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Ncuti Gatwa to Begin Filming on ‘Doctor Who’ in November
The newest Doctor isn’t set to make his official debut until 2024, however, it looks like Ncuti Gatwa will begin filming on Doctor Who rather soon. A new report from The Hollywood Reporter states the young actor will begin production on the next season of Doctor Who this November. That isn’t to say Gatwa won’t make an appearance in a special episode of Doctor Who before then. As it stands, Doctor Who is set to air a special episode this October as part of the BBC Centenary celebrations in which Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor will take her final bow after a four-year stunt. It’s possible Gatwa will appear in the episode with Whittaker’s Doctor regenerating into Gatwa’s Fourteenth Doctor. Or Gatwa could show up in the 60th-anniversary special set to air sometime next year. David Tennant, who served as the Tenth Doctor, is returning to reprise his role for the special, which could consist of as many as three episodes – although that hasn’t been confirmed just yet. The next few months will be incredibly busy for Gatwa. Not only is he taking over the role of Doctor Who, but the young actor is also set to return for Season 4 of Netflix’s Sex Education where he plays Eric. Production on Season 4 is now underway. He also recently wrapped on Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated live-action Barbie movie, where he’ll star alongside his Sex Education co-star Emma Mackey. Season 14 of Doctor Who will air sometime in 2024. Source: THR. -
Zelda Williams’ ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ Adds ‘Stranger Things’ Alum And More
According to Deadline, Carla Gugino, Liza Soberano, Joe Chrest, and Henry Eikenberry have been added to the cast of Focus’ Lisa Frankenstein. They joined previously announced cast members Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton. The film, in which actor-filmmaker Zelda Williams will be making her directorial debut, was scripted by Juno‘s Diablo Cody. The film will follow Newton as an unpopular high school student in 1989 who accidentally re-animates a handsome Victorian corpse – played by Sprouse – during a lightning storm. She then starts to rebuild him into the man of her dreams, using the broken tanning bed in her garage.
Per Deadline, Chrest, who best known for his role as Ted Wheeler on Stranger Things, will be portraying Newton‘s character’s father Dale. However, details as to the others’ roles haven’t been disclosed. Gugino was recently seen in Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Bly Manor, as well as films like Gunpowder Milkshake and Gerald’s Game. Model and actor Eikenberry and Filipino-American actress, model and singer Soberano – best known for their roles in Euphoria and Alone/Together, respectively – will both make their Hollywood feature film debut in Lisa Frankenstein.
Along with penning the script, Cody will serve as a producer on the film alongside Mason Novick who is producing for MXN Entertainment. Jeff Lampert serves as an executive producer, while Focus Features’ Vice President of Production and Development, Michelle Momplaisir, serves as the creative executive on the project. Though the film has entered principal photography in New Orleans, a release date has not yet been announced.
Source: Deadline
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‘She-Hulk’ Head Writer Teases Characters They Couldn’t Use in the Disney+ Series
With any Marvel project, it seems that the writers and directors want to use as many characters as they possibly could. Of course, Marvel Studios has some restrictions due to already set-in-stone ideas. A series that seemingly will include quite a few memorable appearances from the comics, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, also tried to get as many characters in it s they could as revealed by head writer Jessica Gao in an interview with The Direct.
While she doesn’t give away any details on what characters they wanted to include (one exception we’ll get to later), it does seem like Marvel still gave them quite a lot of playing field. Yet, there are always some things that got in the way, may it be rights issues or just plans that were already set in motion of some kind, as pointed out by Gao.
There were a lot of characters from the comics– we wanted a lot of the comics for characters for fun situations where we could bring in like a character and think of like funny reasons why they would be in legal trouble. But there were a lot of characters that were from the comics that we couldn’t use either because of a rights issue, or there were a few times where it was because Marvel… all they would say is that they had other plans. And that’s all they would tell us. And then, we tried very, very hard to poke, and prod, and get a little bit more information. Of course, they wouldn’t tell us.
Jessica GaoShe does go on to highlight that they had one definite restriction in the form of Spider-Man. It’s no wonder they couldn’t use the character due to the rights still being with Sony for live-action, which sadly seemingly limited how they handle the character moving forward but was a shame given how many fans of the webhead worked on the show.
But I will say, the one MCU character that really bummed out a lot of the writers in our room that we couldn’t use was Spider-Man and anyone involved around– like in the Spider-Man universe. Because we had so many Spider-Man fans in the room.
Jessica GaoIt’s definitely a shame that Sony isn’t playing along with Marvel Studios, as including the character in other projects contractually would give their next entry a little boost. They still have to produce Spider-Man films in a specific time frame and we’ll likely hear about the fourth entry in the near future but it’s still a shame Tom Holland doesn’t get to play in the sandbox like everyone else does.
Source: The Direct
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Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ Sequel Still in Development But is “Years Away”
We’ve all been excited when we got the announcement that Matt Reeves‘ The Batman was getting a sequel. Not only was the first film quite the global hit during the pandemic with $770M, but it also set up a new trilogy with an expansive franchise being built around it. HBO Max would feature a Penguin-focused series with Colin Farrell set to return in the role. That was not all, as there was also an Arkham Asylum project in some form of development. Yet, Warner Bros. Discovery’s recent shake-ups have made their future quite unknown for many.
In a new piece by Variety, they offer some insight into what the future looks like even if it remains quite the mess. According to them, The Batman is still in development but doesn’t have a greenlight yet. As such, the project isn’t likely to see the light of day for a few years. This does add some uncertainty if whoever takes over DC Studios in the future has the patience to let Matt Reeves do his thing while he works on the sequel for an extended period of time. Plus, who knows if the spinoff series is as safe as some reports seemingly hinted at.
It’s bizarre they aren’t trying to fast-track this project, especially if they are keeping up with the multiverse angle as Joker’s sequel is in active development. Plus, Reeves’ own little pocket universe offered something that made it stand out in the blockbuster landscape, and yet Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to create a unified universe. So, who knows if this might become an issue down the line with many visions colliding at some point.
Source: Variety
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Warner Bros. Discovery is Hopeful to Keep Leslie Grace as Batgirl
When Warner Bros. Discovery announced that Batgirl was being shelved earlier this month, the studio suggested it was still keen to work with leading lady Leslie Grace and the film’s directors, Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi. While it remains to be seen whether Bilall and Adil reteam with the studio on another DC property, a new report from Variety reaffirms the studio is trying to find a way to keep Grace on board as Batgirl – even if it isn’t in her own film.
According to the outlet, the newly installed Warner Bros. Pictures Group chiefs, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy are currently looking to mend fences with the actress. They are said to be considering the possibility of having Grace continue to play Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, in a future DC film. Variety notes this doesn’t necessarily mean in a Batgirl film, either. Grace‘s Batgirl could appear in a future DC film — or the studio could simply find a role for the actress in another Warner Bros. production.
With an uncertain slate, though, it’s unclear just where Grace could pop up as Batgirl. After all, the only DC film that has an official greenlight is the Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux. While the sequel to The Batman, the Black Canary spinoff, and Wonder Woman 3 is still very much in development, none of them have received a green light from the new Warner Bros. Discovery board. There’s also the matter of if Grace is ready to don the cape and cowl so soon after her film was shelved. Either way, fans eager to see Grace as Batgirl should be excited that there’s still a possibility her Barbara Gordon will show up… somewhere down the road.
Source: Variety.
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‘WandaVision’s Jimmy Woo Gets His Own Marvel Legends Figure, Available for Pre-Order
The Marvel Studios’ series WandaVision may have ended its run on Disney+ nearly a year and a half ago, but the cultural impact the show has had on the Marvel Cinematic Universe fanbase continues to be evident. Now, a supporting character of the show is getting their own Marvel Legends action figure.
Marvel Legends has made available for pre-order an action figure of Agent Jimmy Woo. Played by Randall Park, Woo first made an appearance in 2015’s Ant-Man before having a larger role in WandaVision. Woo has been a fan favorite in the MCU even with his limited screen time. The figure even includes alternate hand to recreate Agent Woo’s sleight-of-hand magic trick from the series. Check out the full figure below:
Marvel Legends The Woo figure joins Marvel Legends figures of the Scarlet Witch and White Vision from WandaVision. Recently, a Ms. Marvel figure was revealed to be part of Hasbro’s Marvel Legends Infinity Ultron BAF wave, which also includes Kate Bishop, Clint Barton, Moon Knight, and Mr. Knight from other MCU Disney+ series.
The Agent Jimmy Woo action figure is now available for pre-order ahead of a March 2023 release date.
Source: Marvel Legends
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HBO Max’s ‘Titans’ and ‘Doom Patrol’s on the Chopping Block, ‘Harley Quinn’ Seemingly Safe
Warner Bros. Discovery is taking a great big axe at everything DC, which has made many wonder what exactly they can expect from the future of this franchise. Batgirl‘s sudden cancelation and the bizarre situation surrounding The Flash have created quite the rift in the franchise’s future. There are also various other shows in some form of production with Doom Patrol, Harley Quinn, Titans, and many more on HBO Max. In a new report by Variety, it does seem that a little glimpse is given in regards to the future of these projects.
First off, and scarily so, it seems that the popular and wildly out there series Doom Patrol is on the chopping block alongside fellow DC Universe series Titans. They have renewed not too long ago and it does seem like the next seasons are likely to release, but anything beyond that remains a mystery for now. Luckily, Harley Quinn is so popular that it’s safe but no word on its Kite Man-focused spinoff. #
Constantine and Madame Xanadu, the two projects of J.J. Abrams prolonged Justice League Dark franchise, are also seemingly still in some form of development. Though whoever is set to spearhead the DC Studio could change that rather fast. For now, we’ll have to see if any of these projects may still see the light of day or if internal reshuffling in the near future could change any plans moving forward.
Source: Variety
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‘Joker’ Sequel Will Receive Massive Budget Increase From First Entry
Here’s quite the surprise but it looks like the upcoming Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux will have a twice as large budget as the previous entry. While it did surprise many when it pulled in over a billion at the international box office in 2019, it seems that the ambitious sequel will have quite a higher investment than the previous entry. The first was reported to have a budget between $55M to $70M, and it now seems that the latest entry will be closer to a high-budget Marvel film in scope.
According to Variety, the film will have a budget of $150M due to the high salaries of Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips, who are expected to get $20M. Lady Gaga, the long-rumored addition show as recently confirmed, will get $10M. That is not all, as the production costs will get raised quite a bit due to the complicated musical sequences that are planned for the project, even if Variety hints that it’s closer to A Star is Born than In the Heights.
We’ll have to see just where the budget will go, especially if the project is mostly taking place at one location. Perhaps they plan to have the dance sequences break the mold of reality and add interesting showpieces to the two dance sequences. It does seem curious how the budget ballooned for the sequel after Phillips statements in regards to keeping the project “smaller and more personal” in the past but we’ll see how the Joker sequel will turn out.
Source: Deadline
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‘She-Hulk’ Star Shares What It’s Like Working with Mark Ruffalo on Set
The world is about to meet its newest Hulk in Tatiana Maslany‘s She-Hulk. The upcoming law comedy will offer a unique look into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we not only meet its latest hero but also have the return of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. As his cousin, Jennifer Walters ends up gaining his abilities, he tries to find a way to help her control her newfound abilities.
During the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law press conference, she pointed out what it was like working alongside Ruffalo on set, who has ten years on his belt as the iconic Green Goliath. She recounted a sequence of watching her co-star just transform into Hulk on set, showcasing the character and how much he’s personified the character at this point while doing a kip-up.
He was laying down on the ground outside as Bruce, and then he got up as Hulk, like, truly from a laying down position, he’s suddenly standing. It looked completely inhuman. And I was like oh, so that is what 10 years of playing this character and physically embodying him and being so inside of him … you get to do cool stuff like that.
Tatiana Maslanythe fun aspect of just how much he personifies this character is highlighted that the actor says he can’t actually do a kip-up outside of his “Hulk-Mode” which highlights just how in the role he can get. Ruffalo has played the character ever since the first Avengers, and while we don’t know just how The Incredible Hulk might tie into the series but with Blonsky‘s return, there’s actually the chance other elements may also make a return in one way or another.
Source: Slash Film
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‘Watchmen’ Showrunner Shares His Thoughts on Marvel’s Expansion
There’s been a lot of discussions surrounding Marvel Studios’ recent expansion. Fans of the franchise have been enjoying a smorgasbord of offerings with fan-favorite characters getting a chance at a live-action adaptation, which wouldn’t happen in any normal circumstance. Yet, some also feel like the franchise is watering down its offerings with the Disney+ series and releasing up to four or five films a year.
Well, Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof shares the latter sentiment, as he highlights his own personal taste when it comes to media. In an interview with Variety, he highlights his own personal feelings towards franchises; something that has gotten quite popular from many more veteran members of the cinematic landscape.
It’s always going to be hard because once you’ve got someone’s attention, you want to keep it. And so the idea of letting it go and not knowing if you’re ever going to get it back again is sort of like it’s antithetical to the way that we’re wired.
Damon LindelofHe also gives that he believes that less is more in this case, as he’d love to see more memorable projects. Yet, he also makes the point that he simply likes things to end, one aspect of how he approached Watchmen that some believed could get a sequel season but remained a limited series after all.
From a slightly sort of more cynical standpoint, this is a business. It’s an industry. And if you make a couple of great Marvel movies, the instinct is, ‘We need to make more Marvel movies, and we need to expand this.’ And I have this sort of interior feeling of like, ‘Wow, I wish they made less because it would make each one that came out a little bit more special. But I watch all of them…People don’t want things to end. I do.
Damon LindelofLindelof also makes sure to point out that he doesn’t blame Marvel for doing what they are doing. It simply makes sense and he’s not innocent in working on franchising as well given his experiences with Star Trek and Prometheus.
I don’t begrudge them the right to keep it going. I’ve made prequels and sequels and reboots, so I can’t be a hypocrite and say, ‘God, come up with an original idea.’ Meanwhile, I’m making two ‘Star Trek’ movies and ‘Prometheus.
LindelofDamon Lindelof‘s points are definitely fair as something being short-lived tends to get a different view than when they continue going on. Phase 4 has been hit with criticism even by long-time fans due to hitting that sophomore slump that any long-running show or franchise tends to hit. There is a fun addition to this story, however, as Lindelof actually highlighted that he actively watches all these projects on his personal Instagram account, which adds an interesting bit of levity to the discussion
So, it seems that Lindelof is also a fan of the franchise and it’s a shame that this may have been committed from the interview. He also goes on to highlight praise for Ms. Marvel as “one of the best things I saw on any network, streamer or movie screen in the past year. Originality masked in I.P… and a cultural authenticity that dares the entire industry to rise to it“
