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  • ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and ‘Black Widow’ Scribe to Take Over Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and ‘Black Widow’ Scribe to Take Over Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    The road to getting Marvel Studios’ Blade into production has been more nightmarish than facing off with a pack of vampires. First announced at SDCC ’19, the film has struggled mightily to get off the ground. Originally set to be penned by the Emmy-nominated Stacy Osei-Kuffour, directed by Bassam Tariq and in theaters on November 3, 2023, Blade has seen more turnover on its creative staff than any project in Marvel Studios’ history and will almost certainly not make its latest release date of November 7, 2025. Now on the hunt to replace Tariq’s replacement, Yann Demange, the project has also hired a new writer to take over the screenplay and this time, it’s one the studio has collaborated with frequently.

    According to Variety, Eric Pearson has taken over screenwriting duties for Blade, following Logan writer Michael Green–among others–in that task.

    First breaking in as the writer of several of Marvel Studios’ One-Shots, Pearson has worked with the studio on Thor: Ragnarok, Black Widow, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four. According to the trade report, the powers that be at the studio see Pearson as “ a closer who can bring scripts over the finish line.” In the case of Blade, perhaps just getting to the starting line would represent growth.

    Marvel Studios’ Blade is currently as real as vampires and its release date cannot be seen in a mirror.

    Source: Variety

  • Star Wars Creative Grand Admiral Provides Positive Update on Season 2 of ‘Ahsoka’

    Star Wars Creative Grand Admiral Provides Positive Update on Season 2 of ‘Ahsoka’

    Dave Filoni’s new role as Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm certainly keeps him quite busy. The role allows Filoni to be “involved at the inception phase” and “help [Lucasfilm creative teams] tell the best story that they want to tell.” If that were all Filoni was doing with his time, he would find himself with a full plate; however, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars creator also has many more stories of his own he’d like to tell in the best way possible, including more chapters in the lives of some of his most beloved creations.

    Among those creations, it’s clear that Ahsoka Tano has carved out a large place in Filoni’s heart. Her story has been carefully curated over more than 15 years, including headline her own Disney Plus series in 2023. While the finale of Season 1 saw the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker stranded on the extragalactic planet Peridea, far away from her home galaxy, it still ended on a hopeful note and with a very clear indication that Season 2 was right around the corner. In January 2024, Lucasfilm made it official, announcing that a second season of Ahsoka was in development under the watch of Filoni. Not much has been said of the project since but recently, in an interview with Josh Horowitz, Filoni gave an encouraging update on the sophomore season.

    When asked by Horowitz if Filoni had produced a script for his live-action, New Republic-era film (which was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023), the CCO indicated that Season 2 of Ahsoka was taking up the bulk of his time. “Because I’ve been writing [Ahsoka Season 2], things have clicked and I have a much better idea about where things are going to go,” explained Filoni, before teasing his film a bit by saying, “I will say, I have an opening I really like quite a bit, I’m very excited about it for that picture. I’m excited about the potential of just doing it.”

    “Right now, my focus is clearly on [Ahsoka]” said Filoni before adding, “as well as the rest of the galaxy and how it’s spinning.” The rest of that galaxy currently consists of projects such as The Mandalorian & Grogu (which Filoni said has been “fun to dive into“), Daisy Ridley’s New Jedi Order-era film and James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi-era film, which has been described as a “biblical epic” about the “first Jedi to wield the Force.” Of course, like with any studio, there are also multiple projects at different stages of production about which nothing is known which will also take up part of Filoni’s time; however, it seems clear that the future of Star Wars is in great hands with Filoni leading the way for a new generation of stories and storytellers.

  • The Hierarchy of Power in the MCU Is About to Change (?): Dwayne Johnson Is in Business with the House of Mouse

    The Hierarchy of Power in the MCU Is About to Change (?): Dwayne Johnson Is in Business with the House of Mouse

    The Rock is cooking…and while we can’t quite smell just exactly what it is he’s cooking quite yet, it’s likely to be something special. Through his Seven Bucks Production company, The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment has struck a first-look deal with Disney that will see The People’s Champ develop films for both theatrical and streaming release.

    The agreement cements what’s been more or less a handshake deal between the Seven Bucks and Disney for quite some time. Dwayne Johnson has starred in several Disney films including 2021’s Jungle Cruise and has been leading the promotional charge for Moana 2 as it prepares for its November theatrical release. Johnson’s deal provides the marketable star the opportunity to collaborate with all of Disney’s major studios, including Marvel and Lucasfilm.

    The move is the latest in a series that has seen Johnson grow his brand to unimaginable heights. Johnson spun a successful pro wrestling career into an even more successful acting career and has become a social media icon. The actor has his own tequila label, his own energy drink, his own line of men’s skincare and is part owner of the UFL. Following the major restructuring of Warner Bros. plans with DC Comics characters–which no longer included Black Adam–Johnson now finds himself back in the market for another comic book movie. Interestingly enough, a recent rumor had Johnson in the running for one of the X-Men’s most formidable adversaries, Apocalypse, though no further word has come of that since. While there’s no word just yet on what Johson will tackle first, it’s hard to imagine the star doesn’t have something in mind that would see him move into one of Disney’s major brands fairly quickly.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Funko Box Confirms Multiple Variants Set to Appear

    ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Funko Box Confirms Multiple Variants Set to Appear

    As seen in Loki, Marvel Studios’ infinite Multiverse allows for infinite variations of characters to exist. Old Man Loki, Alligator Loki and all the other Lokis gave fans a taste of just how wild and diverse Variants can be throughout the MCU’s Multiverse but as it turns out, an alligator Variant of Loki is nowhere near the most ridiculous twist on an MCU character fans will meet.

    Deadpool & Wolverine is set to take full advantage of the Multiverse, introducing not only a new Variant of Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine but also multiple absurd and comic-accurate Deadpool Variants that have been revealed via marketing and promo art. While none of the Variants’ names were included with the art, fams used their comic book knowledge to predict the names of the Variants of the Deadpool Corps. Now, thanks to Funko packaging, fans can check their predictions against the answer key.

    “Correct.”

    -Kevin Feige when asked if Hugh Jackman was playing an all-new, all-different and previously unseen version of Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine

    As most had already assumed, Babypool, Kidpool and Headpool at the names of the Variants who will join Dogpool, Logan and Wade in their fight to save… whatever it is they’re saving. While these are certainly not the only Variants fans will meet in Deadpool & Wolverine, they will likely stand among the most outlandish.

    Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th.

  • ‘Blade’ Now Hunting for a New Director

    ‘Blade’ Now Hunting for a New Director

    Nearing the five-year mark since Marvel Studios’ One Above All, Kevin Feige, surprised the crowd at SDCC ’19 by bringing Mahershala Ali on stage to announce a Blade reboot was in the works. It may be another five years before the vampire film sees the light of day. The film has been delayed multiple times as original director Bassam Tariq left the film in 2022 and at least five different writers have taken a turn on the script after original scribe Stacey Osei-Koffour parted ways with the project. Now, the project has taken yet another stake to the heart.

    According to a new report from THR’s Borys Kit and Aaron Couch, director Yann Demange, who took over for Tariq, has exited the project.

    According to THR, Marvel Studios and Ali remain committed to bringing Blade to the screen but given all the delays, they are in no rush. Though Michael Green was the latest reported scribe to give Blade a pass, THR reports that Marvel’s finisher, Eric Pearson, has taken a cup of coffee on the film.

    Currently slated to hit theaters on November 7, 2025, Blade could be one of the first casualties of the studio’s mandate to cut back on the number of projects released per year. While it was expected to enter production this Fall, there’s no telling how long a search for a new director may take which could see the film move to 2026.

    Source: THR

  • Danny McBride Rumored to Be Attached to a DC Studios Max Series

    Danny McBride Rumored to Be Attached to a DC Studios Max Series

    A year and a half after James Gunn and Peter Safran gave fans the first glimpse of DC Studios’ upcoming slate, most of the projects on the list have begun to take shape. Superman will complete production this summer and cameras are set to roll on Supergirl: Woman of  Tomorrow this Fall, giving fans a double dose of El to bring the all-new, all-different DCU to theaters in 2025 and 2026.

    Plenty of stories will be told through streaming series, as well, beginning this December when the animted Creature Commandos launches DC Studios’ Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Damon Lindelof, Chris Mindy and Tom King are working on putting together a pilot script for Lanterns, a terrestrial-based investigation story featuring Hal Jordan and John Stewart. And now, another the creative team behind another streaming series may be assembling.

    According to a report from Nexus Point News, the studio has brought in a team headlined by Danny McBride to write the Max series Booster Gold.

    According to the reports, McBride will team up with John Carcieri and Jeff Fradley for the gig. The trio have not only a long history of working together but also with HBO, having collaborated with the studio on the hit series Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones. Should the report prove true, the only question remaining will be what role they write for Walton Goggins.

    Described as an “outright comedy” by James Gunn, Booster Gold will tell the story of Michael Jon Carter, “a loser from the future who uses his basic future technology to come back to today to pretend to be a superhero.” While the studio has not yet cast an actor for Carter, Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You and Hitman actor Glen Powell has become a popular choice for the role among fans.

    Source: Nexus Point News

  • ‘Creature Commandos’: DC Studios Sets a Launch Date for the Animated Adventure

    ‘Creature Commandos’: DC Studios Sets a Launch Date for the Animated Adventure

    The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is underway in Annency, France and while it’s not typically one that receives a lot of coverage during the summer convention circuit, this year it’s delivered some breaking news.

    As has been known for some time, the animated series Creature Commandos will serve as the official launch of the all-new, all-different DCU. While the project has its own panel planned for Friday, it was revealed today that the series is set to stream on Max in December.

    https://twitter.com/MidouMir/status/1800901691518451755?t=01Ttp-F2HZirhoyuLSq4wA&s=19

    James Gunn and Peter Safran are taking a unique approach to the DCU, signing up talent to flesh out their characters across all genres including video games, animation and live-action. For example, Frank Grillo, who originally joined the DCU as the voice of Rick Flag Sr., was recently announced as part of the cast of Season 2 of Peacemaker, where he will bring Flag Sr. into live-action.

    With The Penguin set for a September release and, now, Creature Commandos headed to Max in December, DC Studios’ new slate is starting to take shape and Max will continue to play a large part in it.

  • Marvel Studios Big Horror Crossover Project Gets an Encouraging Update

    Marvel Studios Big Horror Crossover Project Gets an Encouraging Update

    In 2022, Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation Werewolf By Night was an unmitigated success. Michael Giacchino‘s 53-minute black-and-white feature paid homage to Universal’s classic horror films and opened the door for monsters to make their way into the MCU. However, nearly two years later, the studio has yet to follow up on that premise despite having a hotly anticipated film in the genre, Blade, in the works since 2019. Beset by a worrying inability to put together a script good enough to get the project up and running, a change in directors and the 2023 Hollywood writers’ strike, Blade has been delayed again and again, though it sounds like production will finally kick off later this year.

    Despite the delays to Blade, rumors have persisted for some time that the studios was already developing a follow-up project, Midnight Sons, that would see the Daywalker team up with the cast of characters from Werewolf By Night, Moon Knight and, possibly, Ghost Rider to take a major supernatural threat. While it was originally rumored that Marvel Studios was hoping to reteam with Giacchino on the project, other names, such as Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez, have also been tossed into the mix. Despite all the rumors, however, the project has yet to be mentioned by either the studio or a trade and until that happens, it’s best to let rumors be rumors no matter how interesting they may be. On that note, a new rumor about the project has popped up that, if true, could suggest Midnight Sons is on the fast track to the big screen.

    According to Nexus Point News, Logan and Blade Runner 2049 scribe Michael Green—who took over writing duties on Blade in 2023–has agreed to write the screenplay for Midnight Sons.

    Green’s impressive resume includes quite a few superhero properties in addition to Blade and Logan. Though he has the misfortune of having 2011’s Green Lantern on his filmography, he also worked on Smallville and Heroes in addition to writing for DC Comics. While we wait for anything official about Midnight Sons to come down from the studio (that COULD happen this summer during the convention circuit) we’ll continue to monitor the more interesting rumors about the project.

    Source: Nexus Point News

  • Netflix No Longer Moving Forward With ‘Power Rangers’ Series

    Netflix No Longer Moving Forward With ‘Power Rangers’ Series

    Sadly, it seems like one of my personal fan-favorite franchises is no longer moving forward. After 2 years of investment, it appears that Netflix has decided no longer to start moving forward with a new Power Rangers TV series. Jenny Klein was attached as showrunner with Jonathan Entwistle set to overview an entire “cinematic universe” for the streamer.

    Sadly, no reasons are given as to why exactly Netflix is no longer moving forward with the franchise. TVLine claims that Hasbro Entertainment is interested in taking the series into a new creative direction (heavy considering they invested two years into this vision to begin with) and is looking for a new partner.

    It should be noted that there’s no mention of Klein and Entwistle. So, we don’t know if they are still attached as part of this new creative direction. The positive aspect to this is that the franchise has a bit of a higher chance for a longer runtime given Netflix’s track record but it also opens up the question if it even finds a new home. For now, we can just keep an eye open for any updates on this cinematic universe.

    Source: TVLine

  • ‘The Penguin’: HBO CEO Reveals When ‘The Batman’ Spinoff Will Hit Max

    ‘The Penguin’: HBO CEO Reveals When ‘The Batman’ Spinoff Will Hit Max

    As fans sort through the latest rumors about what’s happening over in Matt Reeves‘ DC Elseworlds universe, one of the director’s spinoff projects has long been expected to stream this year. The Penguin, which will see Colin Farrell reprise the role of Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, was previously reported to make a Fall 2024 debut on Max but with Fall not too far away, fans have been hoping for some more concrete details. Now they have them.

    While discussing the future slate of HBO’s streaming service, Max, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, Casey Bloys, revealed that The Penguin will begin streaming in September.

    Just like ‘Peacemaker’ came out of James Gunn’s ‘Suicide Squad,’ it’s a really good example of what you can do. That”ll be in September.

    -Casey Bloys

    Bloys views Max as a perfect platform for the IPs the company has access to through their deal with Warner Bros., which includes access to the rich history of stories and charcters at DC Comics. “One of the advantages that I think we have as a company, putting aside HBO for a second, is all the Warner Bros. IP. So after ‘House of the Dragon,’ the next big tentpole series that we have coming up will be the ‘Penguin’ with Colin Farrell,” said Bloys. “That is coming out of Matt Reeves’ The Batman and it’s fantastic.“

    The streaming service is known to be a a large part of the plans for the new DCU with shows such as Creature Commandos and Lanterns set to tell stories as part of DC Studios’ main continuity. It’s also been made clear that Reeves’ Gotham-verse will be allowed to continue to expand via Max though as a series of Elseworlds tales.

    Source: Variety