Here are the big stories that caught my eye from the world of film news this week.
Ben Affleck won’t direct The Batman – After hearing a few weeks back that Ben Affleck said he might not end up directing The Batman the rumours can now be put to rest as he has officially stood down as director. Affleck explained his decision saying, “Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require”. This means he will still be starring as the titular character, but doesn’t think that he can successfully direct alongside. However he previously said that script problems would be what would cause him to quit as director so could this mean that the film is still suffering from issues with the writing. Who would you be interested in seeing take over directing duties from Affleck?
First Image from Oceans Eight – We have got our first look at the all female spin off the Oceans franchise. It showcases all 8 major characters in a train car. We can see Sandra Bullock’s Debbie Ocean, as well as actresses Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonhem Carter, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, and Awkwafina. Beyond this we don’t get any new information about what these characters are like. What do think of this image and the cast? Are you interested in this all female spinoff?
Denis Villeneuve to direct Dune adaptation – Villeneuve, the director of last year’s hit and best picture nominee Arrival, and the upcoming Blade Runner sequel Blade Runner 2049, is going to direct a new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic Sci-Fi novel Dune. Herbert’s son Brian tweeted that Legendary Pictures had signed Villeneuve “to direct the exciting new DUNE series film project”. David Lynch was the last director to bring the novel to the big screen in 1984, but that was a critical and commercial failure, and several attempts to bring a second adaptation to cinemas haven’t come to fruition. Are you excited about the prospect of Villeneuve trying his hand with Dune?
Super Bowl trailers galore – Last night was the Super Bowl, and auring the coverage in America there were a lot of new trailers debuted for upcoming blockbuster films. The list includes Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, John Wick: Chapter 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Transformers: The Last Knight, The Fate of the Furious, Ghost in the Shell, Life, A Cure For Wellness, and Baywatch. All the trailers are now available to be viewed online, and Collider compiled a full list of them here. Which new trailer was your favourite? Which of these films are you looking forward to seeing?
Shuggie Says 