Since the release of the final Hobbit movie, things have been fairly quiet on the Peter Jackson front. While another Tintin film is floating around, he’s generally been taking a break from writing, directing and producing movies. Now though it’s been announced he’s set to write and produce an adaptation of Philip Reeve’s science fiction fantasy book, Mortal Engines, according to THR.
He won’t direct though, as that job has gone to his protege, Christian Rivers. Jackson co-wrote the script with his wife and collaborator, Phillipa Boyens.
Mortal Engines ‘is set in a future world devastated ecologically and technologically and where certain cities such as London are run on engines and mobility, giving them the ability to prey on others for resources. The story centers on a teen named Tom Natsworthy who, along with a young woman from a territory known as the Outlands, uncovers a mystery that could change the world order’. There are four books in total, so if successful this could become a franchise.
Jackson apparently liked the books steampunk trapping and has been working on a movie version since 2009. However, it’s only now it’s moving forward, with the screenplay complete, and Universal and MRC stepping up to fund it. It’ll start shooting in New Zealand next spring.
Jackson comments, “Christian is one of my closest collaborators. The combination of emotion and jaw-dropping visuals in Mortal Engines makes this the perfect movie for his move into feature directing. What Christian intends to do with Philip Reeve’s terrific story is going to result in an original and spectacular movie. I wish I could see it tomorrow!”
Deftly blending elements of Soylent Green and Elysium, Arcadia is a London-based sci-fi thriller with an ingenious look at a not-too-distant future that’s gone badly wrong. To celebrate its release on UK DVD, we have a copy to give away.
The first of the Star Wars side movies, Rogue One, hits in December, but Disney/Lucafilm is already planning the next, which will be based on the early days of Han Solo. Alden Ehrenreich is set to play the main role, and now it’s been officially announced that Community’s Donald Glover will be the young Lando Calrissian.
It certainly doesn’t look like there’s a bright, shiny future for mutants if this first trailer for Logan is anything to go by. Indeed, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) himself is scarred, increasingly grizzled and dejected, while Patrick Stewart’s Professor X seems to be on his last legs. But perhaps there’s one last shot at redemption.
There’s a tendency to think that for the first 70 or 80 years of cinema, any mention of homosexuality was derogatory, negative or completely absent. However, there were isolated cases that took a different approach, and not all of them were secretive, underground efforts. One of the very earliest was Different From The Others, made in 1919 during the early days of Germany’s Weimar period (the rather decadent era shown in Cabaret, where being gay wasn’t exactly celebrated but where people could find ways to build an LGBT community, but always under threat of prosecution and condemnation).
Warner Bros. had medium success with Tim Burton’s 2005 take on Charlie & The Chocolate, but a lot more success with the London stage version of Roald Dahl’s tale. It feels there’s more life in Willy Wonka, as it’s been announced that Warner has snapped up the screen rights to the character and plans to make a new movie, according to 
While Disney doesn’t plan shooting its planned musical Mary Poppins sequel until early next year, but it’s been busy building the cast to ensure it can have the best bunch of actors it can find. The latest to join is Colin Firth, according to 
Many wondered whether the intergalactic adventures of Guardians of the Galaxy would be a flop, but it ended up being one of their biggest hits, ensuring a sequel is on its way. It reunites the main cast and creative forces for what this first teaser suggests will be another fun adventure.
It was revealed earlier this year the the upcoming Doctor Who spin-off would feature a gay lead character. The reaction caught head writer, Patrick Ness, by surprise, as he didn’t realise that people would be that interested in, and has said on a few occassions that really, in 2016 it’s not big deal (although he was added ‘Except of course it is a big deal, I know; 15-year-old me never got to see himself; that won’t happen again, not on my watch.’)