We got a year full of changes behind us, and, like it or not, another one in front of us. This year will be, in our opinion, the year we all will start adjusting to what happened and how the world changed in the past 12 months.
But we don't look at that with sadness or pessimism. We choose to look at it full of optimism, full of hope. Sure, some things will come to their end, or they will inevitably be changed so much we don't even recognize them, but that is progress as well. And we believe that the current situation will be playing in favour of emerging, aspiring and bold filmmakers willing to adapt to new conditions.
So, cheers to that and we wish you a great 2021!
This Week's Bullets
- Anthony Hopkins is a living legend, and around New Year's he sends his positive video messages to the world. Did you know though he just celebrated 45 years of sobriety?
- Blending virtual and physical world? That's where Disney is heading. Playing with VR while offering such experience in their theme parks. Anyway, have you tried their latest VR experience "Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge"?
- For a long (too long) time, the fantasy genre is the whitest one in the film industry. But finally, that era is, hopefully, coming to an end.
- The Gold Age of Television is not going away just yet. If you're dreaming about becoming a Showrunner, learn from the best (in 25 interviews).
- And if you are, just like Jiří, fans of VFX, you might be interested in watching the top 5 VFX moments of 2020.
This Week's Curated Articles
Film Industry Trends for 2021 by Raindance Film School
We've already talked about some trends that were out in the open last year, and you should watch for them in this one, but Raindance came up with few more, and we thought we'd like to share them with you.
Amongst those we found some that caught our eye:
- Embracing the Virtual World
- Short Films making a comeback
- Rise of Drive-in Cinemas
Shawn Mack
How 2020 Changed Hollywood, and the Movies, Forever
We’re maybe repeating ourselves, but the pandemic changed everything. Theatres were forced to close, studios tore up their release schedules, postponing some movies to next year and sending others to streaming services or digital rental platforms. If they wanted to showcase some movies, exhibitors had to accept that those titles would be available online sooner than usual. Crazy.
Lisa Bunnell, the president of distribution at Focus Features, said: “Whether you like it or not, the pandemic forced us to try things that would be harder to do in regular times”. And it’s true, but it’s here too long, don’t you think? Another point of view was summed up in the article by nofilmschool. They’re both worth reading!
Rebecca Rubin
Women Directed Record Number of 2020 Films
Hollywood monitored a recorded a number of women on a director's position on major movies in 2020. According to a new study from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University it is... wait for it... 16 % of directors working on the 100 top-grossing films in 2020.
I mean, sure, it is nicer than in 2019 (12 %) and even better than in 2018 (ridiculous 4 %), but still not-good-enough. Sorry guys, but we have lots of work to do here. But don't be sad, there is also some other good news in this article.
Brent Lang
Soon Every Movie Will Be Batman
I guess we all got used to prequels, sequels and reboots. But the hottest trend is to do simulquels. DC Films and WarnerMedia are planning to do multiple Batman movies at once with different actors, claiming, that they exist in a parallel time.
This isn't a completely new idea. Comic books have been working with a principle of 'multiverses' for some time already and for example, a new Spider-Man movie will have starring all the prior Spider-Man actors. If you love Batman, this is definitely good news for you. If not... well, what can we say. But actually, the idea is not that crazy, check it, read it, think about it.
George Edelman
Awards & Festival Window
2021 Oscars Predictions: All Awards Categories
You’ve definitely heard about postponing Oscars to April 2021, but what some of you might not have heard about is this – 2021 Oscars Predictions: All Awards Categories! New predictions and updates every Thursday, along with the Awards Circuit column and podcast. Well, we're in. How about you?
Clayton Davis
This Week's Recommendation
The Most Anticipated Movies Coming in 2021
Some of the most anticipated movies of 2020 were postponed and rescheduled for 2021. By those, we mean No Time to Die, Top Gun: Maverick or Dune. But what about all the others?
Janet W. Lee
We're coming to you with our top 5 selection aka the movies we can't wait for:
- Coming 2 America
- In the Heights
- The French Dispatch
- The Suicide Squad
- The Matrix 4 (couldn't have left that one out)
PS: Here you have a taste of In the Heights movie!
Trailer of the Week
WandaVision | Disney+
Have you heard about upcoming American television miniseries WandaVision created for Disney+?
It is based on Marvel Comics characters Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and Vision and the story takes places after the events of film Avengers: Endgame (2019). Do we need to say more?
