Previewing Hollywood's spring movies
Optimism may be a scarce commodity in most quarters of the economy right now but hope springs eternal in the movie business. The box office was booming through the first months of the year and Hollywood's hoping that it can stave off a slump as it readies a huge slate of releases for the spring movie season.
But what with a new U.S. president in office and folks everywhere facing the worst economic conditions in decades, these movies are entering a far different world than their makers might have expected. How will they fit with viewers' new demands and expectations? Do audiences want escapist fluff or opportunities to vent their anger and anxiety?
All that seems certain is that middle-aged action heroes are in (the Liam Neeson flick Taken was a surprise smash) and crass displays of consumerism are out (sorry, Confessions of a Shopaholic).
Here's a list of the movies coming soon to theatres and how they might fare in light of the current crisis.
MARCH 13
Race to Witch Mountain
Who's in it: Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Carla Gugino
What it's about: In this remake/reboot of the Disney science-fiction series spawned by the books by Alexander Key, two mysteriously gifted teens and their reluctant protector race to prevent an alien invasion.
Recession ready: Yes – the highway chase scenes are rendered plausible again due to depressed gas prices. Our interplanetary visitors may also have some valuable advice about alternate energy sources.
Gomorrah
Who's in it: Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Cantalupo
What it's about: A defiantly unglamorous sort of mob movie, this Cannes prize winner from Italy exposes the inner workings of a crime syndicate in Naples.
Recession ready: Definitely. Thoughtful viewers will appreciate Gomorrah's bracing portrayal of the ways that greed and criminality turn an economy toxic.
MARCH 20
Duplicity
Who's in it: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti
What it's about: Two corporate spies (and ex-lovers) team up to get back at a company that burned them in writer-director Tony Gilroy's follow-up to Michael Clayton.
Recession ready: Not as much as it seems. Gilroy's film is poised to capitalize on viewers' anger at corporate weasels but the poor performance of The International doesn't bode well for biz-minded thrillers.
MARCH 27
Monsters vs. Aliens
Who's in it: Voices of Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Hugh Laurie
What it's about: In this 3-D animated feature from the DreamWorks team behind Shrek and A Shark's Tale, a ragtag crew of mutant humans helps defend the Earth from – you guessed it – an alien invasion.
Recession ready: Hollywood bean-counters are banking on ever-improving digital 3-D technology to turn young viewers (and their parents) into loyal ticket buyers.
Before Tomorrow
Who's in it: Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Madeline Ivalu, Paul-Dylan Ivalu
What it's about: Named the best Canadian first feature at TIFF last September, the latest production by the team behind Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) tells of an elderly Inuit woman and her grandson who struggle to survive in the Far North after their community is devastated.
Recession ready: Yes. The depiction of the pair's hardships in the Arctic is a vital reminder of what people can endure (though maybe not for very long).
APRIL 3
Adventureland
Who's in it: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds
What it's about: Young amusement-park employees get up to no good in this comedy by Superbad director Greg Mottola.
Recession ready: Fer sure. Adventureland's nostalgic '80s setting removes it from the stresses of the here and now.
Fast & Furious
Who's in it: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez
What it's about: The stars of the original The Fast and the Furious movie reunite to bring down a heroin operation and to race some more hot cars.
Recession ready: Looks dicey – the withering auto market could spell doom for this car-crazy franchise. Plus, real-life tragedies due to illegal street racing have made the phony kind a lot less sexy.
APRIL 10
Hunger
Who's in it: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham
What it's about: The debut feature by video artist Steve McQueen recounts the circumstances surrounding the early-1980s hunger strike by Bobby Sands and other members of the IRA.
Recession ready: Yes. Major awards from TIFF, Cannes and nearly everywhere else make Hunger one of the movies of the moment.
Even so, its horrific images of brutality and suffering are tough to take at any time.
Observe and Report
Who's in it: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta
What it's about: A dim-witted mall security guard gets a chance to shine when he becomes part of a police operation to catch a flasher.
Recession ready: More so than you'd think. The surprise success of Paul Blart: Mall Cop suggests that viewers still have warm feelings for shopping malls despite not having any money to spend.
APRIL 17
17 Again
Who's in it: Matthew Perry, Zac Efron, Leslie Mann
What it's about: An unhappy man gets a chance to rewrite his life story when he's mysteriously transformed back into his teenage self.
Recession ready: Weirdly so – what with unemployment rising and expectations sinking, it already feels like we've been transported back to 1976, the same year that audiences flocked to see Freaky Friday or 1988 for Big – other tales of youth regained.
Crank: High Voltage
Who's in it: Jason Statham, Dwight Yoakam, David Carradine
What it's about: Despite dying at the end of its over-adrenalized 2006 predecessor – regarded by action fans as the best of Statham's star vehicles – Chev Chelios is back for more abuse as he hunts the baddies who have his heart – literally.
Recession ready: Damn straight – if this sequel even has half of the ridiculous velocity of the original Crank, that'll be more than enough to take your mind off your woes.
APRIL 24
The Soloist
Who's in it: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener
What it's about: In this adaptation of the memoir by Steve Lopez, a reporter befriends a Juilliard-trained violinist he discovers living on skid row in Los Angeles.
Recession ready: Better now than last fall. Though The Soloist's postponement from its November release date was interpreted as a sign of trouble, this story of small triumphs in hard times may actually benefit from our tough new economic climate.
MAY 1
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Who's in it: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston
What it's about: A sensitive young mutant – a French Canadian in the original Marvel comic, though he's since been Americanized – copes with life with an indestructible metal skeleton.
Recession ready: Looking good. The all-pervasive atmosphere of dread is likely to encourage viewers' fondness for internally conflicted movie heroes, a trend already established with the popularity of The Dark Knight's Batman, James Bond and Jason Bourne.
The Ghost of Girlfriends Past
Who's in it: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Emma Stone
What it's about: An incorrigible ladies' man gets a supernatural kind of comeuppance when he is taught some harsh lessons by the ghosts of former girlfriends on the eve of his younger brother's wedding.
Recession ready: Women think so. The healthy box office for female-targeted films like Mamma Mia! and He's Just Not That Into You have helped keep the studios in the black. What's more, McConaughey's charms are powerful enough to make hits even out of movies as awful as Fool's Gold and Failure to Launch.
MAY 8
Star Trek
Who's in it: Chris Pine, Zachary Pinto, Simon Pegg
What it's about: J.J. Abrams and his young cast boldly go where umpteen Star Trek TV shows and feature films have gone before. That said, the Enterprise crew's new mission could freshen up a moribund franchise.
Recession ready: Fanboys think so, plus, the multiracial cast and Obama-appropriate emphasis on hope and cooperation may capture the zeitgeist more successfully than other new blockbusters.
Adoration
Who's in it: Scott Speedman, Arsinee Khanjian, Rachel Blanchard
What it's about: A Toronto teen's phony claims to be the offspring of would-be bombers sparks an inquiry into the real history of his parents' tragic demise.
Recession ready: Atom Egoyan hopes so. The latest feature by the local auteur marks a return to some favourite themes and a more modest scale after the big-budget misfire of Where the Truth Lies.
MAY 15
Angels and Demons
Who's in it: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard
What it's about: In this follow-up to The Da Vinci Code (presented as a sequel here, though Dan Brown's original book was actually that bestseller's predecessor), more of the Vatican's best-guarded secrets are brought to light by intrepid professor Robert Langdon.
Recession ready: Iffy. Recent troubles have made many people more interested in spiritual matters than in sinister conspiracies.
MAY 22
Terminator Salvation
Who's in it: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard
What it's about: The science-fiction franchise launched by James Cameron's 1984 hit enters its latest incarnation by returning to the early days of warfare between humans and machines.
Recession ready: We refuse to speculate lest we incur Bale's fiery wrath.
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Who's in it: Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill, Robin Williams
What it's about: Statues and dioramas get lively once again as Stiller and his co-stars cause a ruckus in another American institution.
Recession ready: Yes indeed. A movie ticket still remains far cheaper than an actual visit to Washington, D.C.
MAY 29
The Brothers Bloom
Who's in it: Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz
What it's about: In this caper movie by Brick director Rian Johnson, sibling con men meet their match when they try to bilk an heiress who's just as crafty.
Recession ready: Hard to say. The Brothers Bloom might have missed its moment when its release was postponed from last October. And its cool reception at the Toronto International Film Festival the month before suggests that audiences may be wary of these grifter brothers.
And do we really need to be reminded of the Bernie Madoffs of the world?
Exclusive: U2 To 'Kiss The Future' On Global Stadium Tour
Kiss The Future, U2's world tour in support of its new album "No Line on the Horizon," will play stadiums around the world, beginning June 30 in Barcelona, Billboard can exclusively reveal. Details of the tour will be announced March 9.
It’s a groundbreaking tour with production that includes a 360-degree audience configuration, ambitious staging and a cylindrical video screen. “We’re very excited about the idea to go on the road with this album,” the Edge says. “It’s an album that I think is going to translate so well to the live context. The songs we’ve tried in rehearsal are sounding fantastic, so that’s got everyone really fired up.”
U2 will be playing in a setting unique among all previous tours, by any artist. The tour will be global and lengthy. U2 will stay in Europe through Aug. 22, then hit American shores on Sept. 12 with a show at Soldier Field in Chicago. The band will play in North America until Oct. 28 and plans on working the globe until the fall of 2010. In addition to its production firsts, the tour is destined to become one of the highest-grossing tours ever; at $389 million, the band’s 2005-2007 Vertigo tour is second only to the Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang trek.
After playing arenas in North America and stadiums elsewhere on their last few tours, U2 will play stadiums everywhere this time out. “This is going to be completely different, and that’s what makes it exciting -- finding something new to bring to the touring culture,” says the Edge. “It’s hard to come up with something that’s fundamentally different, but we have, I think, on this tour. Where we’re taking our production will never have been seen before by anybody, and that’s an amazing thing to be able to say. For a band like U2 that really thrive on breaking new ground, it’s a real thrill.”
As they have for well over a decade, Live Nation global music chairman Arthur Fogel and his team will produce and promote U2 worldwide. Committing to a global stadium tour is “obviously a major undertaking on a bunch of different levels,” says Fogel. “On the last tour it basically broke down indoors in America and stadiums outside of America. Both shows were pretty different and they were both incredible, but I think the general feeling, and certainly mine, was the experience of U2 in a stadium is special and unique, and it would be great for North America to experience that the way the rest of the world did the last time around.”
Playing in a 360 configuration will increase the capacity by about 15%-20%, depending on the stadium. The configuration opens up myriad opportunities for scaling ticket prices, an important consideration for Fogel and the band. The top ticket price will be slightly higher than last time and the bottom price will be lower, with the floor seats -- the closest to the stage -- the lowest priced. In fact, playing larger capacity venues allows for more conservative pricing overall. Field level is going to be $55, and there will be 10,000 tickets a show, every show, at $30, Fogel says. The price points are $250, $90-$95, depending on the market; $55 and $30.
On-sales will begin in Europe in mid-March, and North American on-sales will start in late March/early April. U2 will also resurrect its random upgrade program first seen on the Elevation tour in 2001, where select fans purchasing GA tickets will be moved closest to the stage.
The basic layout of the tour is Europe in July and August, America in September and October with a total of 40-45 shows this year; more stadiums in America in June and July next year, then August and September in Europe. The trek then tentatively will hit South America in the fall of 2010, for potentially as many as 90-100 shows over the next two years.
This will be the first tour under U2’s 12-year multi-rights deal with Live Nation, though the band’s relationship with Fogel dates back to a show at the El Mocambo in Toronto in 1979. “Arthur and I are great friends and I’ve been very interested in the Live Nation project for years now, and we’ve been very supportive of it,” says U2 manager Paul McGuinness. “We obviously intend to go on performing for a long time to come and that’s what the deal reflects. U2 always had parallel careers as recording artists and a touring act and it was always fundamental to our way of thinking that the two should be complimentary.”
Rock Hall of Fame puts focus on Springsteen
CLEVELAND — Seeking something fresh and exciting to complement its upcoming induction ceremony, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has gotten its fondest wish — the cooperation of 1999 inductee Bruce Springsteen in launching a new exhibit solely dedicated to the Boss.
The hall on Friday announced plans to open the exhibit From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen on April 1, three days before the hall holds its induction ceremonies in Cleveland. Featuring various memorabilia from Springsteen, the exhibit is expected to run through the spring of 2010.
"He's someone we've always wanted to do a big exhibit on," said Jim Henke, the Rock Hall's curator. "So it's one of those things that I'd bring up with his manager from time to time. Last summer they said, 'Yes, it makes sense now.'"
It's perfect timing for a year that has been pretty Springsteen packed already. He performed during festivities surrounding the inauguration of President Barack Obama, released his latest album, Working on a Dream, in January, then was the halftime entertainment at the Super Bowl last month. He's planning a major tour to kick off April 1 in San Jose, Calif., and will even make an appearance at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in June.
Henke says the Springsteen exhibit may be the most extensive exhibit on a rock star ever done at the hall. Previous exhibits have focused on the lives and careers of John Lennon, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles.
Springsteen has provided various guitars, including the one he holds on the cover of Born to Run, the album that helped rocket his popularity. The exhibit also will have scrapbooks and notebooks in which Springsteen wrote many song lyrics.
"Once (Bruce) knew this was real, that it would really happen, he wanted it to have as much depth as it could possibly have," said Jon Landau, Springsteen's manager and board member of the hall. "He is fully behind this exhibition and the effort the museum has made to really get things right."
Henke is hopeful that eventually Springsteen will make his first visit to the Rock Hall since it opened nearly 14 years ago. Landau said he's sure that the Boss eventually will visit the exhibit.
"I think we'll have to visit at some other time than the official opening, but Bruce is looking forward to seeing it as soon as it's possible for him," Landau said.