Edgar Wright To Direct Sony's 'Barbarella' Remake Starring Sydney Sweeney As The Cosmic Heroine
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Edgar Wright To Direct & Jane Goldman To Co-Write Sony’s ‘Barbarella’ Remake Of Sexy Comic Book Flick Starring Sydney Sweeney

After months of rumblings that Edgar Wright (“Last Night In Soho,” “Baby Driver”) is indeed returning to the world of comic book movies after giving us the Toronto-set “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” and developing “Ant-Man” for Marvel Studios (before exiting as director over creative differences), as Deadline and other trades are now backing up claims that he’s attached to helm Sony Pictures‘ remake of the classic 1960s sci-fi movie “Barbarella.”

That’s not only it; veteran genre screenwriter Jane Goldman will co-write with her daughter, Honey Ross.

The original pic from 1968 that starred a young Jane Fonda was an adaptation of the French comics from Jean-Claude Forest and attempted to infuse the sexual liberation movement as Barbarella, a secret agent who had multiple romantic partners on a bizarre alien planet while trying to find an evil scientist named Duran Duran and stop his dastardly plans. Actress Sydney Sweeney (“Euphoria”) had been previously tapped by the studio to play the titular heroine.

The setting is the planet Lythion in the year 40,000, when Barbarella (Fonda) makes a forced landing while travelling through space. She acts like a female James Bond, vanquishing evil in the forms of robots and monsters. She also rewards, in an uninhibited manner, the handsome men who assist her in the adventure.

Goldman is best known for her many collaborations with director Matthew Vaughn and isn’t new to comic book adaptations, having worked on “X-Men: First Class,” “Kick-Ass,” and “Kingsmen: The Secret Service.” She also helped develop the “Game of Thrones” spinoff pilot “Bloodmoon” with the aim to become the showrunner and was expected to explore the origin of the White Walkers, but wasn’t picked-up by HBO.

This isn’t the only remake that Wright is attached to, as the British filmmaker is also behind Paramount’s “The Running Man,” which has Sweeney’s recent “Anyone But You” co-star Glen Powell (“Twisters”) in the lead role for the dystopian sci-fi action flick based on the Stephen King novel. However, it looks like “The Running Man” is expected to happen first, given Wright is said to be already in the prep stages on the film.

Both Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive”) and Robert Rodriguez (“Alita: Battle Angel”) previously tried to make their own versions of “Barbarella” that clearly never got further than the development stages, as Sony, I’m sure, is hoping this one sticks and actually goes in front of cameras.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

George Miller Open To Idea Of Working With Chris Hemsworth Again On Marvel's 'Thor 5'
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George Miller Open To Idea Of Working With Chris Hemsworth Again On Marvel’s ‘Thor 5’

Will we ever actually get “Thor 5” from Marvel Studios? That seems like a huge question mark after the lackluster effort from “Thor: Love & Thunder,” and while lead actor Chris Hemsworth seems gung-ho about donning the cape once more, what the studio actually wants to do is another matter entirely. Yet, there is a glimmer of optimism thanks to his “Furiosa” director, George Miller, who recently responded to Comic Book about his interest in working with the fellow Aussie again for a possible fifth “Thor” movie.

“I would work with Chris on anything. I really would. He’s a wonderful actor. He’s got the full range of all the skills,” the director said of the potential of working with Hemsworth again on “Thor 5” at Marvel Studios. “I mean, you’ve got to be athletic, physically. But, you also gotta be athletic emotionally and intellectually to take on these very, ultimately fairly complex, any role really. So, I was very lucky with all my cast, and particularly in the way that Anya and Chris matched each other. Particularly towards the end of the month.”

Hard to imagine that Kevin Feige wouldn’t be completely thrilled if Miller came into the Marvel offices to declare his intentions to direct a film for them. While there are certainly a bunch of hurdles to jump to get to the point of Miller actually getting involved with the MCU and the next “Thor” movie, we can’t completely dismiss the idea.

George Miller's Unmade Justice League Movie: Cast Photo Revealed - IGN

There was a time when Miller nearly made his own big studio comic book movie with “Justice League Mortal” (long before Zack Snyder’s version), and there have been reports of Warner Bros. at various times pursuing him again to tackle DC characters like Superman and Green Lantern. Perhaps something like a fifth “Thor” movie might be a little more appealing to the filmmaker, given his last three movies have very much had a fantasy/fairytale angle to them, not to mention already working with “Thor” cast members like Hemsworth on “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” and Heimdall (currently kicking it in Valhalla with Jane Foster) actor Idris Elba was his co-lead in his genie pic “Three Thousand Years of Longing.”

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It’s not lost on us the handful of references in these last two “Fury Road” connected films that have mentioned Valkyries and Valhalla as part of the Citadel’s wasteland warrior culture, seemingly adding elements of the Norse myths.

However, it’s worth noting despite all the online rumors concerning early “Thor 5” development and Hemsworth’s willingness to make one more movie to get things right alongside a potential death scene, Marvel Studios hasn’t shared any official plans for a fifth movie or that they’re even keen to make it after the mixed reactions to “Thor: Love & Thunder.”

The Ronin has theorized where a hypothetical version of “Thor 5” could go and hopefully would incorporate a bunch of the unused comic and Norse mythology as a final solo outing.

SOURCE: COMIC BOOK

'The Mandalorian & Grogu': Sigourney Weaver In Talks For Secretive Part In Jon Favreau's 'Star Wars' Movie
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‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’: Sigourney Weaver In Talks For Secretive Part In Jon Favreau’s ‘Star Wars’ Movie

Writer/director Jon Favreau is gearing up to shoot the very first live-action “Star Wars” movie to be released in theaters since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” back in 2019. His feature film spinoff of the Disney+ series, “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” is assembling a cast that could feature veteran actress Sigourney Weaver in a mysterious role as The Hollywood Reporter is backing up claims she’s in the mix for the project.

Weaver isn’t unfamiliar with sci-fi or franchise roles, having played Lt. Ellen Ripley in the “Alien” franchise (her “Aliens” co-star Michael Biehn already appeared in the TV series incarnation of “The Mandalorian” in that Ahsoka episode) in four feature films (a fifth installment from Neill Blomkamp was scrapped by Ridley Scott/20th Century Fox), is a key figure from the “Ghostbusters” movies, featured as a villain in the Netflix/Marvel Television series “The Defenders,” and is currently part of James Cameron’s “Avatar” franchise including those other three sequels.

You might remember that “The Mandalorian” originally started out in the first season as an original bounty hunter tale focusing on Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin. But quickly pivoted toward becoming a full-blown fan-service cameo factory for Dave Filoni’s animated characters from “Clone Wars” and “Rebels” to make their live-action debuts. This led to Bo-Katan and Ahsoka becoming key figures in the television realm, eventually removing the bounty hunter element altogether from “The Mandalorian” in the process.

Returning cast members from the series are sort of dwindling after the passing of Carl Weathers (“Predator”), the sexual misconduct allegations levied against comedian Horatio Sanz that likely pulled him from the “Star Wars” franchise entirely, and the very public firing of Gina Carano by Disney for some bizarre antisemitic posts connected to her own defense of posts understood to be transphobic in nature.

Meanwhile, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is able to reprise his role as Captain Carson Teva in the film. There is an expectation that folks such as Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan and Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon will be back though.

Disney’s Bob Iger had previously announced that “The Mandlaorian & Grogu” would be heading into theaters on May 22, 2026.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

'Fantastic Four': Ralph Ineson To Play Planet-Eating Villain Galactus In Marvel's Reboot
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‘Fantastic Four’: Ralph Ineson To Play Planet-Eating Villain Galactus In Marvel’s Reboot

We have our Galactus! Marvel Studios has reportedly landed on veteran character actor Ralph Ineson to play the iconic planet-eating bad guy in their upcoming “Fantastic Four” reboot that is gearing up to start filming this summer at Pinewood Studios UK in England. Making this the actor’s second MCU role after appearing in James Gunn’s “Guardians of The Galaxy” as a Ravager pilot.

This casting update comes to us from The Hollywood Reporter, as they’ve also added John Malkovich in another undisclosed part. You might remember that Malkovich was once in the mix to play The Vulture in Sam Raimi’s never-made “Spider-Man 4.”

The two new additions to the “Fantastic Four” cast will join Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, and Paul Walter Hauser. Matt Shakman directs after tackling the Disney+ series, “WandaVision,” which also played with period production design.

Ineson is likely known for roles in genre projects like “Game of Thrones,” “The Witch,” “The Creator,” “The Green Knight,” and will be part of Robert Eggers’ remake of “Nosferatu.”

While the reboot is expected to take place in the 1960s, some retro-futuristic skyline in promo artwork might have telegraphed that the movie is set in another universe, outside of Earth-616. “Fantastic Four” has a release date of July 25, 2025, and with casting in full swing, we’ll likely keep hearing new names being added over the coming days/weeks. So, stay tuned for those updates.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

'Blade Runner 2099': Michelle Yeoh To Star In Amazon's Cyberpunk Spinoff Series
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‘Blade Runner 2099’: Oscar-Winner Michelle Yeoh To Star In Amazon’s Cyberpunk Spinoff Series

Amazon Prime Video is riding high after their latest series “Fallout” has become their second biggest viewed show on the streaming service behind “Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power,” and one of their other ambitious projects looks to help expand the “Blade Runner” universe with “Blade Runner 2099.”

Best Actress Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All At Once”) is the first actor to join the limited cyberpunk series, according to various trade reports, including one from Variety. That would suggest that Yeoh is taking a lead role, but there aren’t any concrete plot or character details about who exactly the actress is playing in “Blade Runner 2099.”

The world of “Blade Runner” hails from the Philip K. Dick novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” but properly fleshed-out thanks to Ridley Scott in 1982 with the original movie and then Denis Villeneuve’s sequel “Blade Runner 2049.” As the title would suggest, there is going to be a 50-year time jump with this new streaming series, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed we’ll finally see some of these off-world colonies (nine colonies established back in 2049).

While both feature films have had a huge influence from both Japanese and Chinese atheistic, we really haven’t seen what these Asian countries look like in this universe. However, there is the assumption that various Asian countries like Japan are behind the effort to populate the off-world colonies, and Earthbound nations might be just as sparse as the United States.

One of the other impressive hirings for the spinoff series is director Jonathan van Tulleken, who most recently worked on the massive FX hit streaming series, “Shogun,” and helmed two episodes.

Yeoh has made her presence in Hollywood’s genre realm well-established going back to the 1990s when she joined the James Bond franchise with “Tomorrow Never Dies,” which nearly led to her own spinoff film but ultimately didn’t materialize. Some of those other genre projects include “Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” Danny Boyle’s sci-fi thriller “Sunshine,” “American Born Chinese,” “The Witcher: Blood Origin,” had a brief cameo in “Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.2,” “Morgan,” “The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor,” and James Cameron’s highly-anticipated “Avatar” sequels to the two previous multi-billion dollar successes.

An exciting development on a streaming project that could help add to the “Blade Runner” mythology.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Jack O'Connell Enlisted For Role In Danny Boyle's '28 Years Later'
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Jack O’Connell Enlisted For Role In Danny Boyle’s ’28 Years Later’

Writer Alex Garland (“Civil War”) and director Danny Boyle (“Trance”) have had a long-established working relationship going back to the late 1990s (first working on “The Beach”) and will be reuniting for a sequel to their action-horror pic, “28 Days Later,” with a continuation movie that will launch a trilogy at Sony Pictures. A new report from Deadline has revealed that Jack O’Connell is the latest addition to this third movie, “28 Years Later,” joining Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Bullet Train”), Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”), and Ralph Fiennes (“No Time To Die”).

Details about the sequel and these new characters are being kept under wraps, but it is said to be a direct sequel to the original and could skew toward a military angle, given that most of the United Kingdom has been overrun by the infected (hosts of the rage virus). While “28 Weeks Later” (could be removed from franchise canon) was indeed a sequel, the project didn’t have Garland or Boyle’s creative involvement as they would be focusing on their sci-fi thriller “Sunshine,” which also starred Cillian Murphy (attached to executive produce this new trilogy and might return as Jim alongside co-star Naomie Harris).

The Ronin previously revealed the film’s crew will consist of cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (“Dredd”) and production designer Mark Tildesley (“No Time To Die,” “Sunshine”), who previously worked on the original installment.

O’Connell most recently signed on to play the villain in Ryan Coogler’s period vampire action pic that stars Michael B. Jordan and takes place in the South in the 1930s. Other credits include the WWII pic “Unbroken” helmed by Angelina Jolie, “Starred Up,” Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” the military thriller “’71,” “Black To Black,” and “300: Rise of An Empire.”

Sony Pictures has yet to give “28 Years Later” an official release date, but stay tuned for that update down the line.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

'The Death Of Robin Hood': Hugh Jackman & Jodie Comer Star In Reimagining Of Classic Outlaw With Cameras Rolling Next February
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‘The Death Of Robin Hood’: Hugh Jackman & Jodie Comer Star In Dramatic Reimagining Of Classic Outlaw With Cameras Rolling Next February

While British actress Jodie Comer (“The Last Duel”) is gearing up to shoot Danny Boyle/Alex Garland’s “28 Years Later” this year, she’s being announced for a new period pic and will be co-starring alongside Hugh Jackman (“Prisoners”). Titled “The Death of Robin Hood,” the original feature film is a reimagining of the fictional English outlaw coming from Michael Sarnoski (“Pig,” “A Quiet Place: Day One”), who will both write and direct.

“The Death of Robin Hood” heads to the Cannes Film Market with WME Independent handling sales. Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company are behind the project as the pair are also involved with the upcoming Adam Wingard (“The Guest”) film “Onslaught” that recently landed at A24 Films.

That report from Deadline also features a brief idea of what to expect from the film that will keep its period angle in place, “The film will see the title character grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, a battle-worn loner who finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman who offers him a chance at salvation.”

Some modern incarnations of the outlaw have had varying success with audiences. Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood” from 2010 tried to infuse historical events into the fictional tale with a stellar cast led by Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. While the franchise starter spent a good amount of time lining up sequels didn’t have the kind of impact Universal Pictures was hoping for, given the cost.

“It has been an incredible opportunity to reinvent and freshly innovate the story we all know of Robin Hood,” Sarnoski said in a statement on his retelling of the Robin Hood tale. “Securing the perfect cast to transform the script to screen was essential. I could not be more thrilled and trusting in Hugh and Jodie to bring this story to life in a powerful and meaningful way.”

Jackman recently shot “Deadpool & Wolverine,” reprising his iconic role of the beloved “X-Men” team member, and it sounds like this would be more of a dramatic take on Robin Hood, allowing the Aussie actor to flex those acting skills.

Filming on “The Death of Robin Hood” is expected to begin in February of next year.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

'Button Man': David Leitch Developing Action-Thriller Series Based On Comic Book From 'Judge Dredd' Co-Creator With The Aim To Direct
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‘Button Man’: David Leitch Developing Action Thriller Series Based On Comic Book From ‘Judge Dredd’ Co-Creator With Aim To Direct

David Leitch‘s “The Fall Guy” is out in theaters, and the filmmaker is starting to line up a potential small screen project as a future directing gig. A report from Deadline has revealed that there are plans behind the scenes, but deals haven’t been made, for the rights for the comic book “Button Man” hailing from 2000 AD (British publisher of popular mature comic books such as “Rogue Trooper” and “Judge Dredd”) is being developed as a television series.

Fifth Season has acquired the comic from “Judge Dredd” co-creator John Wagner (“A History of Violence”) with 87North (Leitch and Kelly McCormick) hoping to get involved with the project that focuses on a collective of skilled killers that participate in a game to the death taking a page from properties like “Highlander,” “John Wick,” and “Battle Royale.”

Leitch is said in the report as eyeing “Button Man” as something he could direct if the stars align for him.

The official logline for the comic book via Amazon/2000 AD reads as follows:

The world didn’t seem to need a man like Harry Exton anymore. An ex-soldier and mercenary, Harry was a human-killing machine without a vocation until an old colleague told him about ‘The Game.’ The players, known as “Button Men” are paid to fight to the death in a modern-day gladiatorial contest. Organised by mysterious backers known as ‘Voices’, the killing game offers bountiful financial rewards… if you live. Harry decides to participate but soon discovers that death offers the only way out! The world didn’t seem to need a man like Harry Exton anymore. An ex-soldier and mercenary, Harry was a human-killing machine without a vocation, until an old colleague told him about ‘The Game’. The players, known as ‘Button Men’ are paid to fight to the death in a modern-day gladiatorial contest. Organised by mysterious backers known as ‘Voices’, the killing game offers bountiful financial rewards… if you live. Harry decides to participate but soon discovers that death offers the only way out! Written by John Wagner (Judge Dredd, A History of Violence) with art by Arthur Ranson (Anderson: Psi Division, Mazeworld), “Button Man” is an action-packed thriller, deservedly regarded as one of the greatest strips ever to be published in 2000 AD.

“Button Man” once started out as a feature film that Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive”) was considering that bounced around from DreamWorks to Netflix.

Leitch has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures and has been trying to figure out his next directorial effort after exiting talks to tackle the latest installment of the “Jurassic” franchise before Gareth Edwards nabbed the job.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Amazon's 'Crime 101' Starring Chris Hemsworth & Pedro Pascal To Begin Filming This September, Thriller In The Vein Of 'Heat'
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Amazon/MGM’s Jewel Heist Pic ‘Crime 101’ Starring Chris Hemsworth & Pedro Pascal To Begin Filming This September

Last year, it was announced that Chris Hemsworth (“Extraction 2”) and Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”) would team up for a crime film said to be “in the vein of Michael Mann’s ‘Heat,'” and there is a neat update on where “Crime 101” from director Bart Layton (“American Animals”) is currently at in the development/prep stage.

Author Don Winslow (his novella of the same name adapted for the pic) has shared an update on Twitter, confirming that Amazon MGM Studios has acquired “Crime 101” after a bidding war with Netflix and that the film will begin shooting sometime in September.

Here is the official synopsis for Winslow’s novella, which should give you an idea of what to expect from “Crime 101”:

A string of high-level jewel heists up and down the Pacific Coast Highway has gone unsolved for years, mostly because the perpetrator has lived by a strict code he calls “Crime 101”. Police attribute the thefts to the Colombian cartels. But Detective Lou Lubesnick’s gut says it’s the work of just one man. Now the lone-wolf jewel thief is looking for that fabled final last score, and Lou breaks all the rules of “Crime 101”.

Pascal is a busy bee these days as he’s expected to play Dr. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in Marvel’s “Fantastic Four” reboot this summer at Pinewood Studios UK in England and has a July 2025 release date. It’s starting to feel like he’ll move directly from “Fantastic Four” into “Crime 101.”

Hemsworth has been getting a bunch of success with his “Extraction” films on Netflix and will be seen next in George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” A fellow MCU actor, Hemsworth, has been teasing his interest in returning to the “Thor” role for a fifth solo film, while rumored online, it’s one that has yet to be made official by Marvel.

This isn’t the only Winslow project in the works, as Oscar-nominee Austin Butler (“Dune: Part Two,” “Elvis”) is attached to star in “City On Fire,” a mobster epic that has been compared to “The Godfather,” which would see Irish and Italian criminal syndicates going to war and is expected to be a franchise-starter for Butler. James Mangold (“Ford v Ferrari”) was also developing a feature film adaptation of “The Force” that had Matt Damon circling the cop thriller at 20th Century Studios.

Amazon MGM Studios has yet to give “Crime 101” an official release date.

SOURCE: DON WINSLOW

'28 Days Later' & 'Dredd' Cinematographer Reunites With Director Danny Boyle For '28 Years Later'
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’28 Days Later’ & ‘Dredd’ Cinematographer Reunites With Director Danny Boyle For ’28 Years Later’

Danny Boyle (“Yesterday”) and Alex Garland (“Civil War”) are getting the band back together as Garland is looking to make his grand return to screenwriting for other filmmakers by launching a new trilogy set within the universe of their previous film “28 Days Later.” The first installment, “28 Years Later,” landed at Sony Pictures with a cast that currently consists of Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Bullet Train,” “The Fall Guy”), Jodie Comer (“The Bikeriders,” “Free Guy”), and Ralph Fiennes (“No Time To Die”).

Podcast: Adventures of Anthony Dod Mantle, part I by Michael Goldman - ProVideo Coalition

The Ronin can confirm that cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (“Dredd”), who previously worked with Boyle on ’28 Days Later,” “Trance,””Slumdog Millionaire,” “Millions,” ‘T2: Trainspotting 2,” and “127 Hours” has joined the crew of the upcoming sequel. Most recently, Mantle and Boyle collaborated on the Sex Pistols series, “Pistol.”

What originally kicked off the rage virus being unleashed into the population was when an infected chimp gets released by well-intentioned animal rights activists, only for the chimp to bite them as they turn into the mindless killers that spread across the globe. Not traditional zombies, as the rage virus horde can run which influenced a heap of horror films. “28 Weeks Later” alludes to France/Europe also being overrun with rage hordes by the end of the film, as the main gist of the sequel was that the US military trying to repopulate the country slowly before that goes south too.

It’s still unclear what the actual plot of the film will be. However, there is an expectation that two more installments are also in the works, with trade reports claiming that Nia DaCosta (“Candyman,” “The Marvels”) is in talks to direct the second movie in the trilogy. Characters played by recent Best Actor Oscar winner Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) and Naomie Harris (“No Time To Die”) have survived the events of the original, but it remains to be seen if either will reprise their respective roles. Murphy attaching himself as a producer could signal his eventual return to the franchise.

For Boyle, this will be one of his biggest recent films after bowing out to helm the last James Bond movie over scheduling/creative differences. There is an expectation that production designer Mark Tildesley (“No Time To Die,” “Sunshine”) will be a department head and also previously worked on the original pic.

“28 Years Later” will shoot primarily in the United Kingdom, and Sony is handling the global distribution, although. we’re still waiting on an official release date from the studio.