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Tag: Movie News

  • ‘Rise’ Director Wanted to Direct a Film About Giannis Antetokounmpo Since His NBA Draft

    ‘Rise’ Director Wanted to Direct a Film About Giannis Antetokounmpo Since His NBA Draft

    Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s journey is a complex one. While he grew up in Greece, he has Nigerian roots through his parents that lived as undocumented immigrants in the country. So, finding a fitting director to tell that story must’ve been a long one and luckily they found a fitting choice in Nigerian director Akin Omotoso. During the official press conference, he revealed that he’s been hoping to tell this story ever since Antetokounmpo was drafted in the NBA.

    In 2013, when Giannis was drafted, every year I’ll look at the draft and I’ll pick out who the African players are drafted. And when Giannis was drafted, I remember reading, you know, reading up a story and I was like, “If ever I was to make a film about basketball and life, it’ll be this gentleman’s story.

    Akin Omotoso

    He also went on to highlight that they found out about the project through a magazine, which led to him instantly inquiring his agent to give him a chance to just be in the room to talk bout potentially directing the film.

    And by chance, like Dayo, you know, I picked up a magazine. And in the magazine, it said Disney was making a movie about their life. And I said to my agent, whatever you do, you got to get me in that room so that I tell Disney how I would make this film.

    Akin Omotoso

    He also highlighted that he kept that magazine by his bed until he would at least find out if someone else got the chance to direct the film. It seems that it was his way of showcasing his dedication to making his six-year dream true before fate would finally lead to him making it a reality. In a way, it’s fitting given the message of the film is about people being inspired to chase their dream.

  • ‘The Marvels’ Star Praises Director Nia DeCosta as a “Guiding Light”

    ‘The Marvels’ Star Praises Director Nia DeCosta as a “Guiding Light”

    Marvel Studios’ The Marvels is finally set to hit theaters next summer after numerous delays. While details are still relatively sparse on the Captain Marvel sequel, it has been confirmed that Zawe Ashton will be marking her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the film in an unknown role. While the actress hasn’t been able to say much of anything regarding the project, she did briefly tease her experience in a new interview with Variety.

    While she wasn’t able to comment on the film itself, Ashton did sing the praises of director Nia DeCosta, calling her a “guiding light” of directors. “I just can’t say even one thing. Other than I had the best time,” she said. “And Nia DeCosta is one of the guiding lights of directors that we have. She is so precious and special and the doors that she’s going to open – that she already has – are extremely, extremely exciting.”

    Following the announcement that Ashton had joined the cast of The Marvels, fans quickly began reposting photos of the actress in a Captain Marvel costume from 2019. In the photos, she’d been joined by Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox who’d opted to dress as one another’s Marvel characters. While Ashton isn’t sure if DeCosta saw those photos ahead of her casting, she did explain that she’d met with the director for a role prior to The Marvels. “You know, I had met her about a very low budget period piece right when the pandemic had hit and we just got on like a house of fire,” she said. ‘“Candyman” hadn’t come out yet but we were familiar enough with each other – I’d seen her brilliant debut feature “Little Woods” and had been really impressed and thought, “I’d like to work with that woman one day.” So, it was just a meeting of the minds, the seeing of souls and she decided to take me on one of the biggest journeys that she could possibly be undertaking.”

    The Marvels hits theaters on July 28th, 2023. Also starring in the film are Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani.

    Source: Variety.

  • ‘Blade’ Casts ‘The Wonder Years’ Actress in Lead Role

    ‘Blade’ Casts ‘The Wonder Years’ Actress in Lead Role

    Actress Milan Ray, who is best known for her role as Keisa Clemmons on ABC’s The Wonder Years reboot, has been cast in Marvel Studio’s Blade. According to the report from The Direct, Ray will portray a “key character” in the film.

    While the report did name Ray’s role, a report from over a year ago indicated that the production was searching for “Ruby”, a teenager described as “thoughtful, serious, and burdened by growing up in a complex world.” At the time, it was widely speculated that this role would turn out to be Blade’s daughter, a concept abandoned by Marvel Comics in 2015. It’s sensible that Ray’s character will be how Marvel Studios chooses to bring that character, Fallon Grey, to life in the MCU.

    Ray joins Mahershala Ali, Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre in the film which does not yet have a release date and looks to begin filming late this summer or early this fall. Bassam Tariq will direct the reboot based on a script by Watchmen scribe Stacy Osei-Kuffour.

    Source: The Direct

  • Netflix’s ‘Spy Kids’ Finds Its Family

    Netflix’s ‘Spy Kids’ Finds Its Family

    Deadline reports that Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi will headline the newest Spy Kids film, while Everly Carganilla and newcomer Connor Esterson will play their kids. The new film will be directed and produced by Spy Kids creator Robert Rodriguez. He’ll also co-write the latest film with Racer Max. This marks a return to Netflix for Rodriguez who saw success with his 2020 family film, We Can be Heroes, on the streaming platform.

    The latest chapter of the Spy Kids franchise will see the children of the world’s greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful Game Developer unleash a computer virus that will give him control of all technology. This will lead the kids to become spies themselves to save their parents and, of course, the world.

    Rodriguez, who is perhaps best known for her leading role in the CW’s Jane the Virgin, has seen her star rise considerably over the years. Along with having appeared in Someone Great and Amazon’s I Want You Back, she’s also set to star in the ABC series Not Dead Yet. While Levi is perhaps best known for his work on the TV series Chuck, as well as his leading role in Shazam! For DC and Warner Bros.

    Also producing the film will be David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger for Skydance, as well as Elizabeth Avellan and Racer Max. While Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre will executive produce and Nick Nesbit will serve as Netflix’s creative lead on the film.

    Source: Deadline

  • Taika Waititi on the Loki Story He’d Like to Tell

    Taika Waititi on the Loki Story He’d Like to Tell

    Thor: Love and Thunder marks director Taika Waititi’s second chapter in the MCU journey of the Norse God of Thunder and it promises to be a wild entry. The film will see Chris Hemsworth’s Odinson undergo a personal renaissance, Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster become the Mighty Thor and the two former lovers team up to take on one of the MCU’s most terrifying villains yet, Gorr the God Butcher.

    Promotional footage from the film has heavily featured many characters who are returning from Thor: Ragnarok, but so far, one major character from that film has been notably absent. Though a Variant of him is plenty busy having his own adventures, there’s been no sign that Loki would appear in Thor: Love and Thunder. This is sensible, of course, because the Loki from the timeline explored in this movie had his neck broken by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, making it difficult for even the God of Mischief to return. That doesn’t mean Waititi doesn’t have ideas about what he’d like to see Loki get up to in the MCU, however.

    In an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Waititi talked about how he’d like to see one of Loki’s most colorful adventures from Norse mythology adapted to the MCU:

    Loki at one point turned himself into a female horse, had sex with, like, a serpent, and then got pregnant. And then gave birth to an eight-legged horse. Why was that not in Avengers? We’re gonna start a petition, we need to see Tom Hiddleston pregnant with a horse.

    Taika Waititi

    That eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, is the mythological steed of Odin and made an appearance in 2011’s Thor. And while Waititi may be conflating a few different mythological stories about Loki’s exploits, it’s certainly shows that with Waititi, none of the wild idea from Norse mythology are off the table.

    Thor: Love and Thunder will open in theaters on July 8th.

  • ‘Titanic’ Remastered Version Hitting Theaters for Valentine’s Day

    ‘Titanic’ Remastered Version Hitting Theaters for Valentine’s Day

    A remastered version of Titanic is heading back to theaters.

    Deadline reports a remastered of James Cameron‘s classic, Titanic, is sailing into theaters for Valentine’s Day. The re-release is to help celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, with Disney releasing the film in international markets beginning Feb. 10, 2023 in 3D 4K HDR, while Paramount will handle the domestic re-release, although dates have not yet been set for the stateside release. The news was first revealed by Cameron’s producing partner, Jon Landau, during Disney’s CineEurope presentation in Barcelona yesterday. Along with news of the re-release, Landau helped Disney unveil a 3D look of the remastered version of Titanic for those in attendance.

    This, of course, is not the first time Titanic has been released in 3D. Back in 2012, the film was re-released in 3D. Then again in 2017, to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. Titanic remains is the third the highest-grossing films of all time with $2.201 billion at the worldwide box office, with $659.4 million hailing from the North American box office. Above Titanic is Avatar, Cameron’s visually stunning film that will finally see a sequel release this December. Like Titanic, a remastered version of Avatar will hit theaters later this year ahead of the sequel’s release.

    Source: Deadline.

  • First ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Draft Included Wasp as Illuminati Member

    First ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Draft Included Wasp as Illuminati Member

    We’ve always wondered who else was going to be part of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ Illuminati. The potential of exploring a multiversal take on the secret organization that mirrors the Sacred Timeline’s Avengers was filled with potential. We got some truly amazing additions in the form of Charles Xavier, Captain Carter, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt, and even an alternative Captain Marvel. Not too long ago we learned that there were plans to include Namor, but it seems there was one more member that was going to join.

    On the digital releases’ commentary track for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, writer Michael Waldron offered some insight into how he brought the script together. While teasing that he was inspired by Aliens and didn’t think Marvel would let him, the heroes ended up as fodder for the Scarlet Witch in the film. Among them was going to be the Wasp as well, who faced a swift end as well.

    Yeah, I think I watched Aliens and was just thinking about the way those Marines get massacred, and, yeah, I was glad it worked. “I think originally, the Wasp was in a version of the Illuminati, and the Wasp shrunk down and flew at Wanda, and [Wanda] just clapped her hands and just smushed the Wasp in the first draft.

    Michael Waldron

    It definitely would’ve been interesting to see the Wasp try to heroically take on Wanda for her only to get taken out in the simplest way possible. Of course, she would be powerful enough to break free from someone clapping but the master of chaos magic isn’t just your regular enemy. There’s no detail on which version of Wasp that was going to be, but it definitely is an interesting detail that could’ve been.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Writer Reveals First Plot Details of Deadpool’s MCU Journey

    ‘Deadpool 3’ Writer Reveals First Plot Details of Deadpool’s MCU Journey

    If you’ve been wondering what exactly the story of Deadpool 3 was going to be about, it seems that writer Rhett Reese has given us our first clue. During participation on the Post-Credit Podcast, he revealed that the upcoming story will be a “fish-out-of-water” storyline as the insane Deadpool is trapped in “a very sane world.”

    It’s a wonderful opportunity for fish-out-of-water. Deadpool is a lunatic at the center of a movie. To drop a lunatic into a very sane world, it’s straight butter. It’s going to be really fun

    Rhett Reese

    The concept fits the character and would likely offer a very different kind of storyline. There is still the question of how exactly Deadpool lands in the MCU, as the film is confirmed as a threequel to the original franchise that played around with the canon of the X-Men films. Ryan Reynolds mocking the various characters and the actors that play them will be a fun take to see, especially as everyone is the straight man towards his antics this time around.

    Deadpool 3 is also going to be the first MCU entry that is R-rated, which was promised as being consistent with the other projects. So, if you’ve been worried that he wouldn’t have his iconic potty mouth, he’s definitely going to keep his usual style. The return of the original writers also seems to hint that the overall vibe for the project will not change too much either; though it would be amazing to find out what Bob’s Burgers writers were working on.

    Source: Twitter

  • Benedict Cumberbatch on Returning for a Potential ‘Doctor Strange 3’

    Benedict Cumberbatch on Returning for a Potential ‘Doctor Strange 3’

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has made its way to Disney+, as the film had just recently passed $400M domestically and $900M worldwide. The film was quite a success and among director Sam Raimi‘s highest-earning productions. Of course, it leaves us with the question of when or where Doctor Strange may return.

    It turns out that Benedict Cumberbatch is also excited to return and shared that he’s definitely down for a sequel. In an interview with New Indian Express, he opens up on how much he enjoys playing the character and his hope to continue playing him.

    I hope so. I would love to do another one. Doctor Strange is such a complex character and it feels like there is so much more to explore with him. He is such a brilliant character and I’m still having a wild time playing him.

    Benedict Cumberbatch

    Cumberbatch has definitely given us one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most complex characters in the form of Doctor Strange. A man always on the edge of doing something for the greater good no matter the consequences made him quite morally grey.

    Among the many heroes, he’ll stop at nothing even if it means possessing the dead body of a version of himself from a different dimension while turning demons into his cape. It definitely was one of the most iconic moments in the franchise and continues to define what makes this character so interesting.

    Source: New Indian Express

  • Charlize Theron Shares Set Photo as Production Starts on ‘The Old Guard’ Sequel

    Charlize Theron Shares Set Photo as Production Starts on ‘The Old Guard’ Sequel

    After a long wait, 2020’s The Old Guard is finally getting a long-awaited sequel. Charlize Theron played the leader of a mercenary group, Andromache, who was on a revenge mission. Yet, this wasn’t your everyday group of mercenaries, as they are immortal. As the oldest member, she was the natural leader of fighters that have a deep history, such as members that fought alongside Napoleon or were part of the Crusaders.

    While no official title has been unveiled, Charlize Theron has taken to her Twitter account to announce that they’ve started work on the second entry. Sadly, Gina Prince-Blythewood isn’t back to direct the sequel yet the talented Victoria Mahoney is taking over the role, who made her stamp in the industry with Yelling to the Sky and even worked on TV projects like Lovecraft Country.

    It’ll be interesting to see how they build upon the first entry, and what surprises they may have in store for us. The concept of an immortal mercenary group offers some unique challenges for the team, and the first film has offered a great setup to build upon. So, we’ll see what surprises they have in store once they wrap up production.

    Source: Twitter