Category: Film News

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Warner Bros. Bumps Release Of Denis Villeneuve’s Sci-Fi Epic ‘Dune’ To October 22

While folks will get a chance to see early screenings of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, Warner Bros. has officially delayed the film’s mainstream release from October 1 to October 2. The news mentioned by Aaron Couch from The Hollywood Reporter on his Twitter account.

This release date update likely won’t make sci-fi fans like myself happy but folks need to understand that studios will continue to shift release dates over 2021. I wouldn’t be shocked if we see even more changes from Warner Bros. in the coming weeks and months.

Legendary is hoping that Dune becomes a big hit for them as they’re already developing Dune: Part Two based on the second half of the original Frank Herbert novel and an HBO Max series, Dune: The Sisterhood, is also in the works. There are six books in the original run from Frank Herbert and countless other books set within the Dune universe to pull from if Legendary wants to make a heap of sequels and shows. They have plenty of source material to work with.

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.

The film stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”), Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “Avengers: Infinity War”), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Avengers: Endgame”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” HBO’s “Euphoria”), David Dastmalchian (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Dark Knight”), Chang Chen (“Mr. Long,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Netflix’s “Sex Education”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”).

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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EXCLUSIVE: Cinematographer Dan Laustsen Confirmed For ‘John Wick 4’

The Ronin can confirm that cinematographer Dan Laustsen is set to return for John Wick 4 and will reunite with director Chad Stahelski. He previously worked on John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, The Shape of Water, and most recently tackled Guillermo del Toro’s Searchlight Pictures thriller Nightmare Alley that had been finishing up production in Toronto during the pandemic.

Laustsen’s return was assumed but it’s now set in stone as production is about to begin in Germany.

Casting has been underway for John Wick 4 with some impressive new additions joining Keanu Reeves such as Japanese action star Horiyuki Sanada as Watanabe, Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen playing Wick’s old pal, Atomic Blonde’s Bill Skarsgard, Stowaway’s Shamier Anderson, and the film’s female lead played by Japanese-British singer Rina Sawayama. While it’s unknown if we’ll see Asia Kate Dillion, Common or Halle Berry return, franchise stars Laurence Fishburne and Ian McShane are set to reprise their roles.

Blade star Wesley Snipes bad been in discussions for a part in the fourth installment but it reportedly didn’t work out.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum ended with John Wick surviving the fall from the roof of The Continental hotel after Ian McShane’s Winston shot him. Winston’s motivations weren’t entirely clear as he didn’t seem shocked that Mr. Wick got away and could be giving The High Table a false sense of security. Wick eventually lands at the feet of Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King, who had his organization taken away from him by The High Table and convinces John to go to war with him against the mysterious group of criminal syndicate puppet masters. 

The sequel will begin filming soon at Studio Babelsberg just outside Berlin, Germany, where franchise star Keanu Reeves shot The Matrix 4 last year with director Lana Wachowski. Other locations are said to include Paris, New York City, and Japan.

John Wick 4 will hit the big screen on May 27, 2022 and Lionsgate had confirmed plans to make John Wick: Chapter 5, but will no longer shoot back-to-back with the next installment. Franchise creator and architect, Derek Kolstad, stated that he won’t be involved in the next two films and suggested John Wick 5 could be the final pic.

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‘True Love’: Gemma Chan, Danny McBride & Benedict Wong Joining John David Washington In Original Sci-Fi Movie From ‘Godzilla’ & ‘Rogue One’ Director Gareth Edwards

British director Gareth Edwards is set to return to the sci-fi genre after helming films such as Monsters, Godzilla (Legendary’s first Monsterverse installment), and Lucasfilm’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He’ll be writing and directing an original project titled True Love for New Regency and already has Tenet’s John David Washington attached as the film’s male lead.

There is news of a three more exciting additions to True Love’s cast, as Deadline says they’re in talks to have Gemma Chan (Humans, Captain Marvel, Eternals, Crazy Rich Asians), Danny McBride (Alien: Covenant, Eastbound & Down, This Is The End), and Benedict Wong (Prometheus, Doctor Strange, Annihilation, Sunshine, The Martian) take undisclosed roles in the secretive sci-fi flick.

Chan is playing Sersi in Marvel’s Eternals from Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao and the project will increase her profile with international audiences after briefly appearing in Captain Marvel before landing bigger MCU role, as Sersi is said to be the film’s main protagonist. We shouldn’t be shocked if Gemma Chan ends up playing the female lead opposite John David Washington.

Details on True Love is scarce but is going to take place in the near-future and I have to assume the title is alluding to a romance angle. It’ll be interesting to see if the film will have extensive special effects or slightly scaled-back than Edwards’ previous feature films. Gareth Edwards famously shot Rogue One for Lucasfilm only to have Tony Gilroy to come in at great expense to Disney as he rewrote and reshot multiple scenes, leading to Gilroy being tapped to oversee the Andor series (expected to get a second season) that stars Diego Luna as his Rebellion spy character Cassian Andor. Having more creative control will likely be important to the filmmaker and why it’s taken this long for Edwards to finally pick his next project.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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New ‘Shang-Chi’ Trailer Includes A Fight Scene With Hulk Villain Abomination; Are We Going Back To Madripoor?

A brand new trailer for Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings has been released by Marvel Studios and is seems to reveal some big things. Such as Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky aka Abomination in some sort of illegally fighting ring, which might just be located in Madripoor. The seedy island nation recently introduced in The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. and the hide-out for people ducking the U.S. government.

Also, Blonsky seems to be fighting someone connected to Doctor Strange and they were smart enough to hide his face, so we can’t confirm if it’s Benedict Wong’s character Wong or someone else. Although, it’s likely Wong.

I’m curious if Shang-Chi will have connections to the She-Hulk series.

I did theorize that in the last trailer we saw a flag of Madripoor in the background, while others assumed it was related to Captain America/John Walker. The lawless country would certainly be a place where Blonsky could hide from U.S. government just like Sharon Carter aka The Power Broker. I’m curious if the Ten Rings/Madripoor will be showing up in things like Armor Wars and She-Hulk.

There is also a glimpse of the dragon, The Great Protector.

Check out the new trailer below.

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.

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James Gunn Reveals Universal Rejected His ‘Creature From The Black Lagoon’ Remake After The Success Of ‘Dawn Of The Dead’

Many know James Gunn thanks to directing credits on projects like Guardians of The Galaxy and his upcoming DC Comics film The Suicide Squad, but made waves because of his writing work on the hit Zack Snyder-directed zombie flick Dawn of The Dead, a remake of the classic George A. Romero movie.

During a fan Q&A on Instagram, James Gunn (taking a break from the filming of Peacemaker) revealed that in the wake of Dawn of The Dead’s success in 2004 he tried to get a Creature From The Black Lagoon remake (based on the 1954 film) that was ultimately turned down by Universal Pictures.

“I tried to do Creature From The Black Lagoon right after Dawn of The Dead, but they didn’t want me to do it,” James Gunn said when responding to a fan question on Instagram.

Remake plans at Universal go back to the early 1980s with various directors getting in the mix such as John Landis (An American Werewolf In London), John Carpenter (The Thing, Memoirs of An Invisible Man), Peter Jackson (The Frighteners, King Kong), Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters), and Guillermo del Toro (Crimson Peak, Blade II).

More recently, the studio had directors Breck Eisner (The Crazies, The Last Witch Hunter, The Expanse) and Carl Rinsch (47 Ronin) attached at various stages. Back in 2015, there were rumors from The Tracking Board that actress Scarlett Johansson was wanted for a lead role with a script from Jeff Blitz, Gary Ross, Tedi Sarafian and Paul Schering.

After plans for their Dark Universe collapsed, there was chatter that the Universal was considering to continue with a Black Lagoon remake, but concrete updates haven’t been announced.

CREATURE FORM THE BLACK LAGOON – Remnants of a mysterious animal have come to light in a remote jungle, and a group of scientists intends to determine if the find is an anomaly or evidence of an undiscovered beast. To accomplish their goal, the scientists (Antonio Moreno, Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Whit Bissell) must brave the most perilous pieces of land South America has to offer. But the terrain is nothing compared to the danger posed by an otherworldly being that endangers their work and their lives.

While Universal was twiddling their thumbs with those remake plans, Guillermo del Toro made his own creature feature for Searchlight Pictures, The Shape of Water, that ended up becoming a commercial success and landed Oscar statues for Best Picture and Best Director.

James Gunn would go on to direct Slither and Super before getting hired by Marvel Studios to help launch their successful Guardians of The Galaxy franchise. He recently completed work on The Suicide Squad that has an August 6 release date and will begin shooting Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3 before the end of 2021.

SOURCE: JAMES GUNN

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David Fincher’s Action Thriller ‘The Killer’ Starring Michael Fassbender Aiming To Begin Shooting This November In Paris; Oscar-Winning Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt Confirmed

We couldn’t be more excited about David Fincher returning to the thriller genre and his upcoming film The Killer sounds like something fans can really get behind. It will see him work with actor Michael Fassbender as an assassin in adaptation of the Alexis Nolent’s graphic novel that will have a script from Se7en’s Andrew Kevin Walker.

A man solitary and cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, the killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. And yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he’s losing his mind, if not his cool. A brutal, bloody and stylish noir story of a professional assassin lost in a world without a moral compass, this is a case study of a man alone, armed to the teeth and slowly losing his mind.

Spanish outlet El Diario Vasco (via The Film Stage) spoke with Mank’s Oscar-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, who confirmed his involvement and that they’re hoping to begin shooting this November in Paris, France. Messerschmidt’s previous credits include Raised By Wolves, Legion, Fargo, and Mindhunter.

While not officially attached for a role, Mank actress Lily Collins was spotted meeting with David Fincher in Paris and could signal she’ll join Michael Fassbender in the thriller.

Fassbender has completed production on Taika Waititi’s sports drama Next Goal Wins and David Sandberg’s satirical action flick Kung Fury 2. His recent films Dark Phoenix, The Snowman, Alien: Covenant, and Assassin’s Creed haven’t be huge box office successes, I’m sure the actor is hopeful The Killer will have a greater impact with audiences.

While this is the first graphic novel/comic book adaptation for David Fincher, it won’t be his first attempt to tackle genre material as his first feature film was Alien 3 and had been trying to direct a sequel to Brad Pitt’s World War Z until things fell apart.

A release date has yet to be announced but the film is produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, and will hit Netflix at some point in 2022.

SOURCE: EL DIARIO VASCO

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‘Indiana Jones 5’: Harrison Ford Reportedly Injures Shoulder During Fight Scene Rehearsal

Indiana Jones 5 started shooting earlier this month at Pinewood Studios and other spots in the United Kingdom, however, there seems to be a bit of hiccup in filming and isn’t related to COVID-19. There is now a report coming from Deadline that Harrison Ford has injured his shoulder during a rehearsal of an upcoming fight scene. Director James Mangold is said to be shooting around Ford until it’s clear what his status and recovery looks like.

Harrison Ford hurt himself rehearsing a fight scene in Indiana Jones 5, sources tell Deadline. The extent of his injury wasn’t immediately known, but it involves his shoulder. Director James Mangold will continue to shoot around him while the appropriate course of treatment is evaluated. The filming schedule will be reconfigured as needed in the coming weeks.

This wouldn’t be the first injury for Ford, as he got hurt shooting J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens and given that he’s 78, various injuries along the way are expected on an action-centric sequel like Indiana Jones 5. Hopefully, Harrison Ford can have a speedy recovery and production can chug along.

The rest of the cast consists of 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), German actor Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong, Valkyrie, Blade II).  Boyd Holbrook (The Predator, Narcos, Logan), Shaunette Renée Wilson (The Resident), and Toby Jones (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Captain America: The First Avenger).

Details have yet to be confirmed but a flashback scene that involves a Nazi train and Toby Jones had been shot recently, something most likely that will end up as the film’s opening sequence echoing Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade.

Indiana Jones 5 is set for release on July 29, 2022.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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‘Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts’ Has Officially Started Filming; Will Feature ‘Beast Wars’ Factions The Maximals & Predacons

Today, a virtual event from Paramount Pictures revealed the official title for Steven Caple Jr.’s Transformers 7 as Transformers: Rise of The Beasts and confirming that Optimus Prime will indeed be the lead Autobot.

That’s not all that was revealed.

An official synopsis posted on Collider confirmed Beast Wars factions will be appearing.

Returning to the action and spectacle that first captured moviegoers around the world 14 years ago with the original Transformers, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure and introduce the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons to the existing battle on earth between Autobots and Decepticons. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres June 24, 2022.

Deadline adding some specific robot characters that we’ll see in the seventh installment.

During Paramount’s virtual event, Caple and Di Bonaventura also touched on a wide range of Transformers appearing in the film, sharing early designs for Mirage, Arcee, Nightbird, Air Razor, Rhinox, Optimus Primal, the “ruthless and scary” Terracon leader known as Scourge, and a new “off-road” Camaro version of Bumblebee.

Also, Anthony Ramos is playing a Brooklyn military vet named Noah and Dominique Fishback is playing an artifact researcher at a museum.

SOURCE: PARAMOUNT PICTURES VIA COLLIDER

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Is “Lady Loki” Really A Version Of The Enchantress?

Marvel Studios has outed Sophia Di Martino’s Lady Loki variant character in a new promotional poster, but some clues point towards her not actually being a true Loki variant. Sophia’s character was attributed to be Lady Loki from her original casting and was photographed in costume on set in Atlanta early in production, so fans were quite aware of her existence before the appearance in Episode 2.

Interestingly enough, she doesn’t want to be called Loki and there might be a good reason for that. Her name isn’t Loki and there is new evidence to what the real name might be.

Sylvie Laufeydottir shows on a file spotted by Fandom and is likely a direct nod to Sylvie Lushton, a more modern incarnation of The Enchantress and has a connection to The Young Avengers (members are slowly being introduced to the MCU). The name also appears in new merchandise spotted by The Direct.

Given the surname, it’s possible that Sylvie is actually Loki’s sister or simply a female variant. However, it’s interesting they’d select a name attributed to Loki’s blonde female counterpart and Asgardian partner, Amora The Enchantress. Lady Loki, in the comics, is traditionally depicted with dark hair.

There is the possibility they’ve combined Lady Loki, Amora The Enchantress, and Sylvie into a single character.

It feels like we might get some more information on “Lady Loki” in the next episode.

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Rachel Zegler Officially Cast In Disney’s Live-Action ‘Snow White’ Movie With Production Set To Begin In 2022

Disney is focusing on making a steady stream of live-action films based on their iconic animation library and one of those upcoming projects is Marc Webb’s Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, a live-action incarnation of the classic 1937 movie.

There is finally a casting update on the Disney flick.

Actress Rachel Zegler has officially joined the project as reported by Deadline and will play Snow White in the live-action fairy tale film, which will begin shooting sometime in 2022. Zelger stars in Steven Spielberg’s Westside Story remake and recently joined David F. Sandberg’s DC Comics sequel Shazam! Fury of The Gods, the latter film is currently filming in Atlanta.

Director Marc Webb was behind 500 Days of Summer and The Amazing Spider-Man.

Snow White & The Huntsman and Mirror, Mirror were previous efforts to bring the story to the big screen with Kristen Stewart and Lily Collins starring as Snow White in their respective pics.

SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS – The Grimm fairy tale gets a Technicolor treatment in Disney’s first animated feature. Jealous of Snow White’s beauty, the wicked queen orders the murder of her innocent stepdaughter, but later discovers that Snow White is still alive and hiding in a cottage with seven friendly little miners. Disguising herself as a hag, the queen brings a poisoned apple to Snow White, who falls into a death-like sleep that can be broken only by a kiss from the prince.

SOURCE: DEADLINE