THE BATMAN : Wednesday 3rd March 2022.

I saw the M Rated 'THE BATMAN' at an advance screening earlier this week. This much-hyped highly anticipated American superhero film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, and is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written for the screen by Matt Reeves, whose previous film making credits take in 'Cloverfield' in 2008, 'Let Me In' in 2010, 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' in 2014 and 'War for the Planet of the Apes' in 2017. Development began after Ben Affleck was cast as Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in 2013. Affleck signed on to Direct, Produce, Co-Write, and star in 'The Batman', but had reservations about the project and dropped out. Reeves took over and reworked the story. This film saw its World Premier screening in London on 23rd February and gets a worldwide release from this week having been delayed twice from an initial June 2021 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film cost somewhere in the vicinity of US$190M to produce, and has a running time of just a few minutes shy of three hours. This film is intended to be the launch pad for a Batman shared universe, with two sequels planned and two spin-off television series in development for HBO Max.

On the evening of Halloween, Gotham City Mayor Don Mitchell Jnr. (Rupert Penry-Jones) is at home watching himself on the TV in earlier coverage of his debate with Mayoral candidate Bella Real (Jayme Lawson). He is talking anxiously on the phone. His family are out trick or treating. Lurking in the shadows directly behind him, and unseen is a masked figure who pounces upon Mitchell inflicting several fatal blows to his head with a steel carpet tucker, and then wraps his head in gaffer tape and inscribes 'No More Lies' on his face with a red pen. He also cuts off his thumb, which it is deduced was done before he died. Billionaire Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) who has been operating for the past two years or so in Gotham as the masked vigilante Batman investigates the murder scene with Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) of the Gotham City Police Department. Gordon discovers that the murderer, known as the Riddler (Paul Dano), has left a cryptic message for Batman, but GCPD Commissioner Pete Savage (Alex Ferns), gives Gordon a hard time for allowing the Batman onto the crime scene, and forces him to leave. Later, the Riddler kills Savage and leaves another message for Batman. 

Batman and Gordon discover that the Riddler left a USB stick in Mitchell's car with his thumb attached to it (a thumb drive) which contained images of Mitchell with a woman, Annika, at the Iceberg Lounge, a nightclub operated by mobster Carmine Falcone's (John Turturro) lieutenant Penguin (a heavily made up and unrecognisable Colin Farrell). Batman questions the Penguin, who claims to know nothing, but notices that Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), Annika's roommate and girlfriend, works there as a waitress. He follows Selina to question Annika, but she disappears. Batman persuades Selina to go back to the Iceberg Lounge to search for answers. Through Selina, Batman learns that Savage was on Falcone's payroll, and so is District Attorney Gil Colson (Peter Sarsgaard) who is seen at the club with a bunch of co-workers living it up. Selina shuts down visual and aural contact when Batman presses her about her relationship with Falcone.

The Riddler abducts Colson just as he steps into his car having left the Iceberg Lounge and promptly straps a time bomb to his neck. Bruce Wayne attends the funeral of Mitchell, and sends Colson crashing through the church at the wheel of his car sending bodies in all directions. Wayne rushes to the aid of Mitchell's young son to get him out of harms way. The Police descend on the vehicle and order the driver out of the vehicle. Out steps Colson, with ticking bomb strapped to his neck, with another message for Batman taped to his chest. When Batman arrives at the scene, the Riddler calls him via Colson's phone which is taped to his hand, and threatens to detonate the bomb if Colson cannot answer three riddles within two minutes. Batman gives the answers to the first two to a panicked Colson, but Colson refuses to answer the third—name the informant who gave the GCPD information that led to a historic drug bust ending mobster Sal Maroni's very lucrative business. As a result, the bomb explodes after the two minute deadline is reached. 

Batman and Gordon come to a conclusion that the informant may be the Penguin and track him to a drug deal. There they discover that Maroni's operation never actually ended and many GCPD officers are in fact involved. Selina inadvertently exposes them when she arrives to steal a stash of cash. As the Penguin flees behind the wheel of his car, Selina discovers Annika's corpse in a car boot. Batman captures the Penguin after chasing him in the Batmobile but comes to the conclusion that he was not the informant.

Batman and Gordon follow the Riddler's clues to the ruins of an former orphanage operated by Bruce's parents Thomas and Martha. They learn that the Riddler was a resident at the orphanage and holds a grudge against Thomas, and as Thomas is dead, the sins of the father are visited upon the son. Bruce's butler and caretaker, Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), is hospitalised after opening a letter bomb addressed to Bruce. The Riddler then leaks evidence to the media claiming that Thomas, who was running for Mayor when he was murdered, hired Falcone to kill a journalist for threatening to reveal embarrassing details about Martha's history of mental illness. Bruce, who grew up believing his father was a good upstanding man, confronts Alfred when he comes round in hospital. Alfred confirms that Thomas asked Falcone to intimidate the journalist, but decided to turn Falcone over to the Police after learning of the journalist's murder - he surmises, without clear proof however, that Falcone had Thomas and Martha killed to prevent this.

Selina later advises Batman that Falcone is her father and that he neglected her for much of her life, and especially after her mother died when she was eight years old. She learns that Annika was killed because Mitchell told her that Falcone was the informant, and as a result is determined to kill him. Batman and Gordon arrive at the Iceberg Lounge in time to stop her and arrest Falcone, but the Riddler shoots him dead from a nearby building, as he is being escorted to a waiting patrol car. The Batman quickly runs up to the Riddler's apartment, and gets a tip off that a man was seen running down a fire escape immediately after the shot rang out, and is now sitting in a cafe across the street. Unmasked as forensics accountant Edward Nashton, the Riddler is locked up in Arkham State Hospital. Batman visits Nashton who reveals that he knows that the Batman is Bruce Wayne and that he was envious of the sympathy Bruce received after his parents' murder. Whilst they both grew up as orphans their lives couldn't have been more different, with Bruce living a life of privilege while he lived in abject poverty. While he was ignored, he harboured a desire to partner with Batman and become a similarly masked vigilante. Batman angrily rejects Nashton and discovers back at his apartment that the Riddler had parked seven car bombs around Gotham, all located strategically to detonate at the same time and to breach the city's defensive sea walls. 

The bombs destroy the sea walls around Gotham and rapidly flood the city. In the resultant chaos, Batman and Selina prevent a Riddler-inspired gang from assassinating Mayor-elect Bella Real. As Batman begins to aid the recovery efforts, Selina asks Batman to leave the city with her as she now deems Gotham beyond saving, saying that the Bat and the Cat has a nice ring to it, but Batman declines her offer saying that he has much work to do in trying to clean up Gotham. She leaves on her motorbike, with Batman following closely behind on his, and when they come to an intersection, they go in opposite directions. Meanwhile Nashton is beside himself in his jail cell because his plan failed. But a voice from a neighbouring cell tells him not to be so down on himself as Gotham loves nothing more than a good underdog story as the pair begin to laugh menacingly. That other inmate is assumed to be the Joker (Barry Keoghan in cameo and credited as 'unseen Arkham prisoner').

'The Batman' is an enthralling captivating detective story that melds good old fashioned police work with our caped crusader Superhero. It's dark, bleak, gritty and grim and seemingly always raining in Gotham City which only serves to add a sense of tension to the films key scenes. Here Matt Reeves has crafted a fresh take on an all too familiar Superhero that has seen over the last thirty years Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder helm various Batman instalments with varying degrees of success. Robert Pattinson is well cast as The Batman and the fractured emotionally torn Bruce Wayne, and he is ably supported by Paul Dano whose turn as the maniacal Riddler is right on point, while Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman adds kick-ass heft as Batman's reluctant foil, and would be love interest. With two further instalments to come, it will interesting to see where Reeves and Pattinson take us on Batman's next journey and whether the pairing can go one better than what they have been able to achieve here. See it on the big screen, and be prepared to remain glued to your seat for three hours, which like most critical reviews, is my only gripe about this film when thirty minutes less would have been prefect. 

'The Batman' 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 3rd March 2022.

The 53rd NAACP Image Awards, presented by the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People), honoured outstanding representations and achievements of people of colour in motion pictures, television, music, and literature during the 2021 calendar year. The ceremony took place on 26th February 2022 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California and was hosted for the ninth time by the Actor, Comedian and Game Show Host Anthony Anderson. Among the Special Awards presented, American Actor and Producer Samuel L. Jackson was honoured with the Chairman's Award, for his 'social activism in the 1960's, even serving as an usher at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral. His continued public service and advocacy for social change'. The Entertainer of the Year was awarded to Jennifer Hudson, beating out Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Regina King and Tiffany Haddish. 

In the Motion Picture category, the following winners and nominees were announced :-

* Outstanding Motion Picture : awarded to 'The Harder They Fall', beating out 'Judas and the Black Messiah', 'King Richard', 'Respect', and 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday'. 

* Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture : presented to Shaka King for 'Judas and the Black Messiah', beating out Denzel Washington for 'A Journal for Jordan', Jeymes Samuel for 'The Harder They Fall', Lin-Manuel Miranda for 'Tick, Tick . . . Boom!' and Reinaldo Marcus Green for 'King Richard'. 

* Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture : presented to Will Smith for 'King Richard', beating out Denzel Washington for 'The Tragedy of Macbeth', Jonathan Majors for 'The Harder They Fall', Lakeith Stanfield for 'Judas and the Black Messiah' and Mahershala Ali for 'Swan Song'.

* Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture : awarded to Jennifer Hudson for 'Respect', beating out Andra Day for 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday', Halle Berry for 'Bruised', Tessa Thompson for 'Passing' and Zendaya for 'Malcolm & Marie'.

* Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture : awarded to Daniel Kaluuya for 'Judas and the Black Messiah', beating out Algee Smith for 'Judas and the Black Messiah', Delroy Lindo for 'The Harder They Fall', Idris Elba for 'The Harder They Fall' and Lakeith Stanfield for 'The Harder They Fall'.

* Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture : presented to Regina King for 'The Harder They Fall', beating out Aunjanue Ellis for 'King Richard', Audra McDonald for 'Respect', Danielle Deadwyler for 'The Harder They Fall' and Dominique Fishback for 'Judas and the Black Messiah'.

* Outstanding International Motion Picture : awarded to '7 Prisoners', beating out 'African America', 'Eyimofe (This is My Desire)', 'Flee' and 'The Gravediggers Wife'.

* Outstanding Independent Motion Picture : presented to 'CODA', beating out 'American Skin', 'Bruised', 'Test Pattern' and 'The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain'.

* Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture : presented to Danny Boyd Jnr. for 'Bruised', beating out Ariana DeBose for 'West Side Story', Jalon Christian for 'A Journal for Jordan', Lonnie Chavis for 'The Water Man' and Sheila Atim for 'Bruised'.

* Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture : presented to 'The Harder They Fall', beating out 'Coming 2 America', 'Judas and the Black Messiah', 'King Richard' and 'Respect'.

* Outstanding Animated Motion Picture : awarded to 'Encanto', beating out 'Luca', 'Raya and the Last Dragon', 'Sing 2' and 'Vivo'.

* Outstanding Character Voice Performance in a Motion Picture : presented to Letitia Wright for 'Sing 2', beating out Andre Braugher for 'Spirit Untamed', Awkwafina for 'Raya and the Last Dragon', Brian Tyree Henry for 'Vivo' and Eric Andre for 'Sing 2'.

* Outstanding Breakthrough Creative in a Motion Picture : awarded to Jeymes Samuel for 'The Harder They Fall', beating out Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson for 'Summer of Soul', Jamila Wignot for 'Ailey', Liesl Tommy for 'Respect' and Rebecca Hall for 'Passing'.

* Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture : presented to Shaka King, Will Berson, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas for 'Judas and the Black Messiah', beating out Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris for 'Zola', Jeymes Samuel, Boaz Yakin for 'The Harder They Fall', Virgil Williams for 'A Journal for Jordan' and Win Rosenfeld, Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele for 'Candyman'.

For all the other winners, grinners and also rans in the other categories (Television and Streaming, Recording, Podcast and Social Media, and Literary), you can visit the official website at : https://naacpimageawards.net/

This week with five new cinematic releases to tempt you out to your local Odeon, we kick off with eagerly anticipated DC Superhero adaptation about a sadistic serial killer who begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, leading this caped crusader to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement. This is followed by a historical biographical drama film about the bright, intelligent, passionate and free youngest daughter of Karl Marx, who is among the first women to link the themes of feminism and socialism as she takes part in the workers' battles and fights for women's rights. Next up is an Aussie drama about a teen girl who's forced to share her bedroom with her Grandmother, who has dementia, and goes from hating her to loving her as she learns more about some of her family's secrets. Then we turn to a doco centering around four Zimbabwean men who form their country's first Wine Tasting Olympics team. And closing out the week we have an animated sequel to a 2017 film that sees Baba Yaga and Renfield captured by a monster hunter so the Wishbone family once again transform into a vampire, Frankensteins monster, a mummy and a werewolf in a bid to free them.

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

'THE BATMAN' (Rated M) - this much-hyped highly anticipated American superhero film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, and is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written for the screen by Matt Reeves, whose previous film making credits take in 'Cloverfield' in 2008, 'Let Me In' in 2010, 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' in 2014 and 'War for the Planet of the Apes' in 2017. Development began after Ben Affleck was cast as Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in 2013. Affleck signed on to Direct, Produce, Co-Write, and star in 'The Batman', but had reservations about the project and dropped out. Reeves took over and reworked the story. This film saw its World Premier screening in London on 23rd February and gets a worldwide release from this week having been delayed twice from an initial June 2021 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film cost somewhere in the vicinity of US$190M to produce, and has a running time of just a few minutes shy of three hours. This film is intended to be the launch pad for a Batman shared universe, with two sequels planned and two spin-off television series in development for HBO Max.

Set during his second year of fighting crime, Batman (Robert Pattinson) ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic serial killer who targets Gotham's elite citizens, known as the Riddler (Paul Dano) leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As he begins to uncover corruption that begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans become clear, he is forced to make new allies, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis. Also starring Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth with John Turturro and Peter Sarsgaard.

'MISS MARX' (Rated M) - is a biographical period drama film Written and Directed by the Italian film maker, Screenwriter and Actress Susanna Nicchiarelli, and is an English language Co-Production between Italy and Belgium. The film saw its World Premiere in the main international competition section at the September 2020 Venice Film Festival and was released in its native Italy later that same month. Only now does it get a limited showing in Australia having garnered average Reviews and taken so far just $590K at the global Box Office. Here then, the educated and brilliant Eleanor Marx (Romola Garai), the youngest daughter of Karl Marx (Philip Groning), is at the forefront of promoting socialism in the UK, participating in workers' struggles, fighting for women's rights and the abolition of child labor. In 1883, she met Edward Aveling (Patrick Kennedy), a talented playwright but a selfish and wasteful man. While he is intent on getting into debt and consuming the legacy left to Eleanor by Friedrich Engels (John Gordon Sinclair), Edward does not realise that he is also consuming the entire existence of his devoted companion, who, although aware that she is experiencing the same 'moral oppression' imposed by the patriarchy and condemned by her, she is unable to redeem her own happiness, and ultimately not even her own life. The film has collected eight award wins and a further twelve nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit.

'RUBY'S CHOICE' (Rated PG) - this Australian drama film is Directed, Co-Produced and stars Michael Budd in his third feature film outing after 'Love of My Life' in 2013 and 'Life of the Party' in 2018. The film follows 16-year-old Tash (Coco Jack Gillies) as she recounts the days that changed her perception of life forever. She’s forced to share her home with her grandmother Ruby (Jane Seymour) while she listens to her parents constantly argue over money. Through Tash’s eyes, we see the humanity of dementia, the reality that there’s a person still in there with memories, emotions and value. Bonded by shared moments of wisdom and joy, secrets from the family's past are revealed as Ruby's illness threatens to push them apart, and the family struggles to make a big decision. Also starring Jacqueline MacKenzie. 

'BLIND AMBITION' (Rated M) - this documentary film is Directed, Produced and Co-Written by Warwick Ross and Robert Coe. Ross is best known for the award-winning feature documentary 'Red Obsession' and Coe was an Executive Producer for 'Red Obsession' which chronicles the history and changing nature of the French wine industry, particularly that of the famed Bordeaux region. Here then, having escaped starvation and tyranny in their homeland of Zimbabwe, four refugees - Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon have conquered the odds to become South Africa's top Sommeliers. Driven by relentless optimism, a passion for their craft and unshakeable national pride, they form Zimbabwe’s first ever wine tasting team and set their sights on the coveted title of ‘World Wine Tasting Champions’ (a sort of Olympics of the wine world). From the moment they arrive in France to compete, this team of mavericks turns an establishment of privilege and tradition on its head.

'MONSTER FAMILY 2' (Rated PG) - is a German and British Co-Produced computer animated horror comedy film Directed and Produced by Holger Tappe, and is a sequel to the 2017 film 'Monster Family' (also Directed and Produced by Tappe), which in itself is surprising given that the first film was a commercial failure recouping just over US$26M from its US$30M production budget. This time around to free Baba Yaga (Catherine Tate) and Renfield (Ewan Bailey) from the clutches of Monster Hunter Mila Starr (Emily Carey), the Wishbone Family of Frank, Emma, Max and Fay (Nick Frost, Emily Watson, Ethan Rouse and Jessica Brown Findlay respectively) once more transforms into a Vampire, Frankenstein's Monster, a Mummy and a Werewolf. Aided and abetted by their three pet bats, our Monster Family zooms around the world again to save their friends, make new monstrous acquaintances and finally come to the realisation that 'Nobody's Perfect' - even those with flaws can find happiness. The film cost US$40M to produce and has so far recouped just US$120K since being released in the US and the UK in mid-October last year.

With five 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-