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  • ‘Rise’ Director Wanted to Direct a Film About Giannis Antetokounmpo Since His NBA Draft

    ‘Rise’ Director Wanted to Direct a Film About Giannis Antetokounmpo Since His NBA Draft

    Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s journey is a complex one. While he grew up in Greece, he has Nigerian roots through his parents that lived as undocumented immigrants in the country. So, finding a fitting director to tell that story must’ve been a long one and luckily they found a fitting choice in Nigerian director Akin Omotoso. During the official press conference, he revealed that he’s been hoping to tell this story ever since Antetokounmpo was drafted in the NBA.

    In 2013, when Giannis was drafted, every year I’ll look at the draft and I’ll pick out who the African players are drafted. And when Giannis was drafted, I remember reading, you know, reading up a story and I was like, “If ever I was to make a film about basketball and life, it’ll be this gentleman’s story.

    Akin Omotoso

    He also went on to highlight that they found out about the project through a magazine, which led to him instantly inquiring his agent to give him a chance to just be in the room to talk bout potentially directing the film.

    And by chance, like Dayo, you know, I picked up a magazine. And in the magazine, it said Disney was making a movie about their life. And I said to my agent, whatever you do, you got to get me in that room so that I tell Disney how I would make this film.

    Akin Omotoso

    He also highlighted that he kept that magazine by his bed until he would at least find out if someone else got the chance to direct the film. It seems that it was his way of showcasing his dedication to making his six-year dream true before fate would finally lead to him making it a reality. In a way, it’s fitting given the message of the film is about people being inspired to chase their dream.

  • Netflix’s ‘Three-Body Problem’ Adaptation Adds to Expansive Cast

    Netflix’s ‘Three-Body Problem’ Adaptation Adds to Expansive Cast

    According to The Hollywood Reporter Jonathan Pryce, Rosalind Chao, Ben Schnetzer and Eve Ridley have joined the upcoming series. Three-Body Problem is based on Liu Cixin’s trilogy and tells the story of what happens when humanity discovers that we are not alone in the universe.

    The latest group of actors join the previously announced Jovan Adepo (Watchmen), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Jess Hong (Inked), Marlo Kelly (Dare Me), Alex Sharp (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), Sea Shimooka (Pink Skies Ahead), Zine Tseng, Saamer Usmani (Succession) and Benedict Wong (Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). We exclusively broke many of these roles in a report last Fall.

    Pyrce is known for his work on Game of Thrones, the Pirates of the Caribbean films, and the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. Most recently he’s appeared in Apple+ TV’s Slow Horses and Netflix’s The Crown. Pryce’s casting marks the third Game of Thrones alumni to be cast in the series. Which shouldn’t be too surprising given that former Thrones showrunners, David Benioff and Dan Weiss, created the series alongside Alexander Woo.

    As for Chao, she’s coming off of the live-action take of Mulan and recently starred in Better Things. While Schnetzer recently starred in FX’s Y: The Last Man and newcomer Ridley has lent her voice to an episode of Peppa Pig. 

    Source: THR

  • ‘The Marvels’ Star Praises Director Nia DeCosta as a “Guiding Light”

    ‘The Marvels’ Star Praises Director Nia DeCosta as a “Guiding Light”

    Marvel Studios’ The Marvels is finally set to hit theaters next summer after numerous delays. While details are still relatively sparse on the Captain Marvel sequel, it has been confirmed that Zawe Ashton will be marking her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the film in an unknown role. While the actress hasn’t been able to say much of anything regarding the project, she did briefly tease her experience in a new interview with Variety.

    While she wasn’t able to comment on the film itself, Ashton did sing the praises of director Nia DeCosta, calling her a “guiding light” of directors. “I just can’t say even one thing. Other than I had the best time,” she said. “And Nia DeCosta is one of the guiding lights of directors that we have. She is so precious and special and the doors that she’s going to open – that she already has – are extremely, extremely exciting.”

    Following the announcement that Ashton had joined the cast of The Marvels, fans quickly began reposting photos of the actress in a Captain Marvel costume from 2019. In the photos, she’d been joined by Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox who’d opted to dress as one another’s Marvel characters. While Ashton isn’t sure if DeCosta saw those photos ahead of her casting, she did explain that she’d met with the director for a role prior to The Marvels. “You know, I had met her about a very low budget period piece right when the pandemic had hit and we just got on like a house of fire,” she said. ‘“Candyman” hadn’t come out yet but we were familiar enough with each other – I’d seen her brilliant debut feature “Little Woods” and had been really impressed and thought, “I’d like to work with that woman one day.” So, it was just a meeting of the minds, the seeing of souls and she decided to take me on one of the biggest journeys that she could possibly be undertaking.”

    The Marvels hits theaters on July 28th, 2023. Also starring in the film are Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani.

    Source: Variety.

  • ‘Blade’ Casts ‘The Wonder Years’ Actress in Lead Role

    ‘Blade’ Casts ‘The Wonder Years’ Actress in Lead Role

    Actress Milan Ray, who is best known for her role as Keisa Clemmons on ABC’s The Wonder Years reboot, has been cast in Marvel Studio’s Blade. According to the report from The Direct, Ray will portray a “key character” in the film.

    While the report did name Ray’s role, a report from over a year ago indicated that the production was searching for “Ruby”, a teenager described as “thoughtful, serious, and burdened by growing up in a complex world.” At the time, it was widely speculated that this role would turn out to be Blade’s daughter, a concept abandoned by Marvel Comics in 2015. It’s sensible that Ray’s character will be how Marvel Studios chooses to bring that character, Fallon Grey, to life in the MCU.

    Ray joins Mahershala Ali, Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre in the film which does not yet have a release date and looks to begin filming late this summer or early this fall. Bassam Tariq will direct the reboot based on a script by Watchmen scribe Stacy Osei-Kuffour.

    Source: The Direct

  • Netflix’s ‘Spy Kids’ Finds Its Family

    Netflix’s ‘Spy Kids’ Finds Its Family

    Deadline reports that Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi will headline the newest Spy Kids film, while Everly Carganilla and newcomer Connor Esterson will play their kids. The new film will be directed and produced by Spy Kids creator Robert Rodriguez. He’ll also co-write the latest film with Racer Max. This marks a return to Netflix for Rodriguez who saw success with his 2020 family film, We Can be Heroes, on the streaming platform.

    The latest chapter of the Spy Kids franchise will see the children of the world’s greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful Game Developer unleash a computer virus that will give him control of all technology. This will lead the kids to become spies themselves to save their parents and, of course, the world.

    Rodriguez, who is perhaps best known for her leading role in the CW’s Jane the Virgin, has seen her star rise considerably over the years. Along with having appeared in Someone Great and Amazon’s I Want You Back, she’s also set to star in the ABC series Not Dead Yet. While Levi is perhaps best known for his work on the TV series Chuck, as well as his leading role in Shazam! For DC and Warner Bros.

    Also producing the film will be David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger for Skydance, as well as Elizabeth Avellan and Racer Max. While Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre will executive produce and Nick Nesbit will serve as Netflix’s creative lead on the film.

    Source: Deadline

  • Taika Waititi on the Loki Story He’d Like to Tell

    Taika Waititi on the Loki Story He’d Like to Tell

    Thor: Love and Thunder marks director Taika Waititi’s second chapter in the MCU journey of the Norse God of Thunder and it promises to be a wild entry. The film will see Chris Hemsworth’s Odinson undergo a personal renaissance, Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster become the Mighty Thor and the two former lovers team up to take on one of the MCU’s most terrifying villains yet, Gorr the God Butcher.

    Promotional footage from the film has heavily featured many characters who are returning from Thor: Ragnarok, but so far, one major character from that film has been notably absent. Though a Variant of him is plenty busy having his own adventures, there’s been no sign that Loki would appear in Thor: Love and Thunder. This is sensible, of course, because the Loki from the timeline explored in this movie had his neck broken by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, making it difficult for even the God of Mischief to return. That doesn’t mean Waititi doesn’t have ideas about what he’d like to see Loki get up to in the MCU, however.

    In an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Waititi talked about how he’d like to see one of Loki’s most colorful adventures from Norse mythology adapted to the MCU:

    Loki at one point turned himself into a female horse, had sex with, like, a serpent, and then got pregnant. And then gave birth to an eight-legged horse. Why was that not in Avengers? We’re gonna start a petition, we need to see Tom Hiddleston pregnant with a horse.

    Taika Waititi

    That eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, is the mythological steed of Odin and made an appearance in 2011’s Thor. And while Waititi may be conflating a few different mythological stories about Loki’s exploits, it’s certainly shows that with Waititi, none of the wild idea from Norse mythology are off the table.

    Thor: Love and Thunder will open in theaters on July 8th.

  • Theory Thursday: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Will Lead to an Incursion

    Theory Thursday: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Will Lead to an Incursion

    Episode 3 of Ms. Marvel, entitled “Destined”, made it clear that Kamala Khan will be involved in much more than street-level threats. The young hero clearly has connections to universe and multiverse-spanning abilities and those seem related heavily to her family history. In essence, Ms. Marvel may be opening a very large door into the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe storyline. In particular, Episode 3 gave hints that the events of the series could lead to an incursion and tie into a future Secret Wars adaptation. 

    Ms. Marvel’s third episode opened with quite the bombardment of new, cosmic-level information and stakes. Najma, Kamran’s mother, reveals to Kamala that the Clandestines are Djinn from a place they refer to as the Noor Dimension. She also tells Kamala that Kamala’s great-grandmother Aisha was also Djinn and that the group was exiled from the Noor Dimension and was trying to use Kamala’s bangle as a way to get back. While Najma is clearly an antagonist and some of the details should not be taken at full face value, the lingering implication is that Kamala has the power to create the means for inter-dimensional travel. 

    Ms. Marvel #16 (2015)

    The last time we got to explore multiple realities was in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There, we first learn that incursions are happening to some extent throughout the multiverse. Incursions are essentially the colliding of two realities that—as described by Earth-838’s Reed Richards—ultimately lead to the destruction of one or both. We do not know much about incursions, other than that a multiverse-traveling sorcerer can cause one by leaving too much of a footprint in another universe. In Ms. Marvel, the Clandestines are implying that inter-dimensional travel could be at play, which may implicate some of the forces behind incursions.

    Still, Kamala’s abilities are mysterious. When she confides in Bruno about the Clandestines and her plan, his research (based on scholarship by Thor’s Dr. Eric Selvig) leads him to believe that she would essentially need the power equivalent to that of the sun to actually make it happen. In other words, he warns her that “if you help them go home, some things might go boom.” The foreshadowing of destruction certainly brings to mind the idea of the demolition of a dimension or universe. To be fair, the MCU has not been overly clear as to the distinction, if any, between other “dimensions” and “universes”, but the same logic might apply. 

    Ms. Marvel #19 (2015)

    By the end of the series, the inter-dimensional and/or multiversal implications of Ms. Marvel could very well lead to this sort of “boom” Bruno warned Kamala about, and there is plenty of reason to think that the fallout could be an incursion. In the comics, the Secret Wars (2015) storyline was a major influence on Kamala’s story early on. She actually first meets Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel in the lead-up to the final incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610. Considering an adaptation of Secret Wars has been hinted at in the MCU for quite some time, incursion-related consequences stemming from Ms. Marvel could easily go on to influence The Marvels and an eventual Secret Wars. 

    There are still numerous mysteries to be explored in Ms. Marvel, and Kamala’s family history and connection to the bangle are sure to be big reveals. Considering that Kevin Feige recently promised fans that the direction of the MCU in Phase Four and beyond will soon become clear, Ms. Marvel may very well be laying more groundwork for a Secret Wars event in a direct way, coming right off of Multiverse of Madness. Whether she directly or indirectly causes an incursion herself is yet to be seen, but her presence in the universe is definitely cosmic. 

    The first three episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney+.

  • ‘Titanic’ Remastered Version Hitting Theaters for Valentine’s Day

    ‘Titanic’ Remastered Version Hitting Theaters for Valentine’s Day

    A remastered version of Titanic is heading back to theaters.

    Deadline reports a remastered of James Cameron‘s classic, Titanic, is sailing into theaters for Valentine’s Day. The re-release is to help celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, with Disney releasing the film in international markets beginning Feb. 10, 2023 in 3D 4K HDR, while Paramount will handle the domestic re-release, although dates have not yet been set for the stateside release. The news was first revealed by Cameron’s producing partner, Jon Landau, during Disney’s CineEurope presentation in Barcelona yesterday. Along with news of the re-release, Landau helped Disney unveil a 3D look of the remastered version of Titanic for those in attendance.

    This, of course, is not the first time Titanic has been released in 3D. Back in 2012, the film was re-released in 3D. Then again in 2017, to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. Titanic remains is the third the highest-grossing films of all time with $2.201 billion at the worldwide box office, with $659.4 million hailing from the North American box office. Above Titanic is Avatar, Cameron’s visually stunning film that will finally see a sequel release this December. Like Titanic, a remastered version of Avatar will hit theaters later this year ahead of the sequel’s release.

    Source: Deadline.

  • The Morning After Huddle: June 23, 2022

    The Morning After Huddle: June 23, 2022

    Welcome to your Thursday edition of The Morning After Huddle. I’m back with all things NFL. Let’s hop into it.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    • Earlier this month, I said Dan Snyder is going to be Dan Snyder. That hasn’t changed. Congress released details that Snyder conducted a “shadow investigation” of allegations that he had fostered a toxic work culture within his organization and worked closely with the NFL to monitor and, ultimately, bury the findings from an official internal investigation. Apparently, Snyder’s goal was to build a case to the NFL that former President Bruce Allen was to blame and that former employees were conspiring to disparage him. I’m sure you’re just as shocked as I am.
    • It’s with a heavy heart that we report Ravens player Jaylon Ferguson has passed away. Ferguson, known as “Sack Daddy” to many, was 26 years old. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Also on Wednesday, Ravens and Colts player Tony Siragusa passed away at age 55. “Goose”, as he was often called, spent 12 seasons in the NFL, eventually earning a Super Bowl ring with Baltimore.
    • Without further ado, your Key Signings Roundup: 
      • The Seattle Seahawks are signing DT Bryan Mone to an extension. The deal is worth two years and $12 million.
      • The New Orleans Saints are signing TE Brandon Dillion.

    Of course, thanks for breaking down the huddle with us today! Catch us on Football Friday for more news that you want to know. 

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo on Why They Went With ‘Rise’ as the Disney+ Movie’s Title

    Giannis Antetokounmpo on Why They Went With ‘Rise’ as the Disney+ Movie’s Title

    Rise is a special kind of film that tells an inspiring storyline of Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family. Climbing his way from Greece to the NBA, he made a name not only for himself but was swiftly followed by the rest of his family. Originally the upcoming Disney+ film was titled after the basketball player’s famous nickname “Greek Freak” but would later be retitled Rise.

    During the official press conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed the reasoning for that change, as he highlight that the journey of this film wasn’t about him but rather about his family. So, it didn’t seem right to just have it named after himself but rather find a title that reflected what it really was about.

    You know, when they came to us, it’s a movie about my family. You know, it’s not a movie about me, and as Thanasis said when someone scores, everybody scores when one person makes it, everybody makes it here.

    Giannis Antetokounmpo

    Turns out, the idea for “Rise” actually came from his brother Kostantinos. So, even something as simple as the film title was a family effort and reflects how this story evolved into exploring what it means to be family. They also make a nice basketball analogy on how it connects, and the sentiment to reflect the film’s message through the title is quite fitting. So, we’ll see if the story of the Antetokounmpo family will also inspire many others to rise and chase their passion.