February is winding down and that means the Oscars are right around the corner. A lot of news has been hitting the internet in recent weeks, and it’s all exciting stuff. This week sees Dune: Part Two killing it with critics, Stephen King calling out a studio, lots of Borderland updates, and more.
As always, Atom Insider brings you a few hand-picked stories we think you’ll like. Ready? Let’s dive in.
Dune: Part Two Is Getting Great Reviews
The first Dune was quite well-received, but it was hard to gauge exactly how successful Denis Villeneuve’s movie was with it dropping in the middle of the ongoing pandemic. Now that theaters are fully operational again, Dune: Part Two, will have a fair crack at theaters, and judging from reviews, it will be big. Reviews for the sequel sci-fi epic are in and they’re great. Outlets like NPR, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, and Screen Rant are raving about it, with particular praise going to the performances of Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, and the sheer eye-popping spectacle of it. The latter certainly tracks as Villeneuve has made a name for himself in the past decade for having an eye for visually stunning sci-fi.
If there’s one complaint about the movie, it’s simply that it has a lot of moving pieces – but, considering the source material, that’s not a surprise. Still, most notable reviewers have agreed that the complexity is more than easy to handle and everything else is staggeringly good. Pulling off his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune novels was always going to be an unwieldy plane for Denis Villeneuve, but so far, he’s 2 for 2.
Get tickets to Dune: Part Two.
Borderlands Movie Drops First Look And Poster
And now for something fun! Eli Roth’s adaptation of the Borderlands video game has quietly been toiling away. This week saw Lionsgate drop the first look and first poster for the movie. It also dropped the trailer (which you can watch below in the Trailers & Clips of the Week section). In the meantime, above is that first look and below is the poster:
Based on the wildly popular video games, Borderlands takes place on the fictional desert planet of Pandora, where explorers and raiders known as vault hunters vie for treasure and resources. The synopsis for the movie reads:
After returning to her home-planet Pandora, infamous outlaw, Lilith, is given a dangerous mission and forms an alliance (and potential friendship) with other criminals; including former mercenary Roland, demolitionst Tiny Tina and her protector Krieg, insane scientist Tannis, and the wisecracking robot Claptrap. The mission: find and protect the missing (and important) daughter of a very powerful man named Atlas. Although, things may not be as they seem, as the girl holds the key to great power, one that can change the fate of the entire universe.
Borderlands is in theaters August 9, 2024.
Stephen King Is Not Happy Abou Warner Bros. Delaying ‘Salem’s Lot’s Release
One of the most anticipated – and then disappointing – Stephen King adaptations was the upcoming remake of ‘Salem’s Lot, which was originally slated for a 2022 release but since then has seemed to be stuck in a holding pattern with no clear explanation as to why. The King of Horror himself took to Twitter (or X, as some call it) to express his confusion and disappointment about Warner Bros. continuing to hold the movie back and delay its release:
“Between you and me, Twitter, I’ve seen the new SALEM’S LOT and it’s quite good,” King wrote. “Old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff. Not sure why WB is holding it back; not like it’s embarrassing, or anything. Who knows. I just write the f**king things.”
His frustration is shared by horror fans who have been looking forward to the release of the adaptation. Gary Dauberman, the writer of the hugely successful It movies, as well as a few of the Annabelle movies, and director of Annabelle Comes Home is the director of the ‘Salem’s Lot movie. Clearly, the man knows how to handle Stephen King, but Warner Bros. apparently does not agree – though it should be noted that official and unofficial statements about the project have come with the caveat that any changes are not a reflection of its quality.
‘Salem’s Lot was shot all the way back in 2021, but the release date was bumped from 2022, then to 2023, and then it was pulled off the release schedule entirely. There was talk last year of Warner Bros. Discovery eyeballing sending the movie to Max instead of theaters in order to bolster more content for the streaming service in the wake of the writers’ and actors’ strikes, but that never materialized. Considering WBD’s recent alarming history of scrapping finished movies for tax breaks, it’s fair to wonder if the same will happen to ‘Salem’s Lot.
Gareth Edwards Replaces David Leitch On Jurassic World 4
A few weeks ago, it was reported that Jurassic World 4 had tapped David Leitch to direct. That partnership died as soon as it began, however, as shortly thereafter, it was revealed that Leitch had left the project. However, Universal already has a replacement lined up and he’s a great choice. News broke this week that Gareth Edwards had been chosen to helm the new Jurassic World movie; original Jurassic Park writer David Koepp is still on board for the script.
Edwards is a great fit for the next Jurassic movie. With movies like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Creator under his belt, he’s shown himself adept at handling epic, large-scale sci-fi while ensuring the depth of human characters doesn’t get lost in the spectacle. It’s not yet known what Jurassic World 4 will be about, but after the arguable stumble of Jurassic World Dominion, the upcoming movie is said to be a complete reboot of the franchise.
Jurassic World 4 is currently slated for a release date of July 2, 2025.
Sam Mendes & Sony Team Up For A Wildly Ambitious 4-Movie Beatles Project
One of the most ambitious projects in years was just announced this week, and it’s an exciting one for any Beatles fan. Longtime James Bond director Sam Mendes and Sony are joining forces for a series of four different theatrical movies about The Beatles, one for each member of the group. In a first, it is the first time Apple Corps Ltd., the surviving members of The Beatles (Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr), and the families of the late George Harrison and John Lennon, have granted full rights for a film. That includes both life rights and music rights, an unprecedented level of access that has always been off the table.
The ambitious project and the vision behind it is all Sam Mendes. While he’s not writing the scripts – writers are currently being sought – his plan is for each of the four movies to be interconnected, with each one being told through the perspective of a different member of the band. Reportedly, McCartney and Starr are thrilled about it, and the families of Lennon and Harrison are equally excited, with Starr taking to social media to express his excitement:
If Mendes can pull off the clear vision he has in his head – and considering his track record, he certainly will – this could end up being one of the coolest movie projects ever crafted in Hollywood.
Trailers & Clips of the Week
And now, your trailers and clips of the week
Borderlands – Official Trailer
Jack Black as Claptrap is genius.
Civil War – Official Trailer 2
This feels a little too prescient…
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – Official Trailer 2
We’re not saying we’d die for Baby Kong but – actually, yeah, we would.
Challengers – Official Trailer 2
Let the Zendaya supremacy spread!
