Fans may beg for news on highly-anticipated upcoming movies, but that doesn’t mean that the big studios will oblige.
Luckily for them, we’re more than happy to drop the latest tea on the soon-to-screen movies they’ve been waiting for. Grab some popcorn!
Bandai’s Live-Action “Gundam” Moves From Streaming To The Big Screen
If there’s one thing Malaysian nerds love, it’s their massive gunpla collection. Yes, we see folks with those massive glass displays. If you don’t believe us, the massive hobby stores across the country say otherwise. Regardless, ever since news of the upcoming “Gundam” movie dropped, fans have been eagerly waiting for its official release.
For those unaware, the film was first announced back in 2018 and is a collaborative work between the mass media company Legendary (known for its wildly successful “MonsterVerse” and “Pacific Rim” movies) and Sunrise, a Japanese entertainment company. It was also confirmed that Jordan Vogt-Roberts (director of “Kong: Skull Island) will direct, and Brian K. Vaughan (writer for “Lost”) will write and be the executive producer of the film as well. Later, in 2021, Netflix came out and said that the film will debut on its platform to be streamed by fans globally.
After that, there was nothing but radio silence – until now. We’ve finally received an update, albeit quite a slim one. In a press release, Bandai and Legendary announced that the live-action “Gundam” movie is still a go, but will now feature Jim Mickle (director of “Sweet Tooth”) as its foremost writer and director. According to Deadline, Vogt-Roberts and Netflix are no longer involved with the project, but made no mention of Vaughan and his relationship with the movie.
That’s all we know so far, as Legendary and Bandai plan to slowly announce details as they become finalised. We don’t even know if it will be an original storyline or not. What we do know is that, with this update, the live-action film will move away from streaming and be featured on the big screen internationally. And to help nurture and oversee the production, Bandai is launching a new North American subsidiary in April, which many speculate is the point from which we might start receiving regular updates.
“Back To The Future” Co-Writer Swears At Fans Asking For 4th Installment
It goes without saying that the “Back to the Future” franchise is easily one of the best time travel movies of all time. Though it was a film that started and largely remained in the 80’s, it has unironically stood the test of time and is still widely loved today. So much so, in fact, that fans have been pestering the minds behind the trilogy to make more of them.
Perhaps this constant clamouring for more is what co-creator and co-writer Bob Gale has been hearing for the better part of the last few decades, and he finally has a response: “F*ck you.”
This spicy soundbite was recorded during a press conference after the Saturn Awards over the weekend, where BttF stars Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson received their George Pal Memorial Award. When the topic of a fourth installment to the franchise was asked, Gale only said, “People always say, ‘Well, when are you guys gonna do Back to the Future 4?’ And we say, ‘F— you.’ You can quote me on that.”
Gale has volubly expressed his disinterest in continuing the series any further. He added that the fans’ appetite for more installments was the reason why he and Robert Zemeckis, the other writer/creator, chose to instead adapt the original film into a new medium.
“We made three terrific movies, and people kept asking for more Back to the Future, so we made Back to the Future: The Musical, which Chris and Lea have attended on several occasions,” Gale added. “We’re taking it around the world.” The writer then enumerated all the locations the musical will soon debut, including Japan, Germany, and Australia, before concluding it by saying, “I’m gonna be doing it [Back to the future] for the rest of my life! Who could ask for anything more?”
Gale was instrumental in extending the franchise beyond the big screen, translating it into the aforementioned musical, short films, animated series; and even assisted in a “Back to the Future” video game back in the 2010s, and more. Though, despite his crude response, Gale remembers the franchise and the team involved in it with fondness, which is the reason why they are still close today after almost 40 years.
Source: The Verge [1], [2], Entertainment Weekly
