With the sequel season starting, let’s catch up on what went before by switching on those dvd machines, writes Theresa Smith.
WE are about to enter the holiday period, which means big movies for the big screen. And, as always, it means sequels.
Thanks to the box office success of turning the last Harry Potter movie into two parts, we now get Hunger Games 3.1 opening this week. The Mocking Jay 3.2 only opens next November 20, but before then there is lots to look forward to.
On the local front we get another Spud movie next week, Spud 3: Learning to Fly (Friday) and apparently writer John van der Ruit is already working on the fourth film’s script.
At the beginning of next month the most enjoyable part about the Madagascar movies get their own spin-off with Penguins of Madagascar (December 5).
This year Peter Jackson winds up his travelogues to Middle Earth, with his third Hobbit movie, subtitled The Battle of Five Armies (December 12). Billy Boyd, who played Pippin in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has co-written and performed the song for the end credits of this last Hobbit film, referencing the Edge of Night song he sang in The Return of the King.
Ben Stiller teams up with Robin Williams one more time for Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (December 19). There was talk of a spin-off featuring the characters Jedediah and Teddy Roosevelt before the tragic death of Williams. Now, we will have to be content with this final film from Williams and Mickey Rooney.
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (January 9) concentrates on Fawn (voiced by Snow White from Once Upon a Time, Ginnifer Goodwin) rallying the fairies to save her best friend.
Plus Barbie makes it onto the big screen, not in Toy Story 4, but on her own steam in Barbie Princess Power (January 16).
Next year, expect Spongebob Squarepants 2 (February 15); The Second Best Marigold Hotel (March 6); Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension (March 13); Ballade for ’n Enkeling (March 20); Paul Walker pulling off impossible stunts one last time in Fast & Furious 7 (April 3); Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1); Paul Bart: Mall Cop 2 (May 15); Pitch Perfect 2 (May 15); Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road (May 15); Insidious Chapter 3 (May 29); Jurassic World (June 5); Ted 2 (June 26); and Terminator (July 3).
Oh, and Minions’ Stuart, Kevin and Bob are back in 3D, probably in the middle of July.