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EXCLUSIVE: Tyler Perry’s Next Film Revealed

Tyler Perry has compiled quite the filmography behind him: he is well-known for directing and starring in the Madea films but in looking at the rest of his work both as an actor and director one sees a lot of diversity. Perry appeared in supporting roles in a variety of dramas like Vice and Gone Girl, and he was cast as the lead in Alex Cross. He has, also, directed quite a few romantic-comedies: 2018’s Nobody’s Fool was his first R-rated comedy, the premise being a story about someone being catfished. When reviewing his extensive work, you can definitely see a director that is no stranger to infusing his projects with a variety of political and cultural aspects and influences.

Back in 2016, he discussed the possibility of exploring a Madea film that tackles the topic of police brutality:

“I have been able to use this character to bring messages to people who no one has been able to get a message to… She can talk about anything. She can make them laugh. And it’s so disarming — it’s like anesthesia… If I could find a way to talk about police brutality, and all of these people being shot by police officers, through this character — and I’ve been thinking about it — I think it would speak volumes to what so many people can’t say.”

Four years later, the topic of police brutality is still as relevant as it was in that interview. Perry has been extremely vocal about the events that have transpired across the US and he has openly spoken about the protests that have taken place in Atlanta in the aftermath of another innocent Black person gunned down by police. With that in mind, it looks like the Black Lives Matter movement will be a big inspiration for his upcoming project as a casting grid has revealed various details that may focus on a story that will discuss the Black Live Matter protests and, of course, police violence.

The film will take place in Atlanta where one of the leads is a pastor in the Sweet Auburn area of the city which is being rocked by violent protests following the questionable use of force by a white police officer on a gay, Black man celebrating his college graduation.

In contrast to the 2016 interview, Perry’s next project does not appear to feature Madea. We have five different leads, all with their own individual stories that will seemingly connect. The leads are connected to an overarching mystery, which could lend itself to every character having a dark secret.

The previously-mentioned pastor tries to secure the church from what is described as a “potentially violent protest.” Going by what is pictured, we most likely have a story of police brutality that gets national attention and causes a protest that puts various members of the family on opposite sides given their own history. The film will definitely feature a BLM protest which will may ultimately find the leads locking themselves in the church where they are confronted with each other to sort out the secrets they’ve been keeping for long. This is all just speculation, as we will see which direction Perry will take.

Production on the film is set to kick off early next month in Atlanta.

September 18, 2020
‘MS. MARVEL’ Adds Two-Time Oscar Winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy to Team of Directors

Rounding out what has been one of Marvel Studios most prolific news weeks in 2020, a report indicates that the studio has assembled a team of directors for the upcoming Disney Plus streaming series Ms. Marvel and that team is damn impressive. Recent rumors pointed to the Bad Boys For Life directing duo of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah helming multiple episodes; THR has now confirmed those rumors and adds that two-time documentary short Oscar award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Meera Menon, who previously directed an episode of Marvel’s Netflix series, The Punisher, will all work in concert directing different episodes of the series!

Production on Ms. Marvel is expected to kick off this November in Atlanta. While no announcement has been made, it is widely believed that Marvel Studios has found their Kamala Khan along with most of the rest of the main cast.

September 18, 2020
Claire Foy Offered Key Role in ‘WHITE STORK’ with Tom Hiddleston

Here’s some interesting news on upcoming Netflix series White Stork, which I hope Tom Hiddleston fans will appreciate. Insider Daniel Richtman kindly agreed to let me share a report from his Patreon that Claire Foy has been sent an offer to play series female lead Asher Millan opposite Hiddleston.

The English actress is well known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix series The Crown and would certainly be a very talented match to go up against Hiddleston in this new series. It has also been reported that White Stork will be ten 60 minute episodes and is slated to stream in 2022. Likely, filming will begin in the United Kingdom early in 2021, soon after Hiddleston finishes filming the Loki series in the United States.

Daniel Richtman also listed some character descriptions and a couple new character names for White Stork, which give some clues about those roles in the series.

See a screenshot of the listing from Daniel’s Patreon (shared with his permission) below:

September 18, 2020
DC Universe App Going Comics Only with “Infinite” Rebrand

For a while now news had begun to trickle out confirming that one series would be moving from DC Universe to another and this once rare occurrence quickly became like second nature. Starting with Doom Patrol, a mass exodus of content from the DC streaming service was surely in the future as HBO Max continued to expand its libraries. Announced along with the Season 3 renewal of Harley Quinn, DC Universe will be rebranding its service as “DC Universe: Infinite” an entirely virtual comic libray featuring digital-first titles and exclusives digital comics for the service. The service will feature digital-first such as “DCeased- Hope At Worlds End”, “Injustice: Year Zero”, and “Harley Quinn: Black+White+Red” with 24,000+ comics ready to read amid the services the re-branding on on January 21st, 2021.

Along with this announcement came the news that DC Universe would be dropping its scripted content, with its initial originals moving to the HBO Max streaming service, too absolutely no one’s surprise. Shows such as Doom Patrol, Harley Quinn, Titans, and Young Justice will all be returning for their next seasons at HBO Max with their previous seasons including Stargirl and Swamp-Thing streaming alongside them.

These decisions are the best for each service, this helps DC Universe put more focus onto their comics library and work on more exclusive content for their library. With HBO Max this some much needed content for their DC library that continues to add and remove content on a monthly basis. Hopefully with this change in practice we will see staples such as Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, and plenty of other beloved and animated series and films that could find a permanent home at HBO Max

DC Universe: Infinite will go live on January 21st 2021 and will automatically shift current DCU subscribers over to the new platform.

September 18, 2020
‘Harley Quinn’ Renewed for a Third Season on HBO Max

DC Entertainment has given us some fantastic shows. Doom Patrol is so unique that it is hard to even put into words how out-there it is. It also gave us the R-rated animated masterpiece Harley Quinn. Many of us were waiting for the third season renewal and it has finally arrived. As we guess, the renewal comes from HBO Max and not DC Entertainment. This renewal also comes with the announcement that DC Entertainment will focus primarily on comics. As such, it is now a direct competitor to Marvel Unlimited, as it’s media content will migrate to HBO Max.

Hollywood Reporter also includes the fact that negotiations were dragged out over budgetary discussions. A major executive change also affected the show’s renewal, as the new focus on HBO had shifted. DC’s Jim Lee has also been vocal for the advantage of keeping these shows on HBO Max, as it has a stronger draw for audiences. Hopefully, the success of these shows means that they will continue expanding their DC output on the new platform. HBO Max has renewed Doom Patrol for a third season recently and Titans was going to enter production before the pandemic hit. It’s an exciting time for comic fans, we’ve been getting a lot of creative shows breaking boundaries. Harley Quinn is certailny at the forefrunt of it and I cannot wait to see what the third season will have to offer.

Source: Hollywood Reporter, GamesRadar

September 18, 2020
The Clients of ‘SHE-HULK’: A Potential ‘THUNDERBOLTS’ Set-Up

We finally got some more news for the upcoming She-Hulk series. They have now hired Kat Coiro to direct a few episodes, as the production aims to start in February 2021. Jessica Gao was revealed as the series’ showrunner last November. We even found out that Tatiana Maslany will be playing the titular role. Everything is hinting at this show having a strong comedy vibe. Yet, Maslany‘s drama experience could give us a very unique Marvel show. The show is rumored to focus on Jennifer Walters’ time as a specialized lawyer for superheroes. The comedic vibe could hint at some crazy antics with D-list characters making an appearance throughout the show. This gave me an idea of how the show may emulate Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. Also, how her clients may shape each episode and connect to the overarching plot. Let’s dive right into what type of clients poor Jennifer might have to face in her upcoming Disney+ show.

Hawkeye vs. the Law

So, the first question I asked myself was what characters from the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe may appear. Mark Ruffalo is the obvious choice, as his blood transfer will transform his cousin into the iconic She-Hulk. Yet, it seems like a waste that they won’t bring in other characters from the franchise. At first, I thought they might bring in characters from other Disney+ series. Ms. Marvel wouldn’t work as she is keeping her identity a secret. I highly doubt that Moon Knight would be sane enough to approach a lawyer. WandaVision and Loki are breaking the space-time continuum in their unique way. So, if we go by street-level heroes the one that makes the most sense is Hawkeye. To be more precise, Kate Bishop could kickstart the series and introduce us to Jennifer Walters.

They are trying to introduce the Young Avengers. She-Hulk wouldn’t have any connections to this potential overarching plot. So, her having to represent Kate would introduce her to the group before they get together. She actually could even represent Kate before she officially becomes Clint Barton’s protegé. We don’t have a specific timeline for these stories. So, we could see her as one of Lawrence’s first clients. Her story could be the catalyst that she meets her cousin. Bishop running around with the Hawkeye moniker getting into trouble. Jennifer tries to help her out but when she is on the run, she hopes that her cousin could get in contact with the real Hawkeye to keep her safe. As this is one of the last entries of Phase 4, it could be a nice way to tie it into the rest of the series. Also, it would give us a great introduction to Jennifer’s kindness before she transforms.

Teasing a Leader

What if not all her clients are superheroes? What if she ends up having to represent someone we haven’t seen in a very long time? Yes, I believe that this show might be the return of the iconic Hulk villain, The Leader. It has been 12 years since Tim Blake Nelson played the character of Samuel Sterns in The Incredible Hulk. He tried to help Banner control the Hulk before getting knocked out. A chemical that started dripping into an open wound on his head started to change him. That was the last time we saw him. He got a brief cameo in the Fury’s Big Week comics. We see him getting transported away by S.H.I.E.L.D. to be locked away. Strangely, he hasn’t been freed since the spy organization fell apart during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Perhaps he has been in U.S. custody with Thunderbolt Ross making sure he has him for a future project.

So, how does this tie into She-Hulk? In an attempt to flee from custody, he ends up at Walter’s law agency seeking help. As we learned she is a kind soul, she takes him in and tries to find out what happened to him. Stern has turned green with an oversized head, so she calls up her cousin to show up and help. The guy is disoriented and can’t control his abilities. It all leads to him losing control before Banner could show up and see his old friend again. Jennifer is mortally wounded with her agency blown to smithereens. The only thing he can do is transfer his blood to save her life. Now, we have the set-up for two characters having to face their gamma-powered transformations as they also face the law of their repercussions. Stern’s turn to evil could be built up when Thunderbolt Ross’ project results from these events.

Helping Heroes in Need

Jennifer became She-Hulk and learns to control her abilities with Banner’s help. She is a strong-willed hero and still wants to rebuild her law firm. She got fired from the one that blew up so she started building up her own. Sometimes fighting the stress of losing control, she wants to find Sterns and help him. On her way, she ends up meeting a variety of unlikely heroes that each come to her with their issues. This could open up the show to a lot of smaller characters that otherwise wouldn’t get a lot of attention. After having a brief cameo in Jessica Jones, we could get an actual appearance of the Whizzer. Robert Frank has been keeping his abilities a secret for years. Somehow, the government is trying to get their hands on him so he goes to Walters for help. We could finally get Milana Vayntrub to play Squirrel Girl in live-action after New Warriors has been canceled.

Jennifer slowly starts to realize that there is a connection to the rise in superhero-specific cases. So, she starts digging and uncovers one connective tissue. Thunderbolt Ross has been abusing the Sokovian Accords to gather superheroes in one location. After trying her best from a legal perspective, she decides that her newfound abilities may have been a blessing after all. She takes the fight to Ross to save as many as she can. She stumbles upon papers of a project titled Thunderbolts before rescuing as many as she can. Sadly, it seems that Sterns was nowhere to be seen. One last court case with Ross, she can use the law that she didn’t break any rules. She was able to save a lot of superpowered people but little did she know that Ross had his team together. We get the reveal of the core members with Sterns and even the reveal of Emil Blonsky a.k.a. the Abomination.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, IGN

September 18, 2020
Marvel Studios ‘ETERNALS’: Who is Phastos?

With the Infinity Saga coming to a close, Marvel Studios is preparing to launch into an all-new, all-different era beginning with Phase 4. While several properties are going to serve as deeper dives into already established characters and worlds, Eternals is going to introduce new characters and change what we think we know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Eternals were born in the mind of Jack Kiby as Marvel Comics “ancient aliens”: beings of immense power who had protected Earth since the beginning of time. Over the course of history, the Eternals and their enemies, the Deviants, worked their way into the religions and mythologies of many cultures gods and monsters, angels and devils and heroes and villains. Marvel Studios will certainly put their own spin on the characters, but we can still take an opportunity to get to know them here…in 400 words or less!

A master forger, inventor and tech genius,the nihilistic Phastos has developed weapons for the Eternals for the past 2,500 years or so, including the elegant and deadly blade of his fellow Eternal Kingo. His expertise as a weapons forger lead to him being confused for the Greek god Hephaestus. Like all Eternals, Phastos’ power suite gives him incredible strength and powers; however, unlike most of his fellow Terran Eternals, Phastos did not approve of going to war against the Eternals enemies, the Deviants. Spending much of his life searching for evidence that life has meaning, Phastos personal philosophy stands in stark contrast to the other Eternals.

Concept art of Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, fourth from left.

Phastos will be brought to life by Brian Tyree Henry and the MCU version of Phastos seems set to offer a very different take on the character. Rather than adapting the nihilistic version of the comics of the character, it seems that this version will have found someone who gives meaning to life as he has a husband and a child in Marvel Studios Eternals. It will be interesting to see if Phastos still holds the same pacifist views about war with the Deviants as well, despite his expertise in designing weapons.

Eternals is set to hit theaters February 12th, 2021.

September 18, 2020
Marvel Studios Finds their She-Hulk in Tatiana Maslany

Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany has landed the role of Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk for the upcoming Disney Plus streaming series, according to a trade report.

The 34-year old Maslany has already collected numerous awards for her role in Orphan Black, including a Primetime Emmy, and now has landed one of the most coveted upcoming Marvel Studios roles.

She-Hulk goes into production in February if next year ahead of an expected 2022 debut.

September 17, 2020
‘THE FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER’ Still Planning a Return to Prague

Here is a quick update for all you fans of the Disney Plus Marvel series currently trying to finish up filming. Both WandaVision and Loki were expected to have resumed very recently, however no definitive proof, such as images of them filming, has popped up on the internet yet. Bear in mind, that just because we don’t see proof of them filming, doesn’t mean they are not. Both of those series have done much more on stages and backlots than on location, so we may not get much for these in comparison to others. We certainly have not seen much in the form of paparazzi or fan snagged images or details from the start of those series filming.

As for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we have certainly seen definitive proof of them filming a few times this past 2 weeks alone, due to them filming in Atlanta and being caught by both paparazzi and fans. There are still a few weeks left to film in Georgia before they travel back to the Czech Republic to finish work there. COVID-19 numbers have been rising in that country, unfortunately, so that is still very much a concern, and could certainly change plans for travel.

However, I was informed by @FFilmu (Twitter) that a permit for the production to film in the Czech Republic has finally been spotted. The permit is valid from September 29th to October 12th, and seems to be mainly for parking, possibly for some filming nearby during that period. This news, plus recent posts by the Czech casting agency for the series stating that the project would be filming “soon,” and in October, certainly supports the idea that plans are still going forward for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier to return and finish up there.

I will also note here, that the casting agency has also remarked that the crew is “regularly tested for COVID-19, so I am certain many precautions are being taken. Whether or not the whole crew and cast must go, or it will be a much more limited group, to pick up some exterior shots, stunts, and 2nd Unit stuff, remains unclear at this time.

September 17, 2020
Evidence Suggests Disney May Be Prepping to Alter ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Release

Evidence from both the Disney UK and Disney France websites may indicate that the company is rethinking their release strategy for Marvel Studios Black Widow. As seen below, both websites have removed the film’s release date from the respective pages for the film. They have also replaced posters for the film with ones that no longer show a date. Both websites have done the same with the pages for the upcoming Pixar film, Soul, which is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on November 20th.

Depending upon your perspective, this evidence could be interpreted in multiple ways if we throw out the chance that this is some sort of error on the part of the two websites. One possible interpretation is that Disney is preparing to offer Black Widow to audiences via Premier Access. Support for this hypothesis can be found by looking back at how events unfolded around Mulan’s shift to Premier Access. Much like what’s happening with Black Widow and Soul, the release date for Mulan was taken down from official Disney websites and replaced with “COMING SOON” just ahead of the official announcement that it would be premiering on Disney Plus. Many pundits believed Mulan would serve as the canary in the coal mine for the Disney PVOD release strategy and yesterday’s Yahoo report that the studio has already raked in $260M via Premier Access would seem to indicate a major success for their first effort. An argument could be made that Black Widow and the Marvel Studios banner could easily outdo that take.

Another possible interpretation is that Disney has made the decision to move Black Widow’s theatrical release from the November 6th date but have yet to pin down a new window. Earlier this week, a report by Deadline suggested that the company was preparing to do just that though they had no official word from Disney. The decision to move the film’s release date would be unsurprising given the disappointing box office returns for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which caused Warner Bros. to shift the release of another of their tentpole releases, Wonder Woman 1984, for a fifth time. At this point, nobody would blame Disney for moving the film to a time when more people will feel comfortable heading to theaters.

While we can’t be sure which, if either, of these interpretations of the evidence is the correct one, it does feel like some news about the release strategy for Black Widow is imminent. If and when that happens, we’ll be here to pass it on.

September 17, 2020