Sequel Buzz

Okay, it's been, like, forever since we posted a Movie Sequel-a-Day article.  So, let's break that silence, shall we?  For today, let's take a look at a DTV camp slasher from 2003 that many say is far superior than its predecessor.  This is BLOODY MURDER 2: CLOSING CAMP.

Breakdown:
Trevor Moorhouse returns! Coming to Placid Pines is difficult for Tracy, who's brother, Jason, was one of Trevor's victims near the end of the original. When Tracy's nightmares begin to come true as one by one the counselors are murdered. Someone is hunting them through the pitch-black Forest and is determined to kill them all.

From Wallace Entertainment on IMDb

My thoughts:
I'd be totally lying if I said I didn't absolutely ADORE this movie.  But hey, I'm a big fan of the original as well.  What's not to love about the "fictitious local psychopath" Trevor Moorehouse?  I love this series so much, that I even started the Bloody Murder Films website back in 2003…

So the upcoming HALLOWEEN reboot is officially on the horizon.  And we've now learned that the film will be called HALLOWEEN RETURNS.

Here is what we know as of know...
Titled “Halloween Returns”, the new project will be a standalone film set to reintroduce audiences to Michael Myers years after his initial rampage.

“Halloween Returns” will pit a new group of Haddonfield youngsters against Myers. The now 18-year-old child of one of Myers’ victims plays a central role along with the child of a cop whose long been obsessed with Myers’ case, even putting it before his own daughter.

Myers is now on death row and the two kids with their own personal vendettas against the killer sneak in to watch his execution. But when things go awry and Myers escapes, the pair, along with their friends, find themselves in the firing line. From the sound(s) of things, it seems that this may be a direct sequel to the original in the same fashion as TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D --  so if that's the case, I…

Set approximately twenty-two years after the events of JURASSIC PARK in 1993, JURASSIC WORLD takes a look at the park in full swing and open for business in 2015.

The movie kicks off with a scene of two genetically modified hybrid dinosaurs being hatched, one of which stares at the other with a sinister glare -- a little foreshadowing, if you will.  The hybrids are the now-infamous Indominous Rex, or D-Rex as they're referred to.  We learn early on that they're part T-Rex, which should be pretty apparent by the name, but we're never told what they're spliced with until the climax when Chris Pratt's Owen Grady puts the pieces together.

The basic story revolves around the escape of the D-Rex and trying to stop it before it reaches the main park.  Easier said that done.  The D-Rex is equipped with a few terrifying defense mechanisms, such as lowering its core body temperature, making it undetectable via thermal imaging and camouflaging itself in its surroundings.

Bro…

This Day in Film History:
June 12
1963: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison star in 20th Century Fox's Cleopatra. Elizabeth Taylor becomes the first actress to earn $1 million for a film.
1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark opens.
2003: Brilliant as both villian (The Boys from Brazil, Moby Dick) and hero (To Kill a Mocking Bird), acting giant Gregory Peck dies in Los Angeles. The Oscar winner was 87.

"Kong: Skull Island" plot has been revealed to be a prequel to trace the origin of Kong before he became the ruler in the Skull Island but the more surprising matter to realize is that the movie is set in the original movie's future.
How is that possible?
The set is apparently going to take place in Detroit during the 1970s. The original King Kong period was timed in the 1930s in Peter Jackson's King Kong which was hugely successful in its release in 2005.
Although there were King Kong movies in the eras of 1976 and 1986, a prequel that promises an "entirely new, distinct timeline" that still "honors the foundations of existing King Kong lore" brings avid viewers of the giant beast to anticipate the release of the movie.
It has also been previously announced that Tom Hiddleston of the Avengers and Thor Series, Michael Keaton, and J.K. Simmons of Juno are the lead cast of the new King Kong.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer) is directing th…

David Fincher is no stranger to mystery, murder, and suspense. He is preparing to do the unthinkable, produce and direct a Alfred Hitchcock remake along with Gillian Flynn. Flynn is the author of Gone Girl, she also adapted the screenplay for the film. The duo, who successfully adapted the best-selling thriller Gone Girl in 2014, earning critical praise and Golden Globe nominations to boot, will be putting a modern spin on Hitchcock’s 1951 classic Strangers on a Train. 
Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn is currently writing the film’s script. The movie, titled Strangers, is set to take place on a plane instead of a train and stars Affleck as “a movie star in the middle of a campaign for an Oscar during awards season whose private plane breaks down and is given a ride to L.A. on another plane by a wealthy stranger.” 
The original film features tennis pro Guy Haines (Farley Granger), who is stuck in a marriage he wants to get out of when he runs into psychopath Bruno Antony (Robert Walker) …

Since last year, rumors had been swirling around Hollywood about whom would sing the title song for the upcoming 007 film, Spectre. Many singers names had been tossed in the EON/MGM hat, with two front runners.
Lana Del Rey and Sam Smith.
Well, it seems that we finally have resolution...kind of.
The 23-year-old, who has just returned to performing live after recovering from vocal chord surgery, may join the ranks of Duran Duran, Madonna, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, and of course Adele — who won an Oscar in 2013 for singing the theme song to Skyfall — as the voices introducing 007's highflying adventures.
While this is still very much output from the rumor mill, it's looking more and more certain that Sam Smith will be singing the Spectre theme.  
Spectre has a November 6 release date and Smith will resume touring in July. Here's hoping Smith takes this opportunity as a license to thrill.

This Day in Film History:

June 11
1933: Jerome Silberman, later known as the Frederick Frankenstein...no, sorry, Gene Wilder, is born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1969: Paramount releases True Grit. John Wayne eventually wins his only Best Actor Oscar for his work in the film.
1979: Cancer claims the life of American film icon Marion Michael Morrison, aka John Wayne, in California. 
1982: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial debuts.
1993: Jurassic Park opens. The DTS sound system makes its debut.

Brad Bird is a heavyweight at Pixar Films, which happens to be owned by Disney. When Brad Bird pitches a film to Disney, the executives there are all ears, especially if it's a live action film. Before Tomorrowland, the only live action film that Brad Bird directed was Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. MI: Ghost Protocol was a slam dunk for Brad Bird, that film grossed $209,397,903 in North America and $485,315,477 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $694,713,380.
So... When Mr. Bird pitched his original idea, andwith George Clooney as part of the package, Disney jumped at it. Given Bird's pretty much impeccable track record, Disney's "Tomorrowland"—on paper at least—seemed like a slam dunk. Of course, the results were much, much different.
Following mostly stale reviews, lackluster box office both at home and abroad, the trade reports that Disney is set to lose between $120 and $140 million on their live action gamble. With a production cost of $180 …

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm ready for another Halloween film.
As usual, talk and speculation of a new Halloween has been on form this year, since last year, with several sources saying various different things. But it looks like the movie could finally be making some headway into production…
Last year on Oct 18th 2014, Halloween series producer Malek Akkad (Moustapha Akkad’s son) spoke about the next Halloween film.
“It’s been a joy to work with so many creative people – ten films,” Akkad said of the franchise’s longevity. “We’re working on eleven as we speak. We’re working on a script right now. A new draft – perfect timing – is supposed to hit the day before Halloween. Hopefully my Halloween night reading will be a good read.”
Akkad never gave any information on who is wrote the new script. Sources now (2015) claim that there is in fact a new script that has been written but is currently going through rewrites. With these Halloween films, it's very common f…

With Pitch Perfect's massive $160.9 million in domestic box office (and counting), Universal and Gold Circle are moving ahead on a 3rd installment.
Sources say negotiations have begun with Kay Cannon, who wrote the first two movies, to return to write the third. No news yet if co-star Elizabeth Banks, whom was also a producer on the last two films and director of the 2nd film, will return in any capacity. 
Deals for a third movie will be costly because contracts will have to be renegotiated for the original cast.

“Akira” is alive and well at Warner Bros., which has hired “Daredevil” writer Marco Ramirez to adapt the popular Japanese manga.
Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way banner are producing with Andrew Lazer (American Sniper) and his company Mad Chance. Warner Bros. executives Drew Crevello and Nik Mavinkurve will oversee the reconfigured project for the studio.
Jaume Collet-Serra was set to direct “Akira” back in 2012 but Warner Bros. pulled the plug on the project due to issues surrounding the budget, script and casting. At the time, the studio had been in discussions with Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe and Helena Bonham Carter.
The original “Akira” manga followed two brothers in rival biker gangs who clash when one of them begins abusing his new telekinetic powers.
Ezra Miller had been eyed to play Hedlund’s brother, indicating that the studio was interested in the actor long before casting him in its comic book movie “The Flash.”
Ramirez wrote many of the best episod…

Fifty shades of Grey garnered $500 million worldwide and millions saw the erotic flick — however... its screenwriter, Kelly Marcel, did not watch it.
Marcel gave her thoughts and opinions on the film’s production on the Bret Easton Ellis podcast, PodcastOne, this week, revealing that she still hasn’t watched the film that she wrote. Marcel said she has conflicting thoughts on the film’s events.
“A lot of what happened on ‘Fifty Shades’ really broke my heart,” Marcel said.
While talking about novelist E.L James, who wrote the book, Marcel said the two went back and forth on what to keep and what to nix.
“She would always let me fight for things that I felt passionate about,” Marcel said. “And in the end, we ended up with a draft that was a halfway compromise. But she had still been very brave about what she had let go.”
Several earlier reports, however, said director Sam Taylor-Johnson, whom will not return to direct the sequel, “Fifty Shades Darker,” has decided to move away from the…

It’s abundantly clear that Gilliam is still trying to mount his long-gestating production of “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.” “It’s my madness!” Gilliam laughed about the project that he cannot let go and which won’t let go of him. It’s had several delays over the last year few years, but if all goes according to plan, the movie will shoot in early 2016 with Jack O’Connell (“Unbroken”) and John Hurt (“Only Lovers Left Alive”) as the two leads. Gilliam wouldn’t comment about any other casting rumors or why the film has experienced so many false starts, but revealed ‘Quixote’ is part of his recently signed Amazon deal. According to Gilliam, Amazon’s approach will be a theatrical window and release followed by a streaming Amazon debut at home. “I’m intrigued by their way of doing it,” the director said, noting streaming services were a fair extension of home video. “They go into the cinemas first and then a month or two afterwards they go into streaming. And I think that’s good because…

After Independence Day redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global catastrophe on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

Sony Pictures may green light the long-in-development BAD BOYS 3 with Joe Carnahan in talks to do rewrites and direct an existing script by David Guggenheim.
Sony hopes that Smith and Lawrence will return and are trying to get the project into production quickly. Sony wants BB3 to be the next movie for Smith to shoot after he’s finished with Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad. 
The original Bad Boys was released in 1995 and it grossed a relatively tame $65 million. Bad Boys II was released in 2003 and had a $46.5 million domestic opening and a worldwide gross of $273 million.
Although Carnahan doesn’t have a deal in place as of yet, his action films like Smokin’ Aces and The A-Team show that he’s capable of following in Michael Bay’s footsteps to take over the franchise. Presumably Jerry Bruckheimer is still involved to produce along with Michael Bay as a producer. However... Neither Bruckheimer or Bay have yet to be mentioned to return to the franchise.

From the Las Vegas Licensing Expo 2015, Warner Bros. has released a new official synopsis for Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The synopsis confirms many of the plot points that fans have long suspected, based on filming rumors and scenes shown in the first trailer. Here is the new official Warner Bros. synopsis.
Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.
Of course, the first part of the synopsis describing Superman as a god-like Super Hero ties into the image from the trailer of the fallen Superman statue with “false god” spray painted on it in red. The second part about a new threat quickly arising that puts mankind in great danger certainly sounds li…

Pacific Rim 2 is officially a go although it's release had been previously pushed back. Actors Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, and Burn Gorman to reprise their roles for the film.

After Pacific Rim was greatly received by fans, and grossed $411 million worldwide, the film's director, Guillermo Del Toro has been preparing for the movie's second part. But unlike the first film, where the focus was more on the Jaeger pilots, Pacific Rim 2 will repoprtedly  be more about the Kaijus and its origins, "It's a few years after the first one. It's not an immediate follow-up. It is the world having been freed of Kaiju, what happens to the world after - what happens to the Jaeger technology once the Kaiju are not a threat. It's quite a jump." Del Toro said.

Pacific Rim actors will be back to reprise their respective roles. Hunnam will reprise his role as Raleigh Becket, Kikuchi as Mako Mori, Day as Dr. Newton Geiszler, and Gorman as Gottleib. Del Tor…

Insidious Chapter 3 really should've been titled, Insidious: The Beginning, instead of Chapter 3. It's not a good title for what is otherwise a good movie. Chapter 3 implies that this is a sequel but it is infact  actually a prequel. Insidious Chapter 3 also happens to be not as good a film as Insidious Chapter 2.
The story is interesting but isn’t as good as the previous installments. However... As clichéd as it is, it still will keep you interested throughout the entire film. With Chapter 3, Leigh Whannell takes over directing duties from James Wan, but is no where near as good a director as Wan. James Wan's style is old school Hollywood, Wan uses suspense, mood, and drama to create his brand of horror. Even when Wan broke into the scene with his first film SAW, he showed great strength in directing with his style. Leigh Whannell still has a lot to learn and must figure out his strengths and weaknesses when it comes to directing. Whannell does achieve the occasional visu…