Is everyone having a groovy Tuesday? What’s that? One of you isn’t?! Well, we’ll try to do something about that with today’s Movie Morsels — which has updates on everything from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs’ biopic. Plus, a whopping big Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice rumor, and plenty from Pixar on Inside Out and Finding Dory. So start swimming, little flounder!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
If you’re wondering how George Lucas reacted to Michael Shanks’ recent “Special Edition” parody of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer, well, he didn’t. Because Lucas hasn’t even seen the official trailer for the J.J. Abrams-directed sequel. Speaking with Page Six, the Star Wars creator confessed, “I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t seen it yet… It’s not in the movie theater. I like going to the movies and watching the whole thing there. I plan to see it when it’s released.” As for whether or not he’s interested in seeing how Abrams has approached his baby, Lucas remarked, “Not really.” Seeing as how The Force Awakens — on which he’s listed as a consultant — doesn’t land until December 18, 2015, there’s still plenty of time for Lucas to change his tune. In the meantime, Lucas is scheduled to attend the 2015 Sundance Film Festival for an on-stage appearance, in which he’ll discuss independent filmmaking with festival founder Robert Redford.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
It appears we now have a reason as to why Batman is so darn mopey in the above image from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Aside from him being, well, Batman… *Spoiler Alert!* Badass Digest reports that its info source on the film says there’s an important figure in the Dark Knight’s life who is dead before the movie’s story begins. “In this continuity,” says the site, “James Gordon has, at some point in the past, bitten the dust. How and at whose hands I cannot tell you — all that’s noted in the script is that there’s a memorial plaque to James Gordon. This explains why the role wasn’t cast for the film, at least.” That’s an interesting variation on the Batman mythos, even if I’m not convinced it’s a necessary one. Bruce Wayne is, after all, forever fueled by the deaths of his parents. The loss of any other paternal figure, even Jim Gordon, kind of pales in significance. And since we’re just getting introduced to Affleck’s Batman here, it may be hard to muster much sympathy for a Gordon we’ve never even met. But we’ll see what David Goyer and Zack Snyder have wrought when Batman v Superman opens on March 25, 2016.
Inside Out
Director Pete Docter’s Inside Out (arriving on June 19, 2015) has added two new names to its already impressive voice cast. Joining Amy Poehler (as Joy), Lewis Black (as Anger), Mindy Kaling (as Disgust), Bill Hader (as Fear), and The Office‘s Phyllis Smith (as Sadness) will be Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan as the parents of Riley, the little girl inside whose head all these emotions are running wild. USA Today broke this latest casting news. Docter says he identifies especially well with the film’s parents: “I started out doing a film about growing up, but it turned out it’s a film about me watching my kids grow up. These parents are realizing that their kid is changing. That’s difficult. But it is a part of life.”
Finding Dory
That’s ride, toonheads — Inside Out ain’t the only Pixar movie in the house today! We now have the synopsis for Finding Dory, Andrew Stanton’s long-awaited sequel to his 2003 blockbuster Finding Nemo. Jim Morris, president of Disney Pixar Studios, shared the deets at Comic Con Experience in Brazil: “The film will follow Dory, Marlin, and Nemo as they embark on an epic journey to discover Dory’s origins and parents. Apparently, much of the story will take place in the Marine Biology Institute of California – a large complex in which marine life is studied and rehabilitated. Dory discovers she was born and raised in the research facility before being released into the wild.”
In addition to Ellen DeGeneres’ beloved fish, Finding Dory is also said to feature sea lions, a beluga whale called Bailey (voiced by Modern Family‘s Ty Burrell), Dory’s mother Jenny (voiced by Diane Keaton), and her dad Charlie (voiced by Eugene Levy). Dory swims into theaters on June 17. 2016.
Jobs
No, Virginia, Natalie Portman will not co-star in director Danny Boyle’s Aaron Sorkin-scripted Steve Jobs biopic (featuring Michael Fassbender as the late Apple co-founder and Seth Rogen as Steven Wozniak). The actress has departed the project after entering discussions shortly before Thanksgiving. No word on why Portman left, but Jobs is still set to star shooting in the spring. The once and future Jane Foster will next appear in Gavin O’Connor’s western Jane Got a Gun.
[Variety]
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