Bored of Superheroes

The Vatican is really made for the screen. Grand, echoing marble hallways, arcane rituals and elaborately-garbed characters. And power, lots of power. Amid this sweeping grandeur, Edward Berger has taken Robert Harris's 2016 novel and surprisingly, turned it into an unusual but classic whodunnit. The only death is that of an un-named pope, which opens the story, but the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Thomas Lawrence, finds himself turning detective when electoral rivalries threaten to hand control of the Catholic Church back to a reactionary patriarch. Lawrence, played with a visibly heavy heart and weary body by Ralph Fiennes, is in charge of the conclave where the new pope is voted in. To add another level of crime fiction tropery, the cardinals are sequestered in the Vatican itself, making this a locked-room drama of sorts.  The cardinals themselves are played by some of the best character actors working today: Stanley Tucci particularly stands out as the liberal Aldo Bellini...

Empress Matilda Ridley Scott is already talking up Gladiator III. Not necessarily a great idea, as there's not much story left there that hasn't already been explored, and there are so many other potential historical epics waiting to be made. Sticking with the Roman period, a sports film about chariot racers could work as a Gladiator spinoff. Chariot racing was actually far more popular and widely watched than gladiatorial combat in ancient Rome and it lends itself just as well to a cinematic interpretation. There's action, rivalries, danger, some tear-jerking moments with horses and the chance for someone to take on a good old-fashioned hero role.  There's also plenty more material to be had in the Crusader period. Not necessarily a sequel to Kingdom of Heaven, which ends quite satisfactorily, but another story from this lengthy and bloody period of history. Of course, this would have to be tackled in a politically sensitive way. Ghassan Massoud's portrayal of Sala...