul Downs Colaizzo, and now has original executive producer Henry Winkler on board, but Lionsgate has also announced yesterday during an analysts call that they are producing a feature film, as part of a discussion on simultaneous TV and film projects.

The movie is being developed by Fast And Furious producer Neal Moritz, who is working with original series creator Lee David Zlotoff. Nothing else is known at this time.

Actress Gwendoline Christie was on the red carpet last night for the SAG Awards, and while talking to People, mentioned that she’d be back in the next Star Wars movie, which is a good thing since otherwise she’d be the most hyped but underused character since Boba Fett’s original trilogy appearances.

“I will be in the next Star Wars movie. I think that’s an exclusive, actually,” she told the interviewer. “I was very overexcited. I made no secret of the fact that I really campaigned for the part for a long time, and then I was delighted when J.J. Abrams wanted to have me in the film and then wanted to cast me in this role that had originally been designed for a man.”

What’s curious is that this wasn’t exactly an exclusive – or new news, really. Back before the movie even came out, the LA Times ran an article about the women if Star Wars, and in it producer Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that Captain Phasma would return for Episode VIII. “She’s an important character, a baddie in the best sense of the word,” Kennedy said.

So, yes, it’s confirmed that Phasma somehow (SPOILERS!!!!!!) escapes the trash compactor (if our heroes did indeed toss her in one), AND escaped Starkiller Base before the whole planet blew up, and will be back. I wonder how shiny her chrome armor will be after that…

Just some quick stories…first, Han Solo himself, Harrison Ford, will star in a Wonderful World of Disney special called “Disneyland 60” where he will preview the upcoming Star Wars-themed park areas at both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios park in Walt Disney World. Filming of the special starts tomorrow and will air on February 21st on ABC. The special itself will focus on Disneyland’s 60th anniversary, with Derek Hough as host and Elton John, Josh Gad and Witney Carson already announced as guests.

The 100‘s Ricky Whittle will be protagonist Shadow Moon in the upcoming Starz adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, about the struggle between the old gods of mythology and the new gods that represent modern society’s influences – money, power, technology, etc. Ex-con Shadow find himself as a bodyguard to the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, “a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities.” Bryan Fuller and Michael Green are writers/showrunners, and David Slade (Hannibal) is directing the pilot and will direct additional episodes. Shooting is expected to start in April.

The Time After Time series remake for ABC we reported on in September has gotten a pilot order from ABC. It’s still early in the process as there does not appear to be any casting contingency in the pilot order, but I understand that studio Warner Bros. TV had one or more “if come” deals with casting directors if the project got picked up.

The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home.

So begins a spectacular saga of power and sacrifice in which war has many faces, and everyone fights for something.

Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) and written by Charles Leavitt and Jones, the film starring Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Rob Kazinsky and Daniel Wu is a Legendary Pictures, Blizzard Entertainment and Atlas Entertainment production.

In theaters June 10th, 2016

(and if you look closely, you’ll see one of our favorites, who has appeared in various Syfy and other genre programs: Ryan Robbins, who was been in Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Sanctuary, Continuum, Ascension and most recently Arrow)

It’s just a couple months away! Part one of the third book of the series (and sharing it’s name – part 2 will be called Ascendant), Divergent Series: Allegiant, where Tris must escape with Four and go beyond the wall enclosing Chicago. For the first time ever, they will leave the only city and family they have ever known in order to find a peaceful solution for their embroiled city. Once outside, old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless with the revelation of shocking new truths. Tris and Four must quickly decide who they can trust as a ruthless battle ignites beyond the walls of Chicago which threatens all of humanity. In order to survive, Tris will be forced to make impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.

Divergent Series: Allegiant debuts March 18th, 2016.

OK, my interest has shot WAY up…

Opens on August 5th