Posted on in News, Television News

Noah Hawley’s Earthbound ‘Alien’ Series Will See ‘Fargo’ Director Dana Gonzales Tackle Episodes

The “Alien” franchise is undergoing a bit of a stress test since the reigns have moved over to Disney post-merger and with a new feature film heading to theaters next summer it does certainly feel like the brass running 20th Century Studios actually is trying its best to reinvest into the sci-fi horror genre. We’re not only getting a new movie but FX/Hulu and Scott Free are behind an Earthbound prequel series as well that had been filming in Thailand earlier in the year. With the strikes resolved, it was recently revealed to The Wrap by the show’s creator/director Noah Hawley (“Legion,” “Fargo”) that the show is aiming for release sometime in 2025 with the production expected to ramp back up in February.

The Ronin can share a small update on the untitled “Alien” series. Executive producer Dana Gonzales had been previously linked as one of the show’s cinematographers (latest credit being “The Toxic Avenger”) and will direct an unknown amount of episodes alongside Hawley. His directing credits include “Legion,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Changeling,” and two upcoming episodes from Season 5 of “Fargo.”

We’re still waiting for more concrete plot details about the sci-fi horror series but it is expected to take place before the events of the original 1979 film and out-of-character for the franchise will mostly be set on Earth with the potential of Weyland Industries/Weyland-Yutani (the secondary villain of the franchise) being at the core of it. The cast of the “Alien” series includes Sydney Chandler (“Don’t Worry Darling”), Alex Lawther (“Andor,” “Black Mirror”), Samuel Blenkin (“Black Mirror,” “The Sandman”), Essie Davis, and Adarsh Gourav.

This is how Hawley described the show to Esquire back in 2022:

“It’s set on Earth of the future. At this moment, I describe that as Edison versus Westinghouse versus Tesla. Someone’s going to monopolize electricity. We just don’t know which one it is … In the movies, we have this Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which is clearly also developing artificial intelligence but what if there are other companies trying to look at immortality in a different way, with cyborg enhancements or transhuman downloads? Which of those technologies is going to win?”

On the film front, director Fede Álvarez‘s “Alien: Romulus” has a tentative release date of August 16, 2024, and according to the filmmaker, his director’s cut of the pic got the seal of approval from producer Ridley Scott. There is an expectation that the movie will focus on an off-world colony inhabited by a group of young human colonists. Given that a director’s cut is already being put together we shouldn’t be that shocked if some teaser images or footage is released by 20th Century between now and CinemaCon 2024.

When exactly the new “Alien” series will drop in 2025 remains to be seen as we’ll likely get a release window closer to when the show actually completes filming.

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Deadpool 3’ Moves To July 26 While Marvel Bumps Other 2024 Tentpoles ‘Captain America 4’ & ‘Thunderbolts’ To 2025

Yesterday, it was announced by Marvel/Disney that they would be shifting around their release dates for upcoming films. The main tidbits from these updates see “Deadpool 3” (only completed 50% of filming and resuming later this month) moving to July 26 taking a spot originally meant for “Captain America: Brave New World” (wrapped before the strike). Both “Captain America 4” and “Thunderbolts” would be moving out of 2024 entirely with new dates in 2025. This would make “Deadpool 3” the only feature film coming in 2024 and would overload audiences in 2025 with four releases.

These are the new dates for the upcoming slate of Marvel Studios feature film releases:

DEADPOOL 3 – July 26, 2024

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD – February 14, 2025

FANTASTIC FOUR – May 2, 2025

THUNDERBOLTS – July 25, 2025

BLADE – November 7, 2025

AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY – May 1, 2026

AVENGERS: SECRET WARS – May 7, 2027

ARMOR WARS – TBA

SHANG-CH 2 – TBA

X-MEN REBOOT – TBA

“Thunderbolts,” “Fantastic Four,” and “Blade” have yet to start filming and we should be expecting some big casting news coming soon as the actors’ strike is resolved (pending membership ratification) and the casting process can now resume.

However, even with that July date for “Deadpool 3” now officially etched-in they have two fallback dates just in case the film needs more time to be completed given that normally films of this scale tend to take longer to be completed. Those include the film’s original date of September 6, 2024, and the former “Thunderbolts” date of December 20, 2024. The hope here is that Marvel Studios and director Shawn Levy won’t be rushing things as the film has only finished 50% of production (also would likely need reshoots/pickups after a round of editing).

This won’t be the last time Marvel shifts around these upcoming dates and we should be prepared for more shuffles in the future.

SOURCE: DISNEY/MARVEL

Posted on in Film News, News

Lionsgate Aims To Release Their Long-Gestating ‘Highlander’ Reboot In 2026

There can be only one! Lionsgate has spent over a decade trying to put together a modern reboot of the beloved 1986 film “Highlander,” which focused on a collective of immortals battling it out across time and the world to gain “the prize.” That prize is the final living immortal and being granted a natural death from old age. This latest incarnation of “Highlander” hails from “John Wick” franchise director Chad Stahelski and stars British actor Henry Cavill (“The Witcher”) in a leading role. We now have a release window for the reboot thanks to an update from the studio.

Lionsgate chairman Joe Drake on a recent earnings call (via IGN) has stated they hope that the pic will be part of the studios’ tentpole slate in 2026. There were some indications that filming on “Highlander” could begin early next year and given that the strikes are over, there could be some more casting announcements in the very near future.

Previous reporting suggested that the budget could be north of $100 million, which would be closer to what “John Wick 4” cost the studio and a potential indication of how large the action-packed film might end up. Screenwriter Mike Finch (“Predators,” “John Wick 4”) is said to have penned the latest draft of the script.

Cavill is an excellent casting choice for the swordplay franchise after cutting his teeth as it were on “The Witcher.” His extensive sword/stunt training on that Netflix fantasy series should help when the team at 87 Eleven Action Design put the actor through his paces in the action prep process which can be grueling.

This isn’t the only project on the horizon for Stahelski as he is attached to direct the feature film adaptation of the PlayStation samurai video game, “Ghost of Tsushima,” which recently got a development update with the filmmaker revealing they “have a script.” That project over at Sony Pictures is assumed to be the next thing Stahelski makes once he wraps on “Highlander.”

We’re hopeful that Lionsgate will be able to release the film released around the spring/summer of 2026, but we’ll have to wait for a concrete date.

SOURCE: LIONSGATE

Posted on in News

SAG-AFTRA & AMPTP Reach Tentative Deal To End Strike

At midnight, it was announced by the official Twitter account of SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, that they’ve finally reached a tentative deal worth “over one billion dollars” with the AMPTP (the major Hollywood studios/streamers). Ending the actors’ strike that had been ongoing for 118 days. This deal comes when further negotiations occurred after the AMPTP gave their “last and final offer,” although, it wasn’t.

Here is the union’s official statement that was posted on a thread on Twitter:

We are thrilled and proud to tell you that today your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to approve a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. As of 12:01 a.m. PT on Nov. 9, our strike is officially suspended, and all picket locations are closed.

In a contract valued at over one billion dollars, we have achieved a deal of extraordinary scope that includes “above-pattern” minimum compensation increases, unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI, and for the first time establishes a streaming participation bonus. Our Pension and Health caps have been substantially raised, which will bring much-needed value to our plans. In addition, the deal includes numerous improvements for multiple categories including outsize compensation increases for background performers, and critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.

We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers. Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.

The new tentative deal means that pre-production for movies/shows shooting in 2024 can resume alongside productions that had paused earlier in the year. Membership will still have a chance to vote to ratify the deal like what previously happened with the WGA (writers’ union) deal with the studios.

However, how quickly things get back to filming isn’t entirely known as it could be weeks or months depending on the project. Yet, this is great news for the industry and both unions should be proud that they’ve got historical deals for their membership by sticking to their guns.

SOURCE: SAG-AFTRA

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.

Image

“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