Upcoming Science Fiction Movies

theweek.com...

WHY ARE SOME OF HOLLYWOOD'S BEST ACTORS STARING IN THE WORST ACTION MOVIES?

A very interesting analysis of Hollywood movies today. While Superhero franchises seem to rule (despite a bored box office in 2014), they include so many hints at mammoth comic book back-stories, that you need a comic reference book on your smartphone in the theater to understand it all.

At the other end of the spectrum, indie movies and (best selling globally) action/adventure flicks are merging, and Big Studio action movies have gone simple-stupid with interchangeable plots.

Has Hollywood given in to the Superhero franchises and their supposed "built in" audiences? Or are they basically making stupid-simple action flicks for just an international audience?

Discussion?

www.yahoo.com...

JAMES CAMERON PUSHES "AVATAR" SEQUELS BACK BY A YEAR

He's yet to deliver a shooting script to 20th Century Fox, so the next chapter in the saga won't hit theaters until Christmas 2017. A big part of the problem, is that Cameron will be shooting his sequel trilogy simultaneously, so that is going to be one massive 3- movie "shooting script."

originally posted by: MKMoniker
www.yahoo.com...

JAMES CAMERON PUSHES "AVATAR" SEQUELS BACK BY A YEAR

He's yet to deliver a shooting script to 20th Century Fox, so the next chapter in the saga won't hit theaters until Christmas 2017. A big part of the problem, is that Cameron will be shooting his sequel trilogy simultaneously, so that is going to be one massive 3- movie "shooting script."

A double sequel to the worst & longest movie ever?

Let's all pray this never happens.

The Behind-the-Scenes saga of (rebooted) "Star Trek 3" is taking on a life of its own, above and beyond the movie series. First Roberto Orci was directing, then he wasn't - and then his delivered first draft script followed him out the door. Now they have a new director - and "Scotty" is writing yet another ST3 script.

deadline.com...
SIMON PEGG WRITING "STAR TREK 3" WITH DOUG JUNG

And Paramount's still aiming to open for "Star Trek's 50th Anniversary" next year?

Michael Mann's "Blackhat" opened in 11th place last weekend, to everyone's shock. Here's one interesting critique of what went wrong:

deadline.com...
'BLACKHAT" BOMBS ON OPENING WEEKEND

All I can add, that this article didn't mention, is that the Hi Tech crowd today are more into gaming and designing apps. The author of the article mentioned that other recent "computer movie bomb" - "Transcendence."

You are playing to a different crowd today, when it comes to Hi Tech. That first generation of computer geniuses - that literally "created" computers and the Internet, and loved all the intricacies of data-and-wires - are all retired now, or close to it. Those are the geeks that loved "The Matrix" - that would probably bomb today too.

Another point is that "American Sniper" blew away its opening weekend with a record $105.3 Million haul. Mainly since it made an "intelligent and fresh" version of an Action/Adventure movie that can ALWAYS find an audience if it resonates a Classic and powerful Theme.

And Americans love movies about strong Individuals in danger who can buck-the-odds by rising to all challenges and succeed. (Plus the liberal reviewers trashed the movie hard for the anti-gun lobby. So it got a backlash-boost from that too.)

www.yahoo.com...

"JUPITER ASCENDING" MAKES SNEAK PREMIERE AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
The most sophisticated of movie audiences didn't like it, some sneering and scoffing during the movie, others walking out, and no one clapping at the end.

The most charitable of the viewers said it was the wrong audience to sneak a confusing Matrixy type SciFi movie. Since it is aimed at teenagers, who will probably love it.

News on some SciFi movie franchises:

www.denofgeek.us...
JUSTIN LIN'S NEW "ST3" HUNTING FOR MORE FEMALE CHARACTERS AND A VILLAIN
Due in theaters in July 2016, it's going to be a tight squeeze, after delays for changing writers and directors. Seems that SciFi movies with lots of CGI need an extra year in post-production after shooting is over, just to add all the special effects. But Paramount wants to Open on the 50th anniversary of "Star Trek", which is in July 2016.

www.yahoo.com...
"STAR WARS" LEAK PROMPTS DISNEY TO SEEK SUBPOENA
Disney's Lucasfilm Division has asked a California federal judge to issue a subpoena to identify alleged "copyright infringers" of the upcoming Episode VII. It's directed at 'ImageShack', a website that is allegedly displaying a shot of a Sith Lord.

www.yahoo.com...
THE SEAHAWKS' SUPER-BOWL MELTDOWN AS EXPLAINED BY "JURASSIC WORLD's" GIF'S
And the entire planet knows that "Guardians of the Galaxy"/"Jurassic World" star Chris Pratt is a diehard SeaHawk fan. (He's also being considered as the star of the "Indiana Jones" reboot.)

Alas, the bad reviews of "Jupiter Ascending" continue.

But there are more SciFi Movies coming out this year - with the Blockbusters planned for school's-out Summer. This is a good list, that adds a little explanation:

aknextphase.com...
FOURTEEN UPCOMING SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES THROUGH APRIL 2015

"Absolutely Anything" opens February 13, 2015, starring the Monty Python troop in a SciFi comedy about "mischievous extraterrestrials" who grant an embittered teacher (Simon Pegg) extraordinary powers. Not terribly original, but the dialogue, characters and humor (excuse me, humour) should be bouncing off the walls.

variety.com...
NEILL BLOMKAMP CONFIRMED AS DIRECTOR FOR NEW "ALIEN" MOVIE

It's being produced thru Ridley Scott's production company, which is also making "Prometheus 2", which is loosely based in the same "Alien" universe.

And, from the other end of the SciFi spectrum, here's a review of "Hot Tub Time-Machine2":

variety.com...

variety.com...
"TERMINATOR GENISYS" SETS IMAX RELEASE FOR JULY 1

Here are some tidbits of news about upcoming SciFi movies:

games.yahoo.com...
NEILL BLOMKAMP'S NEW "ALIEN" MOVIE WILL BE A GENETIC-SIBLING TO CAMERON'S CLASSIC "ALIENS"

games.yahoo.com...
SID MEIER'S STARSHIPS
This is a new civilization-building video game, but the graphics and animation are cool.

games.yahoo.com...
"TOMB RAIDER'S" REBOOT/PREQUEL TO BE WRITTEN BY EVAN DAUGHERTY
Still no director or release date.

au.ibtimes.com...
VARIOUS RUMORS FROM UPCOMING "STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS"
Slated to open in the U.S. on Dec. 18, 2015.

www.latimes.com...
LEONARD NIMOY (MR. SPOCK) DIES AT 83

www.movieinsider.com...
MOVIES OPENING TODAY (2/27/2015)
The horror movie "The Lazarus Effect" is getting some buzz

www.metacritic.com...
METACRITIC: VARIOUS REVIEWS OF "THE LAZARUS EFFECT"

RIP Mr. Spock ...

Just saw a pilot for this T.V series, online
looks promising,without giving up any spoilers the Axis power won WWII..see where this is gonna go but there seems to be some twist coming,the first vid explained better than I could and I guess there is a book out on it.

Nuff said..

a reply to: Spider879

Thanks for your post. Alternate-histories of global events, like what would have happened if the Axis had won WWII, have always had a niche in Science Fiction/Fantasy.

I remember reading an AH of the American Civil War in high school. What was most interesting, is that by the time the book ended (in the 1960s), the author had imagined that both the American North and South were working on forming a whole US again - which was the "forced" ending of the real Civil War.

And most people don't know how close we came to losing WWII to the Nazis, as they steadily improved their rockets. The White House and Pentagon were full of men losing sleep over the prospect that if the Nazi rockets kept extending their range, one fired from a U-boat or Greenland could hit New York ...

www.wanttoknow.info...
SECRET NAZI WAR TECHNOLOGY REVEALED IN "HARPER'S MAGAZINE" IN OCTOBER 1946

Interesting to watch all the movie franchises with Superheros and SciFi/Horror taking such convoluted paths to retain the best of the "canon" stories, and yet put out new movies in the franchises that are fresh-and-improved reboots:

observationdeck.io9.com...
HOW TO MAKE COHESIVE AND COMPELLING ALIEN CINEMATIC UNIVERSES

Shane Black is doing a fourth "Predator," with what he calls an "inventive sequel" that will "expand and explore the existing Predator mythology."

Neill Blomkamp ("Chappie") will make the next "Alien" movie, and wants to pick it up after the second movie, James Cameron's military-angle "Aliens," while effectively ignoring the not-so-well received 3rd and 4th movies. This introduces franchise splintering and dead previous tangents. But if it strengthens the core-canon of the story, could it make the franchise better and more long-lasting after all?

(And introduces a recouperative idea for all Trekkies like me, of totally burying that disastrous second movie in the reboot, and go back to the terrific Chris Pine/Zachary Quinto "Star Trek 2012," and reboot the reboot with a better second movie and new direction.)

And while the cross-over mash-up of "Aliens Vs. Predator" did OK in theaters, the mash-up did very well in both comics and video games. (Tail that wags the dog? Or franchises chasing the most popular aspects of games and comics in particular franchise universes?)

www.hollywoodreporter.com...

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: MIND-WARPING ARROWS FOR HAWKEYE, AND THOR'S MANY HAMMERS
A New Look at "Avengers: Age of Ultron" with multiple new promo videos

Another "Star Trek" genius has passed away: Producer Harve Bennett

www.nytimes.com...
LONG-TIME "STAR TREK" PRODUCER - HARVE BENNETT - PASSES AWAY AT 84

a reply to: MKMoniker

Not superstitious,but modern mythology said that stars always pass in threes, Harrison Ford had a close call yesterday.
RIP Harve Bennett journey well.

a reply to: Spider879

Thanks for your nice post.

I remember seeing Harve Bennett on panels at SciFi Cons in the last century, especially around the newest "ST:TNG" (Or "Star Trek: The New Generation.")

Us fans were just thrilled to have a new reboot of "Star Trek"! The story went that Paramount had gone to some "Star Trek Cons" years after the "Classic" series had been cancelled. They were astounded to find fans lining the walls in already over-capacity ballrooms, and screaming wildly for the (few) Classic stars that attended. They quickly realized that there was more money to be made with "Star Trek", and soon launched "TNG". And then the movies for the "Classic" crew.

But Harve Bennet was not happy. Passionately logical, as always, he was having trouble with "TNG" because Rodenberry had done a 180 since "Classic", and had decided that everyone will be "happy-happy" in the future, with no wars or bad guys.

Harve insisted that, if only for the sake of the new TNG stories, there HAD to be some "conflict". I think he eventually left "TNG" - which finally grasped the importance of "conflict" in their last year or so, and added some grit to their "happy-happy" stories. He was brought back, finally, for the best "Classic" Star Trek movies, starting with "Wrath of Khan."

RIP Harve. You made a real difference in "Classic Star Trek" thru the best early movies. Thanks for being there, and for fighting to make "Star Trek" into such an intelligent yet fun series, with social-mirrored stories and transcendent characters. (Which, by the way, is the exact model for all these Superhero movies today.)

More SciFi movies being planned!

www.hollywoodreporter.com...
"JURASSIC WORLD" DIRECTOR NOW TACKLING SCI-FI THRILLER "INTELLIGENT LIFE"

www.hollywoodreporter.com...
CHRIST PRATT ("GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY") AND JENNIFER LAWRENCE ("HUNGER GAMES") IN EARLY TALKS FOR SONY'S SCI-FI LOVE STORY "PASSENGERS"

www.hollywoodreporter.com...
HEINLEIN'S CLASSIC "THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS" BEING ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN BY "ARROW" EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, MARC GUGGENHEIM

a reply to: MKMoniker

NG > OS. All day, every day.