NO TIME TO DIE : Tuesday 16th November 2021.

I saw the M Rated 'NO TIME TO DIE' at my local multiplex this week and finally, the 25th Bond film is released in Australia, as Directed and Co-Written by Cary Joji Fukunaga whose prior film making credits include 'Jane Eyre' in 2011 and 'Beasts of No Nation' in 2015. Phoebe Waller-Bridge also Co-Wrote this film with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. The film was originally scheduled for release in November 2019, but was postponed to February 2020 and then to April 2020 after Danny Boyle's departure as Director due to creative differences. It was then postponed until a November 2020 release date due to the ongoing severity of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, and was pushed back again to an early April 2021 date. It was then postponed to an October 2021 release date, with the World Premier screening scheduled for London's Royal Albert Hall on 28th September. The film was released in the UK on 8th October, in the US on 15th October and in China on 29th October, with the release postponed until last week in Australia because of national lockdowns which have since been lifted. The film has so far grossed US$710M off the back of a production budget somewhere in the vicinity of US$280M, and has garnered generally positive Reviews for this, Daniel Craig's final outing as the titular British MI6 Agent James Bond.  

The film opens up with a lone gunman traipsing through the snow to an isolated house by a lake surrounded by a forest. Inside the house, a young Madeleine Swann (Coline Defaud) looks after her near comatose mother (Mathilde Bourbin) on the verge of passing out on the sofa under the influence of alcohol, cigarettes and who knows what else. As the gunman approaches and enters the house the mother has passed out, leaving the young girl terrified as the masked gunman approaches. Madeleine runs upstairs and cowers under the bed having retrieved a revolver from under the kitchen sink. The gunman says to the mother that her husband was responsible for the death of his whole family and promptly shoots the mother dead where she lays, and then walks upstairs to Madeleine's bedroom. Seeing the room seemingly empty he turns around to leave, just as the young girl pops her head over the side of the bed and fires off several shots into the gunman, sending him crashing through the wooden balustrade down into the room below, apparently dead. As the girl drags the lifeless body outside through the snow, the gunman comes around and rises up. Madeleine makes a hasty exit across the iced up lake, but once in the middle the ice begins to crack under her weight, and she falls through. The gunman rescues Madeleine. 

We then fast forward to five years ago and a now adult Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) is in the southern Italian city of Matera with James Bond (Daniel Craig) - the pair in love. Bond is there with the intention of paying his final respects to Vesper Lynd as she is entombed there. Upon visiting the tomb he notices in a bunch of flowers a Spectre calling card, at which point the tomb explodes. 

Spectre assassins are soon hot on Bond's heels led by Primo (Dali Benssalah) but he successfully manages to evade being killed off and escapes with Madeleine in the bullet riddled yet gadget heavy Aston Martin DB5. Bond believes that Swann has betrayed him, and despite her pleas to the contrary, he packs her on a train and says that she will never see him again. 

Fast forward to the present day, and MI6 scientist Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik) is kidnapped from an MI6 off-grid laboratory, with the lab destroyed and all working operatives therein shot dead. With M's approval Obruchev had developed the top-secret Project Heracles, an exclusive bioweapon containing nanobots designed to infect like a virus upon touch that are coded to an individual's DNA, rendering it lethal to the target and their relatives, but completely harmless to anyone else. 

Bond meanwhile has retired to Jamaica, where he is enjoying the laid back relaxed lifestyle. He is contacted by his old friend from the CIA, Agent Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and his colleague Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen), who ask for Bond's help, for old time's sake, in finding Obruchev. Bond declines, but after Nomi (Lashana Lynch), an MI6 agent and his replacement as 007, tells him about Project Heracles, Bond agrees to help Leiter, over Nomi's warnings not to get involved.

Bond sails into Cuba and meets Paloma (Ana de Armis), a CIA agent, with three weeks training allegedly, working with Leiter. They infiltrate a Spectre meeting to celebrate Blofeld's birthday to extract Obruchev. Still locked up inside Belmarsh Prison, Blofeld uses a disembodied 'bionic eye' to lead the meeting and order his members to kill Bond with a 'nanobot mist', but it kills all the Spectre members, as Obruchev had reprogrammed the nanobots to infect them all instead. It turns out that the masked gunman in the opening scene is Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) who had given the orders to Obruchev to wipe out all of Spectre. Bond captures Obruchev and  flies out on Nomi's seaplane to meet with Leiter and Ash on a fishing trawler out at sea. Ash, however, reveals himself to be a double agent who is working for Safin. In a fight between Bond and Ash, Leiter is shot in the stomach. Ash escapes with Obruchev on the seaplane leaving Bond and Leiter locked in the engine room, as the trawler explodes in a ball of flame and gradually begins to sink. As the water rises Leiter bids his final farewell to his old friend and sinks below the water succumbing to his wound. Bond swims through the hole caused by the explosion to the surface, finds a life raft, and is picked up later the next day by a passing container ship. 

Back now in London and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) arrange a meeting between Bond and Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) in Belmarsh Prison to try to locate the whereabouts of Obruchev. Meanwhile, Safin visits and coerces the now psychotherapist Dr. Madeleine Swann to infect herself with a nanobot dose to kill Blofeld, as she has been in contact with him for treatment since his imprisonment. 

When Bond encounters Madeleine for the first time in five years at Belmarsh their reception is frosty to say the least. Once inside the confines of Blofeld's high security prison cell, he touches her and unknowingly infects himself before she leaves, unable to go through with Safin's plan. Blofeld confesses to Bond that he staged the explosion at Vesper Lynd's tomb to make it seem as though Madeleine had betrayed him. Bond reacts by grabbing Blofeld by the throat in a strangle hold, but M's Chief of Staff Bill Tanner (Rory Kinnear) intervenes. Moments later when the dust has settled, they both look around to see Blofeld slumped back in his chair dead, as Bond had unintentionally caused the nanobots to infect and kill him.

Bond traces Madeleine back to her childhood home in Norway and learns that she has a five-year-old daughter, Mathilde ((Lisa-Dorah Sonnet), who she claims is not his. After kissing and making-up for lost time in which Bond says his biggest regret is putting Madeleine on that train five years ago, she tells him that when Safin was a boy, his parents were murdered by her father on Blofeld's orders. Having avenged them by killing Blofeld and destroying Spectre, Safin continues his rampage with Ash and their henchmen in pursuit of Bond, Madeleine and Mathilde in a high speed chase through the mountainous Norwegian countryside and forest. Ultimately Bond kills Ash by crushing him under his upturned Range Rover from which he had just crawled out of, and the other thugs, but Safin captures Madeleine and Mathilde and makes off with them in a helicopter, leaving Bond on the ground looking on.

Q enables Bond and Nomi to infiltrate Safin's headquarters in a former WWII missile base, converted to a nanobot factory, on an island located somewhere between Japan and Russia. There Obruchev is mass-producing the Heracles technology so Safin can use it to systematically wipe out millions of people. Bond kills many of Safin's men while Nomi kills Obruchev by shoving him backwards into a huge nanobot vat. 

Madeleine escapes captivity at the hands of Primo, while Safin lets Mathilde go after she bites him on the hand, for which he has no patience. Nomi takes Madeleine and Mathilde away from the island while Bond stays behind to open the island's 1950's Russian era blast-resistant silo doors, and calls in a missile strike from HMS Dragon, as the only Royal Navy vessel in the area, to destroy the installation with M's (Ralph Fiennes) approval despite protestations from the Russian and Japanese governments and the UK's Prime Minister. Bond, while making a sharp exit encounters more of Safin's men whom he kills, including Primo.

Safin ambushes Bond as he is making his way outta there, shooting him twice and infecting him with a vial containing nanobots programmed to kill Madeleine and Mathilde. Despite his injuries, Bond kills Safin after a fight and re-opens the silos which Safin had previously closed. Speaking by radio with Madeleine, Bond tells her he loves her and encourages her to move on without him. Madeleine confirms that Mathilde is his daughter as Bond says his final farewell.

Much has been written about 'No Time To Die' and most of it positive, and as Australia is just about the last country on Earth to see 007 doing what he does best, it will come as no surprise to anyone to learn that James Bond carks it at the end of this film. This of course begs the question of the Producers and the Writers of how do they bring back James Bond for the 26th instalment in this ever popular franchise. Perhaps this episode is all just a dream and Bond will wake up next to Swann and Blofeld, Leiter and Spectre will all still be very much alive and kicking and Safin never existed! Maybe! That said, this film has all the usual touchstones that make Bond such an enjoyable watch - the big action set pieces, the exotic locations, the gadgets, the intrigue, the quips, the megalomaniacal villain and in this one the emotion too that Bond portrays in his love and regret for Swann and for ever doubting her, that ultimately costs him his life. The film has heart and soul as well as a more mature Bond who is still able to handle himself, albeit not quite as bullet proof as he once was, and deliver the one liners with aplomb whilst showing us that he is capable of real care, love and emotion. Craig gives his all in this his final performance as the titular Secret Agent and his demise is a fitting end to his legacy over the last five films. At a run time of 163 minutes it is however, just a tad on the lengthy side, albeit the film never leaves you wanting and it moves along at a swift pace, despite the mid-section dragging its heels a little. 

'No Time To Die' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 11th November 2021.

The 21st Belfast Film Festival opened its doors on Thursday 4th November and runs through until Saturday 13th November 2021. The Belfast Film Festival began in 1995 and has developed over the years hand in hand with the evolving culture of film patronage and filmmaking in the city, to become Northern Ireland's largest film festival with an annual audience in excess of 25,000. The official website reads that 'we believe that film should be an experience, and so, we present the best in new, short and classic cinema in our spring and summer festivals. Due to our love of film, we are also heavily involved in promoting film education and nurturing practical filmmaking skills throughout the North. That’s why we are currently working on a programme of community outreach projects that we hope will galvanise people’s accessibility to, and awareness and enjoyment of film culture in hard to reach and underprivileged areas. We will be working with community groups to offer writing and filmmaking workshops, industry discussion panels, special screenings and master classes'. This years Opening Night film is Kenneth Branagh's award winning 'Belfast' starring Jude Hill, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe and Ciaran Hinds. 

This years feature films showcased are :-

* '100 Years of Happiness' - Northern Ireland and the partition of Ireland are both 100 years old in 2021.This newly commissioned audio visual piece assembles hundreds of clips of people in the north of Ireland investigating and exploring centres of pleasure, nodes of desire, knots of yearning…their capillaries flooded with gratification.

* 'Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn' - from Romania, Luxembourg, Czech Republic and Croatia and Directed and Written by Radu Jude. An amateur porn video lands a teacher in hot water in this deliberately offensive attack on the hypocrisy of modern society. Winner of the Golden Bear at this years Berlin International Film Festival. 

* 'Belfast' - from the UK and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Kenneth Branagh and set during the tumult of late-1960's Northern Ireland, the film follows young Buddy as he navigates a landscape of working-class struggle, sweeping cultural changes, and sectarian violence.

* 'Billy Boy' - from the UK and Directed by Matt Faris. It’s the 11th July. The sun is splitting the trees. The tarmac is melting on the ground and Aaron and his mates are protecting the biggest bonfire in east Belfast. It’s a complicated situation. Everyone has an opinion, but as everyone knows ‘Compromise Equals Sell-Out’.

* 'Cow' - from the UK and Directed by Andrea Arnold. This film is an endeavour to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way. It’s a film about one dairy cow’s reality and acknowledging her great service to us.

* 'Doineann' - from the UK and Directed by Damian McCann. A woman and her baby son go missing on a remote Irish island. Her husband must put his trust in the island’s retired policewoman. But a storm is approaching.....

* 'Fire in the Mountains' - from India and Directed and Written by Ajitpal Singh. A mother toils to save money to build a road in a mountainous Himalayan village to take her son to physiotherapy. Yet her husband, who believes that a shamanic ritual is the remedy, stands in her way.

* 'Here Before' - from the UK and Directed and Written by Stacey Gregg. When a new family moves in next door, their young daughter, Megan, quickly captivates Laura, stirring up painful memories of her own daughter who died several years previously. Before long, Laura’s memories turn to obsession as Megan’s unsettling behaviour begins to convince her of something supernatural.

* 'Hit the Road' - from Iran and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Panah Panahi. A four-member family is driving through a picturesque, mountainous Iranian landscape. The older brother is at the wheel, his worrisome mother is next to him, and in the rear the father with a broken leg is bickering with a young and impertinent son. But it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary family outing!

* 'Hope' - from Norway, Sweden and Denmark and Directed and Written by Maria Sodahl. Anja lives with Tomas in a large family of biological children and stepchildren. For a number of years the two adults have grown independent of each other, with creative jobs in parallel worlds. When Anja gets a terminal cancer diagnosis, their modern life breaks down and exposes neglected love.

* 'Hotel Poseidon' - from Belgium and Directed and Written by Stefan Lernous. Dave reluctantly pretends to be the manager of Hotel Poseidon, where fungus covers the walls and comments such as 'faded glory' and 'has seen better times' completely fall short to describe this establishment. He wanders the corridors of his personal Overlook Hotel like a zombie, being a passive spectator to what happens around him. 

* 'Keep It a Secret' - from Ireland and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Sean Duggan. In 1972, every international sporting event in Ireland was cancelled, except for one. Teams from around the world refused to travel to Ireland amid the height of The Troubles. The only group of athletes bold enough to risk traveling to Ireland at this turbulent time were surfers.

* 'Lyra' - from the UK and Directed by Alison Millar. An emotive, intimate portrait of the life and death of Belfast journalist Lyra Mckee, who was murdered by the New IRA the day before Good Friday, April 2019. As the voice of her ceasefire generation, Lyra represented hope for a future free of conflict. Her killing casts a dark shadow over a land trying to shake off the shackles of its violent past.

* 'The MacCarnysons' - from Ireland and Directed and Written by Ken Fanning. The circus is facing hard times. Sean MacCarnyson has a choice to make, to sell out or to keep the respect of his family. The MacCarnysons features death defying aerialists, hardcore acrobats, mind bending jugglers and loads of craic.

* 'Mandrake' - from the UK and Directed by Lynne Davison. Witchcraft isn’t real and there’s some good in everyone; two things that probation officer Cathy Madden thought were true, until she met Mary Laidlaw, notorious killer known as ‘Bloody Mary’ who is released back into society after thirty years in jail for murdering her abusive husband.

* 'Old Friends and Other Days' - from the UK and Directed, Written and Co-Executive Produced by Cameron Menzies. The viewer is instantly plunged into an atmospheric, decaying, beautiful world where ambiguity reigns supreme and the stream of consciousness is governed by the world of song.

* 'Once Upon a Time in Calcutta' - from India, France and Norway and Directed, Written, Co-Executive Produced and Edited by Aditya Vikram Sengupta. After the loss of her daughter, Ela not only loses her identity as a mother, but also the only reason to be with her husband. When she is refused a home loan by the bank, her boss, owner of a massive Ponzi scheme, makes her an offer she struggles to accept.

* 'Sam and Mattie Make a Zombie Movie' - from the US and Directed and Co-Produced by Jesse Suchmann and Robert Carnevale. Sam and Mattie, best friends who have Down syndrome, rally the entire town of Providence, Rhode Island, to help them make a film.

* 'The Storms of Jeremy Thomas' - from the UK and US and Directed by Mark Cousins. An affectionate and unconventional documentary portrait examining the long and illustrious career of iconic producer Jeremy Thomas. Many film producers make money, some even win Oscars, but few make great art. Jeremy Thomas has done the lot.

For the full slate of films being screened and a whole lot more besides, you can go to the official website at : https://belfastfilmfestival.org/

This week to tease you out to your local Odeon there are three big films that couldn't be more different, and each one helmed by a Director of repute. First up sees everyone's favourite MI6 Secret Agent returning for his final time in the role when a long-term friend from the CIA, asks for help in tracking down a mysterious villain armed with a potentially deadly new technology. Next up is a Western drama about a domineering rancher who responds with mocking cruelty when his brother brings home a new wife and her son, until the unexpected comes to pass. And we close out the week with a promising young theatre composer about to turn thirty years of age who navigates love, friendship and the pressures of life as an artist in New York City in the early nineties.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'NO TIME TO DIE' (Rated M) - finally, the 25th Bond film is released in Australia, as Directed and Co-Written by Cary Joji Fukunaga whose prior film making credits include 'Jane Eyre' in 2011 and 'Beasts of No Nation' in 2015. Phoebe Waller-Bridge also Co-Wrote this film with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. The film was originally scheduled for release in November 2019, but was postponed to February 2020 and then to April 2020 after Danny Boyle's departure as Director due to creative differences. It was then postponed until a November 2020 release date due to the ongoing severity of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, and was then pushed back again to an early April 2021 date. It was then pushed back to an October 2021 release date, with the World Premier screening scheduled for London's Royal Albert Hall on 28th September. The film was released in the UK on 8th October, in the US on 15th October and in China on 29th October, with the release postponed until this week in Australia because of national lockdowns which have since been lifted. The film has so far grossed US$668M off the back of a production budget somewhere in the vicinity of US$280M, and has garnered generally positive Reviews for this, Daniel Craig's final outing as the titular British MI6 Agent James Bond. 

Here then, James Bond (Daniel Craig), has left active service and is enjoying the quiet life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived however, when his old friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist, Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik) turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) armed with dangerous new technology. Also starring Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Billy Magnussen, Ana de Armis and Rory Kinnear. 

'THE POWER OF THE DOG' (Rated M) - this Australian, UK, US, Canadian and New Zealand co-produced Western drama film is Directed, Written for the screen and Co-Produced by Jane Campion and is based on the 1967 book of the same name by Thomas Savage. The film saw its World Premiere  screening at the Venice International Film Festival in early September where Campion won the Silver Lion for Best Direction, and is released here in Australia this week, and in the US next week prior to streaming on Netflix on 1st December. Set in 1925, charismatic and wealthy Montana rancher Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother George (Jesse Plemmons) brings home a new wife, Rose (Kirsten Dunst) and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love. Also starring Thomasin McKenzie, Keith Carradine and Frances Conroy.

'TICK, TICK . . . BOOM!' (Rated M) - is an American musical drama film Directed by the Actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda who also created and starred in the Broadway musicals 'In the Heights' and 'Hamilton' both of which have been turned into films. This is the multi-award winning Miranda's feature film making debut, and is based on the semi-autobiographical musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson. Here then Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield), the composer and playwright who died aged thirty-five in 1996 from an aortic aneurysm just before his new musical 'Rent' would become a worldwide smash hit, sees Larson struggling to find success on the cusp of his thirtieth birthday as he frets about whether he should pack it in and choose a more conventional career path rather than scripting musical theatre. The film has garnered mostly positive Reviews, sees its World Premier screening at the American Film Institute Fest on 10th November, before going on limited release from the 12th November and before streaming on Netflix on 19th November. Also starring Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus, Joshua Henry, Vanessa Hudgens and Bradley Whitford.

With three new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Odeon's closed, productions halted, movies delayed : the impact of the coronavirus!

Usually on a Wednesday I would report on the latest release new movies coming to an Odeon near you in Australia during the week commencing tomorrow. But as cinemas all around the country and elsewhere are temporarily closed, this week and for the foreseeable future this is not to be. So, as the world remains in lockdown, self isolation is the new de rigueur, and all but twenty of the worlds countries are suffering from the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak that has seen large social gatherings forbidden, stores and businesses shut their doors indefinitely, millions of people now working from home or stood down, the global economy on an ever descending downward spiral, borders closed, airlines grounded, and all but essential services and retailers still operating. And, as at the time of writing, there is no end in sight! All that we know is that this global pandemic will pass . . . eventually, but who knows when, and who knows what the world will look like on the other side?

In Australia, movie theatres across the land closed their doors some three weeks ago now, as they did in many other countries around the world. At around about the same time television and film productions were halted indefinitely or cancelled altogether and the Studios who had their movies slated for imminent release have moved back those scheduled release dates to later in the year, or next year, or to some future unspecified date.

So, in case you were wondering what the status is of the big movies originally scheduled for release during the coming months, here is what we know of them so far :-

* 'THE HUNT' - this Blumhouse produced horror thriller is Directed by Craig Zobel and stars Betty Gilpin, Amy Madigan, Hilary Swank, Emma Roberts, Ethan Suplee, and Ike Barinholtz and was released Stateside on 13th March. One week later it was pulled from any further theatrical releases and it was then made available on digital streaming services.

* 'A QUIET PLACE : PART II' - the follow up film to John Krasinski's hugely successful 2018 horror  thriller film is Directed and Written once again by John Krasinski, and stars his wife Emily Blunt with Cillian Murphy, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds, Djimon Hounsou and Krasinski in newly film flash backs. The film was scheduled for an 19th March release, and has since been delayed until 4th September 2020.

* 'PETER RABBIT 2 : THE RUNAWAY' - this live action computer animated comedy film is based on the characters created by Beatrix Potter over one hundred years ago, and is the sequel to 2018's 'Peter Rabbit'. Directed by Will Gluck and starring in live action roles are Domhnall Gleeson, Rose Byrne and David Oyelowo with voices provided by James Cordon, Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, Lennie James, Sam Neill, Ewen Leslie and Damon Herriman. This film was also scheduled for a 19th March release and has since been put back until 15th January 2021.

* THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD' - this comedy drama offering based on the original story by Charles Dickens was released in the UK in late January, and is Directed, Co-Produced, and Co-Written for the screen by Armando Iannucci, and stars Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie, Ben Whishaw, Paul Whitehouse, Benedict Wong, Aneurin Barnard, Gwendoline Christie, and Morfydd Clark. The film was scheduled for a release in Australia on 26th March. Earlier that month the film was pulled from its further release schedule, and a re-release date has yet to be confirmed. This Reviewer saw an early screening of the film however, back in February at Sydney's Open Air Cinema, so you can check out my Review, to see what you missed.

* 'MULAN' - this Disney live action remake of their 1998 animated feature film was initially scheduled for a 26th March release, but that has now been pushed back to an unspecified future date. Directed by Niki Caro and starring Liu Yifei, Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Jet Li, and Tzi Ma.

* 'THE NEW MUTANTS' - this Superhero horror film intended to be an instalment of the 'X-Men' franchise has been plagued by release date delays, but the most recently publicised date was for an 3rd April release time frame which has now been pushed back to an unspecified date, although expected to be some time in later 2020. Directed by Josh Boone and starring Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt and Henry Zaga as the five new young mutants.

* 'ARTEMIS FOWL' - this Sci-Fi adventure offering is a Disney film based on the 2001 book of the same name by Eoin Colfer, Directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Ferdia Shaw in the title role with Josh Gad, Colin Farrell and Judy Dench. Scheduled for a 3rd April release, this film has been pulled from its cinematic release and will instead air on Disney+ at an as yet undisclosed date.

* 'NO TIME TO DIE' - the 25th instalment in the James Bond franchise is Directed by Cary Fukunaga and starring Daniel Craig for the final time as Bond with Christoph Waltz, Rami Malek, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux, Naomi Harris, Ana de Armas, and Rory Kinnear. Originally slated for a 9th April release this latest instalment has been pushed back officially to 12th November 2020.

* 'ANTLERS' - this supernatural horror offering with Guillermo del Toro and David S. Goyer both taking Co-Producer credits was due for a release on 16th April, but has subsequently been pushed back to some future undisclosed date in 2020. Directed by Scott Cooper and starring Keri Russell, Jesse Plemmons, Amy Madigan, Graham Greene and Jeremy T. Thomas.

* 'PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN' - is a black comedy drama offering Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Emerald Fennell and starring Carey Mulligan, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Alfred Molina. Originally set for a 16th April release, this film is still publicised for this date, but that seems highly unlikely at this stage, pending advice from the distributor.

* 'ANTEBELLUM' - is an American horror drama film that was slated for release on 24th April, but a new date for its release has yet to be announced. Directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz and starring Janelle Monae, Jena Malone, Jack Huston and Gabourey Sibide.

* 'BLACK WIDOW' - this MCU Superhero gets her own standalone film despite being killed off in 'Avengers : Endgame'. With Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow, with Florence Pugh, David Harbour, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, Rachel Weisz and Robert Downey Jnr as Iron Man/Tony Stark. Directed by Cate Shortland this is the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and launches the MCU Phase Four and is set after the events of 'Captain America : Civil War'. Originally set for a 1st May release, this film has been pushed back with as yet, no date specified.

* 'SPIRAL' (aka 'SPIRAL : FROM THE BOOK OF SAW') - is a horror film that is the ninth instalment in the 'Saw' franchise and is Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, Written by Chris Rock and also starring him too alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Max Minghella. It was due for release on 15th May, but has since been pushed back indefinitely.

* 'THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW' - this psychological thriller is Directed by Joe Wright, and written for the screen by Tracy Letts who also stars together with Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Bryan Tyree Henry, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Julianne Moore. Originally scheduled for a 15th May release, but has been pushed back to an as yet undisclosed date.

* 'F9' (aka 'FAST & FURIOUS 9') - this ninth instalment in the hugely successful and popular action franchise is this time around Directed by Justin Lin and reunites Vin Diesel with Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren amongst others and introduces John Cena as the bad guy. Due for a 22nd May release, but this has now be delayed until 2nd April 2021.

* 'WONDER WOMAN 1984' - this sequel to 2017's successful 'Wonder Woman' film and the ninth film in the DCEU, is Directed as before by Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/ Diana Prince with Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen. Slated for a 5th June release but has now been pushed back to 14th August 2020.

* 'GREYHOUND' - this WWII American war film was written for the screen by Tom Hanks and also stars him too in the lead role as Commander Ernest Krause in this story of The Battle of the Atlantic which took place in early 1942 - only a few months after the US entered WWII. Directed by Aaron Schneider and also starring Stephen Graham, Elisabeth Shue, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Rob Morgan. Initially scheduled for a 11th June release, this film has been pushed back indefinitely with no date as yet publicised.

* 'CANDYMAN' - is a supernatural slasher film Directed by Nia DaCosta and Co-Written by Jordan Peele, and is a direct sequel to the 1992 film of the same name and the fourth film in the 'Candyman' franchise, based on the short story 'The Forbidden' by Clive Barker. Initially slated for an 11th June release, the film has since been put back to 25th September 2020.

* 'TOP GUN : MAVERICK' - this follow up to 1986's 'Top Gun' film with Tom Cruise as Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell sees the intrepid Navy pilot return in this sequel that was originally scheduled for a 24th June release that has since been delayed until 23rd December 2020. Directed by Jospeh Kosinski and also starring Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer and Jennifer Connelly.

* 'FREE GUY' - this Sci-Fi action comedy film is Directed by Shawn Levy and stars Ryan Reynolds (who also Co-Produces) and Taika Waititi, Joe Keery and Lil Rel Howery. Slated for a 3rd July release, this has now been pushed back until 11th December 2020.

* 'GHOSTBUSTERS : AFTERLIFE' - this supernatural comedy offering is a direct sequel to 'Ghostbusters' from 1984 and 'Ghostbusters II' from 1989, and the fourth film in the franchise. Directed by Jason Reitman and starring Mackenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Bokeem Woodbine, Tracy Letts, and reprising their roles from the first films Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver. Set for a release date of 10th July, this has now been pushed back to 5th March 2021.

* 'MORBIUS' - based on the Marvel Comics Superhero character of the same name this is the third film in Sony's Marvel Universe that was intended for a July release date, but this has now been put back until 19th March 2021. Directed by Daniel Espinosa and starring Jared Leto as Michael Morbius with Matt Smith, Jared Harris, Tyrese Gibson and Michael Keaton.

* 'TENET' - this action thriller film is Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Christopher Nolan with an all star cast taking in John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Clemence Poesy, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. It remains at this time still scheduled for a 17th July release - being the fifth Nolan film to be released in the third weekend of July, which has been hailed as his 'lucky date ' as his prior four projects went on to achieve strong box office returns. This of course remains to be seen, or if indeed 'Tenet' will also get pushed back.

* 'THE FRENCH DISPATCH' - is a comedy drama film Directed and Co-Written by Wes Anderson with an all star ensemble cast including Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Elisabeth Moss, Frances McDormand, Lea Seydoux, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Christoph Waltz, Owen Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Timothee Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan. The film was originally scheduled for a July 24th release, but has since been postponed until 16th October 2020.

* 'JUNGLE CRUISE' -  is an action adventure film based on the Disney theme park attraction of the same name. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Dwayne Johnson (who also Co-Produces), Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramirez, and Jesse Plemmons this film was scheduled for a 24th July release date which has since been pushed back to 30th July 2021.

* 'MALIGNANT' - this horror film is Directed, Co-Produced, and Co-Written by James Wan and stars Annabelle Wallis, Jacqueline McKenzie and Mckenna Grace, and was slated for an 14th August release, which has now been pushed back indefinitely.

* 'ETERNALS' - this Superhero film exists in the MCU and is Marvel's 25th entry into their cinematic universe, Directed by Chloe Zhao and starring Richard Madden, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Barry Keoghan, Angelina Jolie and Kit Harrington as some of the 'Eternals' amongst others - an immortal alien race created by the 'Celestials' who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7000 years, and who reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the 'Deviants'. Originally scheduled for a 6th November release, and subsequently moved back to 12th February 2021.

And so this just about brings you up to date with many of the movie postponements that have so far been announced, doubtless with more to follow depending on how long this pesky virus thing continues to hang around for. Next week, we'll report on the movie productions that have been halted in their tracks for the imminent future and what this means for their planned release schedule. Stay tuned, keep it here and remain safe . . . indoors!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-