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Upcoming Marvel Adaptations

Disney are working on a 'Wandavision' spinoff

"A “WandaVision” spinoff starring Kathryn Hahn is in development at Disney Plus from Marvel Studios, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.

Hahn would reprise the role of Agatha Harkness in the series, which is described by sources as a dark comedy, though exact plot details remain under wraps. “WandaVision” head writer Jac Schaeffer would serve as the writer and executive producer on the project. Should the spinoff go forward, it would be the first project Schaeffer has set up with Marvel since she signed an overall deal with them and 20th Television in May."

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/wandavision-spinoff-kathryn-hahn-1235082445/
 
I watched Black Widow too, and it was unexpectedly horrible, real Dr Mengele shit. The nadir was Natasha and Yelena joking about having their wombs forcibly removed. Hilarious, I'm sure.

A few reviews have mentioned that the movie, does to some degree, deal with human trafficking, sexual exploitation, grooming but is still "An Exciting Lighthearted Acion Movie For Kids!" and therefore gives it short shrift and merely pays lip service. Ultimately people gush all over these MCU films but they are all ultimately the same bland guff. It's like McDonalds, you ultimately know what you're going to get.
 
Disney are working on a 'Wandavision' spinoff

"A “WandaVision” spinoff starring Kathryn Hahn is in development at Disney Plus from Marvel Studios, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.

Hahn would reprise the role of Agatha Harkness in the series, which is described by sources as a dark comedy, though exact plot details remain under wraps. “WandaVision” head writer Jac Schaeffer would serve as the writer and executive producer on the project. Should the spinoff go forward, it would be the first project Schaeffer has set up with Marvel since she signed an overall deal with them and 20th Television in May."

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/wandavision-spinoff-kathryn-hahn-1235082445/

I can't wait to see the spinoff from this new series! And then that will have a spinoff! Which intersects with the spinoff from the spinoff from the Boba Fett series! Which is a spinoff from The Mandalorian which is a spinoff from Star Wars II: The Good One!




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That was what Scarlet Johanssons issue was that lead to her suing Disney, it was released on Disney+ at the same time as the cinema

It was released on Disney+ at the same as the cinema, but you still had to pay £19.99 to watch it, even if you were a subscriber.

It's now been moved to the 'included with your subscription' section.

AFAIK the lawsuit was to do with her royalties/earnings only being linked to the cinema profits, not anything from premium streaming. So I think she was actually well within her rights to sue, as that option would not have been accounted for in the original contract so she inevitably lost out.

I suppose the counter argument is that we've all had to make sacrifices during the pandemic; but then why should the Mouse make the money as opposed to Scarlett?
 
It was released on Disney+ at the same as the cinema, but you still had to pay £19.99 to watch it, even if you were a subscriber.

It's now been moved to the 'included with your subscription' section.

AFAIK the lawsuit was to do with her royalties/earnings only being linked to the cinema profits, not anything from premium streaming. So I think she was actually well within her rights to sue, as that option would not have been accounted for in the original contract so she inevitably lost out.

I suppose the counter argument is that we've all had to make sacrifices during the pandemic; but then why should the Mouse make the money as opposed to Scarlett?

They attempted to fuck her over, it looked terrible and they backed down and will continue to hire her, she's apparently in some sort of dire sounding adaptation of a Disney ride or something.

I have little or no regard for her, her earnings are disgusting but not as disgusting as the profits of a huge multinational that I have even less regard for.
 
They attempted to fuck her over, it looked terrible and they backed down and will continue to hire her, she's apparently in some sort of dire sounding adaptation of a Disney ride or something.

I have little or no regard for her, her earnings are disgusting but not as disgusting as the profits of a huge multinational that I have even less regard for.
What is going on with the film industry these day, it used to be the case that computer games and attractions were made on the back of successful movies, now they are making films based on computer games and attractions :confused:
 
What is going on with the film industry these day, it used to be the case that computer games and attractions were made on the back of successful movies, now they are making films based on computer games and attractions :confused:
Probably because young people are losing interest in films and taking more of an interest in video games.
Video games will soon have bigger budgets than blockbuster films.
 
What is going on with the film industry these day, it used to be the case that computer games and attractions were made on the back of successful movies, now they are making films based on computer games and attractions :confused:

Until recently most video game adaptations failed commercially, if not actual bombs, they have tended to not make huge profits.

There's been an increasingly desperate scrabble for any even vaguely recognisable IP, regardless of quality or even widespread knowledge. Hence endless MCU films and now, series. Not to mention other comic characters, book adaptations, sequels, reboots, prequels and as you mention "adaptations" of rides and games. As Mytho mentioned, the biggest games now rival blockbusters and may end up outdoing them so the likelihood of an adaptation becoming a big hit, as opposed to a moderate success, is increasing.

It's not a "lack of ideas", it's minimising risk, you don't plough $250+ million into a film and a similar amount into promotion to break even let alone lose money. So producers and CEOs are being ultra-conservative in their choices, this will continue until it stops making money. Depressingly, the Netflix/Disney+ model means that they can churn out anything as they have a (near) captive ongoing audience.
 
You make it sound as if the streamers have nothing of worth, OK, Netflix is basically made to order algorithm TV, but there's good stuff on Disney and Amazon, and smaller platforms like MUBI. The trouble is more that once a successful formula is found, it's done to death, but the entertainment industry has always been like that.

It's just that there are fewer original concepts emerging to fuel the cycle now, and that overreliance on franchises and brands you mention, but even so, it is possible to do interesting things with those. It's not the end of scripted entertainment yet, despite how the big beasts would love to make their stories via computer and cut out the human element.
 
Watched Black Widow last night, and I thought it was great.

OK it veered into the usual CGI-fest at the very end but it was gritty, exciting, touching, and genuinely funny. Great performances (especially MCU newcomers Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Rachel Weisz; Ray Winstone's accent less so).

It felt totally different to the usual Marvel fare, except maybe The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. Very 007 at times, and considering the subject matter it didn't feel heavy-handed.

If this is where we're headed then I'm a happy fan.
 
You make it sound as if the streamers have nothing of worth, OK, Netflix is basically made to order algorithm TV, but there's good stuff on Disney and Amazon, and smaller platforms like MUBI. The trouble is more that once a successful formula is found, it's done to death, but the entertainment industry has always been like that.

It's just that there are fewer original concepts emerging to fuel the cycle now, and that overreliance on franchises and brands you mention, but even so, it is possible to do interesting things with those. It's not the end of scripted entertainment yet, despite how the big beasts would love to make their stories via computer and cut out the human element.

Disney has 70/80 years of back catalogue to pull from, plus everything they acquired from Fox.

I'm not saying that streaming services have no good new content but I gave up Netflix years ago and have heard many bad things about streamer content on podcasts.

What I was attempting to get at is that IP has ruled the past 20 years or so, only BO bombs might kill it off and BO bombs have far less of an effect in a World where people pay however much a month, every month.
 
I was reading a well-written review of The Green Knight that pointed out the masses get to watch pretty much the same things over and over again, while a niche is delighted by stuff that's plain bizarre, and never the twain shall meet. That's where we're at now.

Also, don't forget the appeal of the steal - piracy is way out of control, so the streamers will not have it all their own way anymore when viewers find it so easy to nick their output.

Then there's the union complaints that Hollywood is making its product as cheaply as possible, which means they pay peanuts. And what happens when you pay peanuts? Stuntpeople die, crew are injured, talent is forced out of the industry, the inexperienced make mistakes. Oh, and you get monkeys. It'll be interesting to see what this technicians' strike does.
 
I was reading a well-written review of The Green Knight that pointed out the masses get to watch pretty much the same things over and over again, while a niche is delighted by stuff that's plain bizarre, and never the twain shall meet. That's where we're at now.

Also, don't forget the appeal of the steal - piracy is way out of control, so the streamers will not have it all their own way anymore when viewers find it so easy to nick their output.

Then there's the union complaints that Hollywood is making its product as cheaply as possible, which means they pay peanuts. And what happens when you pay peanuts? Stuntpeople die, crew are injured, talent is forced out of the industry, the inexperienced make mistakes. Oh, and you get monkeys. It'll be interesting to see what this technicians' strike does.

The companies that do the literally billions worth of CGI rendering on all those shitty blockbuster "products" (and good movies too) get royally fucked over, you'd assume it was a well paid industry but highly skilled people are underpaid and overworked. It's the same race to the bottom as we have with everything else.

In terms of the bland homogeneity that is increasingly foist on us and which has reached it's zenith with the MCU, you can't blame studios for wanting to eliminate risk as much as possible. Blockbusters cost obscene amounts of money, big budget ones tend to get listed in the 200-300million ranch but the true cost may be another 20-25%. I think the second Avengers film was promoted as costing 250M but saw a breakdown that gave the figure as being more like 325M. There's rumours that the fourth POTC cost close to 400M and allegedly Avengers 3+4 cost one billion combined but I doubt that. These costs don't take into account marketing...

I suspect the MCU bubble hasn't burst but it is now deflating, Avenger 3+4 marked a peak and saturation point, it was a climax that built up to for over a decade, they can maybe build to another but I don't think it will be as big. I expect that the new Spiderman will do well, despite covid but I doubt it will do crazy numbers. I also don't know what audiences will make of "multiverses" with multiple iterations of Spiderman in the new one and at least two "Batmans" in the Flash movie. It might be too much to juggle and ultimately be off putting or perhaps the "I saw something I recognised and I liked it because I have seen it before" mindset that got us here will prevail.

I don't know how the streaming wars will play out, effectively there's a long term captive audience, which could lead to more artistic freedom as they have to worry less amount novelty putting people off. However, from what I understand of the WandaVision and Loki series, effectively interesting concepts were horribly compromised in favour of delivering more of the MCU sameness and the need to set up yet more shit. Movies and now "TV" shows here are as much adverts for the next thing as they are things in themselves.
 
Incidentally, if you were wondering about on set safety after the Alec Baldwin debacle, Black Panther 2 has been delaying completing filming till next year because its star Letitia Wright was injured... on set. This on a big budget movie set. If it can happen to Tom Cruise... (Wright is also an anti-vaxxer, so they must be hoping she doesn't catch anything too).
 
Just watched Shang-Chi... on Disney+. Wasn't looking forward to it. Don't like martial arts movies especially and I'm not particularly drawn to far eastern cultures. I thought it was about perfect, and certainly beautiful. The big fight at the end was a little drawn out, but then, Marvel!
 
I watched Shang-Chi too, eh, it was OK. After all the hype, I was expecting something up there with The 36 Chambers of Shaolin or King Hu's greats, but it was really just another Marvel movie. Everything gets hammered into that shape under their brand. Too much exposition for me, I wanted wall to wall action. But I did like it better than Black Widow.
 
I also just watched Shang Chi. To me it just lacked the joy you get from many other Marvel movies. It was pretty, in an unimaginative way, but without any characters I cared about.
 
It did feature the luck dragon from The Neverending Story at the end, though, so points for that.
 
Just watched Shang-Chi... on Disney+. Wasn't looking forward to it. Don't like martial arts movies especially and I'm not particularly drawn to far eastern cultures. I thought it was about perfect, and certainly beautiful. The big fight at the end was a little drawn out, but then, Marvel!

Totally agree, I thought it was great!
 
I just watched Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and honestly thought it was schlock of the mediumist caliber. It would have been better as a stand-alone movie or something, but not as part of the MCU. In certain parts, it almost felt like a re-packaged Black Panther, but not nearly as good or as interesting.

Also, one of my biggest pet peeves is when movie trailers sell you on something that is far different from the movie you get. I...was expecting something quite different.
 
I just watched Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and honestly thought it was schlock of the mediumist caliber. It would have been better as a stand-alone movie or something, but not as part of the MCU. In certain parts, it almost felt like a re-packaged Black Panther, but not nearly as good or as interesting.

Also, one of my biggest pet peeves is when movie trailers sell you on something that is far different from the movie you get. I...was expecting something quite different.

What was the trailer selling it as and what was the difference with the movie?
 
I just watched Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and honestly thought it was schlock of the mediumist caliber. It would have been better as a stand-alone movie or something, but not as part of the MCU. In certain parts, it almost felt like a re-packaged Black Panther, but not nearly as good or as interesting.

Also, one of my biggest pet peeves is when movie trailers sell you on something that is far different from the movie you get. I...was expecting something quite different.

Yes, a Chinese Black Panther is a good way of describing it. I suppose this is what happens when you base your movie on a comic strip that traded on racist stereotypes (but it was the 70s, so you can excuse their ignorance). Tony Leung was actually playing Fu Manchu!
 
What was the trailer selling it as and what was the difference with the movie?
I've delayed responding to this because I really don't know how to express what I was thinking I was in for.

I guess (I think I only saw one trailer, so that might have misinformed me) I was expecting a hard-hitting action flick and instead got a mix of a coming-of-age/buddy-cop type movie. It left me wanting. The end was great, but it felt tacked on to give the audience (like myself) what they wanted...some giant-ass battle to justify the movie's existence.
 
I've delayed responding to this because I really don't know how to express what I was thinking I was in for.

I guess (I think I only saw one trailer, so that might have misinformed me) I was expecting a hard-hitting action flick and instead got a mix of a coming-of-age/buddy-cop type movie. It left me wanting. The end was great, but it felt tacked on to give the audience (like myself) what they wanted...some giant-ass battle to justify the movie's existence.

Most super hero films and indeed blockbusters have to end with that. Sadly.
 
Anyone watching Hawkeye on Disney+? Supposedly a Christmas treat, but I was expecting something a lot snappier. It's meandering all over the place without reaching a discernable point. Despite the rumours about his private life, Jeremy Renner is quite watchable, and Hailee Steinfeld isn't bad casting, but they're just wandering about getting into random trouble for the first two episodes as far as I could see.

I was expecting something a lot Christmassier too. Still shorter than the Beatles documentary, mind you.
 
Anyone watching Hawkeye on Disney+? Supposedly a Christmas treat, but I was expecting something a lot snappier. It's meandering all over the place without reaching a discernable point. Despite the rumours about his private life, Jeremy Renner is quite watchable, and Hailee Steinfeld isn't bad casting, but they're just wandering about getting into random trouble for the first two episodes as far as I could see.

I was expecting something a lot Christmassier too. Still shorter than the Beatles documentary, mind you.
I thought it was okay. I'm not going to judge it on the first two episodes, which were clearly setting the scene.
 
Eternals: Ever wonder about different groups of Meta-Humans, Demi-Gods etc who inhabit the MCU yet don't seem to impact on each other until it's time for a new film complicating the timeline and Canon? Never mind, just sit back, relax and enjoy the fun. The Eternals are sent to Earth to protect humans against the Deviants, predatory monsters. Arriving in Mesopotamia in 5000 BC they battle the Deviants using killer eye-beams, super strength etc. The locals are a plucky bunch though and menace the Eternals with spears so Druig (Barry Keoghan) has to control their minds, those minds and hearts are soon won with gifts. Throughout history the Eternals battle the monsters, we them in Babylon (complete with hanging gardens) in 575 BC, in Gupta, 400AD. They have a sort of Prime Directive not to interfere in human conflicts and this especially causes problems for Druig when he sees the Conquistadors slaughtering Aztecs in 1521. But they do nudge technological development along with inventions by Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), I'm not saying it's Aliens but... Anyway after a 500 hiatus the Deviants return so the Eternals must assemble once more. I'm always expecting Ikaris (Richard Madden) to say See You Jimmy in his Scottish accent as he headbutts a monster. Thena (Angelina Jolie) forms weapons from cosmic energy but (like a Limerickian) is likely to stab anyone due to her demented state (Mahd Wy'ry). There are ten Eternals in total with numerous other characters. A coupe of interesting plot twists add to the intrigue. An action drama with a fine vein of humour. Directed and Co-written by Chloé Zhao. 8/10.

In cinemas.
 
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