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  • Michael B. Jordan Teaming Up with Chad Stahelski for ‘Rainbow Six’

    Michael B. Jordan Teaming Up with Chad Stahelski for ‘Rainbow Six’

    John Wick director Chad Stahelski has signed on to direct Paramount’s Rainbow Six starring Michael B. Jordan. The film will adapt author Tom Clancy’s novel of the same name and serve as a direct sequel to Without Remorse, which streamed on Amazon Prime in 2021. Without Remorse was streamed in 2.3M households during its first weekend on the service in April 2021.

    Jordan will be reprising his role as CIA operative John Kelly whose origin story as Rainbow leader “John Clark” played out in Without Remorse. The films are set in Amazon’s Jack Ryan universe with Jodie Turner-Smith‘s Lt. Commander Karen Greer serving as the connective tissue between the two franchises.

    While Without Remorse was picked up by Amazon Prime has a result of the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic’s impact on theatrical releases, Paramount hopes to land Rainbow Six in theaters. The novel followed Clark’s Rainbow group as the uncoverd a massive conspiracy, codenamed “The Project”, which is desinged to decimate the human race.

    Source: THR

  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus Reveals When ‘Thunderbolts’ Will Film

    Julia Louis-Dreyfus Reveals When ‘Thunderbolts’ Will Film

    Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts has been surrounded by a litany of questions since its formal announcement at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022. Everything has been questioned, from the titular team’s line-up to who they’ll face when the cards are down. One fact that has remained clear and constant, however, is the heavy involvement of Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ mysterious Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The character, who first appeared via cameos in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Widow before gaining a larger role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is set to replace Samuel L. Jackson‘s Nick Fury as the government-sponsored administrator behind the world’s next supergroup, and Louis-Dreyfus can’t wait to get filming started.

    Speaking exclusively with Variety, the former Veep star revealed that Thunderbolts will begin its shoot in June. The film, about a “rag-tag bunch” of vengeful anti-heroes, is currently scheduled to release on July 26th, 2024, which would make a production start in the summer of 2023 seem like a fairly sensical plan. Fans have been eagerly awaiting more news on the project, and it would seem Louis-Dreyfus is more than happy to oblige. On top of commenting on the June filming schedule, the actress stated she’d spoken with Marvel about allowing her character to be involved in a few action sequences as well:

    I actually pitched it. I told them I really, really want to fight. We’ll see if that happens. I haven’t seen the script yet.

    Julia Louis-Dreyfus

    Thunderbolts will be directed by Jake Schreier when the shoot finally does begin. Aside from Louis-Dreyfus, it will also see the return of Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, and Hannah John-Kamen to their respective Marvel Cinematic Universe roles. Harrison Ford will also make his MCU debut, taking over the part of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross from the late William Hurt.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Shoresy’ Renewed for a Second Season

    ‘Shoresy’ Renewed for a Second Season

    Shoresy is coming back for a second season. The spinoff to Letterkenny has been picked up for a second six-episode season. The news comes after Letterkenny recently returned for its eleventh season in December.

    The series focuses on the foul-mouthed, chirp-serving, mother-loving, fan-favorite character, Shoresy, played by creator Jared Keeso. It tackles Shoresy’s journey with the embattled Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs as they continue their quest to never lose again. Production on Season 2 is expected to begin this Spring in Sudbury.

    Returning alongside Keeso for Season 2 are Tasya Teles (The 100) as Nat, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat (Prey) as Sanguinet, Blair Lamora (Paranormal Nightshift) as Ziigwan, and Keilani Rose (Filmsy) as Miigwan. Also starring in the series are Jonathan-Ismael Diaby as Dolo, Terry Ryan as Hitch, Ryan McDonell (The Crossing) as Michaels, Max Bouffard (Letterkenny) as JJ Frankie JJ, and former Kahnawake Condor and MMA fighter Andrew “The Canon Antsanen as Goody. Jon “Nasty” Mirasty, Brandon Nolan, and three-time Stanley Cup winner, Jordan Nolan star as Jim, Jim, and Jim, respectively with Listowel’s Keegan Long as Liam, and North Bay’s Bourke Cazabon as Cory.

    The first season of Shoresy is now streaming on Hulu in the US and on Crave in Canada.

  • Vin Diesel Will Not Appear In ‘Avatar’ Sequels

    Vin Diesel Will Not Appear In ‘Avatar’ Sequels

    It would appear that, when it comes to the Avatar franchise, Vin Diesel is more fan than family. Back in 2019, the well-known Fast & Furious actor posted a not-so-cryptic video to his Instagram, heavily implying that he had booked a role in James Cameron‘s highly-anticipated sequels. The video showed Diesel on set with Cameron, where the two joked about the massive level of secrecy involved with the films and Diesel hinted at finally getting to work with one of his industry idols. Understandably, the social media post caused most fans to assume they’d see Diesel pop up in Avatar: The Way of Water. This, of course, did not happen.

    As Cameron mentioned in the video, the filmmaker spent the past several years working on multiple sequels at once. Diesel‘s absence from The Way of Water initially felt like an indication he may have actually filmed scenes for Avatar 3 or Avatar 4, but executive producer Jon Landau is now making it clear that’s not the case. Speaking exclusively to Empire Magazine, Landau explained that The Pacifier star was simply visiting the Avatar production as an admirer, and not as a member of the cast:

    Vin was a fan. He came in, visited the set one day to see what we were doing and people took that out of context.

    Jon Landau

    Diesel‘s immediate major projects are Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Universal’s Fast X, both serving as sort-of conclusions for their respective franchises. As such, it makes sense that the leading man of Last Witch Hunter would be on the prowl for his next big part. While that does not currently seem to be taking place in an Avatar film, the future could still be bright for Diesel if Cameron‘s acclaimed series continues as long as the director would like.

    Source: Empire Magazine

  • ‘The Last of Us’ Becomes 2nd Largest HBO Premiere Since 2010

    ‘The Last of Us’ Becomes 2nd Largest HBO Premiere Since 2010

    Based on the viewership of its premiere, HBO has its next major hit series on its hands with The Last of Us. The video game adaptation garnered 4.7 million viewers during its Sunday night premiere between the linear cable channel and the HBO Max streaming service. This officially became the second-largest debut for an HBO original series since 2010, with the Steve Buscemi-led Boardwalk Empire drawing in 4.81 million viewers in its debut. 

    Of course, the one series that drew in higher debut viewerships was House of the Dragon from this past summer. The Game of Thrones prequel debuted to a remarkable 9.986 million viewers between the HBO network and HBO Max. The monstrous debut drew in the largest audience in pay cable history.

    Based on the Playstation video game series of the same name, The Last of Us follows Joel, a survivor of a mass societal apocalypse, being hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie away from a dangerous situation. From there, the series will follow a cross-country odyssey with the two characters in their struggle to survive the widespread infection.

    The series stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as the two leads with the ensemble cast including Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, and Nick Offerman. Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann serve as writers and executive producers for the series.

    New episodes for The Last of Us premiere every Sunday at 9:00 pm EST. The first season will consist of nine episodes. You can read Murphy’s Multiverse review of the premiere here.

    Source: Deadline 

  • ‘Prey’ Star Teases Sequel Plans

    ‘Prey’ Star Teases Sequel Plans

    20th Century Studios Prey was one of the surprise hits of 2022. The latest installment in the Predator franchise, which debuted exclusively on Hulu and dominated its viewership numbers, was incredibly well-received by critics and may just be the best Predator film to date. Breakout star Amber Midthunder‘s performance as Comanche healer-turned-hunter Naru, among the film’s largely indigenous cast garnered her a Critics Choice nomination for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television. While attending the event, Midthunder was asked about the potential for a sequel to Prey and certainly seemed to play coy while giving her reply.

    The credits of Prey clearly teased the potential of a sequel, even hinting at a potential plot that would revolve around several Predator ships returning to Earth to square off with War Chief Naru and her tribe. When asked by Variety when fans could expect a sequel, Midthunder replied, “I don’t have a date for you,” before adding, “This is not an announcement, but I’m not saying it’s not [happening].” When pushed further about the status of the sequel, Midthunder teased, “We talk all the time about all kinds of things and that was probably one.” On the prospect of reprising her signature role, Midthunder said, “Of course. I’m ready. I loved that experience. I loved that movie and I would be happy to see where else we can take it.”

    Given the film’s success, the star’s willingness to get back to work and director Dan Trachtenberg‘s plans for multiple sequels involving “unique ideas” it seems only a matter of time before another film is given the green light and, hopefully, a theatrical run.

  • New Trailer for ‘The Mandalorian’ Hints at Revisiting one of Star Wars Most Harrowing Events

    New Trailer for ‘The Mandalorian’ Hints at Revisiting one of Star Wars Most Harrowing Events

    The latest trailer for Season 3 of The Mandalorian is filled to the brim with Mando madness, putting a dozen or so different armored warriors on display and making clear the path forward for Din Djarin involves a trip to the ruins of Mandalore. Fans who have been following the story of the war-torn planet through the animated series The Clone Wars and Rebels are sure to feel giddy at the prospects of The Mandalorian following through on those unresolved arcs but it’s another unresolved arc that caught the attention of fans upon first seeing the trailer.

    During Luke Skywalker’s time with Grogu as seen in The Book of Boba Fett, the Jedi Master helped the young Force-wielder tap into his memories, giving audiences a glimpse into his tragic backstory. As seen in the flashback, Grogu bore witness to members of the 501st murdering a trio of Jedi who protected him. The scene brought to life the events that Grogu communicated to Ahsoka Tano in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. After communing with Grogu through the Force, Ahsoka shared that Grogu was raised at the Jedi Temple and was taken from it during Order 66. The identity of his savior, however, remains unknown though it may not stay that way for long.

    At around the 1:07 mark of the new trailer, a shot of the interior of the Jedi Temple can be seen and close attention to the door in the center of the frame seems to indicate that not only will Season 3 of The Mandalorian revisit Order 66 once again but that its most terrifying myrmidon may make an appearance.

    The door in frame is clearly being cut open by a lightsaber, leaving the only question to be who is using it on the other side. Following the debut of the trailer, fans immediately began to speculate that Anakin Skywalker is the unseen menace behind door number one and that Grogu will come face-to-face with Hayden Christensen. There is, of course, another option in play, however. While it’s entirely possible Christensen will make an appearance in the series (he did reprise the role of Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, after all and could have filmed his Mando scenes then), it’s equally possible that the shot is a bit misleading and that Grogu’s savior stands behind the door.

    One of the more popular theories about the identity of Grogu’s savior revolves around the idea that the traitor Barriss Offee, who was a prisoner of the Jedi during Order 66, may have played a role. In the Summer of 2022, during production on the live-action Ahsoka series, a rumor made the rounds that Lucasfilm was looking to cast an actress as Barriss Offee. Given pickups and reshoots for Season 3 of The Mandalorian took place during the time Ahsoka was filming, it’s possible the actress could appear in both. Given Offee had gone to the dark side, her reasons for taking Grogu might be a bit mysterious, but obviously whoever is behind that door didn’t kill the Youngling.

    Without any strong evidence at this point, the identity of the person holding the lightsaber will remain a classic 50/50 scenario until the third season of The Mandalorian debuts on March 1st.

  • ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Directors Revealed

    ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Directors Revealed

    Along with a new trailer for the upcoming third season of the Star Wars Disney Plus streaming series, The Mandalorian, comes news on the group of the team of directors that worked on bringing it together. The team, made up of equal parts new faces and old hands, looks to have leaned heavier than ever into the mythology of Mandalore for the new season of Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau‘s baby.

    Rick Famuyia, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Carl Weathers, who also portrays Mando mainstay Greef Karga, will return to helm an unknown number of episodes of the third season. That trio will be joined by newcomers Lee Isaac Chung, Rachel Morrison and Peter Ramsey, all of whom are entering the galaxy far, far away for the first time. Chung directed the highly regarded Munyurangabo, which debuted at Cannes in 2007 and later that year won the grand prize at the AFI Film Fest. Morrison has a long resume as a cinematographer, including working as the director of photography on 2018’s Black Panther, but has begun to direct more and more over the past 6 years, including several episodes of the STARZ series Hightown. Interestingly, Ramsey has extensive experience in art and animation, having worked as a story artist on films such as Minority Report, Monsters vs. Aliens and Sausage Party, and directing the acclaimed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 2018.

    Season 3 of The Mandalorian debuts on Disney Plus on March 1st.

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ and ‘Quantumania’ Set February Release Dates in China

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ and ‘Quantumania’ Set February Release Dates in China

    For the first time since Spider-Man: No Way Home debuted in theaters in June 2019, Chinese audiences will be able to catch a Marvel Studios film in theaters. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania have slated release dates in China, heading to theaters on February 7th and February 17th, respectively.

    Though Black Widow didn’t have a theatrical run in China, differences in sociopolitical ideologies reportedly kept Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals from theatrical releases and a historically strong relationship with Disney began to fall apart. Relations seemed to be reconciled with the release of Avatar: The Way of Water and that seems to be confirmed with two Marvel tentpoles now headed to theaters.

    The Chinese box office has long given a major boost to Disney’s bottom line and in 2022 films such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder likely lost $100M or more as a result of the ongoing dispute between China and Disney. In the cast of Multiverse of Madness, the lack of Chinese receipts almost certainly kept it from crossing the $1B mark. On that note, the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may push its global total near that same $1B mark as it currently stands at $835M and its predecessor pulled in $105M back in 2018.

    Marvel Studios has two other major releases in 2023 in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels. In 2017, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 pulled in over $100M in 5 weeks in China and in 2019, Captain Marvel made just over $150M during its 5-week window. While no word on whether those films will receive release dates in mainland China has come down, the prospects certainly seem rosier than they were just a few months ago.

    Sources: Deadline

  • ‘Quantumania’ Writer Compares Project To Unmade ‘Dune’ Film

    ‘Quantumania’ Writer Compares Project To Unmade ‘Dune’ Film

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to take audiences on an adventure unlike any superhero film before it. The project is being touted as a deep dive into the Quantum Realm, a sort of pocket dimension that’s only been teased and briefly visited in past Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. In terms of explaining what that wacky voyage might look like, writer Jeff Loveness proved he’s not afraid to go for the deep pull. Speaking to Empire Magazine about the upcoming Marvel Studios threequel, the former Rick & Morty creative said he envisioned the film’s expansive otherworldly setting and oddball visuals as an homage to an unmade sci-fi classic:

    It’s a fun place. It’s a limitless place of creation and diversity and alien life. It’s Jodorowsky’s Dune within Marvel.

    Jeff Loveness

    Specifically, Loveness refers to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune, an early failed attempt at adapting Frank Herbert’s acclaimed novel that has become famous for its planned cosmic, psychedelic designs. At the time, Jodorowsky’s ambitious ideas were deemed unfilmable, but they have since become conceptual linchpins for writers and directors working in the medium. The inspiration is likely a good sign for Marvel fans, specifically for those hoping an exploration of the Quantum Realm would be a mind-blowing experience.

    The early trailers for Quantumania have often been stunning, promising a stimulating couple of hours for anyone making their way toward the theater on February 18th. The film will see the return of Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as the titular size-changing heroes, with Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer reprising their mentor roles. Kathryn Newton and Jonathan Majors join the cast as Cassie Lang and Kang the Conqueror, respectively. Peyton Reed is back to direct.

    Source: Empire Magazine