Though only just returned from the edge of the death, TJ does not fail to bring you this week’s fun movie goodness! For starters, the upcoming ‘Star Trek’ film has 2 new writers. The more the merrier! TJ made a mistake with his box office analysis earlier in the week in regards to ‘Frozen’ for which he apologizes. AFI has announced their top 10 movies and TV shows. Joe Cornish is not directing the next ‘Star Trek’ film. Paramount is working on ‘Jack Reacher 2’. ‘World War Z’ Sequel has an announced director. Joe stepped in on ‘The MovieByte Podcast’ this week for TJ to talk with Chad about ‘Frozen’ and you probably won’t want to miss that episode. ‘Agents of SHIELD’s’ ratings fell again this week, which is quite the bummer! And of course, find out what to see this weekend.
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J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have been tapped to write Star Trek 3[sic] for Paramount and Skydance Productions.
The duo will join Roberto Orci, who co-wrote the first two installments of the reboot with partner Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof. Orci is working without Kurtzman on this one.
The next Star Trek film is untitled and unscheduled, but Paramount and Skydance are hoping to have a film in time for the franchise to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016. Stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana are expected to return.
As most of you will remember (it’s only been a couple weeks), I used to post a weekly feature every Monday called The Box Office Report. The problem for me was that it was starting to feel routine and boring for me so I quit. But I’m going to sort of bring it back. I’m no longer going to feel obligated to post the top 8, but instead I’ll post about what I think is fun, what I care about, and/or what is important. So lets get started:
December 9, 2013 – The American Film Institute (AFI) today announced the official selections of AFI AWARDS 2013 – 10 outstanding films and 10 outstanding television programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of the year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image.
An almanac documenting works of excellence that mark a moment in time, AFI AWARDS is also the only national honor for the community’s creative ensembles as a whole, acknowledging the collaborative nature of the art form. Honorees are selected based on works which best advance the art of the moving image, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form, inspire audiences and artists alike, and/or make a mark on American society.
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
12 YEARS A SLAVE
AMERICAN HUSTLE
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
FRUITVALE STATION
GRAVITY
HER
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
NEBRASKA
SAVING MR. BANKS
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
THE AMERICANS
BREAKING BAD
GAME OF THRONES
THE GOOD WIFE
HOUSE OF CARDS
MAD MEN
MASTERS OF SEX
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
SCANDAL
VEEP
And while just over a month ago, Cornish emerged as Paramount’s top choice to direct “Star Trek 3,”[sic] it looks like he won’t be going into the final frontier.
Among Variety’s recent news that J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay were joining the tentpole to write alongside franchise mainstay Roberto Orci (though, no sign of Alex Kurtzman) was the little nugget that Cornish is “is no longer involved” with the movie. No reason is given for why the talks may have broken down between the studio and filmmaker, and everything is pressing ahead to try and meet a 2016 release date.
Although the Christopher McQuarrie-directed “Jack Reacher” opened to a muted response stateside last Christmas—its opening haul was $15 million with the final domestic tally just over $80 million—international audiences were more kind, with the Lee Child adaptation making $138 million abroad. Naturally, Paramount is looking to get back into business with the anti-hero.
Deadline reports plans are being made to do a “Jack Reacher 2.” Instead of tackling any of the other seventeen novels, Paramount and Skydance Productions are looking at Child’s latest installment, this fall’s “Never Go Back,” to use as the basis for the 2012 film’s sequel. The novel sees Reacher return to the Virginia headquarters of his old Army unit where he gets arrested for an old crime he doesn’t remember committing and finds out that he may have fathered a child.
Juan Antonio Bayona, the man who put Naomi Watts through hell in “The Impossible,” has been tapped to direct “World War Z: Title To Be Determined.” But as you’ve probably already guessed, it’s still very early stages. In fact there are no writers on board—though Pitt has already said ideas have been percolating—but Bayona will apparently oversee that process as well. Undoubtedly, this will probably wait until there is a finished script that everyone likes before moving forward.
With TJ reportedly on his death bed (or something like that), Joe and Chad hold down the fort this week. Join them to find out their thoughts on the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise and what Disney’s recent acquisition of that property means and whether future films would be a good thing. And since TJ is not in the game to spoil their fun they can freely talk about the rebooted ‘Spider-Man’ film franchise and the upcoming ‘Spider-Man’ films, and so they do. And you always wanted to know if ‘The Hobbit’ extended edition is better than the bloated and over-long theatrical version, right? But of course. And before diving into the primary review this week of ‘Frozen’, Chad and Joe discuss the Disney Animation short film that accompanies the feature film. In summary they found it delightful. And in summary they also found ‘Frozen’ quite delightful and a great film to be the subject of conversation!
ABC’s cliffhanger-filled Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this Tuesday slipped to a new series low, drawing 6.1 million total viewers and a 2.1 demo rating, per finals — down 12 percent opposite a fresh episode of NCIS.
You know, regardless of your feelings about the first installment in this trilogy, you’re probably going to see it at some point. Good or bad, for better or worse, The Hobbit films are/will be a cultural phenomenon. And there’s certainly far worse things in the world.
But a Tolkien adaptation is not your only new option this week… well actually that depends. Saving Mr. Banks is in limited release this weekend. I can’t actually figure out where it’s playing but who knows, maybe it’s somewhere near you.