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Earthbound ‘Alien’ Series Filming Moving Ahead In Thailand Despite Strike, Adds ‘Andor’ Actor Alex Lawther

Between the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, there isn’t much in the way of productions going on in the United States as film/television workers are looking to get a fair deal in the wake of streaming and the increasing threat of artificial intelligence. While multiple shows and movies have halted some are pushing through such as the upcoming/untitled Earthbound “Alien” prequel streaming series coming from Noah Hawley (“Fargo,” “Legion”)

A new report from Deadline is now confirming that filming in Thailand is going ahead as planned with the addition of actors such as “Andor” supporting cast member Alex Lawther (“Black Mirror”) and Samuel Blenkin (“Black Mirror,” “The Sandman”). The rest of the cast includes Sydney Chandler (“Don’t Worry Darling”), Essie Davis, and Adarsh Gourav. All the deals had reportedly been secured before the strike and Equity performers (the UK union for actors) have been told if they walk they would be sued. Sounds like a totally normal and not all bizarre environment to be shooting a show in.

The outlet adds shooting has already started this week with none of the actors on set being SAG-AFTRA, which allows them to shoot the show without crossing the picket line. Actors like Chandler, who are part of the union, are said to be not involved in the current round of filming as it’s expected their scenes will be shot at a later date once the actors’ strike is resolved.

Of course, is sort of an odd time for the “Alien” franchise as the newest feature film from filmmaker Fede Alvarez had recently wrapped filming as that project had been upgraded from a Hulu-exclusive to landing a prime August 16, 2024, theatrical release date from 20th Century Studios/Disney. The thinking likely is that given how big of a hit “Prey” has been they didn’t want to lose an opportunity to actually make some cash off the sci-fi horror film.

It’s still unclear when the FX on Hulu series will be airing as the scheduling for shooting scenes with the attached SAG-AFRTRA actors will likely be determined by how long the strike goes on back in the United States. What hypothetically could end up happening if the studio runs out of patience is that those striking actors could end up being recast, although, that seems like an extremely stupid move on their part.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News, News

Simu Liu Confirms ‘Shang-Chi 2’ Is Delayed At Marvel Because Of Next ‘Avengers’ Installment

I think most of us were excited to experience how enjoyable and action-packed Marvel’s “Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings” turned out to be when it was released back in 2021. While it was a crowd-pleaser the announced sequel has seemingly been stuck on the back-burner as the studio navigates a heap of release delays along with a potential actors’ strike this month impacting productions as the writers’ strike is also causing some headaches as well (but in a good way when it comes to their ability for collective bargaining). Not to mention, a growing backlog of event films Marvel needs to shoot, like the next two “Avengers” films and their “Fantastic Four” reboot.

Well, it looks like Meta’s new social media app Threads will now be a new source of information sharing as the film’s star, Canadian actor Simu Liu, has revealed to fans there that “Shang-Chi 2” is still happening but unlikely going to be ready until after director Destin Daniel Cretton‘s finishes up on “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” The filmmaker is still officially attached to direct both the MCU installments and is also involved with the upcoming Disney+ series, “Wonder Man,” as well.

“Was told it would follow ‘Avengers’ but that keeps pushing back due to circumstances beyond my control. Hope to have more concrete news to share soon,” the actor responded to a fan on Threads inquiring about the status of the “Shang-Chi” sequel.

The next “Avengers” film isn’t set to be released until May 1, 2026, after being bumped from a May 2025 spot, and would suggest “Shang-Chi 2” likely won’t be coming out until sometime after 2026. Although, if Marvel decided to bring on a different director that could speed things up a little.

Another hiccup could arise as well, as Jonathan Majors is defending himself in court against assault/domestic abuse charges and more allegations of violent/unprofessional behavior are coming to light from a RollingStone article. Majors’ fate as the titular Kang The Conqueror in that upcoming installment of “Avengers” is currently unknown and the assumption is that Marvel, for now, will keep the actor in the role until otherwise announced.

We’re still waiting on an official release date from Marvel concerning “Shang-Chi 2.”

SOURCE: SIMU LIU VIA THREADS

Posted on in Film News, News

Quentin Tarantino Reiterates That ‘Kill Bill 3’ Isn’t Happening Due To ‘The Movie Critic’ Being His Final Theaterical Film

For ages, there had been musings from writer/director Quentin Tarantino about revisiting the “Kill Bill” saga with “Kill Bill 3,” having Uma Thurman reprising her role as Beatrix Kiddo, aka, The Bride as she fends off a wave of revenge seekers alongside her now grown daughter, Bibi. Well, with his tenth and final pic secured with “The Movie Critic” expected to go into production soon as casting is said to be on the horizon, Tarantino is seemingly pumping the breaks on all that “Kill Bill 3” hope.

While speaking with Belgian outlet DeMorgan, the filmmaker was quick to shut down potentially casting Uma Thurman’s daughter Maya Hawke, who briefly appeared in “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, as Bibi Kiddo (The Bride’s long lost daughter) in the long-talked-up “Kill Bill 3.” Stating that “The Movie Critic” is his main focus and alludes to the fact the third “Kill Bill” movie won’t be happening.

“I don’t see that. My last film is about a film critic, a male critic. And he plays in the 70s,” Tarantino told the Belgian outlet when asked about casting Hawke alongside her mother.

If you’re not familiar with the next and potentially final theatrical feature film from Tarantino, it is said to be focusing on a male film critic set during 1977 in Los Angeles and is loosely based on a real-life person who wrote for a “porno rag.” The project has been compared to “Taxi Driver” by Tarantino suggesting his lead character is inspired by Robert De Niro’s socially isolated and violent protagonist, Travis Bickle. Alongside some previous nods to the revenge pic “Rolling Thunder,” there are clear signs (such as the film’s title) that Quentin will be taking cues from legendary screenwriter Paul Schrader, who wrote both “Rolling Thunder” and “Taxi Driver.”

However, this doesn’t entirely rule out Tarantino returning to the project in the future as a potential miniseries or television series. You may remember the second film refers to the bloody Japanese samurai film “Shogun Assassin,” a key inspiration for the two volumes that was an adaptation of the “Lone Wolf & Cub” manga that was turned into a string of feature films and also cut-up to be presented in a television series format (“Shogun Assassin” being a blend of these films for the western market). In theory, given that he’s already talked up the idea of pursuing shows like his “Bounty Law” spinoff, it’s possible that “Kill Bill 3” might find a second life as a television project or even get the novelization treatment.

SOURCE: DEMORGAN

Posted on in Film News, News

Oscar-Winning Composers Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Will Score ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’

In early August, Paramount is releasing the latest incarnation of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” with their all-new animated film “Mutant Mayhem.” They’ve also put together one hell of a voice cast but that isn’t the only big draw for the upcoming soft-reboot as they’ve enlisted some series talent to help put the film’s score together.

After reports (via RollingStone and PitchFork) that iconic skateboarder Tony Hawk leaked the news about Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“Watchmen”) working on the film’s score on a podcast. It was later backed-up by both director Jeff Rowe and producer/co-writer Seth Rogen on their official social media account expressing their excitement having the two Oscar-winners composing the score.

The film’s supporting cast is rather spectacular with Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil, Jackie Chan as Splinter, Rogen as Bebop, John Cena as Rocksteady, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Ice Cube as Superfly, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom, and Post Malone as Ray Fillet. Alongside the youngsters tapped to voice the turtles such as Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is set to be released in theaters on August 2 and is starting to look like it might end up becoming a good contender for best animated film nominations. This idea stems from Rowe’s last effort “The Mitchells vs The Machines” landing an Oscar nomination in 2022 and in 2021 Reznor/Ross’ film “Soul” from Pixar earned them awards statues for Best Score alongside fellow composer Jon Batiste.

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, after years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

SOURCE: JEFF ROWE/SETH ROGEN

Posted on in Film News, News

Rebecca Ferguson To Star In Skydance’s Fantasy Revenge Flick ‘Best Served Cold’ From ‘Deadpool’ Director Tim Miller

“Deadpool” and “Terminator: Dark Fate” director Tim Miller has finally found his next big feature film project after spending his time recently on the acclaimed animated anthology series “Love Death + Robots” at Netflix that he co-produces with David Fincher. The new project is based on the fantasy revenge novel “Best Served Cold” from author Joe Abercrombie and landed an A-list actress to lead it.

Deadline has revealed that Rebecca Ferguson has been enlisted to play the film’s heroine. Ferguson is no stranger to genre projects becoming a main staple of the “Mission Impossible” franchise along with the two “Dune” films. She’ll play the legendary mercenary Monza Murcatto, who is the aforementioned revenge seeker of the story. Abercrombie has also penned the script and has previously worked with Miller on “Love Death + Robots.”

There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king. War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso’s employ, it’s a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular – a shade too popular for her employer’s taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto’s reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die. Her allies include Styria’s least reliable drunkard, Styria’s most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that’s all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started…

While an actual distributor home isn’t named in the report, Skydance has been expanding it’s reach on streaming services such as Apple, Netflix, and Amazon. They do still put out theatrical releases for Paramount Pictures but there is a really good chance this project does end up on streaming. Given Ferguson’s hit series “Silo” is an Apple TV+ success, we shouldn’t be terrible shocked if it lands there.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News, News

‘How To Train Your Dragon’: Universal’s Live-Action Remake Casts Mason Thames & Nico Parker In Lead Roles

Universal Pictures is putting together a live-action remake of the DreamWorks Animation fantasy films “How To Train Your Dragon” and it’s already slated by to be released on March 14, 2025 with Dean DeBlois set to direct. While there has been some early casting rumors, it looks like Universal has found their two big leads.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has recruited Mason Thames (“The Black Phone”) to play the film’s main protagonists, Hiccup, while “The Last of Us” actress Nico Parker has been tapped to play Astrid. The young actors are the first of many casting additions and we’re expecting to learn more names in the coming weeks/months.

In those original films, Hiccup is a son of a great Viking warrior/lead and is pretty much reluctant to follow in his father’s footsteps as a killer of dragons. When Hiccup discovers a rare dragon type he’s able to able train his new found friend in secret and starts to question the deadly relationship his village has with the dragons.

The film’s story originates from the book penned by British author Cressida Cowell. And with twelve full novels in the series, there is plenty of source material for Universal to pull from beyond those DreamWorks movies. That’s if they want to sort of do their own thing instead of making exact copies of the animated incarnations.

It’ll be interesting to see who else will be cast in the film, specifically as Hiccup’s father Stoick The Vast, the chief of the Hooligan Tribe. Stay tuned for more casting updates on the project as they come in.

Hiccup is a Norse teenager from the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life. His progressive views and weird sense of humor make him a misfit, despite the fact that his father is chief of the clan. Tossed into dragon-fighting school, he endeavors to prove himself as a true Viking, but when he befriends an injured dragon he names Toothless, he has the chance to plot a new course for his people’s future.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News, News

WB’s ‘Mortal Kombat 2’ Casts Johnny Cage, Jade & Princess Kitana

Fans of the “Mortal Kombat” video game franchise learned this month of a bit of shakeup as the upcoming release of “Mortal Kombat 1” is expected to be a hard reboot rather than a continuation. When it comes to the theatrical side, New Line Cinema is putting together a new cast for their second new live-action film that sees director Simon McQuoid and producer James Wan returning for “Mortal Kombat 2.”

The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively revealed that the latest casting addition will be Adeline Rudolph (“Hellboy: The Crooked Man”) as Princess Kitana joining her “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” co-star Tati Gabrielle (“Uncharted”) who plays the deadly Jade and Kiwi actor Karl Urban (“The Boys”) as beloved big-mouth Hollywood action star, Johnny Cage.

If you’re not familiar with the video game lore a group of skilled fighters from Earth realm have to protect it from a group of monstrous and god-like fighters from Outworld that will eventually gain complete control over our realm if they win a certain amount of to-the-death tournaments. The video game first burst onto the scene in the early 1990s which was strictly an arcade game that eventually was ported for home consoles and was the violent competitor to Capcom’s extremely popular “Street Fighter.”

Filming will take place in Australia again like the first installment which boasted a hefty cast that included Lewis Tan (“Deadpool 2”) as Cole Young; Jessica McNamee (“The Meg”) as Sonya Blade; Josh Lawson (“Bombshell”) as Kano; Tadanobu Asano (“Kate”) as Lord Raiden; Mehcad Brooks (“Supergirl”) as Jackson “Jax” Bridges; Ludi Lin (“Aquaman”) as Liu Kang; with Chin Han (“The Dark Knight”) as Shang Tsung; Joe Taslim (“Star Trek Beyond”) as Bi-Han and Sub-Zero; and Hiroyuki Sanada (“Skyscraper”) as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion. Also featured are Max Huang as Kung Lao and Sisi Stringer as Mileena.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News, News

Lionsgate Chairman Confirms ‘John Wick 5’ In Development & Teases More Wickaverse Films

This month the “John Wick” franchise has earned an impressive $1 billion at the global box office, which is a huge achievement given the R-rated franchise has been able to increasingly grow it’s audience which each installment. The studio is already working on a handful of spinoffs but finally confirmed that a fifth installment is going ahead.

During a Lionsgate earnings call via SlashFilm, studio chairman Joseph Drake has revealed that “John Wick 5” is indeed in development and suggests even more films are coming beyond the sequel and the spinoff “Ballerina,” starring Oscar-nominee Ana de Armas.

“We’re in development on 3 others, including [John Wick 5] and including a television series, ‘The Continental,’ will be airing soon. And so we’re building out the world and when that 5 movie comes, will be an organic — will be organically grown out of how we’re starting to tell those stories. But you can rely on regular cadence with John Wick.”

On the film side, Drake stopped short of revealing what what is coming other than “Ballerina” and “John Wick 5.” However, given how “John Wick 4” ended there is an expectation we could be seeing a film about Rina Sawayama‘s Akira or Donnie Yen’s Cane as a end credit scene teases that those two will finally come to blows. There had also been previous calls from fans to give Halle Berry‘s Sofia from “John Wick 3” her own film too and Laurence Fishburne‘s Bowery King could be further explored alongside other side characters.

Keanu Reeves will appear in “Ballerina” as that film takes place in during the six months between the third and fourth movies as Wick recovers from his injuries. That spinoff is set to be released in theaters with a prime summer date of June 7, 2024.

When it comes to “John Wick 5” the last film ***SPOILER ALERT*** seemingly kills John off-screen. Although, nothing says they didn’t fake his death potentially to avoid further retribution. Then again, if Wick is indeed dead another way to go would be hand off the franchise to Ana de Armas’ Rooney, who just happens to be another assassin from the Ruska Roma. Originally, it was said that the fourth and fifth film would be shot back-to-back but that ultimately didn’t happen.

We’re unsure when exactly “John Wick 5” might begin shooting as director Chad Stahelski is likely going to pursue one of his many other films in development such as the “Highlander” reboot and his samurai flick “Ghost of Tsushima” for Sony Pictures based on the acclaimed PlayStation video game.

SOURCE: LIONSGATE

Posted on in Film News, News

Renate Reinsve To Star Opposite Pedro Pascal In Zach Cregger’s New Horror Flick ‘Weapons’ At New Line

Last year, the twisty satirical horror film “Barbarian” made waves as filmmaker Zach Cregger made quite the critic and crowd pleasing film that not only provided some quality jump scares but also a decent commentary on modern society with was likely unexpected. The success of the streaming film led to a huge bidding war for his upcoming projects including a new “Magnolia” inspired horror film called “Weapons” that ultimately landed at New Line Cinema.

There is now some traction on the casting side of things with another interesting name being added to the original horror project. Earlier this week, it was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter that Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve (“The Worst Person In The World”) has nabbed a leading role in “Weapons” opposite Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”) in the new horror flick from Cregger.

Although, it’s unclear what their roles are and we’re still waiting on a more detailed plot synopsis as the only details about the film are sort of cryptic in nature. Then again, given the big twist of “Barbarian” it might be simply how they plan on keeping things secret until the film’s eventual theatrical release.

That aforementioned nod to Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 drama “Magnolia” is said to be more of the structure of the film as it’ll have interconnected stories taking place through the runtime, which likely means we’ll see these characters either interact at points or have some sort of connective tissue leading to the film’s climax. Whatever the actual execution or plan is for “Weapons” it certainly sounds like an ambitious endeavor on Cregger’s part.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Thunderbolts’ Is Latest MCU Film Paused Due To WGA Strike, ‘Deadpool 3’ Next?

The Writers Guild of America strike is still ongoing as a deal still hasn’t been made between writers and studios. This has led to a handful of high-profile projects pausing until the strike has been resolved. One of those recent projects was Marvel’s big “Blade” reboot starring Mahershala Ali and just last night more MCU delays were announced.

Deadline revealed that both “Thunderbolts” and the Disney+ series “Wonder Man” have been paused alongside “Blade.” This is happening as writers from “Agatha: Coven of Chaos” and “Vision Quest” have been spotted on the picket line, which suggests those projects are currently without their writing staff.

“Captain America: New World Order” has been shooting in Atlanta but doesn’t look like principal photography is going to be halted for now (that could change). Although, any reshoots or pickups are said to be only taking place until after the strike is over, which makes perfect sense as those scenes tend to be rewritten or altered during the editing process.

“Deadpool 3” remains a big question mark but all signs are pointing that film is heading towards a production pause during the strike as well. There are also some rumblings from those working on the film that despite what fan sites and Twitter accounts have been claiming over the past week, “Deadpool 3” might not actually have started production and is said to begin filming sometime in June. As of this posting Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds nor Hugh Jackman have made any official announcement that filming is underway on social media accounts, which is odd as you might expect them to that given how active they are and had used social media to announce Jackman’s big return as Wolverine for the sequel. However, costume and camera tests are mostly likely what are happening at this stage ahead since cast members are only now arriving in England. It could help explain why Jackman was recently spotted in a production van with a trimmed beard but never mentioned the film.

Regardless if filming has started or not, next month is going to make shooting “Deadpool 3” even messier as the DGA deal comes to an end on June 30 and someone like guild member, Shawn Levy, isn’t expected to cross the picket line. So, it does feel like it’s only a matter of time before Marvel makes a similar announcement as they did for their other big summer productions like “Blade” and “Thunderbolts.” Given that we don’t see Marvel completing production in a month it’s not hard to imagine that “Deadpool 3” getting delayed too.

SOURCE: DEADLINE