Damon Houx
Even though the fourth film in the franchise, 'Pirates of Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,' was the lowest grossing of the franchise domestically, that film - boosted by 3D - managed to make over a billion dollars worldwide. So that a writer has been hired to write 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' should be no surprise.
With George Lucas out of Lucasfilm, a number of big changes have already happened. They're developing 'Star Wars Episode 7,' and it looks like a long promised spin-off may be coming out of the mothballs. No, not another Ewok adventure, but the long rumored live-action 'Star Wars' television show.
After spending a couple years governating, Arnold Schwarzenegger has returned to the big screen with a vengeance. He's got 'The Last Stand' coming next week, then a film where he's pitted against Sylvester Stallone in September, and another picture lined up for next January, on top of talks of playing Conan the Barbarian again and the proposed 'Twins' sequel. We're going to be seeing a lot of Arnie in the near future, and now there's a new red band trailer trailer for 'The Last Stand.'
Since most horror movies either spawn or prepare for a sequel, the makers of 'The Last Exorcism' have likely been kicking themselves since the first film's release. The 2010 film made over $40 Million at the box office, so now there's a sequel called 'The Last Exorcism Part 2,' and here's the first trailer for the film and a new still.
Currently, the big Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) is taking place, and we've been hearing some interesting stories coming out of it, but the coolest thing so far is this new trailer for Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim.' Though it features the same narrative and much of the footage from the last trailer, what's new is even more monster and robot mayhem.
It's hard to be a film fan and not love Sam Raimi's 1981 horror movie 'The Evil Dead.' Not only did it kick off the career of one of the great geeks heroes of cinema, it's one of those scrappy no-budget classics that gets over because of the sheer willpower of the director and the ethos that any character can die at any time. It seems like an untouchable classic. But watching the red band trailer for Fede Alvarez's remake 'Evil Dead?' We're sold on this remake.
With college football bowl games happening now, Pixar has made an ad for their college-themed film 'Monsters University' and unleashed it during the games. It's the sort of clever ad that gives hope that the prequel to 'Monsters, Inc.' has a couple tricks up its sleeve.
With the new year right around the corner, it's time to get excited about the films of 2013, and though the February release date suggests lowering expectations, we're at least interested in seeing 'A Good Day to Die Hard,' perhaps because there's no way it will be as generic as the last one. Now there's a TV spot and it looks like the movie could be fun.
Charles Durning, one of the great character actors of the modern era, has passed away at the age of 89 from natural causes. If the name doesn't ring a bell, his work should as he's been a reliable supporting player in cinema and television for decades.
Jack Klugman, best known to audiences as grumpy sports writer Oscar Madison on 'The Odd Couple' and as Dr. R. Quincy M.E. has died at the age of 90.
Christmas has come a little early for 'Star Trek' fans, as J.J. Abrams' sequel 'Star Trek into Darkness' has given Empire Magazine some new stills from the movie. They suggest that the big summer movie will have action, and costumes.
Recently we reported that James Gunn's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' was testing five actors for the lead. Joel Edgerton, Jack Huston, Jim Sturgess, Lee Pace and Eddie Redmayne were all up for the role of Peter Quill, a half-human, half-alien who brings the Guardians together. It now looks like the race is down to two people: Jim Sturgess and new contender Zachary Levi.