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  • Chris Pine and Fellow Cast In Talks to Return, New ‘Star Trek’ Film Eyeing 2022 Production Start

    Chris Pine and Fellow Cast In Talks to Return, New ‘Star Trek’ Film Eyeing 2022 Production Start

    Against all odds, it seems Chris Pine and the rest of the 2009 Star Trek cast may come aboard for another mission. Deadline is reporting the Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement star and his shipmates are in talks to reprise their roles for the next Trek film, with a production start set for late 2022. Paramount’s reported intention is to bring back Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Uhura, Karl Urban as Dr. Bones McCoy, Simon Pegg as Scotty, and John Cho as Sulu, alongside Pine‘s Captain James T. Kirk.

    If everyone were to return, they’d join a production helmed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman and produced by original series director J.J. Abrams. The most recent draft of the script is being worked on by Josh Freidman and Cameron Squires, based on a draft by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

    Currently, all plot details are being kept a firm secret, but the film will likely continue the adventures established in the prior three installments. The past few years have seen the studio’s Star Trek plans in limbo, with potential projects from filmmakers Quintin Tarantino and Noah Hawley floating in the air after an initial attempt at a fourth film with the original cast fell apart. It was reported at the time that the franchise stalled due to conflict over pay cuts with the movie’s leading cast. Back then, the movie would have been directed by S.J. Clarkson, who went on to take a job leading Sony’s upcoming Madame Webb adaptation.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Already in Development Ahead of Sequel’s Release

    ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Already in Development Ahead of Sequel’s Release

    It looks like Sonic’s big-screen adventures are here to stay. It’s being reported that Paramount Pictures and the Sega Corporation have begun active development on a third film in the franchise, tentatively titled Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The news comes before the upcoming sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, has even hit theaters and was revealed at the Viacom Investor Event alongside the reveal of a Knuckles spin-off series for Paramount+.

    No plot details or casting information has been made available in regards to the threequel, as the project is obviously in its earliest stages of production. Although, it seems likely Ben Schwartz would return as the title character. Haruki Satomi, CEO of Sega Corporation, had the following to say about the announcement:

    We are delighted to announce that the third Sonic theatrical film and the first live action Sonic series for Paramount+ are being actively developed…Sonic has been beloved by fans across the world for over 30 years and we look forward to continuing to bring memorable moments and experiences to them for many years to come.

    Haruki Satomi

    The first Sonic film was a surprise success, dropping in theaters just before the start of the pandemic. It quickly became the top-grossing video game adaptation of all time, making $320 million at the worldwide box office. Sonic and his friends have always inspired a passionate fanbase, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Paramount continued to come up with projects for the characters in the future.

    Sonic the Hedgehog 2 races into theaters on April 8th.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’s First Spinoff Series to Focus on Idris Elba’s Knuckles

    ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’s First Spinoff Series to Focus on Idris Elba’s Knuckles

    There were hints that Paramount was all in on their upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe and they aren’t waiting for the sequel’s release, as they’ve just announced that a third film is in development as well as a spinoff focused on Idris Elba‘s Knuckles, which is heading to Paramount+. It’ll be the first live-action spinoff series and is eyeing a 2023 launch. The wording on this being the “first” is curious and who knows what they might already be actively working on.

    This is quite unexpected, as Knuckles is highlighted primarily as an antagonist in the upcoming film. There’s also the question of what they might be focusing on, such as either taking inspiration from his game spinoff meeting Team Chaotix. Otherwise, we may also use this to explore the Echidna tribe that was heavily focused on in the first film’s opening. Perhaps it’ll set up the next sequel by exploring Master Emerald’s ties to Chaos.

    Who knows how the upcoming third entry will end and it may set up the sequel that’s already eyeing a release next year. If the franchise continues to grow, we may be able to expect more spinoffs in-between cinematic releases. Paramount certainly seems excited about further exploring the franchise if they go out of their way to say Knuckles is the first.

    Source: Deadline

  • Paramount+’s ‘Halo’ Nabs Early Season 2 Renewal

    Paramount+’s ‘Halo’ Nabs Early Season 2 Renewal

    Even after a troubled production timeline that took years to bring this series to life, Paramount+ has given its upcoming Halo adaptation an early Season 2 renewal. The series is currently on course to release on March 24th. While received with some skepticism, there’s a lot of anticipation for this project that brings the Xbox video game classic to life for the streaming service. Brave New World‘s David Wiener is also confirmed to join as executive producer and showrunner, which was hinted at a few weeks ago.

    It’s a surprise that the series got an early renewal given its long and troubled production schedule. The series must’ve been expensive to produce but there’s a lot of belief that it’ll become a tentpole franchise for the streaming service. It makes sense given how popular Halo is as a gaming franchise, and it got some additional momentum after the recent release of Halo Infinite.

    They might also want to make use of everything that was prepared for the first season, especially with Wiener already being considered before an official announcement dropped. So, perhaps talks internally were already underway and it may have depended if the new showrunner would sign on the project. At the rate Paramount is going, who knows if a spinoff series is only a few months away from being announced.

    Source: Variety

  • Latest ‘Batgirl’ Set Photos Offer Best Look Yet at Michael Keaton’s New Batman Suit

    Latest ‘Batgirl’ Set Photos Offer Best Look Yet at Michael Keaton’s New Batman Suit

    A few days ago, we got the first look at Michael Keaton arriving on the set of Batgirl in his Batman costume. Sadly, it was a bit difficult to make out due to it being quite dark and far away. Luckily, it seems that some more photos have found their way online that offer a better look at his updated suit for the HBO Max film. You can check out the images provided by @JTsLeague right here:

    The costume looks great and surprisingly similar to what he wore back in 1998. Even the headpiece seems to follow the same structure, but we won’t know for sure if he can finally tilt his neck until the film releases. There’s always the chance that the fabric being used can replicate the look but also offer some more functionality for Keaton while acting. It’s certainly no longer a rubber suit that needs to be ripped off of him so he can escape it. The biggest addition seems to be the shoulder pads that connect to the cape and the cowl. He did have some in the original but it’s way more pronounced this time around.

    If you look closely, his logo has also been changed slightly. It seems closer to the one he had in the original film and not its sequel, which altered it slightly to be closer to the logo used on most of the promotional material. As we haven’t gotten a good look at his costume in The Flash, it’ll be interesting to see how much they may have changed or adapted between these films to keep his look fresh. No matter what, it looks great and hopefully we get an official look soon.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel Adds 4 More Familiar Faces

    ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel Adds 4 More Familiar Faces

    The upcoming A Christmas Story sequel titled A Christmas Story Christmas – no joke – has added a few more familiar faces, as Zack Ward (Scut Farkus), Ian Petrella (Randy), Scott Schwartz (Flick), and R.D. Robb (Schwartz) have now joined the cast of the upcoming Christmas movie. They’ll continue the storyline quite a few years after the original as an adult Ralphie, played by the returning Peter Billingsley, tries to give his kids the same magical Christmas that he had all these years ago.

    Nick Schenk wrote the project with Clay Kaytis attached to direct the film for Warner Bros. and Legendary. Vince Vaughn is also on board producing it through the Wild West Picture Productions alongside Billingsley. The returning cast highlight how the project aims to build up him reuniting with some old friends and coming to terms with the death of his father.

    It’s noteworthy that this is Petrella‘s first film since he played Randy in the original. So, it’ll be more than just a reunion for the actor. Ward has appeared on the FOX series Titus and in the recent Survive The Game project. R.D. Robb has been focusing primarily on the producing side of the film industry and was involved with Freeform’s Siren. Schwartz went on to appear in The Toy, KIDCO, and in a recurring role on ABC’s The Goldbergs.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Loki’s Kate Herron Interested in Tackling Netflix’s ‘Bioshock’ Adaptation

    ‘Loki’s Kate Herron Interested in Tackling Netflix’s ‘Bioshock’ Adaptation

    Just earlier today, we found out that the long-awaited Bioshock adaptation is finally moving forward as Netflix was the lucky winner to get its hands on the iconic gaming IP. Sadly, the project currently has no writers or directors attached to the project, but it looks like one director is quite interested in the project. In a tweet reaction o the new post by Netflix Geeked, Loki showrunner Kate Heron has thrown her hat into the ring to take on the project.

    https://twitter.com/iamkateherron/status/1493674143883091970

    Given her hand in creating the iconic atmosphere and world of the Time Variance Authority, she’s definitely someone to keep an eye out in the industry right now. As she isn’t returning for the second season of Loki, this would make for a great next project of hers to tackle. The Bioshock adaptation is planned as a film, but there’s also a lot of chance to build multiple projects around it, such as a spinoff series that further explores whatever world they decide to tackle with this project.

    It would be interesting to see how exactly they tackle this adaptation, as there is no necessary need to revisit pre-existing environments. Whoever ends up getting their hand on the project could create their own adaptation, but only require to ensure there’s always a man and a lighthouse. That way, it also isn’t shackled by the expectations of tackling the first game or Infinite. We’ll have to wait and see what heads our way.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Finale Beats Out ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Finale Viewership

    ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Finale Beats Out ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Finale Viewership

    The numbers are in and it looks like eh final episode of The Book of Boba Fett may have beat out its predecessor’s final numbers. Deadline has just shared the first analysis from Samb TV – Disney+ still refuses to release its numbers – that reveals the final episode was watched by 1.5M U.S. households from Wednesday to Sunday. That is 36% higher than the 5-day total from The Mandalorian‘s Season 2.

    Robert Rodriguez‘ directed the episode “In the Name of Honor” was not far from its pilot episode, which opened with 1.7M over the course of five days. It’s pretty in line with what other series have faced, such as Hawkeye dropping from 1.5M in its premiere to 1.3M in its finale. It’s actually quite a stronghold for viewership numbers that may be a benefit from its low episode number. Though the last Marvel show also opened with two episodes, it seems this has been Disney+’s usual trend.

    We still have to keep in mind that this is a 3rd party analysis and doesn’t reflect the exact performance of these series but offers an estimate based on their internal panel. To this day, Loki still holds the best performance on the platform with 1.9M viewers for its finale after also getting the biggest season premiere at 2.5M. Moon Knight recently has been outpacing most Marvel Studios series and could be the next contender for the top spot if it keeps it up until its release on March 30th.

    Source: Deadline

  • Fox Reviving Berkeley Breathed’s ‘Bloom County’ as an Animated Series

    Fox Reviving Berkeley Breathed’s ‘Bloom County’ as an Animated Series

    It looks like the classic comic strip Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed is making a return, but this time as an animated TV series. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Fox is currently working on the project to revive the 1980s classic. It’ll see the return of Steve Dallas, Bill the Cat, Opus the Penguin, and many more characters from the iconic comic strip with the reclusive creator co-writing and executive producing the project alongside Fox Entertainment, Bento Box Entertainment, Miramax, Spyglass MediaGroup, and Project X Entertainment. The announcement also includes the following description for the series:

    Bloom County centers on a collapsed lawyer, a lobotomized cat and a penguin in briefs and fruit headwear living in the world’s last boarding house in the world’s most forgotten place deep in the dandelion wilds of FlyWayWayOver country. To wit, today’s America at a glance

    Keep in mind, this project has not been renewed yet but would end up joining Family Guy and The Simpsons on Fox’s Sunday animated line-up. It seems like a fitting addition that might also mix things up on what they have to offer given its take on satire. It’s great to see them give the classic franchise a revival in this form and it’ll be interesting to see how they tackle his iconic art style in this new adaptation.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Hulu Renews ‘How I Met Your Father’ for a Bigger Season 2

    Hulu Renews ‘How I Met Your Father’ for a Bigger Season 2

    Good news has arrived, as How I Met Your Father is getting a second season on Hulu. The show received mixed reviews on the first 4 episodes, but things have been looking good so far. The newest episodes were great, and Hulu must be happy with the performance thus far to renew it and even add a little extra.

    The second season of the show will be double the episode count of the first, moving up from 10 episodes to 20. Considering the relationship-building needed for a show like this, much less for a successor to How I Met Your Mother, I’m glad the second season is going to get a bit more time to spend with this cast. The character development in the show has been great so far, so a doubled episode count should really help the show.

    How I Met Your Father is a standalone sequel to the acclaimed How I Met Your Mother. The show follows Hilary Duff’s Sophie as she explains the tale to her son of how she came to meet his father and the subsequent love story that follows. Twisting key plot lines and troupes of the original, How I Met Your Father does a lovely job at following the original in new ways. You can catch it on Tuesdays on Hulu.

    Source: Deadline