Much of Hollywood is still in quarantine, which means movie and TV news is limited, but ToB never sleeps. So Julian, Dan, and Jeremy gather to discuss the latest dribs and drabs from the world of cinema and television. A lot which seems to concentrate on sequels and delays, with the most notable of which being the delay of Tenet to July 31st. The guys ponder the fate of movie theatres as Chris Nolan continues to bet on his blockbuster to bring people back to the cinema this summer. In sequel news, Indiana Jones 5 has a new director, which in and of itself is shocking as it marks the first time Spielberg won’t be behind the camera. Meanwhile, Ridley Scott contemplates the future of the Alien franchise, the producers of the Bourne movies are look for a fresh take and the latest from production of The Last of Us at HBO, as they add some new creative talent. The guys also discuss HBO Max temporarily removing Gone WIth the Wind and what if any precedent a move like this marks (spoilers, it’s a good thing). All this and so much more on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast.

Side note: we have been experiencing some technical difficulties lately so please excuse the quality of this week’s audio. We will strive to have this resolved before the next show.

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Show Notes

Movies

Tenet delayed to July 31st. Theatres expect to be 90% open by that time. However, AMC theatres has “substantial doubt” that they can remain in business despite closing the majority of their locations around the globe.
Rumours are flying about a Mad Max “Furiosa” prequel film. According to these rumours, it wouldn’t star Charlize Theron, would have a story set before Fury Road, would not feature Tom Hardy’s “Mad Max” character, but would bring back the Fury Road cinematographer. Richard Madden and Yaha Abdul Mateen are apparently up for for roles in the film as well.
Bill and Ted 3 trailer.
Ridley Scott wants to make an Alien Covenant sequel.
Indiana Jones 5 set to be directed by James Mangold with Spielberg to produce.
The Bourne franchise may return.
Gone With the Wind, was removed from HBO Max library after plea from 12 years a slave writer John Ridley. HBO says it will be returned with a disclaimer at the appropriate time.

TV

Creator of HBOs Chernobyl (who is also writing the upcoming Borderlands movie for Eli Roth), Craig Mazin, will be executive producing and writing the Last of Us series along with Neil Druckmann. Johan Renck, who won an Emmy for directing all five episodes of Chernobyl is confirmed to be directing “at least” the pilot episode.
HBO’s Lovecraft Country trailer.

May 22, 2025

SSSW/ToB Film Club - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

It's hard to believe that 'Rogue One' premiered nearly a decade ago. At the time, it was fairly well received, considered to be a decent first step into the standalone Star Wars movies, if not a bit messy. As the years passed, we learned more about the production. Gareth Edwards, who retained sole directing credit, was assisted by Tony Gilroy to "fix" the project. Tony went so far as to call it a "corpse" when he came aboard for rewrites and reshoots. It was Tony's inclusion that brought us some of the movies most memorable moments, and ultimately led him to leading the charge on 'Andor', a prequel project that flew under the radar as hits like 'The Mandalorian' hogged the spotlight. With 'Andor' now complete, considered by many to be a masterpiece in storytelling, not just in Star Wars but on television in general, now is the most appropriate time to reexamine the movie that spawned the Cassian-centered prequel series with fresh eyes. 'Andor', which leads directly into the events of 'Rogue One' recontextualizes much of the film, creating a unique viewing experience that pays off a multitude of threads that are brilliantly laid over the two seasons of 'Andor'. It takes the movie, which was already pretty good, and makes it great. Now existing as part of a whole that weaves a cohesive narrative from the nascent moments of the Rebellion all the way through to the destruction of the Death Star in 1977 (the seed that begat ALL Star Wars, and what we appropriately align our Star Wars BBY calendars to). It all feels wholistic and considered when viewed from the broader perspective - an accomplishment that should set a shining example of what Star Wars can and should aspire to.

May 15, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 Finale

After only 4 weeks - the blink of an eye - it's all over. The best Star Wars story since the Original Trilogy has graced our screens and left us in awe. These final three episodes weren't able to reach the emotional highs of last week's arc, but that wasn't the goal. Instead, it provides time to look back at what brought us here, and sets the stage for the climax of the story to take place not in this moment, but within the now recontextualized film that birthed all of this in the first place, 'Rogue One'. And while the show may carry Cassian's name on the title screen, it's been the cast of characters we've met along the way that truly elevated this experience. Not to pick favourites, but in particular, Luthen and Kleya, who get an episode all to themselves this week are the standouts. And what an episode it was, as their story which shepherded much of the series came to an end, as we all expected it would have to. Embracing those feelings of closure, in the final moments of the series, as Cassian flies off into 'Rogue One', we are treated to our last glimpses of our heroes and villains. From Dedra to Vel and even Perrin, we are left to consider their fates as the story marches with inevitability into what begat all of this way back in 1977. Will we ever see Kleya, Vel, Wilmon, or Bix again? One can only hope - and rebellions? Well, they're built on hope.

May 9, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 E7 - 9

When dealing in the world of prequels, it’s impossible to escape the inevitable - Anakin will fall, Han will win the Falcon, Cassian will die on Scarif. Somehow, in the midst of some of the most thrilling episodes of television ever put to screen, Tony Gilroy and his team found a way to address that impending doom and weaponize it against the audience to induce some of the most gut wrenching and heart breaking moments we’ve yet to see on ‘Andor’ - “There’s some place he needs to be”. At a larger scale, the show continues to outdo itself on a weekly basis, proving that the Star Wars galaxy provides a colour pallet of some of the richest hues from which to paint bold and personal stories. Proving you can go beyond the larger than life stories of heroics and grandeur to human stories of loss and pain and everything in between. That’s without mentioning the deft touch in pulling in themes that resonates with the contemporary while remaining timeless - a feeling that is a staple of Star Wars. Every detail is considered, every character is deep and interesting. There isn’t much more that can be said about such a powerful piece of art, except that not even the audience can escape the inevitable - only one week remains of this masterpiece.

May 2, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 E4 - 6

I'm sorry to tell you all, but we're already halfway through this final season of 'Andor'. Fortunately, the quality hasn't dipped one bit as we accelerate into the finish. Join Julian and Rachel as they savour every minute of this 3-episode arch that takes us to Ghorman for the first time on screen. Tony Gilroy and the team at Lucasfilm outdid themselves yet again in crafting every detail. The size of the set alone is impressive, but they take it a step further by developing a unique culture and even language different from anything we've seen in Star Wars before. It all fits seamlessly into this next chapter of the story that has a heavy emphasis on spycraft as the pressure ramps up for both the Rebellion and the Empire.

Episode 152 - Delays and Sequels

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