And, the plot thickens...even without knowing the plot. For a while now we've been hearing about Brad Bird's mysterious project '1952.' Bird has been very stingy with the details of the the upcoming Disney film, and in fact all we really knew was that it was a sci-fi movie and that Damon Lindelof ('Prometheus') would be co-writing the script. Then a rumor cropped up that perhaps  George Clooney would be taking the lead role. Well now it looks like Disney has officially confirmed that indeed Clooney will be headlining the film, which is set to be released on December 19th, 2014. We also now know for sure that it will be shot in 3D. The confirmation comes from a press release in which the studio also solidifies release dates for projects like 'The Muppets 2' (3/21/14), 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (8/1/14), and 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' (7/10/15). Still no insight as to the plot.

There are actually a few things to take away from this story. First and foremost, it's a major boost to '1952' to land Clooney. True, it is a Disney film directed by Brad Bird, so it's not as if it were flying under the radar and needed help to achieve a wide release. However, Clooney adds a considerable amount of weight to '1952' that can do nothing but help its box office draw. The one small note of concern lingering is the fact that Damon Lindelof is penning the screenplay. Now granted, one failure should never define an artist, and I will concede that not everyone had the issues with the 'Prometheus' script as I did...many, many people did, but not everyone. Plus, he's working on 'Star Trek Into Darkness' so it's not as if '1952' is his first return to sci-fi since 'Prometheus,' but one still can't help but feel consternation at his involvement. This feeling is amplified by the fact that the movie comes out next December and no one knows anything about the plot. It could just be Bird playing things close to the chest, and I desperately hope that's what it is, but I worry that there may be issues nailing down the story. That kind of narrative uncertainty is precisely where we don't want Lindelof to be cornered; paving over logic gaps and muddling resolutions.

Apart from all of that, we can now assure ourselves that there will be another 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' Not that we had any doubt, that crappy fourth one made boatloads of money overseas, but I wasn't aware they were already in a place to assign it a release date. Summer of 2015, eh? Ok, 'Pirates 5,' good luck competing with 'Avengers 2' and 'Star Wars Episode VII.' Oh wait, both of those are Disney properties now. Right, I get it now.

What do you guys think? Does Clooney's involvement affect your interest in '1952' at all? Any doubts based on Lindelof's writing of the script? Do we really need another 'Pirates of the Caribbean?'

Source: Cinemablend