10 Actors Who Might Save Upcoming Movies
Woody Harrelson is here to rescue Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
As much as we all think we can smell a cinematic dud coming from a mile away, the truth is that we can never be 100% sure until we're sat down and watching a movie for ourselves.
Countless films have thrived despite low expectations and poor marketing, and of course, the opposite is also true.
Keep your expectations low and never be disappointed, or so the saying goes, and it's fair to say that many film fans aren't letting themselves get hyped for these 10 upcoming movies.
Each of these films, from new entries into long-running franchise, bold attempts to launch new movie IP, and a certain spin-off of dubious "necessity," would surprise nobody if they received predominantly negative reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The reasons to be concerned are self-evident in almost every case, and yet, it's entirely possible the presence of a single actor can help right the ship and turn things around completely.
From absurdly over-qualified actors who might rescue $200 million tentpoles, to inspired casting decisions in otherwise mediocre-looking movies, these are the talented artists who just might carry these potentially doomed movies to unexpected success...
10. Jack Black - Borderlands
Sure to be one of the strangest films hitting cinemas next year, Eli Roth's adaptation of the legendary Borderlands video games will be co-written by Roth and Chernobyl's Craig Mazin, while somehow roping in prestige acting talents like Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis.
While many fans scratched their heads at the left-field castings of Blanchett, Curtis, and Kevin Hart in the roles of Lilith, Dr. Patricia Tannis, and Roland respectively, there is one absolutely spot-on bout of casting which could prop up the entire movie.
Jack Black has been cast to provide the voice of the iconic, irreverent robot Claptrap, and while his vocal stylings aren't a 1:1 match to the Claptrap from the video games, it's easy to appreciate how Black, himself a huge gamer, will still do justice to the talkative bot.
If the script's even half-way good, Black'll be able to tear through the witty quips and hopefully balance out what is undeniably one of the trickiest video game adaptations to date.
Given that Black was largely credited with elevating Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle - a film which invited enormous pre-release skepticism from fans of the 1995 original - there's even existing precedent already.