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  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Production Officially on Hold Until 2022

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Production Officially on Hold Until 2022

    Just a couple of weeks ago, it was reported that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would be halting production while one of the film’s leads, Letitia Wright, recovered from an injury sustained while filming in August. Now, according to a trade report, production has officially paused and will not resume until January.

    The Deadline report indicates that the cast and crew were notified today via a message from Marvel Studios’ top brass. It seems that’s Wright’s injuries will require more time to heal before she can get back to work. With Wright playing a major role in the film, it seems the studio has completed all the principal photography that it can without her and now must allow her to convalesce. The text of the note can be read below:

    As we wind down for the holidays, we wanted to send a note of thanks and appreciation for the hard work of our entire cast and crew, as well as an update on timing. First and foremost, this project is exceptional and something we know audiences are eager to see. We could not be any more excited to complete this film and share it with the world next year. Thank you for everything you’ve done to get us to this place.

    Unfortunately, we’ve not gotten here without a few setbacks. Running a production of this scale in the midst of a pandemic is not an easy task, and you have remained diligent and professional throughout. In addition, as you are all aware, Letitia had a frightening accident on our set during a stunt back in August. It was a reminder of the importance of safety at all times in our work, which we know you understand and are committed to. What we had initially thought were minor injuries turned out to be much more serious with Letitia suffering a critical shoulder fracture, and a concussion with severe side effects. It has been a painful process and Letitia has been home recovering with her doctors and the support of family.

    We’ve adjusted our production schedule so she has the time she needs to heal, but there’s only so much we can do without Shuri! We also want to thank Letitia for everything she’s doing to get back to the set – we know how much she loves this role, how tough it’s been for her to be away, and how hard she’s working to recover as quickly as she safely can. We are eagerly awaiting her return and we know we will all come back stronger together.

    Please be on the lookout for more information on your specific return-to-work date. As of now, we’re on schedule to resume filming – with Letitia – in January 2022. We are all focused on finishing the movie with excellence, honoring the memory of our dear brother Chadwick in the process. We are thrilled to share Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with the world, confident that the challenges that we have overcome together as a team will make the film even more impactful. Please take care of yourselves and enjoy the holidays.

    The film’s release date was recently moved to November 11, 2022 and, according to the report, the production delay is not expected to cause any further shifts to its release.

  • Jared Bush Wanted to Include More Family Members in Disney Stories Even Before ‘Encanto’

    Jared Bush Wanted to Include More Family Members in Disney Stories Even Before ‘Encanto’

    Disney has been hard at work on the next animated project with Encanto. While it still has a lead character, the adventure this time around is all about family. So, instead of a small group of characters, we the next animated Disney film. If you compare with previous films, they always focused primarily on a lead with one or two supporting characters that helped her on her journey. The next project might be the first to have the family as an active part of the story, but it seems directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard have played with the idea for some time.

    I mean, literally, from day one, we knew we wanted to tell a story with an extended family. […] We’ve tried many times to like: “Maybe there should be more family members.” And ultimately you’re like, “Nah, there’s just one person.”

    Jared Bush

    Jared goes on to compare it when he worked on Moana. Yes, her family played a role in the story but ultimately it was her “going on a boat, that’s just by herself.” He even highlights how they used their own family as inspiration when trying to think of the archetypes after finally committing to the idea.

    Who are these people gonna be? So early on, all of our research was really our own families. And we found these archetypes. Whether it’s, you know, like the black sheep of the family, or the golden child, or the responsible one, or the Mom, who heals with food. All of these things felt very familiar to us, and very relatable.

    Jared Bush

    They used that familiarity to build the Madrigal family and it was the voice actors that would then bring them fully to life. It’s always great to see how ideas that somehow ended up getting pushed back still find their way into a project. Plus, adding the special abilities of the family, which they decided on relatively fast based on the archetypes the family member represents, gave everyone a unique role within the story. It makes you wonder how many other ideas never made it into a previous project but might get to see the light of day sometime in the future.

  • ‘One Piece: Red’ Film Leaks Ahead of Announcement

    ‘One Piece: Red’ Film Leaks Ahead of Announcement

    While all eyes have been on the upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece, the franchise is preparing for a big milestone with its 1000th episode just around the corner. So, many expected some announcements around that very milestone and it seems that we got our first tease of the next One Piece film. A logo has found its way online confirming the title of the next one being One Piece: Red with some very familiar marks in the D. It’ll be the 15th entry in the movie franchise that follows up on 2019’s Stampede. The next entry is eyeing an August 6th release with manga creator Eiichiro Oda’s official statement also finding its way online early.

    @ScotchInformer also provided a rough translation of Oda’s message for the film announcement:

    We’re making a movie!! I’m tired of drawing Old Men! Let me draw female character! The current character we’re working on it is like that! And that was the beginning. Did you know that the director Taniguchi Goro, who is standing opposite to the work of One Piece was actually the first person in the world to make Luffy into an anime? Now, we’ve got some news that’ll really surprise you coming up. The new movie, “RED”!! Please look forward to it as you imagine what it’ll be like!!

    There’s also a tease of the “female character” referenced in the message that is highlighted in a banner alongside the upcoming film’s logo.

    Image

    the mentioned Goro Taniguchi is directing the film with Kuroiwa Tsutomu writing the script. Oda, of course, is acting as a supervisor and producer on the series. It seems that part of these leaks was found in the source code of the official website potentially.

    There are quite a few theories that a Shanks-centric film might be canon to the story filling in a gap while the Straw Hat pirates are busy on Wano. It’s uncertain when the current arc in the manga might end, but with the August release, there’s enough time to set up Shank’s upcoming role in the story. He’s been teased quite a bit (especially in episode 955). It’s crazy to think he’s been around since the first chapter but has a very minor role so far in the story. As the series might be nearing its end, it makes sense that he would make his move soon. It’ll be interesting to see if this film explores Shank’s story, or if it involves our favorite pirates in some capacity.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter (Translation), Twitter, Twitter

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Is a “Giddy Mixture” of Marvel and Raimi’s Style

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Is a “Giddy Mixture” of Marvel and Raimi’s Style

    As soon as Sam Raimi took over directing duties from Scott Derrickson for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, many wondered what it might mean for the film. Not only is Raimi‘s Spider-Man film what kicked off the superhero boom alongside Blade, but he’s also quite famous for his work on horror films. As the Doctor strange sequel was teased frequently as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first horror story.

    So, he is the perfect choice to join the project to bring his flair from films like Evil Dead or Drag Me to Hell. There were some concerns that his directorial style might take a backseat for the overarching universe building, but actor Benedict Cumberbatch may have offered a tease of what’s to come.

    You have to wait and see. There’s a lot of Marvel and there’s a lot of Raimi as well. Raimi fans will hopefully not be disappointed. It’s a very giddy mixture, actually. And I think it’s, it’s a riot and it will live up to its title, a multiverse of madness for sure

    It certainly sounds like it’ll bring together the best of both worlds. The post-credit sequence from WandaVision made many questions if it was directed by Raimi due to the use of the camera chasing towards Wanda’s little cabin. There’s something iconic about his use of the camera and might make the horror elements in this multiversal storyline stand out even more. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the first trailer and a hint at what to expect.

    Source: The Playlist

  • Scarlett Johansson Working On A Top-Secret Project With Marvel Studios

    Scarlett Johansson Working On A Top-Secret Project With Marvel Studios

    It has looked fairly certain that Scarlett Johansson wouldn’t be working with Marvel Studios again anytime soon. Her version of Natasha Romanoff met her end in Avengers: Endgame and Black Widow recently released on Disney+. There are also others to continue the stories of the Widows and the Red Room. Variants of Natasha were introduced in What If…? and Yelena Belova suggested she would free the rest of the Widows across the world. So it comes as a surprise that Johansson is working on a top-secret Marvel Studios project already. 

    An awards ceremony seems the least likely place to hear of a new Marvel Studios project. The 35th American Cinematheque Award where Scarlett Johansson’s contribution and engagement in the industry was where this news was revealed. During a speech, Kevin Feige honored “Marvel Studios’ first and longest-running female hero.” He also praised Johansson’s producer skills saying she was the “first time an actor had also worked as a producer.” Towards the end of his remarks Feige revealed a bit of fun secret we can speculate on:

    “We already are working with Scarlett on non-Black Widow-related top-secret Marvel Studios project.”

    Kevin Feige

    So what is the project Marvel Studios and Scarlett Johansson are already working on? Feige noted it wasn’t a Black Widow-related project, though he could be referring in shorthand to Johansson’s Romanoff specifically. Deadline has reported Johansson will have a producing role on the upcoming project. Having produced Black Widow, it could be related to any of the characters in that film including Red Guardian, Melina Vostokoff, or Taskmaster. Maybe it could also be a Thunderbolts project involving Yelena Belova. It could potentially be an A-Force project, with Natasha almost certain not to be involved if that project went ahead. It’s exciting to think about the possibilities, given the small amount of information we have! 

    Sources: YouTube, Deadline

  • J.R. Ramirez Teases Start of Production on ‘Manifest’ Season 4

    J.R. Ramirez Teases Start of Production on ‘Manifest’ Season 4

    The hit series Manifest is back in business.

    After being canceled by NBC over the Summer, Netflix gave the series a second life when it picked up the show for a fourth and final season. As we previously teased, production on the fan-favorite series kicked off today. The news was confirmed by one of the show’s leading actors, J.R. Ramirez in a post on Instagram.

    When Manifest was canceled by NBC in July, the series was being shopped around, however, it seemed uncertain it would find another home. After all, Netflix initially passed on the show. However, as viewers continued to stream the series on the streaming service, the streamer retracted its initial decision. Ironically, Netflix had to beat out NBC to renew the show for Season 4.

    Needless to say, it has been quite the journey for the cast and crew. Something Ramirez acknowledges. In his post, the actor talked about what it was like to return to the stages today. “Walking through the stages this am… Just felt different. I’ve been working in this business for almost two decades now and I know to land a team of Cast n Crew that is as Collaborative, Dedicated and in my opinion (Most Importantly) “Ego Checked” as these Beautifully Talented Humans are… well it RARELY happens,” he writers. “It’s only day one and you can already feel the Level of Appreciation this group has for the Magical Ride that is Manifest! But let’s keep it real… The reality is ALL of This Magic is happening because of YOU guys! You guys made this happen! We Love You. Can’t wait for you to see how it all comes together.”

    A release date for Season 4 of Manifest is not yet known. However, fans can rest easy knowing Season 4 is, finally, happening.

    Source: Instagram

  • Netflix Reviving Blockbuster Video as a Workplace Comedy With Randall Park

    Netflix Reviving Blockbuster Video as a Workplace Comedy With Randall Park

    It looks like Netflix has set their sight on a new series that got passed on by NBC again, as Randall Park will bring a workplace comedy to life all about the popular Blockbuster Video rental store from the United States. It is given a direct-to-series order of 10-episodes. Vanessa Ramos is writing the project. She has worked on quite a few popular series including Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She’ll be joined by David Caspe and Jackie Clarke. Ramos shared the following:

    To say getting to make a show about a place I love, with my friends Jackie and David, and Randall Park as our star is a dream come true, somehow feels like an understatement. I could not be more grateful to Jim [Donnelly] and Megan [Macmillan] at Universal for supporting this project since day one and Tracey, Andy [Weil], and the whole team at Netflix for being on board with so many weird jokes.

    Vanessa Ramos

    The series will explore the life of the last Blockbuster Video that is trying to stay alive against all odds. It’s actually been developing for NBC since earlier this year but they passed on the project. It’s a reunion for Netflix’s Tracey Pakosta, who has worked with almost everyone involved in the project, as she also helped develop Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It sounds like a great idea and will make a great addition to Netflix’s ever-growing library of shows and films.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • REPORT: ‘Ahsoka’ Eyeing Spring 2023 Release on Disney+

    REPORT: ‘Ahsoka’ Eyeing Spring 2023 Release on Disney+

    Star Wars was quite the no-show during this year’s Disney+ Day. While Marvel and Pixar got their own 2021 special, the franchise of a galaxy far far away only had a brief tease of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. They already released The Book of Boba Fett trailer ahead of the celebrations. So, it left us wondering about all the other projects. Luckily, Bespin Bulletin might offer us at least some insight into what the plan is with The Mandalorian spinoff, Ahsoka and it looks like we might have a time window for its release.

    According to their sources, it seems that the series is planning a production that lasts until the fall of 2022. With that time window, the series is currently eyeing a 2023 spring release. It also seems that The Acolyte is eyeing a similar release window and will join in 2023. It’s uncertain if they’re the only series to the eye that year, as there are some uncertainties about what other projects might enter production due to nothing new getting announced.

    They go on to include a March 2022 production start according to Production Weekly. So, it would certainly manage the release window in 2023, as the fall production end would offer enough time to also finish up post-production work. Here’s hoping that we get a bit more information on what the future of Disney+ has in store for Star Wars.

    Source: Bespin Bulletin

  • Matthew Lillard Voicing Ultra Instinct Shaggy in ‘Multiversus’

    Matthew Lillard Voicing Ultra Instinct Shaggy in ‘Multiversus’

    Okay, he’s technically not called Ultra Instinct Shaggy but going by the initial trailer they are embracing the long-running joke. Still, it’s great to see Matthew Lillard continue his work as the popular Scooby-Doo character. After playing the character in the 2002 live-action version, he went on to become a mainstay in the franchise voicing him throughout most of the animated projects.

    He was only noticeably absent in the animated movie SCOOB! where Will Forte took over the role. Well, he’s returning for the role in the new Warner Bros. Super Smash Bros. clone titled MultiVersus. They announced his return as the character in a new tweet.

    They’ve added quite a few recognizable voices for the game, such as Maisie Williams returning to voice Arya Stark in the game. They even brought back other iconic voice actors to replay their roles from animated projects like Batman: The Animated Series, Steven Universe, and Adventure Time. The addition of Shaggy is a great touch given the long-running jokes about him secretly being the most powerful character across the multiverse.

    They even recently referenced the ongoing joke in Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms. The franchise’s mascot Scorpion suddenly gets grabbed by an empowered Shaggy with an aura around him and Scooby before they are hidden away by the Warner Bros. logo once again. It’s been a joke for quite some time and it’s great to see the company embrace it.

    Source: Twitter

  • Valkyrie, Namor Joining Jason Aaron’s Avengers Ahead of 2022 MCU Appearances

    Valkyrie, Namor Joining Jason Aaron’s Avengers Ahead of 2022 MCU Appearances

    The current Avengers comic run written by Jason Aaron has been pretty blatant in terms of focusing on characters that are either gaining new relevance in the movie side of things or that are straight-up joining the MCU in the coming months. After devoting arcs to the Celestials (and introducing a new Avengers HQ similar to the one the MCU might get to in a few movies’ time), Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Echo, Blade, and She-Hulk (all of which are soon to be the focus of their own TV series or movie) we are now getting word that the series is focusing on both Namor and Valkyrie as the duo are joining Marvel’s core Avengers team in 2022.

    The current head Valkyrie in the comics is no other than Jane Foster, a former Thor (an arc also written by Aaron and that is a major inspiration for the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder) that has had a new part to play in the comics for some time now. As for Namor, he’s known for showing up now and then in the series but is now becoming a full-fledged member as he reunites with his long-time nemesis, Black Panther, in what is another interesting comic-to-movie connection.

    These are interesting news in what the comics are concerned, but they can also mean something towards the future of the MCU. Ever since Kevin Feige was named Chief Creative Officer for Marvel Comics, Marvel Television, and Marvel Animation in October 2019, in addition to being President of Marvel Studios, you now can sometimes catch glimpses of what some MCU projects might be focusing on down the line by reading up on the latest issues. This was something that had already been going on for a while, but it was with Feige’s formal appointment that it likely became a more reliable reality.

    Avengers #53 will be available on February 9, 2022