Movie Muser

James Franco has directed far more movies than most people realise, and part of the reason many have gone under the radar is that that are small films with the only well-known name being behind the camera (and ended up with limited distribution).

However he’s thinking bigger with his Steinbeck adaptation In Dubious Battle, with THR reporting that Franco will star alongside Selena Gomez, Vincent D’Onofrio, Robert Duvall, Ed Harris, Bryan Cranston and Danny McBride.

Published in 1936, In Dubious Battle is considered the first major work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Set in a fictionalized valley in California, the story explores themes Steinbeck continued to develop: group behavior, social injustice, man’s inhumanity to man— all themes which continue to be relevant today. A labor conflict between migrant apple pickers and the local growers’ association is the backdrop against which Jim Nolan (Franco) becomes involved in the labor movement and rapidly matures as he learns what it means to do organizational fieldwork.

It doesn’t exactly sound like the most thrilling of plots, but it was always one of Steinbeck’s skills, to make seemingly dull subject – quite often labour relations and the precarious position of manual labourers in a changing world – and make them interesting. Hopefully Franco will do the same. He’s certainly got a good cast to help him.

The movie will start shooting next month.

There were a lot of grumblings when it was first rumoured that Jurassic World would include a genetically engineered dinosaur and not just ones brought back to life from the past. However to my mind it’s always made sense – after all part of the point of the earlier movies is about meddling with nature, and (while dealt with more fullyin Michael Crichton’s original novel), the dinos are a melange of modern and ancient DNA anyway.

Therefor ethere’s a logic to the scientists wanting to tinker further and see what beasts they can create on their own, especially once the Jurassic World park has opened and they’re looking for the cool new thing to attract the visitors. A terrifying, super-dino would be their version of a world-class, white knucklerollercoaster in a traditional theme park.

However the makers have been keeping the creature under wraps and while there have been a few glimpses of the sort of thing we’ll be getting with images of tie-in merchandising etc. there still isn’t an official picture. Now though they’re teasing the ‘Idominus Rex’, via the film’s website with the teaser pics below both of its teeth and its massively fortified enclosure.

I think it’s safe to say it won’t be staying in that cage and all hell will break loose.

The website also offers this info on the creature: ‘We set out to make Indominus the most fearsome dinosaur ever to be displayed at Jurassic World. The genetic engineers at our Hammond Creation Lab have more than delivered.

‘At first glance, Indominus most closely resembles a T. Rex. But its distinctive head ornamentation and ultra-tough bony osteoderms can be traced from Theropods known as Abeliosaurs. Indominus’ horns have been placed above the eye orbit through genetic material hybridized from Carnotaurus, Majungasaurus, Rugops and Giganotosaurus. Fearsome indeed.

‘Indominus’ roar is estimated to reach 140-160db—the same as a 747 taking off and landing. And it can reach speeds of 30 mph…while confined to its enclosure. Come experience Indominus Rex for yourself beginning this summer. If you dare.’

Jurassic World is in cinemas this June.

It’s only a couple of weeks until Jamie Dornan’s star power is likely to shoot through the roof thanks to his role as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades Of Grey, but he’s already got a new movie in the works, as he’s starring in The 9th Life of Louis Drax.

Now the first image from the movie has arrived, via Empire, showing the actor hooked up to a machine while in a hospital.

Based on based on Liz Jensen’s best-selling novel, the 9th Life of Louis Drax begins on Louis Drax’s (Aiden Longworth) 9th birthday, when he miraculously survives a near fatal fall. His doctor Allan Pascal (Jamie Dornan) finds himself tangled between his professional responsibility and his growing affections for the boy’s mother (Sarah Gadon). When Louis’ father (Aaron Paul) comes under suspicion, Pascal realizes other mysterious forces may be at work that test the boundaries of fantasy and reality.

Alexandre Aja is directing from a screenplay by Max Minghella (who took on the project following the death of his father, English Patient director Anthony Minghella, who’d previously been developing the movie).

The movie should be in cinemas later this year.