Reel Corner - May 2019

2019 Summer Preview

The Reel Corner pored over the 2019 film release calendar and scoured the planet for news and details to bring you this list of the most anticipated summer movies, and there are plenty! Long-anticipated sequels, prequels, and reboots abound—Zombieland 2, Toy Story 4, and John Wick: Chapter 3—and there’s lots of hotly anticipated remakes, too: The Lion King and Dumbo among them. Be sure to keep an eye out for some stellar originals including the adaptation of The Goldfinch and the Elton John biopic, Rocketman.

DUMBO
Directed by: Tim Burton  |  Starring: Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito
One of three Disney movies getting the live-action treatment in 2019, this remake of the 1941 animated classic marries the tale of a uniquely gifted circus elephant with the directorial stylings of Tim Burton. Sounds like an odd pairing to me, but we’ll see!

AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Directed by: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo  |  Starring: Everybody
Avengers: Endgame promises to bring resolution to the conflict between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Thanos, the Mad Titan, which began earlier this year in Infinity War. The Reel Corner knows absolutely nothing about what will happen in the film, save for the fact Hawkeye is back; Ant-Man joins the fight; and Tony is lost in space.

LONG SHOT
Directed by: Jonathan Levine  |  Starring: Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, Alexander Skarsgård, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Serkis, O’Shea Jackson Jr.
Director Jonathan Levine (50/50, Warm Bodies) had a bit of a misstep with last year’s Snatched, but this comedy may earn him more accolades. Seth Rogen stars as an unemployed journalist who attempts to woo his childhood babysitter, a powerful political figure played by Charlize Theron.

POKÉMAN: DETECTIVE PIKACHU
Directed by: Rob Letterman  |  Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Suki Waterhouse
In case you haven’t heard, Pokémon is the highest grossing media franchise ever, so it’s a little surprising we’ve never gotten a proper blockbuster movie out of it. That’s all going to change this year with Detective Pikachu, a live-action/animation hybrid film based on the video game of the same name featuring Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Pikachu.

THE ROSIE PROJECT
Possibly staring Ryan Reynolds
Speaking of Ryan Reynolds, he’s also rumored to be attached to this romantic drama based on a novel by Australian writer Graeme Simsion. None of the cast or crew has been confirmed, but the book centers on a straight-laced genetics professor, who formulates criteria to find his perfect match, only to fall in love with a woman who doesn’t make the cut. I have read the book and it is a laugh-out-loud story.

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3, PARABELLUM
Directed by: Chad Stahelski  |  Starring: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Anjelica Huston
At the end of John Wick: Chapter 2, Keanu Reeves’ titular hit man went on the run after he broke the rules and murdered a high-level crime lord on the grounds of the Continental, the all-purpose sanctuary and day spa for assassins. This movie picks up right where that one left off, as John must survive the bounty on his head, without the aid of the larger criminal underworld.

AD ASTRA
Directed by: James Gray  |  Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland
If you liked Interstellar, you may want to (tele)scope this one out. Director James Gray takes to the outer reaches of space to tell the story of an engineer (Brad Pitt) who embarks on a fantastic voyage in pursuit of his father (Tommy Lee Jones), who took a one-way trip to Neptune 20 years prior.

ALADDIN
Directed by: Guy Ritchie  |  Starring: Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Nasim Pedrad, Mena Massoud
Disney’s supremely lucrative live-action adaptations project continues unabated with this update of the 1992 animated classic. Mena Massoud has been cast as Aladdin, with Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine. Will Smith is the Genie this time, and director Guy Ritchie makes his family entertainment debut.

ROCKETMAN
Directed by: Dexter Fletcher  |  Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell
This is actually a biopic on the life of rock star Elton John. The film covers John’s formative years from childhood prodigy up to Philadelphia Freedom, taking him knee-high to a man, and deeply explores his wondrously fruitful partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2
Directed by: Chris Renaud  |  Starring: Patton Oswalt, Eric Stonestreet, Lake Bell
Without breaking a sweat, Minion-peddler Illumination Entertainment created another hugely profitable animated series with 2016’s The Secret Life of Pets, a colorful look into what animals get into when their humans are out gadding about. And they’re about to do it again!  

LATE NIGHT
Directed by: Nisha Ganatra  |  Starring: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy
Emma Thompson stars in this comedy, written, produced, and co-starring Minday Kaling, about a longtime talk show host (Thompson) who hires her first female staff writer (Kaling) primarily to ease diversity concerns only to discover the two of them make a great team..

MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL
Directed by: F. Gary Gray  |  Starring: Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Liam Neeson
Thor and Valkyrie reunite in the latest Marvel epic! No, we’re not talking about Avengers. We’re talking about the fourth Men in Black installment, which reunites Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in another ancillary Marvel comic book movie. And it’s a new day for the beloved franchise: Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones will not be involved with this one.

TOY STORY 4
Directed by: Josh Cooley  |  Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Laurie Metcalf
Just about everyone agrees Toy Story 3 ended the trilogy on a perfect note, not to mention it maintained the franchise’s stunning 99 percent Tomatometer average. So Pixar must have a good reason to come back and risk poisoning that golden well, especially since they’ve been releasing occasional Toy Story shorts.

FORD v. FERRARI
Directed by: James Mangold  |  Starring: Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe
James Mangold directs this based-on-true-events sports drama about American motor company Ford’s efforts to build a race worthy car to rival—and hopefully defeat—the Ferrari team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

THE LION KING
Directed by: Jon Favreau  |  Starring: Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, Alfre Woodard
Director Jon Favreau has already shown he is the king of live-action Disney adaptations with 2016’s The Jungle Book, which has a Tomatometer of 95 percent. Here he takes on another beloved classic, and he’s gathered up a formidable voice cast that includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé as Nala, and James Earl Jones returning to the role of Mufasa. Those who have gotten sneak peeks at the opening scene are saying: “Set your jaw to drop.”

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino  |  Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, James Marsde
For his ninth film, Quentin Tarantino has recruited a killer cast to tell a story that revolves around an aspiring actor and his stunt double duo who attempt to establish their careers in Tinseltown in 1969 just as the Manson Family murders are taking place.
References: www.rottentomatoes.com, www.imbd.com, www.nyctimes.com

Donne Paine, film enthusiast, once lived around the corner from the Orson Wells Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts where her strong interest in films, especially independent ones, began. Supporter of the arts­—especially films—she travels to local and national film festivals including Sundance, Toronto and Tribeca. There is nothing like seeing a film on the big screen. She encourages film goers to support Hilton Head local theaters—Coligny, Park Plaza and Northridge theaters. To support her habit of frequent movie going Donne is a retired executive recruiter and staff development consultant. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.