Bumblebee, Emily Blunt's Mary Poppins Returns, Clint Eastwood's The Mule: Know Your Releases

This week seems to be rather Hollywood heavy. While Transformers fans eagerly await Bumblebee, a standalone feature on one of their favourite autobots, many are looking forward to watch Emily Blunt step into the formidable shoes of Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins Returns. Here is a look at this week’s releases. Bumblebee

What it’s about: Set in the year 1987, the film follows Charlie Watson who becomes the new owner of a yellow Volkswagon Beetle, only to discover that it is a battle-scarred and broken Autobot in disguise. She nurses him back to health and they team up to save the world from Decepticons, also crossing paths with a government agency Sector 7. Who’s in it: Hailee Steinfeld, Jorge Lendeborg, John Cena, Jason Drucker, Pamela Adlon, Stephen Schneider. Why it may work: Transformers as a franchise is already a huge successs, so their entire fan-base will have a treat with the much better-reviewed Bumblebee. The film’s trailer confirms the presence of Optimus Prime which has further piqued audience interest. Mary Poppins Returns

What it’s about: The film, directed by Rob Marshall, is based in 1930s Depression-era London 24 years after the original was set. When a family suffers a personal loss, Mary Poppins magically re-enters their lives and with Jack’s (Lin-Manuel Miranda) help, brings joy and wonder back into their home. Who’s in it: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, Joel Dawson Why it may work: Although Emily Blunt takes up the considerable risk of stepping into Julie Andrews’s shoes, Blunt may well bring a freshness and quirkiness to the role that Andrews portrayed with innocence. The Mule

What it’s about: The movie is based on a 2014 New York Times magazine feature by Sam Dolnick and trails Earl Stone (Clint Eastwood) as he unwittingly becomes a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. Who’s in it: Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña as Trevino, Dianne Wiest as Mary, Andy García Why it may work: The Clint Eastwood directorial will be the main attraction for most viewers. Bradley Cooper’s onscreen chemistry with Eastwood will also be worth watching.