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  • Netflix Still Evaluating its Future Plans, May Dial Back on High-Budget Movies

    Netflix Still Evaluating its Future Plans, May Dial Back on High-Budget Movies

    There’s been a lot of discussions on where exactly Netflix is heading after its market collapsed due to the first mention of a loss in subscribers. Timings are terrible as many more competitors are entering the market and they are losing some of their biggest streaming offerings that kept binge-watchers subscribed. Now, the studio is looking to take some drastic measures moving forward.

    We already saw them take a hammer and drag down their entire animation division, which is a bizarre highlight of how that type of filmmaking always seems to become a scapegoat with the future of that division rather questionable. A new report by The Hollywood Reporter highlights that their biggest re-evaluation is in the form of Scott Stuber‘s feature film division.

    They already let 150 employees go, which is 2% of their workforce, but they are still in the middle of re-arranging their projects. Every division was pretty much affected, and Netflix is eyeing to release bigger productions but fewer of them. They had tried to tackle the arthouse genre with some projects from masters from the industry, but are noticing that it’s not quite necessary for these projects to be a hit. Ted Sarandos shared in an April Earnings call that:

    Today, we’re releasing some of the most popular and most-watched movies in the world. Just over the last few months, things like Don’t Look Up and Red Notice and Adam Project, as examples of that.” But what this “bigger, better, fewer.

    Ted Sarandos

    What does that mean for the future? It doesn’t mean they will cut smaller projects but they will refocus more moving forward. They will dial back the number of films they’ll produce and might move away from high-budget projects with a “carte blanche” offer to talent, Martin Scorcese‘s high-budget The Irishman was highlighted as such an example. The wording “vanity projects” was something given by THR, but it doesn’t mean they are gone but more focused on the future.

    Netflix is more driven by algorithms than any other studio out there, even if some have made up their mind about what is and isn’t. It seems that they’ve realized that the quantity of films they put out at high production values doesn’t quite offer them what they wanted and are dialing it back as a result. For now, we’ll have to see how many projects that’ll affect moving forward. Here’s hoping they will still offer auteurs a home for their passion projects that might not survive the usual studio system.

    Source: THR

  • ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ Beats Out ‘Doctor Strange 2’ and ‘No Way Home’ to Become South Korea’s Highest Day One Release

    ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ Beats Out ‘Doctor Strange 2’ and ‘No Way Home’ to Become South Korea’s Highest Day One Release

    Top Gun: Maverick was already making numbers over the weekend as it seeks to potentially take the crown home as the biggest domestic release, its new competitor is already starting a dominant swing internationally. Jurassic World: Dominion was already released on June 1st in South Korea. It will be followed by Mexico and Argentina. While the film won’t officially be released until June 10th, Japan even being as late as June 29th, the film has already earned $6.05M in South Korea on its first day. That is higher than Spider-Man: No Way Home ($5.3M) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($5.9M).

    It’s the year of box office gainers, as we are more and more gaining momentum from before the pandemic. Dominion also has quite the legacy factor of its own to play with as the main cast is joined by veterans Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. The film is currently eyeing a potential $130M opening which would be lower than both Fallen Kingdom ($148M) and the first Jurassic World ($160M), which was a surprise hit that no one saw coming at the time.

    Unlike most blockbuster franchises that have people doing superhuman things, including Top Gun Maverick, Jurassic World was the more down-to-earth concept if you ignore the human eating dinosaurs revived to life in a zoo. It may stand out from the rest and we’ll see if Top Gun gave the box office the momentum it needed as older audiences are slowly willing to enter cinemas again after taking a break through the pandemic.

    Source: Forbes

  • Chris Hemsworth Shares First Set Photo from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Prequel ‘Furiosa’ as Production Starts

    Chris Hemsworth Shares First Set Photo from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Prequel ‘Furiosa’ as Production Starts

    It looks like the long-awaited prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road is finally in production. George Miller once again takes a seat as its director, as he further explores the early days of Charlize Theron‘s Furiosa. Not much is yet known about how they’ll tackle her story, but we do know that Anya Taylor-Joy will take over the iconic role and is joined by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Chris Hemsworth. The latter has now taken to his Instagram account to share that production has started on the film with a first look from the set.

    Sadly the photo doesn’t reveal much from the actuals et, but it does confirm two things. The logo is all about Furiosa and offers a great design to make it stand out from the Mad Max one. Yet, production logos generally go through many changes and it wouldn’t be too surprising that it looks drastically different the moment it gets advertised. That’s not all, as we also get the confirmation that they are shooting it on 35 mm film, which highlights Miller‘s love for the medium.

    While Theron has considered the recasting as “heartbreaking” as they replaced her with a younger actress, there’s a lot we don’t know about what the approach is for this series. Here’s hoping that perhaps we get an appearance of Theron as the character she made famous to tie the past with the future. With George Miller at the helm, it would be more than just a simple legacy piece.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Twisted Metal’ Adds Will Arnett as the Voice of Sweet Tooth

    ‘Twisted Metal’ Adds Will Arnett as the Voice of Sweet Tooth

    Arnett, who serves as an executive producer on the series, has long been rumored to be a part of it for some time. It wasn’t until today, however, that the actor was announced to be voicing none other than the burly Sweet Tooth. The chaos-loving character is known for his iconic ever-smiling clown mask and doomsday ice cream truck that he drives around Lost Vegas.

    The actor joins a cast that includes the likes of Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Thomas Haden Church, and Neve Campbell. Mackie is set to star as John Doe, while Beatriz plays the character of Quiet. Church will play Agent Stone and Campbell, who is recurring in the series, will play Raven.

    Twisted Metal hails from Cobra Kai writer Michael Jonathan Smith and is based on the classic video game franchise of the same name. It has been developed as a half-hour, high-octane action-comedy series that is based on an original take from Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The series will focus on a motor-mouthed outsider, Mackie’s Doe, who is offered a chance at a better life with a bit of a caveat – he’ll need to deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland and survive.

    Twisted Metal will stream exclusively on Peacock upon its release.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Paramount+’s ‘Fatal Attraction’ Series Adds Amanda Peet

    Paramount+’s ‘Fatal Attraction’ Series Adds Amanda Peet

    The Paramount+ series will reimagine the 1980s psychosexual thriller that starred Michael Douglas and Glenn Close. The film told the tale of a married man’s one-night stand that ultimately came back to haunt him after the other party decided to stalk both him and his family. In the Paramount+ series, Joshua Jackson (The Affair) will play the married man who has an affair that’ll harm the life he’s built with his wife Beth Gallagher (Peet). Lizzy Caplan (Castle Rock) will play the role of the other woman, Alex Forrest.

    Fatal Attraction was written by Alexandra Cunningham (Dirty John) from a story she co-wrote with Kevin J. Hynes. The television series will hail from Paramount Television Studios and Amblin Television. It is said to explore the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity with a modern take on some of the harder-hitting themes displayed throughout. 

    Cunningham will serve as the showrunner for the series, and will executive produce alongside Hynes and Amblin Television presidents Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey.

    Peet recently appeared in the anthology series, Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story. She has also appeared in films such as The Whole Nine Yards and Something’s Gotta Give. She also recently served as the showrunner and creator on the Netflix series The Chair which starred Sandra Oh.

    Source: Deadline

  • HBO Max Renews ‘Our Flag Means Death’ for Season 2

    HBO Max Renews ‘Our Flag Means Death’ for Season 2

    The streaming service renewed the critically acclaimed comedy hailing from creator/showrunner David Jenkins, executive producer, and star Taika Waititi and executive producer Garrett Basch. Our Flag Means Death, which premiered in March, is loosely based on the adventures of the 18th century would-be pirate Stede Bonnet who is played by Rhys Darby in the series.

    Our Flag Means Death follows Bonnet as he tries to serve as the captain of the pirate ship Revenger, where he struggles to earn the respect of his crew. After a fateful run-in with Captain Blackbeard, as played by Waititi, Bonnet and Blackbeard end up falling in love and finding themselves trying to survive.

    In a statement released to the press, HBO Max Head of Original Content Sarah Aubrey expressed excitement over renewing the comedy. “We are so happy to bring this truly one-of-a-kind series back! We congratulate David, Taika, Rhys and the entire talented cast and crew, and thank the show’s fans for embracing it wholeheartedly.”

    Jenkins added on to Aubrey’s comments, explaining that they felt they had something special while they were making the first season. “We felt the show was special while we were making it, but fans’ open-armed embrace of the inhabitants of the Revenge makes heading into a second season all the more sweet.”

    As of this writing, Season 2 of Our Flag Means Death does not yet have a release date.

    Source: Deadline

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Interested in ‘Joker’s Todd Phillips as DC Film’s Future Advisor

    Warner Bros. Discovery Interested in ‘Joker’s Todd Phillips as DC Film’s Future Advisor

    The major shake-ups at Warner Bros. Discovery come as a shock to nobody as it seemed like the company has long been trying to get things together. The newly named CEO, David Zaslav, has been sorting things out swiftly as hes gone out with the old and in with the new. Recent news of Toby Emmerich‘s exit has brought news of another development at WBD. The company has DC as a priority, a brand with an incredible amount of potential that they felt has been squandered in the past few years, and looks to be reaching out to a familiar face for help.

    The Hollywood Reporter shared that Zaslav reportedly reached out to co-writer and director of 2019’s Joker film, Todd Phillips, to ask him to get a bit more involved over at DC Entertainment. His film was a resounding hit for the studio, scoring over a billion at the box office, shockingly outgrossing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on a $60+ million budget. The role is purely that of an advisory role with Phillips not currently set to serve in an executive role at the studio.

    This is a bit of an odd move for the studio to make, while Joker was indeed incredibly profitable for the studio, its not particulary the direction they should be moving in with the brand. It was a story seperate from the mainline DC Extended Universe, creating yet another earth in the ever expanding multiverse within the shared universe. THR even states that while Phillips has quite limited knowledge on the DC Universe, Zaslav and Phillips have reached an understanding on the situation with the current state of DC.

    This is an interesting move for Warner Bros. Discovery but not one that could have a great effect on whats to come as if things pan out, it is only an advisory role within DC Entertainment.

    Source: THR

  • Hasbro Reveals New Ms. Marvel Legend as Part of D+ “Infinity Ultron” Wave

    Hasbro Reveals New Ms. Marvel Legend as Part of D+ “Infinity Ultron” Wave

    Little by little, Hasbro’s Marvel Legends Infinity Ultron BAF wave continues to be revealed. The wave, which already includes Kate Bishop, Clint Barton, Moon Knight and Mr. Knight figures based on the Disney Plus streaming series, has now added and MCU-inspired Ms. Marvel figure.

    The figure gives fans a great look at Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel costume, something that has only been fully glimpsed through set photos to date.

    Kamala Khan is 16 years old, good at school, and bad at fitting in. But when she unexpectedly develops super-powers, she’ll learn that what makes her different makes her powerful.Celebrate the MARVEL UNIVERSE with this MARVEL LEGENDS SERIESDISNEY PLUS MS. MARVELfigure. This quality 6-inch scaleMs. Marvelfigure features premium articulation and deco-inspired by thecharacter’s appearance in Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel on Disney Plus! Includes figure, 2 accessories and 1 Build-A-Figure part.

    The sculpt looks fantastic and the detail on the costume is continues to show the attention to detail to the costumes from the D+ series. The accessories that come seem to be nothing more than extra hands, meaning there are no displays of her powers in the version. The figure does, however, come with the torso of Infinite Ultron, making this a must for collectors.

  • Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy Set to Replace Toby Emmerich at Warner Bros. Discovery

    Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy Set to Replace Toby Emmerich at Warner Bros. Discovery

    The past month has seen some major changes happening over in Hollywood, as the recent Warner Bros. merger with Discovery has resulted in quite a few big changes at the company. Zaslav and his team are reportedly very eager to get the DC brand back on track and use it to its fullest potential. It’s a big priority for them and they want to focus on getting big characters like Superman back on the big screen. Yet another change is coming as Tobey Emmerich will no longer serve as chairman for the studio and some new names look to have already been chosen.

    The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that with the Emmerich‘s exit, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy will step into the role to lead the film division at Warner Bros. Zaslav intends to mold the company into something similar to what Bob Iger did over at Disney, and split the company up with multiple labels like Warner Bros, DC Entertainment, and New Line. The move would be something similar to how Disney operates with Marvel Studios, with Kevin Feige leading the charge.

    Part of De Luca and Abdy‘s deal will provide them access to producing projects under DC Entertainment and to develop the properties. DC is the studio’s biggest priority right now under the new leadership, looking to craft something similar to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Walter Hamada is still expected to remain in his current role as the president of DC films, but will now be actively reporting to De Luca and Abdy as the new studio heads. Since becoming the head of DC films, Hamada has smoothed things out with the brand with its releases since joining in 2018, with a string of hits like Aquaman and The Suicide Squad.

    Emmerich is expected to receive a production deal at the studio following his exit as chairman, so he won’t be going too far.

    Source: THR, The Wrap

  • Isabela Merced Joins Sony’s ’Madame Web’

    Isabela Merced Joins Sony’s ’Madame Web’

    Sony continues to expand its spider web. Isabela Merced has officially joined the cast of Madame Web in an undisclosed role, joining the previously announced Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, and Celeste O’Connor in the upcoming blockbuster. The film is set to be directed by S.J. Clarkson, and is aiming for a release on July 7, 2023. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless have written the script, after a previous attempt from Kerem Sanga.

    This is the third major comic book project Merced has had her name attached to. The actress, best known for her role as Dora the Explorer in 2019’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold, was a finalist for the role of Ratcatcher II in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and contended for a part in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Her credits also include roles in Transformers: The Last Knight and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, as well as a leading part in the forthcoming novel adaptation Turtles All the Way Down. While the nature of her involvement in Madame Web is still unknown, it seems like this is only the next step in a promising young career for Merced.

    The plot of Madame Web is also being kept under wraps, though the character has been described as the closest thing Sony has to Marvel’s Doctor Strange. Traditionally an elderly woman confined to a chair, Web is usually more of a psychic character than a physical one. Although, there have been a few iterations of the spider-themed mentor in the comics. This includes one named Julia Carpenter, who is younger and was once a Spider-Woman. These traits may be closer to what ends up in the final film, if the casting of Johnson is any sort of indicator.

    Source: Deadline