Our second full glimpse at the future of the All-American Avenger is here...
Marvel Studios have just released a full theatrical trailer (below) for their upcoming superhero film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The sequel to 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger will see its titular hero coming to grips with SHIELD's new tactics for opposing terrorism and adversaries galore lurking in the shadows.
Surprisingly enough, this latest Superbowl XLVIII preview of The Winter Soldier reveals plenty of minor plot details surrounding the nature of the central narrative and its antagonist. We'll also have more trailers for upcoming blockbusters including The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Transformers: Age of Extinction before the night is out, so stay tuned to On-Screen tomorrow for all of the updates and details on the American event's biggest reveals.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier ricochets into UK cinemas nationwide on March 26th.
Peter Molyneux's finest hour reaches its 10th Anniversary, plus witness The LEGO Movie ahead of its nationwide release!
The first week of this particular February is remarkably indicative of how the month as a whole will play out. Entertainment fans certainly have a lot to look forward to in the next five weeks, yet the rate and frequency of this month's big releases will rightly come off as stagnated on occasion.
That said, the next seven days do have a few treats in store, even if they're not necessarily the best which the industry has to offer. Here's our dedicated round-up of all of the latest and greatest films and games that are about to arrive in the UK:
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB- A new week brings a new Academy Awards 'Best Picture' nominee, and in this instance it's Matthew McConaughey's time to shine. Recently glimpsed via a cameo role in The Wolf of Wall Street, the American thespian's talents are tested to their very limits in Dallas Buyers Club, a true story of HIV patient Ron Woodroof's desperate struggle to best his disease and to ensure that the life of every patient afflicted by the disease is as fulfilling and painless as humanly possible. Word has it that McConaughey's performance secured the movie's place on the Oscars shortlist with ease- however, if its competitors have taught us anything, it's that the majority of the nominees have plenty more to offer than a singular highlight! (Friday 7th)
FROZEN: SING ALONG EDITION- Have we recommended your viewing of Frozen enough here at On-Screen yet? Well, then, the summary of the Sing Along Edition re-release's importance should be virtually unnecessary- as Disney's most masterful animated effort since 2010's Toy Story 3, this is a film which was already begging the viewer's attention, and its limited revived run in the UK ensures that if you neglect the opportunity to experience it on the big-screen, then you'll only have yourself rather than the negligence of local cinemas to blame...(Friday 7th)
FABLE ANNIVERSARY-Fresh off the success of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Microsoft Game Studios and Lionhead have cooked up another HD remake of a beloved Xbox title just in time for its tenth anniversary. Fable was a cult hit at the time of its launch in 2004, and although Peter Molyneux's fantasy franchise has long since lost its way in the following decade, no gamer can deny that the foundations for a masterpiece were incredibly strong from the outset. Even if Fable Anniversary isn't one of the most prominent Xbox 360-exclusive releases of 2014, it will rank up there with the best nonetheless. (Friday 7th- Xbox 360)
THE LEGO MOVIE ADVANCE SCREENINGS-Warner Brothers' solitary animated contribution for 2014 is set to launch at the UK box office on Friday the 14th, but before then, LEGO fanatics can experience The LEGO Movie for themselves at a series of advance screenings across the realm. It's worth checking your local cinema's listings in the next few days, since there's every chance that the battle for control of the mysterious Piece Of Resistance can start a week earlier than expected for a lucky few...(Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th)
AND THERE'S MORE- Albeit not much more: About Time, Prisoners, Viking: Season 1, LEGO Batman: The Movie- DC Super Heroes Unite, Justin and the Knights of Valour and Romeo And Juliet will all début in DVD and Blu-Ray retailers tomorrow, Monday February 3rd.
Looking ahead to next week, The LEGO Movie will receive its official UK box office release alongside Travellers Tales' official tie-in The LEGO Movie Videogame and Her marks the final première of a 'Best Picture' nominee in the UK, so get ready to form your own verdict on which 2013 motion picture should earn the ultimate Academy Awards accolade...
SEGA's prized mascot will race onto Xbox One and PS4 next year, according to reports...
SEGA have teased the development of a new video game in the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise for release on next-generation consoles. The titular road-runner most recently appeared in the Nintendo-exclusive Sonic Lost World, a 3D platformer inspired by Super Mario Galaxy which launched to mixed reviews last October.
As is so often the case in the industry, this revelation comes from one of the most unlikely sources in recent memory: the Nuremburg Toy Fair, an annual event held in Germany to promote action figures and other franchise-themed toys scheduled to hit retailers in 2014. An advertisement from SEGA at the event made reference to a "new 2015 title TBA" for the Sonic series and claimed that the product would release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo WiiU. The publishers themselves have yet to comment on the matter, but this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo could be a prime candidate for the time at which we will hear definitive details on the project and its official release window.
Sonic Lost World and Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 are both available now exclusively on Nintendo WiiU, with the latter's 3DS port due this Spring.
UPDATE: Responding to our (and other entertainment sites') report on a potential new Sonic The Hedgehog product for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo WiiU, SEGA have clarified today that they are "yet to announce details" of upcoming Sonic videogames, noting that "the recent information coming out of Nuremburg Toy Fair was incorrect". Sorry about that, folks- you may now recommence your endless loop of Green Hill Zone speed-runs.
The cards are strong with this one- Star Wars' return continues on handheld devices.
Disney Interactive Studios have this week announced the development of Star Wars: Assault Team. Set for release later this year on mobile devices, the turn-based strategy game will feature iconic characters from throughout George Lucas' science-fiction saga of films, as well as locales based on the events of The Phantom Menacethrough to Return of the Jedi.
With just twenty-two months now separating us from the release of J.J. Abrams' Episode VII in cinemas, this latest announcement will be just one of the early developments in an unprecedented marketing campaign which gathers pace by the month. EA Games still hold the central publishing rights for licensed video games based in the Star Wars universe, of course, as evidenced by their announcement at E3 2013 that DICE are developing the much-requested Star Wars: Battlefront III. Disney Interactive will continue to produce handheld experiences, though, inspired by the original trilogy, the prequels and Abrams' upcoming revival series thanks to their retaining specific licensing rights from the initial partnership contract between their studio and Electronic Arts.
Star Wars: Assault Team will retail on iOS and Android handheld devices this Spring.
Even in 2014's early stages, the entertainment industry still has plenty to offer its followers!
To say that this time last year, we were left somewhat lacking for notable entertainment releases would be a frankly ludicrous understatement. February 2013 brought the industry little in the way of films, video games or TV, with Escape From Planet Earth being the most notable output on the former front and Being Human's final season the only highlight for the latter.
Mercifully, 2014's second month is a world apart from its predecessor, featuring a significant number of essential instalments both on the big and small-screens. That Thief, RoboCop and Dallas Buyers Club each narrowly missed out on a place in our latest monthly Top 5 Most Anticipated Releases shortlist should be evidence enough of the crowded line-up set to take viewers by the hand through the next four weeks. Here's our crucial count-down of the five upcoming productions which you cannot (in good conscience) afford to neglect...
5. THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME- No, dear reader, your eyes do not deceive you- a thrilling video game which is neither a HD remake nor a next-generation port has arrived! The LEGO Movie Videogame is a tie-in to Warner Brothers' imminent animated motion picture, and while its status as a movie adaptation would usually set the alarm bells ringing, since Travellers' Tales (the team behind every licensed effort from LEGO Star Wars to LEGO Marvel Superheroes) are developing this creative platformer, the need for worry is minute. If any seasoned fan of the various LEGO ranges can fully resist the temptation to play as Batman, Morgan Freeman or Superman in a video game, then they truly have the right to call themselves a Man of Steel...(Friday 14th- Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PSVita, WiiU, 3DS, PC) 4. FROZEN: SING ALONG EDITION- Uncertainty surrounding an upcoming movie's quality can be a troublesome matter, but at least with this UK re-release of Frozen, that's hardly a factor that viewers must consider. Disney's inspired seasonal animation was a bonafida classic from the moment that we laid eyes upon it, instantly scoring 5* here at On-Screen and in various other critical domains. If anyone's curious as to why we branded the flick as "[the studio]'s finest CGI triumph in years", then this final box office run marks the finest opportunity of them all to discover the reason for themselves. For those of us who did check Frozen out last month, the magic of a first viewing is gone, yet the magic will live on as we witness colleagues undergoing the same process of joy and discovery anew! (Friday 7th) 3. HER- Yet another nominee for Best Picture at the Academy Awards is headed to UK cinemas in February, although Her looks to be amongst the select few contenders for the title which warrants its inclusion on the shortlist. Its premise revolves around a wayward lover (played by Joaquin Phoenix) who begins to form a relationship with an emotionally-developed artificial intelligence construct (voiced by the wonderful Scarlet Johansson) which renews his outlook on life and his hopes for future happiness. Phoenix and Johansson have each claimed awards for their performances here, and as post-modern efforts go this year, very few genre entries are on the horizon that hold the same appeal as this one. (Friday 14th) 2. ARROW- Once again, here in the UK we're miles behind the US in terms of our broadcasting of The CW's cult hit Arrow, although the gap between Sky1 and The CW will close marginally as February progresses. The show returns with its mid-season premiere Blast Radius, where Oliver must halt the attacks of a psychopathic bomber before he takes more innocent lives in Starling City, before the Arrow confronts Brother Blood and Laurel's drug addiction has game-changing consequences in Blind Spot. Should you require any other motivation to resume watching, then we'll throw one more teaser for what's to come onto the table to secure the deal- Deathstroke...(Thursday 20th & 27th- Sky1) 1. THE LEGO MOVIE- Boasting one of the most remarkable ensembles in recent times both in terms of its stars and its character roster, The LEGO Movie could easily be the best U-rated block-buster since The Muppets. Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Channing Tatum, Cobie Smaulders and Jonah Hill have all lent their voices to what is a combination of CGI animation and stop-motion filmmaking, providing reasons in abundance to check out this much-anticipated motion picture project even before the prospect of having Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman share the screen over two years before Batman Vs. Superman even comes to mind. In other words, have your building instructions at the ready, rip apart your ticket's packaging, and construct the fastest route to your local cinema possible! (Friday 14th)
NEXT MONTH: Franchise returns ahoy- Snake is back in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Matt and Trey Parker share their first full video-game script with South Park: The Stick of Truth, Jim Henson's iconic puppets journey on a World Tour in Muppets Most Wanted and the hero out of time must face a modern USA with modern values in Captain America: The Winter Soldier...
WINNER: 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Any reader who has followed On-Screen for more than six months will be under no illusion as to this writer's stance on the Academy Awards and the supposedly prestigious status of their annual nominees list and awards ceremony. With that in mind, the ascension of Steve McQueen's Oscar-tipped drama 12 Years A Slave onto the throne of our Best Release for this month may come as something of a shock to those aforementioned dedicated followers of this blog.
McQueen's latest (and arguably greatest) production, though, is an incredible exception to the general trend of complacent, 'high art' motion pictures which dominate the Academy's nominees year in year out. Chiwetel Ejofor will surely scoop up the Best Actor gong at the Oscars 2014 ceremony in a few weeks' time- and rightly so, we might add. As we mentioned in our praise-filled review of the piece, however, the supporting cast should receive just as much of the credit for the film's success as their lead performer and their directorial helm. Michael Fassbender's intensely disturbing portrayal of a crazed, wholly immoral slaver predictably left the most prominent impact upon this viewer, yet Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt and Paul Giamatti each give fine turns in their own right, and despite the brevity of their screen-time overall, the extent of their individual contributions towards the final masterful product is virtually unparalleled in other works of this historical ilk. Not since Django Unchained twelve months ago has such a gripping and faithful rendition of slavery and its inhumane social ramifications graced our screens, and to venture one step further, we'll put it out there that not since Schindler's List has such a hauntingly didactic piece of silver screen entertainment emerged with quite the same flourish and unrestrained cinematography as this.
As was the case with Les Miserables last year, it may yet transpire that we will have found our Film of the Year 2014 barely ten days after its commencement. Sure, there's Muppets Most Wanted, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Fault In Our Stars, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and other potent blockbusters besides to come between now and December 31st, but the challenge each of those industry behemoths have in matching McQueen's spellbinding, utterly captivating drama is monumental to say the very least. For once, the Academy Awards panel and yours truly may concur, then, and in this instance, we could not be more satisfied with the source of the correlation.
"Where we're going, we're going to need a birthday cake!"
Universal Studios have this week announced the development of a stage musical based on the cult classic Back To The Future. First released in 1985, the film depicts the mission of protagonist Marty McFly to return to the present-day after a Delorean-shaped time machine transports him to the year 1955, and his subsequent difficulties in attempting to spark the currently-dormant romantic relationship of his future mother and father.
Given that 2015 will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the première of Steven Spielberg's groundbreaking science-fiction thriller, it's only right that the first fully-fledged adaptation of the piece into a new entertainment medium will début in the same year as a birthday present (of sorts) to fans old and new. The production's setlist and cast will be revealed in due course, but for now, Universal have confirmed that the original movie's screenwriters Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale are developing the script alongside Jamie Lloyd, while Alan Silvestri is composing the play's soundtrack with Ghost's Glen Ballard. For all of the essential details on this unprecedented project, keep it On-Screen in the weeks ahead!
Back To The Future: The Musical will première in the West End in 2015.
Our second full glimpse at the future of the All-American Avenger is here...
