A breakdown of the biggest movie news from the last week (15 November – 21 November).
NEW RELEASES
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (18 Nov)
The much-anticipated sequel finally hit theaters this week to resounding approval from fans.
Critics are more divided on the film, with many claiming that Ghostbusters: Afterlife‘s fan service is tiresome, but a 96% audience approval rating is evidence that the franchise has struck the right chord with its fans.
King Richard (19 Nov)
This Will Smith-led biopic sports-drama follows Richard Williams (not an actual king) as he coaches his daughters, Venus and Serena, as they begin their journey to dominate tennis.
The Williams sisters acted as executive producers for the film, which opened to positive reviews, with Smith’s performance in particular earning him widespread acclaim.
TRAILERS
Don’t Look Up (16 Nov)
Kicking off a particularly trailer-heavy week was the official trailer for Adam McKay’s upcoming satire Don’t Look Up, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jonah Hill at the head of an exceptional cast.
Don’t Look Up is set for a limited theatrical release on 10 December before streaming on Netflix on 24 December.
Encounter (17 Nov)
The official trailer for sci-fi thriller Encounter was released this week, showcasing a look at Riz Ahmed’s marine as he tries to protect his family from the threat of an alien invasion.
Encounter will also star Octavia Spencer, Janina Gavankar, and Rory Cochrane, and is set for a limited release on 3 December before streaming on Prime Video on 10 December.
Turning Red (17 Nov)
A full trailer has been released for Pixar’s upcoming animation Turning Red. The film follows Mei Lee, a thirteen-year-old who begins to transform into a giant red panda whenever she gets excited or stressed.
Turning Red will be released theatrically on 11 March, 2022. This will be Pixar’s first film to receive an exclusive theatrical run since before the pandemic (previous films Soul (2020) and Luca (2021) were released digitally via Disney+).
Spider-Man: No Way Home (17 Nov)
For those who have been living under a rock, the official trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home released this week. The film follows on directly from the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, and the trailer confirms the appearance of 5 Spider-Man villains from across the character’s cinematic history.
Alongside Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Zendaya, No Way Home will feature Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin (Spider-Man, 2002), Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock (Spider-Man 2, 2004), Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman (Spider-Man 3, 2007), Rhys Ifans’ Lizard (The Amazing Spider-Man, 2012), and Jamie Foxx’s Electro (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, 2014). The use of previous iterations of the franchise’s villains has fuelled speculation that previous Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield may also appear. These claims are being flatly denied by all the actors in question, though, leaving fans to wonder – and giving them no choice but to buy a ticket to see the film upon its release on 17 December.
Marry Me (18 Nov)
If absurd set-ups for unlikely romantic comedies are your thing, you’ll be excited to learn about Marry Me, which saw the release of its official trailer this week. Starring Jennifer Lopez as a music superstar who decides to marry someone in the crowd of her show on an emotional whim, Marry Me will also feature Owen Wilson (as Charlie, the lucky concert-goer), Sarah Silverman, and John Bradley.
Marry Me is set to release theatrically on 11 February, 2022.
Nightmare Alley – (18 Nov)
Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming neo-noir psychological thriller (yes, it needs that many adjectives) film, Nightmare Alley, also got an official trailer this week. After a teaser trailer released in September, the official trailer offers a closer look at the excitingly spooky story and ensemble cast.
Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett are set to lead a staggering ensemble cast featuring Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, and Mary Steenburgen. Nightmare Alley will be released theatrically on 17 December.
Mel Gibson In Talks to Direct Lethal Weapon 5 (15 Nov)
Mel Gibson casually announced his involvement in Lethal Weapon 5 this week.
After Richard Donner, who made all four previous Lethal Weapon movies, died earlier this year, he’d reportedly started work on a fifth movie to reunite Gibson with Danny Glover. According to Gibson, Donner specifically asked the actor to make the film if he was to die. Donner reportedly also passed this intention on to his wife and the studio, and now Gibson says he’ll be directing Lethal Weapon 5.
Problematic personal life aside, Gibson is a talented director, and his return to the Lethal Weapon franchise is one that will give fans cause for a lot of excitement.
Vin Diesel Teases New Riddick Movie (16 Nov)
Initial reports of another Riddick movie go as far back as 2014, but this week, Vin Diesel dropped a tease that production on another potential film could be close at hand.
Despite multiple poorly-received entries into the franchise, The Chronicles of Riddick boasts an impressive fanbase, so another installment would secure Diesel’s franchise future post-Fast & Furious. While everything currently known about the potential film has been sporadically posted by Diesel online over the past seven years, it seems that his latest post was done with the intention of building anticipation for another Riddick movie.
Jonah Hill To Play Jerry Garcia In Scorsese’s Grateful Dead Movie (18 Nov)
Once, he seemed doomed to play young slackers forever, but Jonah Hill’s rise to Hollywood stardom has been nothing short of meteoric. After a critically lauded role in 2011’s Moneyball, Hill worked with Martin Scorsese on 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street. The legendary director has now cast the actor as the lead in another of his upcoming movies.
Hill is now set to play Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead’s legendary frontman, in an upcoming biopic, although details about the film are preciously scarce.