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Tag: Movie News

  • ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Rounds Out Cast With Fionnula Flanagan and 10 More

    ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Rounds Out Cast With Fionnula Flanagan and 10 More

    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel that will follow 18-year-old Cornelius Snow in the 10th Annual Hunger Games, has added eleven actors to its roster. Tony Award nominee Fionnula Flanagan, as well as Isobel Jesper Jones, Flora Li Thiemann, Honor Gillies, Eike Onyambu, Konstantin Taffet, Burn Gorman, Scott Folan, Carl Spencer, Michael Greco, and Daniela Grubert have joined the cast.

    The film is led by Tom Blyth, who will play a young Coriolanus Snow, and Rachel Zegler, who plays tribute Lucy Gray Baird from the impoverished District 12. Other announced stars include Josh Andrés Rivera, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Jerome Lance, Ashley Liao, Knox Gibson, Mackenzie Lansing, Aamer Husain, Nick Benson, Laurel Marsden, Lilly Cooper, Luna Steeples, Hiroki Berrecloth, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis.

    Flanagan has signed on to play Grandma’am, young Coriolanus Snow’s strict grandmother. Jones will play Mayfair Lipp, the daughter of the mayor of District 12. Thiemann will portray Livia Carden, mentor to a tribute from District 1. Meanwhile, Gillies, Onyambu, and Taffet have all signed on as Barb Azure, Tam Amber, and Clerk Carmine – members of the Convey, a group of nomads in District 12. Additionally, Gorman, Folan, and Spencer will be portraying Commander Hoff, Beanpole, and Smiley – Peacekeepers sent by the Capitol to District 12. Lastly, Greco and Grubert are set to portray Strabo Plinth and Mrs. Plinth, wealthy parents to Sejanus Plinth, Coriolanus’s best friend.

    The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was written by Hunger Games writer Suzanne Collins and was published in 2020. The book is set 64 years before the events of the Hunger Games. The film is directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed the franchise’s Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part One, and Mockingjay Part Two. The most recent screenplay for the film has been developed by Michael Lesslie and the film is currently set to be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • Orlando Bloom Joins Playstation’s ‘Gran Turismo’ Movie

    Orlando Bloom Joins Playstation’s ‘Gran Turismo’ Movie

    Playstation Studios is kicking it into high gear with its many adaptions of beloved game franchises from its library. Spread amongst an array of different platforms, which includes films and television shows, fans will get to experience some of their favorite projects all over again. Quite recently the development of Sony’s live-action Gran Turismo film has made a lot of progress. It has recently begun to get its cast together, recently adding Stranger Things actor David Harbour in a leading role.

    The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively revealed that the film has found its next star in Orlando Bloom, who’ll be jumping into the passenger seat. The film is set to follow Harbour as a retired racer who begins to teach a young teen, played by See actor Archie Madekwe, how to drive. Bloom is set to play an eager marketing exec set on selling racing as a sport.

    The film is set to be directed by Neill Blomkamp whose best known for his work on District 9, Chappie, and Elysium with a script from Jason Hall and Zach Baylin. The project is based on a true story in which a teenage Gran Turismo player used his skills to win a series of Nissan racing competitions and went on to become a professional racecar driver.

    No other casting on the project has been announced but filming is set to begin sometime next week in Europe with an August 11th, 2023 release date currently in place for the project.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • RUMOR: ‘Shang-Chi’ Sequel Eyeing Early 2025 Release

    RUMOR: ‘Shang-Chi’ Sequel Eyeing Early 2025 Release

    There’s been a lot of rumors making the rounds before San Diego Comic-Con and D23 gave us a tease of what’s to come. Among them was the hint that we’d get the announcement for a Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings sequel that was surprisingly never revealed. We did find out its direct Daniel Destin Cretton will be tackling the next Avengers movie titled The Kang Dynasty, but it seems he may be getting busier than expected.

    According to a new Reddit rumor as shared by The Direct, it seems that Shang-Chi is getting a sequel and is likely eyeing a 2025 release window. It is even surprisingly more exact with February 15th as the potential release window. Of course, we still have to take this with a grain of salt but given the first film’s success, a sequel seems like a no-brainer, especially if Cretton proved himself enough to take on an Avengers movie.

    It looks like he’ll be quite a bit busier in the near future, especially with him also producing an adaptation of Wonder Man for Disney+. Of course, there’s no clear news if that series is also set to release ahead of the new Avengers films, or perhaps it might be something that takes place afterward.

    There are a lot of possibilities and there’s a question about how the director might tackle the production; there’s a chance they might be currently mapping out the next few years for the director and it’ll be interesting to see if Kang might even have a role in the Shang-Chi sequel potentially.

    Source: Reddit via The Direct

  • Paul Greengrass to Adapt Stephen King’s ‘Fairy Tale’

    Paul Greengrass to Adapt Stephen King’s ‘Fairy Tale’

    That headline seems like something out of a fairy tale but Deadline has reported that Paul Greengrass is indeed set to not only adapt Stephen King‘s latest bestselling novel Fairy Tale, but it seems he’s also going to produce and direct the project. It seems that King is actually a big fan of Greengrass, which led to him getting his hands on the project. The director had the following to say on the project:

    Fairy Tale is a work of genius. A classic adventure story and also a disturbing contemporary allegory.

    Paul Greengrass

    He’ll direct a story about a young 17-year-old boy who ends up inheriting keys to a world where good and evil are constantly at war. Of course,e as you may guess, this fairy tale world may potentially threaten our world just as much as its own. The film has no home yet but it seems that quite a few studios and streamers are interested in getting their hands on the project.

    Stephen King adaptations have seen a new resurgence after the success of It. Netflix has become quite popular as a home for various adaptations such as 1922 and Gerald’s Game. So, they may be a frontrunner to potentially get their hands on the project but it does seem like a high-fantasy series worthy of a theatrical release.

    Source: Deadline

  • Neil Blomkamp’s ‘Gran Turismo’ Adds Archie Madekwe to Star Opposite David Harbour

    Neil Blomkamp’s ‘Gran Turismo’ Adds Archie Madekwe to Star Opposite David Harbour

    It looks like Neil Blomkamp‘s upcoming live-action adaptation of the popular Sony gaming franchise Gran Turismo is truly turning into high gear. Not only did it recently add David Harbour in the main role, but it also has now cast Archie Madekwe of Apple TV+’s See fame in a major role. It’s a big step forward for the actor’s career as there’s a lot of hope to build up a big franchise with this adaptation.

    It seems he’ll take on the role of the driver in this feature film, which means he’s taking on the main role while Harbour will be an old driver that teaches him how he should dominate the race tracks. With Gran Turismo‘s focus on being a driving simulator, there’s no exact word which driving sport will be at the focus or if they might explore his rise to fame throughout different types.

    The film is based on a script by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin with PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Career Swan in producing roles. They are also joined by Doug Belgrad and Dana Brunetti. It seems that production may already start next week which gives Harbour enough time to work on the project before he potentially starts getting ready for his return as Red Guardian in Thunderbolts.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • BREAKING: Marvel Studios Title Pushed 7 Months

    BREAKING: Marvel Studios Title Pushed 7 Months

    After news of the Untitled Marvel Studios film set for February 16th, 2024 failed to come out of either SDCC ’22 or D23, fans began to wonder about the fate of the film. Today, the official word from Disney ended that speculation. The film has now been pushed to September 6, 2024.

    It certainly adds some speculation on what this project may have been. Of course, with quite a few films in some form of production, there are a lot of options to choose from. The good thing is that this is a sign that they are giving productions the time they need instead of forcing something to get rushed out with that initial release date.

    While some feel like Marvel sticks very strictly to its announced release schedules, they have made quite a few shifts throughout the years to adapt however the project needed it. The question of course remains if this is a project that is still being worked out and requires more time as a result. We might never truly know but there’s still some time before they’ll further announce whatever projects they have mapped out in Phase 6 beyond Fantastic Four.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Rogue Squadron’ Removed From Lucasfilm’s Slate

    ‘Rogue Squadron’ Removed From Lucasfilm’s Slate

    The writing has been on the wall for some time. Star Wars Celebration and D23 came and went with no news of the Star Wars spinoff, Rogue Squadron, and now official news comes from Disney that it has been removed from its targeted date and the release schedule entirely.

    The removal of Rogue Squadron from Disney’s schedule shouldn’t be too surprising, of course. Nearly a year ago, it was reported that Jenkins was putting the film on the backburner, confirming it would not enter production this year for a 2023 release date. The project was originally unveiled during an investor’s call in 2020. The studio and Jenkins even unveiled a teaser video with Jenkins teasing her excitement over a project she had hoped to be “the greatest fighter pilot movie ever made.”

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is currently unknown whether or not Disney and/or Jenkins will return to Rogue Squadron at a future date. Matthew Robinson, who co-wrote The Invention of Lying, was announced as the film’s writer in 2021. It is currently unclear if Robinson will remain on board should the film move forward once again.

    Source: THR.

  • Disney Shifts Future Film Slate

    Disney Shifts Future Film Slate

    The wave of Disney pushing back release dates for theatrical projects continues even with the gradual decline of the pandemic. It has officially been revealed that multiple projects are moving around from their initially announced release dates. 

    Most notably, the untitled Marvel Studios film initially scheduled to release on February 16, 2024, has moved back a few months into September 6, 2024. It has yet to be revealed what film would’ve filled this date (especially with the other later releasing 2024 films being revealed earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con), but it has been speculated by some that this would’ve been the date for the Deadpool sequel film in development and apparently nearing the start of production. As well, Haunted Mansion will be moving up from its scheduled August 11, 2023 release to March 10, 2023.

    In addition, Disney has revealed the following release dates for various notable upcoming films in 2024:

    • Pixar’s Elio – March 1, 2024
    • The Rachel Zegler-led Snow White – March 22, 2024
    • Pixar’s Inside Out 2 – June 14, 2024
    • Barry Jenkins’ prequel Mufasa: The Lion King – July 5, 2024

    One point of concern in all these moves comes with the removal of Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron from Disney’s release schedule. The film had previously been earmarked for a December 22, 2023 release, but essentially no updates have been made for the film in an extended period of time. This certainly doesn’t mean that the film is canceled, but it serves as an indicator that the highly anticipated film in the Star Wars franchise is much further away than Lucasfilm had initially planned for.

    Source: Twitter.

  • Sublime Biopic Coming from ‘Hunger Games’ Director Francis Lawrence

    Sublime Biopic Coming from ‘Hunger Games’ Director Francis Lawrence

    The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence is teaming with Sony Pictures on a Sublime biopic. Sublime was one of the biggest acts of the 90s and has gone on to become one of the most famous acts in music to this date. The band consisted of lead singer Bradley Nowell, bassist Eric Wilson, and drummer Bud Gaugh. Nowell, of course, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 28, but that hasn’t kept Sublime’s legacy from living on. To this day, Wilson and Gaugh tour as Sublime with Rome, with Rome Ramirez on the vocals and guitar.

    Sublime‘s Gaugh and Wilson, along with Bradley’s widow, Troy Nowell, and son Jake have given their blessing both to the film and Lawrence.

    “Wow — we can’t believe this is finally happening, and we couldn’t be more honored and excited to have the great Francis Lawrence and Chris Mundy telling our story. We are so grateful to Peter Paterno and Dave Kaplan/Surfdog for their years of persistence and vision in getting this film going and thankful to Sony’s 3000 Pictures and Chernin Entertainment for believing in us and getting it on the big screen. We know Bradley’s talent and spirit will be part of this incredible journey.”

    The biopic is being developed by Sony’s 3000 Pictures, Chernin Entertainment, about:blank, Dave Kaplan, and Peter Paterno. Kaplan and Paterno are said to have been the driving force behind the project for some time now, having helped to put the final pieces together.

    “We’re thrilled Sublime’s insanely cool and important story will finally be told. Peter Paterno and I spent the last six years searching for the right partners, and we are pinching ourselves with this ‘Dream Team’ of Elizabeth Gabler and Marisa Paiva at 3000 Pictures, Francis Lawrence, Chris Mundy and the Chernin folks and can’t wait to see this film get made.”

    Dave Kaplan

    Ozark scribe Chris Mundy is set to write the film.  Gaugh, Wilson, as well as Troy Nowell and Jakob Nowell on behalf of Bradley Nowell’s estate, will help executive produce the movie. While Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and David Ready producing for Chernin Entertainment along with Lawrence from about:blank and Kaplan of Surfdog/DKM and Paterno of KHPS producing. As of now, the film does not have a release date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ Returning to Theaters Once Again

    John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ Returning to Theaters Once Again

    Halloween looks to be coming early.

    A new report from The Hollywood Reporter states that John Carpenter‘s Halloween is set to return to theaters for a limited time along with the fourth and fifth Halloween sequels. This marks the second year in a row that the films have been re-released into theaters.

    CineLife Entertainment, Compass International Pictures and Trancas International Films are working together to help bring Halloween, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers back to theaters. As of now, there are reportedly 670 screenings planned across 417 theaters later this month.

    “We are ecstatic to once again showcase the legendary Halloween franchise in theaters and continue our strong partnership with Trancas International Films and Compass International Pictures. Halloween fans nationwide showed their unwavering appreciation for the iconic series over the years, and we are overjoyed to have the opportunity to bring back such a well-received tradition.”

    Bernadette McCabe, CineLife Entertainment’s Executive VP

    The decision to re-release the Halloween films should help to boost an otherwise quiet box office. While Barbarian is doing great business, there’s little else being released this month with the exception of Don’t Worry Darling from Warner Bros. Discovery. And the forthcoming release of Halloween Ends next month might help to increase interest in returning to where it all started.

    The first Halloween was released on Oct. 25, 1978, and would go on to spawn a film franchise that is still relevant to this day. While there were some missteps along the way, 2018’s Halloween, which brought back Jamie Lee Curtis, proved to be a hit among fans and critics alike and pulled in $255 million worldwide. While the sequel, Halloween Kills, only pulled in $131.6 million worldwide following a day-and-date release on Peacock, it was still enough to see the threequel through.

    Halloween Ends will hit theaters on Oct. 14th.

    Source: THR.