Tag Archives: johnny depp

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Trailer #2 (2018) *Who Will Change the Future?*

After an uneven summer of sequel madness, it’s good to look forward to franchises that rarely-if ever-disappoint. The Wizarding World is back this fall with its 10th film installment and the second in the Fantastic Beasts cycle. The second trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was unveiled at Comic-Con today and it’s absolutely eye-popping. In addition to the continuing adventures of Newt and company, Potterheads will enjoy Easter eggs like Dumbledore as DADA professor, Nicholas Flamel, and The Mirror of Erised. Check out CBR’s notes from Warner Brother’s panel discussion of the film below.


Jude Law confirmed that this movie will be a “who’s side are you on story,” where the “wizards within the Wizarding World will be asked whose side they’re on. The depths and the darkness of this story are some of the darkest this franchise has gone.” Ezra Miller chimed in “Definitely” in confirmation.

Law continued with his take on Dumbledore, “I love the fact that people keep calling him ‘young Dumbledore,” because I’m 45,” he laughed. “…There’s a long way to go between this Dumbledore and the one we see here. David Yates our director really let me free to establish him on my own here, but I hope he’ll have some familiar traits. He’s still mischievous and…he still has this ability to manipulate people.”

The panel was then surprise interrupted by Johnny Depp appearing in full costume, in character as Grindelwald giving an ominous speech. “It has been said that I hate the muggles, the no-mag, the can’t-spells, I do not hate them,” Depp said in character, giving fans an insight into Grindelwald’s personality. Depp immediately left the stage after his performance.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is being directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling, and produced by David Heyman. The film Opens in theaters November 16, 2018.Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Poster

City of Lies Trailer #1 (2018) “Who Shot Biggie?”

City of Lies, the crime drama that follows the investigation behind the unsolved murder of the Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, following the death of Tupac Shakur, has released its first trailer.

Based on the book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan, the film stars Johnny Depp as LAPD detective Russell Poole and Forest Whitaker as journalist Jack Johnson. The two team in an attempt to solve the mystery of the rapper’s death and the conspiracy to cover up the case.

“Why is this case so important to you?” Johnson asks in the beginning of the trailer. Poole responds, “A murder like that only goes unsolved if the police don’t want to solve it.”

After discussing some theories regarding Smalls’ death, Johnson asserts, “If we could prove the connection between cop and Biggie’s murder, it would not only break the LAPD…” Poole finishes the thought: “It would ruin the city.”

Brad Furman directed the movie, which was produced by Miriam Segal’s Good Films.
City of Lies is set to bow Sept. 7.


*Text from The Hollywood Reporter

City of Lies

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Trailer #1 (2018) *Who Will Stand Against the Darkness?*

At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.

In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Here’s a breakdown of the photo:

Pictured from left to right: Jude Law plays a young Albus Dumbledore, taking on the mantle of one of J.K. Rowling’s most beloved characters; Ezra Miller makes a return as the enigmatic Credence, whose fate was unknown at the end of the first film; Claudia Kim appears as a Maledictus, the carrier of a blood curse that destines her ultimately to transform into a beast; Zoe Kravitz plays Leta Lestrange, who had once been close to Newt Scamander but is now engaged to his brother; Callum Turner joins the cast as Newt’s older brother, Theseus Scamander, a celebrated war hero and the Head of the Auror Office at the British Ministry of Magic; Katherine Waterston returns as Tina Goldstein, who has been reinstated as an Auror for MACUSA; Eddie Redmayne stars again as wizarding world Magizoologist Newt Scamander, who has now gained fame in the wizarding world as the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Dan Fogler reprises the role of the only No-Maj in the group, Jacob Kowalski; Alison Sudol reprises the part of Tina’s free-spirited sister, Queenie Goldstein, a Legilimens who can read minds; and Johnny Depp returns as the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is being directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling, and produced by David Heyman. The film Opens in theaters November 16, 2018.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Poster

Movie Review: Murder on the Orient Express (2017) *The Scenery Is Nice, But The Ride Is Bumpy*

 

Johnny Depp in Murder on the Orient Express
It’s difficult to know how to review Murder on the Orient Express.  Should it be judged against the 1970s film?  Should it be held against the Agatha Christie novel it adapts?  In the end, I decided to judge it on its on merits as a standalone film.  To that standard, the picture is well-acted with a great ensemble.  Kenneth Branagh does well as the lead, but in the direction and especially the screenplay the film is choppy and almost unbearably expository in its climax.  It looks absolutely fantastic, but I doubt Murder is going to inspire a Christie renaissance or have a tremendous impact on the box office.  It’s not awful, but it’s not anywhere near what it should be, and that won’t be enough to attract an audience not already in love with the source material.


Continue reading Movie Review: Murder on the Orient Express (2017) *The Scenery Is Nice, But The Ride Is Bumpy*

In Theaters This Week (11/10/2017): Murder on the Orient Express, Daddy’s Home 2, Three Billboards

Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in Daddy's Home 2

Each Thursday we look at what is going to be coming out in theaters this weekend, show you the trailers for the big releases, predict the box office winner and just generally give you enough of a carrot to pull you through the rest of the work week.  This week brings three very different films to theaters, but can any of them knock the Odinson off his throne? (No) Continue reading In Theaters This Week (11/10/2017): Murder on the Orient Express, Daddy’s Home 2, Three Billboards