Category: News

  • RUMOR: Thunderbolt Ross Will Be President Red Hulk In ‘New World Order’

    RUMOR: Thunderbolt Ross Will Be President Red Hulk In ‘New World Order’

    Captain America: New World Order, in many ways, can be described as a low-key Hulk film as several characters from the gamma-radiated corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe make their return. One of those characters is Thunderbolt Ross, who is now being played by a very elderly Harrison Ford.

    Ross is at the center of a brewing internet rumor (via Daniel RPK) claiming the former Secretary of State will be reintroduced as the new MCU POTUS but with a twist: he’ll be Red Hulk as well.

    https://twitter.com/thunderbnews/status/1592161478362402818?s=46&t=XDVJSdPsq22sBYeRrwmdYg

    Fans have long yearned for the appearance of Ross’ crimson alter-ego. The death of William Hurt may have given pause to that idea but the recasting of the character, along with the return of The Leader, makes that Rulk appearance all but confirmed. The big question now is whether Red Hulk keeps the ‘stache or not upon transforming.

  • Margot Robbie’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Film is No Longer Happening

    Margot Robbie’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Film is No Longer Happening

    Yo ho, yo ho, the pirates’ life is not for Margot Robbie. The Oscar-nominated actress, who has skyrocketed to international fame in the last decade, was previously attached to star in a female-led spin-off of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise at Disney, but now says the film is dead in the water. Robbie‘s untitled Pirates project was revealed in June of 2020, with her Birds of Prey creative partner Christina Hodson set to write the script. The film was still in early development as of May, when longtime producer Jerry Bruckheimer mentioned during an interview that he and Disney had been in touch with Robbie about the film’s status. At the time, Bruckheimer hinted that the future of the movie was not set in stone, and unfortunately, it looks like it has since been made to walk to the plank.

    Robbie made the world savvy to her project becoming shark bait during a recent conversation with Vanity Fair, in which she discussed her impressive career. When asked about the potential of Pirates as her next adventure, she made the following statement:

    We had an idea and we were developing it for a while, ages ago, to have more of a female-led—not totally female-led, but just a different kind of story—which we thought would’ve been really cool, but I guess they don’t want to do it.

    Margot Robbie

    The film would have been the sixth installment in the Pirates franchise, and the first without Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Bruckheimer is currently at work on a separate Pirates reboot, with Chernobyl and The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin writing a script alongside franchise veteran Ted Elliot. The fate of this movie, also without Depp, remains uncertain. Until more is known, fans of the Pirates movies should remain hopeful. After all, dead movies tell no tales.

    Source: Vanity Fair, Variety

  • Greta Gerwig Rumored to Direct Netflix ‘Narnia’ Films

    Greta Gerwig Rumored to Direct Netflix ‘Narnia’ Films

    After being a relatively dormant franchise in the cinematic landscape, new rumors are starting to percolate for The Chronicles of Narnia. Netflix acquired the rights for the novel series in partnership with The C.S. Lewis Company back in 2018 with plans to develop Narnia into various films and series. This was followed by the hiring of Coco co-writer Matthew Alrich in 2019 to serve as the “creative architect” to oversee all developments for the franchise revival. Unfortunately, since then there’s been little updates regarding any reboots of The Chronicles of Narnia.

    Until now, that is. What’s On Netflix has reported that star director Greta Gerwig is being eyed to helm two films meant to kickstart the rebooted Narnia universe. This apparently comes after an extensive search for a director earlier in the year. It remains just a rumor at this point in time as neither Gerwig nor Netflix has commented on the report.

    Getting a director at the caliber of Greta Gerwig would be a massive coup for Netflix in the hopes of successfully launching a cinematic universe for their platform. Gerwig has quickly become a major player in Hollywood thanks to her critically acclaimed directorial work on films such as Lady Bird and Little Women. Some notable upcoming works from her include the highly anticipated Barbie film coming in the summer of 2023 alongside writing the screenplay for Disney’s 2024 live-action revival of Snow White.

    It is unknown which of the novels would be covered in these two films potentially directed by Gerwig. It may be logical to adapt The Magician’s Nephew to serve as the origins of Narnia, followed by a remake of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to launch the main franchise narrative. Though that’s ultimately a decision for Matthew Aldrich to make, assuming this is indeed the direction being taken with The Chronicles of Narnia franchise.

    Source: What’s On Netflix

  • Warner Bros. Looking to Adapt ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’

    Warner Bros. Looking to Adapt ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’

    It would seem the Fantastic Beasts films just aren’t cutting it for David Zaslav and the folks at Warner Bros. Studios. The Wizarding World, as it’s now officially called by fans and creatives, has been a staple franchise for Warner Bros. since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released in 2001. Throughout eight movies, adapting seven books, Daniel Radcliffe‘s iconic young protagonist became a cornerstone of pop culture. As such, when the original series of films ended with 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, it felt less like a matter of “will the character return?” and more like a matter of “when?”. Sure enough, over a decade later, Warner Bros. wants to take a stab at reviving the Potter brand.

    According to a new report from Puck News, Warner Bros. CEO and President Zaslav is looking into developing a feature film project based on Jack Thorne‘s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The legacy sequel, billed as “the eighth story in the Harry Potter series,” was originally crafted as a stage show for London’s West End and Broadway in New York City, and focuses on an adventure between an adult Potter and his youngest son, Albus Severus. Franchise creator J.K. Rowling came up with the story, and Thorne wrote the script. It debuted to the public as a two-part play in 2016, receiving widespread critical acclaim but flopping hard with the Harry Potter fandom. Since then, the production has been shortened and restaged as a single show in the United States.

    Rumors have swirled for years that Warner Bros. would eventually make a Cursed Child project with the original series’ cast returning to their roles. Puck claims that, with the recent financial failures of the Fantastic Beasts movies, Zaslav would like to bring back the Potter name and finally make that happen. The report states that former Warner Bros. Chairman Toby Emmerich also wanted to adapt Cursed Child as a two-film event, but was never able to get the idea off the ground. Whether or not the company’s latest regime can create its own magic is still very much up in the air, considering they will first need the approval of a former cast and current creator who have all voiced their resistance to a Cursed Child project in the past.

    Source: Puck

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Producer Reveals ‘Captain America: New World Order’s Production Start

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Producer Reveals ‘Captain America: New World Order’s Production Start

    While all eyes are currently on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, there’s always a small glimpse into the future. That is especially true when someone gets a chance to sit down with one of the producers behind the project that can offer at least a small update on what to expect. luckily, Collider got a chance to discuss Captain America: New World Order with producer Nate Moore, who offered a small glimpse into what to expect.

    In the interview, he doesn’t go into any details but does confirm that the production will “start shooting next spring.” He also goes on to highlight the new cast additions, especially confirming Harrison Ford taking on the role of General “Thunderbolt” Ross, taking on the mantle after the tragic passing of William Hurt.

    Well, look, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, he is going to bring his own team to play. It’s no secret that Samuel Sterns is making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is fantastic because Tim Blake Nelson’s the best. Harrison Ford is taking on the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and to see Sam Wilson and Thunderbolt Ross – which if you remember actually threw him in prison at the end of Civil War because he violated the Sokovia Accords. There’s going to be some natural sparks there, which I think are going to be really fun.

    Nate Moore

    It’ll be interesting to see what Ford brings to the role and the reintroduction of the character opens up the possibility of multiple appearances. Perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe takes the direction of naming the unlikely team after him. With the production start not too far away, we may get some casting news in the coming weeks.

    Source: Collider

  • David Harbour Hypes Up Florence Pugh’s Role in ‘Thunderbolts’

    David Harbour Hypes Up Florence Pugh’s Role in ‘Thunderbolts’

    There’s always some excitement about a new project, especially when it comes to crossovers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While we’ll have to wait a while until we get to see the next Avengers team-up, we’ll have a different kind of project with the introduction of the Thunderbolts into the MCU. The film’s roster was revealed during D23 with a very super-soldier centric offering, especially with the major returning cast from Black Widow.

    One of its stars, David Harbour has been quite excited to share what he can from the project without giving anything away. In a new interview with Gizmodo, the Stranger Things star got to boast about his excitement about working with some of the cast, highlighting Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, and Sebastian Stan. Yet, he also puts in a good word on what they have planned for Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova

    I’ve loved Wyatt [Russell], and Sebastian [Stan] and Julia [Louis-Dreyfus]’s characters throughout the universe. What [director Jake Schreier] wants to do with Florence’s character is very interesting and how I factor into how we develop our relationship is very interesting. And then when you see what Jake and Eric Pearson is trying to fashion, it’s really clever…So you have this movie that’s, you know, kind of ragtag.

    David Harbour

    Harbour‘s excitement has always been infectious, and it’s great to see that he’s all-in for this new project. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Red Guardian as a recurring character moving forward. Yet, it’s quite interesting that he highlights the development offered by Pugh‘s character. It also seems we’ll see a lot more interaction between them moving forward. Perhaps the family will finally find each other again.

    Source: Gizmodo

  • The Sunday Paper — November 13, 2022

    The Sunday Paper — November 13, 2022

    wakanda forever score

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuted this weekend to high acclaim and box office success. Fans are now finally able to witness the ambitious, emotional, and impressive cinematic feat for themselves after years of real-world grief and production difficulties. Despite the success, earlier this week director Ryan Coogler revealed that a Black Panther 3 might not be such a sure thing—at least with him at the helm. And for those tracking potential Avengers: Secret Wars directors, Coogler says he has had no conversations about the job.

    Fans of Black Panther and its sequel should be happy to hear that Marvel Studios has confirmed that there are multiple Disney+ projects in the works based on Wakanda. According to Marvel Studios EP Nate Moore, some of the series in mind would involve existing characters, such as the Okoye-centric project that’s been in development for some time, while others would focus on characters “that would be completely new.”

    Some of the week’s biggest news involved everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Though it hasn’t been officially announced, the buzz around Sony and Marvel Studios reaching a new deal to continue their collaborative efforts to co-produce Spider-Man films has been at an all-time high this week. The deal, should it be reached, would allow Marvel Studios to get to work on developing new Spidey films with Sony and for them to negotiate a deal with star Tom Holland that would allow him to appear in non-Spidey films.

    But other Spider-Man projects have been in the news as well. Daniel Kaluuya was revealed to be voicing Spider-Punk in the upcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and there are rumors that the animated film will feature Spider-Men from major franchises, such as Tom Holland’s, Tobey Maguire’s, and Andrew Garfield’s heroes. For those interested in the never-made Maguire universe Spider-Man 4, we learned this week that Angelina Jolie almost played a villain in the film, and new details emerged about the origin and death of the Vulture in it.

    In Deadpool 3 news: in an interview with Sirius XM’s Stars, Ryan Reynolds explained that he, Hugh Jackman, and director Shawn Levy are “up to our necks in prep,” that the film is still being written, and that he will be wrapped up in production on it for the next two years. The actor then added that shooting on the film, which he called “the easy part”, is expected to take place “just before Summer.” Interestingly, new rumors suggest that Owen Wilson’s Mobius will appear in the film as well as the 2005 Fantastic Four team. Perhaps Chris Evans’ return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe will not be as Steve Rogers after all. The Marvel Studios Fantastic Four film in development is rumored to be eyeing a January 2024 production start. Shawn Levy fans will be excited that the director will direct a Star Wars film after he’s done with Deadpool 3.

    Agatha: Coven of Chaos casting and character news continues to be the gift that keeps on giving. While the debate on the subject seemed a bit silly, Joe Locke’s role in the upcoming Disney+ series is seeming confirmed as Wiccan at this point. The show added Sasheer Zamata and Eric André to its cast, and a new report may have revealed that Morgan Le Fay will be the main villain of Coven of Chaos.

    Daredevil: Born Again is one of three Disney Plus streaming series set to film in the first half of 2023, joining Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Wonder Man. Early word had the Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio-led Daredevil series headed to New York City for production, returning to the familiar locations fans grew accustomed to over 3 seasons of the Netflix series. Production is expected to last nearly all of 2023, beginning in February and wrapping in December.

    Indiana Jones is set to make a big comeback with the upcoming fifth film starring Harrison Ford in the iconic role once again. Yet, it seems that Disney is not interested in leaving it with just that single project. According to a new report by Variety, it seems they are also hoping to develop a Disney+ series based on the iconic archaeologist’s globe-trotting adventures. They don’t have a writer or showrunner in place. So, it’s not a definite project at the moment but definitely something they are looking into.

    The John Wick franchise is continuing to grow, as not only are we getting a TV spinoff that explores the early days of the iconic hotel chain but also a female-led spinoff only known as Ballerina as of now. It’s unclear if this new cinematic franchise will receive an original naming to tie it all together, but it does seem like the franchise’s iconic star, Keanu Reeves, is set to join the production of the upcoming spinoff.

    lilo and stitch live action

    Lastly, a very heartbreaking exclusive about the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch movie revealed that the iconic character Cobra Bubbles will be replaced. Of course, news that one of the greatest Disney animated films of all time would be receiving the latest live-action treatment was distressing enough. Still, the fact that Agent Bubbles was not deemed worthy of making the cut is absolutely absurd and a crushing blow to any reasonable-minded person. Perhaps the only post-1990s 2D Disney animated films to actually become a classic, Lilo & Stitch is a journey that spans space, friendship, and family. The film boasts an amazing soundtrack as well, and it is unclear how a live-action film could ever do it justice. Bubbles was a pillar of the original film, serving as the social worker constantly threatening to separate Lilo and her sister, Nani, as Nani does her best as a teenage older sister and pseudo-single-parent after the two’s parents die tragically as per Disney tradition. It is near impossible to see how a remake that forsakes Bubbles could be the Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride that the beloved Lilo & Stitch embodies. Disney apparently forgot the film’s most famous quote: “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is Now November’s Biggest Domestic Opening Weekend of All Time

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is Now November’s Biggest Domestic Opening Weekend of All Time

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has dominated the box office, as the film will pull in $180M over the weekend. Cinemas have been waiting for a project to finally give them a boost, especially after Black Adam was a more mellow premiere, and it has arrived. Not only that, the film has now taken the record of the highest November opening from Hunger Games. Catching Fire, which stood at $158M since 2013. The film will also end its global release at around $330M.

    It’s a sigh of relief for Marvel Studios, as there were a lot of troubles facing this production. It had to film during COVID, Letitia Wright suffered an injury that halted production, and it lost its main star when Chadwick Boseman suddenly passed away forcing the production into a new direction. It also can’t rely on an international bo office with markets like China, Russia, and Ukraine not available for understandable reasons. It’ll likely not pass the original’s $1.4B worldwide release but it could have a chance at inching its way towards a billion if its A CinemaScore gives it some much-needed word-of-mouth.

    The film stands as the second biggest opening for Marvel Studios this year, as it passed Thor: Love and Thunder but is behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which goes against early projection. Though these two films had the summer market to play with and the Doctor Strange sequel was heavily frontloaded. If Wakanda Forever doesn’t face a harsh drop in its second weekend, especially with it not sharing the B+ CinemaScore, it could have a chance to potentially surpass that film’s box office in the long run. Though it might be safer to say it’ll reach at least 800M and grow from there. Still, this is the fourth-highest superhero movie opening and it doesn’t seem like Marvel Studios is slowing down any second. Of course, the second weekend is the only one that could really tell if that’ll be the case.

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • EXCLUSIVE: Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Replacing an Iconic Character from the Animated Original

    EXCLUSIVE: Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Replacing an Iconic Character from the Animated Original

    Disney is all about live-action remakes these days and they’ve eyed pretty much any of their iconic animated films to get the treatment. Among them is the iconic Lilo and Stitch, which is set to be directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp based on a script from Chris Kekianiokalani Bright, which once again explores the story of a young girl named Lilo who ends up with a rather different kind of pet who she names Stitch. While the film will follow the story of the original, we can exclusively share a few details of two original characters being added to the story.

    The film is currently busy casting for the roles of Lilo, Nani, and David Kawena from the original animated film. There’s no word if they are actively looking for a voice actor for Stitch, or perhaps they might even see Chris Sanders return to the role. Yet, they are also actively casting two new roles for the film which are a character known as Tutu and Mrs. Kekoa. The former is described as someone who speaks with a local Pidgin accent and is the neighbor of the Pelekai sisters, Lilo and Nani.

    The surprising new addition is Mrs. Kekoa, as she seemingly will take on the role of Cobra Bubbles. It’s unclear if that character will still be featured in the film, but it seems that this new character is being cast as the social worker, who pays Nani a few visits to see if their living conditions are right for her to continue looking after Lilo. The addition of an alien pretending to be a dog won’t help matters much. Her inclusion does raise the question if Bubbles will be featured in the film at all, but it is possible they may be taking a different route.

    There have been a few rumblings hinting at Disney hoping to start production on it soon. DisInsider shared back in August that the film might be set as a Disney+ exclusive. This was highlighted by Discussing Film’s Jacob Fischer, who also hinted at a production start in February, which we can also confirm. They will be filming until the end of May 2023 in Hawaii, which will definitely make the project stand out and sticks to the aspects that made the original shine.

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Pulls in 10th Highest Opening Day at the Box Office

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Pulls in 10th Highest Opening Day at the Box Office

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is pulling in some strong numbers domestically, as it has now reached $84M in its Friday opening, which includes the $28M from Thursday previews. That would put it on a course to potentially pull in around $184M domestically over the weekend but Veteran’s Day is making an exact calculation somewhat difficult. It does seem hard to say if it’ll pass the first Black Panther‘s opening of $202M, it should not be downplayed how big this opening is considering a November release.

    This opening is the tenth-highest opening day ever for a film in the domestic market. Of course, Veteran’s Day could either be a boosting factor to push it beyond its regular intake but Saturday could be a deciding factor on how it performs. It should also be noted that without previews, the film made more than Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was at $54.7M while it pulled in $56M.It also might pull in the biggest November opening day for November on IMAX screens. Either way, it’s likely to take the record of the highest-grossing weekend in November, beating out The Hunger Games: Catching Fire at $148M.

    It should also be pointed out that the first Black Panther opened to $75.9M on a Friday, which had an A+ CinemaScore pulling it through the weekend. So, Wakanda Forever could still pull through with a slightly higher opening and a slightly lower A CinemaScore, which still holds well for its legs. As of now, the film is going to open around $325M+ worldwide. The Korean market isn’t as powerful an opening this time around, but that could be due to two key factors: the first film heavily featured South Korea as a location and the country is currently mourning a recent tragedy.

    For those believing it failed if it doesn’t pass Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ $187.4M opening, it should be considered that the first 2022 Marvel film was sold as an Avenger-sized blockbuster and opened in the summer. It was heavily frontloaded and with a B+ CinemaScore, likely due to its horror influences, it faced a harsh drop in its second weekend. That’ll be the most interesting test going out this weekend for Wakanda Forever. Plus, the film faces the unique challenge of losing its lead in Chadwick Boseman, which was a heavy focus of the film.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Box Office Mojo