Posted on in Film News

‘Predator 5’ In The Works For Almost 4 Years According To Director Dan Trachtenberg – Planned To Mirror ‘Cloverfield’ Films?

Yesterday, it was revealed by Deadline that 20th Century Studios and Disney would be moving forward with a new Predator film loosely being referred to Predator with Dan Trachtenberg (The Boys, Black Mirror, 10 Cloverfield Lane) set to direct. The project was unknowingly revealed by Discussing Film late last year under the working title Skulls and had been kept under the radar thanks to the working title/vague logline throwing people off the scent. This new report from Deadline first revealing it’s ties to the Predator franchise and Disney’s desire to keep things chugging along.

According to Dan on Twitter, they’ve been working on Predator 5 for much longer than a year, closely to four years. He also seemingly suggests they had been planning on quietly making and releasing the film as a surprise. I have to assume hearkening back to how his film 10 Cloverfield Lane was shot as something else and then connected to the Cloverfield franchise.

TRACHTENBERG: “This was meant to be a surprise. Been working on this for almost 4 years now. I am very sad that what we had in store for how you could discover this movie will no longer happen. It’s a bummer. But also…YAY!”

The film is expected to be a period piece focusing on a female Comanche human character. It sounds like a potential Native American proxy to expanded universe character Machiko Noguchi (a Japanese human inducted into a predator tribe) and would mean it could skew more in the western genre but other than that we don’t know too much about the project. It had been established back in Predator 2 that the aliens had been coming to Earth for hundreds of years to hunt and placing this new film in the past could be one way to make a film different enough from the previous four installments.

Maybe we’ll see Julia Jones (The Mandalorian, Westworld, Wind River) in the role?

Fans like myself were bummed-out when we finally got a look at Shane Black’s 2018 film The Predator and it was a giant mess with a bizarre sequel bait ending that landed flat on it’s face. Hopefully, this means that Alien 5/Alien V is seriously being considered after that spec-script tease from franchise screenwriters David Giler and Walter Hill was making the rounds on social media.

SOURCE: DAN TRACHTENBERG

Posted on in Film News

Brad Pitt’s ‘Bullet Train’ Enlists Logan Lerman and ‘Deadpool 2’ Production Designer David Scheunemann

There had been so many casting announcements concerning Sony’s upcoming assassin flick Bullet Train that they’ve been hard to keep track. But yesterday it was revealed by Deadline that Logan Lerman (Gamer, Fury, Hunters) has taken yet another undisclosed role in the action film directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, John Wick, Atomic Blonde).

The rest of the cast consists of Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Joey King (The Dark Knight Rises), Andrew Koji (G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes), Michael Shannon (Knives Out, Man of Steel), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Godzilla, Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

Logan and Brad previously worked together on the WWII thriller Fury from David Ayer, so this will be a reunion of sorts for the two actors.

I’m starting to get a little concerned that Sony and Leitch have only hired two Asian actors of Japanese heritage out of the ten announced given that the film’s setting is supposed to be Tokyo, Japan. A location predominately populated by Japanese people and not westerners. Hopefully, they’ll start to notice how odd this looks to people and we’ll hear more Asian actors joining the cast.

Filming is taking place in Los Angeles under the working title of Haiku #87, a reference to the train in the action flick. The Ronin has learned that Leitch is expected to reunite with production designer David Scheunemann (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw), who recently worked on Karen Gillan’s Gunpowder Milkshake.

Sony has yet to give Bullet Train an official release date.

Posted on in Film News

‘Narcos: Mexico’ Actor Tenoch Huerta In Talks To Play ‘Black Panther 2’ Villain – Eyeing July Production Start

The Hollywood Reporter has news that Marvel and director Ryan Coogler are in talks with Narcos: Mexico actor Tenoch Huerta to play one of the villains of Black Panther 2.

Also, they state that Marvel Studios wants filming to begin by July of next year in Atlanta, Georgia.

They’re not naming his role but Huerta would make for interesting MCU incarnation of Namor The Sub-Mariner, as he played a complex cartel member on Narcos: Mexico and I’ve been championing different types of actors for the role when it comes time for Marvel to cast an actor for it.

Namor’s Atlantis and T’Challa’s Wakanda have come to all-out war in the comics with Namor flooding Wakanda along with the two high-tech nations almost exchanging nuclear weapons. There is certainly tension there between them and plenty of unconfirmed rumors that Namor could end up being a villain go all the way back to the first film’s release. The sinking of Atlantis aka The Great Cataclysm in Marvel Comics has a direct connection to Celestials, Deviants, and Eternals which could be introduced in the upcoming Eternals film. Nods to Namor go all way back to Captain America: The First Avenger and have been sprinkled throughout multiple films since.

There are even objects from the Guardians of The Galaxy attraction Mission Breakout! located at the Disney theme parks that tease an Atlantis connection via “Terran Ocean Artifacts”.

Of course, the role could be something else entirely but he’s giving off Namor vibes.

Chadwick Boseman passed over the summer due to a battle with colon cancer (something he kept private) and everyone involved with the project has been taking time to mourn his passing. I’m not entirely sure how fixed that production start is given that was likely when they were planning on shooting before the death of Chadwick and there could be adjustments or delays upcoming.

Marvel Studios still hasn’t announced what their plans are with the T’Challa role but have debunked a rumor of using a digital-double of the late actor for the sequel.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

‘Predator 5’ Officially Announced With Director Dan Trachtenberg Attached – Won’t Be A Continuation of ‘The Predator’

Deadline has announced a huge update concerning the future of the Predator franchise as Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) has been hired by 20th Century Studios/Disney to direct an untitled Predator 5 that will have a script from Patrick Aison (Treadstone, Jack Ryan).

The film isn’t expected to be a sequel to Shane Black’s soft-reboot The Predator.

Apparently, Discussing Film caught-wind of the project’s production grid information almost a entire year ago and didn’t make the connection it was part of the Predator franchise as it was under the working title of Skulls (the Predator collects skulls).

…will follow a Comanche woman who goes against gender norms and traditions to become a warrior.

It’s unconfirmed if Skulls’ logline is the official one they’ll actually be using as that information is year old and could have changed since then as films normally do over a year or more of development/script changes. The Predator and Alien franchises always have multiple incarnations in the development stages before the cameras roll on each installment.

However, the crux of Skulls does sound very similar to Machiko Noguchi, a Japanese human character that is inducted into a predator tribe after proving herself worthy.

A new Predator film so soon have the box office disaster of 2018’s The Predator would obviously signal Disney’s commitment to continuing 20th Century Studios’ legacy franchises and might mean that new Alien projects could be next.

They’re already moving forward with a new Planet of The Apes film from director Wes Ball along with a new spec-script for Alien V from franchise screenwriters/executive producers David Giler and Walter Hill.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

‘Deadpool 3’ Development At Marvel Studios Moves Forward With The Molyneux Sisters Penning The Script

I guess the talk of Deadpool 3 never coming together at Marvel Studios was just a fevered dream of co-creator Rob Liefeld.

Deadline reports that Marvel Studios has tapped The Molyneux Sisters (Bob’s Burgers, The Great North) to write the third installment and would be a sign that the sequel could be the first official X-Men film produced/released by the studio since the merger brought the film/television rights to Disney.

Sources tell Deadline that Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin to write Deadpool 3 with Reynolds set to reprise his role as wise-cracking superhero.

As we’ve been saying for ages via quotes from both Disney and Marvel brass that they still seem to be keen to keep the film R-rated. Deadline reaffirms this, yet again.

Besides Reynolds return, there is so many factors being worked but sources say the film is still expected to be rated R like the previous two installments. 

Ryan Reynolds is set to reprise the role of Wade Wilson but this would be the first film without the involvement of Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, who tackled the last two movies when they were made at 20th Century Fox pre-merger. We don’t know officially if other cast members like Zazie Beetz or Josh Brolin will carry over their roles like Reynolds.

It’s unclear if David Leitch’s schedule will allow him to return for a third installment, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they considered a new director in all honesty given how many projects Leitch is juggling currently.

It sounds like with screenwriters set that we could see the sequel arrive at the earliest in 2023 with production taking place in 2022 if a script is completed in a timely fashion.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Television News

Chapter 12 of ‘The Mandalorian’ Directed By Carl Weathers Includes The Triumphant Return of Horatio Sanz and New Details On What Moff Gideon Is Up To

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR CHAPTER 12 OF THE MANDALORIAN

As expected Mando in the latest episode has to do yet another side mission while the Razor Crest is being repaired on Nevarro, a lava planet from Season 1. There was an assumption this would simply be a buffer episode before Din Djarin finally meets up with Ahsoka Tano.

The Siege was directed by Carl Weathers where Mando is tasked by Greef to help them blow up an “abandoned” Imperial base elsewhere on Nevarro and we see a return of comedian Horatio Sanz (was spotted in the Season 2 trailer), who played a bounty in Chapter 1 and is now working off his debt. The group attempts to blow-up the facility to keep weapons out of the black market.

It’s revealed that it’s neither abandoned or just a base, as it looks like some sort of laboratory as we see weird tubes (giving me The Force Unleashed vibes) with what looks like some sort of failed genetic experiments that had Moff Gideon was involved with. They also mention they were indeed taking blood from The Child back in Season 1, just enough not to kill him but have run out and mention The Child having a high “M-count” referring to Midichlorian Count that was introduced in The Phantom Menace. They’re seemingly using The Child’s blood enhance subjects which may or may not be an attempt to give The Child’s vast Midichlorians to other people, possibly Moff Gideon himself.

This is the most information we’ve had concerning The Child and what Gideon wanted with him so far in the series.

At the end of the episode we learn that Cara Dune (now a Marshal) is from Alderaan and lost everyone after the Death Star destroyed the planet.

This lab remains to be seen if it’s part of the secret Palpatine plot from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker or possibly something else non-clone related. But we finally get to see Gideon in-person as they’ve placed a tracking device on the Razor Crest which suggests he’ll be showing up soon once they find Mando’s ship.

I’m curious if these experiments could be how they attempt to insert a Star Wars Legends character like Galen Marek aka Starkiller from The Force Unleashed video games and played by Sam Witwer. Having his abilities created via a lab and Baby Yoda blood making him an Imperial volunteer for this secret enchantment project. Sam has worked with Dave Filoni on the Star Wars animation series voicing both Darth Maul (also voiced him in Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Palpatine. Considering they had Katee Sackhoff play Bo-Katan, having Sam play a live-action version of character Starkiller could be fun for fans.

Thrawn was a Legends character that got a second life in Star Wars: Rebels thanks to Filoni.

Posted on in Television News

‘The Walking Dead’ Actor Matt Lintz Officially Joins ‘Ms. Marvel’ Cast – Spotted In Set Photos

Yesterday, Just Jared posted the first set photos of Ms. Marvel from filming in Atlanta over Wednesday’s shoot which showed Iman Vellani in character as Kamala Khan wearing a Captain Marvel alongside a teenage friend, who happens to be The Walking Dead’s Matt Lintz as there multiple shots of Matt with Iman which looks like some sort of costume party.

Matt’s role in the series has yet to be confirmed but is likely playing a classmate.

Kamala Khan is a practicing Muslim Pakistani-American teenager living in New Jersey, who is a massive fan of Captain Marvel and develops her own superpowers (canonically is group of The Inhumans) then adopting the name Ms. Marvel (Carol’s original superhero name in the comics).

The series showrun by Bisha K. Ali has a group of directors that include Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

The Disney+ series is expected to debut in late 2021.

SOURCE: JUST JARED

Posted on in Television News

SET PHOTOS: First ‘Ms. Marvel’ Images Reveals Captain Marvel Fangirl Kamala Khan – Filming Officially Begins In Atlanta

We finally have photographic proof that Ms. Marvel (working title Jersey) has finally begun filming in Atlanta, Georgia.

Just Jared has posted a batch of first-look set photos from the Atlanta set from filming on Wednesday revealing Canadian actress Iman Vellani in character as Ms. Marvel aka Kamala Khan wearing what looks to be a Halloween costume of Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel.

You can check out those pictures here.

Kamala Khan is a practicing Muslim Pakistani-American teenager living in New Jersey, who is a massive fan of Captain Marvel and develops her own superpowers (canonically is group of The Inhumans) then adopting the name Ms. Marvel (Carol’s original superhero name in the comics).

The series showrun by Bisha K. Ali has a group of directors that include Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

There is a strong possibility that Kamala could have involvement with Captain Marvel 2 and maybe even the Nick Fury series if it involves S.W.O.R.D. Ms. Marvel is also part of the New Avengers/Young Avengers making her an important character to the future of Marvel Cinematic Universe. It remains to be seen if Brie Larson will show up in Ms. Marvel even for a cameo.

There is an expectation that Ms. Marvel will be ready to begin airing on Disney+ in late 2021.

SOURCE: JUST JARED

Posted on in Film News

Lady Gaga Also Takes A Role In Brad Pitt’s ‘Bullet Train’

Collider has reported on yet another addition to the cast of Sony Pictures’ upcoming assassin flick Bullet Train. They say that Oscar nominee Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born, Machete Kills) is set to take a smaller role in the film from Atomic Blonde and John Wick director David Leitch.

Bullet Train focuses on a group of assassins on a Japanese bullet train with varying motivations to be there. What role Gaga is playing isn’t known at this time. She is also leading Ridley Scott’s next film Gucci, a fashion industry crime thriller that doesn’t begin shooting in Italy until March-April.

The cast that consists of recent Oscar winner Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Joey King (The Dark Knight Rises), Andrew Koji (G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes), Michael Shannon (Knives Out, Man of Steel), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Godzilla, Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), Masi Oka (Heroes), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

It’ll be interesting to see if Sony is attempting to make a standalone film here or attempting more of a John Wick level franchise led by Pitt.

Filming will take place in Los Angeles, California and Sony hasn’t given Bullet Train a release date.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

Posted on in Television News

Katee Sackhoff Denies Involvement With ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff Series Featuring Cara Dune – “I Have Absolutely No Idea What You’re Talking About”

Capping-off Deadline’s debunking last week of the fan rumor that Katee Sackhoff and Gina Carano would be co-starring in a spinoff series from The Mandalorian with the pair reprising their roles of Bo-Katan and Cara Dune.

Katee is now flat-out denying it’s existence as well during an interview with the outlet stating the following.

SACKHOFF: “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, that’s legitimately the truth.”

She added what makes the character interesting to her.

SACKHOFF: “She’s a warrior and she has struggled tremendously with being a leader. For her, I think there is a struggle and a story about who she becomes in peace, if that were to ever be accomplished and what kind of ruler she would be. She’s never really, that we’ve seen, gotten that opportunity, and whether or not she’s ready for that. Just because she thinks it’s her rightful place, doesn’t mean she’s ready or equipped to rule Mandalore.

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight she hinted Bo-Katan important part of The Mandalorian.

SACKOFF: “She’s been such a pivotal character in this world and she’s so important to this story in The Mandalorian and where it’s going.”

SOURCE: DEADLINE