My Science School

With a deadly virus bringing the entire world to a standstill, the year 2020 had all the elements of a Hollywood potboiler. While we can pat ourselves on the back for getting through the ordeal, the New Year promises to be a lot more entertaining. From "The Matrix" to "Mission Impossible", there are a variety of new releases to look forward to in 2021...

“The Matrix 4"

Directed by Lana Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson. Neo (Reeves) and Trinity (Moss) return to the world of 'The Matrix' - the digital world Wachowski helped create way back in 1999.

"Black Widow"

Directed by Cate Shortland, starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, Marvel's prequel focussing on Johansson's Natasha Romanoff in her quests between "Captain America: Civil War" and "Avengers: Infinity War'.

"Dune"

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson. Adaptation of Frank Herbert's sprawling sci-fi epic about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.

"Top Gun: Maverick"

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, starring Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer, Jay Ellis, Miles Teller. We've had to wait 31 years for a Top Gun sequel. It will again feature Cruise riding motorcycles, playing volleyball and flying jets like a madman.

"The Last Duel"

Directed by Ridley Scott, starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer. A true story of knights and maidens in which King Charles VI (Affleck) declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges (Damon) settle his dispute with his squire Jacques Le Gris (Driver) by challenging him to a duel.

"Sherlock Holmes 3"

Directed by Dexter Fletcher, starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams. The long-awaited Sherlock Holmes sequel screens a decade after "RDJ" and "Law” last brought their mischievous friendship to Victorian England.

"No Time To Die"

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, starring Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Rami Malek, Naomie Harris, Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear. The 25th James Bond" film, with Craig returning for his fifth and possibly final turn as 007. Bond comes out of retirement when his old CIA friend Felix Leiter persuades him to perform one last mission.

"Death on the Nile"

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Rose Leslie. Branagh returns as detective Hercule Poirot following the surprise success of 2017's "Murder on the Orient Express", which Branagh also directed.

"Mission: Impossible 7"

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, starring Tom Cruise, Vanessa Kirby, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is back in action for the seventh instalment of the franchise that showcased his willingness to engage in death defying stunts. McQuarrie returns as writer and director.

"Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway"

Directed by Will Gluc, starring James Corden, Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, David Oyelowo. A sequel based on the work of Beatrix Potter sees the rabbit going to the big city, where he meets troublemakers and ends up creating chaos.

"Cruella"

Directed by Alex Timbers and Craig Gillespie, starring Emma Stone, Joel Fry, Kirby Howell Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Emma Thompson. Disney's prequel to the classic with Cruella De Vil (Stone) becoming obsessed with Dalmatian fur.

 

Picture Credit : Google

From jasper and Jinx to Tom and Jerry

One of the most beloved rivalries in history is back! Wamer Bros, has released the first trailer of the upcoming "Tom & Jerry" film. It is the first movie to feature the legendary cat and mouse duo in almost three decades, and the setting is at a wedding in New York!

The film will be an eye-popping blend of classic animation and live action. While Tom and Jerry will retain their cartoon avatars, the rest of the world around them will be in live-action mode. In director Tim Story's "Tom & Jerry", the eternal frenemies will have to do the unthinkable... work together to save the day.

The cat and mouse duo was dreamt up by creators William(Bill) Hanna and Joseph (Joe) Barbera, who worked with MGM’s animation department. The studio was desperate while their competitors were coming up with hit characters like Porky Pig and Mickey Mouse.

Both the animators began brainstorming. Barbera wanted to create a simple cat and mouse cartoon, with conflict and chase, even though it had been done countless times before. So, Jasper and Jinx, who later became Tom and Jerry, were born.

The first episode featuring Jasper and Jinx Titled “Puss Gets the Boot” released in 1940 and won the studio and Oscar nomination for best animated short. But Hanna and barbera were not given any credit for it.

Scripting success

Buoyed by the success of “Puss gets the Boot”, the creators continued to develop the cat-and-mouse these on their own, even though their supervisor Fred Quimby didn’t want any more cat and mouse cartoons. And, the result was “Tom and Jerry”. The characters first appeared in 1941’s ‘The Midnight Snack.”

Modelled after the “Puss Gets the Boot” characters with minor alterations, the series followed Jerry, the rodent who continually outwitted his feline foe, Tom. Having grown up watching silent films starring Charlie Chaplin, the creators knew their cartoons could be funny without dialogue. Music composed by Scott Bradley underscored the action and Tom's trademark human-like scream was voiced by Hanna himself

Two decades later, their department at MGM was closed down in 1957 when the studio realised they could make money simply through re-runs of the shorts already created by Hanna and Barbera.

So the duo went on to set up their own production company, creating legendary characters such as Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear and hit shows like 'The Flintstones", "Top Cat", "Scooby Doo", "The Smurfs" and even "Charlotte's Web".

A new direction

Meanwhile, the production of "Tom and Jerry" was taken over by Chuck Jones, best known for his work on Looney Tunes at Warner Brothers. Jones gave Tom a new avatar with thicker eyebrows and a twisted face resembling the Grinch, one of Dr. Seuss's characters.

 

Picture Credit : Google