JURASSIC WORLD : DOMINION - Tuesday 14th June 2022.

I saw the M Rated 'JURASSIC WORLD : DOMINION' at my local multiplex this week and this American Sci-Fi action film is Directed and Co-Written for the screen and based on a story developed by Colin Tervorrow and based on characters created by Michael Chrichton. It is the sequel to 2018's 'Jurassic World : Fallen Kingdom', the sixth instalment in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise, the final film in the Jurassic World trilogy, and the conclusion to the storyline started in the original 'Jurassic Park' trilogy released in 1993, 1997 and 2001. This film saw its World Premier in Mexico City on 23rd May and went on worldwide release from last week. The film cost US$185M to produce, has so far grossed US$450M and has generated largely negative critical Reviews.

Set some four years after Isla Nublar had been destroyed and the events that subsequently unfolded at the Lockwood Estate, dinosaurs now live, and hunt, alongside humans the world over. Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), the former Operations Manager at Jurassic World, works for the Dinosaur Protection Group. She and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) have been living in a remote cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains where they are secretly raising and caring for the now fourteen year old Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), Benjamin Lockwood's cloned granddaughter. Owen's previously trained Velociraptor, Blue, one day arrives at the cabin with an offspring that was reproduced asexually, and whom Maisie names Beta.

Meanwhile, Biosyn Genetics which have grown to be a globally domineering and highly profitable company conducts medical research on dinosaurs, seeking cures for all manner of human ailments. Unknown to Claire and Owen, Biosyn is very keen on studying Maisie's DNA and have been searching for her for the last four years. When Maisie, frustrated with living in seclusion with no other human interaction other than Claire and Owen, sneaks away to a nearby town, Biosyn operatives, led by Rainn Delacourt (Scott Haze) kidnap her and also Beta. Owen and Claire immediately give chase to rescue them. 

Elsewhere, swarms of formerly extinct giant locusts have inexplicably appeared across huge swathes of the southern United States laying waste to valuable crops and so threatening the world's food supply. Paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) upon examining a captured live specimen discovers they avoid eating crops grown with Biosyn seed, leading her to suspect that Biosyn created them. Believing the locust's DNA dates to the Cretaceous period, Ellie approaches former partner and paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), who is on a dig in Utah, and who agrees to help her infiltrate and investigate Biosyn.

With help from Franklin Webb (Justice Smith), a contact within the CIA and former dinosaur rights activist who has previously worked with Claire, Claire and Owen track Maisie and Beta to Malta where they visit a black market trading in live dinosaur specimens. When undercover agents raid the market led by Barry Sembene (Omar Sy) dinosaurs are unintentionally released, creating havoc with Delacourt subsequently eaten alive together with various others caught in the fracas. Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman), a Biosyn employee and dinosaur smuggler, having been captured by Sembene, informs Claire and Owen that Maisie and Beta are being transported to Biosyn's headquarters and dinosaur valley in Italy's Dolomites mountain range. They meet Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise), a sympathetic cargo pilot with access to the valley, who agrees to fly Owen and Claire there.

Chaos theorist Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), who now works for Biosyn as a contractor, invites Alan and Ellie to the headquarters to help him uncover Biosyn CEO Lewis Dodgson's (Campbell Scott) illegal activities. Ian's ally, Communications Director and apparent right hand man to Dodgson, Ramsay Cole (Mamoudou Athie) assists. As it turns out geneticist Dr. Henry Wu (B D Wong) genetically engineered the locusts to only consume rival companies' crops so that Biosyn will dominate the global agricultural market. The locust plague has subsequently spread worldwide. Wu meets Maisie and explains she is not a clone. Instead, her mother, Charlotte Lockwood (Elva Trill, seen through archive video footage only), Benjamin Lockwood's daughter and Wu's former colleague, used her own DNA to create Maisie asexually as her child. Charlotte died from a genetic disease shortly after Maisie was born, but she had altered Maisie's DNA so making her immune. Wu believes that Maisie's and Beta's DNA are the keys to creating a pathogen that can halt the escalating locust outbreak. 

Upon reaching Biosyn airspace, a group of giant pterosaurs attack Kayla's cargo plane, ripping a gaping hole in the body of the aircraft and taking out its two engines. Claire ejects while Owen and Kayla survive crash landing on a frozen water reservoir. Following their separate encounters with various dinosaurs, and not of the good kind, the three manage to regroup. Inside the Biosyn facility, Ian and Ramsey allow Ellie and Alan access to a restricted lab where the giant locusts are being bred. They steal a locust DNA sample and come across Maisie, who has escaped and released Beta in the process. After seeing them on security footage some twelve minutes later, Dodgson torches the locust laboratory to destroy all evidence but in the process swarms of burning locusts burst through a ventilation shaft and out into the surrounding woodland, inadvertently starting a forest fire. Dodgson also terminates Ian's employment for exposing his operation. 

Alan, Ellie, and Maisie escape with Ramsay's assistance through a defunct subterranean amber mine, but not before having various close encounters with several dinosaurs  of their own. After finding Ian, they meet up with Owen, Claire, and Kayla. Meanwhile, Dodgson attempts to leave with dinosaur embryos via a hyperloop underground train, but when the power fails, he becomes trapped and subsequently killed by a group of three Dilophosaurus. Electronic devices retrieve the dinosaurs to the Biosyn headquarters to protect them from the fire. Owen, assisted by Maisie and Alan, captures Beta. 

In the meantime Kayla has run off to a helicopter to get the group the hell outta Dodge when a Giganotosaurus terrorises the group until the Therizinosaurus and the Tyrannosaurus rex kill it. The group escapes with Kayla at the controls of the helicopter, taking Wu, who claims to be able to eradicate the locusts, with them. Ellie and Alan renew their romantic relationship prior to joining Ian and Ramsay in testifying against Biosyn. Sometime later Wu releases a locust carrying the pathogen he discovered while studying Maisie and Beta, ultimately destroying the locusts within one season. Owen, Claire, and Maisie return home to their cabin in the Sierra Nevada and reunite Beta with Blue. Around the world, dinosaurs adapt to co-exist with modern bird, sea and wildlife while the United Nations declares Biosyn Valley a dinosaur sanctuary. 

I went in to see 'Jurassic World : Dominion' with fairly low expectations and came out fairly surprised that the Critics had been so harsh on this final instalment of the second trilogy. Sure, it rehashes everything that has gone before including the ultimate destruction of every dino enclosure from Isla Nublar right through to the Lockwood Estate; and when it comes down to it the story has come full circle from harnessing dino DNA from mozzies through to creating dino sized crop busting locusts by manipulating their DNA. The action sequences and the spectacle of dinosaurs living amongst us is impressively handled, but this film is more about combating a plague of locusts than it is about marauding dinosaurs chomping and stomping up the scenery and any mere mortal who dare get in their way. Reuniting Neill, Dern and Goldblum from the original trilogy doesn't really add any weight to the storyline other than to connect the dots back to the 'Jurassic Park' series. And so in these respects 'Jurassic World : Dominion' is predictable and by the numbers, devoid of any emotion, and a storyline that for the most part we have seen before. It is entertaining enough, and at a run time of two and a half hours it moves along at a good enough pace, but I think it's time that this franchise goes the way of the dinosaurs, and is finally declared extinct!

'Jurassic World : Dominion' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th June 2022.

The 69th Sydney Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday 8th June and runs through until Sunday 19th June, screening over two hundred films across fifteen screens spread across the city and showcasing the greatest, strangest and most exciting works that the world of cinema has to offer. This year there are twelve films in Official Competition and the Sydney Film Prize is awarded to the most 'audacious, cutting-edge and courageous' film in the Official Competition line-up. The competition is endorsed by FIAPF, the regulating body for international film festivals, and is judged by a jury of filmmakers and industry professionals. The AU$60K cash prize is presented at SFF’s Closing Night ceremony. In addition, a further AU$76K is awarded to other categories that are the Australian Documentary Award, two awards for Australian Short Films, the Australian Animated Short Film, The Craft Award for demonstrated excellence by a craft practitioner in an Australian short film, the Australian First Nations Film Creatives, the Sydney UNESCO City of Film Award and the Sustainable Futures Award. 

Those films in Official Competition are as detailed below :-

* 'Alcarras' - from Spain and Italy and Written and Directed by Carla Simon. Set in Alcarras, Catalonia, the plot consists of a family rural drama concerning the disappearance of agricultural activities, revolving around the intention to install solar panels in an agricultural plot hitherto occupied by a peach orchard, bringing the members of the Sole family to a stand off. Australian Premier. Drama. Winner of the Golden Bear Award at this years Berlin International Film Festival.

* 'Before, Now & Then' - from Indonesia and Written and Directed by Kamila Andini. Set in West Java, Nana (Happy Salma) finds refuge in a second marriage after losing her family to war in the 1940's. Then, she befriends her second husband's mistress, Ino (Laura Basuki), together seeking for the meaning of freedom. Australian Premier. Drama.

* 'Blaze' - from Australia and Co-Written and Directed by Del Kathryn Barton in her feature film debut. After accidentally witnessing a violent crime, a young girl is left catatonic with shock, and struggles to make sense of what she saw, ultimately finding renewal in the inestimable world of her own imagination. Australian Premier. Drama. Starring Simon Baker and Julia Savage.

* 'The Box' - from Mexico and the USA and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lorenzo Vigas. A Mexican teenager sets out to collect his fathers remains, only to be sucked into the underbelly of the manufacturing industry. Australian Premier. Drama.

* 'Burning Days' - from Turkey and Written and Directed by Emin Alper. Emre (Sealhattin Pasali), a young prosecutor, newly appointed to the small town of Balkaya finds himself being pulled into a political conflict during his first murder investigation. Australian Premier. Drama.

* 'Close' - from Belgium and Co-Written and Directed by Lukas Dhont. Leo and Remi (Eden Dambrine and Gustav de Waele respectively) two thirteen-year-old boys, have their close friendship suddenly thrown into disarray as the prospect of adolescence looms. Australian Premier. Drama. Winner of the Grand Prix at this years Cannes Film Festival.

* 'Fire of Love' - from the USA and Canada and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sara Dosa. Follows the lives and careers of daring French Volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft who ultimately died in a volcanic explosion on Mount Unzen, in Japan, on June 3, 1991. Australian Premier. Documentary.

* 'Godland' - from Denmark and Written and Directed by Hlynur Palmason. In the late 19th Century, a young Danish priest travels to a remote part of Iceland to build a church and photograph its people. But the deeper he goes into the unforgiving landscape, the more he strays from his purpose, his mission and morality. Australian Premier. Drama. 

* 'The Quiet Girl' - from Ireland, and Written for the screen and Directed by Colm Bairead. Set in rural Ireland in 1981 a quiet, neglected girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the Summer. She blossoms in their care, but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one. Australian Premier. Drama. 

* 'Utama' - from Bolivia, France and Uruguay and Written and Directed by Alejandro Loayza Grisi in his feature film debut. In the Bolivian highlands, an elderly Quechua couple has been living the same daily life for years. During an uncommonly long drought, Virginio (Jose Calcina) and his wife Sisa (Luisa Quispe) face a dilemma: resist, or be defeated by the environment and time itself. Australian Premier. Drama. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2022.

* 'Return to Seoul' - from France, Belgium and Germany and Written and Directed by Davy Chou. A twenty-five-year-old French woman returns to Korea, the country she was born in before being adopted by a French couple, for the very first time. She decides to track down her biological parents, but her journey takes on a surprising turn. Australian Premier. Drama.

* 'You Won't Be Alone' - from Australia and the USA and Written and Directed by Goran Stolevski in his feature film debut. In an isolated mountain village in 19th Century Macedonia, a young girl is kidnapped and then transformed into a witch with the ability to shape shift on her 16th birthday by an ancient spirit. Starring Noomi Rapace. Australian Premier. Drama, horror. 

For the full update on all the Sydney Film Festival information, the other programme strands, and the events taking place over the twelve days, you can visit the official website at : https://www.sff.org.au/

This week to tease you out to your local Odeon on a chilly Winter evening, we have three new movies, kicking off with a highly anticipated Sci-Fi actioner that sees the future of mankind hanging in the balance as humans and dinosaurs coexist following the destruction of Isla Nublar four years previously. Next we have a biographical drama offering about a legendary 20th Century war poet who's life-long quest for personal salvation through his experiences with family, war, his writing, and destructive relationships goes unresolved, never realising it can only come from within. And we close out the week with an Iranian film about a man who gets embroiled in a series of unfortunate events that risk his reputation and relationships when he gets arrested for delaying the repayment of a debt.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three latest release new films 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 coming week.

'JURASSIC WORLD : DOMINION' (Rated M) - is an American Sci-Fi action film Directed and Co-Written for the screen and based on a story developed by Colin Tervorrow. It is the sequel to 2018's 'Jurassic World : Fallen Kingdom', the sixth instalment in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise, the final film in the Jurassic World trilogy, and the conclusion to the storyline started in the original 'Jurassic Park' trilogy released in 1993, 1997 and 2001. This film saw its World Premier in Mexico City on 23rd May and goes on worldwide release from this week onward. The film cost US$165M to produce and early reaction to the film has been positive. 

Set some four years after Isla Nublar had been destroyed, dinosaurs now live, and hunt, alongside humans the world over. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history's most fearsome creatures. Also starring an ensemble cast that sees Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles from the first three 'Jurassic Park' films, together with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard from the latter three instalments, with DeWanda Wise, BD Wong, Omar Sy and Scott Haze. 

'BENEDICTION' (Rated M) - this biographical drama film is Written and Directed by Terence Davies whose previous film making credits include 'Distant Voices, Still Lives' in 1988, 'The House of Mirth' in 2000, 'The Deep Blue Sea' in 2011 and 'A Quiet Passion' in 2016. This film saw its World Premier screening at last years Toronto International Film Festival in September before going on general release in the UK towards the end of May and in the US last week. Here then, decorated for bravery during WWI, British soldier Siegfried Sassoon (Jack Lowden with Pater Capaldi playing the older Sassoon) returns from service and becomes a vocal critic of the government's continuation of the war for which he was sent to a psychiatric clinic. Adored by the aristocracy and the stars of London's literary and stage world, Sassoon's experiences inspire him to write poetry about the horrors of battle, while having affairs with several men while being closeted, and developing a crisis in faith when he converted to Catholicism. Also starring Simon Russell Beale, Jeremy Irvine, Gemma Jones, Calam Lynch, Geraldine James and Anton Lester.

'A HERO' (Rated PG) -  is an Iranian drama film Written and Directed by Asghar Farhadi whose prior Directorial credits take in the likes of his debut feature film 'Dancing in the Dust' in 2003, 'A Separation' in 2011, 'The Salesman' in 2016 and 'Everybody Knows' in 2018. The film saw its World Premier screening at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival where it was in competition for the Palme d'Or, ultimately taking out the Grand Prix. Rahim (Amir Jadidi) is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave period, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum outstanding, but things don't go as quite as planned. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim and has so far collected twelve award wins and another thirty-seven nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit.

With three new release movie offerings 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 - Part 2

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 the vast majority 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 still remains no end in sight! What we do know, as history tells us, that this pandemic will pass, eventually, but who knows when, and who knows what the world will look like on the other side?

And so last week I reported on all the latest big movies that were slated for release over the next six months or so, that have subsequently been pushed back to some future date either later on this year, or next year, or at an as yet undisclosed date. This week I turn attention to all of those movies that were in production at the time the global pandemic was announced and as a consequence have taken a hiatus from their filming schedule until such time as a sense of normality is restored.

So, in case you were wondering what the production status is of the big movies that were filming at the time the outbreak took hold, here is what we know of them so far :-

* KING RICHARD' - is a biographical drama film Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and stars Will Smith as Richard Williams, Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams, Demi Singleton as Serena Williams with Jon Bernthal, Liev Schreiber, and Dylan McDermott. Filming commenced in Los Angeles in January, but was halted temporarily in March. The film remains slated for a 25th November 2020 release.

* 'THE LAST DUEL' - this historical drama thriller film is Directed by Ridley Scott, and is based on the book 'The Last Duel : A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France' by Eric Jager. The screenplay is Co-Written by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Nicole Holofcener and stars Matt Damon in the lead role supported by Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck. Filming began in France on 14th February and was due to move to Ireland in March, but production was halted on the 13th March for an unidentified period. The film is due for release 8th January 2021.

* 'SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS' -  is a Superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Shang-Chi. Produced by Marvel Studios it is intended to be the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi (Marvel's first film with an Asian lead Actor). Also starring Tony Leung, Awkwafina and Ronny Chieng. Filming began in Sydney, Australia in February but was halted on 13th March, with a release date now scheduled for 7th May 2021.

* 'THE MATRIX 4' - is a Sci-Fi action film and the fourth instalment in 'The Matrix' franchise beginning with 1999's 'The Matrix' and continuing with two sequels, 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'The Matrix Revolutions' (both in 2003). The film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lana Wachowski, one of the two Wachowskis who Directed the previous three films. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Lambert Wilson reprise their roles from previous films in the series. Production began in San Francisco on 4th February, but later on in March production was halted. The film is set for a release date of 21st May 2021.

* 'JURASSIC WORLD : DOMINION' -  is a Sci-Fi adventure film Directed, Co-Written for the screen and based on a story by Colin Trevorrow, who also Directed 2015's 'Jurassic World'. This sequel to the 2018's 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom', it is the sixth film in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise and the final film in the 'Jurassic World' trilogy. The film stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Isabella Sermon, and B.D. Wong who all reprise their roles from previous instalments. Principal photography began on 24th February in British Columbia, then moved to England, and on 13th March production was halted for an indefinite period. The film is due to be released on 11th June 2021.

* 'THE BATMAN' -  this Superhero film is based on the DC Comics character of the same name, who we all know and love. Produced by DC Films it is developed as the tenth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and a reboot of the 'Batman' film franchise. Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Matt Reeves the film stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman with  Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. Filming began in London, England in late January but was halted indefinitely. The film is slated for a 25th June 2021 release.

* MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE 7' - this action spy film is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Christopher McQuarrie, and starring Tom Cruise, who reprises his role as Ethan Hunt once again. It is the seventh installment of the 'Mission : Impossible' film franchise and the third film to be Directed by McQuarrie after 2015's 'Rogue Nation' and 2018's 'Fallout'. The cast includes Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby, all of whom reprise their roles from the previous films, along with Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, and Nicholas Hoult, who will join the franchise. Filming was due to begin on 20th February in Venice for three weeks before moving to Rome for another six weeks however, due to the coronavirus pandemic becoming more pronounced in Italy, production in the country was suspended. The film is due to be released on 23rd July 2021.

* 'ELVIS' - this Biopic is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written for the screen by Baz Luhrmann and charts the life and career of Rock 'n' Roll legend Elvis Presley. Starring Austin Butler as Elvis with Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker and Olivia DeJonge, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rufus Sewell. Filming began in Australia in January, but was subsequently put on hold when Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were both positively diagnosed with Covid-19. The film is scheduled for release on 1st October 2021.

* 'FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM 3' - this third instalment in the fantasy spin-off and prequel series to the 'Harry Potter' franchise is Written by J.K.Rowling and Directed once more by David Yates. Starring Eddie Redmayne as our young wizarding hero Newt Scamander with Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Zoe Kravitz and Jessica Williams reprising their roles from the previous films. Production was due to begin in late March, with much of the schedule being filmed in Brazil. However, photography didn't even get started and has been delayed until an undisclosed date. The release however, is still slated for 12th November 2021.

* 'UNCHARTED' - based on the popular action adventure video game series that launched in 2007, the main series of games follows Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter who travels across the world to uncover various historical mysteries. The film is Directed by Ruben Fleischer and stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan with Antonio Banderas. Filming was due to start in Berlin, Germany in mid-March but was halted for a minimum of six weeks when much of Europe closed its borders and countries were forced into lock down. The film is now slated for release on 8th December 2021.

* 'AVATAR 2 and 3' - these epic Sci-Fi films are the first two of four planned sequels to the hugely successful 2009 film 'Avatar' and is once again Directed, Co-Produced, Co-Written, and Co-Edited by James Cameron. Featuring an all star cast many of whom are reprising their roles from the first film, namely Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, with Sigourney Weaver returning in a different role, joined by the likes of  Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, David Thewlis, Vin Diesel, and C. J. Jones. 'Avatar 2' started production and began preliminary shooting in mid-August 2017, with Manhattan Beach, California as the main shooting location, and principal photography started in late September 2017, simultaneously with 'Avatar 3'. On November 14, 2018, Cameron announced filming with the principal performance capture cast had been completed. It was then reported that live-action filming for 'Avatar 2 and 3' would commence in New Zealand in the spring of 2019. Filming for 2019 concluded in late November, and would continue in 2020 in New Zealand. Come mid-March this year and it was announced that the filming of the Avatar sequel films in New Zealand had been postponed indefinitely and that production would remain in Los Angeles. However, virtual production will continue in Manhattan Beach, California while visual effects will continue at Weta Digital in Wellington. 'Avatar 2' is set for a release date of 17th December 2021, and 'Avatar 3' on 22nd December 2023.

* 'NIGHTMARE ALLEY' - is a psychological thriller film Directed, Co-Produced, and Co-Written for the screen by Guillermo del Toro and based on the 1946 book of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham. Featuring an all star cast that takes in Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Rooney Mara, David Strathairn, and Holt McCallany, filming began on 21st January and was halted on 13th March indefinitely. No release date for the film has yet been publicised.

* 'RED NOTICE' - is an action comedy thriller film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot filming began in Atlanta, Georgia in January and was then due to move to Italy. When the pandemic became more virulent in Italy it was announced on 14th March that production would be shut down for at least two weeks . . . and counting! Originally scheduled for a June 12th 2020 release, this subsequently got moved to 13th November 2020, the film was then picked up by Netflix who have as yet not revealed a planned release date.

* 'THE LITTLE MERMAID' - this live action remake of Disney's classic animated feature film from 1989 which gave rise to a direct-to-video sequel, a prequel film, a spin-off television series, a musical, several video games, theme park attractions, and other merchandise is Directed by Rob Marshall. Based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson and starring Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Idris Elba, Megan Fox, Alan Cumming, Halle Berry, Lupita Nyong'o amongst others, filming was due to commence in April, but was halted in March, with no planned release date yet announced.

* 'HOME ALONE' - this reboot of the 1990 classic Christmas comedy film of the same name will be the sixth instalment in the franchise which saw the first two, and undoubtedly the most successful in the series, Directed by Chris Columbus and starring Macauley Culkin in the lead role as the eight year old kid left 'home alone' during the Christmas holidays. Filming was due to take place in Montreal between February and April but come mid-March and Disney announced a wholesale halt to its production schedule until further notice. Archie Yates has been cast in the lead role, with allegedly a reprisal of the Kevin McCallister character by Macauley Culkin also making an appearance. No release date has yet been announced.

And so this just about brings you up to date with many of the movie productions whose filming has been temporarily halted for who knows how long that this pesky virus thing continues to hang around for. Stay tuned, keep it here and remain safe . . . indoors!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-