Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett in Robin Hood
A new decade, a new year and a bunch of new films to get excited about over the next twelve months – yey!
The big thing of 2010 will definitely be 3-D and, as such, the revival of packed cinemas thanks to the shiny new technology that has emerged over the last couple of years. Forget the retro cool card glasses of the last century; it’s all about comedy, oversized Buddy Holly style gigs in this millennium. It also seems to be the year of the remake and sequel, fear not though, there will be plenty of new stuff and indie films coming your way too.
Local Links
Nottingham is going to be celebrated in the only way Hollywood knows how, with a big budget Robin Hood movie from one of the biggest directors of the last four decades, Ridley Scott, inspiringly called Robin Hood. With, allegedly, the most historically accurate portrayal of our City’s most famous son, it will star the oldest Robin Hood to date in Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian and Brit actor Matthew Macfadyen as the Sheriff of Nottingham. With release date set for mid-May, rumours are that the premiere may be held in Nottingham.
A Nottinghamian to keep an eye on is Toby Kebbell, who is in both Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. The boy has done good and both films are expected to be blockbusters in 2010 and boast co-stars in the form of Jake Gyllenhaal, Nicholas Cage, Megan Fox and Ben Kingsley.
Sequels
 |
| Ms.Johansson as Black Widow in Iron Man 2 |
No-one likes a good story to end and thankfully, in some cases, some long anticipated sequels are due to be released throughout the year: the Fanboy favourite, following the 2008 success of the first film, will be Iron Man 2 starring Robert Downey Jr., Scralett Johannson and Mickey Rourke. After revealing his superhero identity to the world in the last film, Iron Man may end up regretting that decision when his hands become rather full with resisting government pressure and fighting his enemies. Expect the expected - but done really well. After a massive ten year wait and an entire script re-write, Pixar are finally releasing Toy Story 3; Andy has grown up, gone to college and left his toy box behind in a day care centre. With all the original voice cast and new characters to boot, this is set to be one of the top films of the summer. Another franchise that has waited a full decade is Wes Craven’s Scream 4; the Scream films helped the resurgence of horror in the nineties and spawned numerous parodies and homage, but have they had their time? Starting again with a new trilogy, Kevin Williamson is back on script writing duties – here’s hoping it’s a big hit and not a massive mistake.
 |
| SJP in SATC 2 |
One for the ladies will be Sex and the City 2; part-filmed in Morocco, I can tell you little else as the plot appears to be a closely guarded secret (but if you do want some spoilers, head this way). For all those who have had their hearts captured by the vampiric forces of the Twilight trilogy, sorry, saga, the third instalment, Eclipse, is due for a June release. Longing looks, sparkles and angst are all guaranteed. November will see the release of the first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the second part will be released in 2011). Since Dumbledore shuffled off this mortal coil in the last film, Voldemort is now in control of Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic – seems Harry and chums have got their work cut out for them. The topical yet odd fellow of the sequel list for 2010 is Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. As the first ever Oliver Stone sequel, Michael Douglas is back as the newly emancipated Gordon Gekko in this financial thriller. Yeah there’s loads and I haven’t even mentioned these: Little Fockers, Jackass 3, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Dawn Treader, Saw VII and Shrek Forever After. Warning: Saw and Jackass are in 3-D...
Remakes
 |
| Freddy is back on Elm Street |
The words “leave it the hell alone” seem to fall on deaf ears and egos in Hollywood a lot of the time; let’s see who wasn’t listening in 2010. First up is Evil Dead. Any fans of the originals (yes, plural) will know that the first one was released in 1981 and labelled as a ‘video nasty’, then there was a sort-of remake in 1987 followed by a sequel in 1992. Oh, and they were all great in a lo-tech, proper funny horror way, so why Sam Raimi has decided to remake it is beyond me. Other horror remakes include from the 1970s, The Crazies and Piranha, and a ‘reimagining’ of the 1980s cult classic Nightmare on Elm Street. The latter has escaped a complete bashing by only being produced and not directed by the king of cleavage, army love and explosions, Michael Bay. Another potential abomination is The Warriors, it’s set in LA this time instead of New York, great. The epic Clash of the Titans will be hitting screens in Marchand promisingly stars Liam Neeson as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes as Hades and British Bond Girl Gemma Arterton as Io. And just to prove nothing is sacred, Karate Kid starring Jackie Chan and the spawn of Will Smith, Jaden Smith. You don’t even want to consider what they’re having a go at in 2011...
Action, Sci-Fi and Horror
Although a lot of this category fall into sequels, remakes and local categories, there are still plenty to warrant a section of their own: Takers is the new Hayden Christensen (Baby Darth Vadar) vehicle, the plot follows a gang whose plot to steal $20 million is jeopardised by a hard-boiled detective. Getting all biblical is Legion, God gets disenchanted with humans so decides to unleash the apocalypse with the help of some angels. From Paris With Love is the French based thriller starring John Travolta, an FBI agent, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, an embassy worker, whose paths cross during missions, hopefully as James Bond inspired as the title suggests. Following on the vampire fetish that seems to been reinvigorated is futuristic thriller, Daybreakers, released this month. Another January, post apocalyptic release with big names is The Book of Eli starring Denzil Washington, Gary Oldman and Tom Waits. A lone man fights his way across America to protect the only key to saving humanity.
 |
| Danny Trejo is Machete |
Tarantino and Rodriguez have teamed up again to make a film based on the faux trailer between their grindhouse films of 2007. Machete should be action packed and hilarious with Danny Trejo as the hero of the piece. On more of a thriller/horror tip is Martin Scorsese’s latest blockbuster, Shutter Island, starring his one of his favourite actors, Leonardo DiCaprio. Set in the 50s, there’s insane asylums, murderesses and a US marshall; with a strong cast and director it’s likely to be worth a watch. The Expendables must be the most anticipated film of 2010 when it comes to action, with Sly, Arnie, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, yeah, you get the picture. I doubt the plot will make any sense but with all that testosterone flying around, it should make for an interesting watch...
Adventure and Fantasy
With the 3-D capabilities better than ever before and people needing a bit of escapism in their lives, there’ll be a number of fantasy and adventure films in 2010 that won’t be just for the kids. Harry Potter aside, the biggies this year will definitely include Alice in Wonderland - it’s had more remakes than most but the classic story can bear a number of retellings and visions. Tim Burton, master of the weird and wonderful, will surely emphasise the macabre side of the tale rather than just the cute and from the looks of it, it’s going to look amazing. Chris Columbus (Harry Potter, Home Alone and Night at the Museum) gives us Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief in February. A mythological, adventure led tale of a boy descended from a Greek god who takes on the tasks of his ancestors. If you fancy a giggle, check out Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, in Tooth Fairy. A big bloke becomes a tooth fairy for a week, thus hilarity surely ensues. How to Train Your Dragon is the animated tale of a Viking teen who doesn’t quite fit in with his tribe’s tradition of dragon slaying. In 3-D, this film looks set to rival Shrek on humour and story.
 |
.jpg) |
| Alice in Wonderland | How to Train a Dragon |
It's a bit of a wait but innovative director, Michel Gondry, is bringing Green Hornet to the big screen - for anyone not around in the 60s, the Green Hornet is a superhero with a martial arts expert as a side kick. With a strong cast and a character that’s not been done to death, this should be one for those who love a bit of superhero action. From the land of computer games, Tekken has been turned into a film. A brave move considering previous computer game films haven’t exactly been the most watchable movies ever. Here’s hoping that the back story of the game and the use of martial arts will be enough to hold it together...
Comedy
Feeling a bit miserable? A good horror not raising hairs and a smile? Well, hopefully one of these will be released at an appropriate time to raise your spirits. Steve Carell played it as funny as you can get in Anchorman with Paul Rudd, so hopefully, Dinner for Schmucks, will also contain a big helping of the amusing idiot. In his second comedy of the year, Date Night, he is part of a classic mistaken identity plot leads a couple on a bit of an adventure. Cemetery Junction may not sound that funny but with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant penning and directing it, the 70s based comedy looks set to be a good one. Owen Wilson voices the lead in comic strip adaptation, Marmaduke. What’s not funny about a dog getting into trouble lots? Robert Downey Jr. Has stepped away from the big action adventures for Due Date, from the director of The Hangover, this promises to be a hilarious road movie...
So, there you have it, a brief glimpse at how 2010 will be panning out in the film world. And remember: hang onto your 3-D glasses, it’s the perfect way to feel a bit better about not having handed over an additional 80p to the scum who believe their popcorn has been lightly dusted with gold.
Read comments and make your own
Comments