Viggo Mortensen Teases Reunion With Director David Cronenberg For A Disturbing Film – Could It Be ‘The Fly’ Sequel?

Viggo Mortensen and Canadian director David Cronenberg are apparently trying to work together on a new film as the actor revealed in a recent chat with GQ Magazine, revealing that the film will see Cronenberg going back to his “origins.” The project might even end up in the thriller or horror genre depending how you take in Viggo’s answers below during the interview.

Adding that filming could begin as early as this summer.

GQ: Are you two in talks for another collaboration sometime soon?

MORTENSEN: “Yes, we do have something in mind. It’s something he wrote a long time ago, and he never got it made. Now he’s refined it, and he wants to shoot it. Hopefully, it’ll be this summer we’ll be filming. I would say, without giving the story away, he’s going maybe a little bit back to his origins.”

GQ: So, body-horror type stuff?

MORTENSEN: “Yeah, it’s very interesting. It’s almost like a strange film noir story. It’s disturbing and it’s good, I think. But since his origins, he’s obviously developed in terms of technique and self-assurance as a director.”

I’m sure the “origins” comment would lead many to believe he’s talking about David’s early work in the horror genre but we’ll likely have to wait on more concrete details.

At one point, David tried to get 20th Century Fox (pre-Disney merger) to make a film within the same universe of his remake The Fly. Here is how the filmmaker described the project to The Playlist back in 2012 calling it more of a sequel/sidebar than a full-on remake.

CRONENBERG: “It wasn’t really a remake, it was more of a sequel or a sidebar. It was a meditation on fly-ness. None of the same characters or anything and, of course, with an understanding of modern technology. It was something I was very pleased with and it was a disappointment not to get it made.”

THE FLY – When scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the process, leading to a merger of man and insect. Initially, Brundle appears to have undergone a successful teleportation, but the fly’s cells begin to take over his body. As he becomes increasingly fly-like, Brundle’s girlfriend (Geena Davis) is horrified as the person she once loved deteriorates into a monster.

Viggo and David have previously worked together on the comic book adaptation A History of Violence, the Russian gangster film Eastern Promises, and A Dangerous Method. Interesting enough, a spiritual sequel to Eastern Promises is moving forward with Jason Statham’s Small Dark Look that was penned by screenwriter Steven Knight and that had been originally planned as a direct follow-up with Cronenberg expected to direct (formerly known as Body Cross) before budget issues killed it.

SOURCE: GQ

Paramount & J.J. Abrams Developing A True ‘Cloverfield’ Sequel With ‘Gotham PD’ Showrunner Joe Barton – Won’t Be Found Footage

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Paramount Pictures and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot is looking to make a true sequel to Matt Reeves’ 2008 film Cloverfield with Joe Barton being tapped to write the film’s script. Adding that the film won’t be found footage like the original.

Hopefully, the sequel has longer runtime.

Barton was recently hired to showrun and write the new HBO Max series Gotham PD, the DC Comics show would be a prequel to the upcoming The Batman movie, taking place within the first year of Bruce Wayne’s crime fighting. Joe replacing Terence Winter, who exited the project over “creative differences.”

Other Bad Robot films such as 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox had previously taken place within the same cinematic universe but were done retroactively as a marketing gimmick as they weren’t originally conceived as direct sequels.

Plot details aren’t mentioned in the report for the new film and given Bad Robot’s history they’ll keep those hidden in the mystery box for some time.

CLOVERFIELD – As a group of New Yorkers (Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman) enjoy a going-away party, little do they know that they will soon face the most terrifying night of their lives. A creature the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Using a handheld video camera, the friends record their struggle to survive as New York crumbles around them.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

‘Matrix 4’s Real Title Might Be ‘Matrix Resurrections’ According To A Wrap Gift

A post from film and television hairstylist Shunika Terry might have accidentally revealed that the real official title to Matrix 4 is actually Matrix Resurrections. She posted what seems to be a wrap gift from the shoot in Germany which included a thank you card to the cast and crew mentioning the film’s title.

In a recent promo for HBO Max, the film was simply referred to as Matrix.

It’s worth mentioning the post has been since deleted from Instagram after going viral over the weekend.

Lana Wachowksi returns to direct a cast that consists of Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jessica Henwick, Daniel Bernhardt, Priyanka Chopra, Ibarra, Neil Patrick Harris, Toby Onwumere, Brian J. Smith, Eréndira Ibarra, Andrew Caldwell, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Ellen Hollman.

Warner Bros. has given the film a release date of December 22nd, 2021.

THE MATRIX – Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question — What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.

SOURCE: SHUNIKA TERRY

First Set Photos From ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ Reveal Kraglin Has Joined The Guardians – Plus Looks At Nebula & Star-Lord

As filming on Marvel’s Thor: Love & Thunder has officially kicked-off in Sydney, Australia last week. The first real-deal set photos featuring cast members have finally arrived online via The Daily Mail.

The images can be seen by clicking the source link at the bottom of the page.

These set photos include first looks at Chris Hemsworth’s Thor (minus fat suit), Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, Karen Gillan’s Nebula, and Sean Gunn’s Kraglin is wearing a Guardians patch suggesting he’s joined the team alongside Thor for some sort of adventure. Kraglin also seems to have Yondu’s arrow technology as well which should make him a bit more of an asset than in previous films.

Filming is taking place during Australia’s summer which is why you’ll see many cast members are holding fans, something we often see on these Aussie sets. The scene seems to be focused mainly on Thor’s involvement with the Guardians of The Galaxy as he joined them at the end of Avengers: Endgame leaving Earth and New Asgard behind.

A full casting roster has yet to be announced by Marvel Studios but it looks like it will include Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Lady Thor aka Jane Foster, Tessa Thompson as King Valkyrie, Chris Pratt as Star-Lord aka Peter Quill, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Christian Bale as Gorr The God Butcher, Dave Bautista as Drax The Destroyer, Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif, Sean Gunn as Rocket/Kraglin, Taika Waititi in a bigger role as Korg, and Matt Damon is playing an undisclosed character too.

There is a really good chance given the involvement of The Guardians, that the new Thor movie could help establish the events of James Gunn’s Guardians of The Galaxy 3.

Thor: Love & Thunder is currently set to be released on May 6th, 2022 but I wouldn’t get too attached to that date as there might be more shifts from Disney adjusting their 2021-2022 theatrical schedules.

SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL

‘Bones & All’: Luca Guadagnino To Direct Romantic Horror Movie With Timothee Chalamet & Taylor Russell In Talks To Star

Deadline is reporting that Timothee Chalamet and Waves actress Taylor Russell are in talks to star in Bones & All, a horror romance that will be directed by Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino. Luca and Timothee previously worked together on the drama Call Me By Your Name.

Luca isn’t a stranger to horror as he helmed a remake of Dario Argento’s classic horror movie Suspiria. Currently, he’s working on Universal’s latest Scarface remake.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Adrift’: Jared Leto & Darren Aronofsky Reuniting For Ghost Ship Movie – Based On Short Story From The Author of ‘The Ring’

Jared Leto and director Darren Aronofsky haven’t worked together since Requiem For A Dream, but that is all changing according to a new report from Deadline. The outlet reveals the two will be reteaming for a horror flick titled Adrift with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions producing.

The project is based on a short story from Koji Suzuki‘s Dark Water, the author of the Japanese horror classic The Ring that was turned into multiple feature films in Japan and the United States.

The story is set in the dead calm of the open sea, where a fishing boat discovers an abandoned yacht with a strange distress call. A deckhand agrees to take lone control of it while it’s towed into port, but soon he discovers why the rest of his more experienced crew members call it a “Ghost Ship.”

Darren will be a little busy as he’s about to begin shooting his drama Whale with Brendan Fraser in March.

Leto’s next films to be released will be the crime thriller The Little Things starring opposite Denzel Washington that has been getting some buzz and the Spider-Man spinoff Morbius that was recently delayed to January 2022.

THE LITTLE THINGS – Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter to search for a serial killer who’s terrorizing Los Angeles. As they track the culprit, Baxter is unaware that the investigation is dredging up echoes of Deke’s past, uncovering disturbing secrets that could threaten more than his case.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Last Voyage of The Demeter’: Amblin Taps ‘Kong: Skull Island’ Actor Corey Hawkins To Lead Dracula Flick

According to Deadline, Amblin has hired Corey Hawkins to lead their upcoming vampire movie Last Voyage of The Demeter, the Russian ship that transports Dracula to London as the vampire feeds on the crew members during the journey. The horrific trip was seen in films such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula directed by Francis Ford Coppola and the classic silent film Nosferatu.

Hawkins is no stranger to creature features appearing in Kong: Skull Island and The Walking Dead.

The film will detail the strange events that befell the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a terrifying presence onboard the ship. When it finally arrived near Whitby Harbor, it was a derelict. There was no trace of the crew. The initial script was written by Bragi Schut.

Andre Øvredal is directing from a script from Bullet Train screenwriter Zak Olkewicz.

The project has been kicking around for just under two decades with various directors attaching themselves and exiting before Amblin kicked things into gear with this incarnation.

When they plan to begin shooting wasn’t mentioned in the report.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Spy Kids’: Director Robert Rodriguez Rebooting The Kid-Friendly Action Franchise With New Movie

Robert Rodriguez is working on yet another new project!

Deadline reports that Robert has signed-on to write and direct a reboot of his Spy Kids franchise for Skydance Media and Spyglass Media. Robert attempted a soft-reboot of sorts with Spy Kids: All The Time In The World but Carmen and Juni still appeared connecting it to the previous three movies, it’s unknown if this will be another hard-reboot or expansion simply with a new family/kids.

Rodriguez is also working on is the Star Wars series The Book of Boba Fett, a spinoff set in The Mandalorian timeline starring Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen that is said to be currently filming California for debut on Disney+ in December 2021. He wrapped the Ben Affleck thriller Hypnotic and recently got a sequel to We Can Be Heroes greenlit by Netflix.

SPY KIDS – Two young kids become spies in attempt to save their parents, who are ex-spies, from an evil mastermind. Armed with a bag of high tech gadgets and out-of-this world transportation, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) will bravely jet through the air, dive under the seas and crisscross the globe in a series of thrilling adventures on a mission to save their parents … and maybe even the world.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Borderlands’: Kevin Hart Confirmed To Star Opposite Cate Blanchett In Eli Roth’s Video Game Adaptation For Lionsgate

Lionsgate has confirmed via The Hollywood Reporter that comedian Kevin Hart has indeed landed the role of Roland in the live-action Borderlands movie from director Eli Roth. Kevin Hart’s involvement and his role was first reported by The Illuminerdi back in December.

The film is an adaptation of the video game franchise and has been in the works for so long that it originally had director Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man, Upgrade) attached before Eli Roth was brought on alongside actress Cate Blanchett in the role of Lilth.

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.

It’s script was penned by Craig Mazin, who is behind HBO’s limited series Chernobyl and the upcoming The Last of Us series.

Hart is best known for action-comedy roles such as the popular Jumanji movies, his cameo in Hobbs & Shaw, and recently shoot the action flick The Man From Toronto.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER & THE ILLUMINERDI

Chris Hemsworth Announces Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ Has Officially Started Filming In Australia

Thor: Love & Thunder has officially started filming in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia according to franchise star Chris Hemsworth after a new post on his Instagram account revealing the production has begin today during a Welcome to Country ceremony that Chris and director Taika Waititi attended.

HEMSWORTH: “A beautiful start to our shoot today with a Welcome to Country ceremony from the Gamay dancers of the Gadigal and Bidiagal Nation and performance and karakia by Maori dancers from Te Aranganui. Indigenous Australians may be just as proud of this country, but many see January 26th as a date signifying the beginning of dispossession, disease epidemics, frontier violence, destruction of culture, exploitation, abuse, separation of families and subjection to policies of extreme social control. Let’s begin the healing and stand together in unity and support with our First Nations people with solidarity and compassion. Let’s find a date where all Australians can celebrate this beautiful country together”

Production will be taking place at Fox Studios Australia the same facility recently used for Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings.

A full casting roster has yet to be announced by Marvel Studios but it looks like it will include Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Lady Thor aka Jane Foster, Tessa Thompson as King Valkyrie, Chris Pratt as Star-Lord aka Peter Quill, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Christian Bale as Gorr The God Butcher, Dave Bautista as Drax The Destroyer, Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif, Sean Gunn as Rocket/Kraglin, and Taika Waititi as Korg.

At the end of Avengers: Endgame, we saw Thor join the ranks of Guardians of The Galaxy which explains why a bunch of those actors are in Sydney.

Matt Damon is also there to shoot scenes but it’s unknown if he’ll be reprising the role of the Asgardian actor or will take another role entirely. There seem to be more actors yet to be announced or revealed by the Australian press.

Thor: Love & Thunder is currently set to be released on May 6th, 2022 but I wouldn’t get too attached to that date as there might be more shifts from Disney adjusting their 2021-2022 theatrical schedules.

SOURCE: CHRIS HEMSWORTH