Flight
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, Nadine Velazquz, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Garcelle Beauvais and Justin Martin
Release Date: November 2, 2012

A mystical and unflagging perseverance allows airline pilot Captain Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) to crash-land a malfunctioning airline jet in an open field. It is evidenced that he is talented as a pilot. It is his calmness, though, that is most glaring and jarring. Remaining unshaken by the catastrophe he finds himself in, Whitaker is not self-deluding when he projects a demeanor that is reminiscent of a great Greek God. He constantly signals out demands that he needs from his crew, all of whom respond but with immense dread. But he remains calm, almost as if he knows he is not going to die. Each of the 102 people onboard his plane are all thrown into an uncontrolled panic as well. All of them are expecting death and six of them eventually will die. As the plane continues its descent, Whitaker becomes more resilient, more inspired and cockier, almost as if he is scoffing at imminent death.

Wreck-It Ralph smashed box office records for a Disney animated film in its opening weekend, and won over critics and audiences no less. With its creativity, heart and passionate storytelling, Wreck-It Ralph signals Walt Disney Animation Studios is back in the game, so to speak. This edition of Disney In Depth will explore what has led up to this new hit for the studio, as well as what awaits.

Many individuals say the Disney Renaissance began with 1989’s The Little Mermaid, with following entries Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King reaching even greater heights – everyone seems to leave out the forgotten The Rescuers Down Under. Regardless, this represented a period of unparalleled imagination and inspiration within the studio, continuing for several years to follow. Then came the slump. Audiences were no longer interested in musicals, so it seemed, and Disney animation switched gears into the sci-fi realm with productions like Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet. Computer animation emerged, and with that advent Disney entered the new arena with misses like Chicken Little and the awkward-yet-smart Meet the Robinsons. None of these performed all that wonderfully. It had appeared as though Disney lost its touch. But the studio had some exciting developments up their sleeve.

As many await the official word on who will direct Star Wars Episode 7, Man of Steel director Zack Snyder has officially taken himself out of the running of directing any of the upcoming Episodes. According to a report from the LA Times, Snyder, who has helmed major films like Dawn of the Dead and Watchman, said that he wouldn’t like to direct any of the remaining episodes in the trilogy because it would be a “slippery slope.” He added, “It’s a whole other mythological experiment I’m excited to see, but it’s a lot of effort.”

Of course there are other directors who Disney might be considering to helm Episode 7. Safety Not Guaranteed director Colin Trevorrow is the latest name to be rumored to direct the film. However, the job will most likely go to X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn, who suddenly left his job as director of X-Men: Days Of Futures Past for no apparent reason. His departure came on the heels of Disney’s groundbreaking deal with Lucasfilm. That doesn’t mean that he has the job, but many are coming to that conclusion. So as of right now, all of that is pure speculation.

Jurassic Park is heading back into theaters early next year for a 3D re-release, because regular re-releases are just jurassic. Yeah, the film came out in 1993 and I didn’t get a chance to see it on the big screen, so watching it in 3D might not be so bad. Universal even has released a new trailer for the 3D re-release. Check it here out below.

That’s right Sam Neill, Richard Attenborough, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, Wayne Knight, and Samuel L. Jackson are all returning to the big screen and in 3D. This means you get to relive the fear of dinosaurs chowing down on some of your favorite characters and some of the magical awe of seeing characters watch dinosaurs come to life. In fact, it’s limited run may be the only time you will get to see these dinosaurs on the big screen.

Directors are presented with many opportunities to helm a variety of projects. In Sam Mendes case he took on a film called Preacher, which never could get off the ground, and took a pass at The Avengers, which ended up becoming a blockbuster hit. But that’s okay, he can take comfort in knowing that Skyfall is a critical hit and is sure to be a box office smash stateside.

In an interview with Collider, Mendes explains why Preacher couldn’t get into production and why he passed on the chance to direct The Avengers.