So I was wrong, and The Shape of Water won the big awards at the Oscars. And I haven't watched it yet, but I'm gonna call this a retroactive award for Pacific Rim and be happy. This is Films & TV Friday.
News
Jon Favreau gets a Star War all his own.
The Iron Man director will show-run a new Star Wars tv show that will air on Disney's upcoming Netflix competitor. I'm conflicted. Favreau certainly has the chops, and he's a fan. But Wonder Woman and Black Panther have proven what many of us have been saying for a long time: that's it's past time to let some people who aren't white dudes a chance at the big geeky blockbusters. We need fresh perspectives. Star Wars needs fresh perspectives.
Cheetah Wiig
Speaking of Wonder Woman, Kristen Wiig has been confirmed as Cheetah in the film's sequel. Cheetah is a classic WW foe, and Wiig is a terrific actress. I am very much here for this. I hope having Wiig around also means the WW sequel will be funnier than the first film.
Disappointing Wrinkle?
The reviews are in for Ava DuVernay's adaptation of A Wrinkle in time, and they are a collective "meh." I still hope and expect to like it a lot. We'll see how it does.
Wide Release Films Opening This Weekend:
| Film | # of Theaters |
|---|---|
| A Wrinkle in Time | 3,980 |
| Strangers: Prey at Night | 2,464 |
| Gringo | 2,404 |
| The Hurricane Heist | 2,402 |
Source: BoxOfficeMojo
So this is Wrinkle plus 3 fairly random movies, and with the early reviews and Thursday returns for Wrinkle, it looks like another week at the top for Black Panther.
TV Show Premieres This Week
| Show | Season | Country | Network or Service | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.I.C.O. Incarnation | 1 | Worldwide | Netflix | Friday | n/a |
| Love | 3 | Worldwide | Netflix | Friday | n/a |
| Sneaky Pete | 3 | Worldwide | Amazon | Friday | 3AM EST |
| American Ninja Warrior | 10 | US | NBC | Sunday | 8PM EST |
| American Idol | 16 | US | ABC | Sunday | 8PM EST |
| Deception | 1 | US | ABC | Sunday | 10PM EST |
| Rise | 1 | US | NBC | Tuesday | 10PM EST |
| For The People | 1 | US | ABC | Tuesday | 10PM EST |
Source: The Futon Critic
That's a bunch of shows, huh? You may be surprised to learn that the one I'm most interested is American Idol. In my 10 Facts and 1 Lie post, I totally should have put in "wrote a popular weekly column about American Idol. No one would have guessed it, and it's 100% true. I loved the show for a few seasons before I stopped caring. Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are the judges, and I have NO idea how that will go. I'll give it a shot.
Trailers
Interesting bunch this week. Let's take a look.
Submergence
Honestly, this looks like 3 different films, at least. But it's Wim Wenders, who used to make great films, and the cast is very good.
Mary Poppins Returns
They had me at Lin-Manuel Miranda. And at Emily Blunt. I really want this to be great. Can it please be great?
Christopher Robin
I have waaaay less faith in this being good. I mean... is this a gritty Pooh movie? Who wanted that?
Tully
Diablo Cody and Jason Ritter make smart films. Charlize Theron is super great. Maybe I'll watch this at home one day.
The Seagull
So... is Saoirse Ronan in all the movies now? I mean, we had a trailer with her for a different depressing adaptation last week. This thing has a terrific cast, but do I want to watch a Chekhov movie? Not unless it's the one from Star Trek.
Show Dogs
Is... is this Miss Congeniality with a dog in the Sandra Bullock role? This looks awful.
The Grinch
Ugh. Do. Not. Want.
The House of Tomorrow
This looks like a Wes Anderson movie, except not as pretty. And I'm here for it! Certainly looks like the best film of this week's lot. Unless the new Mary Poppins is great. Have I mentioned how much I hope it's great?
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