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Category: News

  • ‘Bad Boys For Life’ Sequel Still in Development, Not Affected by Will Smith Controversy

    ‘Bad Boys For Life’ Sequel Still in Development, Not Affected by Will Smith Controversy

    In the whirlwind aftermath of Will Smith’s infamous slap of Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards, news started to circulate that numerous projects the actor was attached to would be put on hold due to his conduct. One of the most prominent rumors was pausing one of Smith’s most iconic franchises in Bad Boys. However, these rumors have been squashed in an interview with Sony Chairman Tom Rothman. In it, he discussed the project is still in early development stages and that nothing has been canceled.

    No. That was inaccurate. That movie’s been in development and still is. There weren’t any brakes to pump because the car wasn’t moving.

    Tom Rothman

    In addition, Rothman discussed his relationship with Will Smith as someone who’s worked closely with him throughout their careers. As well, he provides his two cents on the infamous incident.

    That was a very unfortunate thing that happened, and I don’t think it’s really my place to comment, except to say that I’ve known Will Smith for many years, and I know him to be a good person. That was an example of a very good person having a very bad moment, in front of the world. I believe his apology and regret is genuine, and I believe in forgiveness and redemption.

    Tom Rothman

    A sense of forgiveness from Tom Rothman could end up being a good omen for the potential future of Will Smith’s acting career. There have been rising doubts on if any major Hollywood production would want to involve the A-lister due to him quickly becoming a controversial figure. While it’s a whole other conversation as to whether or not that would be a fair response to this moment, especially in relation to leniency given to other controversial entities in the industry, those rumors may end up being much ado about nothing. With the chairman of Sony being openly willing to work with him, it could be fair to assume that Smith will gradually be brought back into the fold of major Hollywood films.

    Source: Deadline

  • Sony Chairman Plans to Have Jon Watts Direct ‘Spider-Man 4’

    Sony Chairman Plans to Have Jon Watts Direct ‘Spider-Man 4’

    Jon Watts just recently surprised people with the decision to move away from the upcoming Fantastic Four project. Yet, we learned shortly after that he started work on a new project together with Lucasfilm, which will explore an Amblin-style entry in the Star Wars galaxy. Now that he just wrapped work on one of the biggest Spider-Man film releases of all time with No Way Home, it seems Sony Chairman isn’t ready to let him go quite yet. In an interview with Deadline, Tom Rothman confirmed that he hopes for Watts to return to the director’s chair for the fourth MCU Spider-Man entry.

    On one hand, many have hoped that a new creative team would take the reigns as Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man takes a more grounded approach. Now that he’s seemingly unshackled from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they can rewrite his future as part of the franchise. Yet, it seems that Sony wants to keep Watts heavily involved, as well as see the return of Zendaya as MJ.

    Now, that also raises the question of how big of a role she could have considering she is heading out to MIT and has completely forgotten who Peter Parker is. Of course, she may be visiting New York City, it is her home after all, and they bump into each other. She will only remember him as the stranger she met at the coffee shop. He’s not officially signed on and things may change as more get a chance to potentially pitch their take on the character.

    Source: Deadline

  • Kumail Nanjiani Spills the Beans on His Mysterious ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Character

    Kumail Nanjiani Spills the Beans on His Mysterious ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Character

    We’re only a week away from Deborah Chow‘s Obi-Wan Kenobi series releasing its first two episodes on Disney+. Of course, all eyes are on the return of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, but it’ll also see the addition of Eternals‘ Kumail Nanjiani to the Star Wars universe. In a surprising move, the actor has simply given away his mysterious’ character’s role in the Entertainment Weekly’s Star Wars podcast.

    His name is Haja, and he’s this guy who works on the streets of Daiyu, which is this new Star Wars location that we haven’t seen before that’s absolutely gorgeous. And he’s the guy who’s worked really hard to stay out of the bigger conflicts at play. He just kind of wants to be his own guy. Survival for him is all that matters.

    Kumail Nanjiani

    It definitely sounds like a character that’ll get drawn into something he doesn’t want to be involved with once he runs into Obi-Wan, but kind of gets dragged along.

    He’s this sort of con-man guy who cons people for money. That’s what’s important to him. And then he has a run-in with Obi-Wan and suddenly he sort of gets stuck in the bigger conflicts at play, which is the thing that he really tries to avoid. So he is this street-level con-man guy who then gets embroiled in stuff that’s way too big for him. And he has to make a choice.

    Kumail Nanjiani

    He did not give away how many episodes we can expect him, but it does sound like he’s going to get into a lot more trouble than he bargained for the moment he meets the former Jedi Master. Nanjiani playing a con man is also a fun direction for the actor, as his style of comedy may add to the guy trying to talk his way out of whatever troubles he’s about to get bombarded with.

    Source: EW via Bleeding Cool

  • Leaked ‘Snow White’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Rachel Zegler in Costume

    Leaked ‘Snow White’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Rachel Zegler in Costume

    It looks like our first look at Rachel Zegler in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Snow White has found its way online. Details on the project are still kept tightly under wraps, but it looks like they kept the design of her original dress alive, which looks like a direct adaptation of the original Disney animated film. What stands out is how much the colors pop, as sometimes live-action costumes are muted to fit a more realistic design.

    The only addition seems to be the elongated sleeves, as they normally stopped with the shoulder piece. We’ll see if we also get some more set photos that reveal the inclusion of the seven dwarfs. There have been some hints that they may take a unique take with the characters, but we’ll have to wait and see, as a lot on this production is unclear, especially how close they might adapt the original animated film.

    The 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs had quite a short runtime but was a marvel of animation for its time. We’ve seen quite a few live-action attempts over the years, such as an inclusion of the characters in the Once Upon a Time series, or the action-adventure version, Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Stewart in the lead. There was also the 2012 film Mirror Mirror where Lily Collins took on the role of Snow White opposite Julia Roberts‘ The Queen. So, we’ll see what Zegler‘s version brings to the plate as the iconic character.

    Source: Twitter

  • Norman Reedus Seemingly Confirms ‘Death Stranding’ Sequel is in Production

    Norman Reedus Seemingly Confirms ‘Death Stranding’ Sequel is in Production

    Many were excited to see what the first independent-produced game by Kojima Productions would look like, especially with Hideo Kojima taking full charge of the project. It resulted in the game known as Death Stranding, which was quite a bit different from what many expected the Metal Gear Solid director would end up working on. In it, you take on the role of Sam, played by Norman Reedus, who transports items across a post-apocalypse from one bunker to the next, helping humanity rebuild and research the mysterious phenomenon that changed the world.

    In an interview with Leo Edit, it seems he may have accidentally confirmed that they are working on a sequel. In the interview, he reveals that he met Kojima through Guillermo Del Toro, where he worked on his first feature film. Seemed he didn’t have many options as Del Toro told him to just say yes and that’s how he ended up on what would’ve been Silent Hills. Still when asked about what’s to follow after wrapping up on The Walking Dead.

    We just started the second one.

    Norman Reedus

    It’s definitely surprising that Kojima Productions is working on a sequel, as while it was definitely critically acclaimed, sales seemed a bit more mellow than initially expected. Still, Death Stranding has a lot of potential in further exploring the world it presents and he hints it took him “two to three years” to finish the MoCap. So, they may have finished work on another project in the meantime before tackling the sequel. Yet, it’s only speculation as we haven’t heard anything outside of the Director’s Cut since the release back in 2019.

    Source: Leo

  • ‘Big Hero 6’ Spinoff Series ‘Baymax!’ Eyeing June Release on Disney+

    ‘Big Hero 6’ Spinoff Series ‘Baymax!’ Eyeing June Release on Disney+

    It’s been a while since we first heard that we’ll be making our return to San Fransokyo with the Big Hero 6 spinoff series Baymax!, which is the second for the franchise so far. Unlike its 2D counterpart, which aired on Disney XD, this will be a Disney+ original in a similar animation style as the original film. Big Hero 6 The Series ran for three seasons and started in 2014, which was the perfect carry-over for those wanting to spend more time with the team. Now, Baymax! will explore the kind robot on his adventures helping out locals of San Fransokyo and will be made available on June 29th.

    The series was teased back in Disney’s Investors Day 2020, where it was announced that the series would explore Baymax’s original protocol as a nurse robot. So, those expecting more rocket-powered action might be in for a disappointment, but the series will offer something special for those who adored the loveable robot’s antics in the original. Creator Don Hall talked about how “each episode, we meet a new character: a patient that Baymax is going to help.”

    It definitely sounds like it’s going to be a fun series, but it’s unknown if it’s closer to the Scrat Tales shorts or an actual series format. It seems likely it’ll explore shorter episode runtimes to just focus on the antics and won’t have an overarching plot of some kind. We can only theorize for now, but the animation looks adorable going by the first trailer, which featured some familiar and new characters that he’ll help throughout his journey.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Agatha: House of Harkness’ Adds 3 Writers, Eyes 2023 Release

    ‘Agatha: House of Harkness’ Adds 3 Writers, Eyes 2023 Release

    The writer’s room is filling up for Marvel Studios WandaVision spinoff, Agatha: House of Harkness. Announced at the first ever Disney Plus Day in November 2021, the Kathryn Hahn-lead streamer is being created by Jac Schaeffer, who developed Hahn’s Harkness for WandaVision. With an eye on getting production underway this Fall, Schaeffer has been assembling her writer’s room and it looks as though she’s put together quite a collection of talent, all of whom she worked with before on WandaVision. According to their Writer’s Guild of America West bios, Peter Cameron, Laura Donney and Cameron Squires will all contribute to Agatha: House of Harkness.

    Cameron co-wrote Episodes 5 and 6 of WandaVision, respectively titled “On a Very Special Episode” and “All-New Halloween Spooktacular”, which took the cast through the 80s and 90s and saw Evan Peters‘ Ralph Bohner appear as “Pietro.” Cameron also worked on Marvel Studios’ most recent streaming series, Moon Knight.

    Agatha Harkness 'WandaVision' Spin-Off in The Works at Disney+ - The DisInsider

    Donney is credited with writing Episode 8 of WandaVision, “Previously On”, which was one of the strongest episodes of the series. “Previously On” provided some backstory for Agatha and effectively detailed Wanda’s true origins via flashbacks. It’s likely that Donney’s work on Episode 8 may well have provided some of the meat for what would eventually become Agatha: House of Harkness.

    Like Donney, Squires has a writing credit for one episode of WandaVision: Episode 7, “Breaking the Fourth Wall.” That episode, which riffed heavily on Modern Family and, to a lesser extent, The Office, revealed that Hahn’s nosy neighbor lady Agnes, was actually the powerful witch Agatha Harkness and, most importantly, responsible for killing Sparky!

    Each of the writer’s bios also clearly indicate that the first season of Agatha: House of Harkness is classified as a “comedy” (WandaVision was classified as a drama) and is expected to stream in “2023-2024.” A late-2023 release date lines up incredibly well with the known tentative start of production on the Disney Plus series, but it will likely be sometime in the second half of next year before a firm release date for the series is pinned down.

    Source: WGA

  • Australian Theater Chain Leaks ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Runtime

    Australian Theater Chain Leaks ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Runtime

    There have always been active discussions on just how long some of the upcoming Marvel Studios films will be. When Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ runtime was revealed, people were worried that it wasn’t “long enough” to really fully explore the multiverse. Now, it seems that an Australian theater chain, Even Cinemas, may have accidentally leaked the runtime for Thor: Love and Thunder, which will once again fuel the speculation surrounding if it will spend enough time with the characters.

    According to Event Cinema, Love and Thunder will run for 115 minutes. That would mean the film will be just shy of the two-hour mark, not that uncommon with superhero films. If this is the final runtime for the film., it’ll be longer than the first The Incredible Hulk (112 minutes), and Thor: The Dark World (112 minutes). Funny enough, it’s the same runtime as the first Thor and the first Doctor Strange film. It’ll also only be slightly shorter than the first Ant–Man film, which was 117 minutes.

    Runtimes don’t speak for the quality of the film, and it also is up to the director to find that sweet spot of how long a film needs to be. As we don’t know any details about the film or how it’ll explore the different plot points hinted at. It’s easy to go by rumors that the runtime may not fit what we’ve heard about the story but we also don’t know how much time is spent with what characters or story concepts. Plus, Taika Waititi is known for his fast-paced storytelling.

    Source: Event Cinema

  • ‘WandaVision’s Matt Shakman to Direct Apple TV+’s ‘Godzilla’ Spinoff Series

    ‘WandaVision’s Matt Shakman to Direct Apple TV+’s ‘Godzilla’ Spinoff Series

    After first hearing about the project, many were surprised that Apple TV+ got the rights to develop a Monsterverse series that’ll act as a spinoff of the franchise set up with Godzilla set up back in 2014. While it went silent after the initial announcement, Legendary Pictures has revealed that the WandaVision director will direct the first two episodes.

    Looks like his time with Marvel Studios has made him a must-get for studios in Hollywood. Not only is he working on this new Apple TV+ series, but he’s also on board to direct the next Star Trek film featuring the return of Chris Pine’s era as Captain Kirk through the Kelvin Timeline. As he hasn’t started production yet, he may be busy with these two episodes before he starts work on the feature film.

    The director brought a charming tribute to classic TV sitcoms with WandaVision and is now heading to space, as well as a Titan-infested world coping with the devastation in their wake. So, he’s definitely upping his game in the industry and exploring new avenues.

    It’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the table with the series, especial as it’s unclear if it’ll also feature any of the Titans from the Monsterverse series. There were hints that it’ll act as a direct spinoff from 2014’s Godzilla, as a family explores their mysterious connection to the secret organization Monarch. So, here’s hoping we get some monster action throughout.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Trailer Pulls in 78 Million Views in 24 Hours

    ‘She-Hulk’ Trailer Pulls in 78 Million Views in 24 Hours

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law officially debuted its first trailer yesterday and managed to amass an impressive amount of views within its first 24-hours.

    The studio took to Twitter late Thursday night to announce the first trailer pulled in 78 million views within its first 24-hours. The tweet showed She-Hulk holding a cell phone featuring yesterday’s tweet featuring the trailer and release date for the series. The accompanying tweet says, “You REALLY like her when she’s angry! Thanks to our incredible fans for a smashing 78 million #SheHulk trailer views in 24 hours!”

    Since the trailer’s debut yesterday, a fair amount of the conversation regarding She-Hulk has been about the “wonky” CGI when Jennifer Walters transforms into She-Hulk. Of course, with the show not premiering until August, the studio still has plenty of time to get the effects finished in time. It’s (unfortunately) normal for most effects to still be worked on up until the last possible moment. It’s something we see with blockbuster films constantly, and with a series like She-Hulk featuring a CGI character, it’s understanding as to why it wasn’t perfect in the initial trailer.

    She-Hulk hits Disney+ on August 17th.

    Source: Twitter.