The January season for movies has been long since considered a dumping ground for studios to plonk titles that aren't... contenders. Often full of lo-fi genre fare, the first month of the year rarely produces quality cinema. That all may change in 2015, however, as one of the most promising films - and the year is packed with 'em - is set to debut in less than a month. So, to herald the imminent arrival of Michael Mann's hacker pic, Blackhat, a brand new trailer has landed online to remind folks that the winter ain't always so dreary.
With principal photography on Marvel's Ant-Man coming to an end this week, the post-production work begins. The mammoth task of compiling live-action footage together with the CGI components is but one element of that process. Perhaps the biggest matter for the studio to contend with is audience awareness. Ant-Man is arguably one of their zanier properties, that doesn't yet carry the same household name weight as The Avengers or Iron Man. To ensure the moviegoing public know exactly who this little guy is come next summer, the marketing machine has fired out the first official synopsis.
The Sony hack continues to unearth a wealth of information surrounding the studio's discussions with Marvel. Earlier this week, e-mails between the two parties revealed that a possible collaborative deal was on the table which would permit Marvel to include Spider-Man in their cinematic universe. With a new batch of exchanges hitting the web, the plot now thickens.
As Taylor Lautner's Twilight co-stars have proven, success is possible after the box office-breaking conclusion of the supernatural teen trilogy. Where Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have each found new career avenues, both landing stellar reviews for their work outside of the franchise, Lautner is still searching for his. After his attempt at acquiring action star status in the 2012 dud Abduction, he's now literally landed on his feet in his upcoming thriller, Tracers.
AMC's The Walking Dead came to its annual mid-season hiatus last week. The conclusion of the first-half finale, "Coda," has already sparked a ton of online petitions rallying against Beth's tragic death - but who are they kidding, right? This is a show that makes no bones about its central conceit. It's in the title, folks. With the prospect of having to wait to see how Rick and co. are surviving practically unbearable, thankfully the network has dropped a season 5 featurette online to fill us in.
Whether you love it or hate it, you can't deny that Peter Jackson's sprawling fantasy sagas anchored in Tolkien's Middle Earth aren't grandiose spectacles. They've come to define the season - winter - and spruce up the dreary, cold months with much-needed adventure. So, for many fans the next week will be a poignant affair, as the last instalment, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, hits theatres. For those who are less in tune with the intricate plots, characters and battles, then this final trailer might be of some use.
Despite suffering a release date snafu, The Wachowskis' next sci-fi effort, Jupiter Ascending, is eager to remind audiences of its existence via some new snazzy artwork. For the most part, character posters don't tend to offer the prospective cinemagoer much in the way of inspiration. While this new quartet that's landed (via IGN) aren't eye-poppingly unique, they've got the sci-fi tropes in place, further sparking interest in the galaxy quest.
J.J. Abrams, director and co-writer of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy have adopted a retro feel for the film's marketing campaign. Forget your boring press releases and uninspired kiddie merch, this time they're bringing things full circle with a mock-up run of eight trading cards. The unique slant here is that the cards feature recognizable faces from the first teaser trailer... with their names in print below.
20th Century Fox plans to send ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills out with a bang in Taken 3; the last instalment of their action franchise. After the mediocre events of Taken 2, a third outing for the badass with a "particular set of skills" wasn't a guarantee. Nevertheless, strings were pulled and we're celebrating Mills' final hurrah next year with a new clip and brilliant one-sheet poster.
More often that not, Simon Pegg's cheeky antics have either been centre stage in intimate genre pics (Shaun Of The Dead, The World's End) or supporting turns in major blockbusters (Mission: Impossible, Star Trek). Aside from the comedy misfire Hector And The Search For Happiness, his starring turns have remained low-key. That could all be about to change, however, with the advent of director Kriv Stenders' black comedy, Kill Me Three Times.
