A Quiet Place Part II is finally going to be released and actress Emily Blunt is doing the press tour to promote the horror flick directed by her hubby John Krasinski. One project that has been long in development is the sequel to the sci-fi action film Edge of Tomorrow with Blunt, Tom Cruise, and director Doug Liman attached to return once everything aligns.
However, it doesn’t sound from Emily Blunt’s recent comments that Edge of Tomorrow 2 is anywhere closer to getting made. Emily reiterated to The Howard Stern Show that the film’s budget might be too expensive for Warner Bros. alongside scheduling issues could be the real hold-up, not their desire to do it.
BLUNT: “We wanted to [make it]. Honestly, I think the movie’s too expensive. Yeah, I don’t know how we’re going to do it. I think that it’s hard to align everyone’s schedules. I would love it. Doug Liman would love it. Tom would love it. We’d all love to do it, but I think until we figure out what’s going on with the industry – honestly, I think we need to figure out what is the next road map for the kinds of films that people want to make.”
Blunt also telling Entertainment Weekly that the script is “amazing” but isn’t sure if it’ll get made or not, which might suggest that the script isn’t an issue unless it’s adding an extra hurdle to the budget.
Tom Cruise is going to be busy for the foreseeable future with Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible 8 still set to shoot after production delays caused by scheduling issues and the pandemic. He’s also attached to the $200 million budgeted action film from director Doug Liman that was picked-up by Universal Pictures. Emily Blunt is demand as well making things even more of a headache.
Warner Bros. still hasn’t given Edge of Tomorrow 2 a release date and it’ll be a miracle if it’s ever made at all.
SOURCE: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY & THE HOWARD STERN SHOW
John Wick co-director David Leitch is producing a handful of action films with the recent success of Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody are likely going to be on folks’ radar from now on. Leitch is also behind Atomic Blonde, Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2, and was recently working with Brad Pitt on the Sony flick Bullet Train.
One of the other productions produced by Letich is the Netflix film Kate that stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, as Kate, a criminal that is poisoned in Tokyo, Japan and has 24 hours to dish-out revenge before she dies.
After she’s irreversibly poisoned, a ruthless criminal operative (Winstead) has less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her enemies and in the process forms an unexpected bond with the daughter of one of her past victims.
The first images have been released by Entertainment Weekly showing off the film’s slick visual style.
The rest of the cast includes Woody Harrelson (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, True Detective), Michiel Huisman (The Haunting of Hill House), Tadanobu Asano (Thor: Ragnarok, Mortal Kombat, Midway), Jun Kunimura (Rain), Miyavi Lee Ishihara (Unbroken, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), and newcomer Miku Martineau as Ani.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead isn’t a stranger to genre projects with credits such as 10 Cloverfield Lane, Fargo, Live Free or Die Hard, the DC Comics film Birds of Prey playing The Huntress. The Thing (2011), Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Gemini Man, Black Christmas, and Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof.
Another female led action flick on the horizon is Karen Gillan’s Gunpowder Milkshake, which is being released by Netflix.
Marvel Studio is assembling a very solid cast for their Secret Invasion series that will be led by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos with new additions such as Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite, Hot Fuzz, The Crown), four-time Emmy nominee Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones, Solo: A Star Wars Story), and Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night In Miami, Peaky Blinders) said to be playing a villain.
We finally know who will be directing as The Hollywood Reporter reveals that the studio has chosen Thomas Bezhucha (Let Him Go) and Ali Selim (The Looming Tower) to direct the event show that is going to explore a version of the Skrull invasion plot from the comic books. Multiple heroes are revealed to be the shape-shifting aliens as they were slowly replaced to allow the Skrulls to secure positions of power all over Earth.
Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels will feature three generations of female superheroes and could have ties to the series.
Filming is said to begin this fall in the United Kingdom with a 2022 debut being eyed.
Knives Out 2 is quickly becoming one of the most talked about upcoming films mainly due to the interesting casting choices made over the last week or so. Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig are returning for two more films with the next one set to begin shooting next month in Greece.
One of the big casting announcements was wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautistia, who had previously worked with Craig in Sam Mendes’ Spectre and is doing the press rounds to promote the Zack Snyder movie Army of The Dead. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Dave details what he thought was a regular conversation with the filmmaker that eventually turned into a role in the whodunit sequel.
BAUTISTA: “I knew that this was happening, but the first time I talked to Rian was more of a general conversation. So I had the conversation with him, and we talked about everything other than Knives Out. We talked about his background in film. We talked about my background in film. I was obviously a fan of his films, but I love the fact that he’s directed Breaking Bad. (Laughs.) So I really focused in on that, and I wanted to talk to him a little bit more about that. But it really was just a friendly conversation. And then after the conversation, he said, ‘Well, you know, I’ve got this script. I’d really like you to take a look at it and read for this part.’So I was kind of taken aback that way because I didn’t know where this was leading. I was just told, ‘Hey, Rian wants to talk to you.’ And I was like, ‘Fucking great. Rian Johnson wants to talk to me. That’s amazing.’ (Laughs.) So I was just excited about the call, but as far as I knew, he wasn’t calling me to talk about a film or offer me a part. It was just to have a conversation.
He also added how excited he is about working with Daniel Craig again as the atmosphere will likely be a lot more relaxing than when they shooting the high-budgeted James Bond film Spectre, a film he spent working on for eight months despite having a smaller role as Mr. Hinx than other members of the main cast.
BAUTISTA: “Yeah, that was his knee and my nose. I lost a nose and he lost a knee. Yes, I am excited to be working with Daniel again. And I’m excited that it will be in a much, much less stressful environment because being on a Bond film is just hard. It’s just stressful. It’s just long days. Logistically, it’s a nightmare. You’re just moving from country to country to country. It’s just a long and slow process. I think Spectre shot for almost a year. My role wasn’t extensive, but I was on the film for eight months. So it’s just a long, long process. But I think [Knives Out 2] is just a much more lighthearted film, and the environment that we’re shooting in is going to be beautiful, warm and sunny.”
The rest of the cast consists of Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk, Rounders, Moonrise Kingdom), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision, Step Brothers), and Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures, Moonlight). We’re expecting to keep seeing a drip-drop of names from trades until production starts.
Netflix has yet to give Knives Out 2 an official release date.
There are two more additions to the cast of Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones 5.
Director James Mangold has reportedly added Boyd Holbrook (The Predator, Narcos) for role after previously working together on the solo Wolverine film Logan, the new comes to us via Deadline. The outlet mentions that The Resident’s Shaunette Renée Wilson has nabbed a role in the sequel as well.
The untitled sequel’s cast also includes franchise star Harrison Ford(said to be his final outing as Indy), British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Fleabag), Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Fantastic Beasts 3, Casino Royale, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Another Round), and German actor Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong, Valkyrie, Blade II).
Production is said to take place over the summer with confirmed crew members such as production designer Adam Stockhausen (The French Dispatch, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Widows, Ready Player One), and cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (Ford v Ferrari, Walk The Line, 3: 10 To Yuma).
Disney has given Indiana Jones 5 a release date of July 29,2022 and will go head-to-head with Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam until one film moves to another spot.
Back on Star Wars Day aka May The Fourth, we ran an extensive look at the upcoming live-action Star Wars projects. There were a couple of tidbits we’ve learned since then and figured we’d do a follow-up.
It’s well known that active Lucasfilm productions include The Book of Boba Fett (California), Andor (United Kingdom), Willow (Wales), and Obi-Wan Kenobi (California). There is an assumption that things such as Rangers of The New Republic (Jon Favreau set as series showrunner), Ahsoka, and the third season of The Mandalorian will shoot in California given the production hub there seems to be the home base for Disney+ productions from Favreau/Filoni.
Indiana Jones 5 will be shot in the United Kingdom with James Mangold (Cop Land, Logan) doing double duty as both screenwriter and director after Steven Spielberg exited. Its confirmed production team includes production designer Adam Stockhausen (The French Dispatch, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Widows, Ready Player One), and reuniting with James is cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (Ford v Ferrari, Walk The Line, 3: 10 To Yuma). The untitled sequel’s cast so far includes franchise star Harrison Ford (said to be his final outing as Indy), British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Fleabag), Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Fantastic Beasts 3, Casino Royale, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Another Round), and German actor Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong, Valkyrie, Blade II). The most recent additions are Boyd Holbrook (Narcos, Logan, The Predator) and Shaunette Renée Wilson (The Resident), as reported by Deadline.
James Mangold may have teased the 1960s as the setting on social media as concrete plot details have been kept under wraps. The fifth installment is officially set for a release in theaters on July 29, 2022.
The Andor series is seeming going to get a Season 2.
Back in March 2019, I was the first to break the news that Lucasfilm was looking to move forward with a second season of The Mandalorian ahead of Star Wars Celebration 2019. Well, I’m also hearing Andor is indeed aiming for multiple seasons as Season 2 is on the table, if not already in development by the creative team. We’re treating as a rumor until there is announcement from Disney/Lucasfilm.
A second season was sort of teased by K-2SO actor Alan Tudyk when he told Collider that his smart-mouthed droid was removed from Season 1 after showrunner Tony Gilroy was brought-on to help with writing.
It remains to be seen if Lucasfilm will attempt to launch splinter/spinoff shows based on the era that Andor takes place as they did with The Mandalorian spinoffs The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Rangers of The New Republic.
Andor’s Season 1 creative team includes directors Toby Haynes (Doctor Who, Utopia), Susanna White (Our Kind of Traitor), and Benjamin Caron (The Crown) alongside a stellar writing team with Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy, Beau Willimon, and Stephen Schiff.
The first season will debut in 2022 on Disney+ exclusively.
Three more Lucasfilm productions are heading to the United Kingdom with the following limited liability corporations The Ronin has uncovered being recently established by the studio. You can see those companies listed below.
GHOST TRUCK 6 UK LIMITED
BLUE STOCKINGS UK LIMITED
ACE OF HEARTS UK LIMITED
The fact they were just created would mean this would rule out projects in pre-production or currently filming such as the Willow series, James Mangold’s Indiana Jones 5, and Andor series.
At least one of the three companies is likely linked to Patty Jenkins‘ upcoming Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, the next big Star Wars film should begin shooting by 2022 to hit the December 22, 2023 release date. All of the Disney-era Star Wars films have been shot in the London era making it extremely likely that the next film will continue that established tradition. Patty isn’t new to massive productions shot across the pond, as the filmmaker shot the first two Wonder Woman films on the stages of Warner Bros. Studios in Watford, England.
Patty is attached to direct Wonder Woman 3 for Warner Bros. but likely won’t be next for her.
The listing of Ghost Truck 6 based on the name alone might be recognizable to Star Wars fans as a potential nod to Star Wars: Rebels, as the ship is called Ghost (featured in live-action projects) and there just happens to be six crew members. However, it’s speculation based on the name as there hasn’t been anyone official confirmation from Lucasfilm that a series will focus on Rebels characters, despite rumblings of the Ahsoka series potentially including them after her being on a mission to find Grand Admiral Thrawn was revealed in the character’s episode in The Mandalorian. The Ghost was spotted in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Ace of Hearts might be the Lando series given the character’s connection to gambling and seduction, then again, could be meant for something else like Rogue Squadron, Children of Blood & Bone, or the High Republic-set series The Acolyte.
Marvel Studios and Disney decided to release Black Widow on July 9 as a hybrid release on Disney+ with Premier Access and in theaters as well. There had been some question if Disney would adopt the hybrid release for other big feature films and it looks like we got some sort of answer, for the moment.
Today, it was announced by Disney during their Q2 earnings call (via Nicholas Whitcomb) that they’ll be sticking to a 45 day theatrical window for upcoming films Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings and Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy. Disney could ultimately change their minds but it looks like the two films will avoid Premier Access entirely.
Bob Chapek says FREE GUY and SHANG CHI will be released with a 45 day theatrical window and end up on DTC platforms
SHANG-CHI & THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS – Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, who must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
Joining Simu Liu in the Marvel cast includes Tony Leung as Wenwu, Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s friend Katy, and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, as well as Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, and Ronny Chieng. Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and produced by Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Charles Newirth serving as executive producers. David Callaham & Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Lanham wrote the screenplay for the film, and experience it in theaters on September 3, 2021.
Dave Bautista has reunited with director Denis Villenueve for Legendary’s Dune remake after working with the Canadian director on the visually stunning Blade Runner 2049. While speaking with Slash Film to promote his Netflix film Army of The Dead, the wrestler-turned-actor is very appreciative of Denis giving him his role in the Blade Runner sequel as it has opened many doors for him.
BAUTISTA: “[Denis Villeneuve], I always say this, and it’s something that’s really hard to convey in words, but how detailed he is in his performance. I wouldn’t have gotten nearly the love that I got from my small part in Blade Runner [2049] if he hadn’t just been all over me as far as performing. Down to the smallest details of how I walked, how I put my glasses on, how I took my glasses off. Just super up-close-and-personal and detailed. I had the most intimate conversations about putting my glasses on. [laughs] The simplest things. But that’s just the kind of director he is, man, he’s just so involved in the performance, which I loved. It was even more so on Dune. I think a lot of that was pressure that I put on myself. Because it felt different to me. Like, now he already has faith in me, he has expectations of me, so now I want to meet those expectations. So I put the pressure on myself so I can deliver for this guy. I love this guy. He’s opened the doors for me with Blade Runner, and I fought for that part, but man, that role opened a lot of doors for me. So anyway, I want to come through. I think you can find that same sentiment with every actor that works with Denis. He’s a special person and a special director, and at the end of the day, you want to hear him come out from behind that monitor and say, ‘I deeply love this.’ That’s when you know Denis is happy.“
Dave is a busy guy with the Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3 shoot in the United Kingdom taking place at the end of the year. He’s also attached for leading roles in Paul W.S. Anderson’s In The Lost Lands and the sci-fi action film Universe’s Most Wanted.
Zack Snyder’s Army of The Dead releases this month on Netflix and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is coming out on October 1 with a little uncertainly if it’ll stick to a hybrid release, the Legendary website doesn’t mention HBO Max.
ARMY OF THE DEAD – Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.
DUNE – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will tell half the story of the first novel written by Frank Herbert and a second film is expected to be made, but likely will depend on how audience react to the upcoming remake after David Lynch’s 1984 version became a historical box office bomb.
Army of The Dead’s Dave Bautista is making the press rounds and spoke to Slash Film about Denis Villeneuve’s vision for Dune as he plays the evil Glossu Rabban, alongside his impressive version for the sci-fi epic (inspired the Star Wars franchise) stating people are going to be “blown away” from they’ve done.
BAUTISTA: “[The] world that he’s created is so far over my head. It’s so beautiful and different, and a lot of times dark and strange. But it’s something I never could have imagined. I just don’t have that mind. When I think about things, and when I think about directing, it’s all very contained, based on simple stories, a lot of times very simple and inspiring stories. And for someone to see something and create a world this big, a galaxy, a universe this big, it’s something that doesn’t comprehend, doesn’t compute in my brain. But it’s weird that he can do both. [Denis Villeneuve] can create these huge epic worlds and scenes, but at the same time just focus on the most simple things about a performance. He’s just a special guy, he’s got a special focus, and man, he’s a brilliant storyteller. Dune is special. I think people are going to be blown away. It’s going to be one of the most beautiful films that people have ever seen. But I think that people who are just diehard fans of Dune, of the novels, they’re going to be blown away. Because they don’t have anything, really, to reference in relation to the books. Now they will. They’ll have that visual reference. He took these characters, he took this world, and he’s taken them off the page and put them on screen. It’s epic.”
The Legendary website states it’s still set for a theatrical roll-out on October 1, 2021, while other Warner Bros. releases are getting hybrid releases on HBO Max. There is already work on the second film and a spinoff series for HBO Max titled Dune: The Sisterhood, Legendary certainly wants to turn Dune into a major franchise.
DUNE – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Breaking news as WandaVision actress Kathryn Hahn is the latest addition to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out 2, according to a report from Deadline. The comedic actress is having a career renaissance and landing a role in the comedy murder mystery should be fun to watch given how underrated Kathryn has been for the longest time.
She’ll join a growing cast that consists of Bond actor Daniel Craig reprising the role of crime novelist and part-time private detective Benoit Blanc, Dave Bautista (Blade Runner 2049, Spectre, Guardians of The Galaxy, Army of The Dead), Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk, Rounders, Moonrise Kingdom), and Janelle Monae (Moonlight).
The untitled sequel will begin shooting next month in Greece giving the movie a stark contrast to the original’s setting in the United States. While it’s a sequel, there are expectations that Benoit Blanc will be the only returning character (as far as we known at this time).
Netflix made a massive deal with Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig to secure two sequels to Knives Out, reportedly spending $400+ million with Rian and Daniel earning $100 million each. The streaming service could end up pushing beyond that depending on the success and viewership the first round of films bring to Netflix.
Kathryn Hahn will be third actor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe added to the sequel’s roster alongside Dave Bautista (plays Drax) and Edward Norton (once played Bruce Banner). Hahn was a huge standout in Marvel’s Disney+ series WandaVision playing the manipulative witch Agatha Harkness and arguably stole many scenes from the main cast, including getting her own theme song Agatha All Along.
A release date hasn’t been announced by Netflix.
KNIVES OUT – The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there’s one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc knows for sure — everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth.
THE RONIN 