This Week's Biggest Film News - 13th May+

In the first of a weekly blog, I will talk about the biggest news stories of that particular week and give my opinions on what I think about each individual piece of news. Would appreciate some feedback on what people think about me doing this and what people think about the stories themselves too!

Drew Pearce to write Mission Impossible 5

As soon as I read this story, it instantly clicked with me that it could be a very fitting choice for both parties. This is of course only based on the screenplay which Pearce co-wrote alongside Shane Black but the writing was one of the main features which made me love the film so much. He has also co-wrote Pacific Rim which is not yet released, but looks promising from the footage that I have seen. I feel that Pearce's style would suit the direction that the Mission Impossible franchise has gone in more recent years and a good mix of both comedy and action is what Drew Pearce can bring to the table. The franchise is in desperate need of something that can help it to remain as successful and appreciated as it is, and although I thoroughly enjoyed Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, it feels that there is only a limited amount of ways that they can reinvigorate future films. As of yet, it seems like quite a good choice for both parties but I'm sure after seeing Pacific Rim we will get a much clearer sense of whether it is a solid decision or not.

http://screenrant.com/mission-impossible-5-drew-pearce-writer/

Will Smith in talks to star and produce in the remake of The Wild Bunch

Now there has been talk of a remake of this film being made for some time. Years ago, there was mention of Tony Scott directing but of course that is not possible considering he passed away, sadly. I think both pieces of evidence show the vision that they have for this remake. Certainly in the more later years of his career, Scott was known for directing big Hollywood blockbusters; and with the approach of Will Smith to lead the film, it only points to one direction. I am aware of the original 1969 film but am yet to see it so I am not entirely sure whether this is deemed good or bad news in that sense. Although, I have been told countless times that this is one of the 'classics' and that only adds to the galvanizing factor that Hollywood is about to tamper with another highly regarded piece of cinema.

Some daunting factors include that it will be the first time Smith will return to a western if he does indeed accept since the abomination 'Wild Wild West'. Quite frankly, it will leave a lot of people in doubt over this new film but I don't really think it should affect people's judgments on this film at all. Another is that as mentioned in the article below, a draft of a screenplay was previously turned down and now they are looking for a new writer to create a draft with Smith as the anchor of the film. This could be jeopardizing the whole project as I tend to see the problem with many films that Will Smith is in, that too much of the time, it focuses solely on him. Of course, he is a lead actor and must rack up plenty of screen time but it gets to the point that he overshadows the story and this is when the film can suddenly slip away.

At this moment in time, I'd say I am more against the idea than for it. When more news is released, if Smith is indeed cast as the lead, which is only speculation at the minute, I will have a more structured and stronger opinion on the matter.

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/will-smith-lined-up-for-remake-of-the-wild-bunch

Beast and Wolverine in new X-Men: Days of Future Past photo

This is news I can really sink my teeth into. Out of the three stories so far, this is the one I am by far most excited about. Not necessarily this photo, more so the film in general. I am a fan of the X Men series in general, aside from a few slip ups here and there (X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine). The latest addition in the series, X-Men: First Class was a good film. It definitely left me wanting more films after viewing it and there is certainly more directions they can go, characters they can introduce etc. Now the announcement of X-Men: Days of Future Past occurs and gets me instantly excited. More news hits about actors signing on, the plot of the film and I am just becoming more and more satisfied with each bit of news.

It is a relatively simple photo, yet something about it immediately got me pumped and anticipating the release date. The simplicity of it is probably the appeal, similar to the photo released last week of James McAvoy; little snippets of insight and information such as these are all that is required to produce excitement for fans of the films. Of course, from what can be seen in the picture, it looks like a photo taken from a sequence that will connect both this film and the previous trilogy together. I am solely basing this on what can be seen in the background. Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that it is part of the academy which the mutants attend in the previous films, which Professor X runs. This is expected as the whole narrative of the comic book which this story is based off is travelling back in time which is a perfect chance to interconnect all of the films together. Seeing the first evidence of this though gets me and most likely fans of the franchise/comic books watering at the mouth and pondering the next look that we will get from this film.

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/beast-and-wolverine-star-in-new-image-from-x-men-days-of-future-past

Michael Giacchino to compose for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Not an entirely huge news story but certainly one that is pleasing for me anyway. Giacchino is one of my favourite composers operating in today's film industry with scores on such films as Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Up and The Incredibles to name a few. There are still a huge array of films that he has worked on and done a fine job with which is the reason I am so happy with this piece of news. The 2011 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' actually came as a huge surprise for me. I wasn't even planning on seeing the film, let alone expecting to like it as much as I did. It may have been the Tim Burton 'Planet of the Apes' that had previously put me off, but something about them had never really stuck out to me. Having said that, after watching the latest addition, I am definitely on board with this one.

Now I feel that Giacchino can really bring something special to this film and that is exactly what I expect him to do. He really knows how to convey emotions within the audience and his music fits perfectly with each individual frame that is on screen. He has a very mixed sound that he uses also. Never does it seem like you could compare any of the scores he creates to one another (aside from the two Star Trek films). He has a diverse range of sounds and skills that allow him to never replicate what he is producing, making him fit to compose a film in a variety of genres. This seems to be the case as when you look at the movies he has composed for, there are some that could be considered opposite ends of the spectrum. For example, Ratatouille is completely different from 50/50 which certainly expresses the sheer talent the man has. I think he is a resounding choice for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes as he has more than proved he can nail a summer blockbuster through both Abrams Star Trek films and has the raw emotion within his music that is needed in Up and was sure included in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I for one, am certainly pleased with this news that's for sure.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=37505

Woody, Jessie, Buzz and co return in 30 minute TV short film

Where do I possibly start with Toy Story. Three of my most favourite films of all time, so of course this news is going to be close to my heart. To be honest, this is the best news about returning to the Toy Story franchise I have heard. All of these rumours of a fourth film being made etc have not particularly got me as excited as this does. It maybe because the third film wrapped everything up so nicely, the perfect way to end an amazing trilogy. Rather than making a fourth film and most likely starting up another trilogy, this seems a much more rational plan. By reading the article too, it sounds like it is going to great! All of the formula is right there, and the fact that it is Halloween themed makes me that bit more excited. It is something fresh and interesting that we haven't seen yet, whilst also allowing us to rekindle the connection and revisit these characters that we all love so much. Personally, I can't see a piece of news topping this one, simply because the franchise is extremely important to me.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=37491

Ewan McGregor 'totally up for' Trainspotting Sequel

It's not necessarily the biggest of weeks for film news but this probably marks the biggest story that will be mentioned this week, in my eyes certainly. For months and months now, maybe even years, there has been plenty of speculation hinting and teasing a possible Trainspotting sequel and finally this is about the last bit of evidence that you need to know it is going to happen. As well all know, Danny Boyle is very keen to create this project and I think it was always going to rest on whether Ewan McGregor was going to return on whether it would happen or not. This is based on the fact that the two had a split not soon after making the first film and during pre production of 'The Beach'. Now NME reports that this is pretty much destined to happen now as McGregor publicly announces he would love to star in a Trainspotting sequel.

Now on the whole is this a good piece of film news? Yes, in my eyes. Trainspotting remains of the greatest British films ever made, let alone Boyle's strongest film in which there are a few to choose out of. Now I haven't read either of the books so I can't comment on how both of them compare to one another but I have heard the second book is not supposed to be very good. This doesn't necessarily mean that the film is destined to go down the same route and with Boyle at the helm, I have full faith that this can indeed be an honourable sequel. Even then, Boyle has stated it is 'loosely based on' the second book 'Porno' which is indeed Irvine's follow up to Trainspotting.

Ewan McGregor returning is of course great news because without him, the sequel with simply not happen. Not only would it not happen, but it undoubtedly would not even get discussed or thought about. It's as simple as that. I still believe that McGregor has it in him to adopt the character that has been so well loved over the years and bring another memorable performance back to the screen. He has made some interesting career choices over the years but his role as Renton is certainly not one that has been questioned.

http://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/ewan-mcgregor-im-totally-up-for-danny-boyles-trainspotting/307762?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fanpage-trainspotting