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 the trailer for Dark Places, the adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Micro and Jared Leto’s method-acting for the Joker.
Michael Crichton’s Micro Film Adaptation
With Jurassic World destroying box office expectations in theatres, DreamWorks Studios has announced that they have acquired the film rights to another property created by Author Michael Crichton (Congo, Jurassic Park), Micro, published several years after his death in 2008. According to DreamWork’s press release, Micro is a high-concept thriller that follows a group of graduate students lured to Hawaii to work for a mysterious biotech company. Due to a series of improbable events, the students find themselves miniaturized and cast out into the rain forest, with nothing but their scientific expertise and wits to protect them. Frank Marshall (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Who Framed Roger Rabbit) will serve as the film’s producer.
Steven Spielberg also spoke about the acquisition, and was pleased to see another work by Crichton being adapted for the big screen.
“We are so pleased to have this opportunity to develop Micro. For Michael, size did matter whether it was for Jurassic’s huge dinosaurs or Micro’s infinitely tiny humans.”
It’s not at all surprising that studios are looking to adapt more of Crichton’s books, especially with Jurassic World becoming the highest grossing movie of 2015 so far. Though I have not read Micro, the novel has remained a best-seller for years, and was described by Crichton before his death as “an adventure story like Jurassic Park.” If Micro is able to get a talented director and writer on board, then I think we’re in for a really fun science-fiction thriller, or at least a terrifying version of Marvel’s Ant-Man.
Dark Places Trailer
Last year, David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s mystery-thriller Gone Girl captivated audiences with its dark tone and fantastic performances. Director Giles Paquet-Brenner is looking to achieve the same thing by adapting Dark Places, another novel written by Flynn.
Starring Chalize Theron as Libby Day, the only surviving witness to the brutal murders of her mother and sisters, Dark Places follows Libby as she is contacted by group of crime investigators/fanatics who believe that her brother (Corey Stoll), the man accused of killing her family, is actually innocent. Looking to finally uncover the truth, Libby must confront her estranged-brother and discern what actually happened on the night her family was killed. In addition to Theron and Stoll, Dark Places co-stars Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks, Chloe Grace Moretz and Tye Sheridan.
Dark Places will creep its way into theatres August 7, 2015.
Jared Leto’s Gifts For Suicide Squad Co-Stars
It’s common knowledge among many performers and directors that have worked with him that Jared Leto (American Psycho, Chapter 27) is a method actor. Losing over 40 lbs for his Oscar-winning role in Dallas Buyers Club, Leto has continued to prove that he is extremely dedicated to the characters he is portraying, and he seems to be applying that same level of dedication to the Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad.
Recently in an interview with E! News, Suicide Squad’s Slipknot (Adam Beach) revealed that Leto had been sending his castmates Joker-inspired gifts. Along with a love letter to Margot Robbie, the film’s Harley Quinn, Leto has also sent her a box containing a live rat. Will Smith, who is playing Deadshot, also received a letter, some bullets and a dead hog.
Suicide Squad will be released in theatres August 5, 2016.
