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A sort-of Jewish Superman and more

Stars of David

By Nate Bloom, Stars of David Contributing Columnist

Editor’s Note: Persons in bold are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish for the purpose of this column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in, or identify with, a faith other than Judaism. Converts to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish.

“Jurassic World Rebirth”

The dinosaurs return when “Jurassic World Rebirth” opens in theaters on July 2. This is fourth film in Jurassic World films and the seventh film in the Jurassic Park films.

The plot is really complex. Suffice it to say that the good guy scientists are trying to get DNA from dinosaurs living in Jurassic Park because their DNA can be a key to drugs that can save human lives. Scarlett Johansson, 40, stars as Zora Bennett, a “good” scientist who is trying to get DNA from the dinosaurs.

“My Mother’s Wedding”

Johansson also co-stars in “My Mother’s Wedding,” a British film that was filmed in 2023, but opens in theaters on Aug. 8. Here’s the set-up: Three sisters return to their family home to attend the wedding of their twice-widowed mother (Kristin Scott Thomas). All three sisters are quite different: One is a palliative nurse (Emily Beachum), another (Siena Miller) is an actress, and the third (Johansson) is a Royal Navy captain.

“Superman”

Superman was created (1938) by two Jewish guys, Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, and finally, an actor with a Jewish background is playing the "Man of Steel." The film is simply named “Superman,” and it opens in theaters on July 11.

David Corenswet, 31, was a surprise choice for the lead role in a new Superman film. Yes, he’s good looking, and he’s turned in good performances on HBO and Netflix series — but he certainly isn’t a “big name.” So when his selection as Superman was announced in 2023, it was almost shocking. (Bonus: Skyler Gisondo, 27, plays Jimmy Olson in "Superman." Gisondo’s paternal grandfather was Italian and not Jewish. The rest of his “grands” were Jewish).

Corenswet’s father, a lawyer, comes from a prominent New Orleans Jewish family. His mother isn’t Jewish. Corenswet married (2023) in a service that was presided over by a New Orleansarea rabbi and a Catholic priest. The woman he married is Catholic.

I wasn’t happy. I wished Superman would have a Jewish wedding and a Jewish bride. Then, a friend pointed out that Corenswet wanted a rabbi, which means he identifies as Jewish. Ok, that’s very true, but it’s still not super news.

“Eddington”

A comedy/drama, “Eddington” opens in theaters on July 18. This modern Western was written and directed by Asi Aster, 38. It takes place in a smallish New Mexico city in the summer of 2020. It was the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two main characters are Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix, 50), the city’s sheriff, and Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), the city’s mayor. Variety gave this flick a pretty good review, although some other respected media outlets weren’t as favorable. The strong supporting cast includes Austin Butler (who played the lead role in “Elvis”) and Emma Stone.

It’s hard to briefly lay out all the conflicts between Cross and Garcia, among other conflicts within the city. In many ways, the film shows the ever-growing political fissions in American society. These fissions really took off during the pandemic.

As the film opens, Cross loses popularity, because he’s just about the only person in the city refusing to wear a mask. He had a plausible excuse for that, but he didn’t have an excuse for being an incompetent sheriff. Meanwhile, many “progressive” citizens have their faults too.

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps”

The following is a brief item that could have been a long one. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” opens in theaters on July 25. It’s another Marvel superhero film based on the Marvel comic series.

The Fantastic Four were created, in the comics, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. At least one of the six screenwriters is Jewish. I could confirm: Jeff Friedman, 58; and Director Matt Shakman, 49, has a Jewish father — he’s secular. The cast includes Ebon Moss-Bachrach, 48, Julia Garner, 31, and Natasha Lyonne, 46. By the way, Garner also stars in "Weapons," a horror film that opens on Aug. 8.

“Together”

A comedy/horror film, “Together” opens in theaters on July 30. The stars are Alison Brie, 42, and Dave Franco, 38. They are married in real life and play a married couple in this movie. Both are the children of Jewish mothers and non-Jewish fathers, and both identify as Jewish.

“Honey Don’t!”

Opening in theaters on Aug. 22, “Honey Don’t” is a detective comedy film cowritten and directed by Ethan Coen, 67. Margaret Qualley, Chris Evans and Aubrey Plaza star in it. The film played at the recent Cannes Film Festival and reviews were mostly “so, so” or “not so good.” The supporting cast includes comic actor Billy Eichner, 46.

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