#OnTheBigScreen: Supermama, Men in Black and The White Crow

The Adventures Of Supermama

South Africa’s first-ever black female superhero for the big screen packs a punch against crime and corruption! Supermama’s remarkable journey to becoming a crime fighter with a homemade costume, karate chops and an over-inflated ego is what makes the film so original and amusing, making it a definite must see for the South African audience and movie patrons.

Filmmaker Karen van Schalkwyk chats The Adventures Of Supermama

Daniel Dercksen  13 Jun 2019

Directed by van Schalkwyk from a screenplay crafted by Karen Van Schalkwyk, Damon Berry and Ben Tjibe. The film is produced by Rory Downing and Damon Berry.

Men in Black: International

The Men in Black have expanded to cover the globe, but so have the scum of the universe. And to keep us safe, decorated Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) and determined rookie M (Tessa Thompson) are partnered – an unlikely pairing that just might work. As they face a new alien threat that can take the form of anyone, including MIB agents, they must join forces on a globetrotting adventure to save the agency and ultimately the world.

Walter F Parkes and Laurie MacDonald return as the franchise’s “guardians”, having produced all four films, starting with 1997’s Men in Black, and have brought on board director F Gary Gray, whose work encompasses epic action and thrills, raucous comedy and galvanising to bring scale, laughs and a unique vision to the sequel.

MIB: International screenwriters Art Marcum and Matt Holloway had earlier penned the screenplay for Iron Man, which helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and whose tone was inspired by MIB. Indeed, the MIB franchise is defined by its creativity and inventiveness – blending comedy, science fiction and adventure, a mix that other franchises would follow.

The White Crow

From Nureyev’s poverty-stricken childhood in the Soviet city of Ufa to his blossoming as a student dancer in Leningrad, to his arrival at the epicentre of western culture in Paris in the early 1960s and a nail-biting stand-off at the Le Bourget airport, The White Crow is the true story of an incredible journey by a unique artist who transformed the world of ballet forever.

The term ‘White Crow’ is Russian slang for a person who is unusual or unlike others. Double-edged, it is used to refer both to someone of exceptional ability and to an outsider who doesn’t fit in anywhere. Acclaimed Russian ballet superstar Rudolf Nureyev epitomises this concept.

Elegantly scripted by playwright David Hare, the film is adapted from Julie Kavanagh’s biography of the legendary Russian ballet dancer, whom director Ralph Fiennes first became obsessed with after reading Nureyev: The Life, almost 20 years ago.

Read more here.

A Dog’s Journey

Some friendships transcend lifetimes. In A Dog’s Journey, the sequel to the heart-warming global hit A Dog’s Purpose, beloved dog Bailey finds his new destiny and forms an unbreakable bond that will lead him, and the people he loves, to places they never imagined.

Bailey (voiced by Josh Gad) is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his “boy” Ethan (Dennis Quaid). He even has a new playmate: Ethan and Hannah’s baby granddaughter, CJ. The problem is that CJ’s mom decides to take CJ away. As Bailey’s soul prepares to leave this life for a new one, he makes a promise to Ethan to find CJ and protect her at any cost. Thus begins Bailey’s adventure through multiple lives filled with love, friendship and devotion as he, CJ and CJ’s best friend, Trent, experience joy and heartbreak, music and laughter and a few really good belly rubs.

Directed by two-time Emmy award-winner Gail Mancuso, A Dog’s Journey was written by returning screenwriters W Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon and Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky, based on the best-selling novel by Cameron.

Read more about the latest and upcoming film releases: writingstudio.co.za/lets-go-to-the-movies