For Film Fans: About the Movie Pass: I’ve heard lots of good things about those who have signed up for the Movie Pass. If you go see more than one or two movies per month, or even one and have to pay almost 10 bucks just to get in the theatre, then it will pay you to get one. Word of caution: Check your location online and make sure that your local theatres, the ones you frequent the most, are on the list! If not, it’s not going to be such a good deal….
I have the chapter of From Star Wars to Sin City…online now for those who were not able to access it last week. It’s an extended excerpt from my book: 6 Degrees of Film: The Future of Film in the Global Village. In this chapter, I have several quotes from George Lucas that seem even more prescient as he has sold his work to Disney and was envisioning the Star Wars mythology to continue long after his own contributions had ended…
There are several films in 2018 that are highly anticipated:
In February it’s Black Panther, the Marvel film that has some insights into the world of Avengers…
In March: Bruce Willis will return in a remake of the classic Charles Bronson film: Death Wish
Director Wes Anderson will offer: Isle of Dogs
And Steven Spielberg is directing Ready Player One, based on the popular book
Another interesting title: Mary Magdalene will open with Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix
In April: Phoenix again stars, this time in the crime movie: You Were Never Really Here, which has had some good “buzz” from early screenings
In May: Avengers: Infinity Wars drops. Like it or not, the comic book genre is here to stay…
Ron Howard will direct the spinoff: Solo: A Star Wars Story, with Alden Ehrenreich playing the Han Solo part
In June: The much-anticipated Ocean’s 8 female version, with Sandra Bullock starring will open.
Another Jurassic: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the sequel title.
Another sequel: Sicario 2: Soldado will open with Benicio Del Toro returning and Denis Villeneuve directing
In July: A Horror move: The Nun, part of The Conjuring Universe, debuts.
Another Sequel: Mission Impossible: 6 with Tom Cruise
In August: ANOTHER Sequel: The Equalizer 2 with Denzel Washington
In September: Here’s an idea. Another original version of Robin Hood with Taron Egerton in the lead role
In October: Tom Hardy will star as the villain from Spiderman’s Universe in Venom
Mowgli is another sequel of sorts. Andy Serkis takes on The Jungle Book character in this one.
First Man is a biopic of the first man who walked on the moon, Neil Armstrong
In November: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a Disney movie retelling the familiar tale.
Holmes and Watson is a comedy with Will Ferrell and John Reilly teaming up again
Fantastic Beasts is the next film in the series
In December: Aquaman drops into the Justice League category
Mary Poppins Returns is a musical scheduled for Christmas of 2018
Let us hope there are some original ideas along the way in the Indie department that are not yet on the radar. These films listed above are all big budget and as expected, they don’t break any new ground, but instead stick with the safest bets: Comic books and action hits that still draw big audiences.
In Case You Missed It: The Top Ten Highest Grossing films: (As of January 2018)
1) Avatar -2009
2) Titanic (Both directed by James Cameron) – 1997
3) Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2015
4) Jurassic World – 2015
5) The Avengers – 2012
6) Furious 7 – 2015
7) Avengers: Age of Ultron – 2015
8) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2 – 2011
9) Frozen – 2013
10) Star Wars: The Last Jedi -2017
*Star Wars: The Last Jedi just knocked the live action Beauty and the Beast off the top ten list. And the oldest film on the list is Titanic, from 1997. Frozen is the only animated film to make the list. And it’s usually the latest installment of the film series that makes the list. However, the Avengers from 2012 is the sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The eleventh film in the series, the sequel to Avengers, titled Avengers: Age of Ultron, is also in the top ten.
The only Harry Potter offering to still show up in the top ten is the last installment, completed in 201l, which was the final installment in the Harry Potter series. The box office winners tell the studios that people still love fantasy and romance, and Girlpower is on the ascendancy with the 2015 version of Star Wars featuring Rey as the heroine of the film.
The top two highest-grossing films have prominent romantic stories, with Leonardo Di Caprio in Titanic as the doomed lover of Rose (Kate Winslet). But fantasy and science fiction, action and super heroes are all wildly popular with audiences. The shock of the familiar helps to encourage Hollywood as they churn out sequel after sequel each year.
Lucky for us that films like Lady Bird and The Florida Project help to balance out the continual diet of superheroes and sequels that dot the landscape of most theaters throughout the year…Check out the excerpts From Star Wars to Sin City here…and till next time, see you at the movies!-ML
Six Degrees of Film 
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