Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #174 :: November 22•28

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

It was a big week for new film releases across the decades, especially in 2013 when the Thanksgiving holiday weekend occurred in the US, a time when studios release some of their bigger blockbusters … or hoped for blockbusters, as well as more ‘Oscar-bait’ films. 2013 had the first sequel in a popular YA franchise that broke November records, as well as a Disney animated film that went on to become a beloved classic, winning Oscars and introducing a song that many have come to love … and hate. Working backwards, 2003 had a raunchy holiday film, a Disney film that should have come out a month earlier, and some that were awards hopefuls. 1983 had several films of note with big names like Robin Williams, Clint Eastwood and Debra Winger, plus an animated misfire from Steven Spielberg. 1983 featured another film with Winger that went on to win several awards for her co-stars and director, as well as a feature film starring a community of little blue creatures. 1963 had an Elvis musical, while 1953 had a 3D musical (and Western). 1933 had two films that featured a comedy quartet that was soon to become a trio, and 1923 produced a groundbreaking comedy film that emphasized story over gags … and nearly cost its star his life. Read on to learn more about these films and others and tell us if your favorites are on the list!

1923

• November 22 – Held to Answer (USA, Metro Pictures)
• November 24 – Bag and Baggage (USA, Selznick Pictures)
• November 24 – Prehistoric Hayseeds (AUS, Beaumont Smith)
• November 25 – Anna Christie (USA, First National Pictures)
• November 25 – Our Hospitality (USA, short, Metro Pictures Corporation)
• November 25 – South Sea Love (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
• November 25 – Stephen Steps Out (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• November 25 – The Shepherd King (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
• November 25 – To the Ladies (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• November 25 – When Odds Are Even (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
• November 26 – Long Live the King (USA, Metro Pictures)
• November 26 – The Thrill Chaser (USA, Universal Pictures)
• November 26 – The Wanters (USA, Associated First National Pictures)

Held to Answer was based on the 1916 novel of the same name by Peter Clark MacFarlane. The film is considered lost. Prehistoric Hayseeds is the sixth in the series about the rural family the Hayseeds and concerns their discovery of a lost tribe. The film is considered lost. South Sea Love was based on a short story by Fanny Hatton and Frederick Hatton, which appeared in the March 1923 edition of Young’s Magazine. To the Ladies was based on a 1922 Broadway play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly. The film is considered lost. The Thrill Chaser and The Wanters are considered lost films.

Anna Christie was the first film adaptation of the 1921 play by Eugene O’Neill. The film is preserved in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection, Gosfilmofond in Moscow, Cineteca Del Friuli in Genoma, Italy, and Harvard Film Archive.

Our Hospitality was based on the real-life feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys, and was groundbreaking in its careful integration of gags within a coherent storyline, unusual for the comedy films of the time. Fully functional, highly detailed trains were built for the production. Joe Roberts suffered a stroke on set during shooting, returned to complete his role after a short hospital stay, but died a few months later from a second stroke. Buster Keaton nearly drowned while filming a stunt in the Truckee River. He was found after ten minutes, face down and immobile. He recovered but filmed the rest of the scene on a set in Los Angeles. Keaton’s 14-month-old son was cast as the baby version of Keaton. Keaton’s father and wife also appear in the film.

Stephen Steps Out was based on a short story by Richard Harding Davis, ‘The Grand Cross of the Desert’. It features the first starring role for the teenaged Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Unfortunately, no copies of the film have been located in any archives and is considered lost.

The Shepherd King is a film adaptation of a 1904 Broadway play by Wright Lorimer and Arnold Reeves. The film was likely lost in a fire at the Fox film vault in 1937. A previous unauthorized version of the play was filmed in 1909 as a one-reel short titled Saul and David with no source cited. Some scenes were filmed on location in Rome, while other exteriors were filmed in Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan. Several scenes were hand-colored for release, including images of a red lantern hung above Saul’s throne.

Long Live the King was. based on the 1917 novel of the same name by Mary Roberts Rinehart. It was Jackie Coogan’s first film for Metro Pictures. A print of the film survives in Gosfilmofond.

1933

• November 22 – Marriage on Approval (USA, Freuler Film Associates)
• November 24 – Dancing Lady (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• November 24 – Jimmy and Sally (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
• November 24 – Little Women (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
• November 24 – Sitting Pretty (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• November 25 – Eddie Duchin & Orchestra (USA, short, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• November 25 – Myrt and Marge (USA, Universal Studios)
• November 25 – Take a Chance (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• November 25 – The World Changes (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• November 28 – East of Fifth Avenue (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• November 28 – Master of Men (USA, Columbia Pictures)

Marriage on Approval was released in the UK as Married in Haste. Take a Chance is based on the musical of the same name.

Dancing Lady features Ted Healy and his Stooges, who later became The Three Stooges without Healy. The film was based on the novel of the same name by James Warner Bellah. The film also features the screen debut of Frederick Astaire, and the first credited role for Nelson Eddy. In the original film, Larry Fine completes a jigsaw puzzle and is disgusted when he sees it is a picture of Hitler. The Production Code ordered the scene removed, feeling it was an insult to a foreign head of state. The scene was reinstated for television broadcast but not on home video.

Jimmy and Sally was written specially for the film duo James Dunn and Sally Eilers, who became overnight stars with 1931’s Bad Girl. Eilers, however, left the project and her role was given to Claire Trevor in her film debut. The chemistry between Dunn and Trevor led Fox to pair them in two 1934 films, Hold That Girl and Baby Take a Bow.

Little Women was based on the 1868-1869 two-volume novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. This is the third screen adaptation of the novel from 1917 and 1933, and was followed by adaptations in 1949, 1994 and 2019. David O. Selznick supervised the production, uncredited, as the last film under his contract with MGM. Katherine Hepburn asked costume designer Walter Plunkett to design a dressed based on one worn by her maternal grandmother in a tintype photo. Plunkett also had to redesign several of Joan Bennett’s costumes to conceal her advanced pregnancy, a condition she had not mentioned when she was cast in the film. Edna May Oliver took the role of Aunt March following the death of Louise Closser Hale in July 1933. Original prints of the film employed the use of hand-coloring for fireplaces and candles.

Myrt and Marge was based on a popular CBS Radio program that aired from 1931 to 1946, and moved to Syndication from 1946-1947. The film also featured Ted Healy and his Stooges shortly before Healy split from the trio. The team also included Bonnnie Bonnell, who was a short-lived female Stooge.

1943

Warner Bros. Pictures

• November 22 – Deerslayer (USA, Republic Pictures)
• November 22 – Harvest Melody (USA, Producers Releasing Corporation)
• November 23 – Cry ‘Havoc’ (USA, Loew’s Inc.)
• November 23 – Mystery Broadcast (USA, Republic Pictures)
• November 24 – Canyon City (USA, Republic Pictures)
• November 24 – Death Valley Manhunt (USA, Republic Pictures)
• November 26 – His Butler’s Sister (USA, Universal Pictures)
• November 26 – The Texas Kid (USA, Monogram Pictures)
• November 26 – Where Are Your Children? (USA, Monogram Pictures)
• November 27 – Around the World (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
• November 27 – Old Acquaintance (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)

Deerslayer was the first, and only, film written and produced by film reviewer P. S. Harrison, founder of the film journal Harrison’s Reports. The film has the first notable role for Yvonne De Carlo.

Cry ‘Havoc’ was based on a play by Allan R. Kenward which opened in Hollywood, California in September 1942. The play was also presented on Broadway under the title Proof Thro’ the Night, which featured Carol Channing. The production closed after 11 performances. Director Mervyn LeRoy was scheduled to film the stage production for reference, but it’s unclear if this ever happened. LeRoy was replaced as director on the film by Richard Thorpe. The title comes from a famous line in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, ‘Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war.’

His Butler’s Sister was Oscar nominated for Best Sound Recording. The film’s working title was My Girl Godfrey. The Texas Kid was the fifth film in the ‘Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie’ series.

The working title for Around the World was Keep Em Singing. The songs ‘Candlelight and Wine’ and ‘Don’t Believe Everything You Dream’ became some of the most popular songs in the US by the middle of November 1943.

Old Acquaintance was based on the play by John Van Druten. Bette Davis wanted Norma Shearer to take the role of Millie opposite her, but Shearer was semi-retired and declined a secondary role with secondary billing. Miriam Hopkins took the role despite a previous difficult working relationship with Davis.

1953

• November 23 – Albert R.N. (UK, Eros Films)
• November 23 – Love in Pawn (UK, Eros Films)
• November 23 – Three Sailors and a Girl (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• November 24 – Beat the Devil (UK, Independent Film Distributors)
• November 26 – Kiss Me Kate (USA, Loew’s Inc.)
• November 26 – Meet Mr. Lucifer (UK, General Film Distributors)
• November 27 – Hondo (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• November 28 – The Diamond Queen (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)

Albert R.N. was released in the US as Break to Freedom in June 1955 through United Artists. Love in Pawn has no known US theatrical release date. Beat the Devil opened in the US on March 12, 1954 through United Artists. Meet Mr. Lucifer has no known US theatrical release date, but debuted on ABC television in 1956.

Albert R.N. was at one time known as The Spare Man. Three Sailors and a Girl was based on the George S. Kaufman play The Butter and Egg Man.

Beat the Devil was the American film debut of Gina Lollobrigida. The film was loosely based upon the 1951 novel of the same name by British journalist Claud Cockburn writing under the pseudonym James Helvick. Director John Huston made the film as a sort of parody of his own The Maltese Falcon, which also starred Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre. The script was written day-to-day as the film was shot. During production, Bogart lost several teeth in a car accident, and the then little known Peter Sellers was hired to dub some of Bogart’s lines as he adjusted to the loss of the teeth and was unable to speak clearly. The film received a 4K restoration in 2016 that restored four minutes of previously edited footage.

Kiss Me Kate is a 3D film adaptation of the 1948 Broadway musical of the same name. The story was inspired by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Meet Mr. Lucifer was based on the play Beggar My Neighbour by Arnold Ridley.

Hondo was based on the 1952 Collier’s short story ‘The Gift of Cochise’ by Louis L’Amour, and was produced in 3D. Production went over schedule due to the difficulties of shooting in 3D, and director John Farrow had to leave to fulfill a contractual obligation to direct another movie. Star John Wayne asked friend John Ford to finish the film. Ford was uncredited for his work. Farrow preferred to use the 3D to increase the depth of the expansive wide shots rather than throw things at the audience, although there are a few objects that come toward the camera. The casting of Broadway actress Geraldine Page puzzled many, but she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supprting Actress for her nuanced performance, the first of only two acting nominations for a film produced in 3D.

1963

• November 25 – Ladies Who Do (USA, Continental Distributing)
• November 27 – Fun in Acapulco (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• November 27 – Soldier in the Rain (USA, Allied Artists)
• November 27 – Who’s Minding the Store? (USA, Paramount Pictures)

Fun in Acapulco featured the Top 10 Billboard hit ‘Bossa Nova Baby’, which went to Number 1 the last week of November 1963. It was Elvis Presley’s last film before the arrival of Beatlemania, and it was the top grossing musical of 1963. A stunt double was used for Presley’s scenes in Acapulco as Presley was considered ‘persona non grata’ in Mexico after a false story was planted in the press that he refused to perform in Mexico because he found the country distasteful. The comments were fabricated as a means of revenge for Presley turning down an offer in 1957 to perform at the 15th birthday party for the daughter of politician Ernesto Peralta Uruchurtu as an agreement for compensation could not be agreed upon. The fake comments divided fans of Presley which led to riots at the openings of his films King Creole in 1959 and G.I. Blues in 1961. The falsehood only came to light several decades later.

Soldier in the Rain was based upon a 1960 novel of the same name by William Goldman. The film was released five days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which impacted its box office returns.

In Who’s Minding the Store?, the scene in which Fritz Feld feeds Lewis a delicacy of fried ants actually contained genuine fried ants, a fact that Lewis was unaware of until after the scene was over.

1973

• November 23 – The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (USA, Universal Pictures)

The Boy Who Cried Werewolf was the final film actor Kerwin Mathews and director Nathan Juran made together. Juran came out of retirement to make the film as a favour to producer Aaron Rosenberg.

1983

Paramount Pictures

• November 23 – Les Compères (France, Acteurs Auteurs Associés)
• November 23 – Of Unknown Origin (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• November 23 – Terms of Endearment (Canada/USA limited, Paramount Pictures)
• November 25 – The Big Score (USA, Almi Pictures)
• November 25 – The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (USA, Atlantic Releasing Corporation)

Les Compères was released in the US as The ComDads on March 1, 1984 through European International. Terms of Endearment opened in wide release in the US on December 9. The Smurfs and the Magic Flute originally opened in France on January 21, 1976 as La flûte à six schtroumpfs.

Les Compères was remade in the US in 1997 as Father’s Day. Siskel & Ebert gave the original film two thumbs down and said it was basically a ‘French sitcom’ with too many stupid characters. The French title’s literal translation is The Accomplices.

Of Unknown Origin was based on the 1979 novel The Visitor by Chauncey G. Parker III. The film was shot primarily in Montreal, with some additional production in New York City. A 7,000 square foot set recreating the interior of a Manhattan brownstone was constructed, and the film was shot mostly in sequence so the set could be systematically ‘maimed’ as the story progressed. The film marked the acting debuts of Shannon Tweed and Aimée Castle.

Terms of Endreament was adapted from Larry McMurtry’s 1975 novel of the same name. The role of Garrett Breedlove was written for Burt Reynolds, who had to turn it down due to a commitment to Stroker Ace. Harrison Ford and Paul Newman also turned down the role. Stars Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger reportedly did not get along during production, which MacLaine later confirmed in an interview. MacLaine also stated that working with Jack Nicholson was crazy, but his spontaneity may have contributed to her performance. She also confirmed he improvised the moment where he puts his hand down her dress in the beach scene. The film received 11 Oscar nominations, winning five: Best Actress (MacLaine), Supporting Actor (Nicholson) and three for James L. Brooks — Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also received six Golden Globe nominations, winning Best Picture – Drama, Best Actress, Supporting Actor, and Screenplay.

The Smurfs in The Smurfs and the Magic Flute do not appear until about 35 minutes into the film. The film didn’t get a US release until after the popularity of The Smurfs grew due to the Hanna-Barbera animated TV series. The voice cast of the TV series was not invited to perform their voices for the movie, which was handled by non-union talent. While not critically successful, the film was the highest grossing non-Disney animated film until The Care Bears Movie in 1985. The movie poster trumpeted ‘It’s the Smurfs’ ONE and ONLY full-length motion picture … ever!’, despite a mid-1960s Belgium compilation feature that was forgotten by the time of the initial release. Several Smurfs films have been produced and released since that time. The characters of Gargamel, Azrael and Smurfette do not appear in the film as they had not yet been introduced in the story upon which the film is based. The UK dub of the film features some different character names, and the Smurfs have almost the exact same voice. The VHS home video release of the film features a different voice dub than the theatrical release.

1993

• November 24 – A Perfect World (USA/Canada, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• November 24 – Josh and S.A.M. (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• November 24 – Mrs. Doubtfire (USA/Canada, 20th Century Fox)
• November 24 – The Nutcracker (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• November 24 – We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story (USA/Canada, Universal Pictures)
• November 27 – A Dangerous Woman (South Korea)

Steven Spielberg was interested in directing A Perfect World but was unavailable due to shooting Jurassic Park. Clint Eastwood took the directing job as an opportunity to make a film without acting in it as he was making In the Line of Fire and involved in an Oscar campaign for Unforgiven when he received the script. Eastwood, however, did accept the smaller role of Texas Ranger Red Garnett since his screentime would not be significant.

Josh and S.A.M. features Noah Fleiss in his film debut.

Mrs. Doubtfire was based on the 1987 novel Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. The makeup for Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire took four hours to apply. Williams once recounted how he would walk around San Francisco in full makeup, and on one occasion visited a sex shop to buy several toys. Director Chris Columbus stated multiple cameras were employed to capture cast members’ reactions to Williams’ improvisations on set. The film won the Oscar for Best Makeup, and Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Best Actor for Williams.

The Nutcracker was based on Peter Martins’s stage production of the classic ballet. The film was released four days after the death of the film’s director Emile Ardolino.

We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story was based on the 1987 Hudson Talbott children’s book of the same name. The film was a box office bomb, grossing just $9.3 million worldwide. Hanna-Barbera originally secured the rights to the story, but Universal paid off Hanna-Barbera and purchased the rights for Steven Spielberg’s Amblimation studio to produce. The source material was only 20 pages long and lacked an antagonist or sense of plot, making it difficult to convert to a full-length film. Near the end of production, nearly $1 million of alterations were made to the film following a poor test screening, including the addition of the Macy’s parade scene.

A Dangerous Woman was released in the US on December 3, 1993 through Gramercy Pictures, loosely based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Mary McGarry Morris. Debra Winger received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

2003

• November 26 – Bad Santa (USA, Miramax Films)
• November 26 – Shattered Glass (USA, Lions Gate Films)
• November 26 – The Haunted Mansion (USA/Canada, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution)
• November 26 – The Missing (USA/Canada, Sony Pictures Releasing)
• November 26 – Timeline (USA/Canada, Paramount Pictures)
• November 28 – Pieces of April (USA, United Artists)

Bad Santa featured the final film performance of John Ritter, who died on September 11, 2003. The film was dedicated to his memory. An unrated version of the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray as Bad(der) Santa in 2004 and 2007 respectively, while a Director’s Cut DVD was released in 2006 that was three minutes shorter than the theatrical release and ten minutes shorter than the unrated version. Joel and Ethan Coen developed the concept for the story before handing it off to writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. The writers completed what they called a ‘crass script’ and the Coens added more crass jokes, and Universal Pictures rejected the script because it was ‘the foulest, disgusting, misogynistic, anti-Christmas, anti-children thing’ the writers could imagine … which influenced Miramax to greenlight the film. The role of Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) was tailored for James Gandolfini, with Bill Murray, Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro also considered. Mickey Rooney auditioned for the role of Marcus, who was eventually played by Tony Cox. The Coens hated Cox, and the studio wanted a more Disney-like child actor for the role of Thurman (Brett Kelly), but director Terry Zwigoff held firm because the actors were funny and fit the characters. Filming took place at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, CA, with a former Montgomery Ward store the site for the fictional ‘Chamberlain’s’ department store. Both the store and the wing of the mall were vacant at the time and have since been demolished and replaced with the mall’s new open-air lifestyle center.

Shattered Glass was the feature directorial debut of Billy Ray, who also wrote the screenplay which was based on a 1998 Vanity Fair article of the same name by H. G. Bissinger. The film was originally developed for HBO before changes in management put the film into turnaround, with Cruise/Wagner Productions purchasing the rights from the cable network.

The Haunted Mansion was based on Walt Disney’s theme park attraction of the same name. Rick Baker, the film’s chief makeup artist, has a cameo as a ghost behind a tombstone, using an appearance based on a portrait of the Ghost Host seen in the attraction. The original concept for the film’s setting was Upstate New York with the mansion exterior based on the attraction at Walt Disney World in Florida. The setting was changed to the Disneyland attraction’s New Orleans Square to remain faithful to the original. The film’s mansion design included the iron and glass conservatory as an allusion to the Disney World attraction. The mansion scenes were filmed at Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, CA, with the cupola and chimneys on the top computer generated, while the rest of the film was shot in New Orleans. Five Hidden Mickeys are included in the film. The film was poorly received upon its release — although it was a decent hit at the box office — and has undergone reevaluation over the years and has become a cult favorite.

The Missing was based on Thomas Eidson’s 1996 novel The Last Ride. It is notable for the authentic use of the Apache language by various actors, some of whom spent long hours studying it.

Timeline was based on Michael Crichton’s 1999 novel of the same name. The film was to include what would have been the last score composed by Jerry Goldsmith, but it was replaced with a new score by Brian Tyler after the first cut was re-edited and Goldsmith’s increasing health problems prevented him from continuing. Both scores were released on CD. The battle sequences used medieval reenactors. Director Richard Donner limited the use of CGI in the film as much as possible.

Katie Holmes was the first choice for the lead role in Pieces of April, and Oliver Platt and Patricia Clarkson had already agreed to work on the film by the third time it went into pre-production, happily remaining with the film even after the budget was cut and their wages were reduced, giving the cast $200 a day and the crew $100 a day. Peter Hedges was paid $10 to write the screenplay and $10 to direct. The film was shot in 16 days. Due to the tight schedule many locations, such as the Burns family home and the Salvation Army store, were only available for a single day. Due to time limitations some scenes showing the Burns family driving to visit April were actually shot while the actors were driving to additional filming locations. Two apartments in New York were used for filming, one for shots of hallways and stairs and one for the inside of apartments. Some original residents of the apartments were used as extras. Many scenes were filmed with two cameras at the same time, allowing them to be filmed in one take. Clarkson was Oscar and Golden Globe nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

2013

Lionsgate

• November 22 – Contracted (USA, IFC Films)
• November 22 – Delivery Man (USA, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• November 22 – Nebraska (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• November 22 – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (USA, Lionsgate)
• November 27 – Black Nativity (USA, Fox Searchlight Pictures)
• November 27 – Frozen (USA, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• November 27 – Homefront (USA, Open Road Films)
• November 27 – Oldboy (USA, FilmDistrict)

Delivery Man is a US remake of the 2011 Canadian film Starbuck. The two films shared the same director, Ken Scott.

Nebraska was the last film to be released by Paramount Pictures’ boutique label, Paramount Vantage. This was writer-director Alexander Payne’s first film in which he was not directly involved with the writing. He first received the script in 2002 while working on About Schmidt and was in pre-production on Sideways. Not wanting to follow that film with another road trip film, he waited until completing The Descendants to begin work on Nebraska. Payne always wanted Bruce Dern for the lead, but the studio wanted a ‘big name’. Unfortunately, two of their choices — Gene Hackman and Jack Nicholson — had retired from acting, and Roberts Duvall and De Niro turned it down, so Payne went back to Dern. The film was shot digitally in color and converted to black-and-white, which the studio was adamantly against so a color master was also produced. Payne had said he hoped no one ever sees the color version. Despite his wishes, the Epix network announced in August 2014 that it would have a limited time showing of the color version. The film was shot on location in Nebraska. It received five Golden Globe, three BAFTA and six Oscar nominations.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was based on the 2009 novel Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, and is the second installment in the film franchise. Filming locations included Georgia, Hawaii, and New Jersey. At the time of its release, it set the record for the biggest November opening weekend and the biggest Thanksgiving period box-office totals. It is the highest grossing film in the series and the highest grossing Lionsgate film. The filming schedule had to be coordinated with 20th Century Fox to accommodate Jennifer Lawrence’s schedule for X-Men: Days of Future Past. Filming on Catching Fire had to be completed by December 2012. However, delays on production on the X-Men film allowed Lawrence to continuing filming Catching Fire until March 2013. Lawrence flew to Hawaii to continue filming on February 25, 2013, the day after she won the Oscar for Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook. The first film’s director, Gary Ross, opted not to return as the tight three and a half months after the release of the first film did not afford him enough time to write and direct the sequel. Francis Lawrence was selected as his replacement. The film’s arena scene were shot in IMAX format.

Black Nativity was based on Langston Hughes’ 1961 play of the same name. Homefront was based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Chuck Logan, with a screenplay by Sylvester Stallone. Stallone was to star but he passed the role to Jason Statham and stayed on as a producer.

Frozen drew inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, which Walt Disney had been envisioning for an adaptation since at least 1937. Disney tried again in 1943 but the animation studio found the story too dark and the project was shelved. Another attempt in the late 1990s also failed. In 2003, then Disney chairman Michael Eisner proposed a collaboration with Pixar on the project which intrigued Pixar’s John Lasseter. The project was contingent on Disney’s expected renewal of Pixar’s contract with the studio, but instead of renewing Disney acquired Pixar and promoted Lasseter to Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Disney Animation. The film was developed under the title Anna and the Snow Queen and was to be produced using traditional animation. Josh Gad was involved early on, and Megan Mullally was to voice Elsa. It was still a struggle to make the Snow Queen story work, and in December 2011 Disney announced the film with the title Frozen, also revealing it would be computer animated. Kristen Bell (Anna) recorded her dialogue while she was pregnant, and had to re-record lines after giving birth due to her voice deepening. She had about 20 additional recording sessions due to the fluidity of the story elements during production. Idina Menzel (Elsa) was cast from her audition tape for Tangled. Bell and Menzel impressed the production team with their natural chemistry at an early table read and were cast. The production team collaborated with the cast to study their movement, breathing and facial expressions before the animation process began. Pre-production took over two years. Some scenes were created with CGI and hand-drawn animation techniques to give the film a more art directed appearance. A celebrity hairstylists created Elsa’s hairstyle which was more complex than previous Disney characters with 420,000 strands. To achieve the desired visual impact where Elsa constructs her ice palace, the production team visited an ice hotel in Quebec City to observe how light interacts with snow and ice. Fifty effects artists and lighting artists collaborated to create this scene, and the rendering process for each frame took approximately 30 hours with 4,000 computers working simultaneously. It was the highest grossing film of 2013, and the fifth highest grossing film of all time (domestically). The film won Oscars for Best Original Song (‘Let It Go’), and Best Animated Feature, a first for Disney. It also won the BAFTA for Best Animated Film, and Golden Globes for Song and Picture.

Oldboy, based on the Old Boy manga, is a remake of the 2003 South Korean film of the same name. In 2008 when the film was in development at Universal, Will Smith had expressed interest in starring with Steven Spielberg directing. Smith had to later clarify that Spielberg wasn’t directing the film, but would be adapting the manga itself. In June 2009, the manga’s publisher launched a lawsuit against the Korean film’s producers for giving the film rights to Spielberg without their permission. Five months later, Smith and Spielberg both left the project and it was pronounced dead. Spike Lee was touted as director when the film moved to Mandate Pictures. Lee’s final cut of the film was 140 minutes long, and producers heavily re-edited it to 105 minutes. Lee and star Josh Brolin were unhappy with the edit and Lee removed his usual ‘A Spike Lee Joint’ credit from the film, using the more formal ‘A Spike Lee Film’ instead.