Lineup includes director Ryan Coogler's "Creed" starring Michael B. Jordan
By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) --When "Fruitvale Station" director Ryan Coogler approached Sylvester Stallone about making another "Rocky" movie, Stallone thought he was insane. The creator of the "Rocky" saga told the CinemaCon audience on Tuesday that the Rocky journey had ended.
Stallone soon realized that Coogler's idea for "Creed" was something else entirely.
"It's the beginning of a new era, the beginning of a new journey," he said of the tale of Apollo Creed's son, Adonis, who is played by Michael B. Jordan.
The character of Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers) died in the ring in 1985's "Rocky IV."
Theater owners at the annual conference for exhibitors got a first look at a trailer for the film as a part of Warner Bros. massive presentation of their film slate through 2016. Paramount presented their lineup earlier in the day and the other major studios have demonstrations scheduled for later in the week.
In "Creed," Rocky Balboa (Stallone) comes out of retirement to train Adonis.
Coogler said the idea came from his relationship with his father, who was a massive Rocky fan.
Warner Bros. pummeled exhibitors at CinemaCon with trailer after trailer of its extensive slate, trotting out stars like Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara, Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer and Henry Cavill to preview upcoming films like "Hot Pursuit," ''Magic Mike XXL," and "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."
While most of the presentation stayed highly scripted and fast-moving with trailers that audiences have seen before, Warner Bros. did have a few surprises in store.
One of the more notable previews showed a first look at a nearly unrecognizable Johnny Depp as the notorious gangster Whitey Bulger in the film "Black Mass."
With thinning blond hair slicked back meticulously, disarming grayish blue eyes, and speckled, pink skin, Depp is transformed into a menacing presence in the generation-spanning story about the alliance between Bulger and the FBI.
"This is a film about the abuse of power," said director Scott Cooper. "In the city of Boston at this time, criminals and lawmen were virtually indistinguishable."
Depp, he said, gives a "performance for the ages."
Warner Bros. also showed the first preview of "Point Break," a modern reimagining of Kathryn Bigelow's 1991 surfer criminals cult classic.
The update is a film for the X-Games generation. Starring Luke Bracey and Edgar Ramirez, the criminals aren't just surfers this time — they're into extreme sports of all kinds.
In one sequence, we see a group jump off a mountain wearing only wingsuits. They fly through narrow mountain crevices for minutes.
And yet, for as fake and videogame-like as it might look on the screen, the entire stunt was real, the audience learned.
One film that did not get any special treatment, though, was "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice." The studio showed only the trailer, which was released online last week, and brought no one from the film out to talk about it, even though Henry Cavill had already appeared onstage to discuss "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More