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Written by Cary Darling and Christopher Kelly
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Thursday, 24 January 2008 |
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Winter and the Hollywood writers strike have brought a momentary pop-culture chill, but Indiana Jones and the Material Girl lead a list of diversions that promise to perk up your year.
MOVIES
1. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”
Considering that it’s been 19 years since the most recent installment in the franchise — and considering that star Harrison Ford is now 65 years old — a better title might have been “Indiana Jones and the Search for an Assisted Living Facility.” But how can you not be excited about this much-anticipated trip down memory lane, with both Ford and his original co-star Karen Allen reprising their roles? Director Steven Spielberg has revealed few details of the story — Cate Blanchett plays some sort of Russian villainess, while “Transformers” star Shia LaBeouf is rumored to be playing Indy and Marion Ravenwood’s love child — but he offered this tantalizing tidbit to Vanity Fair about his current rough cut: “The best news is that, when I saw the movie myself the first time, there was nothing I wanted to go back and shoot, nothing I wanted to reshoot, and nothing I wanted to add.” May 22.
2. “Sex and the City: The Movie”
When we last left Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, they were all living happily ever after with their respective spouses/boyfriends. So why bother with a movie version? That’s the question show creator Michael Patrick King will have to answer when this long-gestating film version hits theaters. Early word says that it the film version will include a wedding for Carrie and a baby for Charlotte and plenty of of-the-moment fashion. The best news of all: Virtually the entire cast of the show is back for the movie, along with one marvelous-sounding addition: “Dreamgirls” Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson as Carrie’s new assistant. May 30.
3. “The Happening”
So what if his most recent effort, The Lady in the Water, might very well be the worst Hollywood movie released this decade? Some of us think the often-brilliant M. Night Shyamalan (”The Sixth Sense,” “Signs”) is due for a major comeback. This sci-fi thriller could be just the vehicle: Mark Wahlberg plays a father who must protect his family when a “large-scale threat to humanity” emerges.Betty Buckley turns up in her first supporting role in a major film in nearly a decade. June 13.
VIDEO GAMES
4. “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed”
OK, so there isn’t a Star Wars movie this year, but that doesn’t mean you can escape the hype that’s running strong enough to choke Chewbacca. “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” isn’t just a game that’s coming at you in a variety of formats, including PlayStation3 and Nintendo’s Wii. It’s a veritable lifestyle: There’s a line of Hasbro action figures, a novel by Australian science-fiction writer Sean Williams, a comic book, a reference book and a role-playing game. The graphics ion this game, in which the player gets to be Darth Vader’s “secret apprentice,” look pretty rockin’ (check out a preview at www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed). April.
5. “Grand Theft Auto IV”
You can almost hear the hearts sinking at a crestfallen New York City chamber of commerce. The game that once littered the Miami landscape with computer-generated bodies and stirred up a ton of controversy is back with a new version set in the Big Apple, dubbed Liberty City. (Ironically, Liberty City is the name of a hard-pressed Miami neighborhood, so there’s still a hint of the old South Florida ultra-violence.) The protagonist is Niko, a Eastern European immigrant lured to America by his cousin Roman, who promises riches. Instead, Niko finds a lot more than he bargained for as he goes up against every hood on the Eastern Seaboard. April.
MUSIC
6. Madonna, title TBA
There isn’t a bandwagon on which the Material Girl, who turns 50 this year, will not jump. For her latest album, she’s going for a hip-hop edge and has teamed up with — try to contain your surprise — Justin Timberlake and omnipresent producers Timbaland, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. Rumors of titles include “Licorice,” “Candy Shop” or “Give It to Me.” Date TBA.
7. Usher, title TBA
The Georgia R&B singer promises to be more eloquent and have more than “yeah” to say this time around. Supposedly, his new album — which may feature a duet with Michael Jackson — is all about growing up, getting married and being a dad. He told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s now all about “chicken, broccoli and steamed vegetables.” Hmm, somehow poppin’ open a bottle of Cristal sounds more exciting. Spring.
8. Coldplay, “Prospekt”
According to news reports, Chris Martin, main Coldplayer and husband to Gwyneth Paltrow, has been seeing a hypnotist to help relieve the “stress of songwriting.” How all of this will affect his band’s much anticipated new album, produced by Brian Eno (U2, Talking Heads), remains to be seen. Eno has said the disc “will be very original and very different from what they’ve done before.” The last album, “X&Y,” sold more than 5 million copies. Date TBA.
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