A month ago, nobody could have suspected that a single thing was wrong in the Ant-Man camp. The movie had the awesome power of Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, with Edgar Wright directing and co-writing a script also penned by Joe Cornish. After Marvel executives revised their script, however, Wright quit the project unexpectedly, causing cinematographer Bill Pope and composer Steven Price, both previous Wright collaborators, to subsequently exit the movie as well. After a desperate search to secure a new director, Marvel finally landed on Peyton Reed, whose filmography includes the dubious likes of Bring It On, Down with Love, The Break-Up and Yes Man. It's a pretty underwhelming CV for someone now appointed to direct a high-stakes action flick (not to mention an important part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and combined with the number of directors who turned the gig down, it suggests that Ant-Man's script is likely a homogenised mess, and the end product will suffer as a result. Predicted Rotten Tomatoes Score: 57%
14. Pan (July 17)
Granted, another live-action take on the Peter Pan story isn't exactly something we've been clamouring for, but with an immense cast and crew, it's hard not to be excited. With Joe Wright directing, Hugh Jackman playing Blackbeard, Garrett Hedlund as Hook, Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily (a casting decision not without its controversy), and Amanda Seyfried as Mary, there's certainly plenty of potential for this Peter Pan origin story to be a unique fantasy unlike anything we've ever seen before. The script, from young writer Jason Fuchs, ended up on last year's Hollywood Black List, which is always a good sign, and with Jackman's immense popularity, Pan is almost certain to do well, even if it somehow ends up being a dud (after all, Peter Pan is being played by unknown Levi Miller). In fairness, Wright isn't the most consistent director out there, but his movies always boast great style, so this one will almost certainly scoop some Oscar nominations for Cinematography, Costume Design, Art Direction and so on in 2016's Academy Awards. Predicted Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
