Holiday Films for 2008
Apparently unhappy with this year’s output of holiday films, the Hollywood Reporter casts its eyes toward next yearand finds a glut of high-profile releases that (it predicts) will wow audiences. Many of the most potentially lucrative are sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, even if falling only on the borderline of the genres.
The next James Bond film starring Daniel Craig will open on November 17:
Not much is known at this point about Bond 22’s story, but it’s said to be picking up within minutes of where “Casino Royale” left off with Bond confronting the terrorist Mr. White, played by Danish actor Jesper Christensen (”The Interpreter”), whom Bond shot in the leg in the last scene of “Casino Royale.” Bond 22’s prime villain is reportedly Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE and Bond’s nemesis in earlier episodes of the series.
The word is that Blofeld will be played by French actor Mathieu Almaric, who could be Oscar nominated for his current performance in Julian Schnabel’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” as the paralyzed Jean-Dominique Bauby. Don’t expect to see favorite Bond series supporting players like Miss Moneypenny or Q in Bond 22 as they reportedly aren’t in its storyline. In any event, having a Bond film to kick off the 2008 pre-Thanksgiving period is something to look forward to and it should get things off to a great start at the boxoffice.
Also coming out in November are two sequels, MADAGASCAR: THE CRATE ESCAPE and HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, plus an animated Disney fantasy called BOLT (about a dog whose starring role in a TV series has convinced him that he has superpowers).
Rounding out the November releases is THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, which David Fincher directed from a screenplay by Eric Roth, based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who ages backwards.
December 12 is scheduled for THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, a remake of the 1951 science-fiction classic, this time directed by Scott Derrickson (THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE), with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly taking lead roles.
Also coming out that month is THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX, an animated film from Universal, about a mouse with big dreams who falls in love with a princess. Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Lloyd, William H. Macy, and Emma Watson are among the voice talent.
Two genre titles are scheduled for Christmas Day 2008: BEDTIME and the next STAR TREK feature film. BEDTIME stars Adam Sandler as a man who tells fantasy bedtime stories to his children - which begin to come true. The TREK film will relate the early days of Kirk and Spock at Starfleet Academy.
Looks like there is lots to look forward to…
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- No Star Trek for Christmas Variety reports that Paramount has pushed back the release date...
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