Watch the all-new trailer for A Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Some doors bring you to your past. Some doors lead you to your future. And some doors change everything. Sarah (Margot Robbie) and David (Colin Farrell) are single strangers who meet at a mutual friend’s wedding and soon, through a surprising twist of fate, find themselves on A Big Bold Beautiful Journey – a funny, fantastical, sweeping adventure together where they get to re-live important moments from their respective pasts, illuminating how they got to where they are in the present…and possibly getting a chance to alter their futures.

Robbie and Farrell have never looked better in this moving, heartfelt romance story that brings a simple story of two lost people, Sarah and David, who stumble upon one another and undergo a transformative experience of dream-like wandering, and audiences are going to be in for something transformative with this picture.

Filmmaker Kogonada’s unique filmmaking style is on full view, and he’s looking to push the romantic-comedy into a new direction. While there will be some amusing hijinks, there’s also a jolt of heavy, heart-wrenching drama, and it looks like you’ll need to bring your tissues along to this one.

If you’re looking to experience all the feels, then you’ll find them with A Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey, and this is a picture that will make you smile, laugh, and cry in equal measure, and it’s certain to be one of cinema’s most moving experiences of the year when it arrives in cinemas on September 18.

Image: Sony Pictures

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Academy Award nominees Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell are ready to step into a world of fantastical wonder and heartfelt love with the whimsical, imaginative and romance in director Kogonada’s romantic fantasy A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. And this new trailer will leave audiences spellbound.

Watch the all-new trailer for A Big Bold Beautiful Journey below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

What if you could open a doorway and walk through it to re-live a defining moment from your past? Sarah (Margot Robbie) and David (Colin Farrell) are single strangers who meet at a mutual friend’s wedding and soon, through a surprising twist of fate, find themselves on A Big Bold Beautiful Journey – a funny, fantastical, sweeping adventure together where they get to re-live important moments from their respective pasts, illuminating how they got to where they are in the present…and possibly getting a chance to alter their futures.

The first look grounds audiences in a story that brings together two distant strangers, both at a crossroads in their lives, who embark on a journey that sees them travelling across memory, time and the fullest reaches of their imagination, and it will really take audiences by surprise.

In watching this trailer, I feel that it creates an almost nostalgic buzz for a time and place beyond the audience’s own mind, and the experience of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey washes over the audience with a grand feeling of emotion and reverence. Not only is this a narrative that is pushing way out to left field, and which presents a feeling of total wonder and bliss, but its the unexpected pairing of Robbie and Farrell that also builds a sense of intrigue and there’s an undeniable sense of chemistry held between the two of them that is sure to propel the feature and surprises will abound with this one.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey appears to also be following is a resurgence to the box office with the romance genre again looking to take centre stage following on from the success of Anyone But You and the forthcoming Materialists, and there’s a real mood and feeling that romance movies are back and audiences are clamouring for their heart-touching vibes.

Get ready to open your heart and experience something truly magical when A Big Bold Beautiful Journey arrives inc cinemas on September 16.

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Confronting the events that turned her into “The Hangman” – and led to a decade-long fight to survive in Arkham State Hospital – Sofia makes plans for a more hopeful future.

Episode Four of The Penguin, ‘Cent’Anni’, takes a pause on Oz Cobb’s ambitious rise to the top, and instead, audiences are taken back in time as the story of Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone takes centre stage, and the tale of ‘The Hangman’ is brought to life. And the result is a scary, savage and sorrowful tale of a daughter lost to madness and the horrors that result from family legacy. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc puts it all on the line in Episode Four. It’s a pure opera of the depths of family hell, and its twists, turns, and surprises will leave you in shock as Sofia’s harrowing origin is brought to life! LeFranc has been open about how she was inspired in part by the dark history of the Kennedys, and especially the horrendous fate of Rosemary Kennedy in developing her backstory for Sofia Falcone, and it adds to the pure horror of the narrative in every possible way.

The origin of Sofia Falcone goes completely from A to Z in Episode Four, ‘Cent’Anni’, and we see Sofia go from an intelligent, brilliant young woman, who her father possibly sees as a worthy successor, to having her thrown into the pit of hell and emerging as something entirely else. And it makes for jaw-dropping television. Actress Cristin Milioti brings incredible range to her performance, and the harrowing transformation she undergoes in ‘Cent’Anni’ as her father’s true character comes to the forefront, and the base evil of her family’s power almost swallows her. After being made aware of a string of brutal murders, and making the connection to her mother’s own untimely ‘suicide’ as a child, Sofia encores the wrath of her father and his ‘family’ and finds herself thrown into a hell that completely re-shapes her into a terrifying new force.

Making his debut in The Penguin in ‘Cent’Anni’ is the undeniably talented Mark Strong as Carmine Falcone, who inherits the role from the great John Turturro, and Strong brings a new shade of sophistication and danger to the role of this formidable force of Gotham’s Crime Underworld. Strong portrays Falcone as a pure shark who’s not above going to any lengths to protect his empire, including sacrificing those closest to him to do it, and you feel his ultimate control and presence at every turn. Strong is an actor of tremendous range and presence, and it’s fantastic to see him working next to Milioti. You completely buy into their history as father and daughter and the dangers that shadow. While Falcone’s actions are deplorable and mark him out as a villain worthy of the deepest layer of hell, you can’t help but praise his incredible performance as this very dangerous man, and the level of complexity that he brings to the role.

Betrayed by her father, Sofia Falcone finds herself sentenced to the worst place in all of Gotham City, Arkham Asylum, and it’s here that ‘Cent’Anni’ takes a savage turn. While Matt Reeves only hinted at the madness of the infamous institution in The Batman, ‘Cent’Anni’ explores it to the fullest, and Sofia’s indoctrination into its brutish corridors makes for the stuff of the scariest horror films. Utter madness follows, and we watch her lose her sanity and self to this place. A new persona is born, that of ‘The Hangman’, and Sofia is thrown to monsters and emerges as one herself. Director Helen Shaver brings a female perspective to the horror that Sofia suffers through in this episode, and there’s plenty of violence, both physical and psychological, that will throw the audience around. Milioti throws herself into the madness, and it’s damn horrifying watching Sofia lose herself to this new persona, and the woman who emerges is someone entirely different.

‘Cent’Anni’ is utter madness captured on film, and with her origin established, the resulting third act leads to a dangerous confrontation and Sofia Falcone grabbing for her birthright in a move that brings her past and present together. And it’s a brutal end to the episode that none of us saw coming. Oz had better be careful because there’s a new boss in town, and she won’t suffer anyone who gets in her way.

The Penguin is now streaming on Neon and SKY TV.

Image: SKY TV

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Hoping to control the future of Gotham’s drug trade, Oz and Sofia must first address the skeletons in their closet. Victor is torn between his new life and what remains of his old one.

Things are starting to ramp up in speed with HBO’s The Penguin. This series so far has proven that it has the attitude and moxy of a pure crime classic. Now, as we move into Episode Three, ‘Bliss’, we see Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobb begin to make his move on Gotham City’s drug market… and he enlists the help of an intriguing and dangerous new partner, Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti). It’s a hell of a whack for audiences, and given their general mistrust of one another, it leads to all kinds of drama as Oz and Sofia happen upon a new substance that could change their fortunes and reshape the entire identity of the Gotham Crime underworld. And there’s plenty going on in this episode that will have audiences sitting up with attention.

In my mind, ‘Bliss’ is very much The Penguin’s Scarface-esquee episode, and I don’t just mean it because of Oz’s white suit! This is very much the ‘moving and shaking’ episode as Oz and Sofia cut deals and look for an innovative way to cut out the rest of the Falcone family while also playing off the Maroni’s at the same time. Colin Farrell has shown he has a talent for juggling when it comes to his portrayal of Oz, and he’s working overtime in this episode. And it shows. ‘Bliss’ gives a further insight into the interior character of Oz, and the broken, battered man that lives in his soul, and we see how his actions are a reaction to the rejection, fear and violence that he’s had to contend with his whole life. Total ambition is the only thing that drives Oz’s action, and in ‘Bliss’, we see him making his way forward, and he’ll suffer no one who gets in his way.

‘Bliss’ is also an important episode for the character development of Victor ‘Vic’ Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), as he has to come to a crossroads with his commitment to Oz, and a decision as to where he wants his life to go. Ever since falling under Oz’s spell, Vic has been an invaluable asset, and he’s taken to the mob life with skill, but in ‘Bliss’, he has to make a choice that will define his life forever. And it’s a hell of a choice. Rhenzy Feliz showcases an incredible level of sincerity amongst all the drama, and director Craig Zobel zooms in on the drama that surrounds him and the complicated feelings that compel his decision.

Episode Three of The Penguin makes for an audacious and intense watch, and there’s a boiling tension that follows all of our characters as Oz makes his move on the drug scene, thanks in key part to Sofia Falcone’s help. It’s a brooding watch, and we very much felt the Scarface vibes with this episode. But as with everything in OZ’s life, it quickly all goes to hell in the final moments, and with the shocking concussive force of a hand grenade, the episode ends on a hell of a cliffhanger, as Oz’s double-dealing smacks him across the face and the violence levels up.

The Penguin is moving forward at pace, and audiences get some very worthy television in Episode Three. Oz’s secret is out, the streets know about it, and he’s left in a very dangerous place. For audiences, that can only lead to plenty of excitement and tension as we move forward in this narrative.

The Penguin is now streaming on Neon and SKY TV.

Image: SKY TV

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Sofia works to secure her family’s strength, while Oz attempts to play both the Falcone and Maroni families to his advantage.

We’ve been waiting with anticipation for a gangster series that would give audiences a serious whack, and we’ve found it with the brooding and dark crime series The Penguin. Episode One, ‘After Hours’, was a lesson in noir storytelling as ambitious street-level thug Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobb will go to any lengths to secure Gotham’s Underworld in a time of crisis. Audiences are in for an intense watch thanks to Episode Two, ‘Inside Man’. Now, looking to play every side, Oz is cosying up with both the Falcone and Maroni crime family and looking to play each to his advantage. Looking to prove he has the stones to play in the big leagues, Oz sets up an ambitious heist that could prove lucrative. Until it goes to hell, the action ramps up with plenty of bullets and blood in ‘Inside Man’, and audiences will be left spinning.

It’s clear from the commitment level of his performance that Academy Award-nominee Colin Farrell is having a blast exploring the darkest corners of Oz Cobb’s vast ambition, and in ‘Inside Man’, we get to see him move up another rung in the ladder. This is a man who isn’t afraid to be backed into a corner, nor is he unafraid to open up full auto with a Micro Uzi, but it’s only when the bodies hit the ground and the blood starts seeping out that Oz realises he’s in a host of trouble. The key moment of the FEMA highjacking sequence showcases Oz’s clear character and the fact that he’s a character who thrives under press and chaos, almost actively seeking it out to get his kicks from it. It’s a radically new side to Oz that we get to see in this scene, and his double-dealing actions lead to all kinds of trouble.

Episode Two of The Penguin doesn’t only leave Oz spinning, but the mentally unstable and diabolically sociopathic Sofia Falcone is also not fairing to well, and her bridge of sanity is beginning to show some pretty serious cracks. Still reeling from her time spent in Arkham Asylum, Sofia is also shunned by the members of her ‘family’, and her brother’s funeral brings out her dark side. There’s nothing scarier than a sociopath with a grudge, and at her brother’s wake, her inner nastiness begins to come out. Actress Cristin Milioti has an exceptional ability to play crazy, and she begins to take out her frustrations on those around her. And her return to Gotham City ain’t going to be pretty for anyone.

‘Inside Man’ is also an important episode for the development of Oz’s assistant and protegee, Victor ‘Vic’ Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), as he comes to learn of the glowing temptations and the harsh realities of the crime life in Gotham City. While the relationship between himself and Oz is still developing, we’ve come to see the older gangster take Vic under his wing, so to say, but Oz’s ability to threaten and manipulate is never far away. He also lays down the law to Vic and makes him aware of the consequences of any action he takes, and this adds a level of threat and menace to the episode.

Throughout Episode Two, ‘Inside Man’ audiences follow Oz’s erratic and chaos-effecting mission to play both of Gotham’s pre-eminent crime families off of one another, and it leads to plenty of heightened tension. This atmosphere of danger and imminent death rallies in the third act of the narrative, where Oz’s botched heist comes back to haunt him, and he has to take drastic, bloody action to save his own skin. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc is unafraid to showcase these violent and chaotic moments in their brutally gory depth, and it adds a level of authenticity to this series as a crime drama. But it is not just Oz who has to watch his back as Sofia is also given an ultimatum by her ‘family, and backed into a corner, she makes a deal that will lead to a series of consequences, repercussions of pure violence, on the streets of Gotham City.

Episode Two of The Penguin, ‘Inside Man’, is a vicious second chapter of Oz Cobb’s saga, and it clarifies that on the noir-soaked streets of Gotham City. You play for keeps.

The Penguin is now streaming on Neon and SKY TV.

Image: SKY TV

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Emboldened by Carmine Falcone’s death, Oz (Colin Farrell) moves to fill the power vacuum left in Gotham City’s criminal underworld. He finds a potential new recruit in young Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz).

The debut of HBO’s The Penguin is cause for serious excitement, and audiences who are looking for a gangster series that they can seriously sink their teeth into will be salivating thanks to the arrival of this new series. Episode One, ‘After Hours’ takes audiences into the immediate aftermath of The Riddler’s terrorist attack on Gotham City, and one week on control of the streets of Gotham is up for the taking. It’s here that Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobb (Colin Farrell) decides to make his play, and in the immediate opening moments of the series, we are left with one of the coolest scenes committed to television in recent years. Transformed by the genius of make-up artist Mike Marino, Farrell is the pudgy, disfigured and freakish Oz who has a ‘sit down’ with Carmine Falcone’s degenerate son, Alberto (Michael Zegen), and in this opening 10-minutes, we see a performance of such mad range of emotional depth, that Farrell completely sucks us in. It also says that The Penguin will be as dark as night and that the audience had better not get ahead of themselves with this series.

With the set-up of The Penguin in motion thanks to this explosive crack of gunshots, audiences are thrown into a crazy and schizophrenic first episode that will shake you up and rattle you around. While Farrell was able to share a snapshot of the personality of the ambitious but totally flawed Oz in The Batman, in The Penguin, we get to see a fully realized performance from the actor, and he completely holds the attention of the screen. Viewed by many as a freak with too many aspirations and an inflated sense of his own importance, Farrell brings an incredible range to Oz in ‘After Hours’, and audiences get a deeper dive into his character and motivation. As an almost Richard III type of character, Oz is ambitious, crafty, vicious, pugnacious, snarky, resentful, snivelling and wholey funny all at the same time, and Farrell throws his performance around throughout the entire episode, and you never know where Oz is going to land.

Having found himself in a dangerous position, Oz enlists the help of a teenage delinquent, Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), who he takes pity on, and audiences are taken into the seedier side of Gotham City, which has been made worse by The Riddler’s attack. Where The Batman gives us a grand overview of Matt Reeves’s gothic-inspired Gotham City, The Penguin takes us to it on the ground level, and we see an incredible texture and lived-in, roughed-up aesthetic to Oz’s stomping ground. From neon-bathed red light districts to the palatial mansion of the Falcone estate, we get to cover a lot of range here in ‘After Hours’, and the total ambience of what audiences witness in this first episode will bring them deeper into the narrative. Traversing north and south and east and west across Gotham City also leads Oz to stop into his childhood home. It’s here that audiences are introduced to his mother, Francis Cobb (Deirdre O’Connell), who is affected by early onset dementia and who is incredibly disturbed and keenly aware and encouraging of her son’s actions. Deirdre O’Connell has an incredible back-and-forth with Farrell’s Oz, and her performance will leave you off-guard and on edge.

In Episode One of The Penguin, there are plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. One of the biggest arrives in the sudden appearance of Sofia Falcone, the estranged and troubled daughter of Carmine Falcone, who is also a convicted serial killer who has been ‘rehabilitated’ at Arkham Asylum and is now back in Gotham City. Sofia, played by Cristin Milioti, brings a sense of danger, paranoia, and unpredictability to the show. Despite having just been introduced to Sofia, it’s evident from the start that she has a history with Oz and doesn’t trust him at all. Unlike the men in the Falcone ‘family’, she sees through Oz’s facade and is deeply suspicious of his actions in the wake of her brother’s disappearance. With her intense gaze, stylish designer wardrobe, and bold red lips, Milioti exudes an aura of danger and impulsiveness, with her performance showcasing her character’s cruel nature and fiery personality.

‘After Hours’ turns the narrative all the way to up to 11 by the end of its runtime, and this is a piece of television of pure force. Blood is spilt, a cover-up is needed, and a group of very bad people demand answers, and all of it ensnares Oz in a vice of his own making. Moment by moment, you’re on the edge of your seat as Oz scrambles to stay above water, and it all ends in a ferocious third-act moment of torture and revelation. Putting it lightly, you’ll never look at piano wire in the same light again, and Oz and Sofia have a ‘heart to heart’ that will make you shudder. It all ends in a shocking reveal, and audiences are left in no doubt that violence and character will go hand-in-hand with this series.

The Penguin is a series of ambition, power, and a desire to take the American Dream, even if it means travelling down a very dark road to get there. This first episode showcases that we’re watching the next great HBO event series. Colin Farrell is ready to take it all as Oz Cobb, and he’s started to climb that ladder that will lead to another legend of Gotham City.

The Penguin is now streaming on Neon and SKY TV.

Image: SKY TV

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A rescue mission is assembled in Thailand where a group of young boys and their soccer coach are trapped in a system of underground caves that are flooding.

The 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue was an event that captured the world’s attention as twelve school-aged soccer players and their coach were caught in a sudden monsoon and seemingly lost in the depths of a harrowing cave. With the water rising, and hope beginning to fade a collection of skilled oddballs and adrenaline junkies were brought in to help find a miracle, and their heroism under pressure would lead to one of the greatest events in human history. This is the setting that Ron Howard brings us into in Thirteen Lives, and with his meticulous attention to detail and almost documentarian-like focus, he puts audiences right at the core of this story.

As a filmmaker, Ron Howard has been responsible for some of the best films of the last two decades. From Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man and Rush, he’s a filmmaker who can put his audience right into the centre of the action. He also has a real craft of capturing true-to-life stories and characters, and this is exactly the approach he brings to Thirteen Lives. In his narrative, Howard finds a great split between his focus on the team of rescue divers who are brought in throughout the world to help coordinate the diving mission, along with the central Thai characters who saw it as their duty to rescue the boys. From start to end the clock is ticking with Thirteen Lives and Howard ramps up the severity of the narrative as minute by minute ticks by and you wonder how the hell these divers are going to reach the trapped boys.

As a cinematic experience, Thirteen Lives will have you on a razor’s edge. Howard’s approach to capturing the action of this unfolding rescue in a minute-by-minute stance creates a brewing sense of paranoia and intensity in the audience. Just how the hell are the divers and the Thai government going to get these kids out? Along with the bureaucratic back and forth, and measures of control and micro-management amidst an operation that is growing ever more dangerous by the moment are the film’s intense underwater scenes that capture the diver’s rescue action. Dark, claustrophobic and dread-inducing these moments make for an intense watch and Howard captures both a ‘fear of the water’ quality, along with the skill, calm and professionalism of the divers who took on this mission.

With his principal cast, Ron Howard completely lucks out with the presence of Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell and Joel Edgerton as rescue divers Richard Stanton, John Volanthen and Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris. Each of the performers does a great job in realising their character with Mortensen capturing the standoffish yet peak professionalism of Stanton, Farrell bringing a parent’s concern and committed focus to courage as Volanthen and Egerton being the outsider who takes a gamble as Harris. The three men act well together and complement each other in their performances. Thirteen Lives benefits greatly from their addition to the cast and these actors’ commitment to the men they portray and the story they’re bringing to life.

Thirteen Lives is far and away one of the most heroic and awe-inspiring pieces of film that you’ll see all year. It’s a phenomenally intense watch and you’ll be spellbound by the narrative, performances, cinematography and intensity of this story and it’s honouring one of the greatest achievements in human history. So hold your breath tight and prepare to go under because Thirteen Lives is one incredible watch.

Thirteen Lives is now streaming on Prime Video.

Image: Thirteen Lives

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Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), a former circus star, finds his life turned upside-down when he returns home after the end of the First World War scarred and broken. Finding himself employed by circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) who enlists him to care for a newborn elephant, named Dumbo, whose oversized ears make him a laughing stock in an already struggling circus. But when Holt’s children, Milly and Joe, discover that Dumbo can fly, persuasive entrepreneur V. A. Vandemere (Michael Keaton) and aerial artist Colette Marchant (Eva Green) swoop in to make the peculiar pachyderm a star.

Tim Burton remains one of my favourite directors of all time, and every time I hear that he’s taking up a new project I’m excited for what this visionary director will deliver. And in Dumbo he really gives us a treat with a story that is very close to his heart and touches on many of the themes that he has explored throughout his life. With its narrative and central themes, Dumbo is tailor-made for Burton with his explorations of ideas related to outsider characters, society’s fringes and individual expression. Many characters in Burton’s films are made out to be freaks or monsters and excluded from society and that, of course, happens to the baby elephant known as Dumbo who is vilified and mocked for his large ears. But unbeknownst to the world, Dumbo’s physical extremes actually give him the power of flight and this elephant does soar to amazing heights.

Burton makes the film incredibly personal, and he really takes audiences inside the mind of Dumbo and presents the elephant’s point-of-view to the world. We feel Dumbo’s feelings and his journey to be reunited with his mother once again, and Burton’s reverence for this journey is incredibly impactful and heartfelt. Along with investing your emotions in Dumbo’s journey to find his mother, he also brings you into the life of the film’s other characters including former rodeo star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), gifted trapeze artist Colette Marchant (Eva Green) and circus owner and ringmaster Max Medici (Danny DeVito).

Renown for his unique and quirky cinema aesthetic, Dumbo is very much a Disney movie interpreted through the vision of Tim Burton. While it doesn’t hold his typical gothic sensibilities, Burton does manage to place his own unique and thoroughly quirky design elements into the film and puts his own stamp on the material and its characters. His love for German Expressionism also helps inform the design of this early 1900s set film, and the use of practical sets, ornate costuming and wide-framed imagery really help you pull you in deeper to the experience of Dumbo.

For me what made this film so enjoyable was we were seeing Burton get to play with colour and light, and really bringing a sense of warmth to his work. It was engaging to see him get away from the shadows and instead focus on a film where light plays such an important role and his tonal palettes and cinematography borrow a lot from the look at feel of that classic cell-shaded Disney Animation.

Along with telling the story of the film’s titular baby elephant, Burton frames his story around the members of the travelling Medici Brothers circus. Chief among these characters is WWI veteran and former rodeo star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), who returns from the war a broken man, having lost his left arm in the trenches, and his wife to Spanish Influenza. Desperately looking for a way to rebuild his life, and support his children, Holt is charged to look after Dumbo, and together these two outsider characters help each other soar again.

The role of Holt was something different for Farrell, who really pulls away from his heart-throb status and falls into the role of the film’s everyman. It’s a performance that he really invests himself into and here we find him searching for the idea of hope again, which he is able to find thanks to the belief of his children and his belief in a certain baby elephant.

Joining Farrell in the film is Eva Green as the fantastical and elegant trapeze artist Colette Marchant and the actress makes the greatest change in terms of narrative arc throughout the story. Beginning as a flamboyant opportunist, Colette soon warms to both Dumbo and Holt and reveals her true persona that she wears under the mask of her circus life. Determined to do the right thing, she invests in Holt’s mission to see Dumbo reunited with his mother, and the inevitable spark that develops between the characters is spot on within the film. Green’s portrayal really borrows from the likes of Hedy Lamarr for the role, and she has this bold presence that one equates with actresses of that classic cinema era within her role as Colette.

Lending the film it’s antagonistic side is Michael Keaton as V. A. Vandevere, who makes a long-awaited return to working with Burton again and the actor again proves why he is in such demand these days. With the flair and parlance of a big-time showman, this seedy entrepreneur is one to hide behind the big lights in order to make a profit, and he sees Dumbo as his winning ticket. Keaton revels in his chance to be a villain here, and he really goes for it with his cruel business acumen. The actor makes for a great villain and he really provides the film’s central characters with plenty of obstacles to set Dumbo free.

Finally, Burton regular and cinema icon Danny DeVito graces the screen with plenty of charisma and a whole lot of comedy as the owner and ringmaster of the Medici Brothers Circus, Max Medici. The minute you see him on-screen DeVito has the whole audience laughing as this charlatan-type promoter who is looking for any way to make a quick buck and whose mounting problems are causing him plenty of stress. But while he does inevitably get his shot at the big time, he soon learns that its cost is too big to bear and that his love for his troop, who in reality are his family, drives him to do the right thing in the end. In my viewing of Dumbo, I’d say that it’s both baby Dumbo and Max who make up the heart and soul of this film and that the two of them are the ones who truly bring everything together.

But if there is one character who absolutely steals the show then it is above all else the character of Dumbo. This doe-eyed baby elephant is the very embodiment of the word cute, and the minute he arrives on the scene you’ll be sure to smile. Dumbo is above all else the epitome of love, and he’s the one hopeful thing that can bring together so many desperately broken people back together. Whether it be Holt, Colette, Max or the entire Medici troop, Dumbo is the one thing that helps to give them a purpose in their lives and to see the brightness and the hope in all things. This baby also goes on his own unique journey and has his courage tested at every turn, but through all of these unique challenges, and the faith that others have in him he does indeed soar high.

Through the vision of Tim Burton, Dumbo makes for a bold and beautiful piece of cinema that holds true to the core of the power of narrative storytelling and the unique attributes of classic Disney animation. It’s a film that truly enchants its audience and champions the ideas of individuality, family and above all else hope, and you’ll leave the cinema feeling that you can fly.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Focusing in on broken war veteran Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins), Dumbo brings audiences into an absolutely enchanting environment of the early 1920s, and the birth of a baby elephant with very big ears called Dumbo.

Tim Burton is one of my all-time favourite directors and here he gives us a film that is truly enchanting with plenty of bright colours, and a strong resonance of hope and dreams. Known for his ability to focus his narratives around outsider characters, the story of Dumbo seems like a perfect fit for Burton’s talents and frequent Burton collaborator Eva Green agrees, “Tim Burton is directing, he understands outsiders, people who don’t fit in, vulnerable souls like Dumbo.”

Not only has Burton worked his creative genius into the project, but this film is also a reunion piece for the director with the likes of Michael Keaton, Eva Green and Danny DeVito lending their talents to the whimsical story. All of the performers seem to have been blown away by the size and scope of the project, and of it’s relevance as a narrative Danny DeVito, who portrays circus owner Max Medici, summed it up best by saying ‘we need this movie right now.”

Get ready for your heart to soar a little higher when Dumbo arrives in cinemas on March 28.

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While I’ve definitely felt my eyes get teary with the film’s latest trailers, this last one is extremely poignant and it promises plenty of heart and whimzy. Check it out below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), a former circus star, finds his life turned upside-down when he returns home after the end of the First World War scarred and broken. Finding himself employed by circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) who enlists him to care for a newborn elephant, named Dumbo, whose oversized ears make him a laughing stock in an already struggling circus. But when Holt’s children, Milly and Joe, discover that Dumbo can fly, persuasive entrepreneur V. A. Vandemere (Michael Keaton) and aerial artist Colette Marchant (Eva Green) swoop in to make the peculiar pachyderm a star.

Dumbo is a great choice for Burton to helm with its unique subject matter and time setting and you can really see the director’s artistry come alive here. It’s also a bit of a reunion for Burton as well as he’s packed the film out with an amazing list of frequent collaborators who include the likes of Michael Keaton, Eva Green and Danny DeVito.

Get ready for all the magic imaginable as one little elephant finds his courage and sets out to soar high when Dumbo arrives in cinemas on March 28.

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