#OnTheBigScreen: Zombies, Spider-Man, Churchill and Peter Pan

Nul Is Nie Niks Nie

The impressive Afrikaans film, Nul Is Nie Niks Nie is a heart-warming coming-of-age story about life, death and everything in between. The film tells a heart-warming and darkly amusing new film about life, death and everything in between, the story of three friends living in a sleepy town – Martin ‘Hoender’ (Jaden van der Merwe), Drikus (Pieter Louw), and Chris (Daniah de Villiers) – who set out to make Drikus’ dying wish come true – to make a zombie movie.

During their filmmaking process Hoender starts to deal with the loss of his father, he makes new friends, works on his self-confidence and realises that he has a lot to offer. Drikus’ love of life and determination brings the surrounding lifeless community together and gives them a new lease on life.

Lizé Vosloo wrote the screenplay for this film, inspired by the youth drama, Oor ’n motorfiets, ’n zombiefiek en lang getalle wat deur elf gedeel kan word by Jaco Jacobs.

''My vision is for the film to become a piece of cinema that will have a long life because of its theme of life and death, which is central to the story, says director Morné du Toit. ''We were loyal to the theme from the beginning and I hope the film reaches a broad audience that will find it inspiring to watch. I believe that stories have the ability to change lives, to bring hope where there was none, and life to where there was none.''

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, young Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns home to live with his Aunt May in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Under the watchful eye of mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Parker starts to embrace his newfound identity as Spider-Man. He also tries to return to his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a friendly neighbourhood superhero. Peter must soon put his powers to the test when the evil Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges to threaten everything that he holds dear. His moment has arrived as he is challenged to become the hero he is meant to be.

It is the second reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise and the sixteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Jon Watts (Clown, Cop Car), with a screenplay by the writing teams of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, Watts and Christopher Ford, and Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.

For producer and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, bringing the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in an original way that film audiences have never seen before was a top priority. “Over the past 15 years, we have built the Marvel Cinematic Universe with so many characters and movies, and now we have the opportunity to introduce Peter Parker and the Spider-Man franchise into that universe for the first time,” says Feige. “It’s exciting because that’s how he truly was in the comics, from the very beginning – he didn’t enter the comics as the only hero; he entered a world in which Tony Stark, Captain America and the Avengers all were there. And now, for the first time, we get that in an entire film, which makes it fresh and new.”

Churchill

Churchill follows Britain’s iconic Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Brian Cox) in the days before the infamous D‐Day landings in June 1944. As allied forces stand on the south coast of Britain, poised to invade Nazi occupied Europe, they await Churchill’s decision on whether the invasion will actually move ahead. Fearful of repeating his mistakes from World War I on the beaches of Gallipoli, exhausted by years of war, plagued by depression and obsessed with fulfilling historical greatness, Churchill is also faced with constant criticism from his political opponents; General Eisenhower and Field Marshal Montgomery.

Only the unflinching support of Churchill’s brilliant, unflappable wife Clementine (Miranda Richardsonn) can halt the Prime Minister’s physical and mental collapse and help lead him to greatness.

The untold story of Britain’s most celebrated leader, uncovering the true nature of his herculean war‐time status and revealing the strength of his wife, ‘Clemmie’ – his backbone and total confidant the love that inspired him to greatness.

Churchill is directed by Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man, Marcella) from an original screenplay by British historian Alex von Tunzelmann (Medici: Masters of Florence) in her feature debut.

The House

When Scott and Kate Johansen’s daughter gets into the college of her dreams it’s cause for celebration. That is, until Scott and Kate (Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler) learn that the scholarship they were counting on didn’t come through, and they’re now on the hook for tuition they can’t begin to afford.

With the help of their friend and neighbour Frank (Jason Mantzoukas)—also in need of a major payday—they decide to open an illegal casino in his suburban house, risking everything together on a Vegas-style bacchanal where money flows, inhibitions are checked at the door, and all bets are off.

Andrew Jay Cohen makes his feature film directorial debut with The House. The script was written by Brendan O’Brien and Cohen, whose previous collaborations include the hit comedy Neighbors.

“I always wanted to make a movie about high school kids who start a casino in their parents’ basement,” Cohen recounts. “By making them adults, making them the ones who were impulsive and out of control rather than their college-bound kid, it becomes a whole different experience and discovery. The Scott and Kate in the beginning of the story who are facing their biggest failure as parents commit to taking the biggest risk of their lives. They find a way to turn things around and in the process, find out things about themselves they never dreamed existed. Still, he cautions, “Don’t try this at home.”

Peter Pan

Recorded live during its sell-out UK run at the National Theatre, Peter Pan follows the adventures of the leader of the Lost Boys who loses his shadow but finds strong-willed Wendy, who helps him reattach it. In exchange, she is invited to Neverland, where Tinker Bell the fairy, Tiger Lily and the evil Captain Hook (Olivier Award-winning Anna Francolini) await and a riot of magic, music and make-believe follows.

It releases on Saturday, 8 July 2017, for four screenings only: on 8, 12 and 13 July at 19:30 and on 9 July at 14:30 at Ster-Kinekor’s Nouveau cinemas in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, and at Ster-Kinekor Gateway in Durban. The running time is approximately 3 hours, including a 20-min interval.

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