If there’s one new line from Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues that takes off, I predict that catchphrase will be: “Hey, fat face! You stay classy.”
Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy screams the line at the end of the new trailer for the Anchorman sequel, which Paramount released on Saturday.
The new ad brings back the Channel 4 News Team almost a decade after 2004′s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
“Jesus, MacArthur, Jay-Z: The great ones always return. And when they do, one thing is for sure. Their hair will be perfect,” a voiceover says as Farrell and co-stars Paul Rudd (Brian Fantana), Steve Carrell (Brick Tamland) and David Koechner (Champ Kind) step out on to a well-lit stage.
Burgundy tells watchers they haven’t changed a bit. Liquored-up Kind wants to be your friend. Fantana has a new cologne that’s 100% snake venom. And Brick Tamland, well, he wants you to have a happy Easter.
Directed by Adam McKay, Anchorman 2 also stars Christina Applegate, Fred Willard, Luke Wilson, and Vince Vaughn, and features cameos by Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Drake, Harrison Ford, Kanye West and Kristen Wiig.
With Iron Man 3 officially kicking off Marvel’s Phase Two, studio boss Kevin Feige has given Entertainment Weekly an early glimpse of where the company plans to go with its Phase Three slate of films, which kicks off with Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man in late 2015.
In case you’re just joining us, Phase Two continues with Thor: The Dark World this November, then Captain America: The Winter Soldier next April, Guardians of the Galaxy in August and The Avengers 2 in 2015. After that, it’s anyone’s guess which characters Marvel will role out in their quest to dominate movie cinemas everywhere.
Feige was didn’t have specific details regarding movies for Doctor Strange, Hulk and Iron Man 4, but he did offer up his thoughts on how the characters can live on the big screen. You can read snippets below and head over to EW for the full interview.
Ant-Man
This is the only Phase Three film Marvel has officially announced. Directed by Scott Pilgrim’s Edgar Wright, Feige says the movie came into fruition after Marvel decided to become its own studio.
Doctor Strange
Neil Gaiman talked with me about his plans to do a version of the film with Guillermo del Toro in 2008. That script fell apart, but now Feige says Doctor Strange could happen.
“He’s a great standalone character,” Feige says. “He’s got a great origin story, for the most part. And that world of pure magic, we haven’t done yet. There’s a whole supernatural/magic alternate dimension going on in the Marvel comics that we haven’t ever touched on. So I think that’s exciting.”
Iron Man 4
Robert Downey Jr.’s contract with Marvel is now up. He’s currently in negotiations for Avengers 2, and the studio is talking to him about a fourth instalment in its most popular franchise. Feige has made no secret that the character could continue with another actor playing the part.
“I see no reason why Tony Stark can’t be as evergreen as James Bond. Or Batman for that matter. Or Spider-Man. I think Iron Man is a character just like that.”
The Incredible Hulk
Two versions – one with Eric Bana and another with Edward Norton – have been released with rather middling box-office revenues. A third film with Mark Ruffalo (who played the character in the Avengers) could be a possibility, Feige says. But there’s no script yet.
“One of the goals that we talked about with Joss [Whedon] on Avengers was we want Hulk to be cool again… Mark could stand in his own movie. … We’re talking about it. We’re excited to sit down and go, ‘What is a stand-alone Hulk movie?’”
The EW article also touches on Black Panther, Inhumans, Marvel Zombies, Runaways, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Punisher and Blade.
With regards to the latter three, Feige says: “They all have potential, but I think we need to find the right time.”
Anytime they decide to reboot Daredevil, I’m game for that.
Let us know which characters you hope Marvel introduces in Phase Three in the comments.
Okay, Iron Man 3 is solidly a hit with both critics and fans. So before Man of Steel, R.I.P.D., Kick Ass 2 and Thor: The Dark World land in theatres, we thought now was a good time to take a look back at some comic book film adaptations that have missed the mark.
I don’t mean films that were middle of the road; I mean movies that were so bad we never saw that hero again.
Unfortunately, when it comes to comic book adaptations the bad outweighs the good. But these 10 are so positively awful, they most likely caused you to rethink whole comic book collections. Heck, you probably even questioned whether you even still liked the character.
Have a look at my list and let me know which comic book films you’ve hated in the comments.
10. Catwoman – Maybe it seems a little mean to pick on this one, but sorry, Halle Berry, fresh off her Oscar win, tried to parlay her newfound stardom into a hero franchise of her own – and failed. She deserves to be made fun of. At least Berry owned up to her mistake by turning up to accept her Razzie for Worst Actress.
9. Punisher: War Zone – Marvel tried twice to bring The Punisher to the big screen. Both attempts were massive failures. I loved how War Zone was a hard-R, but the high body count in this reboot couldn’t overcome the horrid acting and wretched script. Don’t bet on Frank Castle coming back to the silver screen. Ever.
8. Green Lantern – DC strayed outside its Batman-centric comfort zone with this Ryan Reynolds vehicle. For a movie that cost in excess of $200 million, the effects were awful. Even the inspired choice of Peter Sarsgaard as Hal Jordan’s nemesis was a misfire. Don’t even get me started on the story.
7. Daredevil – He may be Hollywood’s Golden Boy now, but in the earlier 2000s Ben Affleck had a sixth-sense for choosing bad movies. The story of the Man Without Fear is rich in history, but writer-director Mark Steven Johnson managed to make a film that was almost completely devoid of imagination. Affleck’s husky DD voice is actually pretty creepy.
6. Superman IV: Quest for Peace – When people refer to Christopher Reeve being the quintessential Superman, I guarantee you they aren’t talking about his fourth appearance. The special effects make the film look like it was made in 1969. “Why don’t you stop and smell the roses?” Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor asks Supes. I would have replaced the last three words with “not make this movie.”
5. Elektra – Hollywood’s arrogance has no end. Not content with screwing up Daredevil, studio bosses tried to make a watered-down spinoff of Elektra. The character, so richly imagined by writer Frank Miller, was stripped of her evil impulses and rendered as a one-dimensional cardboard cut-out. A pity since Miller’s Elektra Assassin and Elektra Saga storylines are among his best.
4. Captain America – Relax, I ain’t talking about Marvel’s Chris Evans version. I’m pointing a finger at the 1990 adaptation that starred Matt Salinger (I’ve never heard of him either). One can only wish that this movie stayed frozen in ice for decades.
3. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance – I’m probably in the minority as actually liking the first Ghost Rider. But everyone involved in the 2011 sequel should be forced to do community service. From the dizzying direction of Neveldine and Taylor (Crank), to the clunky acting of Nic Cage (hard to believe he has won an Oscar), this was a gong show. The only person who was good in this movie was Eva Mendes.
Oh yeah, that’s ‘cos she wasn’t in it.
2. Jonah Hex – You gotta feel for Josh Brolin. After decades in movie purgatory, he got a career reset with No Country for Old Men. Then he landed a possible franchise toplining an adaptation of one of DC’s most popular titles. After 82 minutes, I couldn’t point to one scene that made me think this was worth making. Brolin should petition IMDB to have this removed off his filmography.
1. Batman & Robin – No surprise here. The fourth instalment was a debacle that should be required viewing for anyone hoping to ruin a successful franchise. Director Joel Schumacher, George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ultra-campy sequel managed to kill Batman’s cinematic life for eight long years. I’d argue that the film’s critical reaction hastened Arnie’s run for governor of California, and put Chris O’Donnell and Alicia Silverstone’s film careers on ice (sorry, couldn’t resist). I should have known right at the beginning the film was in deep trouble after it opened with up-close shots of Clooney and O’Donnell’s nippley costumes. Arnie’s kitschy Mr. Freeze finds the actor at his all-time worst, and Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy is seriously awful. Schumacher publicly apologized for the film, but Batfans can never forgive this one.
With the Cannes film festival getting underway, movie buffs can start to look forward to the Toronto International Film Festival with an eye on some high-profile films debuting in the South of France that may have their North American premiere here in September.
Over the next week, we’ll see new films from the Coen brothers, James Gray, Alexander Payne, James Franco and Nicholas Winding Refen. So while it’s not rocket science, we can start to handicap some of the movies debuting at Cannes that we expect to see in Toronto this September.
Inside Llewyn Davis
I love when the Coens go full-tilt into quirky comedy territory, but their latest, a drama about a young musician (Oscar Isaac) trying to make it in New York, boasts the year’s most intriguing cast. John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, Garrett Hedlund, Adam Driver, Carey Mulligan and F. Murray Abraham join Isaac (Drive), with a soundtrack that includes music from T Bone Burnett, Timberlake, and Marcus Mumford.
The Coen brothers have brought many of their films to Toronto over the years – Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, No Country for Old Men – so I expect this one to play opening weekend.
Nebraska
Director Alexander Payne makes dramedies that really seem to click with Toronto audiences. He has had success bringing The Descendants and Sideways here, so this is another sure bet as he makes a run at awards season.
The film features Bruce Dern as an elderly booze hound who, after winning the lottery, must take a road trip with his estranged son (played by SNL’s Will Forte) to collect his prize. It’s black and white, but thus far Payne has proved he can do no wrong when writing stories that unflinchingly examine love and human relationships.
The Immigrant
James Gray re-teams with Joaquin Phoenix for his first film in five years. It’s a period drama that focuses on a love triangle between an Eastern European immigrant (played by Marion Cotillard) who gets involved with a nefarious New Yorker (Phoenix) and his magician brother (played by Jeremy Renner).
Gray has brought The Yards to TIFF, and Phoenix had been here many times, with last year’s The Master earning him his third Oscar nomination.
Its glitzy cast and rich storyline are a match made in heaven for TIFF’s first Friday night.
As I Lay Dying
James Franco is showing he has a real knack for flipping between big-budget Hollywood fare (Oz the Great and Powerful) and edgy independent cinema (Spring Breakers). His directorial debut adapts William Faulkner’s 1930 stream-of-consciousness novel for the big screen. It employs 15 narrators in its quest to tell the story of how one family struggles to carry out Addie Bundren’s wish to be buried in her hometown.
Fitzgerald it ain’t.
All Is Lost
Robert Redford struggles to survive after he becomes lost at sea. The film, directed by J.C. Chandor (Margin Call), is rumoured to have no dialogue. This is the perfect blend of intriguing concept and Hollywood star power TIFF likes best.
One film that’s making its debut at Cannes that I was hoping would be coming to TIFF is Nicholas Winding Refen’s Only God Forgives.
The director of Drive hooks up once again with Ryan Gosling in a revenge thriller set in Bangkok. It’s due out in North America this July.
For full coverage of the Cannes film festival, head over to the Toronto Sun.
As we get closer to TIFF, I’ll be posting news as it happens.
First up, is the official poster for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The new ad comes with the tagline, “The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand,” which is taken from the opening of the second book by Suzanne Collins.
We see a determined Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen standing at the edge of a cliff with her bow and arrow in hand. Behind is a cloud shaped like a Mockingjay, which is a symbol for the people of Panem.
In Catching Fire Katniss and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) go on a “Victor’s Tour” after winning the Hunger Games. Meanwhile, a people of Panem plot a revolt against the Capitol.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens November 22.
And not to be outdone by all that Iron Man hullabaloo, director James Mangold has tweeted a new photo from The Wolverine.
The image shows Hugh Jackman dueling with Hiroyuki Sanada (who plays Shingen Yashida in the film).
“Hiro Sanada and HJ rehearse clash of claws and blades,” Mangold writes.
The Wolverine takes place after X-Men: The Last Stand and finds Logan in Japan, where he’s protecting Mariko (Tao Okamoto) from the Yakuza.
