Tag: movie news

Word on the Street: ‘Rugrats’ Film from Paramount Gets Scrapped, Updates on 2020 Hallmark Channel Winterfest Movie

On By 18cinemalane9 Comments

I’m not going to lie, it’s not always possible for me to write follow-up stories for Word on the Street posts. That’s because there’s only so much time and attention that I can devote to each movie news story that I choose to cover. However, I do try my best to provide follow-up articles when I am realistically able to write them. As the title indicates, one of these stories will relate to a piece of movie news that I talked about in the past. Like I do in all my Word on the Street posts, I will report on both stories as accurately as possible. But, only for the first one, I will share my thoughts on this latest development.

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Movie items image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/flat-modern-cinema-elements_847506.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/frame”>Frame vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Last July, I reported that a live-action Rugrats movie was being brought to the box office by Viacom and Paramount. I also said that the movie would be released sometime in November of 2020. According to Deadline, it looks like Paramount has changed their minds. Erik Pedersen reported on November 12th that the legendary studio removed their cinematic Rugrats project from their box office line-up. After pushing the film back to January 29th, 2021, Paramount has decided to put a movie called Rumble in its place. As of November 2019, the studio “didn’t cite a reason for grounding the film”. When this movie was first announced, I was excited about the idea of a new Rugrats movie. But upon further reflection, I realize that maybe this decision is for the better. In a Word on the Street post from last month, when I talked about the ‘Barney’ movie, I mentioned that Dora and the Lost City of Gold made Paramount lose money. This movie, like the newly scrapped Rugrats film, was a live-action adaptation of a Nickelodeon property that was popular in decades past. It also was another reboot/remake released in 2019 that didn’t perform well at the box office. Based on these facts, it looks like Paramount cut their losses while they still had a chance. Hopefully, this encourages them to create a new film with an original and compelling story.

Here’s the link to the Deadline article I referenced in this post:

Paramount Grounds ‘Rugrats’ Movie, Moves WWE’s ‘Rumble’ Back Six Months & Titles Next ‘SpongeBob’ Pic

Rugrats movie poster
The Rugrats Movie poster created by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies. Image found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TheRugratsMovieposter.jpg

While looking for movie news stories, I came across one that had been reported on for the past two weeks. Because I saw very few people talking about this, I figured it would be a story worth sharing. On November 5th, a screenwriter named Alison Spuck McNeeley revealed on her Instagram account that she was working on a Hallmark Channel movie called “A Tidy Romance”. Based on the photo’s description, it appears that Alison will not only co-write the film with who I believe is Casie Tabanou, but she will also co-executive produce the project with Jill Wagner and, I believe, her husband, Kristofer McNeeley. A week later, on November 13th, the Twitter account, Hotline to Hallmark, and Rachael Ellenbogen, who is an entertainment reporter, announced that Jill Wagner, Victor Webster, and Brendon Zub will be starring in this film. In Rachael’s tweet, she revealed that “A Tidy Romance” will be a “Winterfest” film from Hallmark Channel! This movie is, currently, listed on Creative B.C.’s “In Production” page, as the production will end filming on November 23rd.

Here’s the links to the references I made in this post:

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Snowy mountain image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/landscape-background-of-snow-track-and-mountains_968656.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

 

Do you think Paramount made the right decision to scrap their Rugrats project? What do you think “A Tidy Romance” could be about? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Cast for Upcoming Hallmark Movie Revealed, Two Future Christmas Movies Announced

On By 18cinemalane2 Comments

Yes, I know it’s been several months since I talked about a movie news story related to Hallmark. Also, the last time I discussed a movie news story that had something to do with a Christmas movie was back in April. But, when I discovered that very few people were talking about the stories in this Word on the Street post, I knew that I had to talk about them. In this article, I will share one movie news story about an upcoming Hallmark film and two movie news stories about future Christmas films. I will try my best to share my opinion on these stories, as well as report what I know about them. Now, let the movie news discussion begin!

Christmas Party Ticket Card Template
Christmas themed movie tickets created Kraphix at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/movie-tickets-christmas_971544.htm’>Designed by Kraphix</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas”>Christmas vector created by Kraphix – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

On November 12th, Sleepy Kitty Paw, from the Twitter account, Ho! Ho! Holiday Viewing!, shared a tweet from Hallmark actor, Chad Michael Murray. In this tweet, it’s revealed that he will star in Alice in Winterland! This movie was originally supposed to be a Christmas film called Alice in Christmasland. However, it looks like it will end up becoming a “Winterfest” movie. Sleepy Kitty Paw shared some of this information in their tweet. Chad’s tweet mentioned two fellow Hallmark actors, Jack Turner and Italia Ricci. This indicates that these particular actors will also star in the film. Jack’s involvement in this movie will raise some interesting questions about another potential “Winterfest” project. At Hallmark’s Summer TCA Event this year, Taylor Cole, one of the stars of the One Winter series, announced that One Winter Wedding will be on its way. But the Twitter account, Hotline to Hallmark, revealed on November 5th that Taylor will be starring alongside Ryan Paevey in a Valentine’s Day movie on Hallmark Channel. In this specific thread, it was also revealed that, as of early to mid-November 2019, One Winter Wedding has not gone into production. Now that both leads for this series are working on separate projects surrounding the “Winterfest” line-up, it makes the reality of One Winter Wedding seem more distant. If this film is still being released in 2020, my guess is it will either be a “June Weddings” or a Christmas film.

You can visit the Twitter accounts of Sleepy Kitty Paws and Hotline to Hallmark by typing @SleepyKittyPaw and @HotlineHallmark into Twitter’s search bar. You can also visit Taylor Cole’s Instagram account by typing ‘taylorquinncole’ into Instagram’s search bar.

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Ski lodge during winter-time image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/ski-station-background_3423830.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Three days ago, on November 11th, Candace Young, from soaps.sheknows.com, reported that Eileen Davidson will appear in a Christmas film. The Young and the Restless star will lead a movie called There Will Always Be Christmas. In this article, Candace shares the cast and the synopsis for the movie. As of November 15th, 2019, this film does not have a release date and/or a designated network or platform. All we know, so far, is that it will premiere sometime next year.

Here’s the link to the article I referenced in this paragraph:

Eileen Davidson’s Bittersweet ‘There Will Always Be Christmas’

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Group of Christmas figures image created by Pikisuperstar at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas”>Christmas vector created by Pikisuperstar – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-cute-christmas-character_3188970.htm’>Designed by Pikisuperstar</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

On November 13th, Melissa Hill, author of books such as The Summer Villa and A Gift to Remember, released a tweet that certainly got my attention. In her tweet, she revealed that she has “just been sent first draft screenplay for #TheCharmBracelet”! This indicates that we could see a film adaptation of one of Melissa’s books, The Charm Bracelet! Melissa didn’t reveal where or when this movie could premiere. For me, it’s exciting because this particular book has been on my TBR (to be read) list for a few years. Now I have an excuse to finally read this book!

You can visit the Twitter account of Melissa Hill by typing @melissahillbks into Twitter’s search bar.

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Christmas book image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-psd/christmas-mockup-with-open-book_1482296.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/mockup”>Mockup psd created by Freepik</a>.  Image found at freepik.com.

What do you think of these pieces of movie news? Are you looking forward to any of these projects? Tell me in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: James Dean will be Brought Back in Upcoming Film

On By 18cinemalane1 Comment

Despite what the title suggests, this is not a joke. I actually came across this story when I saw Amber, from Hallmarkies Podcast, comment about it on Twitter. After the negative reaction this piece of movie news caused on the aforementioned social media platform, I knew I had to talk about it. There are several movie bloggers that I know who specialize in writing about the Classic Film Era, so I assume they’ll have thoughts on this topic as well. Two days ago, on November 6th, Alex Ritman, from the The Hollywood Reporter, reported that the creative team behind a film called Finding Jack will incorporate James Dean through the use of CGI. In this article, Alex wrote that the film’s directors, Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh, “obtained the rights to use Dean’s image from his family”. In relation to this, Anton Ernst said “We feel very honored this his family supports us and will take every precaution to ensure that his legacy as one of the most epic film stars to date is kept firmly intact. The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not intend to let his fans down”. As for the specifics on how Finding Jack’s creative team will bring James back, Alex states “that Dean’s performance will be constructed via “full body” CGI using actual footage and photos. Another actor will voice him”. According to the article, Finding Jack will begin preproduction on November 17th, with the intent to release the film next Veterans Day.

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Popcorn and movie ticket image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/cinema-tickets-in-bucket-with-popcorn_2303439.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/layout”>Layout image created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

I’m going to be honest, I’m not a fan of this decision for a number of reasons. Even though James Dean’s family approved of this idea, James Dean himself did not. Because he’s been gone for several decades, he has been unable to stand up for himself and give his consent. Bringing him back by using his image without his permission is not only exploitive, but also manipulative. This opportunity gives Finding Jack’s creative team the ability to use James’ image to their liking, not how James himself would have wanted. This situation kinds of reminds me of how I felt about the film, Edward, My Son. I mentioned in that review how, because of the creative team’s choice not to feature Edward on screen, it denied any actor the opportunity to receive a “standing ovation” they had probably worked hard to achieve. In the case of Finding Jack, any actor is denied a chance to add another project to their filmography because this creative team wants to capitalize on a deceased star’s popularity. The decision to bring back James is this manner is also quite cruel. Fans of James Dean are understandably upset that he passed away at such a young age. With Finding Jack’s creative team incorporating James into their film, they are giving his fans and their audience false hope, whether or not it was intentional. I’m guessing that this is a one-time decision, but fans would probably rather see him in more than one project. If fans of other decreased stars find out about this decision from Finding Jack’s creative team, they might want to see them come back in a similar fashion. Personally, I think this creative team’s intention could lead to bad results. It could also open up a can of worms that may never close again.

 

What are your thoughts on this story? How do you feel about the idea of bringing back deceased stars through technology? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

Here is the link to the article I referenced in this post:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/afm-james-dean-reborn-cgi-vietnam-war-action-drama-1252703

You can visit Amber’s official Twitter account by typing @amberbrainwaves into Twitter’s search bar.

Word On The Street: A Movie About “Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” Is In the Works

On By 18cinemalane2 Comments

It hasn’t even been a week since I published my previous Word On The Street post and it’s yet another “what the heck” story. On the website, MovieWeb, Jeremy Dick reports that a movie about Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is in the early stages of development. In Jeremy’s article, it reveals that Bret McKenzie is going to write the music and script for the film. If you’re not familiar with Bret or his work, don’t worry, Jeremy provides enough explanation. According to MovieWeb, Bret “is of course best known as one half of the New Zealand comedy duo Flight of the Conchords”. Bret also “served as the music supervisor for the 2011 movie The Muppets and its 2014 sequel Muppets Most Wanted”. Because Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas was created by the Jim Henson Company and since this company is one of the co-producers of this project, it makes sense for Bret to be involved.

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Christmas family image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/nice-family-christmas-scene-singing-together_1458033.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

While I haven’t seen Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas, I have definitely heard of it. When I first read this story two days ago, I, once again, found the project unnecessary. Wasn’t Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas already a movie? Based on the article, it seems like the production will be a remake/reboot of the original. Why retell a pre-established story when there’s a beautiful opportunity to create a new story? Similar to the Word On The Street post about “Barney the Dinosaur”, this project hasn’t even started production yet. In fact, the MovieWeb article shared very few details about the movie. So, we’ll just have to wait and see if this film is worth the time.

 

Have you seen Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas? How do you feel about this piece of movie news? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

If you want to check it out, here’s the link to the article I referenced in my post:

https://movieweb.com/emmet-otters-jug-band-christmas-movie-reboot-bret-mckenzie/

Word On The Street: A Movie About “Barney the Dinosaur” is Currently in Development

On By 18cinemalane8 Comments

While working on my recent editorial, I came across this piece of movie news on a twitter account called DiscussingFilm. The link featured in the tweet led to an article about the project on Variety. This is probably the most “what the heck” movie news story I’ve discussed this year. But since I saw very few people talking about it, I knew that this would be my next Word On The Street post! In the Variety article, Justin Kroll shares how three different companies are teaming up to make a ‘Barney’ movie. These companies are Mattel Films, Valparaiso Pictures, and 59%, a production company created by Daniel Kaluuya. When asked about the project, Robbie Brenner, from Mattel Films, said, “Working with Daniel Kaluuya will enable us to take a completely new approach to ‘Barney’ that will surprise audiences and subvert expectations”. Robbie also said, “The project will speak to the nostalgia of the brand in a way that will resonate with adults, while entertaining today’s kids”.

Vector cartoon interior of kindergarten room
Preschool classroom image created by Vectorpocket at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by vectorpocket – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

After reading the article, I ended up feeling torn about this idea. On the one hand, this project just seems unnecessary. The original ‘Barney’ show was intended for an audience of babies to preschoolers. It seems like audiences are more nostalgic for IPs that were created for older children than for younger kids. A recent example is Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which made its respective studio, Paramount, lose money. Similar to the Dora the Explorer movie, this ‘Barney’ film is in development after the show’s prime. Barney & Friends was taken off the air around 2009 to 2010. This means that the movie has started development about ten years after the show ended. As some people on Twitter have mentioned, a ‘Barney’ movie already exists. In 1998, Barney’s Great Adventure was released in theaters on April 3rd. When that movie premiered, the show was still on television, so creating a ‘Barney’ movie made sense. On the other hand, the creative team behind this film could be using the IP to tell an interesting story. Maybe it will be a biopic about the people who created the show? Perhaps the movie will focus on a specific piece of ‘Barney’ memorabilia, such as the Microsoft Interacts Barney doll? It’s way too early to determine if this ‘Barney’ movie is worth the price of theater admission. But, at the end of the day, it all comes down to what this film’s cinematic narrative will be.

 

What do you think about this ‘Barney’ movie? Which children’s show would you like to see receive a film adaptation? Tell me in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

If you want to check out the references I mentioned in this article, you can visit these links:

https://variety.com/2019/film/news/barney-movie-daniel-kaluuya-mattel-films-1203374572/

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=doratheexplorer.htm

If you want to check out the tweet, you can visit the official Twitter account of DiscussingFilm by typing @DiscussingFilm into Twitter’s search bar.

There’s an interesting video that briefly discusses the Microsoft Interacts Barney doll. To watch that video, type “Parents Upset Over Barney” into Youtube’s search bar or visit the official Youtube channel of Chadtronic. In this video, the segment about the doll starts at 3:37 and ends on 5:47.

Word on the Street: Spider-Man to remain in MCU

On By 18cinemalane3 Comments

I first learned about this news on the blog, Annlyel Online. After that, other people starting talking about the story. Since I haven’t written a follow-up Word on the Street post in quite a while, I decided to discuss the latest news about the world’s neighborhood Marvel hero. Yesterday, on September 27th, both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety broke the news that Spider-Man was, indeed, staying put in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Variety provided details about the new deal between Disney and Sony, stating that it “was signed late on Thursday night”. This new deal reveals that “Disney will receive roughly 25% of the profits”. This sounds like an increase from the 5% that I talked about in my Word on the Street story last month. Also revealed was how “Disney will retain its merchandising rights and will put up roughly a quarter of the financing”. In both articles from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, a new Spider-Man movie was announced, with the project given a release date of July 16th, 2021. Because of this deal, Spider-Man is also scheduled for one additional movie within the MCU. I’m not as educated about the business-side of the movie industry as I am with other aspects of it. But, to me, I find myself feeling skeptical about how quickly this issue was resolved. Legitimizing business transactions, creating negotiations that are suitable for all parties involved, and greenlighting a movie takes time. However, all of these things were able to be taken care of in only a month.

Avengers Endgame Spider Man poster
Avengers: Endgame Spider Man poster created by The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/mcu-heroes-unveil-avengers-endgame-character-posters

When this story was first published, I listened to several perspectives on this particular topic. One of them belonged to Kneon from Clownfish TV, who I mentioned in one of my Word on the Street stories last month. He brought up some points about the story that I find myself agreeing with. In his video, “Spider-Man STAYS in the MCU…for now”, Kneon says that he feels Spider-Man “has been relegated to sidekick status” during his existence in the MCU. This I agree with, as it seems like Peter Parker has become a sort of “little brother” to the other heroes. The character’s youth doesn’t help his case. In Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man was only given a limited amount of screen-time and was one of the heroes who became “dusted”. Kneon also expressed his concerns about Spider-Man’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stating that he feels the studio’s new phase “does not seem to be very, um, hospitable to Marvel’s old school heroes”. This is yet another point that I agree with. If you read my spoiler-zone review of Avengers: Endgame, you would know how disappointed I was when Bucky didn’t have anything new or interesting added to his story in preparation for the show, The Falcon & the Winter Soldier. In that review, I said that “In the scene where Steve gives Sam the shield, it almost seemed like Bucky was an afterthought, as he was standing in the distance and watching everything going on in front of him”. Since then, it seems like the studio sees Bucky and his fans as afterthoughts, as Marvel and Disney haven’t really made a strong effort to get the fans excited for the show. Something that I’ve been thinking about because of this story is how no new “faces” of the MCU have been officially established. From Phases 1 through 3, the three “faces” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. In Avengers: Endgame and beyond, these new “faces” were not named. Some people have speculated that it could be Spider-Man. But, after hearing Disney and Sony’s new deal, that idea may be in question.

 

How do you feel about Spider-Man remaining in the MCU? Which movie do you think he’ll appear in? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

If you want to check out the references I mentioned in this story, you can type “Spider-Man STAYS in the MCU…for now” in Youtube’s search bar or visit Clownfish TV’s official Youtube channel. You can also visit these links:

https://variety.com/2019/film/news/sony-marvel-tom-holland-spider-man-1203351489/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/spider-man-shocker-disney-sony-striking-deal-new-movie-1243777

Breaking News: Spider-Man is Back in the MCU!

Word on the Street: Is Spider-Man Leaving the MCU?

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

It seems like the most popular topic this week has been of Spider-Man leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, because I found this to be a fascinating topic, I decided to talk about it. Yesterday, on August 20th, Mike Fleming Jr. from Deadline reported that the creative partnership between Disney and Sony has ended. In the article, Mike writes that this was caused by Kevin Feige, Marvel Cinematic Universe’s president, and Tom Rothman, one of the leaders at Sony, not being able to come up with a satisfying financial agreement. Before this situation occurred, “Disney asked that future Spider-Man films be a 50/50 co-financing arrangement between the studios” because Disney didn’t want to keep “continuing the current terms where Marvel receives in the range of 5% of first dollar gross”. Sony, on the other hand, tried to create other deals that, hopefully, would appeal to Disney. This is because they didn’t want to face the possibility of losing profits and their intellectual properties. Within this article, Mike reported that “it is understandable that the fiscally shrewd Rothman would balk at giving up half of Sony’s biggest franchise to Marvel”. He then questions, “Does the Mouse really need half of the movie universe also?” But no matter what offer Sony gave Disney, the latter studio refused. It left Feige, Rothman, and their respective studios parting ways, for now. Mike updated his report with an official statement that Sony made about the situation. To summarize what the studio said, the statement expresses no negative feelings toward Disney. They state that Kevin Feige is no longer able to produce their films because of the various projects that Feige is attached to. As of the release of this Word on the Street story and Mike Fleming Jr.’s article, it seems that Disney or Marvel hasn’t made any statements about the situation.

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Movie time image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food photo created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

When Spider-Man first entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe prior to the release of Captain America: Civil War, fans were more than thrilled with the idea. They made statements about how Spider-Man was “coming home” and that he would, once again, be “joining the family”. I, honestly, couldn’t help but feel shocked about the idea of Spider-Man leaving the MCU. While I haven’t seen this studio’s version of Spider-Man films, I have seen Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Even though he’s only been featured on screen for three years, Spider-Man has already made a big impact. Based on what I read in Mike Fleming Jr.’s article, it seems like both Disney and Sony both wanted a significant share in this cinematic pie. However, it sounds like Disney was expecting a bigger share than they already had. As I already wrote in this Word on the Street post, Mike was questioning if Disney truly needed more of the Spider-Man property. This is a good question to ask, especially since the MCU already has a lot of characters and stories within their roster. Speaking of rosters, something that Sony said in their statement made Disney look hypocritical. When addressing why Kevin won’t be working with Sony anymore, Sony said “that the many new responsibilities that Disney has given him – including all their newly added Marvel properties – do not allow time for him to work on IP they do not own”. Even though Marvel is owned by Disney, Disney purchased this studio in the late 2000s. This means that the characters and most of the stories are acquired from Marvel comics, not something that Disney created themselves. The same goes for the Star Wars franchise, which Disney bought from George Lucas in the mid-2010s. As for the classic animated films and live-action remakes, a large portion of these are adaptations of pre-existing, literary material. Even though Disney created their own version of the story, they did not create the story itself. So, yes, Disney owns a good amount of IP, but only on a technicality.

 

Do you think that Spider-Man will leave the MCU forever? If so, which superhero do you think will become the next face of the franchise? Put your thoughts in the comment section below!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

If you want to read Mike Fleming Jr.’s article, here’s the link:

Disney-Sony Standoff Ends Marvel Studios & Kevin Feige’s Involvement In ‘Spider-Man’

Word on the Street: Which Films from Fox are Disney Scrapping?

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Yes, it’s been four months since I last posted a Word on the Street story. While looking through my Word on the Street posts from this year, I noticed that all of them were about Hallmark related projects. I don’t want to be a movie blogger that just talks about one thing. So, I took a short break to find interesting pieces of movie news that had nothing to do with Hallmark. Yesterday, I found a story that was quite fascinating. In a video from the Youtube channel, Clownfish TV, Kneon and Geeky Sparkles, the hosts of the video, talk about the various films from 20th Century Fox that Disney was planning on not greenlighting. Because Disney purchased the aforementioned studio, they inherited a lot of movie titles. Some of them hadn’t even gone into production yet. In this post, I will discuss these titles as well as my thoughts about them. Now, as the saying goes, “absence makes the heart grow fonder”!

People creating film
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In a video titled “Disney CANCELS Fox Films! Blue Sky Studios Gets Disney ‘DISCIPLINE!’”, Kneon and Geeky Sparkles, two of the creators of the Youtube channel, Clownfish TV, discuss some of the Fox titles that Disney will not be developing, as well as the articles that reported them. The first title that Disney eliminated, according to Collider, is an animated film called “Mouse Guard”. I’m not familiar with this particular project or its source material. Kneon and Geeky, however, were more knowledgeable about the subject, even going so far as to share the film’s production status. Geeky states that “you cannot have a competing mouse”, indicating that the only mouse that’s worth Disney’s attention is their one and only, Mickey. If this were true, that would make the company look a little bit hypocritical, especially since they’ve created beloved characters that were also mice. Some examples are Gus and Jaq from Cinderella, Roquefort from The Aristocats, Bernard and Miss Bianca from The Rescuers, Jake from The Rescuers Down Under, and the cast of characters from The Great Mouse Detective. In another article that was featured in the video, this time from Screen Geek, Kneon and Geeky examine the short list of films that will, probably, never see the light of day. These titles are Flash Gordon, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Chronicle 2, McClane, The Sims Movie, Assassin’s Creed 2, Mega Man, and Magic: The Gathering. I’m, honestly, not heartbroken that these films got cancelled. Most of the projects on the list sound like unnecessary sequels or reboots/remakes. Even Geeky and Kneon weren’t that upset about these films being cancelled. This particular article featured a link to a Reddit page that listed even more movie titles, which Kneon and Geeky also talked about. The first section of the article listed films that had a chance of not getting scrapped. While looking through these titles, Geeky expressed interest in seeing the Zorro reboot, currently titled Z. In my opinion, none of the movies on this list sound intriguing enough to make me want to pay theater admission for them. The next section listed movie titles that were not getting eliminated. When Geeky and Kneon were looking through the list, Kneon had a feeling that a film titled Nimona would either get scrapped or be placed on Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+. His reasoning was because the movie is, apparently, going to be animated by Blue Sky Animation, a division of Fox that Disney is disciplining (which, according to Kneon, means “budget cuts”). This is the first time I had heard about this project, so it’s not a title that I’m emotionally attached to.

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While searching through the extensive list of film titles on Reddit, there was one movie that I didn’t see in the article. Back in March, I participated in the Book Adaptation Tag. In that post, I said that one of the “book movies” I was looking forward to was Words on Bathroom Walls. According to IMDB, this film is in post-production. Based on the limited amount of information I was able to find, it doesn’t seem like this movie has a distributor yet. Despite this, the fact that Words on Bathroom Walls wasn’t even a part of the conversation was something I found surprising. If this specific movie were included on the list, I’m guessing that it would have been saved from cancellation due to its production status. Hopefully, Words on Bathroom Walls will get a distributor sooner rather than later.

 

What are your thoughts on this piece of movie news? Which movie would you want to save from being scrapped? Tell me in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

If you want to check out the sources that I referenced in this article, you can watch the video by visiting Clownfish TV’s Youtube channel or typing “Disney CANCELS Fox Films! Blue Sky Studios Gets Disney ‘DISCIPLINE!’” into Youtube’s search bar. The link to the Reddit article is in the video’s description. You can also visit  these links:

https://www.screengeek.net/2019/08/11/disney-fox-movies-cancelled/ (This article features a link to the movie list on Reddit)

http://collider.com/mouse-guard-movie-concept-art/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8045906/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Words_on_Bathroom_Walls

Word on the Street: Is Hallmark Movies & Mysteries creating a new “Gourmet Detective” movie? + Developments for “When Calls the Heart” and other upcoming movies

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

I apologize if I’ve been sounding like a broken record by mostly talking about Hallmark related movie news. But I’ve discovered so much movie news that I can’t always talk about it in one sitting. In this Word on the Street post, I will be talking about a potential Gourmet Detective movie, an upcoming Christmas film, and an unclaimed movie project. Even though I don’t talk about tv shows often, I will be discussing the latest news about When Calls the Heart, especially since I re-cap the show in my Sunset Over Hope Valley series. As I usually do in these Word on the Street posts, I will share my honest thoughts about each piece of movie news. So, let’s get started with talking about these projects!

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One day, while on IMDB, I stumbled across a page that really caught my eye. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Gourmet Detective series is a collection of films that I have come to enjoy. So, you could imagine my excitement when the title of this IMDB page ended up being “Gourmet Detective: Roux the Day”! On this page, the project is listed as “in development”, so it’s unclear what stage of the production process this movie is in. However, it would make sense for another Gourmet Detective movie to be on its way. The last movie to premiere was Gourmet Detective: Eat, Drink, and be Buried in 2017. Also, when a fan asked Dylan Neal on Twitter if there would be any upcoming movies in this series, he responded by saying “We’ll see what we can do about another…”. Though Hallmark has not made any announcements about this film, it’ll be interesting to see when this movie could premiere. Since the Garage Sale Mystery series has ended, maybe this new Gourmet Detective movie could air sometime in August? This is a piece of movie news we’ll definitely have to keep our eyes on.

To view the references I made in this movie news story, visit the official page for “Gourmet Detective: Roux the Day” at IMDB and Dylan Neal’s official Twitter account (@DylanNealStudio)

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Today, after Home & Family, Erin Krakow appeared in a special When Calls the Heart Behind-the-Scenes featurette to reveal that the show will return on May 5th! There will also be another new episode that airs on May 6th! As good as this news was, I was disappointed that the “Abigail Stanton situation” wasn’t addressed. Even in the sneak peek scene that was shown, there was no mention of this character. Another thing that Erin mentioned was that she would make another announcement during the premiere of Bottled with Love! While she didn’t hint at what this announcement could be, my guess is she could be starring in a Christmas movie either alongside Andrew Walker or co-starring with Bethany Joy Lenz. It will be very interesting to hear what Erin has to say on April 13th.

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While I was on Instagram one day, looking for potential movie news stories, I came across a very interesting post. Liz Storm, a screenwriter, posted a picture of her laptop with what appears to be a plot for an upcoming movie. In the description of this picture, the hashtags #hallmarkchristmasmovies, #hallmark, and #marvista are found. This is important to point out because in another Instagram post, Liz said that she was writing a “family romance” for Marvista Entertainment and that it would premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries within their Christmas line-up. Looking at what’s on Liz’s laptop, it seems like this movie will be titled “Love Song for Noel”. What’s interesting is that there are two pages that are visible on the laptop screen. On the first page, the story is about a woman named Noel, who is a violinist living somewhere in Nashville. Also, in this story, there is a character named Wayne Grant, who is a country singer and a single father. But on the second page, the story is about a woman named Beth who works in a small music store. The other characters that were referenced in this story were her mother, Joan, and her best friend, Sheila. It is unclear at this time which story is going to be the final product. As I was reading these stories, I wondered if this movie had anything to do with the upcoming Christmas film that Blake Shelton is associated with? At the Winter TCA Event in February, Hallmark announced that they were partnering with Blake Shelton for a 2019 Christmas film. Since his produced movie, Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas, aired on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries last year, everything I just said would make a lot of sense.

To view the references I made about this movie news story, visit Liz Storms’ official Instagram feed (@lizstormy) and this link:

https://www.crownmediapress.com/PressReleaseList/?SiteID=142&NodeID=144&page=4 (the piece about Blake Shelton’s movie is in the article “CROWN MEDIA FAMILY NETWORKS ANNOUNCES DEAL WITH COUNTRY SUPERSTAR BLAKE SHELTON)

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Back in January, I listed several movie titles that weren’t attached to any networks. One of these titles was “For You, With Love”. While it’s still unknown which network will receive this movie, we now know who will be starring in this film. According to IMDB, the official cast is:

 

  • Edy Ganem
  • Maddie Phillips
  • Matreya Scarrwener
  • Brendon Zub
  • Adil Zaidi
  • Rachel Hayward
  • Clayton Chitty
  • Mark Brandon
  • Georgia Bradner
  • Phillip Joseph Steward

 

It’s important to point out that Maddie Phillips, Matreya Scarrwener, Brendon Zub, Adil Zaidi, Rachel Hayward, Clayton Chitty, and Mark Brandon have been cast in a Hallmark or UP Network project prior to being cast in “Made for You with Love”, the new title for the film. However, this does not confirm that any of these networks could premiere this movie. This is another piece of movie news we’ll have to keep our eyes on.

To view the reference I made in this movie news story, visit the official page for “Made for You with Love” on IMDB

Cinema Background Illustration
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What are your thoughts on these pieces of movie news? Are you looking forward to any of these projects? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Hallmark Channel’s “A Gift to Remember” will receive a sequel and other Hallmark-related movie news

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

When it comes to Hallmark related movie news, most of my topics have been based on things that I found on What’s Filming, a Canadian website that lists the production dates for upcoming movie and television projects. However, I recently found some interesting pieces of movie news on IMDB and a news article from Florida. All of these stories in this Word on the Street post are about projects that are either confirmed or speculated to be Hallmark movies. While two of these movies will likely premiere during the Christmas season, one of them has no known seasonal affiliation. As usual, I will report on the movie news and share my thoughts on each news story. So, let’s begin talking about these exciting movie details!

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While doing research for a potential Word on the Street topic, I came across an upcoming Hallmark film that was listed on IMDB. It looks like 2017’s A Gift to Remember will receive a sequel! According to the official IMDB page for the film, some of the cast members from the first movie will return for the continuation. At this time, Hallmark has not made any announcements about this film or its potential release date. I am surprised that out of all the Christmas movies that were released on Hallmark in 2017, A Gift to Remember would be the one to receive a sequel. I haven’t seen this film, but based on the synopsis, the story doesn’t seem to lend itself to a second chapter. However, I felt the same way when Christmas in Evergreen received a sequel. The film, Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa, exceeded my expectations. It was not only the best newly released Christmas movie I saw last year, but it was also one of the best movies I saw in 2018!

You can check out the official page for “A Gift to Remember 2” on IMDB.

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Yesterday, I found an article from the website, WFLA 8. In this article, it was reported that a Hallmark movie called “Love in the Sun” would be filming in the Safety Harbor area. According to WFLA 8, the movie is “a G-rated love story and Safety Harbor will be depicted as the female star’s hometown”. No other details have been revealed about the film. Off the top of my head, I can’t recall a Hallmark movie that has been filmed in Florida. So, this change in scenery will be very interesting to see when this movie finally premieres. Because this film will be a “love story”, it is likely that “Love in the Sun” will be a Hallmark Channel production.

If you want to check out the reference from this story, you can visit this link:

https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/safety-harbor-hallmark-movie-shoot-begins-monday/1873164448

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Earlier this month, I talked about an upcoming Christmas movie called “A Ring for Christmas”. The reason why this movie was speculated to be a Hallmark film was because the network was referenced in several Instagram photos containing the hashtag #aringforchristmas. Recently, I came across the official IMDB page for this film. While it’s still unknown if this project will belong to Hallmark, we now know what the movie will likely be about. Featured below is the film’s synopsis that was found on “A Ring for Christmas’” official IMDB page.

 

“Spoiled single girl Angie Moore gets cut off 25 days before Christmas. When she discovers the existence of a sizeable trust fund that she will inherit once she gets married, Angie decides to find a man to marry – by Christmas”.

 

Personally, I would be surprised if this became a Hallmark movie. Based on the synopsis, it sounds like the protagonist is very deceitful and self-centered. This is quite different from the friendly and down-to-earth personalities that are usually seen from Hallmark protagonists. Not only has the official cast been listed on the IMDB page, but also an expected release date. As of late March 2019, “A Ring for Christmas” is scheduled to premiere on December 19th. Both the release date and synopsis could change as time goes on.

You can check out the official page for “A Ring for Christmas” on IMDB.

Jewels sparkle in the golden wedding rings lying on the leather
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What are our thoughts on these movie news stories? Are you excited about any of these movies? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen