2017 is full of 'Wonder'
Friday, February 24, 2017 at 10:00AM Murtada here. On twitter the CEO of the French distributor Mars, which usually distributes Woody Allen movies in France, announced that the title of his 2017 film is Wonder Wheel. It stars Kate Winslet and Justin Timberlake (playing a lifeguard, if those set photos are to be believed), as well as Juno Temple, Jim Belushi and Max Casella. The film was partly shot in Coney Island so we assume that the title refers to Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. July is our annual date with Woody so expect a US release announcement soon.
If this title holds it’ll mark the 4th movie scheduled for release this year that contains the word “wonder” in its title. We don’t have to remind you of our most anticipated film of the year, Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck. There’s of course Wonder Woman.
And recently it was announced that a Julia Roberts - Jacob Tremblay collaboration, simply titled Wonder, is coming out at Thanksgiving. Tremblay plays a kid with facial differences who becomes a hero when he goes to school for the first time in his young life. Roberts and Owen Wilson are his parents and the director is Stephen Chbosky (Perks of Being a Wallflower).
Obviously Wonder Woman doesn’t have to worry about anyone mixing it up with the other three. But one of the others will definately blink and change its title, no? Lay down your bets on which film will it be.
Reader Comments (9)
1. Wonderstruck
2. Wonder Woman
3. Wonder Wheel
4. Wonder
My level of anticipation for them. :)
As an elementary teacher, I have read both Wonder and Wonderstruck. I thought there was no way they would change the title of either and lose the name recognition. But it turns out that Wonderstruck just really wasn't that popular. It has only 300 reviews on Amazon compared to Wonder's 9,000. So... maybe Wonderstruck will change? After The Invention of Hugo Cabret, I found Wonderstruck a bit of a disappointment, though Haynes and Moore do intrigue me. Wonder is a fantastic novel-a quick read-you should check it out. I hope they can pull it off, but I worry they might make it overly sentimental. That production photo they've released worries me that they'll miss the tone. But I will always root for Julia Roberts and Jacob Tremblay.
Of these, I'd only say I'm really looking forward to Wonderstruck that much. Wonder looks like raw sap, Wonder Wheel is Woody Allen (and he's been inconsistent for a decade and a half) and Wonder Woman is DCXU, and none of those has turned out at all well so far. Order of anticipation:
1. Wonderstruck
2. Wonder Wheel
3. Wonder
4. Wonder Woman
Remember Nine, 9, and Cloud 9 when they all came out in 2009?
Andrew Rech -- this can't be a good omen ;)
Shawshank -- oh you've just reminded me that they cahnged that wonderful title to "Hugo" zzz. Hate when Hollywood forces generic titles on things.
Roberts seems primed for a supporting mother supporting actress nod.
Every kid under 15 I know has read "Wonder." It's a real phenomenon of middle-grade reader lit. Kind of like "Fault in our Stars" a few years ago.
I love that Kate Winslet just saw Anthony Mann's masterpiece Winchester 73 in that theater, but she doesn't look like the western type.
Looks like none of them are going to blink. A fifth one came along with Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. It will be weird of none of them are nominated. It's weird that the most critically acclaimed of all of them currently is Wonder Woman with 92 percent on RT.