He’s not a bird, he’s not a plane — he’s a slightly drab, highly destructive version of Superman, and he’s getting a new movie. That’s right, folks, Man of Steel is coming back in a sequel — according to Mr. Steel’s manager, that is. Confirmed today by Henry Cavill’s manager, Dany Garcia, Man of Steel 2 is still in the works, and stands to help make her newly acquired client a “force globally,” according to a new interview Garcia gave recently for Newsweek. While that sounds like agent speak (and it is), coming from the woman who’s helped Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson become the biggest movie star on the planet, it holds some real weight.
The fact that this news is somewhat of a surprise speaks to just how complex the DC cinematic universe, known as the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), really is. While the first Man of Steel didn’t inspire a critical love fest exactly, it’s arguably the best-reviewed and most-respected of the three DCEU films (including Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad). As such, it’s been a bit odd waiting for a Man of Steel 2 confirmation from the studio. That’s been made all the more awkward as DC and Warner Bros. have laid out a ridiculously long line of films in their expansive superhero universe, including Avengers style team-up films, as well as solo films for Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Shazam, and even Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn (which Robbie will be co-producing).
In any event, along with Wonder Woman — which looks like it could just be the best film in the lexicon when it appears — Man of Steel 2 has potential to help the WB’s critically troubled (yet financially successful) DCEU turn the corner. The Ben Affleck-directed Batman film, which will bring in Deathstroke as the lead villain, also has some real potential. But so far, these podcasters have not been impressed with DC’s attempts to catch Marvel/Disney when it comes to making films that are both critically and financially successful. Of course, Man of Steel 2 is just one of the many topics we’ll be discussing on our live show/podcast starting at 2 p.m. PT. Oh, and welcome to Between the Streams, by the way!
We’ll also be discussing a whole mess of other topics, including our Weekend Box Office Preview, in which we discuss new movies premiering in theaters each week. Snowden, Oliver Stone’s take on the infamous story of Edward Snowden and his dispute with the United States government, is perhaps the biggest film in theaters this week. Digital Trends’ own Rick Marshall reviewed the film, and ended up enjoying it more than you’d expect considering the rather paltry scores from critics so far. The film has been getting guff for being too safe and just not all that interesting in its execution, and while Marshall agrees that Stone’s latest is one of many in his recent catalog that doesn’t stand up to his early work, he praised Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance for capturing Snowden and engaging the audience.
Also hitting theaters this week is Blair Witch, the reboot/sequel to the original film (which ignores the first sequel from 2000). The film looks to be a bit of a retread of the original, and the critics are giving it a pretty hard time for that en masse. That said, in our DT interview, star Jason Allen McCune intrigued with the talk of the new technology used to film Blair Witch, and John Gaudiosi, who conducted the interview, said he enjoyed it — though not as much as the original. Bottom line here is, if you loved the original Blair Witch, and it’s pioneering “found footage” style, the new film appears to be more of the same, and should induce at least a few scares. With the way the box office has been going as of late, we’ll take it.
However, the film we’re most excited about is actually (and surprisingly) a documentary. But not just any documentary, this is the Beatles, man. Ron Howard’s The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years also hits theaters this week. Packed with tons of new raw footage, interviews, and a major punch of music from the 1963-1966 era in which the Beatles went on an insane run of almost 900 shows, this film is sure to have any Beatles fan freaking out. (Can you tell we’re excited?)
And that’s not all. We’ll also be discussing a ton of other news this week, including a new Tupac movie, ESPN’s love for drone racing, and our own Emmy predictions leading into the ceremony this weekend. We’ll also be debuting a new segment called Reboot Recap, which will examine the scores of reboots constantly invading Hollywood. Did you know there is a Lethal Weapon TV series coming out next week with Damon Wayans as Murtaugh? Yeah, that’s a thing. We’ll discuss why it shouldn’t be, as well as going over some other gems making their way back to the small screen.
All that and more is coming up on today’s Between the Streams, so tune in at 2 p.m., or take us on the road via the links above!
