Tag: Movie News

Aaron Pierre Joins Mahershala Ali’s ‘Blade’ in Major Role

We’ve been long waiting for an update on Mahershala Ali‘s upcoming Blade film, as Marvel Studios reintroduces the iconic Vampire Hunter. The last we heard was that Delroy Lindo has joined the project, which will be directed by Bassam Tariq. The news has dropped that Aaron Pierre is set to co-star in the upcoming film. Sadly, there is no information on who he might end up playing in the film, but it is hinted at a major role for the project.

Blade, also known as Eric Brooks, was originally just a supporting character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, but eventually became a mainstay in Marvel’s supernatural corner. Wesley Snipes was the first to bring the character into live-action in a film that would define superhero cinema and especially Marvel’s tenure. Considering the strong PG-13 focus of modern-day superhero cinema, it’s funny to think the R-rated project started it all.

There’s a chance that this project may be Marvel Studios’ darkest story with the introduction of vampires. The Krypton star could be taking on an antagonistic role and will face off against Ali‘s take on Blade. Pierre has also recently appeared in The Underground Railroad and has some stage experience with Othello in 2018 and King Hedley II. in 2019. He made his film debut in M. Night Shyamalan‘s Old. It’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the table and if we find out his role in the near future.

Source: Deadline

February 22, 2022
New ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ BTS Book Offers Insight Into Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy’s Ongoing Feud

Vanity Fair has shared a look into Kyle Buchanan‘s new book Blood, Sweat & Chrome, which explores the troubled production behind Mad Max: Fury Road. There’s a lot we don’t find out about until many years later when people start discussing the ins and outs of working with different talent and the troubles they face. The new book on Fury Road revealed that there was an ongoing war between Charlize Theron, who played Furiosa, and Tom Hardy, who took on the role of the titular Max. We’ve long wondered what may have happened to a potential sequel, but it looks like working on the film wasn’t a lot of fun for everyone involved.

In the interviews, it seems that there was quite a bit of tension between the two. Hardy gets described as “very provocative” that didn’t mix well with Theron‘s general approach. The animosity already was there during pre-production which carried over into the actual shooting of the film, where it even hit a boiling point even if they believe it may have added to the overall experience that fit the film’s core narrative. As director George Miller pointed out:

The story is all about self-preservation: If it’s an advantage to you to kill another character, then you should do it and you don’t think twice about it. I think that crept into the actors.
George Miller

The excerpt of the book includes one specific storyline when Theron arrived on set in time and was ready to shoot, but Hardy was nowhere to be seen. She arrived on set and got into the War Rig waiting for him. She was so annoyed by his behavior, she actually spent around three hours, sitting in the vehicle with make-up and in full costume before he took his time to show up on set. That day, it seems it led to a full confrontation as she cussed him out for his behavior. She even highlighted that she didn’t “feel safe” on set.

It’s very fascinating to learn just how different these two actors were and how this project ended up forcing both into a situation where their worlds seemingly collided. While the film has become a cult classic, it might not be easy to look at it the same way as before knowing just how much animosity was hiding behind the scenes. Yet, as Miller pointed it, it may have ironically added a bizarre heightened reality to the experience.

Source: Vanity Fair

February 22, 2022
New ‘The Flash’ Stunt Crew Shirt May Tease Movie’s Villain

Possibly one of the more interesting films this year is the first solo outing of The Flash. It’s crazy to think he still hasn’t gotten his own film after countless appearances throughout the DC Extended Universe. We don’t know a lot about the film officially but there have been countless rumors since it started production. The biggest question still remains who Barry Allen will face in the upcoming film, but it seems a crew wrap gift could hint at just who that could be.

A member of the stunt crew from The Flash recently revealed the wrap gifts the crew members got and it features an interesting detail. Alongside Supergirl and Batman, you can clearly see the silhouette of the Flash. Yet, what makes this a bit of a head-scratcher is that the character is sporting a red lightning bolt with black tendrils crawling on his body. Their design seems to match what we saw from the Negative Flash, an incarnation of Barry Allen that recently appeared after being stuck in the Negative Speed Force.

A while back, it was reported by The Direct that Barry Allen might face a darker version of himself in the film. We would later see photos of Ezra Miller filming on set with someone who would turn out to be a stand-in to play a second Barry Allen. He’s seen wearing a Flash painted Batsuit in the teaser from DC FanDome. It seems possible that maybe this Flash could be the one to turn into Negative Flash after accidentally tapping into the Negative Speed Force.

The Flash is set to hit theaters on November 4th, 2022, and will star Ezra Miller with the film being directed by Andy Muschietti.

Source: Instagram

February 22, 2022
‘White Lotus’ Star Fred Hechinger Joins Sony’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’

As Sony pushes ahead with its universe of Spider-Man characters, Kraven the Hunter is next in line. The film, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven, is set to begin production this month and has been filing out the rest of the cast. Today, a trade report indicates that they’ve cast another key role.

According to Deadline, actor Fred Hechinger, who rose to fame for his role in the HBO series White Lotus, has joined the cast of Kraven the Hunter as Dmitri Smerdyakov, the half-brother of Kraven and better known as the Spider-Man villian the Chameleon. Hechinger joins Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe, who was reportedly cast as the father of the two half-brothers, in the film.

Chameleon, whose involvement in the film was first reported last summer by the Illuminderi, shares a father with Kraven in the comics, but as the bastard son of a servant of the family, was never treated as an equal to his brother. From a young age, he trained as a spy and became a master of disguise and, eventually, joined his brother as a partner in crime. According to the Illuminerdi’s report, Chameleon will serve as one of the antagonists in Kraven the Hunter.

Kraven the Hunter, directed by J.C. Chandor, is currently set to hit theaters on January 13th, 2023.

Source: Deadline

February 22, 2022
Sebastian Stan Didn’t Think He’d Return as Bucky After ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’

There’s such an abundance of superhero projects, it seems unlikely that they would ever come to an end. Yet, that wasn’t the case around ten years ago when the first Marvel Cinematic Universe projects found their way into cinemas. It wasn’t until Avengers in 2012 that cemented the production company and the genre into the landscape of financial security. Sebastian Stan, who famously plays Bucky and the Winter Soldier, certainly did not expect to tackle the role for as long as he has. As he reveals in an interview with Vanity Fair:

I certainly did not know that I would be playing the role for 10 years. I remember going in for the Steve Rogers role and not getting it. And then being told about this role and where it could go. But it didn’t seem like there was any commitment, really
Sebastian Stan

Many of us probably would’ve never guessed that the films would become such juggernauts at the box office that we’d get stories like Ant-Man or the Guardians of the Galaxy on the silver screen. Stan reveals that he actually thought the scene wouldn’t get followed up because they took away the one thing that would’ve teased his future in the MCU.

I knew at the end of the story, I was going to fall off this train, and then I was going to be given this green sleeve. That was the only indication I had that I could potentially be coming back. But no one said anything to me. Then, on the day we were shooting that scene, they were like, ‘Yeah, we’re not going to be doing that green sleeve.’ And I just thought, ‘Oh. That’s it. I’m just going to die on that train. There’s no coming back.’ But they just didn’t know what arm they were going to use or something, and it kept going from there

It’s weird to think they took away the sleeve at the last second. Perhaps they deemed it too violent with the poor guy getting his entire arm ripped off. It may have also been too obvious later on once he made his return in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Of course, the fact they didn’t know which arm they were going to use is also funny and makes sense as they’d want to avoid forcing themselves into a corner. It’s great to hear his thoughts and look back at where the franchise was.

You can check out his recap of his career right here:

Source: Vanity Fair via The Hollywood Reporter

February 21, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Fast and Furious 10’ Eyeing April Production Start

Just recently, Vin Diesel took to Instagram to tease that the production start for their first of the final two Fast and Furious films is just “minutes away.” Initially, it was going to release in January, but it’s not uncommon for productions to face some kind of delay nowadays. We can exclusively share that Fast 10 is now eyeing a production start by mid or late April in the United Kingdom.

Justin Lin’s will take on the final two films in the series back-to-back. So, technically they will jump into production on the eleventh and final entry once they wrap up on the tenth Fast and Furious entry. The film is currently still casting two roles for the film, as they are looking to cast two twin boys of the age of seven to nine years of Afro-Latino or mixed-race. It seems that they will have an essential role in the story.

The Vin Diesel-led franchise started back in 2001. What started as this story about illegal street racing turned into an action-packed thrill ride for many viewers. Now, the series includes multiple spinoffs like Netflix’s Spy Racers series or the film focused on Hobbs & Shaw. There also was the video game that was announced with a lot of hype during the Video Game Awards, but sadly couldn’t live up to expectations. While the upcoming two entries might end the Fast Saga as we know it, there is no stopping this nitro-fueled franchise from running out of gas.

February 21, 2022
Peter Dinklage Teases Possible Return in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

It’s a big day for Thor: Love and Thunder, as the first merchandise has found its way online. We got the tease of Christian Bale‘s Gorr the God Butcher and an updated look at Natalie Portman‘s Mighty Thor. Seems like the day isn’t quite over for the film, as in an interview with Empire, Peter Dinklage was asked about a potential return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after his appearance in Avengers: Infinity War. Naturally, he wouldn’t give an exact answer but played coy on it and didn’t really deny any involvement.

Well, there’s another Thor movie there, isn’t there? Coming out that Taika’s directed. But, I didn’t say anything. I didn’t say anything.
Peter Dinklage

He took on the role of Eitri, the smith that created Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. As we’ve seen with the latest images, it seems like Mjolnir was reforged from the shatters that Hela left behind in Thor: Ragnarok. So, the return of Eitri would make sense to bring the hammer back to life before it eventually chooses Jane Foster as its new wielder. He had some of the best lines during his time with Thor and Rocket, and we also don’t know what happened to his people after Thanos forced him to create the Infinity Gauntlet. So, hopefully, he was reunited with his people.

Source: Empire via The Direct

February 21, 2022
‘Uncharted’ Director Open to Return for a Sequel

Uncharted, the Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg-led adaptation of the popular video game franchise, made its debut this weekend to mixed reviews – you can read ours by clicking here. Despite an uninspiring critical success, Uncharted is projected to rake in a solid $51 million domestic haul over its four-day opening weekend, well above its original $30 milllion estimate.

With such box office success, it becomes more and more likley that Sony will want to churn out a sequel. Director Ruben Fleischer is certainly on board to take on the sequel, which was heavily teased in the film’s post-credit sequence. In an interview with Deadline, he says that:

I can’t help but hope we’ll be doing a sequel…I think Sony is appropriately superstitious and they don’t plan things without knowing how they’ll be received.
Ruben Fleischer

While Sony may hold off on announcing any sequel while Uncharted is still in the eraly days of its release, it seems like audiences cannot get enough of Holland, who has been dominating the box office with Uncharted as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home. In any event, Fleischer is down to direct any followup that Sony might greenlight.

Source: Deadline

February 21, 2022
New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merchandise Offers New Look at Jane Foster’s Thor Design and Reforged Mjolnir

Some time ago, we got our first look at the upcoming design for Jane Foster’s transformation into Thor in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder film. It looked quite faithful to the original comic storyline with its own little details that are right at home in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, a new line of merchandise has found its way online that offers a closer look at her design alongside further confirmation that the hammer she wields is the reconnected Mjolnir that Hela destroyed in Ragnarok.

We also got a new action figure that offers a high-quality look at her design and the many details that went into bringing Natalie Portman‘s new tenure as the Goddess of Thunder to life. There are some nice details added, such as the design on her helmet and on the chest plate. It also looks like she’ll definitely have blonde hair when she transforms like in the comics.

The hammer is also highlighted here once again made of different shards held together. If the toy is any inclination, it seems that the lightning is holding the pieces together and something may have awoken it to its power once more now that Jane is wielding it. Perhaps she found one of the shards and it deemed her worthy to wield it. Whatever direction they go, it’s going to be exciting to see her in action.

Source: Marvel

February 21, 2022
First ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ LEGO Set Teases Gorr the God Butcher Wielding His Necrosword

We’ve been wondering just how the upcoming Marvel Studios film Thor: Love and Thunder would bring the iconic Gorr the God Butcher to life. Especially if they would include his All-Black the Necrosowrd, which many of us assumed was already used by Thor’s sister Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. Luckily, the first merchandise has found its way online and the official LEGO set “The Goat Boat” sees the already confirmed trust goats pulling a Viking ship. While most of the characters we’ve seen through promotional material in the past, it’s our first look at Christian Bale‘s Gorr the God Butcher.

Of course, the LEGO Minifigure won’t give us a full look at his costume but does hint that they’ll mostly remain true to his comic design. While in the comics he ran around butt naked, he does seem to have some clothes on that gives him the “white” design he had. It doesn’t seem like he has his black hoodie included, which was created from the Necrosword, but his weapon of choice can be found in the second image.

Here for a closer look:

If he is included in this LEGO set, it would mean we might get our first full look at his design soon. Plus, if they are releasing merchandise now we might also get ready for an upcoming teaser trailer in the coming weeks. They interestingly left Gorr out of the action figures, but he may get added once the first full look has been revealed, as they don’t want to take that away from the upcoming trailer. Spider-Man: No Way Home did something similar with only focusing on the story’s heroes in its earlier merch run.

Source: Marvel

February 21, 2022