Can Leonardo DiCaprio Help Both Warner Bros. Discovery and 20th Century Studios Regain Their Pre-IP Mojo?
Meanwhile, a minor nitpick about the 'Princess Mononoke' reissue while Sony needlessly dates its 'Legend of Zelda' movie against 'Sonic the Hedgehog 4'
I will take a break from my seething rage over Rachel Zegler (who I have never met and for all I know spends her free time torturing infants while declaring that The Two Towers is better than The Fellowship of the Ring) being thrown under a bus, which we all knew would happen for at least the last two years, over the inevitable commercial implosion of Snow White. Anyway, since my kids are out of school today (no transportation responsibilities), I’m going to try and catch up on the multiple items of interest that I didn’t have time to discuss while I was (ironically) in Las Vegas – and the Flamingo no less – with the family for the Spring Break holiday. I guess if we left anything in our room, it’ll be easy for me to retrieve it next week.
Depending on when this drops, it could be before or after I take my son to the week’s most wholesome, family-friendly release, David Ayer’s A Working Man, since he’s firmly #TeamBeekeeper. I’m not sure why it’s been so hard to get him to watch other Jason Statham actioners (including my favorites – Transporter 2, Home Front and the best of the bunch - Safe. Maybe it’s somehow related to our current generational obsession with IP and franchises. Or perhaps it’s related to wherever (like my daughter) he falls “on the spectrum.” Or maybe he just wants “going to watch Statham beat people up in a theater with dad” versus “watching Statham beat people up at home with dad.” Meanwhile, check out Aaron Neuwirth’s review of A Working Man and Brandon Streussnig’s video interview with possible breakout Eve Mauro.
Update - I’m dropping this far later than intended because I ended up seeing David Ayer’s A Working Man with my son (not bad, but pretty generic and formulaic save for some colorful bad guys) and and The Woman in the Yard with my wife (very well made, because Jaume Collet-Serra knows his shit, and very well acted by the core trio, but also oppressively depressing and grim). Since you’ve been patient, behold three long essays for your weekend reading pleasure!
Nitpicky complaints about the scheduling for the Princess Mononoke remake
Sony just slotted The Legend of Zelda one week after Sonic the Hedgehog 4! But there’s already a tentpole slotted for Easter weekend, starring the two gods who show up every three years to save Hollywood from its sins.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another gets a trailer, offering hope that Warner Bros.’s “year of ambitious non-franchise biggies” (now two years following a few delays) can go a little better than the last time they tried as much.
As 20th Century Studios nabs a Martin Scorsese-directed Hawaiian mob thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, I wonder out loud, however naively optimistic it might be, if the studio formerly known as 20th Century Fox is at least attempting a theatrical comeback.