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  • Rumor: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ to Decanonize ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’

    Rumor: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ to Decanonize ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’

    Over the course of seven seasons of the ABC melodrama, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the events of the show seemingly became more and more detached from the goings on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Indeed, the majority of the events of the show’s final season were revealed to have taken place in an alternate timeline complete with its own unique history. Even before the show ended in 2020, the canonicity of it was a matter of debate and Marvel Studios has added fuel to that fire more than once in the last couple of years. Now, a new rumor suggests they may be preparing to do it again.

    Production on the WandaVision spinoff, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, has been ongoing for a few months now and while not much in the way of spoilers has made its way off the Atlanta set, something incredibly interesting–and in line with the decanonization of AoS–just did. According to insider Daniel RPK, the Kathryn Hahn-centric streaming series will delve a little further into Agatha’s personal past and explore her history with one of the MCU’s most dangerous objects: the Darkhold.

    The Darkhold played an important role in both WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before being destroyed by Wanda so while it may not play a role in the future of the MCU, Agatha: Coven of Chaos is rumored to include a revelation about the book’s past that will open a Pandora’s Box. According to RPK, Agatha: Coven of Chaos will make clear that Agatha Harkness has been in possession of the Darkhold for hundreds of years. Fans of both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Runaways will most certainly understand how impactful that rumored revelation will be to the canonicity of those shows.

    Fans haven’t learned anything from WandaVision so while there’s certain to be any number of wild theories generated to work around what Agatha’s centuries-long possession of the book means, if this rumor is true it would effectively (once again) call into question the canonicity of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Darkhold played an integral part in Season 4 of the ABC series but if Agatha has kept the book with her for over one hundred years, Lucy and Joseph Bauer didn’t find it in a basement and Robbie Reyes didn’t take it to Hell with him because…you know…Agatha had it.

    In cases like this, Occam’s Razor works best and the simplest explanation makes the most sense: the Darkhold in Agatha’s possession in WandaVision isn’t the same as the one from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. because the two shows don’t take place in the same timeline. Fans can still enjoy all seven seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. but the evidence continues to mount that the entire series should not be considered MCU canon though an argument could be made that some early seasons were. Marvel Studios already went well out of their way to completely redesign the book for WandaVision, so this rumor shouldn’t ultimately be too shocking; however, we’ll have to wait to see Agatha: Coven of Chaos to get the full context and history of the Darkhold before knowing for sure what Marvel Studios intentions are.

  • ‘Avengers’ Directors Open to Tackling DC Studios’ Batman

    ‘Avengers’ Directors Open to Tackling DC Studios’ Batman

    Joe and Anthony Russo have been quite busy since they departed Marvel Studios and their work on the Avengers franchise. They left quite a mark in the blockbuster landscape and while some haven’t been too thrilled with their latest work like The Gray Man, they have been busy promoting a very ambitious TV series titled Citadel for Amazon.

    While promoting the series, they were asked by ComicBook.com if they were interested in tackling any DC Studios project given that another Marvel alum has taken over the CEO position at the company. While they don’t say anything definite, it does seem like they have one character they’d definitely want to tackle: Batman.

    Obviously James over there running it, it would be a no-brainer. We love him to death. We love the direction he’s going to take that world in. You know he’s gonna be inventive with it. And favorite DC characters? I mean, man. There are so many good ones. I  always answer based on the comics I collected as a kid, and the two comics I collected the most were Spider-Man — actually, the three —  were Spider-Man. X-Men and Batman. But there have been a lot of iterations of Batman, so I feel like that’s an obvious answer.

    Joe Russo

    It definitely would be interesting to see what the Russo Bros. might be capable of putting together with a Batman film that takes its inspirations from The Brave and the Bold storyline that famously had the caped crusader duking it out with his own protegé, Damian Wayne. While in the comics it was Dick Grayson as Batman, it still will act as a point of inspiration with their iconic dynamic just being passed on to Damian’s actual father.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Twister’ Sequel Adds ‘Transformers’ Star to Cast

    ‘Twister’ Sequel Adds ‘Transformers’ Star to Cast

    Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., and Amblin Entertainment are reuniting to bring back a 1996 classic, Twister. The new sequel simply titled Twisters will feature a major cast that consists of Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and now Anthony Ramos. They will be directed by Minaro breakout Lee Isaac Chung based on a script by The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith.

    Ramos is currently going to be busy promoting his upcoming blockbuster film Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and is also going to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Ironheart. So, this makes for a good little project to follow up by facing giant tornados across the United States.

    Interestingly enough, Frank Marshall is set to produce Twisters via Kennedy/Marshall Company. He is the husband of Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm, and the former lead producer on the original Twister film. So, it’ll be an indirect reunion on the project.

    Details are still scarce on the project’s story and if it’ll even tie into the original. They may try to just focus on a new set of characters that follow in the legacy of the original’s cast. One thing is for sure, it won’t be the same without an innocent cow making the rounds as a giant tornado picks it up.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Live-Action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Finds Its David

    Live-Action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Finds Its David

    With production for the live-action of Lilo and Stitch set to start just around the corner, we are slowly getting more and more casting news for the production. The latest addition is another newcomer in Kahiau Machado as Nani’s love interest from the original animated film, David Kawena.

    The casting follows shortly after Sydney Elizabeth Agudong was confirmed to take on the role of Lilo’s sister, who will be played by fellow newcomer Maia Kealoha. They have also cast some familiar faces from the industry with Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen taking on some uncertain roles, but are both expected to play aliens in the film.

    There’s some uncertainty on just how close the project will be to the original, as back in November we shared that the production was going to not include the character of Bubbles from the original animated film. We also still don’t know who might be taking on the role of Stitch, which could easily be done by the original actor given just how iconic the performance has been.

    With The Little Mermaid on the horizon, there’s also the question of how they’ll adapt the character’s design. They could stick to the original’s work or try to make him a bit more alien and realistic but that doesn’t seem fitting. The latest release includes mermaids but forces its fish and crab characters to have more realistic looks. So, it’s hard to say for now what direction they might take.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Mortal Kombat’ Producer Confirms Production Start for Sequel

    ‘Mortal Kombat’ Producer Confirms Production Start for Sequel

    Mortal Kombat was released during the pandemic back in 2021 as part of Warner Bros.’s ambitious yet futile attempt at boasting streaming and theatrical numbers. While nowadays it has taken a bad rep, it still led to some films getting a stronger reputation than they otherwise might’ve pulled when the box office was still just a major question mark. The video game adaptation went on to become one of HBO Max’s biggest releases and after a long wait, it seems the sequel is finally picking up some steam.

    We still know very little about the sequel, especially if it’ll continue to follow the story of Lewis Tan’s Cole Young or potentially move away from the original character. One of the highlights was Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada’s Sub-Zero and Scorpion, which also had one of the better stories in the film that received mixed reviews from critics (ironically not that different from the current Super Mario Bros. Movie that might reignite interest in video game adaptations).

    While we haven’t heard much about the project in some time, it seems producer Todd Garner may have accidentally confirmed that production is set to start in June. He quotes retweeted a statement by Geek Vibes Nation on the production cycle being mapped from June to September in Australia with the cheeky reaction “I was wondering why I had an apt in Australia....” pretty much confirming that is where they’ll be heading.

    If they are indeed planning on filming in a few months, we might get some casting announcements in the coming months. It’s still surprising it took them over two years to start rolling the cameras on a film that was generally considered a streaming success but sometimes it’s best to give projects enough time. They may be trying to address some of the issues pointed out in the initial release as they prepare to expand the franchise.

    Source: Twitter, ComicBook.com

  • ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ On its Path to a Billion at the Box Office

    ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ On its Path to a Billion at the Box Office

    Nothing is seemingly stopping the Super Mario Bros. Movie from dominating theaters, as it has soared even higher in its second weekend. While mostly expected it to wrap up around $87M on Sunday by its estimates, the film has actually grown since then to a whopping $92M. That not only marks the highest-grossing second weekend for an animated film but also has become the seventh-highest at the domestic box office.

    It seems after families didn’t quite show up for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania or Shazam: Fury of the Gods, they are all in for the nostalgia of Mario. A 37% decline on a record-breaking opening is nothing to scoff at, especially after its Japanese debut hasn’t even kicked off yet in the character’s core market and China is still barely holding on as a viable market for Western releases. Normally movies always drop at least 50% but it seems the memories of playing Mario at home just are that powerful.

    As such, the film has already passed $700M after 13 days, which is only the twelfth film to do so since the pandemic ended. The question remains if it’ll dethrone last year’s Minions: The Rise of Gru which pulled in $942.5M at the box office. It’s very likely to do so and everyone is expecting the film to be the first to pass one billion this year. It might even surpass The Lion King which holds the record as the highest animated movie ever (and no it still doesn’t count as live-action). Though, the only question remains of how much is left for the others until the summer market kicks off in May.

    Source: Variety

  • Lucasfilm Hoping to Launch Theatrical Return with Daisy Ridley’s New Jedi Order Film

    Lucasfilm Hoping to Launch Theatrical Return with Daisy Ridley’s New Jedi Order Film

    Among the biggest bits of news to come out of Star Wars Celebration 2023 was the announcement of three new theatrical projects set in three different eras in the Star Wars galaxy. While all three already have writers and directors on board, none were given a release date leaving fans to wonder which film would relaunch Star Wars in theaters. Though several projects have been put on and taken off the slate over the last several years, there hasn’t been a Star Wars film since 2019’s Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker as Lucasfilm has focused on streaming projects. There are a few dates still set aside for Star Wars films, including one in December 2025, however, and now a trade report gives a clearer picture of what film is most likely to end up there.

    According to THR, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s film–which will be set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker and see Daisy Ridley‘s Rey found a new Jedi Order–is Lucasfilm’s top choice to kick off their return to theaters.

    But there is still a December 2025 date kept open for an unspecified Star Wars movie, which in theory could be one of these titles. A source tells The Hollywood Reporter that Lucasfilm would ideally like to return to theaters with the Rey-focused film and follow that a year later with the Filoni movie, although nothing is set due to the timetables of the Disney+ Mandalorian universe shows.

    THR

    Given how far along the Rey project is in development, a 2025 release date does seem achievable. Though original co-writers Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson left the project earlier this year, a new draft of the film is already in the works by Steven Knight. Given that production on the film wouldn’t have to begin until next mid-to-late 2024, there’s plenty of time for the project to come together.

    Interestingly enough, THR also stated that, if possible, Lucasfilm would look to return to theaters “a year later” with Dave Filoni‘s Mando-verse film. Given that Filoni’s Mando-verse seems to always have at least one project in production at all times, it looks like a tough timeline. Additionally, Disney currently has no Star Wars film slated for 2026, though that could obviously always change. The news also puts James Mangold‘s Dawn of the Jedi era film the furthest out, though it was recently reported that he planned to complete his Star Wars project before beginning work on DC Studios’ Swamp Thing. Could Lucasfilm be aiming for an ambitious slate of Star Wars films rolling out in 2025, 2026 and 2027? Given their recent track record with postponing and canceling films, we’re not holding our breath.

    Source: THR

  • First Details and Cast as Knuckles’ ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Spinoff Starts Filming

    First Details and Cast as Knuckles’ ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Spinoff Starts Filming

    It’s been a hot minute since Paramount announces its plans to expand its video game adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog with its first spinoff series. Besides the early confirmation of a threequel, the newly introduced Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba, will get his own Paramount+ original.

    After a long pause, we suddenly have more details on not just the story but also its cast and even the confirmation that it started filming. The official Sonic the Hedgehog account has shared the news that Sonic the Hedgehog director will tackle the pilot episode and includes a familiar hat for long-time fans.

    The story will focus on Knuckles, who “agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.” Sadly, we don’t have any further details but it wouldn’t be too surprising if they use the series to further explore that part of the franchise’s mythology.

    Adam Pally will once again reprise his role of Wade Whipple with Elba also set to return. They will be joined by Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor. John Whittington wrote the screenplay of the pilot and is also the head writer on the series. Brian Schacter and James Madejski also wrote episodes of the series.

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Screen Testing Rumors Have Been Debunked

    Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Screen Testing Rumors Have Been Debunked

    The internet is no stranger to creating an onset of concern for upcoming projects. Especially when it comes to live-action adaptations of anything. Marvel has been a main source of constant leaks and scoops popping up left and right without much knowledge what could truly be taken seriously or not. Now, it has even reached Netflix’s One Piece adaptation.

    Some time ago a Twitter user by the name of Divinity Seeker has made bold claims that test screenings weren’t looking good for the adaptation but also included contradictory statements like Taz Skyler’s roots showing with his blonde hair even though he bleached his hair and wears a blond wig as shown in the official poster.

    While the “scooper” has been debunked by James Gunn and even others that dabble, it hasn’t stopped the Internet of spreading the unreliable information. Yet, now more information has surfaced to shoot down the claims surrounding the test screenings.

    Greg Werner took to his Twitter account to debunk the claims, as he is someone that frequently collaborates with Shueisha and the One Piece brand.

    He’s not the only one as content creator Rogersbase has also taken to his account to denounce the claims shared by Comic Book Resources. It is noteworthy that he has already visited the Netflix series’ set and has close ties to showrunner Matt Owens.

    So, it seems that the test screening rumors have quickly been debunked and fans excited for the adaptation can breathe a little easier moving forward as we anticipate news on Geeked Week’s return with hopefully the first look at the series.

    Source: ComicBook.com, Twitter

  • New ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Spot Confirms More Returning Characters

    New ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Spot Confirms More Returning Characters

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases in theaters in just over two weeks which means marketing for the film is really starting to pick up. The film has been billed as the last tour for this group of heroes and from the looks of it, they’ll have their hands full with Adam Warlock and the High Evolutionary.

    With such a tall task ahead of them, the Guardians will need all the help they can get. It’s been known for some time that Sylvester Stallone‘s Stakar Ogord was returning for Vol. 3 and a new spot for the film confirms he won’t be alone.

    As seen in the TV spot, Martinex and Krugarr, former Ravager buddies of Yondu’s who appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, will be returning for Vol. 3. With Stakar, Martinex and Krugarr now confirmed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Charlie-27, Aleta and Mainframe return as well! Given Martinex’s return, it’s extremely likely that Michael Rosenbaum, who voiced the character in Vol. 2 and is a good friend of Gunn’s, will reprise the role. While there’s no confirmation that Ving Rhames, Michelle Yeoh and Miley Cyrus, who portrayed Charlie-27, Aleta and Mainframe, respectively, are back, it does seem likely. Gunn previously teased “wonderful” cameos that “true Guardians fans” would enjoy and those would definitely fit that description.