Film fans have been given their first full taste of the fourth instalment in the Matrix franchise in a trailer that reintroduces Keanu Reeves' hero Neo.
The Matrix Resurrections will be released in cinemas and on the HBO Max streaming service in December.
The original Matrix movie came out in 1999, and the first two sequels were both released in 2003.
The series involves a virtual reality constructed by a futuristic artificial intelligence to enslave humankind.
Returning co-star Carrie-Anne Moss can also be seen in the trailer, which had its online premiere on Thursday.
Here are five things we took away from the first look at what is already one of the year's most eagerly-awaited blockbusters.
1) What the duck?
The trailer opens with a bearded Reeves seeking guidance from a bespectacled psychiatrist, played by Neil Patrick Harris of How I Met Your Mother fame.
Reeves' character says he is having dreams that seem to allude to Neo's past as the Messianic figurehead of a resistance movement at war with the AI behind the Matrix.
Reeves, whom Harris calls Thomas, seems oblivious to the truth Neo learned in the first film - that the world he knows is a sophisticated simulation cooked up by computer.
But he discerns that something is up as he takes an elevator, studies his reflection in a mirror and sits in a bathtub with a plastic yellow duck perched on his head.
2) Have we met?
Given Neo appeared to die at the end of 2003's The Matrix Revolutions, we're led to ponder if Reeves is playing a different or alternative iteration of his original character.
The same may also apply to Moss's resistance fighter Trinity, who doesn't appear to recognise Reeves when they meet and shake hands in a coffee shop.
Then again, Thomas/Neo may be trying to block out memories of the man he once was - possibly by swallowing handfuls of tell-tale blue pills.
In the original film, Neo was offered a pill of that colour that would allow him to return to and continue his simulated existence.
3) Christmas Carroll
Neo, of course, chose to take a red pill that, in the words of Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus, let him "stay in Wonderland and [see] how deep the rabbit hole goes".
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a recurring motif in the Matrix universe and appears again in book form in the new three-minute trailer.
A rabbit tattoo that alludes to Carroll's White Rabbit is seen on the arm of another character, played by British-Chinese actress Jessica Fenwick.
The backing music, meanwhile, is Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit, a psychedelic 1967 anthem itself inspired by Carroll's writing and imagery.
4) He still knows kung fu
At the exhortation of Candyman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, beardy Keanu ends up taking a red pill that seems to unlock the Matrix's secrets.
It also seems to reawaken the martial arts prowess that enables him to strike his new friend so hard it shatters the simulated dojo they're sparring in.
Abdul-Mateen II's character seems to have many of Morpheus's attributes, suggesting he may be a younger version or perhaps the son of Fishburne's character.
Fishburne himself revealed last year he had "not been invited" to reprise his signature role in Lana Wachowski's film.
5) Bang for your buck
While the original trilogy was directed by Lana Wachowski in tandem with her sibling Lily, the fourth film is directed by Lana alone.
Yet having one less person behind the camera doesn't appear to have had an impact on the new movie's explosive mayhem.
Trains, helicopters, motorcycles and cars are just a few of the modes of transport that are left riddled with bullets or blown to smithereens.
If there's a tall building in the vicinity, meanwhile, you can be certain someone at some point will throw themselves out of or off it.
The Matrix Resurrections will be released in UK cinemas on 22 December.
Thomas Turgoose will reteam with writer-director Shane Meadows for new TV drama The Gallows Pole.
Starring in the highly anticipated series will be:
Michael Socha (This Is England, Papillon)
Thomas Turgoose (This Is England, Looted)
George MacKay (1917, Captain Fantastic)
Tom Burke (Mank, The Souvenir)
Sophie McShera (Cinderella, Downton Abbey)
Cara Theobold (Downton Abbey, Crazyhead)
Yusra Warsama (Castle Rock)
Eve Burley (Secret State)
Nicole Barber Lane (Hollyoaks)
Samuel Edward-Cook (Peaky Blinders)
Anthony Welsh (Master Of None)
Joe Sproulle (The A Word)
Adam Fogerty (Legend)
Fine Time Fontayne (How We Used To Live)
...and an ensemble of first-time actors.
The Gallows Pole, based on the novel of the same name by Benjamin Myers, fictionalises the remarkable true story of the rise and fall of David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners. Set against the backdrop of the coming industrial revolution in 18th century Yorkshire, the compelling drama follows the enigmatic David Hartley, played by Michael Socha, as he assembles a gang of weavers and land-workers to embark upon a revolutionary criminal enterprise that will capsize the economy and become the biggest fraud in British history.
It was also announced that A24 are teaming up with Element Pictures (The Favourite, Normal People) on the six-part series for the BBC which is currently filming in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
Collaborating again with casting director Shaheen Baig (The Virtues), Shane Meadows says of his cast: “Putting this cast together, with the undying support of Shaheen Baig and her amazing team, has been an absolute joy. To be working with actors I’ve grown up with and/or have been desperate to work with, alongside oodles of incredible ‘as yet’ undiscovered Yorkshire-based talent, is an absolute honour and I’ve not been this passionate about shooting a project in years!
"After some initial rehearsals back in spring, me and the team went on an open-casting odyssey, watching over 6,500 self-tapes from unrepresented actors and actresses, and were blown away by the quality of tapes that were submitted. We went from hoping to find one or two new faces, to making up half of the entire cast from those tapes and I believe it’s going to create a series quite unlike anything else I’ve ever worked on.
"This is the 18th century yes, but viewed through a slightly more anarchic lens and will - like my previous work - have a soundtrack that fits the mood like a psychedelic glove, rather than historical expectations.”
Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, adds: “Shane’s talent for spotting and working with the newest and most authentic talent is second to none and will play a key role in setting this drama apart. It’s an honour to be working with Shane, our friends at Element, and our partners at A24, to see this amazing story start to come to life.”
Element Pictures adds: “Working with the BBC and A24 on Shane Meadows’ first period drama is incredibly exciting for all of us at Element. Shane’s unique take on the story combined with the stunning cast he has assembled will make for an intoxicating and unforgettable series.”
The Gallows Pole was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, and is produced by Element Pictures in association with Big Arty for the BBC in association with A24. Nickie Sault, a long-time collaborator of Shane Meadows, will also be a producer on the show. International sales will be handled by A24.
Shounen anime has been making big waves in the anime community lately. And now with the upcoming release of more shounen movies like Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and My Hero Academia: Heroes’ World Mission, we’re here to bring you some of the best shounen anime you may or may not have heard of!
The Fury is a 1978 American supernatural thriller film directed by Brian De Palma and starring Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Amy Irving, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning, and Andrew Stevens. The screenplay by John Farris was based on his 1976 novel of the same name.
The film was produced by Frank Yablans and released by 20th Century Fox on March 10, 1978. It was both a critical and commercial success, grossing $24 million from a $7.5 million budget. The music, composed and conducted by John Williams was highly praised by critic Pauline Kael, who called it "as apt and delicately varied a score as any horror movie has ever had".
Following Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s debut at CinemaCon, reactions from the screening have been flooding in. Thankfully for those of us eagerly anticipating this “reboot” sequel, the reviews are all glowing. Germain Lussier wrote on Twitter that the film is the “sequel fans have been waiting decades for”.
John Nguyen from Nerd Reactor said the film was destined to become a classic saying the "stars are the kids and they are charming on screen, giving off the Goonies meets Ghostbusters feel."
A third Ghostbusters film had been in various stages of development since Ghostbusters II released in 1989, stalling as Murray refused to commit to the project. After the death of cast member Harold Ramis in 2014, Sony instead produced a reboot released in 2016. The film performed poorly at the box office, and Reitman began developing a sequel to the original films. The new cast members were announced by July 2019, while the original cast signed on two months later. Filming took place from July to October 2019.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was screened unannounced on August 23, 2021 during the 2021 CinemaCon event in Los Angeles and is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 11, 2021, after being delayed three times from an original July 2020 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife film review
Reviews are currently embargoed so here's the premise:
After being evicted from their home, a single mother and her two children are forced to move to a decayed farmhouse in Summerville, Oklahoma, left to them by the children's late grandfather, where a series of unexplained earthquakes are occurring despite not being situated on any fault and strange things are happening in an old mine which once belonged to the alleged occultist Ivo Shandor.
The children discover their grandfather's history with the original Ghostbusters, who have since been largely forgotten by the world beyond their fan base.
When supernatural phenomena relating to New York City's "Manhattan Crossrip of 1984" arises and threatens the world, the kids, along with their family and friends, must use the Ghostbusters' equipment and become their successors to save it.
The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2016, and was released in the United States and Canada by Paramount Pictures on November 11, 2016. It grossed $203 million worldwide and received praise for Adams's performance, Villeneuve's direction, and its exploration of communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. Considered one of the best films of 2016, Arrival appeared on numerous critics' year-end lists and was selected by the American Film Institute as one of ten "Movies of the Year".
Linguist Louise Banks's daughter Hannah dies at the age of twelve from an incurable illness.
Twelve extraterrestrial spacecraft hover over disparate locations around the Earth. Affected nations send military and scientific experts to monitor and study them; in the United States, US Army Colonel Weber recruits Banks and physicist Ian Donnelly to study the craft above Montana. On board, Banks and Donnelly make contact with two cephalopod-like, seven-limbed aliens, whom they call 'heptapods'; Donnelly nicknames them Abbott and Costello. Banks and Donnelly research the complex written language of the aliens, consisting of palindrome phrases written with circular symbols, and share the results with other nations. As Banks studies the language, she starts to have flashback-like visions of her daughter.
When Banks is able to establish sufficient shared vocabulary to ask why the aliens have come, they answer with a statement which could be translated as "offer weapon". China interprets this as "use weapon", prompting it to break off communications, and other nations follow. Banks argues that the symbol interpreted as "weapon" can be more abstractly referred to the concept of "means", "tool"; China's translation likely results from interacting with the aliens using mahjong, a highly competitive winner-take-all game.
Rogue soldiers plant a bomb in the Montana craft. Unaware, Banks and Donnelly re-enter the alien vessel, and the aliens give them a more complex message. Just before the bomb explodes, one of the aliens ejects Donnelly and Banks from the vessel, knocking them unconscious. When they wake, the military is preparing to evacuate in case of retaliation, and the craft has moved beyond reach.
Donnelly discovers that the symbol for time is present throughout the message, and that the writing occupies exactly one twelfth of the 3D space into which it is projected. Banks suggests that the full message is split among the twelve craft, and the aliens want all the nations to share what they learn.
China's General Shang issues an ultimatum to his local alien craft, demanding that it leave China within 24 hours. Russia, Pakistan, and Sudan follow suit. Communications between the international research teams are terminated as worldwide panic sets in.
Banks goes alone to the Montana craft, and it sends down a transport pod. Abbott has been mortally injured as a result of the explosion (which Costello refers to as "death process"); Costello explains that they have come to help humanity, for in 3,000 years they will need humanity's help in return. Banks realizes the "weapon" is their language, which changes humans' linear perception of time, allowing them to experience "memories" of future events. Banks's visions of her daughter, Hannah, are revealed actually to be premonitions; her daughter will not be born until some time in the future.
Banks returns to the camp as it is being evacuated and tells Donnelly that the aliens’ language is the "tool". Those who master the aliens’ language are able to perceive the future and past. She has a premonition of a United Nations event celebrating newfound unity following the alien arrival, in which Shang thanks her for having persuaded him to stop the attack by calling his private number and reciting his wife's dying words: "War doesn't make winners, only widows."
In the present, Banks steals CIA agent Halpern's satellite phone, and calls Shang's number to recite the words. The Chinese announce that they are standing down and release their twelfth of the message. The other countries follow suit, and the twelve craft depart.
During the evacuation, Donnelly expresses his love for Banks. They talk about life choices and whether he would change them if he could see the future. Banks knows that she will agree to have a child with him despite knowing their fate: that Hannah will die from an incurable disease, and Donnelly will leave them after she reveals that she knew this.
How good is Arrival?
Arrival (Denis Villeneuve, 2016)
If 2009′s Polytechnique didn’t convince you that Denis Villeneuve is one of the most significant directors working this century, then Enemy four years later should have clued you up that he is one of the most original. Arrival sees him taking further steps into the mainstream after the Hugh Jackman fronted thriller Prisoners in 2013 and the 2015 CIA-meets-Mexican-drug-lord crime film Sicario with Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro.
But even in terms of the diversity that marks Villeneuve’s filmography thus far, Arrival feels like something altogether new. Based on Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life”, the very scale of Villeneuve’s linguistics-oriented science fiction epic takes him somewhere grander in scope, laying the groundwork for what he might conceivably achieve with the much anticipated Blade Runner 2049, currently pencilled in for an October 2017 release.
Aside from anything else, Arrival stands with Bruce McDonald’s 2008 film Pontypool – another Canadian film, coincidentally – to explicitly address language in the context of fantastic cinema. While Pontypool builds its exploration around the zombie film tradition, Arrival turns its attention towards the alien invasion trope. Like Pontypool, however, Arrival transcends the limitations that so often govern the less creative examples of the subgenre, instead using it as a loose conceptual foundation upon which to build a theoretically-informed examination of what precisely it is that makes us human.
It is on this front that Villeneuve understands that the success of Arrival relies less on the flamboyant special effects that typify the quasi-intellectual dudebroism of Christopher Nolan than it does its lead character Louise, played by Amy Adams. It is hardly original to suggest that – alongside her stupendous performance in Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals – 2016 has been an exceptional year for Adams, both films positioning her strongly for Oscar consideration. Although very different roles, in both Arrival and Nocturnal Animals, Adams’ strength lies in what she holds back. The nuance of her often minute physical gestures are at times overpowering; she speaks volumes with the turn of a wrist or the tug of a lock of hair.
Largely a result of the collaboration between Adams and Villeneuve (built on Chiang’s already strong source material), it is the emotional scale of Arrival that ultimately leaves its most enduring mark. In the hands of another director, Arrival could easily collapse into pomposity and self-importance, but Villeneuve’s respect for silence, for nuance, and for the value of small things allows the heart of the story to float to the surface, dazzling brighter and longer than any glitzy intergalactic CG spectacle ever could.
Originally set for theatrical release by Paramount Pictures, the film's distribution rights were acquired by Amazon due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and digitally released on July 2, 2021 via Prime Video. The Tomorrow Warreceived mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the concept, action sequences, and performances (particularly Pratt and Richardson), but criticism aimed towards its derivative execution. A sequel is in development.
