The Boys are Back, yet can they possibly match the critical acclaim of their predecessors?
Universal Pictures have today confirmed an official UK release date for their upcoming cinematic adaptation of the BBC's classic comedy TV series Dad's Army. Set in a British Armed Forces base towards the southernmost coastal areas of England, the original show centred on a platoon of dim-witted elderly soldiers who were forced to man the Home Front whilst their younger counterparts fought in the defining battles of World War Two.
Much as loyalist fans of the programme's début incarnation would be eager for Universal's rendition to incorporate its surviving cast members in some way, in reality it's out with the old and in with the new as the likes of The Inbetweeners' Blake Harrison, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Doctor Who ("Amy's Choice")'s Toby Jones, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2's Michael Gambon along with plenty of other Brtitish and international greats unite to pay homage to a cult favourite quite unlike any other. With no sign of a trailer or promotional images beyond the one depicted above as of yet, the jury's still out (in Nuremberg, or so we hear) on whether or not this'll be remembered as a shoddy facsimile or an adaptation which elevates its source material to such an extent that it can finally resonate with a younger contemporary audience (although the all-star ensemble isn't a worrying start, certainly), but if nothing else, by regressing from their initial plan to launch the project in cinemas in 2015, the studio are at least setting themselves up to avoid commercial failure, since their newly-chosen release window only coincides with B-list contenders such as Deadpool rather than the big hitters of the next year.
Dad's Army marches diligently into the UK box office on February 5th, 2016.
"Not a great plan." Who else is becoming fearful for Coulson's sanctity already?
Co-creator Jed Whedon has today announced that ABC's increasingly critically (not to mention commercially) esteemed detective drama Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will cross paths with the narrative of Marvel Studios' impending big-screen superhero blockbuster Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron. Both productions' storylines occupy the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, making it no great surprise that they'll converge in an as-of-yet unknown manner, but that shouldn't stop fans the world over from speculating how the first such crossover since Captain America: The Winter Soldier directly influenced S.H.I.E.L.D.'s tonal and dramatic trajectories alike in episodes such as "End of the Beginning" and "Turn, Turn, Turn" will play out.
Once again, we've got Entertainment Weekly to thank for the latest update on all things MCU, since their interview with Jed - who's better known to many as the brother of Joss (who, in turn, is better known to all but a few as the man behind both Avengers Assemble as well as the much-anticipated Age of Ultron) - brought up the matter of whether the Earth's Mightiest Heroes' first contact with one of their deadliest adversaries (the clue's in Age's name) would impact upon the remnants of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division (thank goodness Coulson and co. found a shorter way to say it, eh?). Here's what Whedon had to say on the subject: "You should expect something. The Avengers [series of films] is the big tent that all the franchises play under. Obviously, we're included in that."This all makes sense, really, since Agents is taking a break in January and February whilst Hayley Atwell storms ABC with Marvel's Agent Carter, leaving the former project to triumphantly return with eleven further instalments in March, April and May, the latter of which will surely be those which respond in some way to Ultron's worldwide battle with those superheroes who are capable of avenging the Earth in the event of its destruction.
Until then, however, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. continues its second run on ABC tonight (December 9th) with "What They Become" (the fascinatingly-named mid-season finale) and on Channel 4 this Friday, December 12th with "The Things We Bury" at 8pm. Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron will subsequently land in UK cinemas nationwide on April 24th, 2015.
But by no means is that the controversial news of the hour!
Capcom have this week announced the development of a new instalment in their long-running Street Fighter franchise of side-scrolling punch-em-up video games for release on next-generation platforms in the months (or years, even - who knows?) ahead. In a twist that'll surprise absolutely no-one who has paid any attention whatsoever to the series' history, after countless iterations of Street Fighter IV, the first standalone instalment since 2008 will go by the oh-so-inspired name of Street Fighter V.
What's more, if and (let's be honest) when the product ships on our shores, it'll only launch on two primary systems as opposed to the relatively universal multi-platform approach of days gone by. In perhaps the most divisive move since Crystal Dynamics confirmed Rise of the Tomb Raider's timed exclusivity for Xbox consoles earlier this year, Capcom went on to subsequently reveal that Street Fighter V - as we'll call it in keeping with the developer's branding until a more original name is adopted by the marketing team later on (well, we can dream) - will première exclusively on PC and PlayStation 4 rather than shipping on any Microsoft hardware. Odds are that Sony moved heaven and earth to ensure they didn't lose out in a similar vein to Rise this time around, but even so, we'd wager there'll be more than a few disgruntled fan-girls and -boys come launch day as a result, a factor which could soon affect the publisher's future platform strategy if the latest iteration's sales don't pan out as they might have normally desired. Nevertheless, keep it locked at On-Screen to learn more on the project's development and release schedule, and until then, check out the somewhat disconcertingly unambitious teaser trailer below.
Street Fighter V will most likely - although official confirmation is admittedly still forthcoming on this front, so bear with us - kick some pixelated buttocks on PlayStation 4 and PC consoles in 2015.
Never mind Jor-El, what was the story of Kal-El's grandfather? Here's hoping that our readers are dying to find out...
SyFy have today announced the development of a new television series chronicling the events which led to the origins of the DC comic-book superhero Superman. Titled Krypton, the programme's (presumably) multi-season narrative will take place decades before Clark Kent first saw the red light of day, focusing instead on the grandfather of the eponymous Man of Steel and the Kryptonian in question's involvement in political machines which disgraced the House of El to such an extent that they could scarcely influence their planet's council at the time of its imminent destruction.
Depending on how much our readership knows of the superhero film genre or its foremost behind-the-scenes players, that David S. Goyer (the screenplay writer of acclaimed efforts such as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises along with anything but lauded genre instalments like Man of Steel) has been drafted in as the show's resident executive producer could easily be either a positive or negative omen. From our perspective, however, the burden of proof lies more with SyFy as a US televisual network than it does with the brother of Christopher, since barring a couple of loosely intelligent science-fiction sequels and spin-offs, the channel has yet to put out much in the way of quality content, whilst Goyer at least has the Dark Knight trilogy to his name if nothing else.
If that's not a suitable enough solution to the issue of the considerable period of time separating us and the series' début, though, then at least SyFy (and Warner Horizon Television, with whom they're collaborating on the project as a whole) have given us a brief plot synopsis for the programme overall. Provided that minor spoilers aren't a concern, do read on and let us know any initial thoughts that come about as a result: "Years before the Superman legend we know, the House of El was shamed and ostracised. This series follows the Man of Steel's as he brings hope and equality to Krypton, turning a planet in disarray into one worthy of giving birth to the greatest Super Hero ever known."There's only one sure-fire way to tell, though, and that's of course to keep one's eyes peeled to this very blog as well as to give the pilot episode of the umpteenth DC Entertainment small-screen project a chance once it lands here in the UK.
Short of its development talks coming to an abrupt halt within the next few weeks, Krypton will première on the SyFy channel in 2015.
DC continue to take us further beyond the reaches of Gotham City in 2015!
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have this week announced four new downloadable expansion packs which will be made available in order to broaden the range of content offered in their recent action-adventure platforming video game product LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. Developed by TT Games, this third chapter in the LEGO Batman saga sees the eponymous Caped Crusader team up with both the Justice League of America and a diverse gallery of DC rogues so as to acquire the level of wit, strength and block-busting power required to withstand the might of Braniac as he attempts to conquer the known universes (and, as the title suggests, Beyond).
Already, those who picked up Beyond Gotham at launch last month have had the chance to simultaneously purchase DLC packs based on the 2013 cinematic epic known as Man of Steel, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and Batman's 75th Anniversary celebrations, yet if TT have anything to say about the matter, the best is yet to come. We've compiled together all of the key details surrounding the contents of the trio of new downloadable content packages coming our way in the early stages of next year below, detailing which of the packs contain new levels and which are 'limited' to an array of enhanced Detective Comics constructs...
ARROW PACK (£2.99)
Contains one exclusive bonus level set on the island of Lian Yu (where Oliver and Slade must navigate its bomb-laced crevices during a flashback sequence) as well as the following characters from the titular CW superhero drama:
Oliver Queen / "Arrow"
Diggle
Felicity Smoak
Slade Wilson
Roy Harper
Sara Lance / "Black Canary"
Malcolm Merlyn
Helena Bertinelli / "Huntress"
HEROINES AND VILLAINESSES PACK (FREE)
Contains the following female DC superheroes and antagonists:
Raven
Starfire
Terra
Vixen
Plastique
Killer Frost
BIZARRO WORLD PACK (£2.99)
Contains a singular bonus level focusing on the Justice League's efforts to fend off attacks from half-hearted duplicates of themselves created by none other than Bizarro.
As if that wasn't enough, the following characters will also become playable through the Pack:
Bizzaro
Bizzara
THE SQUAD PACK (£2.99)
Again, there'll be just one main exclusive bonus level to look forward to, this time centring on a break-out at Belle Reve Penitentiary which forces the Suicide Squad to team up and enter the near-abandoned asylum using the following characters:
Amanda Waller
Captain Boomerang
Deadshot
Deathstroke
El Diablo
Harley Quinn
In addition, the Rainbow Character Pack and Batman of the Future Pack will both terminate their limited exclusivity contract with the PS3 and PS4 consoles so as to allow themselves to hop over to Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC and the like as well next Spring.
Each of the DLC packs listed above will only work in collaboration with LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (for obvious reasons) and will début on PSN, XBLA and other digital marketplaces in early 2015.
He's back - although in fairness, did we ever really doubt that he would be?
Paramount Pictures have today released the official teaser trailer for their impending science-fiction movie Terminator Genisys. The fifth instalment (doesn't time fly?) in the long-running franchise of time-travelling epics, Genisys boasts an extremely formidable cast ensemble, with its A-list headliners including Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke (who plays Sarah Connor), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' Jason Clarke and Doctor Who's Matt Smith (apologies for the lack of 'Clarke' in the man's name, but his esteemed reputation should serve as ample compensation).
Of course, no Terminator sequel would be complete without Arnold Schwarzenegger (well, barring Salvation, a mediocre semi-reboot which featured a poorly-rendered CGI version of the Austrian-American actor) and true to form, he's back to finish the job he started here. Long-running fans of all things John Connor might well take issue with the warping of the franchise's continuity that's seemingly about to occur as Sarah Connor - in stark contrast to the timid teen scream-a-holic we met in The Terminator - rescues futuristic freedom fighter Kyle Reese (played by Suicide Squad's Jai Courtney) from an almost omnipotent oncoming T-1000 with the help of none other than another hyper-intelligent murder-machine (portrayed by Arnie, naturally) who was sent back to Sarah's childhood in order to protect her from the antagonist of the classic 1984 motion picture which kicked the series off.
Keeping up? With any luck, the absolutely blooming fantastic teaser (below) should help clarify matters we've addressed here somewhat, although suffice to say that at the very least revisiting The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines would be advisable over the course of the next six months. Regardless, Genisys has - thanks in no small part to the aforementioned preview video - ascended up our Most Anticipated Films of 2015 shortlist, a prestigious and hotly competitive compilation of each of the blockbusters - and minor, somewhat more arthouse-esque motion pictures - that look set to take the film industry in brave new directions in the coming months, all of which are listed in ascending order (with #1 representing our Most Anticipated Movie of 2015 and so forth) below:
Into the Woods (January 9th, 2015)
Terminator Genisys (July 1st, 2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (April 24th, 2015)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (November 20th, 2015)
The Theory of Everything (January 1st, 2015)
Pitch Perfect 2 (May 15th, 2015)
Victor Frankenstein (October 2nd, 2015)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (December 18th, 2015)
Kung Fu Panda 3 (December 23rd, 2015)
The Divergent Series: Insurgent (March 20th, 2015)
Whilst we're on the topic of J.J. Abrams' much-vaunted first foray into the realms of Star Wars, by the way, it recently occurred to the On-Screen team that due to our unscheduled temporary hiatuses earlier this month, we never showcased the potent (if overly familiar due to its director's choice to disconcertingly prioritize his utilization of plenty of elements from Episodes IV-VI rather than demonstrate the ambition and innovation supposedly present within The Force Awakens' narrative) teaser trail for what's tipped to be yet another shared universe-kickstarter. In which case, anyone who somehow managed to miss out on the chance to watch the trailer can do so (before catching a rather hilarious reaction video which we've included for comedic measure) below.
But to get back on topic, Terminator Genisys travels from the allegedly dystopian future into cinemas worldwide on July 1st, 2015.
From the Great Detective to the Sorcerer Supreme, is there any role Benedict Cumberbatch can't acquire?
Marvel Studios have just announced the identity of the thespian who'll take on the lead role in their upcoming fantasy superhero blockbuster Doctor Strange. Set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this quirky outing - which, by all accounts, is intended to stretch the limits of said narrative mythology farther than ever before - will be directed by Deliver Us From Evil's Scott Derrickson.
Yet come launch day, whereas some big-screen productions would sell tickets on the basis of the esteem in which their directors (Christopher Nolan or Steven Spielberg, say) are held, odds are that this one will make millions upon millions of pounds as a result of one defining factor: Benedict Cumberbatch. As has been rumoured for some time now, the Sherlock and The Hobbit star will play Doctor Stephen Strange in his first solo outing as well as - presumably - in a number of other Marvel Cinematic Universe instalments (though precisely which ones won't likely become clear for a good while yet) and in doing so will contribute to the landmark endeavour of rendering both the construct and his origins story - a tale which involves hubris, car crashes, broken hands and, ultimately, redemption through inter-dimensional protection of the Earth and its neighbouring galaxies - on the silver screen for the very first time. Stay tuned to On-Screen as always for more on the plot and supporting cast of one of the most hotly discussed MCU projects conceived to date.
If all goes according to plan (and since Marvel Studios, that's virtually a given), Doctor Strange will cast his first explosive spell in an auditorium near us on November 4th, 2016.
