‘Fast 8’ Heads To Iceland

 

It seems like the Fast and Furious franchise will continue its globetrotting ways with the latest instalment heading to the frigid landscape of Iceland.

News comes via The Iceland Review where the Mayor of Akrones, Regína Ásvaldsdóttir, informed the locals of the impending film production hitting their town. Stating that “surely, this is an extensive project and will affect retail and service in town,” she also confirmed that production crew would arrive in early April.

Iceland joins as the second location for the eighth Fast and Furious sequel with long-standing franchise mainstay Vin Diesel having already confirmed that New York will also see car-combat hit its streets. The action star also revealed back in November last year that the car and crime series would start generating spin-offs, with the actor stating that “we’ve written out story lines for various characters.”

Diesel has already disclosed in the past that Fast 8 will start a new trilogy of films which will take the franchise to 10 in total. It could also be possible that the next film will also lay groundwork for the spin-offs discussed with new cast members and characters jumping on board to veer off into another Fast and Furious adventure.

Straight Outta Compton (2015) Director F. Gary Gray will take the wheel on the project which is expected to crash onto our screens  April 14, 2017.

Woah, that was a lot of puns.

For all you Diesel-Powered-Movie-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx.com

Legendary And Warner Confirm Shared King Kong & Godzilla Universe

Tom Hiddleston and the Cadbury gorilla, what more could women want?

Two reboots, check. A shared universe, check. Commence Monster-Mash franchise, check-check-check. Rumours have been circulating for a while now that the planned Legendary produced Kong: Skull Island was the beginning of a planned shared universe involving Legendary’s critically acclaimed reboot of Godzilla. Those rumours were proven right today with the announcement of a Marvel-like Universe with the two Goliath’s and as-of-yet unannounced monster buddies.

In a press release for both companies, they outlined their vision going forward: “All-powerful monsters become towering heroes for a new generation, revealing a mythology that brings together Godzilla and Legendary’s King Kong in an ecosystem of other giant super-species, both classic and new. Monarch, the human organisation that uncovered Godzilla in the 2014 film, will expand their mission across multiple releases.”

This announcement retroactively makes Godzilla an origin story for the organisation Monarch who seem pivotal in the franchise going forward. Of course you will all remember that Bryan Cranston played what everyone assumed was a big role in the Godzilla reboot after coming off his starring role as Walter White in the hugely popular Breaking Bad only to **Spoilers** die earlier on in the film. I can only assume that the producers are kicking themselves given that Cranston’s Joe Brody would have served as a perfect protagonist for the franchise going forward. I hope my bitterness comes across. Stupid Legendary.

With Godzilla (2014) serving as the starting point for the franchise, the upcoming Kong: Skull Island will serve as the second film and reboot for the giant ape. Followed by Godzilla 2 (2018) and Godzilla vs. King Kong serving as the Monster-Assemble movie in 2020. Production on Kong: Skull Island begins next week (October 19th) with a cast including Tom Hiddleston, Sam Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Tian Jing, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham and Toby Kebbell.

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 Let’s hope they bring back these special effects, just kidding 😉

With this announcement cementing the franchise going forward, eagle eyed viewers will be watching Kong carefully to see if groundwork is laid for the franchises future. If any actor is a contender for taking the monster franchise forward on his back, Tom Hiddleston seems likely given that his run with Marvel is often served on an appearance demand basis. Could the British actor have his eyes set for another franchise in the future? We will have to see when Kong: Skull Island is released in 2018.

The New Power Rangers Movie: 5 Things That Could Be Awesome

Who’s your fave Power Ranger?

With the news out of Lionsgate that their Power Rangers Movie would carry on the long history that is more than 20 years of Power Ranger awesome-ness. It got me thinking about possible advantageous storylines and plot points that would benefit from fitting into the Power Rangers continuity rather than planting a flag pole with the ever easy route of Reboot-mania.

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1. Is that a Power Ranger or are you just pleased to see me?

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 Zordon is happy to see you

Number one on the Hitlist is the obvious cameo opportunities that arise from continuing the Rangers saga. With reports indicating that the current crop of young Rangers known as The Dino Charge Rangers (an on-the-nose yet respectful homage to the original Mighty Morphin era) will be popping up in a passing-of-the-mantle opening scene. Wouldn’t it be great if the cameo’s didn’t stop there?

As any fan of the series know Saban are unafraid to crossover Rangers from one iteration to other, with a common practice of having one or two crossover episode per-season. Or sometimes casting a fan favourite in a whole season such as Tommy Oliver’s return in 2004’s Dino Thunder as mentor Doctor ‘O and the new black ranger, I know, weird right?

So what stops Lionsgate from digging deep into the plethora of past Rangers and use as integral parts of the story or just a fun nod to the millions of fans out there who’d get a kick outta seeing their favourite Ranger return. I mean, we all got one right?

2. The ‘Franks’ effect

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 Would you want to see the ‘iconic’ Tommy Oliver in the movie?

Since his turn as everyones first and favourite Green Ranger Tommy Oliver. Jason David Franks has been unable to shake-off that Green Helmet which has overshadowed much of his career away from the Rangers screen. Whats cool about Franks however is that he is still totally stoked to be ‘Your’ Green Ranger. A consummate professional still to this day, he is forever a fixture at numerous comic-cons and Power Ranger centric events. Franks service to the Power Rangers franchise should be recognised with a significant role in the new film.

Not only would his stature and history with the series bring gravitas to the film but it will attract those 90’s kids that would get a serious nostalgia trip from seeing Franks’ Tommy Oliver on the big screen again.

After all, no one can deliver the often corny lines that come part and parcel with the Power Rangers with a po-faced and serious attitude to back it up than Franks.

3. Whats in a Name?

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 Are the names important?

I’m swinging wild with this one but hear me out. According to a release character description of the central five teenagers in the film that had some very familiar names to an audience of a certain 90’s era. It lead many to believe that Jason, Billy, Zack, Kimberly and Trini would once again return to our screens with new faces in a reboot of the Mighty Morphin era of the show. A kibosh however was thrown on that theory when Lionsgate confirmed that this movie would serve as a continuation of the series. But what if it wasn’t?

I ponder that question because reports from the studio also liken their movie to a reboot in the same vain as Doctor Who’s very own reboot-ish that bullet pointed the end of the classic era of Who with a new story going forward but still acknowledged what came before.

My best bet would indicate that this is the course of action that Lionsgate will indeed follow but what about those pesky names?

Many others have guessed that their could be a mystical explanation for the names, possible a parentage connection that if you ask me sounds too hokey to be a viable candidate. No, I believe that those names have been chosen as an obvious full-stop indicator in a fresh start for a Movie cinematic universe that will grow alongside the tv one.

My evidence? I have none other than I don’t see Lionsgate wasting time on an origin movie for five movie characters if they only end up passing on their powers to the next Tv Rangers at the films end or indeed the next Tv series start.

4. Two Teams, One Universe

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 Two teams? And yes this episode did happen!

The film landscape of the modern era has evolved. With the success of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe no new blockbuster these’s days is a one off. With everyone playing catch up to create their own universe that expands from film and Tv, to books and even graphic novels. DC is well underway with a quick construction of the Justice League in Dawn of Justice and those funny-men of the Ghostbusters are also jumping head-first into the franchise pool with an all-female movie reboot coming next year. With a rumoured new younger-hotter male team in the pipeline and an animated feature in the offing. And thats not forgetting Harry Potter, Fast and Furious, Star Wars, Star Trek, and The Hungers Games franchised to-the-nines … phew.

So are you telling me that Lionsgate wont go that route with a new kick-ass team of Power Rangers?

Of course Saban would continue to produce new combinations of Power Rangers for their Tv audience but that doesn’t stop Lionsgate from starting their own story that compliments both universes. With the Rangers already getting a graphic novel sometime in the future, it seems that Saban and Lionsgate already have the groundwork for a shared universe already in the works. All is left is for the Movie to complete the trifecta.

5. That Short Film

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 If you haven’t see this I seriously recommend  it – @Skatronixxx

This list could hardly be relevant without mentioning that short film which took the internet by storm but in the process, infuriated Saban who eventually succeeded in getting the film taken off Vimeo and YouTube due to copyright infringement.

That aside, producer Adi Shankar defended the film as his comment on Hollywoods obsession with reboots and their total lack of empathy for the source material. Demonstrated in the shorts hyperbolic violence and brief nudity which obviously serves as an oxymoron to what Saban’s Power Rangers are all about. Comic-book violence that takes place within a structured reality where good always triumphant over evil.

Although critical acclaimed with some former Rangers cast praising the film, it stands to reason that a Shankar-esque big screen Power Ranger film seems unlikely. It is ironic however that Lionsgate’s chosen director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) has been quoted as stating that the film will be “mature but also completely playful”. Indicating that obviously the film will be kid friendly but there may be more darker tones for adult viewers than you would initially assume.

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With the big screen return on The Power Rangers scheduled for release in 2017 and filming starting some-time next year. Stay tuned for updates for you favourite mighty-morphin’ team as we get it.

SKATRONIXXX’S THOUGHTS:- Wow what an great debut piece for the site @mitch_rated ! What do you think readers? Do you have any thoughts on a possible Power Rangers movie? If so let me @skatronixxx and @mitch_rated know on Twitter now