I Just Watched the Next 4 Months…
I just watched five movie and TV trailers. And the next few months are going to be pure flames. From December to March, your streaming and theatre screens are going to be bulging with mega-star stories, casts, and crew.
By Segun Ade-Martins
Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire
Just in time for Christmas is the one and only Zach Schneider, continuing to distance himself from his tumultuous DC-Warner Bros. stint. He continues his corporate romance with Netflix after delving into the zombie cannon with Army of the Dead (2021) to bring you his original sci-fi epic story, Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire.
The trailer looks amazing (ngl), and I’m pumped for this one. I must admit, once I hear ‘Zach Schn…’ I get just as disinterested as when your pets realise they are visiting the vet.
The lead cast are not blockbuster stars. Sofia Boutella, Ed Skrein, and Charlie Hunnam? Amazing actors, but they are not a big box office draw individually. Despite that, the production design looks spectacular, and the story world seems like there’s enough to keep me in my seat for two hours.
The plot is very Star Wars-esque, with the inhabitants of a peaceful ‘moon’ set to face off against the armies of a tyrannical ‘empire’ eventually led by a mysterious destitute taken by the villagers. However derivative it may sound, I admire Scheider and Co’s pluckiness for creating an original story, not an IP with an existing fanbase in another medium.
Essentially, I’m rooting for this one. Streaming on your devices from December 22.
Madame Web
“Meanwhile, in another universe…” Sony Pictures has the perfect premise to distance this movie from the MCU and, in particular, the MCU Spider-Man. Madam Web follows Cassandra Webb, a New York paramedic developing “clairvoyant abilities” who has to face revelations from her past intertwined with three young women developing superhuman powers themselves. Spider-women? We’ll see. Dakota Johnson stars as the titular character, while Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Emma Roberts also star, bringing in their respective audiences.
From the trailer, I feel the movie landing on February 14, 2024, will be ‘meh’ for a number of reasons. The fact that it’s an origin story and the fact that Madame Web has not typically been a feature character from previous outings I remember her from Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994) plunging Peter Parker into all sorts of mayhem for some reason.
However, I think there’s enough material to build an exciting franchise. I like the potential of the stories; they can have great breadth and depth when jumping around the multiverse. This move seems brilliant and silly, simultaneously.
It’s silly because they could have done this years ago! It’s also silly because how can we trust Sony Pictures with Marvel IP after its recent fumbles with things like the Morbius and Venom fiasco. Many will disagree with me and have me burned to the stake for this, but I also don’t feel Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy was very good either.
Essentially, I think Sony should relinquish creative control of all the Spider-Man feature film IP. Although Marvel-Disney is struggling with recent clangers as well, Maybe the powers that be could let go of their corporate greed and let the creators of the live-action ‘Home’ series and the animated ‘ Spider-verse ‘ meet and create a complete Spider universe roadmap that ties in with the larger MCU if it still exists by then.
Finally, it’s a brilliant move because it’s an opportunity to wipe the slate clean. Cancelling and acknowledging all the nonsense that comes before it; see Spider-Man: No Way Home.
I am excited to see this in theatres come Valentine’s Day, 2024, for its potential, and they have Jill Hennessy starring as a ‘beautiful woman.’ No, seriously, that’s her official role title. Wow!
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Uh oh! This is deja vu. Another attempt to turn the adventures of the ‘gAang’ into live-action after M. Night Shyamalan’s train wreck in 2010. This one is a Netflix TV show, which could make it a better adaptation.
This one already has another big obstacle to climb that further sets it up for potential disaster. The original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, left the project due to “creative differences.” Yikes!
When you disagree with the original creators, aren’t you doomed to mess it up? We’ll see; the trailer looks fantastic. The casting, costumes, and production design look super accurate. Ngl, the trailer also looks like it’s A. I generated. Oops!
The project has a lot of negatives circling it, like vultures, but I’m still excited to see it. It better be good!
This entertaining ‘comet’ lands on Netflix on February 22, 2023.
Dune: Part Two
Timothée ‘Chalamalabingbong’ returns in the sequel to the excellent Dune. With returning actors like Zendaya, Rebecca Fergusson, Javier Bardem, etc., and new actors like Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Christopher Walken featuring in new roles.
There’s not much to say because Frank Herbert’s story is still the same, Denis Villeneuve is still at the helm, the same writer is Jon Spaihts, the same cinematographer is Greig Fraser, and Hans Zimmer is still scoring.
It’s bound to be another massively enjoyable ride with more action-set pieces if the trailer is enough to go on. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), under the influence of spice continues to embed himself among the Fremen with Chani (Zendaya), as a guide, lover, and fellow warrior. All the while Atreides sees possible visions of the future. Meanwhile, his mom finds out if he is the “one”. House Harkonnen continues their war on the Fremen and eventually finds out that House Atreides still lives. Oh no! Mega third act battle up ahead guys!
I will be at the head of the queue on March 1, 2024, at the theatres.
3 Body Problem
This is another Netflix TV series (seems like I’m partial), but with recent G.O.A.Ts from HBO. David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the Game of Thrones boys, along with Alexander Woo, adapt Liu Cixin’s novel of the same name into what will be another blockbuster sci-fi hit.
I know, a bold claim, but with their storytelling pedigree and the glimpse in the trailer, I’m sure about this one. I feel it in my bones!
“The unknown troubles us…” the voiceover in the trailer announces, not me. I want to leap into it, head first. Don’t “fear the dark,” guys. Join me on March 23, 2024, as I review this hotly anticipated series (at least to me).
Watch the trailers, enjoy them, and revel in the excitement that I share with them.
There you have it: five movies and shows that are bound to make you forget the darkness of this world for either one or two and a half hours at a time.
Originally published at https://thestrangejournal.wordpress.com on November 21, 2023.
