KING RICHARD : Tuesday 1st February 2022.

I finally got around to seeing the M Rated 'KING RICHARD' at my local multiplex this week. This American biographical drama film is Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green whose feature film debut came with 'Monsters and Men' with John David Washington in 2018 which he followed up in 2020 with 'Joe Bell' with Mark Wahlberg. The film was originally scheduled for release in late November 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ultimately premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in early September last year and was released in mid-November 2021 Stateside in cinemas and on HBO Max, and here in Australia on the 13th January. Having garnered largely critical acclaim, this has failed to materialise into Box Office receipts, having taken so far US$33M off the back of a production budget of US$50M. 'King Richard' has so far picked up twenty-nine award wins and a further 126 nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, with many of those nods still pending a final outcome. 

Based on the true story, this film follows the journey of Richard Williams (Will Smith, who also Co-Produces here) living in Compton, California with his wife Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis), three step-daughters Tunde, Isha and Lyndrea, and his two daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton). Richard has had a dream to nurture his two daughters into champion tennis players, and in fact has a written down 76 page plan charting their journey since before they were born. Richard and Brandy themselves coach Venus and Serena every day whilst keeping them grounded with their education, social interactions and family life. Richard works as a security guard at night, while Brandy works as a nurse during the day time. Richard is relentless in his pursuit of a professional coach for his two girls to the point where he creates his own brochures and promotional videotapes to advertise their tennis abilities, all to no avail.

Then one day, Richard takes the girls to an exclusive tennis club to see coach Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn), who is practicing at the time with John McEnroe (Christopher Wallinger) and Pete Sampras (Chase Del Rey). Despite his initial reluctance, he agrees to watch the girls practice after McEnroe leaves the court and Sampras says its OK. After hitting some balls, Cohen is suitably impressed. However, Richard and Brandy cannot afford professional coaching, and Cohen refuses to coach both girls for free. 

He chooses Venus to receive his coaching, while Serena continues practicing with Brandy. Cohen encourages Venus to participate in juniors tournaments, as the natural progression to recognition, becoming a pro, and ultimate success. Venus quickly finds success, but Richard stresses to Venus and her sisters to remain humble in spite of their success. At one of Venus’s tournaments, and unknown to Richard Serena also signs up to play, with Venus winning the gold trophy and Serena silver. As both girls continue to succeed, the family are treated as outsiders among the mostly white, upper-class competition. Richard meets with high-profile agents Will Hodges (Dylan McDermott) and Laird Stabler (Andy Bean), but, fearing that his daughters will be taken advantage of, pulls them out of the junior competition circuit entirely. Cohen warns him that his decision will destroy the girls’ chances to turn professional, but Richard stands firm, firing Cohen as coach.

Coach Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal) travels to Compton to watch the girls play at their local rundown municipal tennis courts. Impressed, he agrees to take on the girls, with Richard producing his own contract for Macci to sign with a full set of demands including a mobile home for them to make the journey from California to Florida where Macci's tennis training camp is located, plus a fully furnished family home, plus education for their four daughters (Tunde has recently graduated from high school as is staying in California to attend College). 

Then one day, Richard surprises Macci by reiterating that the girls will not play junior competitions, instead training and attending school like normal children. Over the next three years, questions arise from the media and from Macci about Richard’s strategy with the girls, and his seemingly insatiable appetite for media coverage. Venus tells Macci that she wants to turn pro, and asks him to speak with her father on her behalf. Richard reluctantly agrees, but later goes against his word, worrying that she will suffer a similar fate to Macci's star pupil Jennifer Capriati, who is allegedly suffering from burnout and has been arrested for marijuana possession in 1994 at the age of eighteen. The decision strains Richard’s relationships with Venus, Brandy, and Macci. 

After an argument with Brandy, he reconciles with Venus, agreeing to let her play in the upcoming Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California. Before the tournament, the family meets with a Nike executive, who offers them a major sponsorship deal worth US$3M. Macci urges them to accept, but Richard turns to Venus and says that the decision rests with her. She declines and Richard and Brandy agree, leaving Macci mortified by their decision (for his is on a 15% fee based on future earnings). Richard is of the firm belief that once Venus begins to play and the world sees what she is capable of, she will attract more worthwhile offers.

Venus struggles at first in her debut match as a professional against Shaun Stafford (Kaitlyn Christian), but eventually she wins the match. In her next match against top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Marcela Zacarias) she is considered very much the underdog, but against the odds Venus takes the first set and leads in the second before Vicario takes an extended bathroom break for nine minutes, placing a strain on  Venus that sees her lose her concentration and rhythm, so much so that Vicario recovers to win the second set and the match. 

Richard and Brandy comfort a dejected Venus in the changing room, telling her to be proud of what she has achieved. As the family exits the now empty stadium, a large crowd of supporters is waiting to cheer her on and get her autograph. Waiting outside Macci tells Richard that Nike have upped their offer to US$4M and that several other major shoe companies are keen to meet with Venus.

As the closing credits roll, we are told that some nine months later, at the age of fifteen Venus signed a contract with Reebok for US$12M, and that she would go on to win Wimbledon five times and become the first African American woman to be ranked tennis number one in the world. Serena, who joined Venus as a professional two years later, would become a 23-time Grand Slam champion and considered perhaps the greatest player in tennis history . . . just as Richard had predicted.

'King Richard' is a very entertaining and insightful film, and this is Will Smith's film make no mistake. He inhibits the character of Richard Williams that is about as far removed from his 'Bad Boys' character as you could probably get, with all the little nuances, expressions and ever so slight lisp that see him pronounce words like 'ask' as 'aks'. For all his dogged determination and unconventional stubbornness to keep the girls grounded and humble, he is at the core a loving, caring, just want what's best for my girls type of father following his plan for their future success in life and on the tennis court. As for the performances of Ellis, Sidney and Singleton these too are standouts, and like Smith's are sure to garner due recognition from around the awards and festivals circuit in the lead up to the 94th Oscars at the end of March. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green has here crafted an emotional, intelligent, crowd pleasing family sports drama that even for the naysayers of tennis, are sure to find this an engaging and interesting watch. At a run time of just shy of two-and-a-half hours this is a little over extended, but it never leaves you wanting. Both Venus and Serena Williams serve as Executive Producers here.

'King Richard' 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 13th January 2022.

And so the 2022 award season has officially launched following the postponement of the American Film Institute Awards on 7th and the Critics Choice Awards on the 9th January due to the ongoing ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the 79th annual Golden Globe Awards were held on January 9th honouring the very best in film and American TV from 2021 and as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. This year, the awards are marred by controversy as various media outlets including regular US broadcaster NBC, Netflix, Amazon, WarnerMedia, Actors, and other creatives planned on boycotting the ceremony over the HFPA's lack of action to increase the membership diversity of the organisation. The HFPA still went ahead with a ceremony behind closed doors. This marked the first time since the 36th Golden Globe Awards in 1979 that there was no telecast, and the 65th Golden Globe Awards in 2008 that there was no traditional ceremony. 

This years winners, grinners and also rans in the feature film categories are as given below :-

* Best Motion Picture, Drama - presented to The Power of the Dog, beating out Belfast, CODA, Dune and King Richard. 

* Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy - awarded to West Side Story, beating out Cyrano, Don't Look Up, Licorice Pizza, and Tick, Tick . . . Boom!.

* Best Motion Picture, Animated - presented to Encanto beating out Flee, Luca, My Sunny Maad and Raya and the Last Dragon.

* Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language - awarded to Drive My Car from Japan, beating out Compartment No. 6  from Finland, Russia and Germany, The Hand of God  from Italy, A Hero from France and Iran, and Parallel Mothers from Spain.

* Best Director, Motion Picture - presented to Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog, beating out Kenneth Branagh for Belfast, Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Lost Daughter, Steven Spielberg for West Side Story and Denis Villeneuve for Dune.

* Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama - awarded to Nicole Kidman for Being the Ricardos, beating out Jessica Chastain for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Olivia Colman for The Lost Daughter, Lady Gaga for House of Gucci and Kristen Stewart for Spencer.

* Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy - presented to Rachel Zegler for West Side Story, beating out Marion Cotillard for Annette, Alana Haim for Licorice Pizza, Jennifer Lawrence for Don’t Look Up and Emma Stone for Cruella.

* Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture - awarded to Ariana DeBose for West Side Story beating out Caitriona Balfe for Belfast, Kirsten Dunst for The Power of the Dog, Aunjanue Ellis for King Richard and Ruth Negga for Passing.

* Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama - presented to Will Smith for King Richard, beating out Mahershala Ali for Swan Song, Javier Bardem for Being the Ricardos, Benedict Cumberbatch for The Power of the Dog and Denzel Washington for The Tragedy of Macbeth.

* Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy - presented to Andrew Garfield for 'Tick, Tick . . . Boom!, beating out Leonardo DiCaprio for Don’t Look Up, Peter Dinklage for Cyrano, Cooper Hoffman for Licorice Pizza and Anthony Ramos for In the Heights.

* Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture - awarded to Kodi Smit-McPhee for The Power of the Dog, beating out Ben Affleck for The Tender Bar, Jamie Dornan for Belfast, Ciaran Hinds for Belfast and Troy Kotsur for CODA.

* Best Screenplay, Motion Picture - awarded to Kenneth Branagh for Belfast, beating out Paul Thomas Anderson for Licorice Pizza, Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog, Adam McKay for Don’t Look Up and Aaron Sorkin for Being the Ricardos.

* Best Original Score, Motion Picture - presented to Dune by Hans Zimmer, beating out The French Dispatch by Alexandre Desplat, Encanto by Germaine Franco, The Power of the Dog by Jonny Greenwood and Parallel Mothers by Alberto Iglesias.

You can get the full low down on all the recipients and nominees of this years Golden Globe Awards in both the movie and television categories, by visiting the official website, at : https://www.goldenglobes.com/

Turning attention back on this weeks four new release movies, we launch with a biopic that tells the true story of how a pair of sibling tennis superstars became who they are after the coaching from their determined father. Next up is a spy drama about a top-secret weapon falling into mercenary hands, and so a wild card CIA agent joins forces with three international agents on a lethal mission to retrieve it, while staying a step ahead of a mysterious woman who's tracking their every move. This is followed up by an Aussie survival thriller that tells the story of two men who uncover the biggest gold nugget ever found in the harsh Australian desert, who must then find a way to extract the nugget from the ground. And we close out the week with the fifth film in a slasher franchise that is set twenty-five years after the original series of brutal murders in Woodsboro, a new killer emerges, and a former resident and survivor must return to uncover the truth.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four 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 week ahead.

'KING RICHARD' (Rated M) - this is an American biographical drama film Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green whose feature film debut came with 'Monsters and Men' with John David Washington in 2018 which he followed up in 2020 with 'Joe Bell' with Mark Wahlberg. The film was originally scheduled for release in late November 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ultimately premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in early September last year and was released in mid-November 2021 Stateside in cinemas and on HBO Max. Having garnered largely critical acclaim, this has failed to materialise into Box Office receipts, having taken so far US$27M off the back of a production budget of US$50M. 'King Richard' has so far picked up twenty-one award wins and a further eighty-four nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, with many of those nods still pending a final outcome. 

Based on the true story, this film follows the journey of Richard Williams (Will Smith), an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena Williams (Demi Singleton) from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons of the tennis world. Also starring Jon Bernthal and Dylan McDermott. Will Smith also Co-Produces here with both Venus and Serena Williams serving as Executive Producers. 

'THE 355' (Rated M) - is an American spy film Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Simon Kinberg whose only other directorial credit is 'Dark Phoenix' (of the 'X-Men' franchise) in 2019. He has however, written and/or produced numerous other mainstream pictures taking in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith', 'Sherlock Holmes', 'X-Men : Days of Future Past', 'The Martian', 'Deadpool', 'X-Men : Apocalypse', 'Murder on the Orient Express' and 'The New Mutants'. Originally slated for a release in mid-January 2021 the film was delayed by a whole year to mid-January 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before moving up by a week to 7th January in the US and this week in Australia. The film cost in the region of US$70M to produce and has so have recovered just US$2M following mostly negative or average Reviews. When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild card CIA agent Mason Brown (Jessica Chastain) will need to join forces with rival German agent Marie (Diane Kruger), former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong'o), and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela (Penelope Cruz) on a lethal, breakneck mission to retrieve it, while also staying one-step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan), who is tracking their every move. As the action takes us around the world from the cafes of Paris to the markets of Morocco to the opulent auction houses of Shanghai, the quartet of women will forge a tenuous loyalty that could protect the world, or get them killed. Sebastian Stan, Edgar Ramirez and Jason Flemyng also star. In case you were wondering, 'The 355' derives its name from the codename of a female spy for the Patriots during the American Revolution between 1765 and 1791. 

'GOLD' (Rated M) - this Australian survival thriller film is Directed, Co-Written, Co-Produced and also stars Anthony Hayes who has ninety screen acting credits to his name and five as Director taking in his debut feature in 2002 with 'New Skin' and then 'Ten Empty' in 2008, with 'Stingray' due for a future release. Filmed in South Australia, this tells the story of two men (Zac Efron and Anthony Hayes) who stumble across the biggest gold nugget ever discovered while travelling through a remote desert. The two men hatch a plan to protect and excavate the nugget with one man leaving to secure the necessary equipment to pull it out of the earth. The other man remains and must endure harsh desert conditions, preying wild dogs and mysterious intruders, whilst battling the sinking suspicion that he has been abandoned to his own fate. Also starring Susie Porter. 

'SCREAM' (Rated MA15+) - is an American slasher film Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett whose previous film making credits take in 'The Devils Due', 'Southbound' and 'Ready or Not'. It is the fifth instalment in the 'Scream' film series which began in 1996 and which over the first four films grossed US$605M off the back of combined production budgets of US$118M. Though billed as a relaunch of the film series, the film is a direct sequel to 2011's 'Scream 4' and the first in the series not to be directed by Wes Craven, who died in 2015. Set twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, California, a new killer wears the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town's deadly past. The film stars franchise newcomers Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, and Jack Quaid, with Marley Shelton, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell, and Roger L. Jackson reprising their roles from previous instalments.

With four 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 coming week.

-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-