Category: Film News

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Lionsgate Aims To Release Their Long-Gestating ‘Highlander’ Reboot In 2026

There can be only one! Lionsgate has spent over a decade trying to put together a modern reboot of the beloved 1986 film “Highlander,” which focused on a collective of immortals battling it out across time and the world to gain “the prize.” That prize is the final living immortal and being granted a natural death from old age. This latest incarnation of “Highlander” hails from “John Wick” franchise director Chad Stahelski and stars British actor Henry Cavill (“The Witcher”) in a leading role. We now have a release window for the reboot thanks to an update from the studio.

Lionsgate chairman Joe Drake on a recent earnings call (via IGN) has stated they hope that the pic will be part of the studios’ tentpole slate in 2026. There were some indications that filming on “Highlander” could begin early next year and given that the strikes are over, there could be some more casting announcements in the very near future.

Previous reporting suggested that the budget could be north of $100 million, which would be closer to what “John Wick 4” cost the studio and a potential indication of how large the action-packed film might end up. Screenwriter Mike Finch (“Predators,” “John Wick 4”) is said to have penned the latest draft of the script.

Cavill is an excellent casting choice for the swordplay franchise after cutting his teeth as it were on “The Witcher.” His extensive sword/stunt training on that Netflix fantasy series should help when the team at 87 Eleven Action Design put the actor through his paces in the action prep process which can be grueling.

This isn’t the only project on the horizon for Stahelski as he is attached to direct the feature film adaptation of the PlayStation samurai video game, “Ghost of Tsushima,” which recently got a development update with the filmmaker revealing they “have a script.” That project over at Sony Pictures is assumed to be the next thing Stahelski makes once he wraps on “Highlander.”

We’re hopeful that Lionsgate will be able to release the film released around the spring/summer of 2026, but we’ll have to wait for a concrete date.

SOURCE: LIONSGATE

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‘Planet Of The Apes 4’ Director Wes Ball To Tackle Live-Action ‘The Legend Of Zelda’ Movie For Sony Pictures

Earlier this month, a first-look teaser trailer for Wes Ball‘s “Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes” was released, the fourth installment in 20th Century Studios‘ modern “Planet of The Apes” franchise. An impressive feat to take the reigns from Matt Reeves (“The Batman”) and it sounds like Ball has established what his next big project will be and it is a real doozy.

Nintendo has officially announced that they are moving forward with a live-action feature film version of their popular fantasy film “The Legend of Zelda” at Sony Pictures with Ball directing and Avi Arad (“Ghost In The Shell”) producing. Arad might be best known for his attachment to the successful “Spider-Man” franchise including the Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” but is also currently involved with Jordan Vogt-Roberts‘ (“Kong: Skull Island) “Metal Gear Solid” movie at Sony that has Oscar Isaac set to star as Snake.

Another tidbit mentioned in the press release is that Nintendo isn’t just handing over the rights to Sony Pictures as the video game company will be co-fiancing the film by providing more than 50% of the production budget. This would likely mean that they’ll have a larger participation in profits if the film is another box office success. Although it’s unknown how much the ultimate cost of the budget will be given we’re only looking at an announcement and budgeting only happens when a script is much further along.

How to add The Legend of Zelda's Link into your D&D game - Dexerto

“Zelda” focuses on the adventurous protagonist Link and is set within a high-fantasy world that lends itself to some fun quests on the level of “The Lord of The Rings.”

Here is the official press release posted by Nintendo:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minami-ku, Kyoto, President & CEO: Shuntaro Furukawa) is pleased to announce that it has started planning and developing a live-action movie about “The Legend of Zelda”. The film will be co-produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, a Fellow of Nintendo, and Avi Arad, president of Arad Productions Inc., who has produced a number of blockbuster films. The film will be produced by Nintendo and Arad Productions Inc., and will be directed by Wes Ball. In addition, Nintendo will invest more than 50% of the production cost of the film, and Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. will co-finance the worldwide distribution.

It’s been said by Deadline that Derek Connolly is writing the film’s script, he isn’t a stranger to video game adaptations after previously working with Arad on “Metal Gear Solid” and on Legendary’s successful film “Detective Pikachu.”

Ball really got on studio radars after his “Maze Runner” franchise and once attempted a feature film adaptation of the comic book “Mouse Guard” only for the project to get nixed during Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox leading a heap of gestating films at 20th Century Studios were canceled. The filmmaker would eventually be selected to tackle “Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes” allowing him to oversee a CGI-focused epic and should be a great choice to bring Hyrule to the big screen.

There had been an obvious assumption that once the animated “Super Mario Bros.” movie earned Universal Pictures a billion dollars other Nintendo properties like “Zelda,” “Starfox,” and “Metroid” (John Woo nearly made a film) would be next to be turned into feature films. And the former is now officially in the development stage.

Sony Pictures is sort of an interesting choice given they’re already developing a wave of film and television projects based on their PlayStation games which includes the second season of “The Last of Us” at HBO, a series version of “God of War” at Amazon, and director Chad Stahelski (“John Wick 1-4”) is attached to make a film based on the samurai game “Ghost of Tsushima.” There is also an expectation that a follow-up to Tom Holland‘s “Uncharted” could happen down the line as well, which was produced by Arad as well.

SOURCE: NINTENDO JAPAN

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‘Blade’ Director Yann Demange Confirms R-Rating For The MCU Reboot

There had been a huge debate about Marvel Studios and their upcoming “Blade” starring Mahershala Ali. That being if they’d aim for an R-rated film like the previous trilogy of movies (Led by Wesley Snipes) or tarnishing that mature branding going back to 1998 to court a younger audience with a PG-13 rating. However, it looks like we finally have an official answer to that question. While speaking with Deadline, the film’s current director Yan Demange (“White Boy Rick”) has confirmed that the studio has given him the greenlight to make an R-rated incarnation and would make this the second film made for adult audiences alongside “Deadpool 3.”

“They gave me the R, which is so important,” Demange said of the film’s rating.

“I come out of this wanting to be more open, more vulnerable and bring a more personal aspect to my work,” the director said. “But for Blade, we are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor. I’m excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way. I love him for that. He’s got a dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen.”

Eric Brooks, aka, Blade is a half-human/half-vampire hybrid who was born with vampire attributes but without deadly sensitivity to sunlight and silver, things that kill vampires that feed on the human population like cattle. One of the key aspects of the franchise has been its roots within exploitation and martial films including how our heroic vampire hunter dispenses vampires with silver bullets, swords, and other weapons. Blade is hardly a Marvel Comics character that children are aware of or looking forward to its reboot, so a PG-13 rating never made a lot of sense. Even more so when vampires are involved and you want to push into that horror angle, removing the gore would make these vampires less threatening given their whole thing is drinking blood and killing their victims in that manner.

“Blade” is currently undergoing rewrites by veteran screenwriter Michael Green (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Logan”) and we’ll likely know more about the film’s production once the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved. While the volume of screenwriters might look troublesome to outsiders, it’s very much a normal thing for movies of this scale to get things right before filming combined with the assumption that Ali has some sort of creative input on “Blade.” Getting things right isn’t always a bad thing and after Marvel Studios became known for trying to fix scripts during production or with editing/reshoots, polishing the script in the prep phase could be seen as a way to save money in the long run.

The rest of the cast includes Delroy Lindo, Mia Goth, and Aaron Pierre with an assumption that more names will be revealed once the strike is resolved and the casting process can resume.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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‘Ghost Of Tsushima’ Director Chad Stahelski Shares Promising Update On His Samurai Action Flick: “We Have A Script”

A recent report alluded to movement on Lionsgate’s “Highlander” remake from director Chad Stahelski (“John Wick 1-4”) and starring Henry Cavill (“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”) is leading to a potential early 2024 production start. And it looks like Stahelski’s other big swordplay action flick is getting some traction as well. The filmmaker shared an update of sorts with the folks over at ScreenRant, about his live-action feature film incarnation of the PlayStation/Sucker Punch video game “Ghost of Tsushima.” A game that allows gamers to play as a samurai during a Mongol invasion of Tsushima Island in 1274.

Stahelski was quick to reveal they have a script (unknown if it is shooting ready) and indicates they’ve figured out what the picture will be.

“We have a script, we’re very close to getting our shit together on that, as well. Development is always tricky, it’s studios, it’s strikes, and availabilities, and scouting. You have to will things into existence. I think the two things that I am closest and most interested in are ‘Highlander’ and ‘Ghost of Tsushima.’ Both amazing, amazing properties, the story of Ghost is, also, one of my favorite properties of all time,” Stahelski told ScreenRant of the current status of the samurai flick’s script.

Depending on his schedule for “Highlander” there is a strong possibility that “Ghost of Tsushima” could be ready to go in front of cameras by 2025-2026.

Here is the game’s official logline via PlayStation:

Tsushima is on the brink of destruction. In the wake of a crushing defeat at the hands of ruthless Mongol invaders, noble samurai Jin Sakai must sacrifice everything to protect what’s left of his home and people. As he embarks on an epic adventure for the freedom of Tsushima, he must set aside samurai traditions, embrace unconventional methods, and forge a new path—the path of the Ghost.

In the past, the director has given the impression they’ll try to do a version with subtitles and actors speaking Japanese, which likely means they’ll be casting mostly authentic actors for the key roles and could give a huge boost to the career of whoever lands the lead role of Jin Sakai. That role had been previously played by Japanese-American actor Daisuke Tsuji (“Invasion”) for the video game and we wouldn’t be all that shocked if he ended up getting an offer to reprise the part.

SOURCE: SCREEN RANT

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Michael Man Reportedly Remaking Korean Crime Thriller ‘Veteran’ With U.S. Adaption

Yet another Michael Mann (“Ferrari”) upcoming feature film project has surfaced thanks to a new report from Variety. The outlet has revealed that the filmmaker aims to continue working within the crime thriller genre and will now help develop a remake of the 2015 South Korean film “Veteran” alongside Korea’s CJ ENM. Noteworthy that the report isn’t entirely sure if Mann will ultimately direct or simply become the project’s producer and writer, as he’s said to be working on the remake’s script.

Ryoo Seung-wan‘s original film (that skewed within the action comedy realm) is described via a synopsis as “A maverick detective’s crime-fighting skills are tested when he targets the ruthless heir to a corrupt corporation and crime syndicate.” It’s a bit unclear when this Western version of “Veteran” will actually move forward as it sounds like they’re only in the development stage and things had stalled due to the WGA strike that recently has been resolved.

We’ll be curious to see if Mann and his studio partners attempt to recast with white actors or decide to push for an Asian-American cast, which could help potentially connect the film’s story/setting between South Korea and the Korean community in the United States.

Mann is looking to turn his novel “Heat 2,” which he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner as a follow-up to his iconic cops-and-robbers movie “Heat” from 1995, into his next feature film. With the presumption that his “Ferrari” lead Adam Driver might be landing a lead role in it. The film would cover the events prior to and after the original film, allowing for the recasting of multiple parts with new actors given the ages of the folks who starred in “Heat” along with how the story fluxes between different time periods.

This trend of Hollywood remaking films from Asian cinema is nothing new there are plans to do an English remake of Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning class satire “Parasite,” a long-gestating Western take of the Korean zombie thriller “Train To Busan,” and director Martin Scorsese reworked the Hong Kong crime thriller “Infernal Affairs” as the Boston-set pic “The Departed.” One of the more recent projects that Mann has worked on was the HBO Max series “Toyko Vice” which spent a good chunk of time shooting on location in Japan.

You can check out the trailer for “Veteran” below.

SOURCE: VARIETY

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‘Sicario 3’: Christopher McQuarrie A “Partner” On The Next Installment According To Producers

Over the weekend we got an update of sorts from “Sicario 3″ producers Molly Smith and Trent Luckinbill that they were aiming to bring back both Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin alongside confirmed returning franchise star Benicio Del Toro. Now, there are some juicy quotes about who is involved, potentially on the creative side. While continuing their chat with Collider to promote Del Toro’s Netflix thriller “Reptile,” they were able to dish that both franchise creator Taylor Sheridan (“Yellowstone”) and Christopher McQuarrie (“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”) are “partners” on “Sicario 3.” They seemingly didn’t expand upon the roles of Sheridan or McQuarrie, but considering that the former penned the last two installments and essentially created the franchise it wouldn’t be all that surprising if the workaholic writer penned the script or the story.

“But we don’t know who’s going to direct yet. It’s all gonna be about timing. We’ve got obviously a wealth of great partners on it, everybody from Taylor Sheridan to Chris McQuarrie as a partner on it, but it’ll all be about the timing and what aligns with everyone’s schedule.”

As previously alluded to, Sheridan is a busy man overseeing multiple television series and likely might have handed off polishing duties to someone like McQuarrie (still working on “Mission: Impossible 8”), who is also known in the industry as a script doctor. Case in point, McQuarrie helped out with the script to “Top Gun: Maverick” despite not directing and could have a similar role here on this project, if not bigger.

Sheridan being extremely busy was also echoed by Luckinbill, “He is so busy, and he stays close to it, and will obviously have input, too. Then it’s just a question of when we get schedules lined up and all of that starting to have real conversations to see who’s available and who wants to do it. So certainly, I think everybody that’s ever been involved with this has stayed really close and has stayed fans of it. So, we’ll just push forward and see what lines up and who lines up in our window.”

“Sicario 3” is still seemingly without a director, officially, and the talk of schedule would suggest that either of those two would be welcomed as helming the third installment. Whether that happens remains to be seen and will likely take a bit of time.

Having the trio of actors back with Sheridan and McQuarrie possibly being the creative force behind it would very much be a welcomed shot in the arm after that lackluster second film. Of course, the original from 2015 was helmed by French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who has since moved to tackle two installments of the “Dune” franchise as he’s also in development on a third film based on the second Frank Herbert novel “Dune Messiah.” We still don’t know if Villeneuve will indeed make that third “Dune” film next or could be hypothetically persuaded to direct Sicario 3,” which would likely be a less intense or lengthy shoot in comparison.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

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‘Sicario 3’ Producers Want To Bring Back Emily Blunt & Josh Brolin For Third Installment: “Our Idea Is To Get The Cast Back Together”

Denis Villeneuve‘s thrillers such as “Prisoners” and “Sicario” helped put the French-Canadian filmmaker on the radar of global audiences alongside studios leading to more pricey sci-fi projects such as “Arrival,” “Blade Runner 2049,” and his two “Dune” movies. So, it’s not that shocking that “Sicario” after becoming a financial and acclaimed critical success would end up getting a sequel. Despite the mixed reception of that second film, a third one is in active development with the expectation that Benicio del Toro will be leading “Sicario 3.” While there had been some assumption that Josh Brolin‘s Matt, a C.I.A. Agent, would be making a grand return in “Sicario 3” seemingly in an antagonist role, it sounds like producers are also aiming to get Emily Blunt back in the fold as well.

During a chat with Collider to promote the Netflix crime thriller “Reptile,” franchise producers Molly Smith and Trent Luckinbill dished that they want to get the trio in the next movie but scheduling is going to play a big role for that to come together.

Interview: Denis Villeneuve Talks 'Sicario,' Strong Female Leads, 'Blade Runner' Sequel & More – IndieWire

“Our idea is to get the cast back together with Benicio, Emily, and Josh, and we’ve got a great story to tell…Benicio, by nature of just working with us most recently, has been probably the closest to it at the moment. But we’re keeping all the talent informed. They’ve stayed close to it. Like Trent said, the strike has just slowed us down a bit on this last draft, but I think everybody is very excited. Everyone sort of knows the framework of the story and is very excited to, hopefully, get our shooting draft in order very soon.”

How exactly they’ll navigate the busy schedules of two of their primary actors isn’t clear but another aspect hasn’t been announced either, who will direct “Sicario 3” and what the plot will be pertaining to how Blunt’s FBI Agent gets pulled back into the fray. We’ll just have to wait for more information once the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved, hopefully in the near future. I think it would be in their best interest to also court co-star Daniel Kaluuya, considering his star has risen as well since the first film was released back in 2015.

In the lawless border area stretching between the U.S. and Mexico, an idealistic FBI agent [Emily Blunt] is enlisted by an elite government task force official [Josh Brolin] to aid in the escalating war against drugs. Led by an enigmatic consultant with a questionable past [Benicio Del Toro], the team sets out on a clandestine journey forcing Kate to question everything that she believes in order to survive.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

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‘Highlander’: Lionsgate & Director Chad Stahelski’s Reboot Starring Henry Cavill To Start Filming In Early 2024

Lionsgate is officially moving forward with its reboot of the “Highlander” franchise after multiple years in development and is aiming to begin shooting in early 2024, one of the more concrete updates we’ve seen yet on the project. A report from Deadline has revealed that the film is now heading to the American Film Market to find partners as the budget is said to be over $100 million. Which is sort of on par with what Lionsgate spent on Stahelski’s recent hit “John Wick 4.” As previously reported, British actor Henry Cavill is attached for a leading role, and screenwriter Mike Finch (“Predators,” “John Wick 4”) is said to have penned the latest draft of the script.

This comes after Stahelski has been mulling over what feature film he’d tackle next after making four straight installments of the increasingly popular “John Wick” franchise starring Keanu Reeves. “Highlander” would, of course, be an excellent excuse for Stahelski to explore different kinds of action scenes as the characters who inhabit this universe are immortals and can only be killed once their heads are severed from their bodies, usually by swords. Meaning that we’ll get plenty of swordplay in the “Highlander” reboot, something that Cavill is seemingly primed and ready for after his tenure as the lead in Netflix’s fantasy series “The Witcher.”

“There Can Be Only One,” is the main tagline and refers to the quest of immortals to be the last man standing in duels to the death, as once an immortal kills another their power/strength via the Quickening is adding to their own. However, it’s been signaled that they’re more or less going to be taking cues from both the films and the expanded television series mythology. Since they don’t want to start off the first film with all immortals dead, this was sort of retconned later in the TV adaptations to allow for great numbers of immortals both good and bad to populate the show. Watchers were introduced in the series as the mortal faction that documents and sometimes even mentors immortals as they navigate a dangerous landscape that even includes super-immortals, a few that have killed so many fellow immortals over the centuries their powers are more in the realm of super-human.

The reboot has seen different incarnations over the years from Ryan Reynolds once attached to the lead the project long before his “Deadpool” success and even had “Fast & Furious” franchise director Justin Lin involved before Stahelski was ultimately selected to helm. Cavill recently returned to feature films shooting two action films back-to-back with Guy Ritchie and seems primed to get “Highlander” in the can as well.

Another big what-if is going to be what actors they’ll be able to secure for “Highlander” as the ongoing strike between SAG-AFTRA (actors’ union) and the AMPTP (studios) has yet to be officially resolved. However, there are ongoing negotiations this week that could end up resulting in a positive outcome with a fair deal for actors.

One of the biggest aspects of the original film was the soundtrack/score handled by British rock group, Queen. It’ll be interesting to see if Lionsgate attempts to do a similar collaboration with an active metal/rock group to make sure the music is another character of the reboot.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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Daniel Radcliffe Denies Persistent Wolverine Casting Rumor Whilst Strapped To A Literal Lie Detector: “Flattered, But No”

As soon as it was revealed that Marvel Studios would end up getting the “X-Men” film rights reverted back them in the wake of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, there has been an oddball fan campaign online to get “Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe (A well-known short actor) to take over the Wolverine role from Hugh Jackman (Appearing as Logan in “Deadpool 3”).

Well, despite the actor himself debunking various casting rumors over the years, he’s now been strapped to a lie detector for Vanity Fair(See video below) and was asked again about his potential casting as the iconic Canadian mutant by his fellow “Merrily We Roll Along” cast members Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez. As expected, the British actor denied it, again, adding that his recent buffness seen in the latest season of his comedy series “Miracle Workers” has nothing to do with being courted to play Wolverine by Marvel. When directly asked if he started the Wolverine rumor himself he responded with a clear, “No.”

“Yes. I got buff because I am obsessive, and I want to… You’ve seen my parents, they’re like insane fitness people. So that’s just been passed on. But no. No Wolverine. Flattered, but no,” Radcliffe stated.

This wouldn’t be the first time the actor has been connected to an MCU role as “online rumors” once claimed he was in the running to play Mark Spector, aka, Moon Knight, and was another rumor he had to deny multiple times in interviews.

Still, I’ll be holding out for more likely/suitable contenders such as Austin Butler (“Dune: Part Two”) Jeremy Allen (“The Bear,” “Iron Claw”), and Paul Mescal (“Gladiator 2”) to get a crack at the role of one of the most popular Marvel Comics characters. While I’m warming up to the idea of Taron Egerton doing it, I feel like there are plenty of others already doing action that could put the claws on too. Just hiring an actor because they’re short is a bit of the ridiculous fan asks applied to the new Wolverine, but likely won’t be a real make-or-break requirement of the studio for casting given this role is going to become a mainstay in the MCU for the next decade or more. Given that Marvel is reportedly only just meeting with screenwriters for “X-Men” it’s unlikely that we’ll see the new Wolverine actor anytime, despite any online rumors concerning what will or not show up in “Deadpool 3.”

SOURCE: VANITY FAIR

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‘They Found Us’: Neill Blomkamp’s Alien Abduction Thriller Starring Joel Kinnaman Shuts Down Just Before Filming Starts

A majority of Hollywood productions are being paused due to the SAG-AFTRA strike and its extension due to the AMPTP walking away from the recent round of negotiations. Other smaller features have been to move forward or have found workarounds like hiring non-SAG actors or getting union exemptions. Director Neill Blomkamp (“Gran Turismo”) was set to begin shooting an alien abduction thriller titled “They Found Us” with Swedish-American actor Joel Kinnaman (“Silent Night”) set to play a father who takes his daughter camping in the Utah wilderness only to be attacked by a hostile alien and fight this beastly creature to avoid being abducted to a terrifying alien world.

There is now a report from Deadline that the film, currently in pre-production, has paused its prep stage ahead of principal photography in Saudi Arabia and was backed up by AGC Studios. It isn’t expected to get back up and running until a rework of its finance structure. This is the same studio that was recently behind Richard Linkleter’s buzzy hitman comedy “Hit Man” starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona.

“The move to restructure the finance plan behind the independent movie comes just as tension in the region is growing due to the Israel-Gaza crisis.”

“They Found Us” has a script that hails from screenwriter Jeremy Slater, who previously worked on Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy” and Marvel’s “Moon Knight.”

AGC made the following statement to Deadline:

“We’ve taken the reluctant decision with our valued partners at Neom to pause pre-production on the film while we further explore a cross-border legal and funding structure that makes all stakeholders comfortable. In deciding when to resume pre-production we’ll obviously assess what impact macro events in the region may have on obtaining production insurances and travel plans. Our friends at Neom and Yellow Camel have been nothing but collaborative and reliable partners at every stage of the journey thus far and we look forward to returning to prep on the film with them at the earliest sensible opportunity.”

Given that it wasn’t set to begin shooting for weeks/months it could allow enough time to get things ironed out without any major disruption. Then again, plenty of films have gone on hiatus just before filming and just simply never ended up happening. Some of the previous Blomkamp projects that ended up not getting in front of cameras include “Alien 5,” “RoboCop Returns,” and a live-action “Halo” film at 20th Century Fox that was going to be produced by Peter Jackson.

Blomkamp, of course, is no stranger to the world of sci-fi and aliens as his first big feature film “District 9” focused on stranded alien refugees in South Africa alongside “Elysium” and “Chappie” set squarely within the cyberpunk genre exploring different angles of artificial intelligence and highly advanced technologies.

SOURCE: DEADLINE