The first trailer for director Edgar Wright’s new film The World’s End has been released online.  The story centers on five childhood friends (played by Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan, Paddy Considine, and Martin Freeman) going through an epic pub crawl in order to reach the fabled pub, “The World’s End”.  But as they make their way to the pub, they discover that the fate of humankind is on the line.  The first trailer illustrates exactly what’s in the logine with just a bit more revealed to tease audiences without giving everything away.  I love Pegg’s character already as he looks and acts completely different than either of the previous iterations of the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy.  It’s also nice to see Frost working a polar opposite from Shaun of the Dead’s Ed; I just hope Freeman gets a bigger part than his original outing.  This is going to be a long and excruciating wait.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Rosamund Pike.  The World’s End will be released in the U.K. on August 14th and in the U.S. on October 25th.

A new image from writer/director Edgar Wright’s upcoming film The World’s End has landed online.  The highly anticipated pic was written by Wright and Simon Pegg and centers on five childhood friends (played by Pegg, Frost, Eddie Marsan, Paddy Considine, and Martin Freeman) going through an epic pub crawl in order to reach the fabled pub, “The World’s End”.  But as they make their way to the pub, they discover that the fate of humankind is on the line.  This new image doesn’t shed any light on the plot device that triggers the titular event, but we do get another amusing look at “Goth Pegg” as well as “All-Business Freeman.”  We should learn a bit more about the pic when we see the film’s first trailer, which is expected soon.

Hit the jump to take a look at the new image.  The film also stars Rosamund Pike.  The World’s End opens in the UK on August 14th and in the US on August 23rd.

Two new images have been released for Edgar Wright‘s The World’s End.  The story centers on five childhood friends (played by Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan, Paddy Considine, and Martin Freeman) going through an epic pub crawl in order to reach the fabled pub, “The World’s End”.  But as they make their way to the pub, they discover that the fate of humankind is on the line.  The movie closes out the “Blood & Ice Cream” Trilogy started by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, but “It’s a much bigger proposition than the other two films,” says Pegg, who co-wrote the film with Wright.  There are twelve pubs on the crawl (you can see them listed on the Comic-Con poster), and Pegg tells Empire Magazine, “When you’ve seen the film, you’ll be able to relate each pub name to what happens inside.”  Your guess is as good as mine for what happens inside “The Famous Cock”.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The World’s End will be released in the U.K. on August 14, 2013 and in the U.S. on October 25, 2013.

Rejoice!  Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost are finally back together.  Production has commenced on The World’s End, the third installment of the trio’s “Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy.”  The film follows the incredible one-two punch of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz with a script by Wright and Pegg that centers on five childhood friends going through an epic pub crawl in order to reach the fabled pub, “The World’s End”.  But as they make their way to the pub, they discover that the fate of humankind is on the line.  Wright again directs, with Pegg and Frost starring alongside Rosamund Pike and Hot Fuzz co-star Paddy Considine.

Along with the news of the start of production comes the welcome announcement that Sherlock and The Hobbit star Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes) have also joined the cast.  Production is underway in the U.K. with an eye towards a 2013 release.  Hit the jump to read the full press release.

We’ve got a couple of casting stories to share this afternoon.  First up, Hot Fuzz scene-stealer Paddy Considine is set to reteam with director Edgar Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost for the comedy The World’s End.  The plot centers on five childhood friends going through an epic pub crawl in order to reach the fabled pub, The World’s End.  But as they make their way to the pub, they discover that the fate of humankind is on the line.  Rosamund Pike is set as the film’s female lead, a woman who shares a romantic past with Pegg’s character, and Variety reports that Considine will play “a former ladies man and musician who has grown up to be a divorced architect.”

Considine has appeared in Submarine and The Bourne Ultimatum and made his directorial debut to much acclaim with last year’s Tyrannosaur.  Production on The World’s End begins next month.  Hit the jump for casting news concerning The Social Network’s Max Minghella teaming up with Daniel Radcliffe for a truly crazy-sounding fantasy thriller.

[With The Bourne Legacy set to open this Friday, we'll be taking a look back at the original Bourne trilogy.  These reviews will contain spoilers since the movies have been out for years.  Click here for my review of The Bourne Identity and click here for my review of The Bourne Supremacy.]

In 2004, the post-9/11 American had begun to take shape and The Bourne Supremacy reflected that change.  It provided a conscious subtext, but the movie remained first and foremost an action-thriller.  But by 2007, the change in our country was no longer worthy of a simple observation.  The change had produced a feeling, and that feeling was anger.  We had been misled into a war, and the government was taking extraordinary powers against Americans in the name of protecting Americans.  The Bourne Ultimatum is unapologetically political, which is its greatest weakness and its greatest strength.  Director Paul Greengrass still delivers a pulse-pounding blockbuster that retains the same intensity of Supremacy, but he pushes audiences to not only recognize the seismic shift in our country, but to confront our complicity in it.

After starring in this weekend’s Dark Shadows, Chloe Grace Moretz may return as one of the undead in the father-daughter zombie film, Maggie.  Originally picked up by producer Timur Bekmambetov as a Black List spec script by John Scott 3, Maggie deals with a zombie apocalypse in which the titular 16-year-old becomes infected.  The story further deals with the unconditional love of a father for his daughter, as Maggie remains with the family over the six-month course of her transformation.  Fittingly, The Walking Dead title/credits designer Henry Hobson will make his directorial debut on this feature.  Moretz is in negotiations to play the title role while Paddy Considine (The Bourne Ultimatum) is in talks to play the father.  Maggie plans to start production this September.  Hit the jump for more on Moretz.

I’m really hoping for some surprises on Oscar night if only to make things interesting, but it’s looking less likely every day. Last night The Artist nearly swept the British Academy Film Awards (essentially the British Oscars), taking home the prizes for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Music, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Design. Meryl Streep was named Best Actress for The Iron Lady, while Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer won Best Supporting Actress and Actor. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy wasn’t sent home empty-handed, as the spy thriller won Best British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay. I was happy to see Senna get some well-deserved recognition, as the Formula 1 doc chronicling the life of driver Ayrton Senna was named Best Documentary.

While George Clooney seemed the favorite in the Best Actor Oscar race for his magnificent turn in The Descendants, The Artist’s Jean Dujardin could easily prove the spoiler. With the SAG Award in hand and now the BAFTA, the French comedian may very well step up to the podium come Oscar night. Hit the jump to see the full list of BAFTA winners. The Academy Awards will be handed out on February 26th.

The 14th Annual British Independent Film Awards were held tonight and the brutal drama Tyrannosaur took home trophies for Best Film, Best Debut Director (Paddy Considine), and Best Actress (Olivia Colman).  Other BIFA winners included Senna for Best Documentary, Lynne Ramsay for Best Director (We Need to Talk about Kevin), Michael Fassbender for Best Actor (Shame), and Richard Ayoade for Best Screenplay (Submarine).

I thought Tyrannosaur failed to derive honest drama from its ugliness and violence, but I can understand why the movie struck a chord with most viewers.  As for the other winners, I think Ramsay is still an outsider in the Oscar race, but Fassbender, Ayoade, and Colman may have boosted their chances, although Colman will probably compete in the Best Supporting Actress category since that’s where she has a better chance for a nomination.  Hit the jump for the full list of winners.

For his directorial debut, Richard Ayoade chose to adapt the coming-of-age novel, Submarine by Joe Dunthorne. With his deft application of French New Wave techniques, a spot-on performance by Craig Roberts and original music by Alex Turner, the front man for “The Arctic Monkeys,” Ayoade has given us an endearingly quirky film. Submarine follows 15-year-old Oliver Tate (Roberts) as he makes plans to lose his virginity to his new girlfriend while helping his parents rekindle their romance and attempting not to be dragged underwater by the overwhelming realities of growing up. You can read Matt Goldberg’s review here and see all our previous coverage here. Hit the jump for my review of the Submarine Blu-ray.

More promotional material from AFM, y’all—and Now Is Good has to be one of the more intriguing projects to come out of the convention.  Dakota Fanning stars as Tessa, a 17-year-old diagnosed with a terminal illness: “She determines to use every moment, compiling a catalogue of what normal teenager would experience, including losing her virginity and taking drugs.”  Fanning has been a talented actor since she was in utero, and she will surely put together a great performance with this meaty role.  But I’m drawn to the young supporting cast.  Anyone who watches Skins can speak to the screen presence of Kaya Scoledario.  And Jeremy Irvine is poised to be The Next Big Thing, groomed by none other than Steven Spielberg in his debut feature War Horse.

Olivia Williams and Paddy Considine also star in Now Is Good, written and directed by Ol Parker.  Hit the jump for the images, promo poster, and synopsis. [Update: The images have been removed at the request of the studio.]

A trailer has gone online for Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur and unless the movie has been drastically recut, it’s not an accurate representation.  As I said in my Sundance review, the film is grim, brutal, and pointless.  It is rarely uplifting and if there’s drama between Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman’s characters, it’s because of the actors’ tremendous performances and the tension of two people who are unable to trust anyone and yet want to rely on each other.  I know other critics who were mesmerized and deeply moved by the film, and it picked up multiple awards at Sundance, but I felt it was mainly one-note.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Tyrannosaur currently has no release date but it will likely open sometime before the end of the year.

The domestic trailer for Richard Ayoade’s Submarine has gone online.  It’s not a bad trailer, but it could do a better job of playing up the film’s humor and warmth.  But instead of conveying the movie’s charm, the trailer makes us patiently await the criticism from advocacy groups deriding the use of a character saying that another character looks “mentally retarded”.  The faults of this latest trailer aside, I enjoyed the film when I saw it at Sundance and I strongly encourage you to check it out.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Submarine stars Craig Roberts, Paddy Considine, Noah Taylor, Sally Hawkins, and Yasmin Paige.  The film opens June 3rd.

The first trailer for Submarine has gone online.  I caught the film at Sundance and thought it was delightful debut for writer-director Richard Ayoade.  While the trailer presents the film as slightly twee and reminiscent of Wes Anderson, it still does a good job of selling the film’s humor without spoiling too many of the jokes.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Submarine stars Paddy Considine, Noah Taylor, Sally Hawkins, Craig Roberts, and Yasmin Paige.  The film opens in the UK on March 18th.  There’s currently no release date set for the U.S. but The Weinstein Company will handle North American distribution.

If you’re going to make a grim and brutal film, please make sure the grimness and brutality have a point.  Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur is nothing more than a collection of cheap dramatic shots combined with the hope that the visible pain of two characters will be enough to carry a belabored narrative that suffers from pacing and predictability.  While lead actors Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman deliver strong performances, they’re stuck playing flat characters that are defined by their suffering and almost nothing else.  Tyrannosaur wants to shock you into believing it has a powerful tale to tell, but at the end you’re not electrified as much as you’re annoyed.