Category: Film News

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Christopher Nolan Praises David Fincher’s Critically-Panned Debut ‘Alien 3’ As “Great” & “Remarkable”

I think we’re all extremely fascinated by filmmaker Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”) and knowing what films he enjoys is very much going to be something hardcore fans are going to over-analyze given how much he openly homages cinematic benchmarks. In the past, Nolan has spoken out about his love for the “Fast & Furious” franchise, specifically “Tokyo Drift.” More recently he said both Stanley Kurbick’s sci-fi masterpiece “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Adam McKay’s sports comedy “Tallagada Nights” were movies he’d always stop to watch if he saw them playing on television.

Another perplexing but still interesting selection was briefly praised by Nolan during his interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast (See below). The subject of trailers came up along with Ridley Scott’s original 1979 “Alien” being referenced and host Josh Horowitz was quick to mention how the original teaser for David Fincher‘s “Alien 3” got ahead of what they were actually doing it teased an Earthbound setting that never happened.

Nolan would go on to say the following about the third installment, “And you know, Fincher has famously talked about how unhappy he was with it and how it changed. I think it’s a great movie but I think his work on that is remarkable.”

David Fincher and Sigourney Weaver on the set of “Alien 3” – 20th Century Studios/Disney

Of course, it wasn’t just Fincher unhappy with the producers/20th Century Fox’s everchanging ideas before, during, and in the final version. “Alien 3” was both a critical and financial failure, with the brass throwing the first-time feature director under the bus instead of self-reflection for all their micromanaging and narrative mistakes. You could forgive Fincher for trying to speak on the subject for the better half of 30 years.

Given the commercial success of the first two films, it was seen as a franchise low-point until “Alien Resurrection” ultimately became the final nail in the coffin despite three separate attempts to get an “Alien 5” going with Sigourney Weaver. Since 1992, a lot of sci-fi fans have warmed up to the film for its fantastic production design and painstaking attempt to honor that universe overseen by the evil corporation Weyland-Yuanti. Although, the movie does have some glaring issues like the mixed performances of the supporting cast and extremely wonky visual effects of the Xenomorph.

We already know Nolan’s affinity for both the James Bond movies and “Star Wars,” but it’s certainly interesting to hear him talk about the “Alien” franchise. While under Disney’s new ownership, there is an Earthbouth streaming series at FX/Hulu currently filming in Thailand and theatrical film on the horizon. I don’t think many fans would be terribly upset if Nolan eventually tried to tell a story within that universe, at some point, but hasn’t suggested there is any pressing desire to do so.

SOURCE: HAPPY SAD CONFUSED PODCAST

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Kurt Russell Joins Matthew McConaughey In Oklahoma-Set Indie Crime Thriller ‘The Rivals Of Amziah King’

On the heels of Matthew McConaughey (“True Detective”) leading the new “Yellowstone” spinoff series, the actor is finally making a return to movies with “The Rivals of Amaziah King” which has been shooting in Alabama. He’s getting quite the interesting co-star as the Alabama-based outlet AL has revealed that veteran actor Kurt Russell has joined the crime thriller he was spotted on the set this week in Marshall County and posted a handful of photos of Russell.

Details are scarce about the project but it hails from filmmaker Andrew Patterson (“The Vast of Night”) and Variety had previously described it as a “deeply atmospheric, character-focused crime thriller set against the unique backdrop of remote Oklahoma.” While there is a heap of industry work stoppage due to the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike, “Rivals” (from Black Bear Productions) is said to be exempt from the strike because it’s an indie film.

McConaughey hasn’t done a live-action film role since Guy Ritchie’s 2019 British gangster-comedy “The Gentlemen.” The “Yellowstone” spinoff came about after main star Kevin Costner decided to exit the mothership series, which was “disappointing” to show creator Taylor Sheridan.

Russell’s recent run of theatrical film projects includes brief appearances in “F9: The Fast Saga” and “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.” A neat little factoid is that his son and fellow actor Wyatt Russell played hockey at the University of Alabama in Huntsville as he aimed to become a professional before a career-ending injury. After that Wyatt pivoted to acting in things like “22 Jump Street” and “Black Mirror.” The pair will be seen together in the Monsterverse series at Apple TV+ called “Godzilla & The Titans.”

SOURCE: AL

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Christopher Nolan Calls Hypothetical Opportunity To Direct Next James Bond Movie “An Amazing Privilege”

Christopher Nolan‘s massive atomic bomb biopic “Oppenheimer” is out in theaters and it’s already gathering quite the following as the writer/director famously took the project to auction after exiting his longtime working relationship with Warner Bros. and the pricey R-rated drama landed at the feet of Universal Pictures. While Nolan is in an excellent position to keep developing original projects and putting each on to auction to get the best possible situation (theatrical windows, budget, casting freedom, and final cut) it looks like he’s still very much open to the idea of tackling James Bond.

While speaking with host Josh Horowitz on his fantastic podcast Happy Sad Confused (Listen below), the director was asked about his current feelings about potentially tackling the next incarnation of Bond as the looming reboot affectionately referred to as “Bond 26” or any future installment. This comes after years of expressing his love for the franchise and tempted interest in actually getting involved.

“The influence of those movies in my filmography is embarrassingly apparent. It would be an amazing privilege to do one,” Nolan told the podcast when Bond was brought up. “At the same time, when you take on a character like that you’re working with a particular set of constraints.”

“It has to be the right moment in your creative life where you can express what you want to express and really burrow into something within the appropriate constraints because you would never want to take on something like that and do it wrong.”

He continued, ““You wouldn’t want to take on a film without being fully committed to what you bring to the table creatively. So as a writer, casting, everything — it’s a full package. You’d have to be really needed and wanted in terms of bringing the totality of what you bring to a character. Otherwise, I’m very happy to be first in line to see whatever they do.”

As a fan of Nolan’s work, it’s extremely hard to watch his action-focused projects like “The Dark Knight Trilogy,” “Inception,” and “Tenet” without seeing the obvious influence the Bond franchise has had on him when it comes to bombastic blockbuster filmmaking.

Nolan isn’t the only one that has expressed a large interest in tackling the James Bond character over the years and it’s worth highlighting that French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (“Dune,” “Blade Runner 2049,” “Sicaro”) stated that getting a crack at 007 was a big dream for him as well.

Despite various tabloid rumblings, EON Productions and MGM Studios (now owned by parent company Amazon) haven’t officially decided on either a director or the next actor to portray the iconic MI6 agent. Although, there had been some indication that Aaron Taylor-Johnson “might” be in the mix given he’s actually in the age range for the role (EON says they’re aiming for someone in their 30s ruling out a heap of longtime rumored “contenders”). Interestingly enough, Nolan and Taylor-Johnson have previously worked together on “Tenet” and a reunion wouldn’t be that terribly shocking.

“Oppenheimer” is currently in theaters and you can listen to that full interview with Nolan below.

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WB Reportedly Might Delay Releases Of ‘Dune 2,’ ‘The Color Purple’ & ‘Aquaman 2’ To Due To Strike

While there have been ups and downs during the wave of studio blockbusters this summer. The fall and winter film season is a little less crowded, however, we might not have as many big films to look forward to later this year, specifically from Warner Bros. Pictures.

Variety is now claiming that Warners is potentially considering moving their three big 2023 movies “Dune Part Two,” the musical remake of “The Color Purple,” and their DC Comics film “Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom” into 2024. Although, they stop short from sharing details of when those projects could be added to the 2024 slate and suggest it’s also possible they could stick to their intended dates as well. Respectively those previously etched-out dates were November 3, December 20, and December 25.

Citing the ongoing labor strike in Hollywood as the main cause of the potential disruption. Given that the actors’ union is requiring members not to do promotion for upcoming films after the strike. Many studios rushed to get junkets and interviewers completed ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike to make sure promos were recorded and could be pushed-out at a later date. Actors aren’t looking to cross picket lines to attend red carpets or do interviews which would make things increasingly difficult for studios (strikes are meant to be disruptive for a reason) to promote their films in the manner they’re used to.

Also, it might be worth mentioning that “Dune 2” boasts a massively popular young cast such as Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Austin Butler who would all be key to getting younger audiences to support the expensive sci-fi fantasy sequel.

This news comes after reports that the James Wan sequel to the billion-dollar hit has undergone three rounds of reshoots. If you consider the superhero pic’s budget already started out in the $200 million-plus range, those reshoots are expected to have been pricey. I think it was obvious that “Aquaman 2” wasn’t going to be making that December 20 release given the studio still hasn’t even released a teaser trailer for the sequel.

SOURCE: VARIETY

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‘The Marvels’: New Trailer For ‘Captain Marvel’ Sequel Highlights The Latest MCU Cosmic Adventure

While Marvel Studios seems to be struggling to find an audience for their latest series on Disney+, “Secret Invasion,” we won’t have to wait that long to see Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury make his glorious return to the big screen. Nia DaCosta’s “The Marvels” is still on track to be released in the fall and the studio released a brand new trailer (See below) last night that highlights the “Captain Marvel” sequel’s exciting team-up between Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and teen superhero, Kalama Khan.

It also looks like S.W.O.R.D. is being replaced with the inter-species alliance organization S.A.B.E.R. as an alien first seen in the “Guardians of The Galaxy” movies is spotted on the space station alongside Fury. Hopefully, we’ll eventually see X-Men/Avenger member Dr. Hank McCoy, aka, Beast, and Abigail Brand join their ranks down the line.

Cosmic villains The Kree Empire is looking to make a triumphant return after being thwarted in both the aforementioned “Guardians” and the original “Captain Marvel.” We’ll keep our fingers crossed that Marvel ends up showcasing the Kree Sentry, a massive alien robot, that nearly was used in the original film but obviously got scrapped.

The rest of the cast aside from Jackson include Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, and Saagar Shaikh.

Check out the film’s official synopsis below:

Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as “The Marvels.”

“The Marvels” is set to be released in theaters on November 10.

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Simu Liu Confirms ‘Shang-Chi 2’ Is Delayed At Marvel Because Of Next ‘Avengers’ Installment

I think most of us were excited to experience how enjoyable and action-packed Marvel’s “Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings” turned out to be when it was released back in 2021. While it was a crowd-pleaser the announced sequel has seemingly been stuck on the back-burner as the studio navigates a heap of release delays along with a potential actors’ strike this month impacting productions as the writers’ strike is also causing some headaches as well (but in a good way when it comes to their ability for collective bargaining). Not to mention, a growing backlog of event films Marvel needs to shoot, like the next two “Avengers” films and their “Fantastic Four” reboot.

Well, it looks like Meta’s new social media app Threads will now be a new source of information sharing as the film’s star, Canadian actor Simu Liu, has revealed to fans there that “Shang-Chi 2” is still happening but unlikely going to be ready until after director Destin Daniel Cretton‘s finishes up on “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” The filmmaker is still officially attached to direct both the MCU installments and is also involved with the upcoming Disney+ series, “Wonder Man,” as well.

“Was told it would follow ‘Avengers’ but that keeps pushing back due to circumstances beyond my control. Hope to have more concrete news to share soon,” the actor responded to a fan on Threads inquiring about the status of the “Shang-Chi” sequel.

The next “Avengers” film isn’t set to be released until May 1, 2026, after being bumped from a May 2025 spot, and would suggest “Shang-Chi 2” likely won’t be coming out until sometime after 2026. Although, if Marvel decided to bring on a different director that could speed things up a little.

Another hiccup could arise as well, as Jonathan Majors is defending himself in court against assault/domestic abuse charges and more allegations of violent/unprofessional behavior are coming to light from a RollingStone article. Majors’ fate as the titular Kang The Conqueror in that upcoming installment of “Avengers” is currently unknown and the assumption is that Marvel, for now, will keep the actor in the role until otherwise announced.

We’re still waiting on an official release date from Marvel concerning “Shang-Chi 2.”

SOURCE: SIMU LIU VIA THREADS

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Quentin Tarantino Reiterates That ‘Kill Bill 3’ Isn’t Happening Due To ‘The Movie Critic’ Being His Final Theaterical Film

For ages, there had been musings from writer/director Quentin Tarantino about revisiting the “Kill Bill” saga with “Kill Bill 3,” having Uma Thurman reprising her role as Beatrix Kiddo, aka, The Bride as she fends off a wave of revenge seekers alongside her now grown daughter, Bibi. Well, with his tenth and final pic secured with “The Movie Critic” expected to go into production soon as casting is said to be on the horizon, Tarantino is seemingly pumping the breaks on all that “Kill Bill 3” hope.

While speaking with Belgian outlet DeMorgan, the filmmaker was quick to shut down potentially casting Uma Thurman’s daughter Maya Hawke, who briefly appeared in “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, as Bibi Kiddo (The Bride’s long lost daughter) in the long-talked-up “Kill Bill 3.” Stating that “The Movie Critic” is his main focus and alludes to the fact the third “Kill Bill” movie won’t be happening.

“I don’t see that. My last film is about a film critic, a male critic. And he plays in the 70s,” Tarantino told the Belgian outlet when asked about casting Hawke alongside her mother.

If you’re not familiar with the next and potentially final theatrical feature film from Tarantino, it is said to be focusing on a male film critic set during 1977 in Los Angeles and is loosely based on a real-life person who wrote for a “porno rag.” The project has been compared to “Taxi Driver” by Tarantino suggesting his lead character is inspired by Robert De Niro’s socially isolated and violent protagonist, Travis Bickle. Alongside some previous nods to the revenge pic “Rolling Thunder,” there are clear signs (such as the film’s title) that Quentin will be taking cues from legendary screenwriter Paul Schrader, who wrote both “Rolling Thunder” and “Taxi Driver.”

However, this doesn’t entirely rule out Tarantino returning to the project in the future as a potential miniseries or television series. You may remember the second film refers to the bloody Japanese samurai film “Shogun Assassin,” a key inspiration for the two volumes that was an adaptation of the “Lone Wolf & Cub” manga that was turned into a string of feature films and also cut-up to be presented in a television series format (“Shogun Assassin” being a blend of these films for the western market). In theory, given that he’s already talked up the idea of pursuing shows like his “Bounty Law” spinoff, it’s possible that “Kill Bill 3” might find a second life as a television project or even get the novelization treatment.

SOURCE: DEMORGAN

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Oscar-Winning Composers Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Will Score ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’

In early August, Paramount is releasing the latest incarnation of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” with their all-new animated film “Mutant Mayhem.” They’ve also put together one hell of a voice cast but that isn’t the only big draw for the upcoming soft-reboot as they’ve enlisted some series talent to help put the film’s score together.

After reports (via RollingStone and PitchFork) that iconic skateboarder Tony Hawk leaked the news about Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“Watchmen”) working on the film’s score on a podcast. It was later backed-up by both director Jeff Rowe and producer/co-writer Seth Rogen on their official social media account expressing their excitement having the two Oscar-winners composing the score.

The film’s supporting cast is rather spectacular with Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil, Jackie Chan as Splinter, Rogen as Bebop, John Cena as Rocksteady, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Ice Cube as Superfly, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom, and Post Malone as Ray Fillet. Alongside the youngsters tapped to voice the turtles such as Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is set to be released in theaters on August 2 and is starting to look like it might end up becoming a good contender for best animated film nominations. This idea stems from Rowe’s last effort “The Mitchells vs The Machines” landing an Oscar nomination in 2022 and in 2021 Reznor/Ross’ film “Soul” from Pixar earned them awards statues for Best Score alongside fellow composer Jon Batiste.

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, after years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

SOURCE: JEFF ROWE/SETH ROGEN

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Rebecca Ferguson To Star In Skydance’s Fantasy Revenge Flick ‘Best Served Cold’ From ‘Deadpool’ Director Tim Miller

“Deadpool” and “Terminator: Dark Fate” director Tim Miller has finally found his next big feature film project after spending his time recently on the acclaimed animated anthology series “Love Death + Robots” at Netflix that he co-produces with David Fincher. The new project is based on the fantasy revenge novel “Best Served Cold” from author Joe Abercrombie and landed an A-list actress to lead it.

Deadline has revealed that Rebecca Ferguson has been enlisted to play the film’s heroine. Ferguson is no stranger to genre projects becoming a main staple of the “Mission Impossible” franchise along with the two “Dune” films. She’ll play the legendary mercenary Monza Murcatto, who is the aforementioned revenge seeker of the story. Abercrombie has also penned the script and has previously worked with Miller on “Love Death + Robots.”

There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king. War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso’s employ, it’s a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular – a shade too popular for her employer’s taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto’s reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die. Her allies include Styria’s least reliable drunkard, Styria’s most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that’s all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started…

While an actual distributor home isn’t named in the report, Skydance has been expanding it’s reach on streaming services such as Apple, Netflix, and Amazon. They do still put out theatrical releases for Paramount Pictures but there is a really good chance this project does end up on streaming. Given Ferguson’s hit series “Silo” is an Apple TV+ success, we shouldn’t be terrible shocked if it lands there.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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‘How To Train Your Dragon’: Universal’s Live-Action Remake Casts Mason Thames & Nico Parker In Lead Roles

Universal Pictures is putting together a live-action remake of the DreamWorks Animation fantasy films “How To Train Your Dragon” and it’s already slated by to be released on March 14, 2025 with Dean DeBlois set to direct. While there has been some early casting rumors, it looks like Universal has found their two big leads.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has recruited Mason Thames (“The Black Phone”) to play the film’s main protagonists, Hiccup, while “The Last of Us” actress Nico Parker has been tapped to play Astrid. The young actors are the first of many casting additions and we’re expecting to learn more names in the coming weeks/months.

In those original films, Hiccup is a son of a great Viking warrior/lead and is pretty much reluctant to follow in his father’s footsteps as a killer of dragons. When Hiccup discovers a rare dragon type he’s able to able train his new found friend in secret and starts to question the deadly relationship his village has with the dragons.

The film’s story originates from the book penned by British author Cressida Cowell. And with twelve full novels in the series, there is plenty of source material for Universal to pull from beyond those DreamWorks movies. That’s if they want to sort of do their own thing instead of making exact copies of the animated incarnations.

It’ll be interesting to see who else will be cast in the film, specifically as Hiccup’s father Stoick The Vast, the chief of the Hooligan Tribe. Stay tuned for more casting updates on the project as they come in.

Hiccup is a Norse teenager from the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life. His progressive views and weird sense of humor make him a misfit, despite the fact that his father is chief of the clan. Tossed into dragon-fighting school, he endeavors to prove himself as a true Viking, but when he befriends an injured dragon he names Toothless, he has the chance to plot a new course for his people’s future.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER