Gaspar Noé On ‘Vortex,’ ‘Lux Aeterna,’ “Warm Cruelty,” Dario Argento, Modern Blockbusters & Much More [Interview]

Dave Bautista has a very busy 2023 ahead of him, with four movies starring him set to premiere. First up, M. Night Shyamalan‘s latest “Knock At The Cabin,” which hits theaters today. And a little further on the horizon, “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” on May 5, and “Parachute,” set for its world premiere at SXSW 2023 in March. But Bautista also “Dune: Part Two” this year, too, which sees the actor reprise his role as Baron Harkonnen’s hulking, brutish nephew Glossu Rabban.

At long last, “The Flash” hits theaters this summer, and DCU fans will likely get a sneak peek at the film with a trailer during Super Bowl LVI this weekend. And it’s still a surprise to some that Warner Bros. Discovery moves forward with the movie after all of the controversy last year surrounding star Ezra Miller. But new DC Studios co-head James Gunn aimed to silence critics with a bold declaration at Monday’s DC presentation. “I will say here that “Flash” is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made,” claimed Gunn. That’s a bold strategy, Mr. Gunn; let’s see how it plays out for you.

As has been the case for many years now, streaming services dominate the field of television in terms of new releases every upcoming month, with a definite push from Apple TV+ in terms of original content. While HBO’s “The Last of Us” will continue to dominate the discourse, there are still plenty of new and returning series likely to start conversations of their own. With a decent mix of premieres along with series entering their final seasons and some of the big hitters coming back in March (“Succession” and “Yellowjackets,” to name just two,) February is poised for a lot of catch-up and new discoveries, with shows such as “Hello Tomorrow!” being the most intriguing so far.

Where will “Avatar: The Way Of Water” end up on the highest-grossing movie of all time list? It currently sits at #4 with a $2.13 billion total gross, just shy of “Titanic” at $2.19 billion. Looking ahead, “Water” overtaking “Titanic” (no pun intended) feels inevitable. But looking further than that, where will the upcoming “Avatar” sequels land on that all-time list when they hit theaters in 2024, 2026, and 2028?

“Who would like to read about domestic joys and struggles?” poses the latest incarnation of Jo March in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women.” “Writing doesn’t confer importance; it reflects it.” Though the existence and persistence of her story, both within and outside the narrative, provide a counterpoint to such a fatalistic outlook, the line of thinking Jo expresses does still prevail. Culture produces stories that it thinks an audience wants to hear.

Some cinematic questions remain eternal. What’s in the briefcase in “Pulp Fiction“? What did Bob whisper in Charlotte’s ear at the end of “Lost In Translation“? And was there enough room on that floating door for Rose and Jack to survive in “Titanic“? As the film approaches its February 10 theatrical rerelease, James Cameron looks to put that mystery to bed in a new National Geographic special, “Titantic: 25 Years Later With James Cameron.”