Carl gets up close and personal with the breaking news stories from CinemaCon in Las Vegas!
Welcome to this CinemaCon edition of FOTF Force news. We are focussing this edition on all the news stories that have broken or have been rumored at this year’s event. Whether it’s yet more delays for the big hitters. Exclusive looks at some upcoming movies that interest us. Or the revelation of a film’s official title, we have it right here for you. So let’s get started.
THE MATRIX 4 TITLE IS REVEALED ALONGSIDE THE FIRST FOOTAGE!
We have been waiting for the official title of the fourth film in ‘The Matrix’ franchise. There have been rumors about the title for a few months now. Well, it’s been revealed that the rumors were actually true (for once). The title for the new film, set to hit theatres in December is ‘The Matrix: Resurrections’. Considering Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss are returning after their characters died in 2003s ‘The Matrix Revolutions’, the title is rather apt.
The footage that was shown apparently begins with Neil Patrick Harris speaking with Keanu Reeves, who is rocking long hair and a beard. It seems that Reeves is playing Thomas Anderson, dreaming of The Matrix once again. Things get confusing when he bumps into Trinity (Carrie Anne Moss) who asks him “Have we met?”. The footage kicks into overdrive as we see a young Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) fighting the much older Neo in an apparent reversal of the original film’s Kung Fu training sequence. It has also been said that this version of Neo can handle The Matrix far better than he did back in the original trilogy. And his fighting is much more aggressive this time. Confused by the timeline and events yet? All will become clear on December 22nd.
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE TO BE DELAYED AGAIN?
I don’t blame you if you can’t keep up with this story. Last week, it was revealed that the comic book sequel ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ was being delayed by three weeks to open on October 15th. I, alongside many other people, said this move was stupid. The film would be going up against ‘Halloween Kills’ which opens the same day, as well as the lingering effects of the James Bond film ‘No Time To Die.’ Well, Sony seems to have listened but not in a good way.
It is now being rumored that the film will be delayed again. This time though, it is being pushed back to January 21st, 2022. Yes, that is the same date as another Sony comic book film ‘Morbius’ is due for release. So, if the rumors are true, that means the Jared Leto film will have to shift back again. It seems that Sony is not sure exactly how things will be in relation to COVID. They’ve already sold ‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’ to Amazon instead of a theatrical release. And the upcoming animated sequel ‘The Addams Family 2’ will be getting a simultaneous PVOD release. So, I would just sit back and wait to see IF they move the two comic book films back again.
STALLONE’S SAMARITAN DELIVERS FIRST-LOOK FOOTAGE!
Sylvester Stallone likes keeping his fans updated on his movies via Instagram. It was through them that we found out that his superhero movie ‘Samaritan’ was being delayed until August 26th, 2022. That didn’t stop the actor from debuting footage from the film at CinemaCon. And from what we hear, it stole the show. The footage shows Stallone being followed by a young boy (Javon Walton). The boy believes that Stallone, who is a garbage man, is the lost superhero named ‘Samaritan’. Stallone refutes this claim to the boy. But can’t explain it when he is hit by a truck, only to get back up again and snap his broken bones back into place.
The footage also shows Stallone plowing through an army of villains. We discover he is bulletproof. And that he is killing off the bad guys with his bare hands, a sledgehammer, and various other nasty ways. And apparently, there is a rather brutal killing of a villain near the end of the footage, giving rise to the expectation that the film will be R-rated instead of a family-friendly PG-13. It looks and sounds like Stallone has a winner on his hands with the film. We will all find out if the movie is any good when it hits theatres on August 26th, 2022.
GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE GETS A SURPRISE SCREENING!
Do you want to be extremely jealous? Then join the queue behind me. The assembled during the Sony Pictures showcase, after getting a sizzle reel from the upcoming movie ‘Bullet Train’ which stars Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock, were treated to a HUGE surprise. They were granted a surprise screening of the much-delayed ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’. Even though the film doesn’t hit screens until November 11th, the lucky few got to see the entire movie! How dare they!
The reviews that have been made available so far have given the film extremely high praise. They range from ‘A solid Continuation of the original two films.’ ‘New and old fans are going to love it.’ ‘It is nostalgia done right.’, through to ‘It’s the best of the series, full stop.’ ‘A winner in every sense.’ and it ‘is going to blow people’s minds.’ The rest of us, who have yet to see the film, are in for a treat if the reactions are to be believed. I sincerely hope the film is what we hope and need it to be. The TRUE sequel to the 1984 classic. I also hear we must stay through the entire end credits. What kind of a stinger or payoff are we in for? All will be revealed on November 11th.
THE BATMAN GETS SOME BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOKS!
And finally, the Warner Bros. presentation, as well as unveiling ‘The Matrix: Resurrections’, gave the audience a few more surprises. The company unveiled some footage from the Clint Eastwood film ‘Cry Macho’. The James Wan horror ‘Malignant’. The trailer for the Will Smith Biopic ‘King Richard’, about the father of the Williams sisters, Richard Williams. They also revealed the first few minutes of the prequel to ‘The Sopranos’ called ‘The Many Saints Of Newark’. But the main talking point was the tiny bit of footage from the upcoming DC film ‘The Batman’.
Although a new trailer wasn’t released (that will probably be held back until DC Fandome in October), some behind-the-scenes footage was shown. In it, director Matt Reeves’ gritty and grounded take on the Dark Knight’s second year was described to those watching. In addition, new looks at Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman/ Selina Kyle were shown. And a look at Andy Serkis’ new incarnation of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s faithful butler. His version is apparently much younger than any other version of the character. And he is said to be a total badass. The film is due to hit theatres worldwide on March 4th, 2022.
CONCLUSION
And there we have it. That is all the main news from the event. We are in for what looks to be a really fun rollercoaster ride over the coming months. What with ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ scaring up box offices in November. Neo and ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ confusing us completely on December 22nd. Venom unleashing Carnage in ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ in January (probably). ‘The Batman’ stalking the night and the criminals in March. And Stallone’s ‘Samaritan’ coming out of retirement to take on the bad guys in August. The big-screen entertainment is back. And in a big way! All I can say is bring it on!
Are you interested in any of the films we have mentioned here? Will you be going to see them at the movies? What movies are you excited about? Don’t be shy, let us know your thoughts!
Sources: CinemaCon/ Warner Bros. Pictures/ Sony Pictures/ MGM
Author
Carl Roberts is the News Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
