Editorial

The Past Week: JAMES BOND, GOOD OMENS, KONG: SKULL ISLAND

Christopher Nolan Daniel Craig James Bond

The Past Week: James Bond, Good Omens, And Kong: Skull Island

There has been a lot of exciting news for film and TV fans this past week. Two big movie franchises made headlines with new TV spots as well as reports of who might be involved with them in the future, and a streaming service has announced it will produce an original series that will come as a pleasant surprise to fantasy fans. Granted, several of these projects are still in the earliest stages of development, but it is still exciting to know that headway is being made on them.

Tom Hardy Muses On Christopher Nolan Directing James Bond

With Daniel Craig making various contradictory statements about his commitment to the Bond franchise, it is understandable that the series’ producers would consider finding a suitable replacement in the event that he decides not to reprise his role as 007. It would be a shame considering how well Spectre, which pitted the English super agent against Ernst Stavro Blofeld (brilliantly played, it must be noted, by Christoph Waltz) for the first time in over 30 years, set up a new story arc for the next few films, but the series has weathered worse before.

What is worth thinking about, however, is the chances of Christopher Nolan directing a Bond film, something that the Dark Knight trilogy director has expressed interest in and potential 007 contender Tom Hardy has commented on. Although the Mad Max star is excited about collaborating with Nolan again, I don’t know how well the Inception director’s cerebral style will carry over to the world of Bond. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy Nolan’s previous fare – indeed, I watched The Dark Knight, several times in theaters when it first came out – but he just isn’t the first choice that comes to mind when I think of 007. In any case, I will likely check the next Bond film out whether or not Nolan helms it.

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Amazon To Produce Good Omens Miniseries

The rise of the TV miniseries, as well as in-house productions made by streaming services, has opened the door to many stories and works being adapted for the small screen that otherwise would have languished in obscurity because movie studios considered them unviable in feature form. This is definitely the case with successful original programs as Netflix‘s Orange is the New Black and Amazon‘s The Man in the High Castle and it looks like we will have another such example in the future from the latter.

As Starz gears up for the premiere of American Gods later this year, Neil Gaiman fans like myself have another show based on one of the writer’s works to look forward to. I’m talking, of course, about Good Omens, which Amazon is getting ready to make into a six-part limited series. Although it’s hard to imagine how they’re going to fit such an intricately-humorous story within the confines of a mere six episodes, I’m just happy to know that another of Gaiman’s great works is being given the attention it deserves and hope that it proves to be as engaging as the book.

TV Spots Released For Kong: Skull Island

I haven’t been following Kong: Skull Island closely, but after seeing the latest promos for it that will certainly no longer be the case. Four new TV spots for the Legendary Pictures and Universal co-production have been released, and boy, do they deliver! They wisely keep plot details under wraps but show enough action and, more importantly, monsters (at one point, we see Kong sparring with tentacles emanating from an offscreen opponent, indicating that a giant octopus or some other tentacled beastie appears in the film) to leave viewers clamoring for more. Additionally, the shots chosen for the promos go a long way in conveying the character and tone of the film, with shots of the protagonists’ Vietnam-era Huey helicopters flying through a sunset sky evoking not just the movie’s 1970’s setting but also Apocalypse Now, a film that reached emotional and creative heights that Skull Island likely won’t reach but delivered thrills and memorable scenes that it looks like it will have no problem living up to.

Also worth noting is that the promos advertise the fact that the producers of Godzilla, a monster movie for the modern era if there ever was one, were involved with the project. With the two characters set to cross paths for the second time in history in 2020, rest assured that I will be watching in anticipation to see how Skull Island ties in and ultimately leads to that eagerly-expected rematch.

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Reggie Peralta

**** We hired Reggie, fulfilled our obligations to him, and he quit in the middle of covering two TV series w/ no notice and no explanation. He then ignored our emails asking him to complete his coverage (we had no one else to cover those TV shows). He didn't care. We regret hiring him and we regret putting our trust in him. **** An aspiring writer, longtime film junkie, and former UCLARadio.com disc jockey (where I graduated with a BA in Political Science), I've made the jump from penning book reviews and current events editorials for HonorSociety.org to writing movie and TV news and reviews. When I'm not working towards my certificate in Radio and Television/Video Production at Fullerton College, I enjoy reading (horror, science fiction, and historical/political nonfiction are particular favorites), participating in my school's TV and theatre clubs, attending movie screenings, plays, concerts, and other events, and trying to come up with pithy things to say on social media. Believe it or not, there are occasions where I find time to write for my own leisure.
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