We’ve got so much to talk about this week, but we’ll start with some relief for all those sci-fi nuts out there: Blade Runner 2049 is awesome. That’s according to DT contributor Phil Hornshaw (who was one of the lucky few to attend the advanced screening), as well as just about every other reviewer who’s seen the ridiculously hyped film. With about 40 reviews in, 2049 is garnering an impressive 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but more importantly, it’s coming in at just under a 9-out-of-10 average score. We’ll talk about why our reviewer thinks this film is destined to ink its own indelible mark in the hallowed history of sci-fi greats.
And while the rest of us will have to wait till next week to get our Blade Runner kicks, there’s also plenty to talk about from the current week in entertainment today, including another anticipated movie you can actually watch today from Mr. Tom Cruise. We’re talking about American Made, the film that features Cruise as a drug-running pilot working for the CIA, which is garnering its own high marks with critics. Our steadfast entertainment writer Rick Marshall says it’s Cruise at his best and most fun, and after 30 years and more hit movies than you can count on all your fingers and toes for the superstar, that’s saying something.
Of course, there’s another movie in theaters this week, one that no one asked for and presumably few are excited about. Yes, that’s pretty harsh, but did we really need a reboot of Flatliners? The answer is no. We called this one when we saw the first Flatliners trailer, and it’s … it’s not going well. The reviews have been merciless. Pro tip: Forget that movie exists and go see American Made.
Outside of the box office, there’s plenty more to talk about this week, including the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery. After months and months of pushback, 10s of millions of dollars spent, the loss of the show’s original showrunner, Bryan Fuller, and a barricade behind the CBS All Access firewall, there were plenty of reasons for this series to fail. We’ll tell you why we think it won’t, and how CBS is crafting a new kind of Star Trek series that’s very much of the essence of the era.
Also this week, we’ll be discussing new casting for Sony’s Venom movie, Ant-Man and Wasp villain news, our Stephen King block of news (which is really becoming a thing now), Han Solo news, the latest trailer from the director of Ex Machina, Alex Garland, and more.
So tune in and hit us up live at 2 p.m. PT today, or take us along for the ride with our podcast version by following the links at the top of this story.
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