The movie news has come hard and heavy this holiday season, so here are a few updates on some of the biggest releases for 2017 and 2018.
The poster for Transformers: The Last Knight was revealed on the Facebook page for the franchise, telling fans to “Rethink Your Heroes” above a striking image of the now-possibly-evil Optimus Prime, who appears to be standing over a fallen Bumblebee. Earlier this week, we got the first trailer for the fifth entry in the series (see “First 'Transformers: The Last Knight' Trailer”). The film will be released on June 23. In Aquaman news, Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) has been cast as the title character’s supervillian half brother Orm, according to Deadline. In the comics, Orm was a resentful fully-human petty criminal until he re-emerged as Ocean Master, a high-tech pirate who wreaked havoc on Arthur Curry’s oceanic home. Wilson joins headliner Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, who plays Mera (see 'Justice League,' 'Alita: Battle Angel,' 'Predator'”). The movie is scheduled for October 5, 2018 (see “Best in Shows--Q4 2018”). Variety reports that the Tomb Raider film reboot has cast its villain: The Hateful Eight’s Walton Goggins. He stars opposite in-demand Alicia Vikander, who takes on the iconic Lara Croft (see “Another Academy Award Winner to Play Lara Croft”). The pic is set for a March 16, 2018, release. Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel added Chilean martial artist and actor Marko Zaror (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), who will play Alita ally Ajakutty, reports Screen Anarchy. He joins lead Rose Salazar, Mahershala Ali, Keenan Johnson, Christoph Waltz, Jackie Earl Haley, Ed Skrein, Lana Condor, and Eiza Gonzalez on the July 20, 2018, release. Lionsgate turned to Facebook to reveal a brand new Power Rangers poster featuring the five titular heroes. The movie version of the Rangers is more in keeping with the source material, unlike the character design for Alpha 5, which deviates from the bright red and blue of the original design (see “Big Reveals for 'Power Rangers'”). The movie is in theatres on March 24. This week saw the release of the domestic trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes (see “First 'War for the Planet of the Apes' Trailer”), and the international trailer debuted as well. The latter lacks Ceasar’s narration, including only Woody Harrelson’s voiceover, and a less ambiguous catalyst for war: a failed attempt to assassinate Ceasar. The movie debuts on July 14.Click the Gallery below for large versions of the images.