2021 – Page 9 – Movie Retakes

Disney Reveals Us Again Short to Debut Ahead of Raya and the Last Dragon

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Disney reveals Us Again short to debut ahead of Raya and the Last Dragon

Walt Disney Animation has revealed a new theatrical short with the musical and vibrant Us Again that is set to debut ahead of next month’s Raya and the Last Dragon, the studio’s first in five years since the debut of Inner Workings ahead of the Oscar-nominated Moana!

Young at heart. See Walt Disney Animation Studios’ newest short “Us Again”, directed by Zach Parrish and dances choreographed by Keone & Mari, only in theaters before Raya and the Last Dragon starting March 5. pic.twitter.com/Nxc83p3GYF

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) February 15, 2021

Hailing from 11-year Disney Animation veteran and director Zach Parrish, the short is set in a vibrant city pulsating with rhythm and movement and centers on an elderly man and his young-at-heart wife rekindling their youthful passion for life and each other on one magical night. The years fade away as the joy of dancing propels them across the exciting cityscape of their youth and revives fond memories and ambitions. Us Again is told entirely without dialogue and set to an original funk and soul musical score reminiscent of the mid-60s.

The short is produced by Brad Simonsen (Big Hero 6) and executive produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee and features music from Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel) and choreography from award winners Keone and Mari (World of Dance).

“Working with Keone and Mari was the key to making this film work,” Parrish said in a statement. “From the very beginning, I knew that I wanted this film to be music driven. And I felt that dance is a universal language that can translate into any culture. I loved that their dance style felt like it was made for animation, and that there was this genuine, honest and organic connection between them because they were actually a married couple in real life. The story itself was inspired by my own grandparents, who faced getting older in different ways, along with my own physical limitations in playing sports resulting from getting older and injuries. I started thinking about how someone might look at the world differently as things change and they grow older.”

“One of my priorities has been to bring back theatrical animated shorts and to give artists at our Studio an opportunity to explore new ideas,” Lee added in a statement. “Us Again has so much spirit and energy, and pushes the boundaries of our short form storytelling.”

Following its theatrical debut, Us Again is set to premiere on Disney+ in June.

Contactless Tickets – Advance ticket purchase and Mobile ticket entry on Fandango! – Going back to movie theaters!

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well.

Raya and the Last Dragon will be led by Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), who will be the first Southeast Asian to lead a Disney animated film. The titular role was originally set to be voiced by Cassie Steele (Rick and Morty), but the filmmakers and studio have chosen to adjust their vision and bring Tran in as the lead star, joining the previously cast Awkwafina (The Farewell), who is starring as a dragon in human form named Sisu.

In addition to Tran and Awkwafina, the cast for the film includes Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel) as Raya’s nemesis, Namaari; Daniel Dae Kim (Hellboy) as Raya’s visionary father, Benja; Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) as Namaari’s powerful mother, Virana; Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange) as Tong, a formidable giant; Izaac Wang as Boun, a 10-year-old entrepreneur; Thalia Tran as the mischievous toddler Little Noi; Alan Tudyk (Harley Quinn) as Tuk Tuk, Raya’s best friend and trusty steed; Lucille Soong (Fresh Off the Boat) as Dang Hu, the leader of the land of Talon; Patti Harrison (Shrill) as the chief of the Tail land; and Ross Butler (To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You) as chief of the Spine land.

Raya and the Last Dragon is co-directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6), Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), Paul Briggs (Zootopia) and John Ripa from a script written by Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and Qui Nguyen.

The film will arrive in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on March 5.

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CS Video: The World to Come Interviews With Director & Stars

CS Video: The World to Come interviews with director & stars

Just in time for the film’s select theatrical debut, ComingSoon.net got the opportunity to chat with director Mona Fastvold and Golden Globe nominee Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman), Katherine Waterston (Logan Lucky) and Oscar winner Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) for the period romantic drama The World to Come. Our interview can be viewed in the player below!

In this powerful 19th century romance set in the American Northeast, Abigail (Waterston), a farmer’s wife, and her new neighbor Tallie find themselves irrevocably drawn to each other. A grieving Abigail tends to her withdrawn husband Dyer as free-spirit Tallie bristles at the jealous control of her husband Finney, when together their intimacy begins to fill a void in each other’s lives they never knew existed.

Alongside Kirby, Waterston and Affleck, who also produces the film, the cast for the film includes Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Catch-22, Possessor, Black Bear) as Finney.

Click here to purchase Jim Shepard’s collection of stories, including the film’s source story!

The film is scripted by Ron Hansen (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) and Jim Shepard based on Shepard’s story of the same name and helmed by Mona Fastvold (Vox Lux, The Sleepwalker, The Childhood of a Leader). Affleck produces the film alongside Pamela Koffler (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Z: The Beginning of Everything), David Hinojosa (First Reformed, Carol), Whitaker Lader (Light of My Life) and Margarethe Baillou (Call Me By Your Name).

The World to Come is now in select theaters and will debut on digital platforms and VOD on March 2!

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Gremlins Mountain Dew Commercial: Gizmo & Zach Galligan Return!

Gizmo’s all grown up and still getting into some mischief in Mountain Dew’s new Gremlins commercial featuring the return of our favorite furry friend and star Zach Galligan in the fun new ad. You can check out the commercial now in the player below!

The next Gremlins adventure will arrive on HBO Max this year in the form of the animated prequel series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.

Set in 1920s Shanghai, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai will tell the story of how 10-year-old Sam Wing (future shop owner Mr. Wing in the 1984 movie) met the young Mogwai called Gizmo. Along with a teenage street thief named Elle, Sam and Gizmo take a perilous journey through the Chinese countryside, encountering, and sometimes battling, colorful monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore. On their quest to return Gizmo to his family and uncover a legendary treasure, they are pursued by a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.

Tze Chun (Children of Invention, Gotham) will write and co-executive produce the 10-episode series. Gremlins first took the box office by storm in director Joe Dante’s 1984 Christmas/horror/comedy. In 1990, Dante returned for Gremlins 2: The New Batch, which had a much lighter tongue-in-cheek tone than the first film. Dante will also be consulting on the new series for HBO Max.

Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce for Amblin Television along with Sam Register. Brendan Hay will serve as co-executive producer with Dan Krall serving as supervising producer. The series is produced by Amblin in association with Warner Bros. Animation.

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New The King and I Musical Film Adaptation in the Works at Paramount

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures has successfully acquired the rights to the award-winning and popular Broadway musical The King and I which was the fifth musical created by acclaimed Broadway duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The studio has partnered up with Temple Hill to develop a brand new film adaptation of The King and I.

Based on Margaret Landon’s 1944 novel titled Anna and the King of Siam, The King and I is set during the early 1860s in Siam (now known as Thailand) where it follows the story of a British schoolteacher named Anna Leonowens, who was hired by the Western-leaning king to become the governess of the royal children. The Broadway musical first made its premiere in 1951 which went on to win major Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Pick up a copy of the first film adaptation!

The musical was then adapted into a film in 1956 by 20th Century Fox with Walter Lang as its director. It starred Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner and was a critical and commercial success. In 1999, it was also into an animated feature by Warner Bros. which featured the voices of Miranda Richardson and Martin Vidnovic.

The new King and I adaptation will be produced by Marty Bowen & Wyck Godfrey’s Temple Hill along with Concord, who acquired Rodgers and Hammerstein’s catalog in 2017. Paramount believes that the project will be a great opportunity to reimagine the classic story and bring in its much-needed diversity that previous adaptations have lacked.

(Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

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The Lost City of D: Channing Tatum & Sandra Bullock-Led Rom-Com Sets 2022 Release

The Lost City of D: Channing Tatum & Sandra Bullock-led rom-com sets 2022 release

Paramount Pictures has finally announced the release date for their upcoming romantic-comedy adventure film titled The Lost City of D. Starring Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock and 21 Jump Street star Channing Tatum, the film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on April 15, 2022.

The Lost City of D follows a reclusive romance novelist (Bullock) who was sure nothing could be worse than getting stuck on a book tour with her cover model (Tatum), until a kidnapping attempt sweeps them both into a cutthroat jungle adventure, proving life can be so much stranger, and more romantic, than any of her paperback fictions.

The film will be directed by Adam and Aaron Nee from a screenplay written by Dana Fox (How to be Single), based off a treatment by Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses). On top of starring Bullock is also serving as a producer through her Fortis Films banner. The project will also be produced by 3dot Productions’ Liza Chasin and Gordon through his Exhibit A Films.

Bullock is no stranger to the romantic comedy genre as she previously starred in 2009’s The Proposal opposite Ryan Reynolds. Her other notable film credits include Speed, Miss Congeniality, The Lake House, All About Steve, The Heat, The Blind Side, Ocean’s 8, and Bird Box. She will next be seen in David Leitch’s star-studded Bullet Train starring alongside Brad Pitt and Lady Gaga.

Tatum first gained recognition in 2006’s romantic dance drama Step Up. His film credits include G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Dear John, The Vow, Magic Mike, White House Down, The Hateful Eight, Hail Caesar!, Logan Lucky, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images & Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

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The Croods Takes Over the President’s Weekend Box Office

After lingering in the No. 2 spot for what felt like months, The Croods: A New Age finally took the box office crown over the President’s Day weekend with $2.04M from 1,890 theaters (per Deadline). All told, the animated sequel has collected $48.9M at the domestic box office and $151M worldwide.

No. 2 belonged to WB’s new release Judas and the Black Messiah, which collected $2.4M over the 4-day break from 1,888 theaters. The critically acclaimed film starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield also had a simultaneous release on HBO Max.

Elsewhere, the Denzel Washington serial killer thriller The Little Things totaled $2.4M in Week 3 bringing its domestic total to $10.6M.

The only other new release to crack the Top 10 this week was Focus Features’ Land, which landed at No. 6 with $1.07M over the holiday weekend. Also of note, the Golden Globe nominated drama The Mauritanian $170K over the 4-day weekend from 245 sites in 69 markets. The film is expected to hit PVOD on March 2.

INTERNATIONAL

Internationally, the big news was the debut of Detective Chinatown 3, which brought in “an astonishing Maoyan-estimated RMB 1.05B ($163M) to score the biggest opening-day gross ever of any movie in a single market,” which overtakes Avengers: Endgame’s $157M North American record set in April of 2019. The Chen Sicheng film has also set pre-sales records in the Middle Kingdom; and analysts are expecting the sequel to cross the billion dollars mark in China alone.

IMAX

DC3 was shot entirely in Imax format cameras, which helped spur its amazing $23.5M debut on the big-screen format in China — the largest Imax opening weekend ever for a Chinese movie. The massive debut gave the Imax box office a 45% boost over the CNY holiday weekend compared to the same period in 2019. And Friday, Feb 12, marks the first time in IMAX history where our network eclipsed 1 million admissions in a single day in China (or in any market).

BOX OFFICE
1.) Croods: A New Age (Uni) 1,890 theaters (-45), 3-day: $2.04M (+21%)/4-day: $2.66M/Total: $48.9M/Wk 12

2.) Judas and The Black Messiah (WB) 1,888 theaters, 3-day: $2M/4-day: $2.4M/Wk 1

2.) The Little Things (WB) 2,090 theaters (-116), 3-day: $2M (-5%)/4-day: $2.4M/Total: $10.6M/Wk 3

4.)The Marksman (Open) 1,825 theaters (-193)/3-day: $1.1M (+12%)/4-day: $1.325M/Total: $10.6M/Wk 5

5.) Wonder Woman 1984 (WB) 1,681 theaters (-137)/3-day: $1.1M (+22%)/4-day: $1.3M/Total: $41.8M/Wk 8

6.) Land (Focus) 1,231 theaters/3-day: $940K/4-day: $1.07M/Wk 1

7.) Monster Hunter (Sony) 1,366 theaters (-101) 3-day: $650K (+11%)/4-day: $750K/Total $12.7M/Wk 9

8.) News of the World (Uni) 1,243 theaters (-294), 3-day: $385K (-2%)/4-day: $443K/Total: $11.4M/Wk 8

9.) The War With Grandpa (101) 525 theaters (-5), 3-day: $180K (+15%)/4-day: $215K/Total: $20M/Wk 19

10.) Promising Young Woman (Focus) 733 theaters (-190), 3-day: $183K (-18%)/4-day: $210K/Total $4.9M/Wk 8

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Check Out New Footage for Godzilla vs. Kong in Extended Teaser!

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Check out new footage for Godzilla vs. Kong in extended teaser!

In case you needed another reminder of all the cool stuff coming to HBO Max in March, WB and Legendary decided to release another extended teaser for the monster bash Godzilla vs. Kong featuring plenty of new footage. Check out the trailer below!

Their fight. Our world. #GodzillaVsKong in theaters and streaming exclusively on @hbomax* March 31. Find the biggest screen possible!

*Available on @hbomax in the US only, for 31 days, at no extra cost to subscribers. pic.twitter.com/KlM4vTSkCw

— Legendary (@Legendary) February 14, 2021

The epic action-adventure Godzilla vs. Kong will pit two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against one another — the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong — with humanity caught in the balance.

The film stars Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies, The Little Drummer Girl), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Rebecca Hall (Christine, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women), Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta, Widows), Shun Oguri (Gintama), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist), and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2). Also starring in the highly-anticipated movie are Kyle Chandler (The Wolf of Wall Street, Manchester by the Sea) and Demián Bichir (The Nun, The Hateful Eight).

The fourth installment in Warner Bros.’ Pictures and Legendary’s Monsterverse is directed by Adam Wingard from a script written by Oscar nominee Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean, Deja Vu, Shrek). The film is being produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod, and Brian Rogers, with Kenji Okuhira, Yoshimitsu Banno, Jon Jashni and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers. Jay Ashenfelter, Jen Conroy and Tamara Kent are co-producers.

The most recent film in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, hit theaters last summer. It ended with Godzilla taking his rightful place as the ruler of all Titans. Unfortunately, the movie was a financial disappointment, grossing only $385.9 million against a budget estimated to be as high as $200 million.

Godzilla vs. Kong was originally set to hit theaters in May 2020 (before the global pandemic) and then on November 20, 2020.

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Zack Snyder’s Justice League Trailer: The Bell’s Been Rung

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Zack Snyder’s Justice League Trailer: The bell’s been rung

The time has come for the arrival of the official trailer of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, highlighting the infamous director’s cut of the DC Extended Universe blockbuster with new footage of Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, Jared Leto’s Joker and more, all set to arrive on March 18. The trailer can be viewed below!

“They said the age of heroes would never come again.” Zack Snyder’s Justice League arrives on @HBOMax March 18th. #SnyderCut pic.twitter.com/ZY1rYEcu5M

— Zack Snyder’s Justice League (@snydercut) February 14, 2021

Justice League will be hitting HBO Max solely as a four-hour movie on March 18. It was originally revealed at DC FanDome that the movie will release on HBO Max in 2021 by being broken up into four one-hour parts that will also be released as one four-hour film, but Snyder’s new comments seem to indicate it will solely be released as the one-off film instead of the four-part series. In an informal Q&A with the director via the comments, Snyder also revealed that there will be no after-credits scenes, the release date is still set for March even as potential competition Godzilla vs. Kong just moved to the same month and its runtime is four hours prior to the credits.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League has reportedly cost around $70 million in order to properly finish the editing and visual effects of the director’s original vision, as well as the additional photography. The original post-production crew is also expected to return along with the cast members to record additional dialogue for the cut.

Fueled by the hero’s restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Justice League sees Bruce Wayne enlist the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Justice League, which features a screenplay from Chris Terrio from a story by Snyder and Terrio, stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, with J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

Released in November 2017, the film earned mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, praising the action and performances from Gadot and Miller while criticizing every other aspect of the film, namely the inconsistent tone that many fault Joss Whedon (The Avengers) for after taking over directorial duties from Snyder. With a large budget of $300 million and a break-even point of $750 million, the film is considered a box office bomb having grossed only $658 million.

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William Eubank & Christopher Landon Team for Paranormal Activity Reboot

William Eubank & Christopher Landon team for Paranormal Activity reboot

While the Happy Death Day filmmaker was already confirmed to be returning for the latest installment in Paramount Pictures’ hit horror franchise, Underwater‘s William Eubank has signed on to helm the next Paranormal Activity installment, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The seventh installment in the series, which is being produced by Paramount Players, is not being described as a remake or a continuation of the series by sources, but rather an “unexpected retooling” of the franchise thus far.

Before creating the critical and commercial hit time-loop slasher franchise Happy Death Day, Landon was the primary screenwriter for the Paranormal franchise, penning the script for the second installment and going on to write the third and fourth films, as well as direct the 2014 spin-off The Marked Ones.

2019 marked the ten year anniversary of the release of the first Paranormal Activity movie, which blew up at the domestic box office and set the horror world ablaze with the found footage feature craze. The first Paranormal Activity was produced on a budget of $15,000 dollars and went on to gross $193 million worldwide.

Paranormal Activity was followed by five sequels, exploring the different corners of the vague mythos established in the first film and culminating in 2015’s 3D sequel, The Ghost Dimension. The six movies have brought in over $890 million worldwide, an impressive haul for their micro-budgets and setting the series up as one of the many fan favorite horror franchises in the mid 2000s.

Director Oren Peli helmed the original film in the franchise, and unsuccessfully tried to replicate the success of the film with other found footage projects like Chernobyl Diaries and Area 51 in theaters, plus The River on ABC. The franchise also attracted Catfish filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman who directed the third and fourth movies in the series.

The seventh Paranormal Activity was set to hit theaters on March 19 but is currently slated for a March 4, 2022 release.

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CS Soapbox: The Novel That Inspired Matrix, Inception & WandaVision

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CS Soapbox: The Novel That Inspired Matrix, Inception & WandaVision

In 1969 the famed sci-fi author Philip K. Dick wrote what was arguably his most groundbreaking and influential novel, titled Ubik. Since his death in 1982 the late writer’s work has become a cornerstone of the genre (the phrase “Dickian” is common parlance) and has been transformed into numerous classic films and television (Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall, The Man in the High Castle), yet Ubik has never been adapted… directly. However, the novel has been cannibalized over the years by many big features including The Wachowski’s The Matrix, Christopher Nolan’s Inception and now Marvel Studios’ hit Disney+ series WandaVision.

Click here to purchase a copy of Philip K. Dick’s Ubik!

The labyrinthine story of Ubik takes place in the “future” of 1992 and follows Joe Chip, a technician working for a company called Runciter Associates that employs specialized people known as “inertials” whose powers include the ability to block telepaths and precogs (a frequent Dick motif also used in Minority Report) typically to stop them from corporate espionage. Founder Glen Runciter’s dead wife and business partner Ella exists in a state called half-life where her consciousness is still active. The company is hired to send Runciter, Chip and a team of their best operatives to the Moon to prevent psychic intrusion on a lunar base, but a bomb blast kills Runciter and they head back to Earth.

This is, as they say, where the plot thickens. Chip and the team -which includes a psychic girl named Pat Conley who can change the past- find their reality warping and “deteriorating,” with common objects reverting to older forms (TVs become radios, cigarettes become old outdated brands, etc), with their world eventually settling in 1939. The money they use mysteriously has Runciter’s portrait on it. The team members themselves begin to deteriorate and die, but a message from Runciter has an advertisement for a spray called Ubik that Chip uses to stop the deterioration. Each chapter, in fact, begins with an ad for Ubik flaunting a different use for it.

Chip believes Conley is causing this fractured reality, which she admits, only to discover that a being named Jory is actually devouring the team in half-life in order to sustain himself. Runciter was, in fact, the only survivor of the moon blast, with everyone else in half-life. Ella developed Ubik to defend herself and other half-lifers against Jory (who has help from people in the real world), and gifts Chip with a lifetime supply. A strange coda, omnisciently narrated by Ubik itself, reveals Runciter in the real world mourning the loss of his team only to find a coin with Joe Chip’s face on it.

Just from that brief description you can see how the story influenced Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s Matrix Trilogy, particularly the Keanu Reeves character Neo’s journey as he attempts to navigate a “real world” that is not real and can be manipulated. The idea of people living in this alternate consciousness reality while essentially vegetative inside cryo-tubes was another big pull. The predatory character of Jory has a strong tie to the Agent Smith program played by Hugo Weaving, who also uses people within the Matrix itself as saboteurs and informants. Even the film’s somewhat anachronistic production design that pulls from all eras of the 20th century is in keeping with the themes of Ubik.

Christopher Nolan’s Inception pulls a lot elements from Dick’s book, including the team navigating an alternate dream reality, physical shifts in that false reality and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Dom Cobb ultimately not being able to discern if he’s still in the dream world at the end (an idea also employed in the Dick adaptation Total Recall). In Inception there are dream “extractors” as opposed to “anti-telepaths,” and the corporate espionage backdrop is identical. The dead wife being a powerful force within the dreamworld is also a lift. Another big similarity is Cobb’s “totem” (a spinning top) used to indicate if they are still in a dream, which is a coin or money in Ubik.

This brings us to Marvel’s WandaVision, in which showrunner Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman have seemingly found an ideal vehicle for Dick’s ideas, albeit in reverse. Instead of reality reverting backwards, the psychic character of Wanda Maximoff (whose character could be compared to Pat Conley in the novel) has essentially held an entire New Jersey town telekinetically hostage as she reforms both their external and internal realities to fit into the context of sitcom tropes from the 50’s (The Dick Van Dyke Show), then the 60’s (Bewitched), then the 70’s (The Brady Bunch), then the 80’s (Family Ties) and -in this week’s episode- the 90’s (Malcom in the Middle). In each case the sets, cars, clothing and manners of everyone including Wanda shift forward with each new retooling of the town’s reality. Even objects like a surveillance drone reverts to a more 60’s toy helicopter look once it enters the town in episode 2.

Another carryover from Ubik are the interstitial commercials that typically come in the middle of each WandaVision episode and appear to have clues as to what is happening. How these will pay off in future episodes remains to be seen, but there are hints of an evil force behind Wanda instigating and controlling her behavior much the way Ubik (short for “ubiquitous”) inserts itself into the ending of the novel, and which many (including the late author’s wife) say is a stand-in for God itself.

Whether Schaeffer & Co. ever even uttered the word “Ubik” during production on the Marvel series is immaterial, although it would be unsurprising to find out that it was a reference point. The show also takes its fair share of inspiration from other sources like Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker and its more recent Americanization Annihilation, along with a hint of Twilight Zone episode “It’s a Good Life.” What is important is that the novel’s lofty concepts have found their most mainstream outlet ever. Even the very nature of the way the show changes its aspect ratios or goes from black & white to color to accommodate the sitcom era it is aping goes along with Dick’s own plans for adapting Ubik under french director Jean-Pierre Gorin (Tout Va Bien), with his unproduced screenplay eventually published in print form. One of the then-radical ideas Dick had to adapt it was that the film quality itself would deteriorate and de-volve from color to black-and-white, then to the jerkiness of early silent movies and finally to darkness.

Since Dick’s death several other filmmakers have attempted to adapt Ubik several times over the decades. Richard Linklater collaborator Tommy Pallotta wanted to produce a version of the book after the critical success of their 2006 Dick adaptation A Scanner Darkly, arguably the most faithful film adaptation of any of the author’s works to date. Linklater had flirted with adapting Ubik before Scanner but ran into rights issues even after attempting his own script on spec. Then in 2011 it was announced that Oscar-winning surrealist filmmaker Michel Gondry (whose Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has a PKD influence) was going to tackle the book for producers Steve Golin and Steve Zaillian before abandoning it. Even maverick filmmaker and PKD superfan Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys) has looked into adapting several of his books including Ubik, but found the idea problematic since so much has been swiped from it over the years.

“That’s the problem, so much has been lifted from ‘Ubik,’” Gilliam told us back in 2019. “It probably doesn’t feel fresh anymore to an audience. I’m curious whether Dick would work better now or not. I just don’t know anymore because so many films were made that took the best of Dick in them and played with them.”

In one sense it is sad that we will probably never see Ubik brough to life onscreen because so many other works have already utilized its ideas, but it is also heartening that what was once considered such a far-out sci-fi tale is now being folded into massively successful works of commercial storytelling in both TV and film.