20th Century Fox has released its slate of movies for 2019 and it includes ‘New Mutants’ and ‘Dark Phoenix’, two films that were rumored to have been scrapped as Disney’s acquisition of Fox grows closer to being finalized. It is known that Disney will assume control of the ‘X-Men’ movies and integrate those characters into its existing Marvel Cinematic Universe, under the purview of Kevin Feige. But since that is an ongoing process, there is no need to scrap two movies that have already been completed.
A supposed insider previously leaked that both of these ‘X-Men’ titles would be scrapped, but then backtracked saying that only ‘New Mutants’ would not be released, as Disney wanted a clean slate for its plans for these characters.
But Fox did indicate that the information released was tentative and was subject to change. Both ‘New Mutants’ and ‘Dark Phoenix’ have had their release dates moved multiple times. Hopefully, in 2019, fans will finally get the chance to see what may be the final pictures in the existing ‘X-Men’ franchise of films.
Josh Boone, who directed ‘New Mutants’ has plans for additional installments, but it’s unclear if he will get the chance to realize that with the Disney acquisition.
Another series that will be impacted is ‘Deadpool’. Many believe that the reason for the recently released PG-13-rated ‘Once Upon a Deadpool’ was to make the character a better fit for the Disney Marvel movies. Plans for an ‘X-Force’ movie remain in place, although even Ryan Reynolds has stated that he doesn’t think there will be another solo ‘Deadpool’ movie.
At any rate, here is the list of Fox’s upcoming films:
THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING
Release: January 25, 2019
Director: Joe Cornish
Written by: Joe Cornish
Cast: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Rebecca Ferguson, Patrick Stewart, Dean Chaumoo, Rhianna Dorris, Denise Gough, Angus Imrie
Old school magic meets the modern world in the epic adventure THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING. Alex (Ashbourne Serkis) thinks he’s just another nobody, until he stumbles upon the mythical Sword in the Stone, Excalibur. Now, he must unite his friends and enemies into a band of knights and, together with the legendary wizard Merlin (Stewart), take on the wicked enchantress Morgana (Ferguson). With the future at stake, Alex must become the great leader he never dreamed he could be.
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL
Release: February 14, 2019
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Produced by: James Cameron, Jon Landau
Screenplay by: James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis and Robert Rodriguez – Based upon the graphic novel (“Manga”) series “GUNNM” by Yukito Kishiro
Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson
From visionary filmmakers James Cameron (AVATAR) and Robert Rodriguez (SIN CITY), comes ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, an epic adventure of hope and empowerment. When Alita (Rosa Salazar) awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious history while her street-smart new friend Hugo (Keean Johnson) offers instead to help trigger her memories. But it is only when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past – she has unique fighting abilities that those in power will stop at nothing to control. If she can stay out of their grasp, she could be the key to saving her friends, her family and the world she’s grown to love.
BREAKTHROUGH
Release: April 12, 2019
Director: Roxann Dawson
Produced by: DeVon Franklin, p.g.a.
Based on: The Impossible: The Miraculous Story of a Mother’s Faith and Her Child’s Resurrection by Joyce Smith
Screenplay: Grant Nieporte
Cast: Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, Mike Colter, Marcel Ruiz, Sam Trammell, Dennis Haysbert
BREAKTHROUGH is based on the inspirational true story of one mother’s unfaltering love in the face of impossible odds. When Joyce Smith’s adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. But as John lies lifeless, Joyce refuses to give up. Her steadfast belief inspires those around her to continue to pray for John’s recovery, even in the face of every case history and scientific prediction. From producer DeVon Franklin (Miracles from Heaven) and adapted for the screen by Grant Nieporte (Seven Pounds) from Joyce Smith’s own book, BREAKTHROUGH is an enthralling reminder that faith and love can create a mountain of hope, and sometimes even a miracle.
AD ASTRA
Release: May 24, 2019
Director: James Gray
Producers: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, James Gray, Rodrigo Teixeira, Anthony Katagas
Screenplay by: James Gray, Ethan Gross
Cast: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland, Jamie Kennedy
Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos.
DARK PHOENIX
Release: June 7, 2019
Director: Simon Kinberg
Cast: Sophie Turner, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Jessica Chastain, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters
In DARK PHOENIX, the X-MEN face their most formidable and powerful foe: one of their own, Jean Grey. During a rescue mission in space, Jean is nearly killed when she is hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. Wrestling with this entity inside her, Jean unleashes her powers in ways she can neither comprehend nor contain. With Jean spiraling out of control, and hurting the ones she loves most, she begins to unravel the very fabric that holds the X-Men together. Now, with this family falling apart, they must find a way to unite — not only to save Jean’s soul, but to save our very planet from aliens who wish to weaponize this force and rule the galaxy.
STUBER
Release: July 12, 2019
Director: Michael Dowse
Writer: Tripper Clancy
Producers: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Jimmy Tatro, Mira Sorvino, Karen Gillan
THE NEW MUTANTS
Release: August 2, 2019
Director: Josh Boone
Screenplay by: Josh Boone & Knate Lee
Producers: Simon Kinberg, Karen Rosenfelt, Lauren Shuler Donner
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, Blu Hunt, Alice Braga
SPIES IN DISGUISE
Release: September 13, 2019
Directors: Troy Quane, Tony Bruno
Based on: Pigeon: Impossible by Lucas Martell
Producers: Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios/Chernin Entertainment
Cast: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Ben Mendelsohn, Karen Gillan, Rashida Jones, DJ Khaled, Masi Oka
Super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is… not. But what Walter lacks in social skills he makes up for in smarts and invention, creating the awesome gadgets Lance uses on his epic missions. But when events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely on each other in a whole new way. And if this odd couple can’t learn to work as a team, the whole world is in peril. SPIES IN DISGUISE is an animated comedy set in the high-octane globe-trotting world of international espionage.
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
Release: October 4, 2019
Director: Joe Wright
Screenplay by Tracy Letts
Based on the best-selling novel
Producer: Scott Rudin
Cast: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore, Anthony Mackie, Wyatt Russell
Based on the best-selling novel, adapted by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Tracy Letts, THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW follows Dr. Anna Fox, a recluse, living alone in her New York City brownstone, as she spends her days drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies . . . and spying on her neighbors. When the Russell family moves into the house across the way, they appear to be the perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn¹t, her world begins to crumble and shocking secrets are laid bare. Forced to prove what she saw actually happened, everyone begins to question if what occurred was real or imagined. Is it paranoia or did it happen? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one and nothing is what it seems.
THE CALL OF THE WILD
Release: December 25, 2019
Director: Chris Sanders
Based on the novel by Jack London
Screenplay: Michael Green
Producer: Erwin Stoff
Executive Producer: Diana Pokorny
Co-Producer/Visual Effects Producer: Ryan Stafford
Cast: Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens, Omar Sy, Karen Gillian, Bradley Whitford, Colin Woodell
Adapted from the beloved literary classic, THE CALL OF THE WILD vividly brings to the screen the story of Buck, a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. As the newest rookie on a mail delivery dog sled team–and later its leader–Buck experiences the adventure of a lifetime, ultimately finding his true place in the world and becoming his own master.
The film stars Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens, Omar Sy, Karen Gillan, Bradley Whitford and Colin Woodell. Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) directs from a screenplay by Michael Green (Murder on the Orient Express). As a live-action/animation hybrid, THE CALL OF THE WILD employs cutting edge visual effects and animation technology in order to render the animals in the film as fully photorealistic–and emotionally authentic–characters.
Source: Cosmic Book
