Posted on in Film News

Marvel’s ‘Deadpool 3’ Confirmed To Shoot In The United Kingdom

Marvel Studios is getting ready to begin shooting their first big mutant project since landing the X-Men rights after the big merger between Disney and 21st Century Fox. With Deadpool 3 finally moving forward after early development back during the Fox era, we’ll get to see might be the end of the Singerverse and the third installment becoming the big swan-song with Hugh Jackman reprising the Wolverine one last time (before the main X-Men reboot at Marvel) with rumblings of other Singerverse actors possibly making their return too.

Back in October, The Ronin first learned that filming on Deadpool 3 would be taking place in the United Kingdom (a big pivot as the last two installments shot in Reynolds’ hometown of Vancouver) and this has now been confirmed via The Hollywood Reporter in an article about another upcoming project, Boy Band, as part of their breakdown of the actor’s upcoming filming schedule. Where they name London as the main location for Deadpool 3 as cameras are said to be gearing up to roll sometime in the spring.

Of course, there have been all sorts of theories of how Marvel Studios will ultimately bring Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson into the hardline MCU (616 Universe), but we’ll have to wait a bit for real confirmation about the film’s story. One of the more mysterious elements of the film is the casting of Emma Corrin (Nosferatu, The Crown) as the film’s unnamed villain.

Deadpool 3, which if you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last five years has been confirmed to be getting an R-rating multiple times by everyone involved with the superhero pic and has a release date set for November 8, 2024. However, given how theatrical releases change all the time, it’s possible the project could be bumped into early 2025.

Posted on in Film News

Production Designer Martyn John Confirmed For Guy Ritchie’s ‘Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’

Filming is underway in Turkey on Guy Ritchie‘s next action film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. A new WWII actioner that focuses on the first British commando unit during the war that was founded by Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming (future author of the James Bond novels) that developed a modern type of warfare that used smaller groups of highly trained soldiers meant to cause larger body counts and damage to the enemy behind the lines using spy-craft methods alongside brutal violence.

We’ve been able to confirm that Ritchie has tapped production designer Martyn John is as expected is indeed working on the new film. His previous credits include Wrath of Man, Operation Fortune, the upcoming military thriller The Covenant, and even the television spinoff of The Gentlemen at Netflix. He joins a crew that already consists of cinematographer Ed Wild (The Covenant) and costume designer LouLou Bontemps (The Covenant).

John posted a handful of images on his Instagram account (where he confirmed his involvement) and showcases some of of the sets/props from the WWII film. The pic that has Jerry Bruckheimer (Top Gun: Maverick) producing already has an impressive cast that consists of Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Henrique Zaga, Henry Golding, Alex Pettyfer, Cary Elwes, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusanmokun, and Til Schweiger. 

When France fell to the Nazis in 1940, Churchill declared that Britain would resist the advance of the German army–alone if necessary. Churchill commanded the Special Operations Executive to secretly develop of a very special kind of military unit that would operate on their own initiative deep behind enemy lines. The units would be licensed to kill, fully deniable by the British government, and a ruthless force to meet the advancing Germans. The very first of these “butcher-and-bolt” units–the innocuously named Maid Honour Force–was led by Gus March-Phillipps, a wild British eccentric of high birth, and an aristocratic, handsome, and bloodthirsty young Danish warrior, Anders Lassen. Amped up on amphetamines, these assorted renegades and sociopaths undertook the very first of Churchill’s special operations–a top-secret, high-stakes mission to seize Nazi shipping in the far-distant port of Fernando Po, in West Africa.

Lionsgate is expected to distribute the film in theaters domestically sometime next year with Amazon Prime Video getting a heap of international rights to the film. There have been some talk that Ritchie is expecting Ministry to the be the start of a potential franchise.

Posted on in Film News

WB Making New Middle-Earth Films With Peter Jackson Kept In The Loop About The Deal

Yesterday, it was announced in a joint press statement by Warner Bros. Pictures and Embracer Group that they’ve reached a brand new deal for New Line Cinema to continue to make feature films based on the work on Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. Expanding the existing cinematic universe, although, the announcement failed to mention what exact source material they’ll be adapting or what those new movies will look like. This comes after the studio is about to release an animated film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim on April 12, 2024 and last year Amazon released their first of five seasons of their Middle-Earth streaming series, Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power. So, there was plenty of Middle-Earth material being released beyond live-action feature films.

The previous six feature films (set during The Third Age) were directed, produced, and co-written by filmmaker Peter Jackson. Interestingly enough, on the heels of the announcement Deadline was able to get a direct quote from Jackson, where he said that the two companies have kept himself alongside his producing/writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens in the loop about the deal.

“Warner Brothers and Embracer have kept us in the loop every step of the way,” the Oscar-winning trio said. “We look forward to speaking with them further to hear their vision for the franchise moving forward.”

I can’t really imagine that Jackson has the stomach to direct any more Middle-Earth adventures after he was forced to helm The Hobbit trilogy after Guillermo del Toro exited over scheduling issues to focus on Pacific Rim. However, potentially producing or writing new live-action films might be appealing as it would bring more business to Wellington, New Zeeland’s Stone Street Studios and Weta Digital/Workshop.

There is plenty of source material to pull from if they attempt to craft movies around the legends/tidbits that Tolkien sprinkled throughout his books or the expanded material published by his son Christopher Tolkien after his death. Personally, I could see tackling The Dark Lord Morgoth and The First Age (teased in The Rings of Power) as very much worthwhile adapting into a third trilogy of films unless the studio wants to move forward beyond with The Fourth Age. There are also other unexplored portions of the Middle-Earth mythology we haven’t seen on the big-screen like the two Blue Wizards and territories of the Easterlings.

SOURCE: WARNER BROS. & DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

‘Thunderbolts’: Steven Yeun Lands Key Mystery Role In MCU Action Pic

As production is about to begin soon on Marvel’s next big entry in their stream of action-centric superhero films with Thunderbolts. Another key role has been filled as Deadline reports that actor Steven Yeun (Nope, The Walking Dead) has nabbed an undisclosed part in the film and the role is expected to be rather big with the possibility of returning in future Marvel films beyond Thunderbolts. It has director Jake Schreier (Robot & Frank) and screenwriter Eric Pearson (Black Widow) on the creative side cooking things up.

Yeun is yet another interesting casting addition to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe and we’re dying to find out what the role actually is. Although, I’m sure we’re going to be looking at an influx of theories and “online rumors” claiming what that role could be. Some of Yeun’s most recent film credits include Jordan Peele’s sci-fi horror film Nope, Minari, Burning, Okja, and Mickey 7, a new sci-fi pic from Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-Ho that has Robert Pattinson in a lead role.

The Marvel actioner already has an impressive character lineup that consists of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), U.S Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Julia Louis-Dreyfus will also reprise her role of CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, which was established in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. One of the most recent additions to the film was actress Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), who also took another unnamed part in the team-up movie.

There is also an expectation that Harrison Ford’s President Ross will be showing up in this film along with Captain America: New World Order, taking over the role from the late William Hurt. It’s unclear if we’ll be seeing Ross transform into the Red Hulk like his comic book counterpart, but things are starting to look like the anti-hero team is going to end up being his namesake and likely ending up America’s own sanctioned black-ops super soldier team.

Thunderbolts is set to begin shooting soon with a release date of July 26, 2024 and we’ll keep our fingers crossed we’ll learn more details this summer at Comic-Con.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

EXCLUSIVE: Set Photo From ‘Red Sonja’ Remake Showcases The Fantasy Heroine’s Armor

While we’re still in the dark about Netflix’s overall plans for the Conan The Barbarian franchise after securing the rights to make films, television series, and animated projects, another character birthed from Robert E. Howard’s sword-and-sorcery literary work is getting a second shot on the big screen. Millennium has been developing a new Red Sonja movie for ages that focuses on the redheaded warrior that fought alongside Conan in the pages of Marvel Comics in the 1970s. Those comics helped grow an audience and desire to make a live-action film that was released in 1985 from director Richard Fleischer, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Brigitte Nielsen.

Red Sonja wrapped filming last year but we really haven’t had a great look at the new version of the warrior’s armor/costume outside of the obscured promotional photo released that really only showed-off the new sword. The Ronin is now sharing a new set photo from the film that shows Sonja carrying a bow while on horseback. The image gives us a better idea of what the fantasy heroine’s armor will look like in the film as those duties were handled by costume designer Alison McCosh (Peaky Blinders). Take a look below.

Director Robert Rodriguez (Star Wars, Alita, Sin City) and actress Rose McGowan had once teamed-up to develop a Red Sonja remake after previously working on Planet Terror, but after the disastrous Conan The Barbarian reboot from 2011 those plans vanished.

The latest incarnation of the remake, that mostly shot in Bulgaria, stars Italian actress Matilda Lutz (replacing Hannah John-Kamen) with a supporting cast that features Rhona Mitra (Doomsday, Underworld: Rise of The Lycans), Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy), Martyn Ford (F9: The Fast Saga), Kate Nichols (The Operative), Wallis Day (Infinite), Veronica Ferres (Hector and the Search for Happiness), Michael Bisping (Den of Thieves), Katrina Durden (Shadow and Bone), Oliver Trevena (The Angel), Eliza Matengu (Thor: Love and Thunder), Manal El-Feitury (Hellboy), and Danica Davis (Endangered Species).

During the actual filming of Red Sonja, director M.J. Bassett (Reacher) posted a fantastic set photo on Instagram (See below) giving us a decent teaser of what the world of the fantasy action film will look like. Showcasing the fantastic production design from Clint Wallace, Marvel fans might recognize the name as he’s tackled additional photography for a handful of recent MCU movies.

Now deep into the post-production stage, we’re still waiting on an official release date for Red Sonja.

Posted on in Film News

‘Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare’: Guy Ritchie Expected To Reunite With ‘Covenant’ Cinematographer Ed Wild On WWII Action Pic

The Ronin has learned that cinematographer Ed Wild, who recently worked with director Guy Ritchie on his action thriller The Covenant, is expected to be lensing his World War II film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Production is currently underway in Turkey with multiple locations expected to be used throughout filming.

Wild’s other credits include the recent Halo series, Black Mirror, and the British crime thriller Welcome To The Punch. The latter had a cast that featured James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Andrea Riseborough, Peter Mullan, Jason Flemyng, Daniel Kaluuya, and David Morrissey.

Ministry has assembled quite the cast as it consists of Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Henrique Zaga, Henry Golding, Alex Pettyfer, Cary Elwes, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusanmokun, and Til Schweiger. Ritchie was able to get mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer involved too, he is recently coming off the billion-dollar hit Top Gun: Maverick.

Of course, the film is based on the true story the top secret WWII combat organization formed by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming (long before his James Bond novels). The commandos’ unconventional and brutal fighting techniques against the Nazis helped changed the course of the war and gave birth to the modern Black Ops unit. Using the novel by war correspondent Damien Lewis as template, the script was penned by Ritchie, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, and Arash Amel.

Lionsgate nabbed the US distribution rights earlier this month and is expected to release it sometime in 2024 with Amazon Prime landing a heap of international rights, including Canada. There are already early plans for the film to launch into a full-blown franchise and could spawn subsequent sequels. However, it’s unclear if we’ll see the same cast lineup in those potential follow-ups but might be a good idea to secure Cavill early on.

Ritchie’s other upcoming projects he’s attached to include the Aladdin sequel for Disney along with their live-action musical version of Hercules.

You can watch the trailer Ritchie’s The Covenant below to get an idea of what Wild will be bringing to the WWII actioner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opFG0_J99lo
Posted on in Film News

‘Alien: Romulus’ Enlists Cinematographer Galo Olivares For Latest Installment In The Sci-Fi Horror Franchise

The Ronin can confirm that the upcoming Alien movie from filmmaker Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead, The Girl In The Spider’s Web) has hired cinematographer Galo Olivares for the next installment of the franchise. It’s been reported that actress Cailee Spaeny (Pacific Rim: Uprising) in the lead role, although, further details have been scarce or where in the Alien timeline the pic will take place or if we’ll be seeing any established characters show up.

Olivares previously worked on Gretel & Hansel along with being part of the camera team on the Oscar-winning drama Roma from Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón.

This next Alien film will certainly be an interesting experiment for 20th Century Studios, as it’ll be the first film in the franchise specifically being made as streaming exclusive for Hulu (not unlike Prey). We’ll keep our fingers crossed that Disney/20th Century will have the common sense to actually give the project a theatrical run, even if it’s only a couple of weeks.

UPDATE: Apparently, listed on IMDB the film’s production designer is said to be Naaman Marshall (Mortal Kombat, Knock At The Cabin), who previously worked on the sci-fi horror film Underwater (See trailer below) starring Kristen Stewart that seemingly took direct inspiration from films like Alien and Leviathan. However, we’re unable to confirm this new tidbit but certainly exciting as Marshall’s work on Underwater was stunning. This wouldn’t be the first time working with Álvarez as Marshall was the production designer on 2016’s Don’t Breathe, which shares the same screenwriters of Romulus.

Álvarez helming the film was a bit of surprise given that current franchise producer Ridley Scott has long been trying to get a third prequel film, Alien: Awakening, off the ground as a follow-up to Alien: Covenant. At the end of that film, we saw David (Michael Fassbender) now in control of the ship along with the colonists that could be used for his xenomorph experiments. Daniels (Katherine Waterston) and Tennessee (Danny McBride) had survived their horrific ordeal as they’ve been placed back into hyper-sleep. However, it remains to be seen if we’ll ever see that third project come to fruition as Scott is getting ready to shoot his Gladiator sequel starring Oscar-nominated actor Paul Mescal (Aftersun) over the summer and will likely have more film projects to focus on beyond that as the filmmaker is very busy.

We’re still waiting on more casting information for the film alongside when we’re expected to see Alien: Romulus drop on Hulu.

Posted on in Television News

EXCLUSIVE: FX’s ‘Alien’ Series Adds ‘Gravity’ Production Designer Andy Nicholson

The Ronin can exclusively reveal a nifty department head hiring for the upcoming Alien series on FX that hails from showrunner Noah Hawley with Ridley Scott‘s involvement via his production company Scott Free. We’ve been able to confirm that production Designer Andy Nicholson has been tasked for the Earthbound prequel series.

The spinoff Alien series is expected to take place before the events of the main canonical Alien films, which should be interesting since neither the original Ripley films or Scott’s two prequels featuring the homicidal android David have never hinted or established that the xenomorph had ever been on Earth (The AVP movies aren’t really considered canonical) or experimental on by humans.

Nicholson’s career as a production designer spans across all sorts of films such as Gravity, Captain Marvel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Assassin’s Creed, and the Netflix action-comedy Red Notice.

Hawley is no stranger to genre television working on series like the massively popular Fargo (loosely inspired by the Coen Brothers film) and the mind-bending X-Men series, Legion. What’s interesting is we still haven’t heard any real concrete casting announcements, but that is expected to change as production ramps up.

This isn’t the only Alien project on the horizon either, a new feature film is also on the way as a Hulu exclusive with both Scott Free and 20th Century Studios partnering. The project is expected to be a streaming only venture, although, after the demand to see their Predator prequel Prey on the big screen the studio might reconsider giving the new pic a short theatrical run.

Posted on in Film News

Emma Corrin Latest Addition To Robert Eggers’ Vampire Flick ‘Nosferatu’

British actress Emma Corrin (The Crown) was just revealed as taking a villain role in Marvel’s Deadpool 3 and they’ve also lined-up a rather exciting project alongside the MCU film. Deadline in their report about landing the MCU part, also mentions Corrin quietly landed another mystery part in Robert Eggers‘ remake of the classic 1922 silent horror film Nosferatu that features a vampire at the center of the story. Corrin joins an established cast that features Lily Rose-Depp, Bill Skarsgard, Nicholas Hoult, and Willem Dafoe. At one point, Anya Taylor-Joy and Harry Styles had been eyed for lead roles before others ultimately filled their parts.

Below is a logline for the original film from influential German director F.W. Murnau.

In the town of Wisbourg, estate agent Mr. Knock is pleased to receive a commission from Count Orlok to find a house for him. He dispatches his young assistant, Hutter, to Orlok’s castle in the far off Carpathians. He tells Hutter to get him to buy the vacant house just opposite Hutter’s own. Hutter arrives at his destination safely and the Count is all too eager to buy the proposed property especially after he sees a photo of Hutter’s pretty young wife Ellen. Hutter soon realizes the evil he’s dealing with and is locked away while Orlok makes his way by ship to Wisbourg. As Orlok travels to Wisbourg, plague descends in his wake and the people of Wisbourg begin to sense the coming of evil. Hutter eventually escapes Orlok’s castle determined to return home as quickly as possible but exhausted and ill, finds himself in hospital. Hutter nonetheless arrives home the same day as Orlok and the townsfolk begin to panic over the increasing number of deaths.

Eggers is likely best known for his debut feature The Witch that first introduced us to Taylor-Joy. He’s also released follow-up genre projects such as the maritime thriller The Lighthouse and the Viking revenge epic The Northman. Focus Features has yet to give a release date for Nosferatu while production is currently taking place in Prague.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Television News

‘Jack Ryan’ Actor Michael Kelly & More Join Cast Of ‘The Penguin’ Series

This month sees the production start on the high-profile series The Penguin, which will be an eight-episode run on HBO Max and focuses on Oscar-nominee Colin Farrell‘s standout villain, Oz, from Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Reeves will produce the series and will follow the power-vacuum in Gotham after Carmine Falcone is removed from his leadership position after his death with The Penguin making his big move to oversee Gotham’s criminal underworld.

It looks like Farrell is going to have an interesting of collection of actors surrounding him. Deadline states that a string of actors have joined the project such as Michael Kelly (House of Cards, Jack Ryan), Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Expanse), and Deirdre O’Connell (Outer Range).

 Variety also reports that Rhenzy Feliz has nabbed a lead role in the streaming series spinoff. Actress Cristin Milioti (Palm Springs, Black Mirror) was previously the first big addition to the show.

The Batman Part II is set for release on October 3, 2025 and there is an expectation the spinoff project will have a direct impact on the villain lineup in the second pic. It’ll be curious to see if we’ll actually see other Batman rogues make their debut on The Penguin before making their way onto the big screen.

SOURCE: DEADLINE & VARIETY