Aladdin
(due out 24 May 2019)
Who wants new images of Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine as a way to distract you from fearing that Will Smith as The Genie is going to be a total disaster both visually and thematically?
Well, as you insisted:
Meanwhile, Aladdin himself Mena Massoud explained the biggest differences between this version and the much loved 1992 animated version, and also provided us with a lovely bit of mansplaining over the differences between animation and live action, so that’s a nice double treat:
“The biggest difference is that you’re going to be watching real humans go through this journey onscreen.
“When I was a kid, I started acting by doing voices, and I’ve done animation before, and I understand the animation world, and there’s only so much of yourself that you can lend to something like that; the voice actors in the original are incredible because they help tell us an amazing story, but I think with real humans, getting to look into people’s eyes and see what they’re feeling and go through their journey with them, I think is the biggest difference.
“We’re really grounding this in realism now.
In case you missed that, animated films aren’t real people, just their voices, while live-action is actual people doing real acting.
The Lion King
(due out 19 July 2019)
On to another Disney live-action remake, where we have been told by Walt Disney Studios president of production Sean Bailey the differences between animation and live-action (voices, real people, etc), who then explained how the 2019 Lion King won’t be a shot-for-shot remake of the 1994 animated classic:
“The Lion King is a revered and beloved movie, so you’d better revere and love those parts that the audience wants. But there are things in the movie that are going to be new. [And] it is a new form of filmmaking.
“Historical definitions don’t work. It uses some techniques that would traditionally be called animation, and other techniques that would traditionally be called live action. It is an evolution of the technology Jon used in Jungle Book.”
So in essence: “We’re keeping bits, but also there will be animation (voices) and non-animation bits.”
I’m sure glad that I started writing about this before I’d read that quote and wasted my time.
Hellboy
(due out 12 April 2019)
Before Christmas we had our underwhelming first trailer for Hellboy, starring the police chief from Stranger Things, and now David Habour has explained why this version has leaned on the comic book version of Hellboy more than those other films which everyone loves:
“There’s really a sense that you’re actually killing things, even if they are giants or monsters.
“You’re chopping their heads off, you’re bathing in their blood and you’re feeling the complex feelings of actually cutting the heart out of another thing.
“We’re taking the time to deal with the fact that Hellboy is a killer. He’s a weapon.”
Complex feelings are good – for instance, I am both tired and hungry.
Wait no, those are basic feelings. I don’t understand complex feelings because my moods are always one of the following: tired, grumpy, grouchy, irritable, surly, cross, disgruntled or drunk – or any combination of the two.
Frozen 2
(due out 22 November 2019)
We’ve been given our (potential) first look at Frozen 2’s Elsa and… the other one… (Jane?) through the unlikely medium of a Russian notepad:
100% legit.
Star Wars: Episode IX
(due out 20 December 2019)
Just a quick one on this as we have a year’s worth of speculation and rumours before the Star Wars: Episode 9 release, but a man on Reddit claims that he’s been told the official title for the next instalment, and it is Star Wars: Son of Darkness.
Plus he got a sweet remote control car for Christmas, but he’s not allowed to show it to you because it cost, like, £350 and his dad will kill him if anything happens to it. Oh and also he has a totally real girlfriend, but you wouldn’t know her because she goes to a different school.
Legal News of the Week
Sometimes a headline is all you need:
Trailer of the Week
Only a couple of the festive period: Jordan Peele’s new horror-thriller Us got its first look on Christmas Day (which must have been a right old hassle for one Social Media executive having to upload it on Jesus’ birthday) and a second trailer for Happy Death Day 2U on New Year’s Day
This week’s trailer of the week (or festive period) is Jordan Peele’s new horror-thriller Us.
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