As we dig further into 2023, there’s much movie news to cover. The Academy Awards are approaching, and one film will take home plenty. Warner Bros is going back to Middle Earth for their theatrical movies. A comic book character is given a third chance. 2022’s most memorable movie song is coming to the Academy Awards, and a video game movie is getting so much hype it’s releasing earlier than usual. Check out everything that happened in the round-up.
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once Awards Sweep
Among the many films competing this awards season, all eyes are on the surreal adventure Everything, Everywhere All At Once. Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the film centers around the unlikely hero Evelyn Quan who is forced to face her daughter Joy to save the multiverse. The wildly imaginative film became a sleeper hit when released last year, reasonably far from the typical award-worthy season of Fall.
For being so incredibly well-made, the film is collecting plenty of accolades. Regarding Best Picture, the film has won from the Austin Film Critics Association, Chicago Film Critics Association, Online Film Critics Society, Saturn Awards, Producers Guild of America Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Among all the nominated actors, Ke Huy Quan is a significant win for nabbing Best Supporting Actor awards from the Golden Globe, National Society of Film Critics, and Gotham Independent Film Awards.
This means that the movie has a heavy chance of taking home a slew of statues at the Academy Awards. Everything, Everywhere All At Once has been nominated for the Oscars of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress (twice for Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Costume Design, and Best Film Editing. Based on the previous wins, it looks like the odds are heavy for the movie to win Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Editing.
Warner Bros Plans New Lord of The Rings Movies
With Prime Video marking a heavy success out of the Lord of the Rings prequel TV series, The Rings of Power, there’s a new thirst for media based on the fantasy novels of J.R.R. Tolkien. Aiming to capitalize on the recent success, Warner Bros. plans to return the books to the big screen again.
Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff encouraged this new adaptation, stating, “We are thrilled to announce our plans to revisit the breathtaking world of Middle-earth with new stories and characters that will captivate audiences around the globe. The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic and beloved literary works of all time, and we are honored to continue its legacy on the big screen.”
The new movies will focus on new stories and characters instead of being a remake of Peter Jackson’s iconic Lord of the Rings film trilogy. The films are being developed as a collaboration between Tolkien Estate, Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema. There’s no official word on who will be writing and directing, but the shooting location will be in New Zealand, the same spot as Jackson’s trilogy of films and The Hobbit trilogy he also directed.
This new series of films will mark the first time Lord of the Rings has been on the big screen since 2014’s “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”. It will also be the third series of Lord of the Rings films following the previous trilogies of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
Hellboy Gets Another Reboot
Hellboy is a comic book character that has struggled for the big screen. His big screen debut in 2004 came from director Guillermo del Toro with the titular anti-hero being played by Ron Perlman. The director and actor would return for the sequel, “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”, in 2008. While the film was set up for a sequel, it would never come to be. What followed was a poorly-received reboot in the form of 2019’s “Hellboy”, directed by Neil Marshall and starring David Harbour as Hellboy.
Despite the recent lackluster attempt at adapting the comic book character by Mike Mignola, a second reboot is being attempted. The new film, “Hellboy: The Crooked Man”, will be based on the character’s comic book run of the same title. The story’s central villain is a greedy war profiteer from the 18th century who has returned from hell to dominate a mountain. Mike Mignola will be handling the script.
Millennium Media president Jeffrey Greenstein hopes this film will launch a new series of Hellboy movies. Nothing else is known about the project, and a release date has yet to be chosen.
RRR’s Hit Song Coming To The Oscars
Although it wasn’t nominated for as many Academy Awards, the Indian epic “RRR” has taken audiences by storm. The film has had several re-releases in theaters, and one of the film’s highlights is the song and dance sequence, Naatu Naatu. No wonder it’s nominated for Best Original Song and looks like the frontrunner for winning in that category.
The Academy Awards ceremony will feature a live performance of the song on stage. Those familiar with the song will know it’s a fast-paced, eccentric scene of incredible speed and charm. Seeing it performed live on a stage will be a real treat. It will also be a groundbreaking moment for a non-English song to be sung at the Academy Awards, highlighting how more international films are becoming Oscar favorites.
Super Mario Bros Movie Will Be Released Slightly Earlier
There’s plenty of hype surrounding the animated Super Mario Bros movie. Developed by Illumination Entertainment, known for the Minions movies, the film will mark the first big-screen adaptation of the popular video game franchise since 1993’s live-action movie. Realizing that plenty of fans are waiting for the film, Universal plans to release the film a tad earlier.
The release date for Super Mario Bros has now moved from April 7th to April 5th. While not a massive change in dates, it is telling that Universal is eager to release the film earlier than usual in hopes of gaining a bigger box office. It’s also perfectly timed to line up with Spring Break, as more families will be able to see the film in the middle of the week instead of just the weekend. As for Japan, the movie will be released there on April 28th, timed for the Japanese holiday of Golden Week.
Cover credit: IMDb
