Some of the most interesting movie news from the last few days:
Can Disney re-ignite the Western? New posters and exclusive interviews about its upcoming blockbuster The Lone Ranger were released this week. Johnny Depp’s co-star Ruth Wilson says, “Westerns were epic, they worked because they had big characters, big landscapes, big stakes. This has all those but in some ways transcends the genre. You won’t have seen anything like it.” Read more here.
Jim Carrey is teaming up with Ace Ventura director Steve Oedederk again to make the comedy Ricky Stanicky, a film about a group of friends who have always relied on a made-up scapegoat to get them out of trouble. When their spouses demand to meet Ricky, they hire an actor to play him. Hijinks, of course, ensue. Read more about the film here.
Fans of Jess Walter’s 2012 novel Beautiful Ruins, rejoice: the film adaptation has found a director. Todd Field also directed In the Bedroom and Little Children. Read more here.
China unexpectedly cancelled all screenings of Django Unchained, leaving Sony Pictures in shock. The film’s violence and sexuality passed a preliminary review by Chinese officials, who had the studio make a few minor tweaks before okaying a Chinese release. What happened in Beijing since then is anyone’s guess right now. Read more here.
A new report shows a gloomy future for movie theaters. Bond analysis firm Fitch Ratings released a report forecasting declines in attendance and a dropoff in success of 3D movies, and predicted that rising ticket and concession prices would not be able to offset the decline in attendance. Read more here, and expect a heated debate in the comments.
