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  • ‘Joker’ Sequel Not Part of DC Studios, Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ Franchise Uncertain

    ‘Joker’ Sequel Not Part of DC Studios, Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ Franchise Uncertain

    The news not too long ago broke that Warner Bros. Discovery has found its new head(s) of the newly founded DC Studios. Walter Hamada’s former DC Films now has two co-CEOs in The Suicide Squad director James Gunn and long-time producer Peter Safran. Of course, the studio’s plans, at least what WBD CEO David Zaslav imagines, will create its own cinematic universe moving forward. So, it opens the question of what that means for other entries in the franchise such as the Joker sequel and Matt Reeve‘s The Batman franchise.

    Todd Phillips‘ upcoming Joker: Folie á Deux will not be supervised by the newly formed CEO duo but rather fall under the supervision of Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. As such, it seems very likely that this project will act independently from the other DC projects, especially as it mainly explores a unique take on a familiar character. Matt Reeves‘ The Batman universe however is the biggest question mark to date. While we just got the news that they are moving forward with an Arkham Asylum-based series, it seems that its place in the universe is still uncertain.

    We might have to wait a bit before we find out any actual details on what the future of the DCEU will look like; if it’ll have that name moving forward. The Batman will likely continue given the recent success of the first film’s entry with Penguin’s spinoff already starting production. It does seem like they won’t be rebooting the entire franchise but use the current projects as a jumping-off point. Black Adam just released and various other projects are already ins some form of development. So, we’ll have to see if they are just waiting for The Flash to reboot the franchise.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘The Staircase’ Creator Joins ‘The Batman’s Arkham Asylum Spinoff as Showrunner

    ‘The Staircase’ Creator Joins ‘The Batman’s Arkham Asylum Spinoff as Showrunner

    We’ve long wondered what exactly is happening with The Batman spinoff series focused on Arkham Asylum. While Colin Farrell‘s Penguin spinoff has recently started picking up speed, it seems that the untitled Arkham series is finally moving forward. Variety has shared that the creator of The Staircase, Antonio Campos, has joined the production as its showrunner. He will also act as executive producer and director for the series but only if his version gets the greenlight.

    It should be noted that he’s the third writer to join the DC project, which has been announced all the way back in 2020. It originally started as a show focused on Gotham PD before it slowly merged into a project focused on the iconic insane asylum of Gotham. Terence Winter was originally attached to the project before Joe Barton took over, which was the point it took its current direction.

    Matt Reeves is still attached to producing the series and he had hinted at it being a horror series that takes place in the same universe. There’s still no word if we should expect this project potentially acting as a sequel to the events of the first film or even as a prequel, especially with the untold story of how Barry Keoghan‘s Joker ended up in Arkham. Whatever direction the project takes, it’ll definitely be interesting and we’ll see if the project even starts rolling the cameras at some point.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘The Nun’ Sequel Adds Anna Popplewell and Katelyn Rose

    ‘The Nun’ Sequel Adds Anna Popplewell and Katelyn Rose

    2022 has been quite a successful year for horror franchise revivals. Not only did we get the third entry of the new incarnation of Halloween, but even saw Scream return with a new sequel to quite the success. It’s been a good year for long-running horror franchises and The Conjuring is ready to expand upon its spinoff, The Nun.

    The sequel to the 2018 blockbuster release was based on a story written by James Wann and directed by Corin Hard, who adapted it based on a script by Gary Dauberman. The sequel’s plot still remains under wraps, but Taissa Farmiga will reprise her role as Sister Irene, who witnessed the events from the first film alongside the priest played by Demián Bichir. She will be joined by Anna Popplewell and Katelyn Rose in the sequel.

    Michael Chaves will direct the sequel after his work on The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which is the seventh entry in the franchise and has made quite a splash at the box office. As of now, The Conjuring franchise has already passed $2 billion worldwide and is the highest-earning horror franchise of all time.

    The scrapped is based on Akela Cooper, who also worked on M3GAN but the project has gone through some revisions by Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing. Currently, The Safran Company and Atomic Monsters are set to produce with Wan once again serving as a producer on the project alongside Peter Safran.

    Source: Deadline

  • BREAKING: James Gunn and Peter Safran to Lead DC Studios

    BREAKING: James Gunn and Peter Safran to Lead DC Studios

    DC has been desperately looking for Kevin Feige to lead their DC division to rival that of Marvel Studios. Up to this point, it didn’t seem like anyone was truly interested in the job, mostly due to the current development with Warner Bros. Discovery. Still, it seems their long search has not resulted in one but rather two new leads for the division.

    James Gunn and Peter Safran have been tapped to lead the DC’s future film, TV, and animation slates. They will act as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, which was recently led by Walter Hamada under the title of DC Films. It’s definitely a curious development and we’ll see just how big their role will be under CEO David Zaslav, who is seemingly cutting down projects left and right. For now, it seems they have a four-year deal for now.

    It seems that the two have been spotted for some time on the Warners lot meeting with Warner Bors. film co-chair Michael De Luca, but most assumed it could be for future projects. As it turns out, they have some bigger projects in mind. Though Gunn‘s role as co-CEO does raise the question of what his future as a director will look like. He is returning for Peacemaker Season 2, but he may have to pull back with the new workload on his back.

    The title of DC Studios will likely pull in even more comparisons to Marvel Studios, but the question remains what exactly the plans are? At the moment, the studio still has multiple projects that take place in their own dimensions within the cinematic multiverse, but there’s no clear goal or if they will try to establish a “mainline” universe as the Marvel Cinematic Universe did. For now, we’ll have to see once actual plans come together.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter, Twitter

  • James Gunn Teases His New Favorite MCU Character in the ‘Guardians’ Holiday Special

    James Gunn Teases His New Favorite MCU Character in the ‘Guardians’ Holiday Special

    Marvel Studios shocked the world today when they dropped the first trailer for their next Special Presentation, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, only a day after starting marketing on one of their next films, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. One of the biggest surprises in the teaser was the revelation that Hollywood icon Kevin Bacon would make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as a fictionalized version of himself. The actor has been jokingly referred to as an “Earth legend” by Chris Pratt‘s Star-Lord on multiple occasions, and it would appear his fellow Guardians took the phrasing to heart. According to the trailer, much of the Holiday Special will feature Dave Bautista‘s Drax and Pom Klementieff‘s Mantis attempting to kidnap Bacon as a present for a forlorn Peter Quill.

    After the footage made its way online, director James Gunn took to his social media to comment on a very specific Tweet from, oddly enough, a full year ago. In October of 2021, Gunn stated that the Holiday Special would introduce his all-time favorite MCU character to fans of the franchise, resulting in months of theories as to who the creative could be talking about. Now, Gunn confirms that he had Bacon in mind the whole time, hinting that the actor’s role in the short film is a favorite of his.

    As revealed by the trailer, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is set to debut on Disney+ on November 25th. The Special Presentation will act as a bridge for the long gap between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Planet of the Apes’ Sequel Adds Five New Cast Members

    ‘Planet of the Apes’ Sequel Adds Five New Cast Members

    The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes just gained five more inhabitants. Travis Jeffery, Neil Sandilands, Sara Wiseman, Lydia Peckham, and Ras-Samuel Weld A’abzgi have all joined the cast of the upcoming Apes sequel, which is set to begin a new chapter in the decades-long saga. They join the previously announced Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, and Kevin Durand to round out an impressive ensemble. There are currently no details on their roles or, truthfully, the plot of the film, but the latest entry in the franchise is expected to take place in the same universe as Matt Reeves‘ critically-acclaimed trilogy. The Maze Runner‘s Wes Ball will take over directing duties, as Reeves has moved on to his Batman projects.

    Jeffrey is best known for his roles in films like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Angelina Jolie‘s Unbroken, along with television appearances in projects such as AMC’s Preacher and Netflix’s Heartbreak High. Sandilands recently appeared in Netflix’s surprise hit Sweet Tooth and has found plenty of work at The CW in shows like The Flash and The 100. Wiseman is currently starring in Peacock’s mystery series One Of Us Is Lying, while Welda’abzgi can next be seen in the Disney+ original series, The Clearing. As for Peckham, she is perhaps best known for her role in Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop adaptation, as well as a litany of indie projects like Only Cloud Knows and Take Home Pay.

    Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set to release on May 24th, 2024.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Black Adam’ Pulls in Fall’s Strongest Weekday at the Domestic Box Office

    ‘Black Adam’ Pulls in Fall’s Strongest Weekday at the Domestic Box Office

    The fall has not been kind to the box office, as there have been barely any releases to keep cinemas afloat. Yet, there’s a lot of hope that Black Adam has a chance to do exactly that and it does seem like the latest DC flick is doing numbers for Dwayne Johnson‘s usual fare. While the weekend went beyond the initial expectations with a B+ CinemaScore, it still had a strong Monday showing.

    Pulling in $67M over the weekend, the film has the best weekday release for this fall season with $4.5M, which is ahead of Smile‘s $2.98M on a Tuesday. As of now, the film stands at $71.5M total in four days. The release also beat last year’s Halloween Kills‘ $2.7M and Dune‘s $1.75M, which was released on Peacock and HBO Max alongside its theatrical release.

    The film also manages to pass other Dwayne Johnson-led projects like Central Intelligence with $4M, Jumanji: Next Level‘s $3.58M, Jungle Cruise‘s $3.7M, and others. It only hasn’t beaten out Hobbs and Shaw, which leads his weekday numbers with $5.87M and San Andreas‘ $4.8M. Yet, the film is already ahead of the Fast and Furious spinoff and will be the ultimate test of just how much staying power his film has with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on the horizon ready to take a big bite out of its omentum.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Adds ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Veteran

    ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Adds ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Veteran

    It looks like Only Murders in the Building has found its latest recurring actor in Grey’s Anatomy‘s Jesse Williams. He will take on the role of a documentarian who is quite interested in Selena Gomez‘s Mabel Mora. The actor has made quite the splash with his Tony Award nomination for the Broadway Take Me Out and is also set to join Reese Witherspoon‘s Your Place or Mine.

    He’s also one of the long-running members of ABC’s hit show Grey’s Anatomy, as he played Dr. Jackson Avery for twelve seasons. He’s also had some defining film roles such as Brooklyn’s Finest, The Cabin in the Woods, and more. He is joining one of Hulu’s big hits that have nabbed 17 Emmy nominations just in its second season alone. So, it’s a perfect combination for all parties involved and it’ll be interesting to see what the actor brings to the role.

    He’ll join the cast that consists of Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin as its main stars. Paul Rudd has also famous joined the production and will have a big role in its third season. Martin and John Hoffman created the series with This Is Us creators Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal set as executive producers alongside Short and Gomez. The series has made quite a splash and it’ll be interesting to see what the third season has in store.

    Source: Deadline

  • Michael Rooker’s to Return to the MCU in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Disney+ Holiday Special

    Michael Rooker’s to Return to the MCU in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Disney+ Holiday Special

    Well, here’s a rather curious reveal but it seems that hidden within the official press release on the Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, there’s a special mention of Michael Rooker returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It seems the actor that famously played Yondu will return to the franchise in the Disney+ special, but there’s a curious detail that may hint at what role he has.

    In the press release, Rooker is mentioned alongside Kevin Bacon as “The Old 97’s“. Perhaps that connection could hint that while he’s returning to the franchise, he isn’t actually playing Yondu. Given that there have been references to MCU actors as themselves within the franchise, perhaps they meet the actor and end up abducting him alongside Bacon due to a misunderstanding that he’s a revived Yondu.

    It’s certainly a mean detail to try and hide away in a press release. In a way, it is the perfect way to tease what may come in the future. We’ll have to see if this theory turns out right, but it would be a nice touch to get a tribute to Star-Lord’s true father in the Holiday Special. He’s faced enough loss and perhaps a Christmas miracle is exactly what he needs to push him further as he faces his next challenge.

  • Cosmo Returns in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Holiday Special Trailer

    Cosmo Returns in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Holiday Special Trailer

    If there ever was a character that was noticeably absent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s the space dog Cosmo. After being lost in space, the pupper that loves saying “comrade” somehow ended up in The Collector’s collection but was never seen again since Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. Luckily, we learned that Maria Bakalova will take on the role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and it seems she’ll also appear in the Holiday Special.

    The first trailer has dropped and while we don’t hear Bakalova voice the character, we do get the confirmation that Cosmo has a role of some kind in the Holiday Special. It likely may be just a minor role and she could appear in the party that is hinted at, but it would be fun to see how this Guardians of the Galaxy midquel potentially sets up the threequel in this franchise.

    We don’t know quite yet if Cosmo has taken on the same role she did in the comics as the new de facto leader of Knowhere. Perhaps that’s where they have the party with what seems to be the Ravagers, but we’ll have to see how she factors into this story. Either way, it’s great to see the galactic corner of the MCU finally explore her character and hopefully set up more appearances in the future. If there was something missing in this franchise, it’s a telekinetic dog.

    Source: XXX