- Billboards and ads around this year’s San Diego Comic-Con demanded the release of “The Snyder Cut” of Justice League. That is some interesting financial investing, fans! It should be noted that my recent acceptance at Rotten Tomatoes was almost immediately accompanied by a DC dudebro on Twitter accusing me of being paid to perform sex acts on “Dizney” movies. You know, just like the vast majority of critics and other people with eyes and brains. Part of me absolutely, legitimately loves the passion these fans exhibit. They are die-hard and spending money in order to beg for something that very likely does not actually exist. The larger part of me hates that so many of them are frequently cruel and abusive on social media and that they aren’t as angry at Warner Bros. for constantly doing their beloved characters dirty as they are at those of us who point out said dirty doing. As a subscriber to the pretty great DC Universe streaming service, I promise, not only do I root for all upcoming DC movies, if there is a Snyder cut of Justice League and it does get released, I will check with my Dizney overlords to see if I can watch it!
- At first, the rumors about Quentin Tarantino and Star Trek were easy to ignore. However, although it remains super easy to make jokes about an inevitable alien race of sexy sentient feet and Sulu engaging the warp drive on N-bombs, it’s getting harder to deny the movie may actually happen. In recent interviews, Tarantino has said that he’s comfortable with a Star Trek movie being his 10th and final film and compared his proposed script to both The Wild Bunch and Pulp Fiction in space. It’s harder and harder for reasoned cinephiles to deny that QT comes with LaGuardia amounts of baggage to handle, but the prospect of a major film franchise bringing an established auteur on may blessedly open the floodgates. Could this mean Scorsese on Fast and Furious? I’m going to say yes. Feel free to start that rumor.
- In news I cannot believe is real, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach are going to write a Barbie movie, with Gerwig likely to direct. Who didn’t see Frances Ha and think “It is inevitable that the creative forces behind this movie will partner with Mattel on a cash-grab adaptation of a problematically beloved toy!” Again, like the previous item on this Cutting Room’s floor, if we are now approaching a point where uber-talented creators with definitive voices are actually allowed to shape familiar franchises in unique ways, I’m in. That said, Michel Gondry’s Green Hornet still burns.
- It’s a tale as old as time: the Thor giveth, but the Akira taketh away. That is to say, Taika Waititi and company will be back for Thor 4: More War Lore Galore (not the actual title). But Akira has again been put on hold “indefinitely.” “On hold indefinitely” is fancy-pants talk for “give up, nerds!” But, good news there, too, as Katsuhiro Otomo has confirmed he will direct an anime sequel series, which is probably the best possible outcome. If Hollywood made it, you just know Scarlett Johansson would have demanded to play Kaneda’s motorcycle or something.
Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on KVNO 90.7 on Wednesdays and follow him on Twitter @thereaderfilm.