In Disney's live action Jungle Book, Idris Elba and Scarlett Johansson played two of the villains. Now, one of them is set for a major villain movie role, while the other is acting like one in real life. Let's get into it on Film & TV Friday.
The news
Scarlett is cis
Let me start by saying that I think Scarlett Johansson is a terrific actor. I've thought so since way back when in Ghost World, and have continued to think so ever since. However, she sometimes makes bad, bad, bad choices. One recent example was her taking over an Asian woman's role in the live action Ghost In The Shell adaptation. Now, she's slated to play a trans man in biopic Rub & Tug, directed by Rupert Sanders, the same dude who directed GITS. The backlash was swift, and Johansson citing known abuser Jefferey Tambor in her defense of the decision was... not wise. You may say "but I don't know any actors who are trans men!" Well, have you considered that their opportunities to shine are extremely limited? They also never get cast to play cis roles, and even trans roles go to cis actors. Argh.
Fast And Idris
On a much brighter note, Idris Elba has been tapped to play the villain in the upcoming Hobbs and Shaw spinoff from the Fast & Furious franchise. This casting just made this film even more attractive, in multiple meanings of the word.
Wide Release Films Opening This Weekend:
| Film | # of Theaters |
|---|---|
| Ant-Man and the Wasp | 4,206 |
| The First Purge | 3,031 |
Source: BoxOfficeMojo
Also opening this week, in limited release before going wide next week, is the well reviewed Sorry To Bother You, which looks awesome. The Ant-Man films are the only MCU films I don't watch, because of my bug phobia clashing with extreme close-ups of bugs. Which is a real bummer, as I hear they're fun.
TV Show Premieres This Week
| Show | Season | Country | Network or Service | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp Objects | 1 | US | HBO | Sunday | 9:00PM EST |
| The Outpost | 1 | US | CW | Tuesday | 9:00PM EST |
| Harlots | 2 | Some Countries | Hulu | Wednesday | 3:01AM EST |
| The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants | 1 | Worldwide | Netflix | Friday | 3:01AM EST |
Source: The Futon Critic
Sharp Objects looks super interesting, and probably super dark. The Outpost may be fun, or crap, or both.
Trailers
Very, very few new trailers this week. I wonder if they're saving them for Comic-Con.
Juliet, Naked
British romcoms always seem more charming, don't they?
Skyscraper
Another trailer for The Rock's Die Hard.
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