Nearly 100 years ago, Buster Keaton was well on his way to becoming the biggest Hollywood star during the silent film period. Keaton is not as widely known by modern movie fans, but that may change as his life story is about to become the subject of a major motion picture. Deadline is reporting that James Mangold has been signed by 20th Century Studios to direct and produce a Buster Keaton biopic based upon Marion Meade’s book Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase. In his heyday, Keaton was an unparalleled actor and director who didn’t shy away from performing dangerous stunts in his own films. He was also a gifted comedic performer. During the mid-1920s, Keaton’s best-known films included The Navigator, Sherlock Jr., Seven Chances, The Cameraman, The General, and Steamboat Bill, Jr. Keaton’s career went into a steep decline during the beginning of the “talkie era.” But the comedian eventually adjusted and had a career resurgence, even though he never regained the same box office appeal of his youth. One of his last major film appearances was in Billy Wilder’s noir classic Sunset Boulevard. Mangold is currently wrapping up his work on Indiana Jones 5, with Harrison Ford in the lead for the final time. Mangold’s previous credits include Walk the Line, Logan, Ford v Ferrari, and 3:10 to Yuma. The new Buster Keaton film will be made under Mangold’s current first-look deal with Disney and 20th Century Studios. According to Deadline, this Keaton biopic is “a top priority” for 20th Century Studios. While there are currently no writers attached to adapt Meade’s books, meetings with scribes are reportedly already underway. There’s a scene in Elf where Will Ferrell’s Buddy walks into a New York City coffee shop after seeing a sign in the window that reads” World’s best cup of coffee.” He then praises the entire staff for creating what he thinks is the best version of the popular drink. Buddy gleefully says, “You did it! Congratulations. World’s best cup of coffee. Great job everybody,” as the staff looks at him with blank stares. Pretend that the sign reads, “World’s best Christmas movie,” and I’m playing the role of Buddy in 2003, congratulating the cast and crew of Elf for creating a Christmas classic. I would have received the same confused looks from everyone in the room. Yet, time has been good to Elf, which has aged like a fine wine. After 20 years, Elf has entered the pantheon of great Christmas movies and owns the championship belt for best of the 21st century. Released in theaters on November 7, 2003, Elf depicts the story of Buddy, a human raised by Santa’s elves after being accidentally transported to the North Pole. As an adult, Buddy is an outcast due to his large stature and inability to make toys. After learning he’s a human, Buddy leaves the North Pole to find his biological father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), in New York City. Walter is a selfish businessman whose decision to prioritize work over his family puts him on the “Naughty List.” Devastated, but not deterred, Buddy believes that by spending time with Walter, his Christmas spirit will rub off on his father and reshape his attitude.
Right people at the right time In 2011, Rise of the Planet of the Apes started a new chapter in the franchise by rebooting the film series and focusing on the story of the legendary ape leader Caesar. In 2017, War for the Planet of the Apes brought Caesar’s story to a conclusion, but the reboot timeline lives on in next summer’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Generations have passed since the time of Caesar, and while the new movies haven’t caught up with the time frame of the original movies yet, the first teaser trailer for Kingdom reveals that humanity is looking more and more like the savages they were in the first Planet of the Apes.
If there’s an unsolved murder under bizarre circumstances, you’d probably want Sherlock Holmes on the case. But if we can’t have the great detective, Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot is a more than adequate substitute. Since 2017, director and actor Kenneth Branagh has helmed and starred in three films as Poirot, starting with Murder on the Orient Express, which was followed by Death on the Nile in 2022. This week, Branagh is back in theaters with A Haunting in Venice, which was one of our picks for the three movies you need to watch in September. This time, Christie’s mystery may also be a ghost story. The film takes place in 1947 after Poirot has retired and moved to Venice. Despite a desire for the quiet life, Poirot is roped into investigating a murder at a séance, and there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of suspects. The cast for the film includes Kyle Allen as Maxime Gerard, Camille Cottin as Olga Seminoff, Jamie Dornan as Dr. Leslie Ferrier, Tina Fey as Ariadne Oliver, Jude Hill as Leopold Ferrier, Ali Khan as Nicholas Holland, Emma Laird as Desdemona Holland, Kelly Reilly as Rowena Drake, Riccardo Scamarcio as Vitale Portfoglio, and Michelle Yeoh as Joyce Reynolds.
