In the summer of 2021, two new movies will premiere at the same time: On one side, we have the comedy-drama Wild Tales from Hollywood, the other, the epic adventure The Lion King (which recently won an Oscar). The question is, which film will make you cry harder?
In Wild Tales, actress Kristen Stewart plays the role of an actress named Olive, who has just closed a three-year stint in a mental hospital. She returned home and decides to celebrate her reemergence into the ‘real world’ by throwing a party. The problem is that she has lost the talent for acting and now has to rely – as her only source of income – on her looks.
The actress-comedian Rose Byrne, best known for her role as Mrs. Claus in the 2016 movie La La Land, stars as Olive’s best friend, Billie, a struggling comedian who is hired by Olive to be her ‘best friend for real’ and help her forget her tragic past. Billie has a young son named Max, who is constantly reminded of his mother’s illness by the way she raises him. It’s a tricky situation.
The script for Wild Tales was written by Bridget Carpenter and Rebecca Frayn. The latter also directed the film, which premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto in 2019 and was then picked up by Netflix.
In the summer of 2021, the American streaming giant will also be premiering the eagerly awaited sequel to the 2019 live-action film Godzilla. The film will be called Godzilla: City of the Monster and will take place 20 years after the dinosaur-like creatures first emerged from their natural habitat in the movies. It is the first sequel to 2018’s Godzilla and will be followed by a third movie in the series tentatively titled Godzilla 3.
Robert Pattinson and Paul Dano
On the other side, we have the adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker, Taika Waititi. Based on the 1937 classic, the film tells the story of Dorothy, a Kansas farm girl who accidentally flies away to Oz, a fantastical land of witches and wizards, where she meets the Wizard. In the land of Oz, she is mentored by Professor Marvel (the Wonderful Wizard himself), who teaches her the ways of magic. The rest is (as they say) history.
The film stars an all-star cast including Tilda Swinton as the wicked witch, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North; Jessica Chastain; James Marsden; and, of course, the great and powerful wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The film began production in Wellington, New Zealand in the spring of 2021 and was wrapped up in the summer of that year. Its official premiere will be at the 74th Golden Globe Awards in January 2022.
A Unique Combination
The question is, did you see what combination these two films have? We have a romantic comedy about an ex-psych patient turned party stylist who teams up with a former child actor to save the life of their best friend, an elderly actor who plays a monster in a movie franchise, and a classic British fairy tale about two childhood friends who must save their village from an evil witch. Sound like a recipe for fun? You bet!
And did we mention that Rose Byrne stars in both films as well? Wild Tales is the prequel to The Lion King and will make you laugh while also making you cry – not an easy combination!
Both Movies Will Be Huge Events
The question is, will viewers be clamoring to see these films? Wild Tales will hit Netflix shortly after its premiere in the summer of 2021, and fans of the Oz franchise will be able to catch up on the films via DVD in late 2021.
In addition, both movies will be premiering at the same time as part of a cinematic event. The Oz franchise will be screened in cinemas all over the world for the first time in decades on January 24, 2022 – 65 years after the original film was first released.
Finally, although it’s a couple of years away, the hype around Godzilla: City of the Monster is already immense. The new film will be the first in the series to be completely made in virtual reality, and will draw inspiration from the original Japanese version of the classic movie, which was hailed as the “first mainstream movie to capture the feeling of being truly petrified” in the 1960s. The producers of Godzilla have stated that they want to bring that same feeling of terror to audiences everywhere, and, according to recent rumors, the film could be one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, movie ever made.
The combination of these two films is definitely unique, and, given the right marketing campaign, could really pay off for the streaming services. But for now, let’s just sit back and enjoy the ride.