Category: Film News

Posted on in Film News

‘The Magnificent Seven’s Haley Bennett Is The Latest Addition To The ‘Borderlands’ Movie From Director Eli Roth

The Magnificent Seven’s Haley Bennett has joined the growing cast of Lionsgate’s feature film adaptation of the video game franchise Borderlands, directed by Eli Roth. The news of Haley’s addition to Borderlands comes to us via The Hollywood Reporter. The actress will take an unnamed key role joining a cast that includes Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, and Jack Black as Claptrap.

The game’s story focuses on a group of four “Vault Hunters”, who travel to the distant planet of Pandora to search for the “Vault”, which is rumored to contain advanced alien technology and other priceless riches.

Eli Roth will be directing from a script penned by Craig Mazin, the writer is best known for his work on the fantastic HBO limited series Chernobyl and is currently working with Neil Druckmann for the live-action series based on The Last of Us starring The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal as Joel.

The filming is going to be taking place in Budapest. We’ve been able to confirm that Borderlands’ production team includes production designer Oliver Scholl (Suicide Squad, Venom, Spider-Man: Homecoming) and cinematographer Rogier Stoffers (Death Wish, The House With A Clock In Its Walls).

Lionsgate has yet to give the action film an official release date but sometime in 2022 feels like a good bet.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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Yorgos Lanthimos Nabs Emma Stone & Willem Dafoe For His Next Film ‘Poor Things’ – A Satirical Postmodern Revision of ‘Frankenstein’

Deadline reports that filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Favourite) is moving foward with his next film Poor Things at Searchlight Pictures and Film4. The project is an adaptation of the Alasdair Gray novel that is sort of a satirical take on the Victorian novel and a postmodern spin on the Frankenstein tale, as Bella Baxter is a beautiful young woman brought back to life after drowning with the aide of science and the brain of an infant.

Emma Stone, who worked with Yorgos on the Oscar-winning film The Favourite has landed the role of of Bella and Willem Dafoe has taken another undisclosed role as he’s currently in discussions.

One of Alasdair Gray’s most brilliant creations, Poor Things is a postmodern revision of Frankenstein that replaces the traditional monster with Bella Baxter – a beautiful young erotomaniac brought back to life with the brain of an infant. Godwin Baxter’s scientific ambition to create the perfect companion is realized when he finds the drowned body of Bella, but his dream is thwarted by Dr. Archibald McCandless’s jealous love for Baxter’s creation.

The hilarious tale of love and scandal that ensues would be “the whole story” in the hands of a lesser author (which in fact it is, for this account is actually written by Dr. McCandless). For Gray, though, this is only half the story, after which Bella (a.k.a. Victoria McCandless) has her own say in the matter. Satirizing the classic Victorian novel, Poor Things is a hilarious political allegory and a thought-provoking duel between the desires of men and the independence of women, from one of Scotland’s most accomplished author.

It’s unclear when production will begin.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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‘Mission: Impossible’ Sequels Add Cary Elwes, Indira Varma, Rob Delaney & Others To Cast – New Images Revealed

Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has announced via Instagram another wave of actors joining the cast of Paramount’s Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8. Those additions including Cary Elwes, Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Obi-Wan Kenobi), Rob Delaney (Deadpool 2), Charles Parnell (The Last Ship), and British character actor Mark Gatiss (Sherlock).

McQuarrie posted a batch of images of the actors in what looks to be a scene from Mission: Impossible 7, I have to assume it’s some briefing scene (possibly presidential?).

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The rest of the cast led by Tom Cruise includes Esai Morales, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, and Henry Czerny.

Mission: Impossible 8 was originally planned to shoot back-to-back with Mission: Impossible 7, but due to Tom Cruise’s promotional schedule for Top Gun: Maverick later this year means they’ll have to pause production between installments. It’s not the worse idea imaginable as the cast and crew has either been shooting or waiting to shoot for an entire year, as the blockbuster was one of the first films to halt production due to the pandemic.

An audio clip of Tom Cruise chewing-out crew members not adhering to COVID-19 protocols went viral late last year and a break might have a positive impact on everyone’s morale.

Mission: Impossible 7 is slated for November 19th, 2021 and Mission: Impossible 8 is set for November 4th, 2022.

SOURCE: CHRISTOPHER MCQUARRIE

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‘The Flash’: Kiersey Clemons Reportedly Reprising Iris West Role For DC Comics Film

There is breaking casting news concerning Andy Muschietti’s Flash movie as The Hollywood Reporter has word that actress Kiersey Clemons (Dope) is returning to the role of love interest Iris West for the solo film.

The actress will reprise her role as Iris West, the romantic interest of Barry Allen, aka The Flash. Clemons portrayed the intrepid reporter West in Justice League, but her role was cut by director Zack Snyder back in 2017 before he turned the film over to Joss Whedon.

Clemons previous played the role briefly in Justice League and there had been a question if she’d end up continuing the part in future films. She’ll join Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, and Sasha Calle, the latter landing the new take on the big screen vesion of Supergirl.

Filming is taking place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Watford, England.

The Flash is said to be released on November 4th, 2022.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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Michael B. Jordan Officially Making Directorial Debut With ‘Creed III’ – MGM Sets Release For November 23rd, 2022

Yesterday, MGM announced via Variety that Michael B. Jordan will make his feature film directorial debut with Creed III. Jordan playing Adonis Creed in the previous two films will reprise the role with Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad expected to return as well.

Jordan stars in the boxing franchise as Adonis “Creed” Johnson, son of the fallen boxing champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) — Rocky Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone) former foe turned friend, who was killed in a match versus Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) in Rocky IV.

The script comes from Keenan Coogler (Space Jam: A New Legacy) and Zack Baylin (King Richard) that is based on an outline from producer Ryan Coogler.

MGM has given Creed III a release date of November 23rd, 2022 which would suggest a fall or winter production start.

CREED II – In 1985, Russian boxer Ivan Drago killed former U.S. champion Apollo Creed in a tragic match that stunned the world. Against the wishes of trainer Rocky Balboa, Apollo’s son Adonis Johnson accepts a challenge from Drago’s son — another dangerous fighter. Under guidance from Rocky, Adonis trains for the showdown of his life — a date with destiny that soon becomes his obsession. Now, Johnson and Balboa must confront their shared legacy as the past comes back to haunt each man.

SOURCE: VARIETY

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‘Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania’ Working Title Is ‘Dust Bunny’

Production Weekly has listed the working title of Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania as Goat Rodeo, a slang term meant to be used when things go really bad aka a shitshow. Fitting given that Jonathan Majors will be playing the Marvel Comics villain Kang The Conqueror.

UPDATE: Production Weekly seemingly got their wires-crossed as Goat Rodeo is Captain Marvel 2 and Dust Bunny is the working title of the Ant-Man sequel.

A goat rodeo is a slang term for something going totally, unbelievably, disastrously wrong, and there’s nothing left to do but to sit back and watch the trainwreck. In other words, a goat rodeo is a chaotic situation, fiasco, or, more vulgarly, a shitshow.

Filming according to actress Evangeline Lilly, will begin sometime this summer.

We can confirm that production is mainly taking place in England and they’ve hired production designer Will Htay (Andor).

Other recent working titles for the Marvel Studio films include Blue Bayou (Black Widow), Sack Lunch (Eternals), Steamboat (Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings), The November Project (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Stellar Vortex (Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness), and The Big Salad (Thor: Love & Thunder).

Peyton Reed returns to direct after tackling two episodes of The Mandalorian in it’s second season including it’s finale that featured a de-aged Luke Skywalker.

Marvel/Disney has yet to give the sequel an official release date, even if it’s said to be aiming a for date in 2022.

SOURCE: PRODUCTION WEEKLY

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‘John Wick’ Director Chad Stahelski Developing New Hybrid Action Movie ‘Classified’ – ‘Die Hard’ Meets ‘Indiana Jones’

Deadline reports that New Line Cinema has landed a new action movie, titled Classified, that will see John Wick’s Chad Shahelski attached to direct. A hybrid genre film that combines elements of isolated location similar to Die Hard with the dangerous relics of Indiana Jones.

It’s script will be penned by Andrew Deutschman and Jason Pagan, who previously worked on Project Almanac and Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension.

The project is a high octane thriller that was shopped as Die Hard meets Indiana Jones. It is set inside a top secret government bunker, the kind that ends Raiders of the Lost Ark. That bunker contains relics covertly recovered during World War II, and they turn out to be more powerful and dangerous than ever imagined.

Chad is a busy bee, he recently helped consult on The Matrix 4 and is set to direct both John Wick: Chapter 4 and John Wick: Chapter 5 for Lionsgate. He had also been developing a reboot of the Highlander franchise and a car-centric action project for Paramount Pictures. Also, Stahelski is producing a spinoff film Ballerina directed by Len Wiseman, set within the world of John Wick’s hierarchy of assassins.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Working With Director Sam Raimi On ‘Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness’

Filming on Marvel’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness has been underway in the United Kingdom since late last year and Collider was able to speak with it’s star Benedict Cumberbatch about working with director Sam Raimi.

CUMBERBATCH: “Sam, amazing. He’s so collaborative. God, he comes with the baggage of an icon. He’s an incredible force, especially in this genre. But he’s so humble, he’s so nice, he’s so appreciative, you really wanna serve him. And boy, when he’s happy, you know you’ve done something right. He’s so good at getting you there and getting it there. It’s been a very, very collaborative process, this one. Our origin stories, I guess, and obviously the beasts that were the Avengers films to be a part of were a thrill, but you’re kind of just along for the ride. You do the best with what you’ve already got given to do. The second time around, there’s a bit more of, ‘So, what do you want to do, and how do we go about solving this?’ So it feels very creative. Scarily so, sometimes.”

We know that the sequel will include The Multiverse and WandaVision ended with Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff becoming the Scarlet Witch along with getting her hands on the Darkhold, a dark magic spell book in Marvel Comics that could lead to multiple evil characters coming into their dimension.

Newcomer Xochitl Gomez will be playing Young Avengers member America Chavez aka Miss America as confirmed by Marvel back in December.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness will be released on Mach 25th, 2022.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

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‘Black Widow’: Disney CEO Bob Chapek Reaffirms May Theatrical Release

Yesterday, Disney had a shareholders meeting and CEO Bob Chapek said again that Marvel’s Black Widow solo film is sticking to it’s May 7th release date. Never mentioning a hybrid release on Disney+ for the Marvel Studios flick, something fans have been hoping since a full year ago.

The film directed by Cate Shortland takes place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War before the death of Natasha in Avengers: Endgame, the idea is that the Black Widow mantle is going to be handed down for future films and shows. Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova is also returning for the Hawkeye series set to begin airing on Disney+ in late 2021 but the size of her role hasn’t been confirmed.

BLACK WIDOW – Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.

SOURCE: DISNEY

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‘Avatar’ Getting A Re-Release In China & Might Regain Box Office Record From ‘Avengers: Endgame’

James Cameron’s Avatar released back in 2009 was a huge phenomenon and became the biggest box office release globally at $2.79 billion, but eventually lost that spot when Avengers: Endgame took the record away earning $2.797 billion. Now, there is word from The Hollywood Reporter that China has approved a re-release of Avatar later this week.

China’s Film Bureau has approved a surprise plan for the director’s 2009 sci-fi epic Avatar to get a wide re-release in the country on Friday, according to two sources at Chinese movie theater companies, which were informed of the arrangements. The technologically trailblazing blockbuster will be made available to exhibitors for a nationwide release in both Imax 3D and ordinary 3D.

They point-out if Avatar earns $7.4 million it will regain the box office record.

Bringing the film back to China is a good way to prime a new generation for the upcoming sequels and reminding previous audiences about the franchise, since many likely haven’t seen it or haven’t watched it over the last ten-plus years.

James Cameron has been shooting Avatar 2, Avatar 3, and parts of Avatar 4 between California and Wellington, New Zealand. The first sequel, Avatar 2, is set to be released on December 16th, 2022.

AVATAR – On the lush alien world of Pandora live the Na’vi, beings who appear primitive but are highly evolved. Because the planet’s environment is poisonous, human/Na’vi hybrids, called Avatars, must link to human minds to allow for free movement on Pandora. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed former Marine, becomes mobile again through one such Avatar and falls in love with a Na’vi woman (Zoe Saldana). As a bond with her grows, he is drawn into a battle for the survival of her world.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER