The set photos for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever have been slowly pouring in. Not too long ago, we got our first real look at Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams on the film’s set. We even got a few pictures featuring Letitia Wright and Danai Gurira. It’s not over, as Just Jared shared a brand new look at Martin Freeman, as he rocks a beard. The actor had a strong supporting role in the first film as CIA agent Everett K. Ross and it’s great to see his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
We still know very little about the film’s upcoming plot, but it looks like the CIA will get involved in one way or another. They’ve been busy shooting scenes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which might be the reason he gets involved. We don’t know the details but it looks like Riri will have some role in the film.
There’s a chance that Ross might not be as involved in this film as he was previously. The rumors of the film focusing on a potential war between Wakanda and the MCU’s version of Atlantis will introduce quite a few new players. So, they’ll likely try to keep the supporting cast between these two nations. It’ll be interesting to see how much the initial trailer will reveal or hint at, as they might want to keep a few things close to their chest moving forward. Either way, here’s hoping Freeman might appear in other projects further down the line. He might need to sit down to have a chat with his now evil former co-worker and now Power Broker.
We can exclusively share that WandaVision‘s Paul Bettany has joined Mark Waters‘ next film, Harvest Moon. No, it’s not an adaptation of the popular farm simulator game that’s been a Nintendo staple since 1996. Rather, it’s the story about the early months of the pandemic, where a young boy named Charlie tries to get his estranged parents together again. Bettany will play the father, Johnny. Not only that, he’s also one of the writers behind the project, as he penned the script alongside Dana Brown. Currently, the film is eyeing a production start in October of this year.
Bettany is, of course, famous for his portrayal of JARVIS and the Vision throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, he does have some writing experience, as he wrote the screenplay for 2014’s Shelter, which starred Jennifer Connelly and Anthony Mackie. He was also behind the director’s chair for that project. He’ll work together with Waters, who worked on a variety of films. He recently directed the Adam Devine-led Magic Camp or Disney+ but also worked on Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and even The Spiderwick Chronicles.
Given the director’s background in more comedic fair, we can expect a similar tone from this film. It’s not every day a boy and his favorite stuffed dog Foofy try their best to get his parents to fall in love again. Bettany has proven his ability of juggling his comedic and more dramatic chops, especially in the recent release of WandaVision. Not only did he replicate the different eras of TV history and their comedy, but still gave us a thought-provoking performance while consulting Elisabeth Olsen‘s Wanda during her time of need, and while facing his alter ego in a philosophical battle on their own existence. Whatever direction the film is heading towards, he’ll certainly give us a memorable performance.
If there’s one thing we’ll take away from 2021, it’s the constant war between distributors and their talent. Scarlett Johansson famously sued Disney for releasingBlack Widow on Disney+ Premier Access and going against her contract. There have been many fears regarding what the digital release might do mean for the industry moving forward, as the pandemic still continues to rage on.
Of course, when exhibitors were holding this year’s CinemaCon event, there was going to be a lot of dismay on these recent strategies. Yet, it looks like one person joined in on the conversation, as Wonder Woman 1984’s director Patty Jenkins openly shared her thoughts on the digital day and date release strategy from HBO Max. She stated the following after the disheartening debut of her film back in December while many theaters were still just opening.
It was detrimental to the movie. I knew that could have happened I don’t think it plays the same on streaming, ever. I’m not a fan of day-and-date and I hope to avoid it forever. I make movies for the big screen experience
Patty Jenkins
She also openly stated she would not make a film for Netflix or any other streaming service, as she also points out the challenges of handling a limited run in theaters. While she also openly criticized exhibitions avoidance of change over the years, it’s still showing that Warner Bros’ decision to release all films simultaneously on HBO Max throughout the year left some scars. Yet, their strategy paid off as the pandemic continues to threaten theatrical experiences to this day, and it took quite some time before cinema was able to recover. Right now, it’s a hard decision to make for anyone in the industry and it’s uncertain how long it’ll drag out moving forward.
It’s been some time since we heard about The Lion King prequel. Moonlight‘s Barry Jenkins took over directing duties from Jon Favreau, who kickstarted the live-action adaptation of the popular Disney animated film. Deadline has just unveiled that The Trial of The Chicago 7‘s Kelvin Harrison Jr. and The Underground Railroad‘s Aaron Pierre will lead the project. It’ll explore the story of Mufasa’s origin before he became the loving father we see in the original film. Harrison Jr. will tackle the role of Taka and Pierre playing Mufasa.
It’s still a curious decision to explore the origins of Mufasa. Disney did continue the story through various media with a direct-to-video sequel and The Lion Guard series on Disney Junior. Still, Simba’s father was rather straight-laced and the film might focus on his relationship with his brother, Scar. It doesn’t officially have a title, but there’s a good chance it might get a subtitle of some kind to not make people believe it’s an adaptation of the sequel.
It’ll continue the photorealistic animation technology introduced with the first film. Jeff Nathanson returns to script the film. Hans Zimmer will score the soundtrack alongside Pharrell, and Succession‘s Nicholas Britell. Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak will act as producers on the Disney film. Production is already underway and we might see more casting in the near future.
In December of 2020, Variety announced that Benicio Del Toro will executive produce and star in Black Label Media’s film, Reptile. The film will be directed by music video director Grant Singer who has collaborated on various projects with The Weeknd and Taylor Swift, but is taking the step into the world of feature films. We can exlusively reveal that Del Toro won’t be alone, as the film has added Justin Timberlake in the role of Will in the Netflix original.
The film will follow Del Toro‘s Nichols, who is a detective in Atlanta trying to solve a case that starts to unravel as time goes on. It’ll force him to also take a closer look at the illusions of the life he believed he lived. Singer and Ben Brewer wrote the script with Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill from Black Label Media producing the film. The production is currently eyeing a production start from September to November.
Timberlake is no stranger to acting, as the singer famously starred in 2011’s In Time and Friends with Benefits. He recently headlined the Apple+ project Palmer and also lent his singing voice to the 2016 Trolls film. Still, one of his best roles might be the fact he somehow ended up voicing Boo Boo in the 2010 film adaptation of popular Hanna-Barbera cartoon, Yogi Bear. So, you could say he has experience in psychological thrillers and is the perfect choice to join Del Toro in the upcoming Netflix film.
2021 became Marvel Studios’ big year of expansion, as they released their new series on Disney+. We’ve gotten introduced to various series that act as mini-series before the character’s journey into an upcoming film. Loki surprised audiences with the announcement of a second season, as it joined What If…? as the only series getting multiple season orders. It looks like a curious detail has slipped through the cracks, as Brad Winderbaum teased that they plan to keep the animated series as an annual release. As such, it would be Marvel Studios’ first series to get a yearly release.
We’ll see what happens. Obviously, I don’t want to predict the future with this new world we live in, but our intention is to make it an annual release.
We did find out earlier this month that the second season will include films from Phase 4. There’s no word if they will also include the Disney+ series in any capacity, but it seems likely they might get included at some point. Animation takes quite a bit of time, as they’ve already worked on the second seasonf or some time. So, if they want to keep their plans with an annual release, they might already be finalizing their plans for future seasons.
Perhaps they get a chance to revisit some of the cancelled ideas teased by head writer A.C. Bradley. Of course, it’s uncertain if the same creative team will remain on the series, but the unique aspect of this show would allow anyone to jump on board to add a new twist on the concept. The multiverse is vast and allows for any possible combination of events to unleash. If anything, the last two episodes cemented that anything is possible and I am still thinking about the fact we have a zombie episode.
It looks like AMC’s Interview With The Vampire Adaptation has found its next cast member, as Deadline reports Jacob Anderson joined the project. He’ll star alongside Sam Reid, who was cast as Lestat not too long ago. The adaptation of Anne Rice’s famous books will run for eight episodes in its first season. He takes on the role that Brad Pitt famously played in the original 1994 film, Louis de Pointe du Lac.
The series is currently set for a 2022 release on AMC and its streaming service AMC+. Rolin Jones, the former showrunner of HBO’sPerry Mason, will tackle the adaptation. Mark Johnson, Anne Rice, and Christopher Rice will act as executive producers on the novel adaptation. It’ll serve as the beginning of their attempt to bring the entire series of Vampire Chronicles to life. They haven’t shared any details regarding which direction the series will take, but it might be possible they will create a modern interpretation of the series.
Anderson is most well-known for his time as Grey Worm in HBO’s Game of Thrones. He’s also set to appear in BBC’s popular Doctor Who series as Vinder. He has an extensive history in British television, as he also played opposite David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, and Olivia Colman on the series Broadchurch. It’ll be interesting to see how he interprets this iconic character and brings new life to him once the series premieres next year.
The latest episode has finally dropped from Marvel Studios’ adventure into the multiverse, What If…?. We’ve witnessed a few new directions the original Sacred Timeline could’ve taken if only one specific event changed. In the first episode, we learn the point in time where the change occurred, but the third entry, which explores an Agatha Christie-inspired story, leaves that to the very end. It’s all to keep us guessing as the mystery unravels. Yet, we only vaguely get a hint at why the targets were so specific, but ScreenCrush noticed a few details that may give away that there’s a different villain at play altogether. It’s such a curious theory that the more I looked into it, the more it made sense. Uatu even hints at the bigger picture we might miss in our first viewings.
There will be spoilers on the latest episode in this article. If you haven’t watched it yet, please only continue at your own risk.
At the end of the episode, Hank Pym reveals that he’s been taking out the Avengers one after another. Not only does it prove how dangerous his ability is in the wrong hands, but we also learn that Hope van Dyne had a very different destiny in this universe. She was an active SHIELD agent and died during a mission in Odessa, Ukraine. At first, it seems like a random location. Yet, looking back, it turns out we’ve heard of it before. It’s an important moment in MCU history, as it’s where Black Widow took a bullet from the Winter Soldier.
Why is this relevant? If you think back to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we learn that SHIELD head Alexander Pierce was a HYDRA agent. He was the one that gave the Winter Soldier his missions. As such, he would be the one that sent the assassin to Odessa and, as she replaced Natasha in this universe, took the bullet in her place. In a way, Hope becoming an agent made Hank nervous, which is a given by his disdain towards the organization. Yet, it wasn’t until Pierce commanded the mission that would push him over the edge.
Keep in mind, Hank’s time as Ant-Man was working with the spy agency. He would be aware of his abilities. It wouldn’t be surprising if Pierce also convinced her to join their cause with Fury. We know that these two were close, and he might’ve known about his friend’s Avengers Initiative. It seems available in their database, which Natasha accesses through Coulson’s account through his very memorable password. Yet, it seems curious that Hope’s account was still active when the flowers at her grave hint at her being dead for some time. Wouldn’t a secret spy organization have better security than that? Hank was a SHIELD member. So, he technically could still have an accoutn but doesn’t. So, why would Hope still have active access long after her passing?
Pierce doesn’t physically appear in this episode but is still somewhat present. The returning Frank Grillo mentions his name, as Black Widow is escorted to a meeting with him before she breaks out. Curiously, there’s no mention of the World Security Council. It makes him want a one-on-one meeting even more suspicious. He even has a brief appearance among the various files that she is looking into during the film. Odessa is the nail in the coffin for his connection to the overarching plot of this very episode. He has no direct role in this story but still gets highlighted throughout.
Uatu’s words that humanity is “blind to the bigger picture” is such a curious detail. It’s an ominous sentence that makes you question how many other details there are in this episode to connect the dots. Hope joining SHIELD may be the moment this universe was born, but Pierce seeing an opportunity led to the Avengers’ demise. Hank’s anger towards Fury seems vague at first because he blames him for her death, but perhaps the strings were leading them to this very moment.
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding the trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. As rumors kept piling on teasing multiverse shenanigans, it was bound to garner a lot of attention after finally hitting the internet. Well, it looks like the film even beat Avengers: Endgame‘s all-time record as it stands at a staggering 355.5M global views within 24 hours. The last Avengers entry managed 289M, which is quite a staggering difference. It’s also an incredible jump from Spider-Man: Far From Home, as the film more than doubled it, as it garnered around 135M.
To up that into perspective what it means for its eventual Box Office release. Far From Home is Sony’s largest-grossing title with $1.131 billion. So, while Social Media buzz isn’t always a perfect indicator, the film has the potential to inch towards a potential $2B+ Box Office. Of course, the pandemic is still roaming and could certainly put a damper on that, as Sony still is uncertain to keep the upcoming Venom sequel in its current release window. It also garnered around 4.5M mentions within 24-hours which is the highest conversation volume of all time. Domestically, it also passed Endgame’s 1.94M with 2.91M mentions. It passed the previous record-holder within the first twelve hours.
There’s a lot of excitement with the grand return of Spider-Men from past Sony franchises, which has been a popular rumor going around. The trailer also ended on a high note with the return of Alfred Molina, who openly confirmed his return and even offered some insight into his character for the film. There’s also the tease of various other iconic villains joining the fray with the pumpkin bomb tease being a special highlight.
Well, this is disheartening. It looks like Sony is worried about the upcoming release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. They just recently already pushed the film back into October, but Vulture has just shared that the latest Venom film was absent during the CinemaCon event even though they released a trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Its absence was quite noticeable and after some digging, Vulture learned from sources that they plan on delaying it until January 21st, 2022. As such, it would take Morbius‘ release slot that will also get delayed once again.
The move is quite a surprise as they seemed to feel safe with an October release instead of pushing back more of their projects. Of course, it also adds speculation if Spider-Man: No Way Home would potentially get pushedback as well. Yet, if they release the Venom sequel at the beginning of January, it might be a sign they believe things will calm down again by the end of the year. Box Office has been dropping for the past few months but the real test will be Marvel Studios’ upcoming release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Of course, the delay would also have strong implications for Morbius, which was initially going to release ahead of the Venom sequel. It was slated for July of this year, but it seems they have more hope that the proven franchise will draw in an audience. While not a sign of insecurity regarding Morbius, they simply already have a previous entry that showed them there’s a lot of Box Office potential. Sony does not have its own streaming service to rely on, which makes their decision to delay even harsher. We’ll see if the official confirmation will follow later this week.
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