Category: Film News

Posted on in Film News

Marvel Studios Searching For Screenwriters To Tackle Their ‘Blade’ Reboot Starring Mahershala Ali

Marvel Studios is reportedly finally seeking screenwriters to write their upcoming Blade reboot film starring two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali as Eric Brooks aka Blade, a Marvel Comics anti-hero that hunts/kills vampires and happens to be half-vampire himself.

The brief update comes from The Hollywood Reporter as Marvel is looking at black writers to tackle the horror superhero, although, no names were mentioned.

Current projects that studios are hoping to populate with Black behind-the-camera talent include Marvel’s Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali, which is looking for writers…

Before the epic casting announcement at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Marvel had an in-house draft back in 2013 that sprung-up from their writers program that was created to produce original scripts internally. The original version of the Guardians of The Galaxy script was penned by Nicole Perlman in the writers program ahead of the hiring of James Gunn. It’s unknown if they’ll even use that previous draft as a blueprint.

This news would confirm that Blade isn’t as far along in the development process as we previously thought.

Wesley Snipes previously played the role in three feature films from New Line Cinema and rapper Sticky Fingaz reprised the part for a short-lived television series for Spike TV. The rights eventually reverted back to Marvel and they had been sitting on them until Mahershala asked to play Blade when he met with Marvel. Blade is traditionally an R-rated character that was reworked for the big screen by Snipes, screenwriter David S. Goyer, and director Stephen Norrington.

BLADE – A half-mortal, half-immortal is out to avenge his mother’s death and rid the world of vampires. The modern-day technologically advanced vampires he is going after are in search of his special blood type needed to summon an evil god who plays a key role in their plan to execute the human race.

Marvel’s Kevin Feige has yet to confirm if they are aiming to make the new film for mature audiences or will go with a PG-13 route, given that they are dealing with vampires it would be difficult to have a large amount of blood, violence or gore.

Blade is currently without a director or a release date.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi’ Has Officially Wrapped Filming

Today, Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings has officially wrapped according to the MCU film’s director Destin Daniel Cretton, who made the announcement on his Instagram account. Filming had been placed on hiatus after the director had to quarantine himself from the cast and crew that was prolonged when Australia paused all productions for a good amount of time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGt_BaoJ76Z/

Simu Liu also commented on the post on Instagram Stories.

The only three cast members announced by Marvel Studios include Simu Liu as the titular hero Shang-Chi, Tony Leung as the real version of The Mandarin, and Awkwafina as the undisclosed female lead. Hopefully, with the film completing production we’ll start to get to official stills or at least the official cast/character list.

Shang-Chi is a martial arts superhero that was an homage to Bruce Lee and seemingly took direct inspiration from Lee’s film Enter The Dragon. While his power-set is mostly being incredibly skilled with weapons and various martial arts such as kung-fu (referred to as The Master of Kung-Fu), he later got the superhuman ability to replicate himself with multiple duplicates.

The new MCU film is expected to explore the real Mandarin’s relationship with terrorist group The Ten Rings (first appeared in Iron Man) and the villain is likely a surrogate for Shang-Chi’s comic book father Zheng Zu aka Fu Manchu.

Production was taking place at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia under the working title of Steamboat and filmed some exterior scenes in San Francisco recently. Now that Shang-Chi is finished principal photography, Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love & Thunder aka The Big Salad can move in to those stages to begin shooting in early 2021.

Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings is currently slated for release on July 9th, 2021 after being moved from February 12th and May 7th previously.

SOURCE: DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON

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Aaron Taylor-Johnson Is The Latest Addition To Brad Pitt’s Assassin Action Flick ‘Bullet Train’

Deadline reports that British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has landed a role in the upcoming action flick Bullet Train from John Wick and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch.

Aaron’s credits include Kick-Ass, Godzilla, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tenet, and the upcoming Kingsman prequel film The King’s Man.

The film from Sony Pictures has recent Oscar-winner Brad Pitt in the lead role with Joey King and Andrew Koji also playing fellow assassins on a Tokyo bullet train.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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Armie Hammer Would Return For Another ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ Movie In A “Heartbeat” – Should HBO Max Make It Happen?

While speaking with Collider, actor Armie Hammer stated he’s still interested in making a sequel to Guy Ritchie’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. that had him co-starring with Henry Cavill and Alicia Vikander. Adding how fans could get themselves involved in the process.

HAMMER: “I would do another Man from U.N.C.L.E.in a heartbeat. Like, in a heartbeat. If someone wrote a really good piece of fanfic, I’d narrate it. If someone wrote an extremely good piece of fanfic, I would make sure it got to fuckin’ Guy and Lionel [Wigram, producer] and be like, ‘You guys need to read this, and then give this person co-writing credit, ’cause let’s just get this movie made, let’s just do this.'”

There is a reason Warner Bros. didn’t rush to make a sequel as the original only made $107 million globally on a budget of $75 million, which would suggest the film flopped when you consider the costs of marketing and distribution. From a business standpoint, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to make a theatrical sequel.

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. – At the height of the Cold War, a mysterious criminal organization plans to use nuclear weapons and technology to upset the fragile balance of power between the United States and Soviet Union. CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) are forced to put aside their hostilities and work together to stop the evildoers in their tracks. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a missing German scientist, whom they must find soon to prevent a global catastrophe.

While the original film didn’t do great at the box office there is always a shot that a streaming option like HBO Max might be a way that a sequel could see the light of day. I wouldn’t be shocked if HBO Max at least considered making an exclusive film or limited miniseries for their streaming service as it would remove the need to hit box office goals.

Henry Cavill is already doing The Witcher for Netflix, so he likely wouldn’t be opposed to doing something for streaming. I think it’s more about coaxing people like Guy Ritchie and other cast members.

There is certainly a fanbase for a sequel but the costs seem to be a real issue why Warner Bros. hasn’t really done much with it.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

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Taylor Kitsch Takes Lead Role In Robert De Niro Crime Thriller ‘Wash Me In The River’ – Replaces Machine Gun Kelly

Deadline reports that rapper turned actor Machine Gun Kelly (Project Power) has dropped out of the crime thriller Wash Me In The River due to a scheduling conflict. Kelly was expected to co-star with acting legends Robert De Niro and John Malkovich in the project from director Randall Emmett.

Instead, Taylor Kistch will be taking over the lead role.

Kitsch will play a recovering addict who goes Man On Fire toward every drug dealer he thinks might have played a role in his fiance’s death. Two cops are hot on his trail. 

Taylor has had a bit of a rough career jumping into films from television with projects such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine which was success but a critical minefield leading to his historical box office bomb John Carter and Peter Berg’s less disastrous Battleship both released back in 2012.

He’s attempted to bounce back with stuff like working with the late Chadwick Boseman on the thriller 21 Bridges, the firefighter drama Only The Brave, reuniting with Peter Berg for Lone Survivor, and taking a supporting lead role in the second season of HBO’s True Detective.

Kitsch was recently attached to star in Neill Blomkamp’s upcoming horror film but remains to be seen if that project has resumed filming in New Mexico.

Filming on Wash Me In The River begins next month in Georgia and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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First Official Look At ‘Avatar 2’ Villain General Ardmore Played By ‘Sopranos’ Actress Edie Falco

The official Avatar twitter account has posted the first official look at Edie Falco’s General Ardmore in the form of a behind the scenes set photo. The General is the new head of RDA’s operations on Pandora and likely will be behind the underwater missions.

Here’s a behind the scenes still of Edie Falco as General Ardmore, the new head of RDA activity on Pandora.

There is an assumption that the General will be the new villain given that the military forces will likely want a little payback for ouster of their cohorts and the dismantling of the mining operations on Pandora. Hopefully, we’ll get to explore a lot more of the RDA/military side of the franchise which I feel was little bit lacking in Avatar. I assume because they really had planned on spending more time world building for the Na’vi and Pandora.

We learned recently the RDA’s new base of operations will be called Bridgehead after Hell’s Gate was overtaken by rebellion forces.

It’s interesting because there is an expectation that Stephen Lang’s bombastic/intimidating Colonel Quaritch will be making a comeback as well, despite dying in the first film. I’m slightly curious if they’ll be resurrecting him through cloning methods given this has been established with the avatars in the previous film.

It might be a while before we get an official trailer for Avatar 2 given that the film won’t be released until December 16th, 2022 after production delays. However, James Cameron recently said they completed live-action filming for Avatar 2 and almost fully done with Avatar 3.

We’ll have to wait to hear if they’ll be moving on to start shooting Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 either motion capture or live-action portions considering that motion capture was mostly taking place in California and live-action in Wellington, New Zealand.

SOURCE: 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS

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‘Thor: Love & Thunder’s Working Title of ‘The Big Salad’ Might Be Another Nod To A ‘Seinfeld’ Episode

The other day, Production Weekly posted what seems to be the official working title for Marvel’s Thor: Love & Thunder which apparently will be The Big Salad during the filming at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia early next year.

While many believe this could be a hint to “Fat Thor” going on a diet it more likely is director Taika Waititi following in the footsteps of Spider-Man 3 director Jon Watts and honoring classic Seinfeld episodes.

Here are the previous Seinfeld references from the Spider-Man working titles.

Spider-Man: Homecoming = Summer of George

Spider-Man: Far From Home = Fall of George

Spider-Man 3 = Serenity Now

The Big Salad, just happens to be a title of a Seinfeld episode from Season 6, where as you’d guess a “big salad” happens to be part of the plot.

At Elaine’s request, George purchases a “big salad” to go for her from Monk’s. George’s girlfriend Julie hands Elaine the salad in Jerry’s apartment, and Elaine thanks her. George is displeased that Julie took the credit for the salad, and tells Elaine that he bought it. Elaine is irritated at George for making a point of such a trivial matter, and briefly vents to Julie about this. Julie is so irate that George told Elaine she didn’t buy the salad that she breaks up with him.

All four working titles seem to connect directly to the George Constanza character and I’m a little curious if there could be a Spider-Man connection to the Thor sequel.

The cast will consist of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie The King of Asgard, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster aka Lady Thor, Taika returning in a bigger role as Korg, and Oscar-winner Christian Bale is reportedly playing the film’s villain.

With Tom Hiddleston’s Loki wondering around the Multiverse in his Disney+ series there is a good chance he could end up appearing in Thor: Love & Thunder or even Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness.

We don’t know much about the film but Natalie Portman suggested that they will indeed include Jane Foster’s cancer journey when adapting the Mighty Thor elements for the feature film while speaking with Yahoo! not too long ago. Having a superhero dealing with cancer could be incredibly powerful for kids that are on treatment or are cancer survivors.

PORTMAN: “I can’t tell you that much. I’m really excited. I’m starting to train, to get muscles. If there can be all these female superheroes, the more of them they are, the better it is. I’m trying to think — it’s based on the graphic novel of the Mighty Thor. She’s going through cancer treatment and is a superhero on the side.”

For the time being the sequel is going to be released theatrically by Disney on February 11th, 2022, as week before Valentine’s Day.

SOURCE: PRODUCTION WEEKLY

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Jessica Henwick Has Been Pitching “Jess Wick” For ‘John Wick 4’ To Keanu Reeves On ‘Matrix 4’ Set

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote her film Love & Monsters, Matrix 4 actress Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones, Iron Fist, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Godzilla vs Kong) revealed she has been pitching to co-star Keanu Reeves on the idea of playing “Jess Wick” at the very end of John Wick: Chapter 4. She states that John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski is coming to the Matrix 4 set in two weeks and plans on giving him the pitch as well.

HENWICK: “So I pitch Jess Wick to Keanu all the time. I’m probably driving him crazy. I was like, ‘Okay, Keanu, listen to me. Boom. John Wick 4, last 5 minutes, credits roll, post-credit sequence. Boom! You see my face, Jess Wick.’ I just started acting it out and then he started acting it out, too. We put on this little ten-minute show of what Jess Wick and John Wick would be like. Chad Stahelski, the director of all the John Wick movies, is flying out in two weeks, I think. So I’m going to go straight up to him and I’m going to say it.”

Henwick is said to be playing a Neo-type character in the Matrix sequel and we’ve seen Chad court actors that have previously worked with Keanu in the past. It might be in their interest to add someone like Jessica with stunt/actor experience for what new roles they want to include if it’s Jess Wick or not.

Once Matrix 4 is completed there is an expectation that John Wick: Chapter 4 and John Wick: Chapter 5 will be shot back-to-back with franchise creator Derek Kolstad suggesting that Chapter 5 could be the final film in the John Wick Saga.

We know that a female-focused spinoff that is in the works at Lionsgate titled Ballerina with Underworld director Len Wiseman attached and there is a good shot that actress might appear in the next two John Wick films to help bridge their connections to the same cinematic universe.

Matrix 4 is set to be released on December 22nd, 2021 and John Wick: Chapter 4 is expected to be out on May 27th, 2022.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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Xochitl Gomez Reportedly Joins ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel – Is She Playing America Chavez?

Deadline has revealed that young actress Xochitl Gomez has landed an undisclosed role in Marvel’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. The newcomer is likely best known for her role in the Netflix series revival of The Baby-Sitters Club.

Considering there has been rumblings of America Chavez aka Miss America being a supporting lead role (via casting grids/audition tapes) in the film having Gomez be the first new cast member announced for the sequel, this would suggest that Xochitl has landed the role of Miss America.

Chavez like Hawkeye’s Kate Bishop and Ms. Marvel’s Kamala Khan is a member of the Young Avengers.

Xochitl will join previously confirmed cast members Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Winstead, Benefict Wong, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi had replaced Scott Derrickson on the film.

The Ronin had confirmed that Logan and X-Men: First Class cinematographer John Mathiesonhas joined Raimi’s production team. Filming is also set to take place under the working title Stellar Vortex at Longcross Studios in Surrey, England.

There is an assumption that both Disney+ shows WandaVision and Loki could plant seeds for the events/characters in Doctor Strange 2. Not to mention that Doctor Strange’s Benedict Cumberbatch is reportedly showing up in Jon Watts’ Spider-Man 3 alongside Tom Holland which is currently slated to be released a few months before Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness.

Former director Scott Derrickson had previously mentioned on social media that both Doctor Strange supporting characters Brother Voodoo and Clea could show up in the film as well. This has yet to be confirmed officially with casting announcements.

Marvel has given the film a release date of March 25th, 2022.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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Watch The First Trailer For ‘Monster Hunter’ Trailer – Milla Jovovich Returns To Secure Her Crown As The Queen of Video Game Adaptations

MONSTER HUNTER – Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When an unexpected sandstorm transports Captain Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her unit (TI Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta) to a new world, the soldiers are shocked to discover that this hostile and unknown environment is home to enormous and terrifying monsters immune to their firepower. In their desperate battle for survival, the unit encounters the mysterious Hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills allow him to stay one step ahead of the powerful creatures. As Artemis and Hunter slowly build trust, she discovers that he is part of a team led by the Admiral (Ron Perlman). Facing a danger so great it could threaten to destroy their world, the brave warriors combine their unique abilities to band together for the ultimate showdown.

Sony Screen Gems has released the first Monster Hunter trailer which stars Milla Jovovich and martial arts star Tony Jaa from Resident Evil franchise director Paul W.S. Anderson (Soldier, Event Horizon, Alien vs. Predator).

The film looks to be a hybrid homage of Transformers meets Reign of Fire meets Jurassic Park that certainly has it having a lot more scale than the Resident Evil films alongside what looks like could be quality VFX (at least in this trailer). Hopefully, it’s a little more accessible and coherent than the previous Resident Evil films given that it’s an entirely new video game franchise it could allow for something a little more interesting.

Also from Capcom, the Monster Hunter video games skew more into the realm of fantasy adventure.

In an unnamed high fantasy setting, humans and other sentient races have set their eyes on the New World, a separate continent from the populated Old World. The New World is an untamed wilderness where many powerful monsters roam, and where researchers have been drawn to uncover new mysteries. Players take the role of a Hunter that serves to help protect a village or help research the large monsters that roam the various areas near the village.

Milla Jovovich has established herself as one of the few actresses that consistently does genre action gaining an international following from playing both Leeloo from The Fifth Element and Alice in the Resident Evil films.

Earlier this month it was revealed that Monster Hunter’s theatrical release date got bumped-up from April 23rd, 2021 to December 30th. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if that date sticks.

Sony Screen Gems also released a new domestic poster.

SOURCE: SONY