Author: Megan Williams

Trailer Talk: Disney’s Jungle Cruise. By Megan Williams.

After the success of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise, I’m surprised there hasn’t been more adaptations based on Disneyland rides and attractions. However, I’m not sure this was the next best one to choose.

‘Jungle Cruise’ stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, who play architects in search of a flower that can grant a human healing powers.

This is a storyline I have seen in actions films a thousand times, and this doesn’t look any different from any of the other films that it’s inspired by. Dwayne Johnson has quickly become one of my favourite actors; he always looks like he’s having fun in any role he takes.

Plus, Emily Blunt is a fantastic actress, and they look like they’re have great on-screen chemistry. However, this isn’t enough to convince me to see it. If you have young kids, this might be more suited towards them. As for me, this looks quite dull.

Disney’s Jungle Cruise will be in cinemas in 24^th July 2020.

Jungle Cruise is an upcoming American adventure film based on the Disney theme park attraction of the same name. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the film will star Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, with Jesse Plemons and Paul Giamatti, and is set for release on July 24, 2020, by Walt Disney Pictures.

Set during the early 20th century, a riverboat captain named Frank takes a scientist and her brother on a mission into a jungle to find the Tree of Life which is believed to possess healing powers. All the while, the trio must fight against dangerous wild animals and a competing German expedition.

Jungle Cruise is set to be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on July 24, 2020. The film was originally scheduled to be released on October 11, 2019, but on October 19, 2018, Johnson announced on behalf of Disney that the film had been delayed to 2020.

Birds Of Prey: Trailer Talk. By Megan Williams.

After ‘Joker’, apparently DC Films thought the next clear step to take in their filmography was a Harley Quinn film…Enter ‘Birds of Prey’.

‘Birds of Prey’ might as well be The Harley Quinn Show despite it having an impressive cast, including Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Margot Robbie, once again returning as Harley Quinn. However, that does not mean that I am not going to see this; it looks like a lot of fun. 

2016’s ‘Suicide Squad’ had a lot of negatives aspects to it, but one positive was the casting of Harley Quinn; Margot Robbie did a fantastic job as the crazy character, and I’m glad to see her returning to the role. I’m also glad to see that the Joker is out of the picture; this is at a time where Harley has broken up with him, so it’ll be interesting to see another side of the character that the big, and small, screen haven’t shown before.

However, I do remember thinking that the trailer for ‘Suicide Squad’ was great (and it was) but being extremely disappointing at the final result. Hopefully ‘Birds of Prey’ doesn’t follow that path.

It will be in cinemas in February 2020. 

Trailer Talk: War of the Worlds (BBC Series). By Megan Williams.

No one would’ve believed in 2019, the BBC would release an on-screen adaptation of their infamous radio broadcast… 

Starring Rafe Spall (The Ritual), ‘War of the Worlds’ is the 3^rd on-screen adaptation of the H.G.Wells book that was released in 1897. Set in the early 20^th Century, it follows the near extinction of mankind as the UK encounters Martians from Mars.

As well as on-screen adaptations, it also inspired sequels, a BBC radio broadcast and an orchestral performance that was created by Jeff Wayne. This version will be a 3-part series.

While I never enjoyed the source material, I love the Jeff Wayne adaptation and Stephen Spielberg’s 2005 remake starring Tom Cruise. Saying that, I am delighted to finally see a version that is set around the correct timeframe and setting from the book.

It’s been a long time coming, and I’m glad that this has been made possible due to today’s technological advances. I’m also pleased to see Rafe Spall in another lead role; I thought he was fantastic in ‘The Ritual’.

‘War of the Worlds’ will premiere on BBC One in Autumn 2019. 

The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialized in 1897 by Pearson’s Magazine in the UK and by Cosmopolitan magazine in the US. The novel’s first appearance in hardcover was in 1898 from publisher William Heinemann of London. Written between 1895 and 1897, it is one of the earliest stories to detail a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race. The novel is the first-person narrative of both an unnamed protagonist in Surrey and of his younger brother in London as southern England is invaded by Martians. The novel is one of the most commented-on works in the science fiction canon.

Trailer Talk: Frozen 2. By Megan Williams.

Like a lot of people, Disney’s 2013 hit ‘Frozen’ caught my attention, and it quickly became one of my favourite Disney films. The first film was a huge success: it is the fifth highest grossing animated film ever and the fourth highest grossing film of all time, grossing over $1.2billion worldwide.

Because of its success, a sequel was inevitable and, while I was originally opposed to this announcement, I am now very excited to see ‘Frozen 2’ after watching the 2^nd trailer.

‘Frozen 2’ appears to explore the history of Anna and Elsa’s hometown Arrendale, as well as explore the source of Elsa’s ice powers. An aspect of the first film I loved was the animation and the amount of detail that was put on the big screen, and this film looks to improve upon that (if that’s even possible!).

However, will this become as memorable as its predecessor? Parents beware: it might have a song more catchier than ‘Let It Go’. Only time will tell if that is the case.

‘Frozen 2’ is in cinemas 22^nd November 2019.

Frozen 2 (stylized as Frozen II) is an upcoming American computer-animated musical fantasy film in production by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

The 58th film produced by the studio, it is the sequel to the 2013 film Frozen and features the returning voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, and Santino Fontana along with the new voices of Evan Rachel Wood and Sterling K. Brown. It is scheduled to be released by Walt Disney Pictures on November 22, 2019.

Trailer Talk: Wrinkles The Clown. By Megan Williams

It seems that, since ‘IT: Chapter Two’ has just been released, the end of 2019 is going to belong to various clown films. One particular film that is going to be coming out (interestingly, on the same day as ‘Joker’) is ‘Wrinkles The Clown’. This documentary will look at the clown who is far from jolly! Working for 65 years, Wrinkles the Clown is specifically contacted by parents to scare their misbehaving children in America.

Because he’s been ‘working’ for 65 years, this documentary uses archive footage from older video recorders, phone calls and voice messages, as well as Skype calls and Youtube videos. The amount of different technology that it’ll showcase will give viewers of various ages their own opinions and perspectives on the terrifying clown. This will also be a unique glimpse into a quickly growing phenomenon, and for people who wish to know more about the mysterious character.

‘Wrinkles The Clown’ looks creepy, strange but fascinating. As someone who has heard of the clown but knows next to nothing about him, I am intrigued. Late 2019 is definitely bringing in the clowns! 

‘Wrinkles The Clown’ is in cinemas 4^th October 2019.

In a November 2015 interview with the Washington Post, Wrinkles claims to be a 65-year-old retired and divorced veteran who moved to Naples, Florida, from Rhode Island sometime around 2010. Not satisfied with being a “boring retiree,” Wrinkles bought his distinctive clown mask online and started to make stickers and business cards promoting his telephone number. Over the next few years, Wrinkles grew in popularity. Florida teenagers posted photos taken of Wrinkles on social media and Wrinkles himself said that he now receives “hundreds of phone calls a day”.