As we’ve done the last several movie seasons now, each of the writers on the PAM staff submitted his list of Top 10 most anticipated films between now and Jan. 1. We then came up with our collective Top 10, and each of us supplemented it with a film not on that list that we’re excited about, which we’ve dubbed Critic’s Picks. There are other movies coming out this Holiday Season, but you probably shouldn’t care.
Sure, you could argue that man is the real monster in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, but for Lionsgate’s upcoming modernization, I, Frankenstein, they’ve picked Bill Nighy to play the film’s supernatural villain. He’ll be joined by Australian actor Socratis Otto and the pair is set to menace star Aaron Eckhart, who joined the project last October. You can hear Nighy later this month in the animated Arthur Christmas, while newcomer Otto will be appearing in next year’s serial killer thriller, Gone.
Based on the comic-book from Underworld creator Kevin Grevioux, I, Frankensteinwill follow Eckhart’s Adam as he gets embroiled in a war between rival clans while being pursued by a demon prince, played by Nighy, who seeks the genetic secret that has made Adam immortal. Otto will be playing Nighy’s lackey, and the film is set for release in early 2013, with fellow Australian Stuart Beattie directing.
The November box office became divine this weekend as the stylish swords-and-sandals epic Immortals defied expectations and rose to the number one spot. In second, Adam Sandler’s Jack and Jill didn’t quite reach the top of the hill, but didn’t come tumbling down either. Sleeper hit Puss in Boots again charmed movies goers with a stellar third week.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s Warner Brothers looking to make
another successful franchise and they have commissioned a sequel to Man
of Steel, even though that movie starring Henry Cavill is currently
filming.
Mirror, Mirror stars Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen in denial of her age who attempts to get rid of Snow White (Lily Collins) when she finds out she’s the fairest of them all. Snow White takes up with a group of thieving dwarves and becomes something of a bandit herself.
Hong Kong is a great city, if a little manic. It is also the setting of our Recommendation of the Week, the crime thriller Infernal
Affairs. Intelligently written, this movie is a must have for fans of
crime fiction and world cinema and was the basis for The Departed. We sadly have little to report on first releases this week, the only
major movies being Tom Hanks’ comedy flop Larry Crowne and the indie
dramedy Beginners. But there are plenty of re-releases to entertain you,
including the musicals West Side Story and My Fair Lady, the art house
movies The Three Colors Trilogy and The Rules of the Game and the
horror-comedy Evil Dead 2.
Since finishing with the “Harry Potter” series, David Yates has been
linked to a number of projects, including The Stand, Fantastic Four and
The Hobbit. Now he has been attached to a big screen adaptation of
Doctor Who, and as a fan of the Doctor’s adventures I am already
dribbling with anticipation.
Variety reports that Yates has been recruited by Jane Tranter, the head of L.A. based BBC Worldwide Prods. to start development for a movie and the search is on for a writer.
