Future films (part 1)

By Vives Anunciacion
Inquirer Libre March 28. 2005

In the US, the summer season starts around end of April, peaks around July and ends early August. Traditionally, summer is also Hollywood’s blockbuster season – the time when Hollywood rolls out the big guns and lets the cash kachink in the millions a few months before the studios release their less box-office friendly but more memorable movies in the –Ber months. Those months are sometimes referred to as the Oscar season. Here are some of the big movies to watch out for this year, and in the near future.

Summer Blockbusters

Sin City (Dimension Films) – the graphic underworld novel by Frank Miller turned stylish movie directed by Robert Rodriguez, Miller and Quentin Tarantino. The movie stars Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Kate Bosworth, Mickey Rourke, Jaime King, Nick Stahl, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Rosario Dawson and Michael Clarke Duncan. This is one sin we’re all willing to go through hell for.

The Intrerpreter (Universal Pictures) – Nicole Kidman plays an interpreter who overhears an assassination plot inside the United Nations. Sean Penn plays the FBI agent assigned to protect her. The thriller is directed by Sydney Pollack (The Firm, Out of Africa, Tootsie).

Kingdom of Heaven (20th Century Fox) – Orlando Bloom plays another blacksmith turned avenger in this Ridley Scott historical drama about the Crusades.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (20th Century Fox) – George Lucas (finally) ends the space saga he began nearly 30 years ago. He promises this to be “Titanic in space”. God help us. Starring Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson.

Madagascar (DreamWorks Animation) – animals from the New York Central Park Zoo break from their cages in search of a way to go to Africa, only to find themselves in a boat en route to the island of Madagascar. Voiced by Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (20th Century Fox) – rumored to be the reason behind the Pitt-Aniston split, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt play assassins recently hired to kill each other. Does not sound like a good way to settle marital differences, reel or otherwise.

Batman Begins (Warner Brothers) – From the director of Memento (Christopher Nolan) and the writer of the Blade series and Dark City (David Goyer) come the fifth installment of the Caped Crusader. Featuring the most talented cast assembled for a comic book hero movie, the movie stars Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Ken Watanabe.

War of the Worlds (Paramount Pictures) – Two names: Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise. So what if it’s a remake of a classic?

Fantastic Four (20th Century Fox) – exposed to cosmic radiation, a group of astronauts gain superpowers in this movie adaptation of a classic comic book favorite. Starring Ioan Gruffudd (recently as Lancelot in King Arthur), Jessica Alba (of TV’s Dark Angel), Michael Chiklis (The Sheild) and the guy some US writers are calling as the next Tom Cruise, Chris Evans (Cellular). With a title that says fantastic, this movie can’t be nothing less.