Hello, everyone! It’s One Of Us’ weekly article series, “The Weekly Wrap-Up.” Covering everything from film announcements to comic books, “The Weekly Wrap-Up” ensures that the biggest stories of the week are analyzed and discussed by our team of writers. This week we cover news about the Transformers franchise, the first trailer for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s zombie film, Maggie, and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool costume.
The X-Files Six-Episode Season
Special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Diana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are finally returning to television in a special six-episode season of The X-Files. Originally running from 1993 to 2002, The X-Files is arguably one of the most successful genre programs ever to air on television. Focusing on extraterrestrials, monsters and secret conspiracies, the series eventually spawned two-feature length films, The X-Files (1998) and The X-Files: I Want to Believe(2008).
Series creator Chris Carter has since released a statement about the return of The X-Files, highlighting how Mulder and Scully’s relationship has changed over time.
“We’re going to tell X-Files the way that we’ve always told them; we will of course set them in the time and place that they exist. We’re telling contemporary stories about contemporary situations, true to Mulder and Scully’s characters and their relationship and the passage of time.”
Honestly, as excited as I am for more X-Files, I can’t help but feel a little worried. The last time we saw Mulder and Scully was in the critical and commercial flop, The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Even the last several seasons of the show were rather disappointing. If Carter and his writers want to recapture what made The X-Files so great in the first place, they need to make it an episodic series. Instead of focusing on a single plotline that continues throughout the entire season, they should have each episode act a “Monster-of-the-Week” story. As X-Files fans know, “Home,” “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Response” and “Host” were some of the best standalone episodes of the entire series.
Currently, The X-Files has no set premiere date.
Maggie Trailer
There’s a deadly zombie epidemic threatening humanity, but Wade (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a small-town farmer and family man, refuses to accept defeat even when his daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin) becomes infected. As Maggie’s condition worsens and the authorities seek to eradicate those with the virus, Wade is pushed to the limits in an effort to protect her. Directed by Henry Hobson, Joely Richardson also co-stars in the post-apocalyptic thriller.
I’ll admit, when I first heard about a zombie film starring the Austrian Oak, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I expected to see another ridiculous action trailer with a tired and elderly looking Schwarzenegger barely able to keep up with what’s happening around him. Instead, Maggie seems to be a science-fiction/drama with Arnie actually acting his age. Sure, the trailer hints at a few action sequences, but nothing that looks to be outlandish or over-the-top. Personally, seeing Schwarzenegger as a quiet, introspective man concerned for his daughter’s well-being is pretty refreshing. Maggie will be released in theatres May 8, 2015.
Jubilee Cast in X-Men: Apocalypse
Confirmed via his Instagram, Director Bryan Singer (X-Men: Days of Future Past) has announced that Lana Condor has been cast as Jubilee in X-Men: Apocalypse. Previously, Jubilee has been portrayed by Katrina Florence in X-Men and Kea Wong in X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand in short cameo appearances. Condor herself is an unknown, having no previous acting credits.
Originally created in 1989, Jubilation Lee was featured prominently in X-Men comics during the 1990s.Traumatized by the death of her parents, Jubilee took refuge in a Beverly Hills mall, later discovering she had the ability to create pyrotechnic energy plasmids (fireworks) with her hands. Eventually rescued by the X-Men while being hunted by professional mutant hunters, Jubilee entered Professor Charles Xavier’s school as a student, forming a strong father-daughter relationship with Wolverine. Recently, Jubilee has adopted a baby and become a vampire (I’m not making this up).
X-Men: Apocalypse will hit theatres May 27, 2016.
Paramount Wants a Transformers Film Universe
For everyone who was clamoring for such a thing to happen, prepare to have a Transformers Cinematic Universe. Deadline broke the news that Akiva Goldsman, series director Michael Bay, executive producer Steven Spielberg and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura will form a writer’s room to plot out ideas for “a multi-part Transformers sequel and potential spinoffs.”
Obviously, Paramount is trying to do two things; 1) continue the cash cow Transformers franchise that has earned them over $3 billion worldwide and 2) ride the Marveland Star Wars universe building trend for all it’s worth. Admittingly, I’m not the most savvy expert on the overall Transformers universe, but the cinematic productions that have come out since Bay started helming the franchise in 2007 haven’t really conveyed enough plot to fill up four two and a half hour long films, let alone any sort of spinoffs or multi-part efforts. Still, I’ve at least seen glimpses of potential based on some of the recent Transformers media, like the video game Fall of Cybertron. Perhaps with directors outside of Bay (and hopefully his Platinum Dunes arsenal of workman like directors), we could see this franchise spawn into something worth watching… or could go even worse.
Ryan Reynolds Reveals Deadpool Costume
In 2016, Deadpool will grace the silver screen in his own movie. Now we have a confirmation of what Ryan Reynolds will be wearing when he dons the suit. Reynolds revealed the first official photo of the costume via his Twitter account, with a shot of Deadpool lying a on a bear skin rug in front of a fire place, mimicking a similar photo Burt Reynolds took back in the 70s which Ryan also posted.
This image inspires a lot of confidence in the project, much like the concept video did when it was leaked last summer. In fact, the suit looks pretty similar to the one shown in the test footage. Plus, the bear skin rug cheesiness confirms that the film will stick close to the irreverent humor of the character as Reynolds has promised. Now all we have to see is the character in action, breaking the fourth wall while breaking faces. Here’s hoping for a teaser in the near future.
Deadpool opens February 12th, 2016 and will feature Reynolds, T.J. Miller, Morena Baccarin and Gina Carano.
