Fox sets 'Deadpool' for February 2016, 'Fantastic Four' pushed back, 'Assassin's Creed' delayed indefinitely
Comic book fans have been begging for this movie for years, and on February 12, 2016, they'll finally get what they've been asking for. Fox announced today that Deadpool will be hitting theaters in a little over a year. According to Collider, the adaptation of the beloved comic will be directed by Tim Miller and the script will be penned by Rhett Rheese and Paul Wernick, who are best known for writing Zombieland. Although it is not yet confirmed, Ryan Reynolds is expected to star in the film. I'm betting that the strong reaction to the brilliant test footage was what got this movie the green light. Fans have been begging Fox for a proper Deadpool film ever since X-Men: Origins- Wolverine completely butchered the character and the test footage showed just how awesome this movie could be. Expect this to be a hard R film and a new experiment in the superhero movie world. If you haven't seen it, check out the test footage below.
Fox also moved several other films on their upcoming release calender, including the much-anticipated reboot of Fantastic Four. The Josh Trank-directed pic was originally set for release on June 19, 2015, but will now debut on August 7, 2015. Considering the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Guardians of the Galaxy in August, I have to say that this is a great idea. The film stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell and is definitely one to look forward to.
In addition to that, the studio also shifted the release of their new John Green adaptation Paper Towns. The book adaptation from the author of The Fault in Our Stars was originally set to debut in late July, but will now hit theaters on June 19, 2015, taking the spot of Fantastic Four. The film stars Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne and is directed by Jake Schreier. And finally, Fox has indefinitely delayed their Michael Fassbender-starred adaptation of Assassin's Creed. No word on what's going on with that film at this time.
Fox also moved several other films on their upcoming release calender, including the much-anticipated reboot of Fantastic Four. The Josh Trank-directed pic was originally set for release on June 19, 2015, but will now debut on August 7, 2015. Considering the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Guardians of the Galaxy in August, I have to say that this is a great idea. The film stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell and is definitely one to look forward to.
In addition to that, the studio also shifted the release of their new John Green adaptation Paper Towns. The book adaptation from the author of The Fault in Our Stars was originally set to debut in late July, but will now hit theaters on June 19, 2015, taking the spot of Fantastic Four. The film stars Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne and is directed by Jake Schreier. And finally, Fox has indefinitely delayed their Michael Fassbender-starred adaptation of Assassin's Creed. No word on what's going on with that film at this time.
I agree with several of your insights and think you are spot on with The Judge, however I think you're missing quite a bit of info on Kill the Messenger since the first trailer. I've been tracking the film and hoped it would be ok to share, because it is shaping up to potentially be one of the biggest splashes of the entire season.
ReplyDeleteSince the first trailer, there have actually been a slew of screening reactions all over twitter, leaked reviews, interviews, and a second trailer that dropped about two weeks ago. From what I've understand, Focus has hosted over 20 public and private screenings in the last 3 weeks, and they have at least 15 more to go before the limited release in 2 weeks. Larry King was invited to 1 of these and has raved about it on his twitter & Facebook. Focus also has 6 large public screenings planned in some of the biggest US cities on 10/8, right before the official debut. The reactions have been very positive so far, even in the leaked reviews; the embargo on the rest allegedly lifts this coming week. Perhaps the biggest concern for it is that some pretty powerful press figures who are portrayed in the film have already begun to attack the film without even seeing it. 1 editor involved in Gary Webb's crucifixion allegedly threatened to take legal action after the movie was finished in order to get her name removed from the film (this is Winstead's character). Important to note that she had no problem with the use of her name when the movie started filming. All this is certainly not the same as the press that results from film festivals or big studio support like many of the other films listed here, but my point is just that there's been plenty of news on this film since the first trailer, and the buzz is pretty strong, especially within certain crowds.
Sorry if that was too much! I've been following @killthemess2014 on twitter for this kind of stuff. It's unofficial but works in conjunction with Focus & the Webb family. If you are looking for early reactions, there's a bunch there. I agree the movie is small, and Focus seems to be using a grassroots/word-of-mouth campaign rather than a gigantic blockbuster release date (which usually pays off in the long run, but always appears bad at first), but with the early talk and tension surrounding the film, I feel like your total box office numbers are a tad low given the films potential to succeed w/that cast & story (not the premiere numbers tho, that sounds right to me too). I'm by no means claiming the film will be perfect or even all that spectacular, but it seems like a very loaded topic & a conversation piece (I actually expect it to be more of the latter than a serious awards player or anything). If you really want a good read on the controversy surrounding the film, check out @algiordino who is already rallying people to defend the film from the reporters/editors who are openly trying to attack it.
Sorry again, that really was too much! I just didn't want anyone to get the wrong impression of the progress the film has made in spite of skipping the festival route. I would hope that what I just wrote is not still a "really bad sign" for the movie. :)