From Peter Rabbit 2 to Max von Sydow: The film news you may have missed this week

Hop to it: Peter Rabbit 2 has been pushed back over coronavirus fears
Harry Fletcher11 March 2020

Another week in Hollywood, and more bad news surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.

Movies are being pushed back, cinemas around the world are closing and one of the biggest events in the international film calendar is under threat.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. There are still projects going into development and new trailers to get excited about.

These are the film stories you might have missed this week.

Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson are off on a Jungle Cruise

The long-awaited trailer for Disney’s Jungle Cruise was unveiled this week, taking viewers on a journey down the Amazon. It’s shaping up to be a good old-fashioned family adventure, starring an intrepid Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson in a jaunty little captain’s hat. The pair are on the hunt for a mythical tree with healing powers in the film, which is directed by The Shallows filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra. It’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser, and it’s nice to see the studio producing an original movie after a raft of remakes and sequels – even if it is based on a ride from its own theme park. The film arrives on July 24.

Peter Rabbit 2 delayed

The sequel to the critically panned Peter Rabbit is the second major film to be pushed back due to coronavirus fears, after No Time To Die. The animation will now be released four months later than originally intended, moving from March 27 to August 7. The original film took £265m worldwide, including £20m in China alone. With virtually every single Chinese cinema shut for the foreseeable future following the outbreak, as well as theatre closures in France and Italy, it’s sadly no surprise that the studio is holding off the release. Given the critical panning and public backlash the first film got, though, the delay might not be bad news after all.

A modern-day Dracula is on the way

Count us in: Bela Lugosi as Dracula in 1931

While Tom Cruise’s disappointing take on The Mummy seemed to have stopped Universal’s monsterverse in its tracks, the recent success of The Invisible Man looks to have put things straight again. Now, the studio has announced more plans to revisit the series, with a modern-day take on classic villain Dracula in the works. The Invitation director Karyn Kusama will helm the new film, which is being produced by Blumhouse and written by Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay. Further details have yet to be revealed, but watch this space.

Cannes could get the can

Critical adoration: Director Bong Joon-ho won the Palme d'Or for Parasite in 2019 
AFP via Getty Images

Another blow for the film industry, as the president of the Cannes Film Festival has warned that the event will not take place unless conditions surrounding the coronavirus improve. In an interview with France's Le Figaro newspaper, Pierre Lescure said he remains “reasonably optimistic” but admitted that the festival may have to be postponed given the current global outlook. It could also be catastrophic for organisers, as Lescure conceded that Cannes is not insured against cancellation. The prestigious awards are due to take place from May 12. Fingers crossed.

Remembering a Hollywood legend

Max von Sydow - In pictures

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Film lost an icon this week, with the sad news of Max von Sydow’s death breaking on Monday morning. The Swedish actor passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday leaving behind quite the legacy. He played chess with Death in The Seventh Seal, played Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told, banished a demon in The Exorcist – a role he aged 30 years for with the help of makeup – and was Oscar-nominated for his roles in 1987’s Pelle the Conqueror and 2011’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

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