If you were hoping for a gritty, bloody, violent remake of 1982's haunted house story Poltergeist, you are in for some disappointment, as the MPAA has just given the film a PG-13 rating. This cannot be much of a surprise, as the original was the subject of a ratings controversy when it was originally slapped with an R. Producer Steven Spielberg managed to argue it down to a PG, but I think we can all agree that the film is a bit scarier than that.
Everything that was old is new again! Even the things that were not very old are getting made over for a new generation with a short-attention span and a dislike of anything made before, I dunno, the year 2000? As classic (and not-so-classic) TV shows and films get their second day in the sun, it should come as no surprise that a new version of the TV series Bewitched is in development and starting to be shopped to multiple networks.
Hey, remember how they're making another Bridget Jones movie? No? Neither did I, until this very moment. Some of that might have to do with the fact that the last film, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, was a sort of poorer cousin to the very good Bridget Jones's Diary. While author Helen Fielding decided to return to her popular series one more time in the book Mad About the Boy, I think many of us simply forgot about the character. Hollywood, however, has not, and still plans to make a Bridget Jones 3 - but they're going to have to do it without Hugh Grant.
As the Ghostbusters reboot kicks into gear, amid screams, jeers, and mild optimism, the question that continues to rise in everyone's mind, whether you want to admit it or not, is simply: will Bill Murray be there? For anyone who has followed the ups and downs surrounding the oft-discussed Ghostbusters III, the answer must be a resounding NO. Murray has repeatedly voiced his total lack of interest in appearing in another Ghostbusters film, despite both fan and media speculation that maybe he can be persuaded. Will that all change now that Paul Feig is set to helm a Ghostbusters reboot with an all-female cast?
Sofia Coppola was one of several directors responsible for the reinvigorating of Bill Murray's career, as he made the shift from sarcastic comedian to sarcastic, but far more serious, dramatic actor. Coppola's Lost in Translation was a career highlight for both of them, and it was only a matter of time before the pair reunited for something equally inexplicable. For all of that, I don't think anyone predicted that it would be for a Christmas special.
For a long time it almost seemed as though the next sequel to Jurassic Park would never happen. With gradually diminishing returns from the previous two entries into the franchise (The Lost World and Jurassic Park III), prospects for Jurassic World were not the rosiest. But the film is finally going to see the light of day come June 12, and we have our first glimpse of the ad campaign that will accompany it.
Even if you are not a football fan, you probably have heard the name Roger Goodell quite a bit in the past month or so. He's the current NFL Commissioner and was at the center of the Ray Rice domestic violence debacle. Though he's been roundly criticized, if not condemned, for his handling of that case, this is not the first time he's been in hot water: he was also a major force in the NFL concussion debate. Now he's getting his own Hollywood avatar in the form of Luke Wilson, with the actor in talks to play Goodell in an as-yet untitled film about traumatic brain injuries in our most American of sports.
With the many prospective reboots and remakes in the pipeline right now, it comes as no surprise that discussions continue to crop up about loyalty to and respect for the originals. Last week, ABC and Universal TV announced plans for creating a TV version of John Hughes' 1989 film Uncle Buck, which starred John Candy as the titular family member who arrives to take care of his brother's kids and turns their lives upside down. With the announcement of the TV series comes the inevitable critical response - how can you remake a classic? - and, perhaps a bit more surprising, an appeal from the families of both Hughes and Candy against the very idea of an Uncle Buck TV series.
When I first read the blurb for Set Fire to the Stars, I had a horrible moment where I thought that someone had cast Elijah Wood to play Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Thankfully, I was mistaken: that honor goes to Celyn Jones (Castles in the Sky), with Wood acting alongside him as John M. Brinnin. Brinnin is a fellow writer and admirer of Thomas, who goes on a week long retreat with his hero during the poet's first visit to New York City. The first UK trailer for the film has hit today, depicting a world and a poet that was really one of a kind.
The tragedy of losing Robin Williams will continue to be felt in the coming months, for the actor left behind several unreleased performances. The first of these is A Merry Friggin' Christmas, in which Williams co-stars with Joel McHale as a father and son on the Christmas road trip from hell.
