Let’s start off with some positives. This season has already had some big tentpole releases that have proved to be major successes. Christopher Nolan and John Malone’s long-anticipated James Bond film, Risico, debuted to mass acclaim from audiences and critics alike. It became one of the highest grossing non-superhero films in the studio’s history and, in terms of buzz, anticipation is already building for the next installment in Season 25. We will be sure to keep an eye out for any news we might get on that beforehand. In a similar spot, the X-Men got a sequel and that also brought in loads of money and appears to be building to a third film. Plus there have been surprise hits like The Curse of Janara and Antarctica that have made waves as well.
On the horizon, the season caps off with the sequel to the highest grossing domestic release in the film’s studio. And on top of that, Dan Stevens was confirmed to be appearing in the film - continuing a hot streak that has included a GRA win last season and a lauded performance as Bond. Sequels also await for franchises like Plastic Man, Gambit, and Y: The Last Man. And there is surely hope at the studio that Zack Snyder’s Gears of War will perhaps be a future money-making franchise. Finally, king of the box office (and hearts) Tom Cruise returns to the sci-fi genre with INFINITY.
That all being said, the season thus far has been a bit weaker in terms of high quality films. As was previously mentioned, Risico was well-received but might have a ceiling at the GRAs due to its genre (although that’s not always the case). Wish You Were Here is probably the surprise of the season so far, coming in with little buzz but knocking critics away with its talented cast and return to form for Joe Wright. This keeps Roy Horne on a hot streak of his own, as if last season didn’t cement him as one of the studio’s most-acclaimed writers. Meanwhile, films that seemed strong on paper - Boys of the Bayou, L.A. Rex, Observance, Antarctica - failed to make a major impact in the critical community (outside of a few performances).
Thankfully, there appears to be a lot of interesting stuff on the way. One of the most talked about projects of the season is the upcoming Stepford, which the studio is calling it a “franken-movie” after being combined from two separate pitches made within a very close timespan. That backstory is certainly one of the most fascinating for any LRF film but it remains to be seen how it will actually work. Luckily it has a strong pedigree both in front and behind the camera.
The second half of the season sounds loaded with a variety of film types. In addition to the blockbuster films already mentioned, there are coming-of-age films, political dramas, and even more we don’t know about yet. Surely there will be surprise hits to come out of that pack. But that curiosity is the beauty of the movies, right? For now we’ll have to sit in anticipation until the film is finally in front of us and we can judge it on its own merit.
I believe that’s all I have in terms of news. I’d like to congratulate the studio on the work they’ve done this summer in transitioning their archive to a new location and for reaching the incredible 20 season milestone. By season’s end, Justice League Unlimited will be the studio’s 600th theatrical release. What an achievement!
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