50th Anniversary Screening Of THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD To Honour Ray Harryhausen

The genre icon and animation visionary Ray Harryhausen, known for his work on cult films like Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans, is the first to be honoured at Regent Street Cinema with an event to celebrate his groundbreaking work and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. The event, presented in partnership with the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, will take place on Friday 29th September as part of Regent Street Cinema’s Luminaries initiative.

Ray Harryhausen is broadly recognised as one of the most important filmmakers of the 20th century, having created some of the most memorable special effects of cinema history. In honour of the 50th anniversary of its release, a rare screening of one of his most iconic films, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, will play for attendees following the presentation of Ray Harryhausen’s commemorative plaque. This event will represent the first public celebration of Ray’s life and work in London since his centenary in 2020.

The ceremony and screening of The Golden Voyage of Sinbad will be introduced by starring actress Caroline Munro, the ‘First Lady of Fantasy’. Joined by Ray’s daughter Vanessa Harryhausen, Trustee, Filmmaker and Author John Walsh and Collections Manager Connor Heaney, Caroline will share memories of her time working on the 1973 classic, as well as her lifelong friendship with the Harryhausen family.

Attendees of this very special event will be greeted with an exhibition of replica models of Ray Harryhausen’s infamous creatures at Regent Street Cinema and also be in with a chance of winning prizes including a coveted Star Ace Toys deluxe replica model of ‘Kali’ and signed copies of Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema by Vanessa Harryhausen and Harryhausen: The Lost Movies by John Walsh.

Friday 29th September 2023 at 7:45pm
Regent Street Cinema, 307 Regent Street, London, W1B 2HW
Buy Tickets here

One Body, Four Eras? Check Out The Teaser For BODIES

bodies teaser trailer still

What if one dead body kept popping up throughout time? That’s the intriguing premise of Netflix’s upcoming mystery series, Bodies, for which the streamer has released its first official teaser trailer.

In Bodies, four detectives, living in four different eras – DI Edmond Hillinghead in1890, DS Karl Whiteman in 1941, DS Sahara Hasan in 2023, and DS Maplewood in 2053 – find the body of the same murder victim in London’s Whitechapel. They soon come to realize their investigations have landed them in the middle of an impossible conspiracy spanning over 160 years.

The eight-episode series, which stars Stephen Graham, Shira Haas (Unorthodox), Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (The Queen’s Gambit, The Great), Kyle Soller (Andor), and Amaka Okafor (The Sandman), is based on the DC and Vertigo graphic novel of the same name from creator Si Spencer. The cast is also rounded out by Tom Mothersdale, Michael Jibson, Derek Riddel, Emily Barber and Gabriel Howell, playing a younger version of Graham’s Elias Mannix. Torchwood’s Paul Tomalin serves as series creator, with episodes directed by Marco Kreutzpaintner and Haolu Wang.

Watch the teaser trailer for Bodies below, ahead of its premiere on October 19th, when all eight episodes will release to Netflix at once.

OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH Season 2 Trailer Drops

our flag means death taika waititi season 2 still

Ahead of the release for Our Flag Means Death ‘s second season on October 5th, Max (formerly HBO Max) has dropped a first teaser trailer for its upcoming eight-episode season. Following a 3-episode premiere, season 2 will continue with two new episodes each week until its finale on October 26th.

Our Flag Means Death is based – very loosely – on the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby). After trading the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede became captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes changed after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard, aka Ed (Taika Waititi). To their surprise, the wildly different Stede and Blackbeard found more than friendship on the high seas… they found love. Now, they have to survive it.

Opposite Darby and Waititi, the returning cast includes Samson Kayo, Vico Ortiz, Ewen Bremner, Joel Fry, Matthew Maher, Kristian Nairn, Con O’Neill, David Fane, Samba Schutte, Nat Faxon and Leslie Jones. Joining the show for its second season are Ruibo Qian, Madeleine Sami, Anapela Polataivao, Erroll Shand, Minnie Driver and Bronson Pinchot.

Watch the teaser for season 2 of Our Flag Means Death below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHCsauMyJk0&ab_channel=Max

First Trailer For Jeymes Samuel’s THE BOOK OF CLARENCE Drops

lakeith stanfield stars as wannabe messiah in the book of clarence

TriStar and Legendary have released the much-anticipated first trailer for Jeymes Samuel’s sophomore feature, a sprawling biblical epic titled The Book of Clarence.

In The Book of Clarence, LaKeith Stanfield’s titular character is a down on his luck Jerusalemite struggling to secure a better life for his family and settle his debts. In pursuit of his goals, Clarence embarks on a misguided attempt to capitalise on the rise of celebrity and influence the rising Messiah and His apostles. While risking everything to carve his own path to a divine life, he ultimately discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out. The trailer suggests that Samuel’s signature blend of comedy, witty commentary, and an unbeatable soundtrack will very much form the basis of this coming film.

In addition to Stanfield, the feature stars Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Anna Diop, Teyana Taylor, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Caleb McLaughlin, Babs Olusanmokun, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Nicholas Pinnock, Micheal Ward, Chase Dillon, Tom Glynn-Carney and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor.

Ever the multi-hyphenate, The Book of Clarence is directed, written, produced and composed by BAFTA winner Samuel. He’s also producing the film alongside Tendo Nagenda, James Lassiter, and Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, the latter two of whom collaborated with Samuel on The Harder They Fall. 

The Book of Clarence is due to release in cinemas on January 12th, 2024. Watch the trailer below:

Disney+ Won’t Pick Up THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES Series

the spiderwick chronicles series adaptation

Amid a strategy shift and some brutal cost-cutting, comes news that Disney+ will not be proceeding with its plans to acquire the live-action series adaptation of the popular children’s fantasy books, The Spiderwick Chronicles.

The eight-episode series, which hails from Paramount Television Studios and 20th Television, has been completed. It is currently being shopped by Paramount to other potential buyers, writes Deadline.

Based on the series of bestselling books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, The Spiderwick Chronicles is a contemporary American Gothic coming-of-age story. In it, upon leaving New York and moving to Michigan and into their run-down ancestral home with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace (Lyon Daniels and Noah Cottrell, respectively), along with their sister Mallory (Mychala Lee), find themselves pulled into an alternate faerie-filled world.

The series is showrun by Aron Eli Coleite, who executive produces with Holly Black, Tony DiTerlizzi, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, D.J. Goldberg, Julie Kane-Ritsch and Kat Coiro. Christian Slater also stars.

Shelving the Spiderwick Chronicles adaptation comes amidst the company’s plans to take a $1.5 billion write-down during their Q3 by removing around thirty shows from Disney+ and Hulu. Series like Willow, Dollface, Y: The Last Man, and The World According to Jeff Goldblum have already been pulled from the streaming platforms.

DUNE: PART TWO Release Moves To 2024

lea seydoux in dune: part two trailer

In a move that surprised no one, Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros have pushed Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two from its November 3rd cinema release to March 15th, 2024. The delay comes due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.

Dune: Part Two is due to explore the continued journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen in search of revenge against those who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, Paul grows determined to prevent a terrible future that only he can foresee.

Alongside Chalamet and Zendaya, Dune: Part Two stars a mix of returning stars and new characters, including Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Lea Seydoux, Christopher Walken, Tim Blake Nelson, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and more.

Perhaps surprisingly, Warner Bros’ other scheduled tentpoles, which include Wonka on December 15th, DC’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on December 20th, and The Color Purple on December 25th, will all stick to their original dates. Meanwhile, with Dune: Part Two taking the date previously held by Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, the kaiju film in turn has moved to April 12th, 2024.

In the meantime, you can check out the most recent trailer for Dune: Part Two here.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Pushed Back

concept art from the lord of the rings: the war of the rohirrim

New Line’s animated film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has been moved from its scheduled April 12th, 2024 release date to December 13th, 2024.

The delay comes in response to Warner Bros’ schedule reshuffle, in which Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire was moved to April 12th, thereby clashing with The War of the Rohirrim. Now, in its new December release window, the animated fantasy will face off against Sony’s re(re-)boot of The Karate Kid.

The Lord of the Rings anime feature, which is directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus, “host in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), is set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy by Peter Jackson. It centres on the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan, a character from the appendix of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Brian Cox voices the protagonist; the Succession star is joined by Miranda Otto, Gaia Wise, Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, Shaun Dooley, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna, and Janine Duvitski.

We have yet to see much of the upcoming film, but check out one of the concept art images below:

concept art from the lord of the rings: the war of the rohirrim

Jamie Foxx Is God, Mickey Rourke Is Satan In NOT ANOTHER CHURCH MOVIE

not another church movie casts jamie foxx

Jamie Foxx has been tapped to portray God in the upcoming comedy Not Another Church Movie, starring opposite Mickey Rourke as the Devil in a film from writer-director Johnny Mack.

Kevin Daniels leads the ensemble cast, which includes Vivica A. Fox, Tisha Campbell, Jasmine Guy, Kyla Pratt and Lamorne Morris.

“We are thrilled to have Mr. Foxx be a part of this hilarious comedy and bring his incredible talent to the role of God, working with Foxx and Johnny Mack was a true blessing,” said producer James Michael Cummings in a statement to Deadline, announcing the actor’s casting. “This film is a unique blend of new and established talent, and we can’t wait to hear the laughs and for audiences to see the magic that happens on the big screen. This movie will not disappoint.”

Read the full synopsis for Not Another Church Movie here:

Billionaire talk show host, Hoprah Windfall, frets as her box office sales plummet and her talk show audience begins to dwindle. Using her direct connect to God himself, she demands his help. So God and his angels decide there’s no better choice than to call on the hardest-working man in the world, Taylor Pherry. But when the Devil overhears this, he comes up with a fiendish plan of his own to disrupt the whole ordeal. 

While Taylor prepares for one of his many jobs that mostly entail helping his dysfunctional but lovable family through their trials and tribulations, God appears and orders him to help Hoprah accomplish her mission by writing a movie. Determined not to be stopped by the Devil’s devious plans on his divine mission from God, Taylor’s crazy family and even wackier community prove to be the very substance for the storylines of Taylor’s success!  

The film will release later this year.

SPACE: 1999 Star Barbara Bain Boards Documentary About Show’s Spaceship

space 1999

Barbara Bain, who played Dr. Helena Russell in the British sci-fi series Space: 1999, has boarded an upcoming documentary about the show’s famed spacecraft, the Eagle.

The Eagle Has Landed, which is being directed and produced by Jeffrey Morris, will also feature interviews with Apollo XVI astronaut Charles Duke Jr., the Academy Award-winning visual effects artist Bill George, and the Space: 1999 VFX artist Brian Johnson.

“Space: 1999 appeared on TV a few short years after the world watched Neil Armstrong take the first steps on the moon,” Morris noted in a statement (the series ran for two seasons between 1975 and 1977). “The show’s unforgettable Eagle inspired a generation to envision a future in space and is still doing so decades later. The question we explore is ‘why?’ What is it about this imaginary craft that has captured and held imaginations for nearly 50 years?”

The Eagle Has Landed “explores the cross-generational impact of the iconic vessel” in the series that also starred Mission Impossible alum Martin Landau. The film also “showcases never-before-seen archival footage” and will be released in time for the 50th anniversary of Space: 1999’s premiere, in 2025. The exact release date for the documentary has yet to be announced, so stay tuned.

Read our feature on the impact and legacy of Space: 1999 here.

Snyder Cut Of REBEL MOON Is Already Confirmed

sofia boutella in rebel moon

There’ll be no need for #ReleaseTheSnyderCut to trend again, as Netflix have pre-emptively confirmed the release of a director’s cut of Rebel Moon, which will have “close to an hour of extra content”. Considering Zack Snyder’s sci-fi epic is already being released as two films, the director’s cut will likely be a hefty thing.

“The director’s cut is close to an hour of extra content, so I think it’s a legitimate extended universe version. You really get to see a lot. It’s just more painted-in all the way,” Snyder said in an interview with Tudum. “The director’s [cut] is a settle-in deep dive, which I have notoriously done throughout my career. I don’t know how I got into this director’s cut thing, but what I will say about it is that, for me, the director’s cuts have always been something I had to fight for in the past and nobody wanted it. It was this bastard child that I was always trying to put together because they felt like there was a deeper version. And with Netflix, we shot scenes just for the director’s cut. So in that way, it’s really a revelation because it gives that second kick at the can for big fans, like a real discovery that they would not [otherwise] get. I’m really excited about it!”

Rebel Moon is a two-part epic space opera that will be available to stream on Netflix on December 22nd with the first part titled Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire. The second part is titled Rebel Moon: The Scargiver and will premiere on April 19th, 2024.

Check out the recently-released teaser trailer here.