Day Two of CinemaCon 2017 started with a presentation by STX Entertainment, a very new production studio with several hits already under their belt. In the 19 months that they have opened their doors, STX Entertainment has produced 10 films, including the highest grossing comedy of 2016. This year, their lineup looks even more dynamic with a broad appeal.
First on their slate for 2017 is The Circle, a technological thriller that centers around a young woman who works for a social media/search engine type of company who discovers a dark secret that underlies their data collection. This film stars Tom Hanks and Emma Watson and is based on the best-selling novel of the same name.
Next up was a highly anticipated sci-fi movie from legendary director, Luc Besson. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a story set in an expansive universe filled with aliens and epic space cities. Slated for July and starring Dane Dehaan and Cara Delevingne, it centers around two special agents who must fight a new unknown enemy that threatens to destroy all life within the galaxy. Luc Besson and Cara Delevingne were on hand and gave us some insight into the origin of the story, the graphic novel of the same name from the 1960s. Packed with the stunning visuals that Besson (The Fifth Element) is known for, it looks to be a contender for this summer’s blockbuster season.
STX then introduced us to a few films that are in their line up for this year. Renegades, set to release September 1, is written by Luc Besson and stars a young unknown cast as a group of Navy Seals who are determined to recover Nazi gold in the heart of enemy territory. After that, we got a glimpse at Molly’s Game, a true story about Molly Bloom, the woman who created the most exclusive gambling operation that brought together celebrities and mafia alike. Jessica Chastain and the master of dialogue, Aaron Sorkin came out to present the film and explain what it was like to create this drama centered around such a legally controversial empire. Aaron Sorkin, (The West Wing, Steve Jobs) takes the helm as director and joked with Jessica Chastain that during the writing process he talks aloud all of the dialogue and that his interpretation of Molly Bloom will always be the best.
Next up was the extended trailer for Jackie Chan’s new action thriller, The Foreigner. Jackie stars as a grieving father who loses his daughter in a London bombing and spends the film in search of the bombers. Pierce Brosnan plays the antagonistic politician who refuses to release the names and therefore suffers the brunt of Chan’s vengeance. STX is also branching out into family-oriented animation with their film Ugly Dolls, directed by Robert Rodriguez. While the animation is still in pre-production we got to see some early concept art and animation tests for the film and the message that “Ugly is Beautiful” shows an uplifting tone. Ugly Dolls is slated officially for May 10th, 2019 and their other animated production is also a long way away. Elton John and Andrew Lloyd Weber come together to create the animated Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for the big screen.
Since STX is a small company of only 90 employees, their lineup is still in early development. Three more movies, Adrift, Mile 22, and Den of Thieves are all set to release in 2018 and look to be engaging dramas for adults.
The presentation wrapped with the announcement of A Bad Moms Christmas, which is coming out 11/3/17. This sequel to their breakout hit takes the same characters and puts them in holiday mode. Mila Kunis came out to talk about the film which begins filming soon and while she never really celebrated Christmas as a refugee Jewish girl, she knew that it was always a good excuse for good food and family.
STX Entertainment has grown tremendously in the two years they have been in business and it appears that they will be growing even more.
Laurel Way is a writer for film, television, websites, and blogs. She is based in Phoenix, Arizona in the U.S., and has two fat cats and a loving husband. Laurel is a geek to her core and loves all things within horror, sci-fi/fantasy, and more. When she is not writing films, she is watching them, and her go-to movie snack is popcorn and Milkduds.
