The Past Week: Jason Isaacs Joins STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE Starts Shooting, Writers Assemble for GODZILLA / KONG

The Past Week: Star Trek: Discovery, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Godzilla Vs King Kong

We had some very exciting news during the past week. A very big casting announcement was made for one of this year’s most anticipated shows, and a veteran director finally started production on a legendary project long thought to have been lost forever in development hell. On top of all this, a major movie studio has put together a team of writers to craft a shared universe for its planned monster movie franchise. In short, it’s been a good week for TV and movie fans.

Jason Isaacs To Play Captain In Star Trek: Discovery

Although it has been stressed that CBS‘s upcoming revival of the long-running science fiction franchise will mainly focus on Sonequa Martin-Green‘s “Number One”, fans nevertheless waited with anticipation to see who would play the captain on Star Trek: Discovery. Indeed, all five preceding seasons of the show featured captains as their primary characters, from the original series’ James Kirk to Enterprise‘s Jonathan Archer. So it was no small matter when it was revealed that none other than Jason Isaacs had been cast as the captain of the USS Discovery.

I must confess, however, that I am only peripherally familiar with Isaacs’ previous roles. In fact, the only character of his that I actually have any recollection of seeing is the Harry Potter series’ Lucius Malfoy and mind you, the last Harry Potter film I saw was 2009’s Half-Blood Prince, so I can’t really speak to his ability to carry a Star Trek series. That being said, I have found something to appreciate in every actor who played a captain in the franchise and I like to think that I will find the same in Isaacs’ tenure on the Discovery.

Shooting Begins On The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

If I had to pick one movie that impacted my cinematic tastes and outlook more than any other, I would undoubtedly agonize over a final decision but definitely regard Terry Gilliam‘s Brazil as one of the contenders. Not only did it change the way I viewed art (much less movies), but it also introduced me to the Monty Python alum’s other equally impressive films, including but far from limited to the unexpectedly moving Fisher King and the deliciously absurd Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Yet in spite of this, I never bothered to really look into Gilliam’s notorious passion project, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Yes, I knew that it was supposed to be a take on the De Cervantes novel (which, like most people presumably, I haven’t read) starring Johnny Depp that ended up halting for whatever reason, but I never looked into the details about the story (and I certainly never watched the documentary, Lost in La Mancha, regarding it). In any case, this past week’s news that production is officially underway on the long believed to be abandoned movie is exciting, for those who have followed the project for years as well as those who simply appreciate Gilliam’s other work.

Legendary Pictures Organizes Godzilla Vs King Kong Writer’s Room

When I saw Legendary Pictures‘ Godzilla, I was blown away not just by how good it was but also by how respectful it was towards the subject matter. As a Godzilla fan since childhood, it was heartening to see a serious American take on the character and the world he inhabits and I found myself hoping that the sequel would be as enjoyable to watch as well as considerate of the ground it walked upon.

Of course, my expectations for a sequel were exceeded when it was announced that Godzilla, in addition to getting a sequel, will lead up to a crossover with the planned King Kong reboot and a showdown between the two titans. But instead of plunging into this ambitious task willy-nilly, the studio has taken the extra step of assembling a writer’s room in order to structure the story and universe in which this long-anticipated rematch will take place. They’ve got three years to make it all work, but if the last Godzilla movie was anything to go by, we’re in for what might be the cinematic event of 2020.