Category: News

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Planet Of The Apes 4’ Director Wes Ball To Tackle Live-Action ‘The Legend Of Zelda’ Movie For Sony Pictures

Earlier this month, a first-look teaser trailer for Wes Ball‘s “Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes” was released, the fourth installment in 20th Century Studios‘ modern “Planet of The Apes” franchise. An impressive feat to take the reigns from Matt Reeves (“The Batman”) and it sounds like Ball has established what his next big project will be and it is a real doozy.

Nintendo has officially announced that they are moving forward with a live-action feature film version of their popular fantasy film “The Legend of Zelda” at Sony Pictures with Ball directing and Avi Arad (“Ghost In The Shell”) producing. Arad might be best known for his attachment to the successful “Spider-Man” franchise including the Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” but is also currently involved with Jordan Vogt-Roberts‘ (“Kong: Skull Island) “Metal Gear Solid” movie at Sony that has Oscar Isaac set to star as Snake.

Another tidbit mentioned in the press release is that Nintendo isn’t just handing over the rights to Sony Pictures as the video game company will be co-fiancing the film by providing more than 50% of the production budget. This would likely mean that they’ll have a larger participation in profits if the film is another box office success. Although it’s unknown how much the ultimate cost of the budget will be given we’re only looking at an announcement and budgeting only happens when a script is much further along.

How to add The Legend of Zelda's Link into your D&D game - Dexerto

“Zelda” focuses on the adventurous protagonist Link and is set within a high-fantasy world that lends itself to some fun quests on the level of “The Lord of The Rings.”

Here is the official press release posted by Nintendo:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minami-ku, Kyoto, President & CEO: Shuntaro Furukawa) is pleased to announce that it has started planning and developing a live-action movie about “The Legend of Zelda”. The film will be co-produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, a Fellow of Nintendo, and Avi Arad, president of Arad Productions Inc., who has produced a number of blockbuster films. The film will be produced by Nintendo and Arad Productions Inc., and will be directed by Wes Ball. In addition, Nintendo will invest more than 50% of the production cost of the film, and Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. will co-finance the worldwide distribution.

It’s been said by Deadline that Derek Connolly is writing the film’s script, he isn’t a stranger to video game adaptations after previously working with Arad on “Metal Gear Solid” and on Legendary’s successful film “Detective Pikachu.”

Ball really got on studio radars after his “Maze Runner” franchise and once attempted a feature film adaptation of the comic book “Mouse Guard” only for the project to get nixed during Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox leading a heap of gestating films at 20th Century Studios were canceled. The filmmaker would eventually be selected to tackle “Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes” allowing him to oversee a CGI-focused epic and should be a great choice to bring Hyrule to the big screen.

There had been an obvious assumption that once the animated “Super Mario Bros.” movie earned Universal Pictures a billion dollars other Nintendo properties like “Zelda,” “Starfox,” and “Metroid” (John Woo nearly made a film) would be next to be turned into feature films. And the former is now officially in the development stage.

Sony Pictures is sort of an interesting choice given they’re already developing a wave of film and television projects based on their PlayStation games which includes the second season of “The Last of Us” at HBO, a series version of “God of War” at Amazon, and director Chad Stahelski (“John Wick 1-4”) is attached to make a film based on the samurai game “Ghost of Tsushima.” There is also an expectation that a follow-up to Tom Holland‘s “Uncharted” could happen down the line as well, which was produced by Arad as well.

SOURCE: NINTENDO JAPAN

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Blade’ Director Yann Demange Confirms R-Rating For The MCU Reboot

There had been a huge debate about Marvel Studios and their upcoming “Blade” starring Mahershala Ali. That being if they’d aim for an R-rated film like the previous trilogy of movies (Led by Wesley Snipes) or tarnishing that mature branding going back to 1998 to court a younger audience with a PG-13 rating. However, it looks like we finally have an official answer to that question. While speaking with Deadline, the film’s current director Yan Demange (“White Boy Rick”) has confirmed that the studio has given him the greenlight to make an R-rated incarnation and would make this the second film made for adult audiences alongside “Deadpool 3.”

“They gave me the R, which is so important,” Demange said of the film’s rating.

“I come out of this wanting to be more open, more vulnerable and bring a more personal aspect to my work,” the director said. “But for Blade, we are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor. I’m excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way. I love him for that. He’s got a dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen.”

Eric Brooks, aka, Blade is a half-human/half-vampire hybrid who was born with vampire attributes but without deadly sensitivity to sunlight and silver, things that kill vampires that feed on the human population like cattle. One of the key aspects of the franchise has been its roots within exploitation and martial films including how our heroic vampire hunter dispenses vampires with silver bullets, swords, and other weapons. Blade is hardly a Marvel Comics character that children are aware of or looking forward to its reboot, so a PG-13 rating never made a lot of sense. Even more so when vampires are involved and you want to push into that horror angle, removing the gore would make these vampires less threatening given their whole thing is drinking blood and killing their victims in that manner.

“Blade” is currently undergoing rewrites by veteran screenwriter Michael Green (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Logan”) and we’ll likely know more about the film’s production once the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved. While the volume of screenwriters might look troublesome to outsiders, it’s very much a normal thing for movies of this scale to get things right before filming combined with the assumption that Ali has some sort of creative input on “Blade.” Getting things right isn’t always a bad thing and after Marvel Studios became known for trying to fix scripts during production or with editing/reshoots, polishing the script in the prep phase could be seen as a way to save money in the long run.

The rest of the cast includes Delroy Lindo, Mia Goth, and Aaron Pierre with an assumption that more names will be revealed once the strike is resolved and the casting process can resume.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in News, Television News

‘Echo’ Trailer: Marvel Studios’ First TV-MA Series Coming January 10 & Releases Under New Marvel Spotlight Banner

While “Loki” season two ends next week, Marvel Studios is looking toward the next series coming to Disney+ with “Echo.” A direct spinoff from “Hawkeye” focusing on the villain Maya Lopez and expanding/exploring her “Daredevil” adjacent solo series that has been now confirmed as Marvel Studios’ first TV-MA show since taking the reigns of Marvel TV Studios (formerly Marvel Television) and should lead to a string of other mature-focused projects. They’ve released a new trailer (See below) highlighting Maya’s complex relationship with The Kingpin and highlights the violence in the upcoming show that will debut in January.

“Echo” is also going to be the first entry in Marvel’s new banner called Marvel Spotlight.

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“Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity. Just like comics fans didn’t need to read ‘Avengers’ or ‘Fantastic Four’ to enjoy a ‘Ghost Rider Spotlight’ comic, our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story,” Head of Streaming Brad Winderbaum said in a statement announcing the new banner.

We previously hoped that Marvel would resurrect the Marvel Knights banner used for “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence” and “Punisher: War Zone” for projects like these. However, using Marvel Spotlight instead feels like a decent compromise.

Here is the show’s official logline via Marvel/Disney:

Marvel Studios presents “Echo” in which Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) struggles to reconnect with her Native American roots while balancing aspirations tied to a life of crime as successor to the brutal legacy of Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) aka Kingpin. In the first episode, we are introduced to Maya Lopez and her struggles.

Other cast members include Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, aka, Daredevil (spotted in the teaser footage), Chaske Spencer as Henry, Tantoo Cardinal as Chula, Graham Greene as Skully, Cody Lightning as Cousin Biscuits, Devery Jacobs as Bonnie, and Zahn McClarnon as William Lopez.

All 10 episodes of “Echo” are set to debut on Disney+ and Hulu on January 10, 2024. You can watch that brand-new trailer below.

SOURCE: MARVEL STUDIOS/DISNEY+

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Ghost Of Tsushima’ Director Chad Stahelski Shares Promising Update On His Samurai Action Flick: “We Have A Script”

A recent report alluded to movement on Lionsgate’s “Highlander” remake from director Chad Stahelski (“John Wick 1-4”) and starring Henry Cavill (“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”) is leading to a potential early 2024 production start. And it looks like Stahelski’s other big swordplay action flick is getting some traction as well. The filmmaker shared an update of sorts with the folks over at ScreenRant, about his live-action feature film incarnation of the PlayStation/Sucker Punch video game “Ghost of Tsushima.” A game that allows gamers to play as a samurai during a Mongol invasion of Tsushima Island in 1274.

Stahelski was quick to reveal they have a script (unknown if it is shooting ready) and indicates they’ve figured out what the picture will be.

“We have a script, we’re very close to getting our shit together on that, as well. Development is always tricky, it’s studios, it’s strikes, and availabilities, and scouting. You have to will things into existence. I think the two things that I am closest and most interested in are ‘Highlander’ and ‘Ghost of Tsushima.’ Both amazing, amazing properties, the story of Ghost is, also, one of my favorite properties of all time,” Stahelski told ScreenRant of the current status of the samurai flick’s script.

Depending on his schedule for “Highlander” there is a strong possibility that “Ghost of Tsushima” could be ready to go in front of cameras by 2025-2026.

Here is the game’s official logline via PlayStation:

Tsushima is on the brink of destruction. In the wake of a crushing defeat at the hands of ruthless Mongol invaders, noble samurai Jin Sakai must sacrifice everything to protect what’s left of his home and people. As he embarks on an epic adventure for the freedom of Tsushima, he must set aside samurai traditions, embrace unconventional methods, and forge a new path—the path of the Ghost.

In the past, the director has given the impression they’ll try to do a version with subtitles and actors speaking Japanese, which likely means they’ll be casting mostly authentic actors for the key roles and could give a huge boost to the career of whoever lands the lead role of Jin Sakai. That role had been previously played by Japanese-American actor Daisuke Tsuji (“Invasion”) for the video game and we wouldn’t be all that shocked if he ended up getting an offer to reprise the part.

SOURCE: SCREEN RANT

Posted on in Film News, News

Michael Man Reportedly Remaking Korean Crime Thriller ‘Veteran’ With U.S. Adaption

Yet another Michael Mann (“Ferrari”) upcoming feature film project has surfaced thanks to a new report from Variety. The outlet has revealed that the filmmaker aims to continue working within the crime thriller genre and will now help develop a remake of the 2015 South Korean film “Veteran” alongside Korea’s CJ ENM. Noteworthy that the report isn’t entirely sure if Mann will ultimately direct or simply become the project’s producer and writer, as he’s said to be working on the remake’s script.

Ryoo Seung-wan‘s original film (that skewed within the action comedy realm) is described via a synopsis as “A maverick detective’s crime-fighting skills are tested when he targets the ruthless heir to a corrupt corporation and crime syndicate.” It’s a bit unclear when this Western version of “Veteran” will actually move forward as it sounds like they’re only in the development stage and things had stalled due to the WGA strike that recently has been resolved.

We’ll be curious to see if Mann and his studio partners attempt to recast with white actors or decide to push for an Asian-American cast, which could help potentially connect the film’s story/setting between South Korea and the Korean community in the United States.

Mann is looking to turn his novel “Heat 2,” which he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner as a follow-up to his iconic cops-and-robbers movie “Heat” from 1995, into his next feature film. With the presumption that his “Ferrari” lead Adam Driver might be landing a lead role in it. The film would cover the events prior to and after the original film, allowing for the recasting of multiple parts with new actors given the ages of the folks who starred in “Heat” along with how the story fluxes between different time periods.

This trend of Hollywood remaking films from Asian cinema is nothing new there are plans to do an English remake of Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning class satire “Parasite,” a long-gestating Western take of the Korean zombie thriller “Train To Busan,” and director Martin Scorsese reworked the Hong Kong crime thriller “Infernal Affairs” as the Boston-set pic “The Departed.” One of the more recent projects that Mann has worked on was the HBO Max series “Toyko Vice” which spent a good chunk of time shooting on location in Japan.

You can check out the trailer for “Veteran” below.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Sicario 3’: Christopher McQuarrie A “Partner” On The Next Installment According To Producers

Over the weekend we got an update of sorts from “Sicario 3″ producers Molly Smith and Trent Luckinbill that they were aiming to bring back both Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin alongside confirmed returning franchise star Benicio Del Toro. Now, there are some juicy quotes about who is involved, potentially on the creative side. While continuing their chat with Collider to promote Del Toro’s Netflix thriller “Reptile,” they were able to dish that both franchise creator Taylor Sheridan (“Yellowstone”) and Christopher McQuarrie (“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”) are “partners” on “Sicario 3.” They seemingly didn’t expand upon the roles of Sheridan or McQuarrie, but considering that the former penned the last two installments and essentially created the franchise it wouldn’t be all that surprising if the workaholic writer penned the script or the story.

“But we don’t know who’s going to direct yet. It’s all gonna be about timing. We’ve got obviously a wealth of great partners on it, everybody from Taylor Sheridan to Chris McQuarrie as a partner on it, but it’ll all be about the timing and what aligns with everyone’s schedule.”

As previously alluded to, Sheridan is a busy man overseeing multiple television series and likely might have handed off polishing duties to someone like McQuarrie (still working on “Mission: Impossible 8”), who is also known in the industry as a script doctor. Case in point, McQuarrie helped out with the script to “Top Gun: Maverick” despite not directing and could have a similar role here on this project, if not bigger.

Sheridan being extremely busy was also echoed by Luckinbill, “He is so busy, and he stays close to it, and will obviously have input, too. Then it’s just a question of when we get schedules lined up and all of that starting to have real conversations to see who’s available and who wants to do it. So certainly, I think everybody that’s ever been involved with this has stayed really close and has stayed fans of it. So, we’ll just push forward and see what lines up and who lines up in our window.”

“Sicario 3” is still seemingly without a director, officially, and the talk of schedule would suggest that either of those two would be welcomed as helming the third installment. Whether that happens remains to be seen and will likely take a bit of time.

Having the trio of actors back with Sheridan and McQuarrie possibly being the creative force behind it would very much be a welcomed shot in the arm after that lackluster second film. Of course, the original from 2015 was helmed by French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who has since moved to tackle two installments of the “Dune” franchise as he’s also in development on a third film based on the second Frank Herbert novel “Dune Messiah.” We still don’t know if Villeneuve will indeed make that third “Dune” film next or could be hypothetically persuaded to direct Sicario 3,” which would likely be a less intense or lengthy shoot in comparison.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Sicario 3’ Producers Want To Bring Back Emily Blunt & Josh Brolin For Third Installment: “Our Idea Is To Get The Cast Back Together”

Denis Villeneuve‘s thrillers such as “Prisoners” and “Sicario” helped put the French-Canadian filmmaker on the radar of global audiences alongside studios leading to more pricey sci-fi projects such as “Arrival,” “Blade Runner 2049,” and his two “Dune” movies. So, it’s not that shocking that “Sicario” after becoming a financial and acclaimed critical success would end up getting a sequel. Despite the mixed reception of that second film, a third one is in active development with the expectation that Benicio del Toro will be leading “Sicario 3.” While there had been some assumption that Josh Brolin‘s Matt, a C.I.A. Agent, would be making a grand return in “Sicario 3” seemingly in an antagonist role, it sounds like producers are also aiming to get Emily Blunt back in the fold as well.

During a chat with Collider to promote the Netflix crime thriller “Reptile,” franchise producers Molly Smith and Trent Luckinbill dished that they want to get the trio in the next movie but scheduling is going to play a big role for that to come together.

Interview: Denis Villeneuve Talks 'Sicario,' Strong Female Leads, 'Blade Runner' Sequel & More – IndieWire

“Our idea is to get the cast back together with Benicio, Emily, and Josh, and we’ve got a great story to tell…Benicio, by nature of just working with us most recently, has been probably the closest to it at the moment. But we’re keeping all the talent informed. They’ve stayed close to it. Like Trent said, the strike has just slowed us down a bit on this last draft, but I think everybody is very excited. Everyone sort of knows the framework of the story and is very excited to, hopefully, get our shooting draft in order very soon.”

How exactly they’ll navigate the busy schedules of two of their primary actors isn’t clear but another aspect hasn’t been announced either, who will direct “Sicario 3” and what the plot will be pertaining to how Blunt’s FBI Agent gets pulled back into the fray. We’ll just have to wait for more information once the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved, hopefully in the near future. I think it would be in their best interest to also court co-star Daniel Kaluuya, considering his star has risen as well since the first film was released back in 2015.

In the lawless border area stretching between the U.S. and Mexico, an idealistic FBI agent [Emily Blunt] is enlisted by an elite government task force official [Josh Brolin] to aid in the escalating war against drugs. Led by an enigmatic consultant with a questionable past [Benicio Del Toro], the team sets out on a clandestine journey forcing Kate to question everything that she believes in order to survive.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

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Marvel’s Revamped ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Series Adds ‘Moon Knight’ & ‘Loki’ Directors

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios has officially secured new directors for their revamped “Daredevil” streaming series titled “Daredevil: Born Again.” The shake-up on the project stems from an aim to retool the show during the pause in production over the last couple of months in the wake of both the writers’ and actors’ strikes, as filming had been underway in New York City.

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the duo known for Marvel’s “Moon Knight” and the recent string of episodes of “Loki” in season two have been tasked to complete the series alongside the new showrunner Dario Scardapane (“Jack Ryan”). The latter is an alumni of the Netflix wave of Marvel Television produced series with “The Punisher,” and potentially a welcomed sight as Jon Bernthal is expected to reprise the role of Frank Castle in the MCU show alongside Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio.

While the recent string of episodes of “Loki” isn’t exactly action-packed, there were plenty of fight sequences in “Moon Knight” that should make fans happy the new directors being called in have experience already within the world of MCU streaming shows.

Chris Ord and Matt Corman had been previously acting as “head writers” before their exit from the Marvel series earlier this year as the studio looked toward a new vision and it remains to be seen what the final episode count will be. Originally, “Daredevil: Born Again” was aiming to get 18 episodes completed for this new series.

Kevin Feige had recently indicated in a book focusing on the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s canon that the previous Marvel Television shows like the ones made for Netflix won’t be considered mainstream canon. With that in mind, “Daredevil: Born Again” is expected to do its own thing rather than being a continuation of the previous incarnation but will keep a handful of cast members in their roles and others likely won’t be reprising their roles anytime soon.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Highlander’: Lionsgate & Director Chad Stahelski’s Reboot Starring Henry Cavill To Start Filming In Early 2024

Lionsgate is officially moving forward with its reboot of the “Highlander” franchise after multiple years in development and is aiming to begin shooting in early 2024, one of the more concrete updates we’ve seen yet on the project. A report from Deadline has revealed that the film is now heading to the American Film Market to find partners as the budget is said to be over $100 million. Which is sort of on par with what Lionsgate spent on Stahelski’s recent hit “John Wick 4.” As previously reported, British actor Henry Cavill is attached for a leading role, and screenwriter Mike Finch (“Predators,” “John Wick 4”) is said to have penned the latest draft of the script.

This comes after Stahelski has been mulling over what feature film he’d tackle next after making four straight installments of the increasingly popular “John Wick” franchise starring Keanu Reeves. “Highlander” would, of course, be an excellent excuse for Stahelski to explore different kinds of action scenes as the characters who inhabit this universe are immortals and can only be killed once their heads are severed from their bodies, usually by swords. Meaning that we’ll get plenty of swordplay in the “Highlander” reboot, something that Cavill is seemingly primed and ready for after his tenure as the lead in Netflix’s fantasy series “The Witcher.”

“There Can Be Only One,” is the main tagline and refers to the quest of immortals to be the last man standing in duels to the death, as once an immortal kills another their power/strength via the Quickening is adding to their own. However, it’s been signaled that they’re more or less going to be taking cues from both the films and the expanded television series mythology. Since they don’t want to start off the first film with all immortals dead, this was sort of retconned later in the TV adaptations to allow for great numbers of immortals both good and bad to populate the show. Watchers were introduced in the series as the mortal faction that documents and sometimes even mentors immortals as they navigate a dangerous landscape that even includes super-immortals, a few that have killed so many fellow immortals over the centuries their powers are more in the realm of super-human.

The reboot has seen different incarnations over the years from Ryan Reynolds once attached to the lead the project long before his “Deadpool” success and even had “Fast & Furious” franchise director Justin Lin involved before Stahelski was ultimately selected to helm. Cavill recently returned to feature films shooting two action films back-to-back with Guy Ritchie and seems primed to get “Highlander” in the can as well.

Another big what-if is going to be what actors they’ll be able to secure for “Highlander” as the ongoing strike between SAG-AFTRA (actors’ union) and the AMPTP (studios) has yet to be officially resolved. However, there are ongoing negotiations this week that could end up resulting in a positive outcome with a fair deal for actors.

One of the biggest aspects of the original film was the soundtrack/score handled by British rock group, Queen. It’ll be interesting to see if Lionsgate attempts to do a similar collaboration with an active metal/rock group to make sure the music is another character of the reboot.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News, News

Daniel Radcliffe Denies Persistent Wolverine Casting Rumor Whilst Strapped To A Literal Lie Detector: “Flattered, But No”

As soon as it was revealed that Marvel Studios would end up getting the “X-Men” film rights reverted back them in the wake of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, there has been an oddball fan campaign online to get “Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe (A well-known short actor) to take over the Wolverine role from Hugh Jackman (Appearing as Logan in “Deadpool 3”).

Well, despite the actor himself debunking various casting rumors over the years, he’s now been strapped to a lie detector for Vanity Fair(See video below) and was asked again about his potential casting as the iconic Canadian mutant by his fellow “Merrily We Roll Along” cast members Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez. As expected, the British actor denied it, again, adding that his recent buffness seen in the latest season of his comedy series “Miracle Workers” has nothing to do with being courted to play Wolverine by Marvel. When directly asked if he started the Wolverine rumor himself he responded with a clear, “No.”

“Yes. I got buff because I am obsessive, and I want to… You’ve seen my parents, they’re like insane fitness people. So that’s just been passed on. But no. No Wolverine. Flattered, but no,” Radcliffe stated.

This wouldn’t be the first time the actor has been connected to an MCU role as “online rumors” once claimed he was in the running to play Mark Spector, aka, Moon Knight, and was another rumor he had to deny multiple times in interviews.

Still, I’ll be holding out for more likely/suitable contenders such as Austin Butler (“Dune: Part Two”) Jeremy Allen (“The Bear,” “Iron Claw”), and Paul Mescal (“Gladiator 2”) to get a crack at the role of one of the most popular Marvel Comics characters. While I’m warming up to the idea of Taron Egerton doing it, I feel like there are plenty of others already doing action that could put the claws on too. Just hiring an actor because they’re short is a bit of the ridiculous fan asks applied to the new Wolverine, but likely won’t be a real make-or-break requirement of the studio for casting given this role is going to become a mainstay in the MCU for the next decade or more. Given that Marvel is reportedly only just meeting with screenwriters for “X-Men” it’s unlikely that we’ll see the new Wolverine actor anytime, despite any online rumors concerning what will or not show up in “Deadpool 3.”

SOURCE: VANITY FAIR