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Tag: Movie News

  • ‘The Rise of Skywalker’s John Boyega Has No Interest in Returning to ‘Star Wars’

    ‘The Rise of Skywalker’s John Boyega Has No Interest in Returning to ‘Star Wars’

    It looks like we may have seen the last of Finn in live-action Star Wars, as actor John Boyega has revealed in an interview with Variety that he has no real interest moving forward. He feels his work on The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker “was good” for him as he moves on to try his hands at a more diverse line-up of projects.

    At this point, I’m cool off it. I’m good off it. I think Finn is at a good confirmation point where you can just enjoy him in other things, the games, the animation. But I feel like ‘[Episode] VII’ to ‘[Episode] IX’ was good for me. To be fair, [with] the allies that I’ve found within Joel Taylor and Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris, Viola Davis, all these people I’ve been working with… versatility is my path.

    John Boyega

    It’s no wonder that he may have not had any active interest anymore, as he had faced quite a bit of racist backlash for his initial casting. When it was hinted that he may become the face of the franchise and the next Jedi, there was a massive movement online. The prequel trilogy even led to the creation of the so-called “Fandom Menace” that has shown its fangs recently with Moses Ingram’s addition to the franchise in Obi-Wan Kenobi. He even reflects on how different the reaction to the backlash was towards Ingram in comparison to his time with the franchise.

    It doesn’t make me feel bitter at all. It makes me feel like sometimes you are that guy. And my dad taught me that. Sometimes you’re not the guy to get the blessing and sometimes you are Moses, you know, you lead the people to the mountain, but you see the destination. You don’t get to go in, you get others to go in. And that’s where you get your happiness from. And for me to see other people accepted, and then at the same time to see that the studios now are like, ‘Okay, cool. This is not an elephant in the room conversation. We need to support our Black client.’ It’s fantastic.

    John Boyega

    It’s a shame that we’ll likely not see Finn’s character return, as the potential of exploring a former Stormtrooper turning good was such a compelling storyline when the initial trilogy was started.

    Source: Variety

  • Millenium Media’s ‘Red Sonja’ Finds its Leading Cast

    Millenium Media’s ‘Red Sonja’ Finds its Leading Cast

    Millenium Media is busy bringing Red Sonja to life with director M.J. Bassett. It seems that production has already started in Bulgaria and will even move on to Greece at a later point. To celebrate the production start, Deadline has unveiled that Revenge‘s Matilda Lutz, Sex/Life‘s Wallis Day, and The Umbrella Academy‘s Robert Sheehan have a role in the comic book adaptation.

    Bassett had the following to say on the casting:

    I’ve wanted to make a Red Sonja movie since I was a teenager – she has been a powerful presence for me and a character that I have always wanted to bring to the screen with my own voice and vision. When I met Matilda Lutz, I knew she had all the magic I was looking for and could see the complexity and depth she would bring to Sonja.

    M.J. Bassett

    The character was originally created by Robert E. Howard and was adapted b Roy Thomas for Marvel comics. It’s unclear if the upcoming adaptation will follow the comic books or take more creative liberties with the adaptation. Originally, Hannah John Kamen was going to take on the leading role but had to pass it on due to scheduling conflicts. Lutz, as pointed out earlier, is now set as Red Sonja with Day joining as her half-sister Annisia. Sheehan will take on the role of Draygan. It’ll be interesting to see how they adapt this property and if this might be Millenium’s big step into the playing field

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Avatar’ to Return to Theaters in 4K Release Next Month

    ‘Avatar’ to Return to Theaters in 4K Release Next Month

    Avatar is heading back to theaters.

    20th Century has announced that James Cameron‘s 2009 epic, Avatar, is heading back to theaters for one night only. Fans of the film will be able to experience the film in a whole new way as the film is re-released in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range on Sept. 23rd. To celebrate the re-release, 20th Century has unveiled a new trailer, which you can check out below.

    Released in 2009, Avatar has gone on to become one of the most successful films of all time. The film focused on a paraplegic Marine who is sent to the moon Pandora on a mission but soon finds himself feeling torn between his orders and protecting the place he believes to be his true home. Avatar managed to amass an astounding haul of $2.743 billion at the worldwide box office. $749.7 million of that came from the states, while the other $1.993 million came from international markets. The film remains the highest-grossing movie of all time.

    Written and directed by Cameron, Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. The film was produced by Cameron and Jon Landau. The long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water, will finally be released in theaters this December, just in time for the holidays.

  • Matt Reeves Signs Multi-Year First Look Film Deal with Warner Bros Discovery

    Matt Reeves Signs Multi-Year First Look Film Deal with Warner Bros Discovery

    Warner Bros Discovery looks to have made a statement in its future and trust towards what Matt Reeves is creatively bringing to the table with The Batman and beyond. Deadline has announced that the director has signed a first-look film deal with Warner Bros. Discovery and has re-upped with the Warner Bros. television division. This is the first deal of its kind under the new regime at the long-stalwart Hollywood studio. Warner Bros Pictures Group Co-Chairs/CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, alongside Warner Bros Television Group Chairman Channing Dungey, were the notable pieces that negotiated this deal with Reeves. In a statement, the director spoke about his excitement to continue working with Warner Bros. and this more pronounced capacity.

    Making this legendary studio my home is a dream. I am so excited to be working with Mike, Pam, and Channing and our teams to bring captivating stories I am truly passionate about to the big and small screen.

    Matt Reeves

    Alongside Reeves, Michael De Luca provided a statement giving high praise to the director and the deal made.

    Pam and I gratefully inherited the relationship with Matt from The Batman, and through the beginning stages of planning The Penguin series for HBO Max. We were excited to nail down his overall deal because it’s a cornerstone of what we want to do with the filmmakers that are working at the studio. We want to create an atmosphere where all of these filmmakers can excel and do their work and stay with us once they are inside the Warner’s family. Keeping Matt and creating a home for him to do more projects in the Batman universe but also originals, was very important to us.

    Michael De Luca

    This type of first-look deal suggests that Warner Bros. views Matt Reeves in high regard and intends for his vision of creative projects to be a cornerstone for the future of their projects. This should certainly be promising news for fans of The Batman. While the sequel has yet to be officially green-lit, there shouldn’t have been any doubt that it will be moving forward (even with the brouhaha transpiring at the studio in the past few weeks). The question now will be how deep into the lore of this new Batman-based universe will be explored with Reeves at the helm, and what other franchises audiences may expect to see the writer and director oversee in the future.

    Source: Deadline 

  • Mattson Tomlin to Co-Write ‘The Batman’ Sequel

    Mattson Tomlin to Co-Write ‘The Batman’ Sequel

    Following news that Matt Reeves has signed a multi-year, first-look deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Mattson Tomlin has signed on to help write the sequel to The Batman. According to the outlet, Tomlin will co-write the script for The Batman 2 alongside Reeves, who will return to direct the film.

    Interestingly enough, Tomlin actually worked on The Batman, although he did not receive a screenwriting credit. THR reports that Tomlin was brought in during the development on The Batman to help fix issues with the third act. Reeves co-wrote that script alongside Peter Craig. The writing process has not yet begun on The Batman 2, however, it is expected to begin within the coming weeks.

    Tomlin is a bit of a rising star within Hollywood. He ended up getting to know Reeves thanks to the duo working together on the sci-fi thriller, Mother/Android, Tomlin’s directorial debut which he also wrote. Reeves served as a producer on the project which debuted on Hulu last year. Prior to his work on Mother/Android, Tomlin had written the action thriller Project Power starring Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He has also dabbled in the comics world, having written a Batman mini-series titled Batman: The Imposter, which featured artwork by Andrea Sorrentino. Along with The Batman 2, Tomlin is attached to Netflix’s adaptation of the Boom! Studios comic, BRZRKR.

    The Batman 2 currently does not have a release date.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘Batgirl’ Directors Claim Warner Bros. Discovery Deleted All Their Footage

    ‘Batgirl’ Directors Claim Warner Bros. Discovery Deleted All Their Footage

    Probably the single-most talked about film in recent weeks has been Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi‘s Batgirl, and unfortunately, it hasn’t been because of anything good. The project was shelved unexpectedly late in its development process by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who felt the production was not worth release. Reports have indicated the decision was made final because the film’s cancellation would result in corporate tax write-offs for the company, though Warner Bros. Discovery themselves have claimed the move was instead meant to protect the DC Films brand. Either way, Batgirl has immediately become one of history’s greatest lost films, and according to the directors, it may now be impossible for fans to ever catch a glimpse of what was.

    In a recent Tik Tok interview, translated by The Direct, Fallah candidly revealed that all the footage from Batgirl was destroyed following its cancellation. Fallah revealed he personally attempted to salvage some of his work via cell phone recordings, but he was too late. After being asked if he had any evidence of his time on the film, he explained:

    No, we have nothing. Adil called and told me, ‘Go ahead! Shoot everything on your phone!’ I went on the server… Everything was gone. We were [like]… ‘F**ing shit!’… We did not [even] keep [the scenes] with Batman in it.

    Bilall Fallah

    The film was set to star Leslie Grace as the title character, with Michael Keaton returning to his iconic role as Batman. J.K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, and Ivory Aquino were also cast in major supporting roles. Fallah went on to state Warner Bros. Discovery had informed himself and El Arbi that none of the talent involved were the reason behind the cancellation:

    The guys from Warner Bros. told us it was not a talent problem on our part or the actress [Leslie Grace], or even the quality of the movie. We were right in the middle of editing. There was a lot of work to get done, so it was not like the movie was finished! Warner Bros. told us the cancellation was a strategic change, a shifting in management so they could save some bucks.

    Bilall Fallah

    The duo did end their interview on a more positive note, however, with El Arbi vocalizing their love for the fans and their hope that Batgirl might still somehow see a release someday. He said in response to the outpouring of fan support online and in person:

    It was very heartwarming… After all, we make movies. And we make it for the audience. Not us. We just hope that one day, the movie can be released.

    Adil El Arbi

    Source: The Direct

  • Dan Harmon Says ‘Community’ Movie is Happening

    Dan Harmon Says ‘Community’ Movie is Happening

    “Six seasons and a movie.” This statement, frequently spoken by Danny Pudi‘s Abed, had become something of a forgotten promise for fans of the hit NBC show Community. Starring an ensemble cast, the series revolved around an unlikely group of adult friends attending a community college in Colorado and often found joy in making its stories as zany as possible. Meta commentary and inside jokes became the name of Community‘s game, which is where the aforementioned phrase – which started as a jest – transformed into a full-blown rallying cry about the show’s potential future. With the help of a move to Yahoo! Screen, the series managed to hit its six-season mark. Now, according to creator Dan Harmon, that movie may be happening as well.

    One of the series’ stars, Alison Brie, recently told The Wrap that “legitimate conversations” were occurring behind the scenes in regards to pushing a Community film forward. During a follow-up interview with Harmon, who is currently promoting the sixth season of his animated series Rick & Morty, the creative confirmed this to be true. He also revealed there is already a story outline in place, though he’s unsure if it will be the one used should a movie actually come to life:

    I’ll confirm what Alison said which is that legitimacy is here, conversations and agreements are happening. There’s a story – who knows if we’ll end up sticking to it, but it was something we had to compile in order to take it out and court various venues. And now negotiations happen.

    Dan Harmon

    Harmon went on to explain that, while there is movement on the film, that doesn’t mean fans will be seeing it in theaters anytime soon. Sometimes, film production can take a lot longer than one would hope. Harmon cites the multi-year process the project has undergone since Community ended in 2015:

    Now, I say that with such caution, because sometimes the audience is like, ‘So that means what a year, two years?’ I could have said what I just said three years ago and it would have been almost as accurate, and can you imagine if I had said that three years ago? That’s me setting people up for three years of abusive neglect and making them feel forgotten, and it’s hard enough to just say nothing.

    Dan Harmon

    Ending on a rather positive note, however, Harmon concedes the film will happen one day, as long as the world doesn’t end first:

    When you put the percentage chances together it’s like you have to account for maybe the world blowing up or another virus happening. But as far as the industry is concerned, this is a matter of when and not if, for sure.

    Dan Harmon

    It remains to be seen which cast members would return for a reunion film, though several major players have publicly expressed interest in coming back to their roles. Joel McHale, Ken Jeong, Gillian Jacobs, and Brie have all stated they’d reprise their characters should the opportunity arise, and it feels like that may be enough to get names like Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Jim Rash on board as well. Donald Glover remains the biggest question mark, having left the show midway through its fifth season to pursue other interests and found great success. Hopefully, this process doesn’t take too long and fans learn more sooner than later.

    Source: The Wrap

  • New ‘Black Panther 2’ Merch Reveals a More Comic-Accurate Ironheart Armor

    New ‘Black Panther 2’ Merch Reveals a More Comic-Accurate Ironheart Armor

    It seems that merchandise is how we get our first look at various designs for the upcoming release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It’s become a curious trend that most “first looks” at character designs come from their merchandise that seemingly leaks ahead of the premiere; sometimes even months ahead. Now, we got a good look at a more comic-accurate version of the Ironheart armor.

    The first look was shared by @namecomputron which reveals Ironheart alongside Shuri and Namor. The design looks a lot like how it was in the comics. The only real difference is that the red color is quite dominant in this design and her having a black rather than yellow faceplate. So, it’s quite a bit closer to what we saw in the comics but still with its own design twists.

    @CosmicMMedia has also shared a zoom-in of the images to offer a better look at just how large the Ironheart armor looks, as we can also clearly see some concept art used on the cover of the toy.

    It’s a shame that this hasn’t been kept a secret until the film’s release, as it would’ve been great to see her armor appear as a surprise twist. Of course, we also saw that the upcoming Ironheart series includes a different type of armor. Perhaps we’ll see her try out various versions to find the one that fits her and this is just another version she tests out. It’s also quite a departure from the more heavy prototype we saw earlier. We’ll have to see if the next trailer teases Riri Williams’ armor.

    Source: Twitter

  • Owen Teague to Star in New ‘Planet of the Apes’

    Owen Teague to Star in New ‘Planet of the Apes’

    Deadline has announced that Owen Teague is set to lead the new Planet of the Apes movies for 20th Century. The actor will play the role of the lead primate in the new series of films. Wes Ball (The Maze Runner) is set to direct the film, with production expected to begin later this year.

    According to the outlet, details regarding the latest installment are sparse, however, Planet of the Apes has been a hot property for 20th Century since Disney acquired the studio. The hope was to get a new film underway as soon as possible following the acquisition. Ball was hired to write and direct the film in 2019. He’s been hard at work on the script since then, delivering a script to the studio earlier in the summer that is said to have pleased studio executives. Casting on the film began shortly thereafter, with casting for the lead roles officially beginning ahead of the July 4th weekend. The studio is still casting for the human role, but Teague landed the lead primate role in recent weeks after his screen test was said to wow executives.

    Teague has built up an impressive resume thus far. Not only has he appeared in both IT films, where he played Patrick Hockstetter, but he’s also appeared in Black Mirror, Locke & Key, and The Stand where he played Harold Lauder. Up next for the actor is Reptile, which he’ll star in alongside Alicia Silverstone, Eileen with Anne Hathaway, and Beth and Don alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘Gravity Rush’ Film in Development with Director Anna Mastro

    ‘Gravity Rush’ Film in Development with Director Anna Mastro

    A live-action Gravity Rush film is in development from PlayStation Productions and Scott Free Productions. Secret Society of Second Born Royals director Anna Mastro is set to helm the film from a script by Emily Jerome (Panopticon).

    The news comes courtesy of Deadline with the outlet reporting that, while it is being produced through Sony’s PlayStation Productions, it is unclear whether Sony will distribute the film. Gravity Rush, which was released in 2012, focuses on the leading character, Kat, who is an amnesiac with the ability to manipulate gravity. Throughout the game, Kat uses her abilities to defend Hekseville from gravity storms and the mysterious monsters known as the Nevi.

    Along with directing Secret Society of Second Born Royals for Disney+, Mastro has directed episodes of The Runaways, The Bold Type, UnREAL, and Jane the Virgin. Gravity Rush will serve as her biggest directing credit to date. Most recently, she directed episodes of Netflix’s Echoes, which hit the streaming service last week. As for Jerome, she looks to be a relative newcomer to Hollywood. Her first script, Panopticon, has Anthony Mackie and Shailene Woodley attached to star, and Andrés Baiz (Narcos) on board to direct.

    As of now, Gravity Rush does not have a release date.

    Source: Deadline.