By George Robbins
Plenty of movies are being shuffled around nowadays due to the effects that the coronavirus is having on the movie industry. There are many films that should have been out by now that have had to change release dates in order to accommodate a full theatrical release. Many theaters have plans to reopen their doors to the public by the middle of July in order to start rebuilding customer trust in their businesses and to start earning income again. That hasn’t stopped the viability of movie theaters from coming into question as of late due to the fact things with the virus aren’t looking very good. There is a second wave of the virus hitting the populace just after the reopening of many businesses which will no doubt cause businesses to either shut down again or suffer due to lack of customers while paying maintenance costs.
This is cause for alarm for many studios who have been tentatively maneuvering their movies’ release dates to make sure they aren’t losing out. Following the announcements about the virus recently, many studios have started working on shuffling around the release dates for their films in order to have them release either late this year or some time next year. With theaters having the issues they are right now, companies don’t know what kind of climate they are getting themselves into when their films are ready to release. This is making it even more difficult for them to decide just when or even if they want to release films to theaters. Of the now many films to be moved is the new Tom Hanks Sci-fi movie ‘BIOS.’
‘BIOS‘ is an upcoming movie starring Tom Hanks that takes place on a post-human Earth that sees a man travelling with his robotic companion. Originally, the film was meant to premiere on October 2, 2020 which was established as the release date back in 2018, but has now been changed to April 16th, 2021. This film is just one on a list of films that have just had their dates moved due to the now very hazy future that theaters have looking back at them. With no idea just how many seats will be sold out as things move forward, all that can be said is that it will be awhile before we know for sure just how much trouble theaters are in and this is why movies are getting moved back so much. Hopefully this trend doesn’t go on for too much longer and things can go back to normal, but that is just unknown at this point.
By George Robbins
The DCEU is a franchise that has plenty of issues with fans of the DC universe, with many of the films in it being not up to the hopes and standards people want them to be at. Among the films on that list, and to some, the worst offender is ‘Suicide Squad.’ The movie was meant to tell a serious story about a team of villains/anti-heroes being controlled by the government to carry out covert missions. This was not the end product that we got when the film released and the story ended up being a muddled mess due to conflicting tone and a plot that wasn’t solidified. This was revealed recently by the director, David Ayer, to be because of studio interference which caused the film to be anything but the way he wanted it to be.
Of course, the overall critical failure of the first ‘Suicide Squad’ movie didn’t stop the studio from deciding to make a sequel to the first film. One of the things that people don’t pay as much attention to but is equally important is the title of the film. Nobody really expected there to be a title other than ‘Suicide Squad 2’ when it came to the naming convention of this in-the-works sequel. Thus, they eventually arrived at the not-so-impressive, but subtly different title of ‘The Suicide Squad.’ This title for the film was actually one that was eventually decided on by the studio after it was suggested by the director, James Gunn.
The upcoming film is neither a complete reboot nor is it a direct sequel and it is meant to be a standalone film and the 10th film in the DCEU. Since the film is not really meant to be a continuation of the 2016 film, it wasn’t much of a surprise to find out that the film would have a title that doesn’t sequence it in the same continuity. It is strange how they arrived at ‘The Suicide Squad,’ but according to James Gunn, he said it as a joke during a meeting and producers ended up liking the title of the film. Hopefully the film remains under the watchful eye of Gunn throughout its filming and we end up with the entertaining film that we were hoping for with the first ‘Suicide Squad.’
By George Robbins
Among the many films that are set to release this year, there is one that many people have been excited to see and that is the monster smack-down that is ‘Godzilla vs. Kong.’ The movie was teased almost immediately after the release of the ‘Godzilla’ 2014 and ‘Kong: Skull Island’ films. After the release of the 2014 film, it was decided that there would be a MonsterVerse with these characters to maintain a continuity for the universe they inhabit. After ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters,’ fans became eager for the next release where the titular title of king would be up for grabs moving into the next movie. It seems as though we are going to have to wait a little longer for that match-up to happen.
There are a number of reasons why the movie would end up getting delayed at this point due to the coronavirus. The virus is responsible for numerous delays, forcing back dates for other movies by up to several months or maybe even longer. The virus has caused numerous events to be postponed or even canceled already, and movies are anything but an exception. There are a few movies that have been an exception that, instead of waiting, were released straight to VOD, such as ‘Trolls World Tour.’ There are few exceptions however, and the remainder of films will have delayed release dates extending into later this year to even next year.
‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ was one of the films believed to be a part of the films that would keep their original release dates. This is due to the fact that its original release date was set for November 20th, 2020, but it seems this is no longer viable. With the movie theater climate being so volatile right now, there is no telling how things will end up turning out by the time the film is meant to release. No one really saw this change coming though, since they just got its rating and got an early synopsis up and running. Though this does actually make some kind of sense because many movies have actually moved their dates to around the same time frame. This makes that season much less viable for them if they want to make any money during the theatrical release.
On top of the film having a date surrounded by many other top billed films, it is unknown how theaters will be operating by then. Movie theaters aren’t doing so well right now and with what seems to be a second wave of the virus coming around, it seems they won’t be doing well moving forward. Theaters are in financial decline right now due to having their doors being shut to the public and not having any means of income. Despite receiving the green light to reopen their doors to the public in some places, they still have plenty of restrictions in place that limit the amount of tickets they can sell. Without selling tickets, theaters are really in trouble and this is why production companies aren’t sure when to release their films.
Hopefully, by the time ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ releases, theaters will have their plans properly laid out and they will be more successful than right now. Without any new films to show, they have a lot going against them and we could see many going into bankruptcy. The new release for the film is set for May 21st, 2021 and by then we will have a better idea of how the industry is set up to handle things moving forward. The next year or so is going to be rough, but knowing that we have a film like this to look forward to makes it just a little easier. After the end of ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters,’ many fans were just waiting for this movie to release, but hopefully we can keep it together long enough for the film to come out.
By George Robbins
The coronavirus pandemic has placed a lot of strain on the economy, but mostly on the entertainment business over the past few months. While there are a lot of companies who are able to reopen their doors to at least a limited capacity now, there are some that simply can’t function properly without a lot of people. These are things that involve a lot of people gathering together in one place for any number of reasons. Included in this list of business prospects that can’t function normally due to people not being able to gather are conventions. Among those conventions that cannot be held normally are the Comic Con conventions; which as of now the San Diego Comic Con is in fact on.
San Diego Comic Con is one of the biggest convention events of the year and it was unknown for the longest time just when they would have it or even if they would have it. Though it seems as though they finally decided that they want to hold the event after all. As of now the dates for the digital “at-home” edition of the convention have been set from July 22-26 and will have plenty to give fans. It seems like they might have even had a spark of idea from the Star Wars May the 4th convention. There will be no limit to the attendance and no entry fee required for people to enjoy the convention and will have a lot for people to do. Between virtual activities and an online virtual Exhibit Hall for companies to offer specials and promotions, the organizers are doing their best to help people feel better during these times.
This convention is a way for people to be interactive from home and still feel like they are being a part of the community that they love so much. There are, of course, downsides to the entire convention being hosted online such as the modification or complete cancellation of events. Not to mention the fact that people won’t be able to have the experience alongside fellow fans like they originally hoped they would. This is something to be expected given the current global situation, but at the very least, the convention won’t actually end up having to be canceled. There is no telling if other conventions will follow in these footsteps, but we can still appreciate the efforts that are being gone through for this one convention to actually happen.
By George Robbins
While most of us are stuck at home, we have had very little to do with most forms of entertainment shut down for us. That has made it easier for companies with VOD, or Video On Demand, capabilities to sell their wares to people online who are looking for something to do. Recently, HBO Max was launched which is HBO’s premium streaming service with thousands of hours worth of content on it. This content varies wildly from newer movies that have left theaters within the past year to older classic movies that can date all the way back to the time when movies like ‘Gone With the Wind’ were initially released. However, there was a petition recently in the wake of the death of George Floyd that called for the removal of the movie from the service and it succeeded.
As a result of the film being taken off the service and the coverage that the removal received, many people went and watched the film on Amazon. ‘Gone With the Wind‘ is a film based on a novel of the same name that shows the life of a young woman as she grows up in the South during and after the Civil War. Many people took up arms with the film due to the portrayal of the racist themes and plot elements present throughout the film. As such, the film ended up being removed from HBO Max since the film itself is considered by those who wished it to be removed as offensive. There is no doubt that it isn’t offensive, but the film has been recognized as being culturally significant.
The petition to take it down off of the HBO Max service brought plenty of attention to the movie and in order to see just what it was people were upset about, the film ended up jumping up the Best Sellers chart. There is nothing that says that the movie isn’t offensive, but removing the film for that reason is the same as saying that those prejudices never existed. This was the statement made by HBO recently when they said they would be returning the film to the service. It is a statement that will be implanted into the film to make sure people understand that it is a part of our history, and even though many may not like it, it happened and it is something we should try to avoid doing in the future. The existence of this film is one of many portrayals of social issues of the time and shouldn’t be ignored, but should be paid attention to.
By George Robbins
With all that is currently going on with the protests nation wide, it is important that we take a look at our past which has led up to this point. People have been fighting against hatred for years and that fight continues even to today with all of the protests that we are seeing break out all over. Racism has been a leading factor for hatred spreading all over and it won’t be until people are considered equals to one another in each others’ eyes that this can change. This was first brought up at a time that is being compared to the protests now, the Civil Rights Movement. Many people were involved with the original movement, and it shaped an entire generation of thinkers moving forward.
While there is still veiled racism and even blatant racism today, there were many underlying issues that were changed which allowed for more opportunities moving forward. That movement had a number of excellent leaders with varying viewpoints that worked hard simply for the fact they knew their people were being mistreated. One such activist is the legendary John Lewis, a Democratic Representative from Georgia. Lewis’ social activism and legislative action have been an ongoing fight for over 60 years on the topics of civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Even today Lewis is going strong in his fight to help others and it can be seen on a still regular basis.
‘John Lewis: Good Trouble’ is an upcoming documentary that follows the titular Civil Rights activist from when he first started his endeavors back in the original movement. From the time he was young he went from someone who had never experienced racism to finding a world full of it just a little ways down the road. He grew up in Troy, Alabama which gave him a look at how his world functioned and after taking a trip to Buffalo, NY realized just how segregated his home community was. This would end up inspiring him to meet those who were involved with the Civil Rights Movement including Rosa Parks at the age of 17 and Martin Luther King Jr. at 18 years of age. Ever since then, he has been an activist who wishes to help his community and that is what the film represents.
The upcoming film ‘John Lewis: Good Trouble’ is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter and takes a look into the life of the man in question. She uses present-day interviews with Lewis to explore his childhood experiences growing up in Alabama to the moment he has his fateful meeting with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. Porter does not stop at interviewing Lewis and his family and carries on interviewing others for the film. This includes political leaders, Congressional colleagues, and other people who figure prominently in his life. For anyone interested in learning about this man, production company Magnolia Pictures has the films release date set to July 3rd, 2020.
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