STACK #232 February 2024

CINEMA FEATURE

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The Dry was the second-highest-grossing film of 2021 in Australia, and clocks in as our 15th-highest-grossing of all time. Now director Robert Connolly and lead actor Eric Bana return for Force of Nature:The Dry 2 . Words Gill Pringle FORCE OF NATURE: THE DRY 2

A fter the huge success of the first mystery thriller – based on Jane Harper’s best-seller and starring Eric Bana as federal Agent Aaron Falk – there was little argument against a sequel. “I am thrilled and proud to have the opportunity to follow up our efforts on The Dry with Force of Nature ,” Bana says. “Jane has once again provided a thrilling story that gives us another chance to showcase a unique and incredible Australian landscape. “Its fate always rested with the Australian cinema-going public, and their overwhelming support of The Dry turned this into a reality.” This latest instalment centres on five women who take part in a corporate hiking retreat – but only four come out on the other side. Bana’s

W hile the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spidey movies (from Sony) were released before the two companies converged, their characters have since been kneaded into Marvel’s world. In an attempt to create their own standalone franchise, Sony gave us two Venom movies and 2022’s Morbius ; now they’ve gifted us Madame Web , an all-female entry based on the comic books of the same name. The whole thing is complicated to the uninitiated, we know! But bear with us, and we’ll fill you in on this latest comic candidate. Starring Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, and Isabela Merced, Madame Web follows Cassandra Webb (Johnson), a clairvoyant woman connected to Spider-Man, and three young women with powerful futures, who are hunted by a deadly enemy. Cited by Sony as a standalone origin story and a suspense-driven thriller (with the pitch line “Meanwhile in another universe…”), it remains unknown exactly how the story will connect with the Spidey verse. However, the characters within this story are entwined by a web-like force. Sony’s Spider-Man Universe was once a separate entity from Marvel's Cinematic Universe, until both companies crossed streams and agreed to share the space. Words Glenn Cochrane MADAME WEB

Falk heads deep into Victoria’s Giralang mountain ranges to investigate, hoping to find his whistle-blowing informant, Alice (Anna Torv), alive. Once more director Robert Connolly shines the spotlight on some brilliant homegrown talent, not least Deborra-Lee Furness, who has long lived in New York with her now-ex husband Hugh Jackman. Producer Bruna Papandrea says she immediately thought of Furness when they were first casting the film. “Deborra-Lee was someone we have known personally, and we’ve been such big fans of, since [1988’s critically acclaimed] Shame ,” she explains. “She was one of the people we thought about, and she just felt so right for the character of Jill. We’re just honoured and grateful she said yes.” Furness herself was drawn to the story because of its strong female presence. “I love that it was an ensemble; that it was about a group of women out in the wild, challenged by the force of nature and challenged by their own nature,” she says. For Connelly, Force of Nature presents another opportunity to showcase Australia’s wild beauty, presenting an entirely different view of the bush in this sequel. “As Australians, we love

Fans of the comic book will know Cassandra Webb as a blind, elderly, and paralysed heroine who assists Spider-Man in fighting crime, making this movie a curious origin story that should provide fresh intrigue and pave the way for an

seeing our national story told,” he says. “But we don't want to see it done in a patronising or fake way. What we want is authenticity. We want to see who we really are.”

exciting new series. The cast also includes Tahar Rahim,

Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, and Mike Epps.

Madame Web is in cinemas February 15.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 is in cinemas February 8.

FEBRUARY 2024

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