COVID DELAY THEATER
Photo: Joan Marcus
I
was fully prepared to write, with a
plethora of enthusiasm, about all the
films finally coming to THEATERS in
July. Well, stick a pin in that, as it seems
many of those new movies we thought
would be releasing have now been postponed.
Again. And with good reason. We
are still in the middle of a global pandemic,
and it just doesn’t make sense from both
a fiscal and safety standpoint to release
these blockbusters in theaters with cases of
COVID-19 surging in many states. So
release dates for films like Tenet and Mulan
have been pushed back again, this time to
By Lori Vernon
Hamilton
August. So, we’ll be back to talk about
those new THEATRICAL tent poles next
month. Hopefully. In the meantime, here
are some films releasing via streaming in
July – and just because they may not be on
the big screen (yet) does not mean that
these films aren’t worthy of viewing from
the comfort of your sofa.
Hamilton
Directed by Thomas Kail
Rated PG-13
July 3rd – Disney +
The incredibly popular historical musical,
written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, was
shot and compiled from three live stage
performances in 2016 and features the
original Broadway cast of mostly Black,
Latino, and Asian American performers.
Directed by Thomas Kail, it tells the story
of founding father – and our first Secretary
of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton – in a
groundbreaking hip-hop and rap style that
set Broadway and musical theater on fire.
It won 11 Tony Awards and the 2016
Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Initially slated for
an October 2021 theatrical release, the film
was moved up to July and is releasing via
the Disney Plus streaming platform as a
result of theater closures during the coronavirus
pandemic. The cast features Leslie
Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr), Phillipa Soo (Eliza
Hamilton), Renée Elise Goldsberry
(Angelica Schyler), Christopher Jackson
(George Washington), Daveed Diggs
(Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Okieriete
Onaodowan (Hercules Mulligan/James
Madison), Anthony Ramos (John
Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Jasmine
Cephas Jones (Peggy Schuyler/Maria
Reynolds) and Jonathan Groff (King
George III).
Greyhound
Directed by Aaron Schneider
Rated PG-13
July 10th – Apple TV+
Based on the 1955 novel The Good
Shepherd by C.S. Forester and inspired by
actual events, the film tells the thrilling
WWII story of Captain Ernest Krause (Tom
Hanks, who also wrote the screenplay), as
he leads an international convoy of 37 merchant
ships on a treacherous mission
across the Atlantic to deliver thousands of
soldiers and much-needed supplies to
Allied forces during the Battle of the
Atlantic in 1942. It also featuring Stephen
Graham, Elisabeth Schue, and Karl
Glusman.
The Old Guard
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
Rated R
July 10th – Netflix
Based on the comic book of the same
name, The Old Guard is a superhero film
that stars Charlize Theron as part of a
group of centuries-old, immortal soldiers
who can heal themselves, trapped in existence
without explanation. Andromache of
Scythia – ‘Andy’ (Theron) and her comrades
offer up their unique mercenary
services for those who can find – and
afford – them. But in the 21st century,
immortality is a hard secret to keep, and
when you live long enough, you learn that
there are many fates worse than death. The
film also stars Matthias Schoenaerts,
Marwan Kenzari, KiKi Layne, Luca
Marinelli, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
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18 illinoisentertainer.com july 2020