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  • Laurence Fishburne Pushed for a ‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ Series

    Laurence Fishburne Pushed for a ‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ Series

    After a development time that seems endless, the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur series is set to premiere next year in February. During New York Comic-Con, we finally got a lot more information on the sequel that has been drip fed to us ever since its initial announcement. Diamond White will take on the role of Lunella a.k.a. Moon Girl with Steve Loter at the helm of the series. As it turns out, it was actually Laurence Fishburne that pushed for adapting this series.

    It starts with Laurence Fishburne in a comic book store. He did his weekly run to pick up new comics every Wednesday and was drawn to Brandon Montclare and Amy Ramy Reeder’s run of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

    Steve Loter

    Loter highlights that his experience working on Kim Possible was one of the reasons that he was chosen to join the project and Fishburne‘s love for the series ended up leading to him reaching out to Cinema Gypsy’s Helen Sugland before any talks happened with Marvel and Disney. The executive producer also jokingly referenced Fishburne‘s work on the -ish series

    They made Black-ish, Grown-ish, Mixed-ish and said, ‘We gotta make a show out of this. But without the name ‘ish’ on it.

    Steve Loter

    The mention of that franchise led to quite a few laughs during the NYCC panel, but Moon Girl-ish would’ve made for an interesting title. It’s always great to see the passions of creators lead to the development of projects that otherwise might never see the day. Marvel Studios has also started giving smaller characters more focus and their own projects; allowing them to explore new corners of their ever-expanding franchise. who knows if Moon Girl might make her way to live-action at some point s well.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Hercule Poirot Returns! ‘A Death on the Nile’ Sequel Adds Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh And Many More

    Hercule Poirot Returns! ‘A Death on the Nile’ Sequel Adds Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh And Many More

    While the last adaptation of Agatha Christie‘s iconic A Death on the Nile had a rough release in the middle of the pandemic, it looks like the 20th Century is still not quite done yet with Kenneth Branagh‘s take on Hercule Poirot. In a new press release, they have unveiled that their next adaptation will be A Haunting in Venice inspired by Christie‘s Hallowe’en Party which will start production in a month.

    Branagh returns in the director’s chair for the latest entry, which will add quite the cast once again. Tina Fay, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Kelly Reilly, Emma Laird, Riccardo Scamarico, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dorman, and Michelle Yeoh have joined the cast, which is eyeing a 2023 release. Branagh shared his excitement about the return in the following statement:

    This is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise. Based on a complex, little known tale of mystery set at Halloween in a pictorially ravishing city, it is an amazing opportunity for us, as filmmakers, and we are relishing the chance to deliver something truly spine-chilling for our loyal movie audiences.

    Kenneth Branagh

    20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell also shared the following statement on continuing their relationship with Branagh and further adapting Christie‘s novels.

    We are enormously privileged to continue our long collaboration with the incomparable Sir Kenneth Branagh and couldn’t be more excited by the bold new creative direction Ken, Michael, and the rest of the filmmaking team have taken with this latest film. We also remain grateful to James Prichard and the rest of our friends at Agatha Christie, Ltd., for their partnership and for once again entrusting us with, as Poirot modestly calls himself, ‘probably the greatest detective in the world.

    Steve Asbell

    This marks the third entry with Murder on the Orient Express in 2017 followed by this year’s release of Death on the Nile. Technically, Poirot has appeared in 47 novels from The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1920 all the way to While the Light Lasts and Other Stories in 1997. So, they have quite a few stories they could tell for many years to come if they choose to do so, but they may also want to wrap up their take on Poirot with a trilogy.

  • Hulu’s ‘Devil in the White City’ Loses Director

    Hulu’s ‘Devil in the White City’ Loses Director

    Hulu’s ambitious adaptation of The Devil in the White City is facing some trouble at the moment. Right after losing its leading star Keanu Reeves, it seems that it has now also lost its executive producer and director Todd Field. It doesn’t look like the streamer is backing down and is actively looking for someone to take over from the Tár director, which recently received rave reviews at the Venice International Film Festival.

    The project has been in development since 2019 and was ordered to series back in August. Erik Larson wrote the original book that the series is based on, which would explore the story of 1893’s World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago from the views of the various designers that attended. It also explores the story of H. H. Holmes who many believed was America’s first serial killer.

    Reeves leaving the project already was a bad omen, especially with it being shortly after he was even cast. It may be hinting at some creative differences that are adding some difficulties in bringing the work to life. Leonardo DiCaprio famously purchased the rights in 2010 and Martin Scorsese was originally attached to direct it back in 2015 based on a script by Billy Ray. Yet, the project continues to have problems and we’ll see how long it might take before they find a new director to take over.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Brown Girls’ Actress Sonia Denis Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’

    ‘Brown Girls’ Actress Sonia Denis Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’

    Ironheart‘s cast continues to grow as time goes by. Once again, our latest update to the upcoming Disney+ series from Marvel Studios includes a new cast addition. This time around the Brown Girls actress Sonia Denis has seemingly joined the cast, which will see Dominique Throne return to the role of Riri Williams after her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever next month.

    Story details on the sequel are still scarce, as it’ll explore Riri’s time building the most advanced suit of armor that the MCU has seen since Iron Man. Yet, we do get hints at her already doing so in the Black Panther sequel, which raised many questions if this might act as a prequel series. Of course, there’s also the chance that she might not have the energy source capable of keeping a new suit going, which leads to her experimenting.

    Tony Stark was no stranger to building a massive amount of suits for different situations. So, why wouldn’t Riri Williams do the same? The only tease we got from the series was the confirmation that Anthony Ramos is taking on the role of The Hood, which may add a magic vs. technology angle to the series. It definitely would make it stand out from other projects and offer a new perspective on how to tell a story about high-tech suits.

    Source: Variety

  • Benedict Cumberbatch Pushed for “Darker” Scenes in ‘Doctor Strange 2’, Wrote Some of the Scenes Himself

    Benedict Cumberbatch Pushed for “Darker” Scenes in ‘Doctor Strange 2’, Wrote Some of the Scenes Himself

    It feels like an eternity ago that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was released in theaters. Time truly flies when you’re having fun, as we got a bunch of iconic new entries into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, there still is something special about the latest multiverse-focused storyline as Benedict Cumberbatch got to take on his iconic role in different variations, and as it turns out, he also got to write some of the scenes himself.

    I absolutely loved it, and it sounds so egotistical – but there we go, that’s what actors are – but I loved doing the scenes with myself because of the challenge of it. And I got to write some of those scenes … I suggested that it needed to get darker at a point. There was a slightly more saccharine version at one stage and I’m really happy with the way it evolved.

    Benedict Cumberbatch

    He goes on to highlight in an interview with Prestige Online that director Sam Raimi and the film’s writer, Michael Waldron, were quite supportive of letting him add his own voice to the script as well. He also highlights his hope to further explore the multiverse and the many Variants that exist out there.

    Sam Raimi was so game for it and Michael Waldron really supported me to write it as well. We turned what was a very small combat between the two into a sort of very bizarre and inventive battle in that moment. I really loved it. It was how the original was pitched to me a long while back when Scott Derrickson was still working with us: Strange would meet versions of himself. It was something I wanted to lean into. We could have gone even further, and maybe it will go into the future. Who knows what other versions we might need in the multiverse chapter of the MCU? But it was very enjoyable to play all the variants of myself.

    Benedict Cumberbatch

    It definitely would be a shame if we doesn’t get to play around with the concept of Variants further in the MCU. Loki‘s upcoming second season might take a crack at it again after introducing a few versions of Loki and we did get the iconic Spider-Men in No Way Home. Who knows just how much we’ll venture out into the multiverse once Phase 5 arrives?

    Source: Prestige Online

  • ‘Black Adam’ Producer Reflects on the DC Film’s 10-Year Journey

    ‘Black Adam’ Producer Reflects on the DC Film’s 10-Year Journey

    Black Adam has been one of those projects that seem like they would’ve never been released. For 10 years, the project has been in some form of development, and with it finally released later this month, it seems incredible that the project is still on its way to theaters. That feeling is the same for everyone involved as highlighted by producer Beau Flynn.

    A lot of changes have [happened] but ultimately it does feel like we’re exactly in a place we need to be. This one called on all of our abilities and experiences over the last 20 years. The script as we know, it started out as a Shazam! / Black Adam launch for both characters. that was something we never fully got our arms around or could crack. Once they gave us the opportunity to make Black Adam on our own, we had a great time developing that script in a much different way.  Richard Brener, runs New Line and our executive, he has been consistently there all the way from the beginning of this to now still today, which is maybe the only person that was consistently there from top to bottom, him and Dave Neustadter. That did provide us a lane to be consistent with this movie regardless of all the other changes.

    Beau Flynn

    Dwayne Johnson also goes on to highlight that it was “fate” that the project happened ten years later, especially fitting given how Doctor Fate has a major role in the film and just how long Johnson has been campaigning to keep this project going.

    I think that we have finally landed exactly where we need to be. I do believe, like Doctor Fate, Fate doesn’t make mistakes. Black Adam happened when it needed to happen, and it happened 10 years later.

    Dwayne Johnson

    It definitely seems like the wait was worth it and many fans hope that it might revitalize the DCEU, especially with the uncertainty surrounding what has been happening with Warner Bros. Discovery. Nothing is set in stone but any franchise would not waste any chance to have Dwayne Johnson as their franchise builder.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Black Adam’ Producers Talk ‘Red Notice’ Sequels, Hope to Film Back-to-Back

    ‘Black Adam’ Producers Talk ‘Red Notice’ Sequels, Hope to Film Back-to-Back

    Producers Beau Flynn and Hiram Garcia have been quite busy promoting Dwayne Johnson‘s upcoming release of Black Adam. While his eyes have been quite focused on building a new DC empire, the actor has another new franchise in development. Together with director Rawson Marshall Thurber, he’s been spearheading a film trilogy with Red Notice. The first film ended up as one of the biggest releases on the platform. In an interview with Collider, the producers teased how far along they are with the anticipated sequels.

    Well, we have a ‘Red Notice 2’ script and almost [Red Notice] 3. The plan is hopefully if Hiram and I have of our way that we would make those movies back to back. But it’s going to be all about the scripts and how we feel and how Dwayne, Gal, and Ryan feel about them. But that franchise is a blast and obviously Netflix really wants it, and Rawson [Marshall Thurber, director and screenwriter] is committed.

    Beau Flynn

    It seems like they are busy with both sequels, and it’s interesting that they are hoping to direct the sequels back-to-back. It’s not an uncommon practice in the industry and it’s also a showcase of just how much Netflix believes in the project.

    Yeah, Rawson [Marshall Thurber] is working away and we were just talking to him about it the other day. He’s deep in it and that’s his baby. So, he’s grinded away. We’re excited to be able to get into it and see a new draft that he’s about to deliver us to us very soon.

    Hiram Garcia

    It sounds like they believe in Thurber‘s work and we’ll see if they’ll start production sooner rather than later. Yet, if they are still in the middle of the script development, they might need a bit of production is set to release at some point next year.

    Source: Collider

  • NBC Orders Additional Episodes of ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot

    NBC Orders Additional Episodes of ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot

    Quantum Leap is coming back for more. The Hollywood Reporter announced today that the NBC series has been given an order for six more episodes. The series, which is a reboot of the classic series of the same name, launched in September to 3.35 million viewers. After three episodes, the series looks to be averaging just under 3 million total same-day viewers. It is also ranked as the number one new show in the all-too-important 18-49 demographic.

    The reboot stars Raymond Le as Dr. Ben Seong, a scientist and a man of faith who is part of a team trying to revive the project which saw the disappearance of Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) almost 30 years ago. 

    Le, Ernie Hudson, Caitlin Bassett, Mason Alexander Park and Nanrisa Lee star in the rebooted series. While original series star Scott Bakula was expected to return for the reboot, he has since confirmed he is not involved with the project, despite his image being used in the pilot episode.

    Quantum Leap creator Don Bellisario serves as executive producer for the sequel series, while Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt (Gotham) were originally set as the showrunners, but they stepped down after the third episode, Martin Gero has since taken over showrunner duties.

    Source: THR.

  • The Rock Teases Potential Superman Showdown with ‘Black Adam’

    The Rock Teases Potential Superman Showdown with ‘Black Adam’

    As Black Adam prepares to be a hopeful kickstart for DC’s cinematic universe, star actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has teased a potential return from DC’s cinematic past. In an interview as part of the press tour for Black Adam, Johnson alluded to Superman returning to the fold and facing off with the character of Black Adam. When discussing the desire to make the film and its world appeal to already-existing fans, this is what the actor had to say about his character in relation to Superman. 

    We will create Black Adam for him to be the most powerful and unstoppable force on this planet. The most powerful and unstoppable force in the universe has been on the sidelines for too long.

    Dwayne Johnson

    With rumors beginning to circulate more and more about Henry Cavill’s return as Superman, this quote does feel like one of the most overt allusions that there’s fire to the smoke. Cavill was last seen as the Man of Steel in 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and before that just being the original cut of the film. As it’s long been teased that The Flash coming next year will serve as a soft reboot point for DC Extended Universe, many were curious where Cavill’s portrayal stood in terms of the future. If Superman is indeed being planned to face off with Black Adam as rumored, that should clear up where Henry Cavill stands in terms of the new direction of DC’s film franchise.

    Black Adam is set to release exclusively in theaters on October 21.

    Source: Jake’s Takes

  • RUMOR: ‘Ahsoka’ May Have Cast a Familiar Face as Admiral Thrawn.

    RUMOR: ‘Ahsoka’ May Have Cast a Familiar Face as Admiral Thrawn.

    If there is any role that’s been highly debated in Star Wars rumor mill, it’s that of Admiral Thrawn. After a long bout of silence, it seems that a new rumor has been starting to make the rounds hinting at who could’ve potentially nabbed the role. Surprisingly, it might be someone quite familiar to long-time fans of the character. If online rumblings are to be believed, Lars Mikkelsen, who voiced the character in Rebels, might once again take on the role of the Star Wars villain.

    The notion of Mikkelsen reprising this role is perfect in many ways. Having voiced the character in the animated side of the universe will help maintain a level of continuity going into the live-action projects. Plus, having a returning actor move to Disney+ will appease the hardcore fans that are seeing a vast majority of other characters from Rebels get recast. Some of these castings include Natasha Liu Bordizzo playing Sabine Wren and Eman Esfandi being cast to play Ezra Bridger. We also can’t forget that Lars Mikkelsen is quit the respected and established actor, who’ll definitely ease the transition into a live-action take on the character.

    Ahsoka began its production in Los Angeles back in May of this year and might wrap filming by the end of next month. With that, the highly anticipated series is eyeing a 2023 release on Disney+ and is the second The Mandalorian spinoff to hit the streaming service.

    Source: Twitter via Bespin Bulletin