Posted on in News

‘Star Wars: Rogue Squadron’ Production Reportedly Being Delayed By Lucasfilm

Last December, Lucasfilm announced at the Disney Investors Day presentation that Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins would be helming a new Star Wars movie that was expected to begin shooting next year as pre-production had been moving along and they, later on, hired screenwriter Matthew Robinson to pen the script.

The next Star Wars feature film will be Rogue Squadron — directed by Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman franchise). The story will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy.

The filmmaker had stated to IGN that the project wouldn’t be a direct adaptation of the books or video games, but based on an original idea.

JENKINS: “[In the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie] we’re doing something original with great influence from the games and the books. There’s a lot of things being acknowledged and understood about the greatness of all of those things, but yes, it’s an original story and I’m so psyched to do it.”

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Lucasfilm is delaying Rogue Squadron and possibly won’t even start shooting until 2023, Jenkins seemingly hasn’t exited the movie.

While “scheduling issues” are being blamed for the delays, the report doesn’t indicate what project is actually causing problems. Patty Jenkins is attached to direct Gal Gadot in Cleopatra and Wonder Woman 3.

The only problem with that, Gadot is expected to shoot Disney’s Snow White next after landing the Evil Queen part, which suggests that the scheduling issues could be a cover for something else probably that the script not being ready to go into production.

Rogue Squadron had been given a release date of December 22, 2023, and they suggest that date could still be used. Another Star Wars project could swoop in, however, what that could be hasn’t been announced by major trades or Lucasfilm there are multiple things in various stages of development.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in News

‘Guardians Of The Galaxy 3’: James Gunn Announces ‘Peacemaker’ Actor Chukwudi Iwuji For Mystery Role

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3 is finally moving forward at Marvel Studios with James Gunn rehired and already securing British actor Will Poulter (Midsommar) as Adam Warlock, a role that will likely continue beyond the Guardian franchise as Marvel expands the cosmic side of the MCU.

James Gunn has announced on Twitter that they’ve officially started shooting and posted an image of the cast revealing that Nigerian-British actor Chukwudi Iwuji (John Wick: Chapter 2, Peacemaker) has joined the third installment in a mystery role. Mentioning that the role is something that “every big name actor in Hollywood wanted.”

It’s unknown if that is a joke or if the role is actually that large.

https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1457792078050590720

Fans are already making wild speculation about what the role could such as The High Evolutionary, Nova (Richard Rider?), and even more outlandish Norrin Radd/The Silver Surfer. However, none of these roles are confirmed despite James Gunn once writing a Silver Surfer movie for 20th Century Fox during his early screenwriting days.

The returning cast will be Chris Pratt as Peter Quill aka Star-Lord, Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Dave Bautista as Drax, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket Raccoon, and Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot. 

Dave Bautista has said multiple times in interviews this will be the last time playing Drax The Destroyer, which could be telegraphing that Gunn might end up killing off the character to potentially stop Marvel from recasting the role with another actor. He’s been disillusioned by the Drax part as it hasn’t really gone into his comic book roots.

Its crew is expected to include production designer Beth Mickle (The Suicide Squad, Drive), cinematographer Henry Braham (The Suicide Squad), the visual effects supervisor will be Stephane Ceretti (Eternals, Guardians of The Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man & The Wasp), and will have Hawkeye stunt coordinator Heidi Moneymaker crafting the film’s action sequences.

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3 has a release date of May 5, 2023

SOURCE: JAMES GUNN

Posted on in News

‘Dune: Part Two’ To Begin Filming On July 18

Dune has crossed $300 million at the global box office and Legendary/Warner Bros. has officially announced the second film, Dune: Part Two, is moving ahead with a release date of October 20, 2023.

We now have a better idea when director Denis Villeneuve will get cameras rolling and should have the returning/new cast ready to go to finish the second half of the story.

Josh Encinias apparently attended a Dune Q&A, where it was revealed that they’ll get production on Dune: Part Two started sooner than expected with a potential start of July 18, 2022. Denis Villeneuve had indicated a possible fall start in interviews before the sequel was greenlit and would suggest they’re ahead of schedule if they started over the summer.

https://twitter.com/joshencinias/status/1457142561575817224

Considering we already know most of the cast and crew are returning, the next big step will be announcing the actors for new roles such as The Emperor, Princess Irulan, Paul’s sister Alia Atreides, and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Villeneuve doubled-down on the idea of making a trilogy and suggests he’s “always envisioned” making three movies. The idea was that he’d adapt Frank Herbert’s second novel, Dune Messiah, for a third movie.

“I always envisioned three movies. It’s not that I want to do a franchise, but this is Dune, and Dune is a huge story. In order to honor it, I think you would need at least three movies. That would be the dream. To follow Paul Atreides and his full arc would be nice.”

“Herbert wrote six books, and the more he was writing, the more it was getting psychedelic. So I don’t know how some of them could be adapted. One thing at a time. If I ever have the chance to do Dune: Part Two and Dune Messiah, I’m blessed.”

I don’t think we’re going to get more than three movies from Villeneuve but he very much could be involved with subsequent series spinoffs like Dune: The Sisterhood and beyond. Having Legendary and HBO Max announcing more Dune shows would be the least surprising thing to happen.

DUNE – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Posted on in News

Zack Snyder Calls ‘Planet Of The Dead’ A “Sci-Fi Actioner With Horror Elements” With Another Possible Heist Angle

Zack Snyder and Netflix will continue their working relationship with the sci-fi film Rebel Moon, which reportedly has actress Sofia Boutella (Star Trek Beyond, Atomic Blonde, Kingsmen: The Secret Service) set for the lead female role. And there a direct sequel to Army of The Dead has been greenlit and will be shot by Snyder once he finishes up on Rebel Moon.

While speaking with Variety to help promote the prequel film Army of Thieves, Snyder dished some brief details on what they’re planning to do with the animated project Army of The Dead: Lost Vegas and the direct sequel Planet of The Dead.

“Shay [Hatten] and I have been talking about the straight sequel to Army of the Dead being possibly a sci-fi actioner with horror elements. So that’s a fun genre, probably with a heist at its center.”

While Army of The Dead very much was an horror actioner, the sci-fi stuff was on the sidelines with the hint to the time loop, the Area 51 convoy and the alien origin of the zombies not being a huge focus of the first film.

The filmmaker also zeroed in on the franchise’s sci-fi elements that could continue on.

“First of all, I know exactly what I’d want to see in the sequel. We’re doing the animated series, which will come out next year. The animated series very much delves deeply into the ‘why’ of the zombie apocalypse and where the zombies come from exactly. I think the time loops, portals, doorways to other realms, things of that nature, are very much in play. So all of those clues that Dieter gives us are very much part of how we continue to spiral out the Army of the Dead universe.”

Maybe, we’ll see a new team trying to break into an Area 51 bunker?

The Area 51 and alien origin could be excellent fodder for an Aliens-inspired zombie movie, but we’ll have to wait and see what they end up doing there. I’d personally love to see the sequel barrow elements from the arcade game Area 51 (soliders fighting zombies/aliens).

SOURCE: VARIETY

Posted on in News

SPOILERS: Chloe Zhao Confirms Secret Cameo In ‘Eternals’

*SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ETERNALS YOU’VE BEEN WARNED*

This weekend finally sees Chloe Zhao’s MCU debut with Eternals after multiple delays due to the pandemic and brings the Jack Kirby characters to the big screen alongside Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman, aka, The Black Knight Knight.

Without getting too deep into the other big post-credit scene, a second one features Whitman and another unseen character that is only heard. Director Chloe Zhao has now confirmed to Fandom that this character is indeed Mahershala Ali’s Blade, who will lead his very own solo film directed by Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli).

Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) is by himself, staring at a case with his family crest on it. Dane has to psych himself up, saying “You can do this, you can do this,” before he opens the case and reveals a sword inside, as an eerie sound briefly erupts from within the case. Dane translates words inscribed on the inside of the case, reading “Death is my reward.” He looks down at the sword, which has some sort of strange, liquid-like movement rippling across it. As he prepares to touch the sword, Dane declares, “I’m sorry, I have to try,” only to be interrupted by the voice of a man, who we don’t see, but who says to Dane, from off-camera, “Sure you’re ready for that, Mr. Whitman?”

“That was the voice of one of my favorite superheroes, Mr. Blade himself. Blade, Blade, Blade, yeah,” Zhao tells Fandom confirming Blade’s cameo in the post-credit scene.

This isn’t a huge revelation as Mahershala Ali’s Blade was announced all the way back at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 and the reboot movie is said to begin production next year, potentially for a release date in 2023/2024.

However, Eric Brooks’ interest in the Ebony Blade or preventing Dane from using it is unclear, but it’ll be interesting to see if Blade/Brooks will be showing up in other projects before his solo film. Then again, Brooks has been known to get involved with all sorts of occult heroes and Black Knight would technically be part of that group given the supernatural death curse attached to the Ebony Blade.

Could Blade be recruiting Whitman for The Midnight Sons?

SOURCE: FANDOM

Posted on in News

Gael Garcia Bernal Reportedly Lands Werewolf By Night Role In Marvel’s Untitled Halloween Special

Marvel Studios is putting together another horror-type project for Disney+ with a Halloween Special that is expected to begin shooting early next year. The studio had been reportedly seeking a Latino actor for a key role and it sounds like Marvel has landed on an actor.

The Wrap has revealed that Mexican actor Gael Gracia Bernal has nabbed a lead role in the untitled Disney+ project. Although the report doesn’t have a full-throated confirmation that the actor is playing Werewolf By Night, they indicate that is a strong possibility he might be while mentioning both Jack Russell and Jake Gomez as role options.

“While details about the project are being kept strictly under wraps, individuals with knowledge say the character may be based on Werewolf By Night, the name used by two separate Marvel characters.“

We’re also still waiting on plot details along with who is exactly writing and directing it.

Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce the Halloween project or the casting, but could likely do so during the Disney+ Day event next week on November 12.

If this character info turns out to be true it would directly conflict with fan rumors of the werewolf character showing up in the Moon Knight series in a major role, which has long wrapped in Budapest (shot scenes in Jordan and London too) before this casting news. Meaning, even if the character appeared after this casting news (unlikely) it would likely only be a cameo and could rule out that Ethan Hawke is playing him, the actor’s part in the series has yet to be officially confirmed by Marvel.

Marvel Studios flushing out their horror characters for television has been something I’ve been talking up since 2015 before Marvel Television was rebranded as Marvel TV Studios when Kevin Feige took over as Marvel’s CCO and Jeph Loeb exited the company. It’ll be interesting to see if they’ll attempt to adapt more characters like Blade as someone like Moon Knight might skew more in the Doctor Strange/Avengers realm.

The studio could develop a horror universe that rivals the Universal Monsters.

SOURCE: THE WRAP

Posted on in News

Taika Waititi To Turn Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Graphic Novel ‘The Incal’ Into A Feature Film

Before Dune’s recent success, the first attempt to make a feature film version of the Frank Herbert novel goes back to the 1970s with Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky. When they couldn’t get a studio to make his version of Dune he pivoted towards a graphic novel instead.

Concept artist Jean Giraud (The Fifth Element, Willow, Alien) and Jodorowsky eventually would reunite for The Incal.

John Difool, a low-class detective in a degenerate dystopian world, finds his life turned upside down when he discovers an ancient, mystical artifact called “The Incal.” Difool’s adventures will bring him into conflict with the galaxy’s greatest warrior, the Metabaron, and will pit him against the awesome powers of the Technopope. These encounters and many more make up a tale of comic and cosmic proportions that has Difool fighting for not only his very survival but also the survival of the entire universe.

It’s been announced that Jodorowsky has endorsed a new feature film incarnation of The Incal from Taika Waititi. He’ll direct and co-write the script with Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows, Flight of the Conchords) and Peter Warren (Ghost Team, The History of Us).

Waititi is busy as any single filmmaker can get as he has wrapped on Next Goal Wins and Marvel’s Thor: Love & Thunder. He’s also developing a new live-action remake of Flash Gordon for 20th Century Studios, an untitled Star Wars movie for Lucasfilm, and is rumored to be attached to direct Scarlett Johansson in Disney’s Tower of Terror movie.

Posted on in News

‘Andor’ Getting A Season 3 & ‘The Acolyte’ Lands Working Title ‘Paradox’

Disney+ Day is coming next week and there is plenty of online speculation regarding what is going to be shown or announced by Lucasfilm for their upcoming string of live-action Star Wars shows for the streaming service that is expected to get a big promotional bump at the event.

Rodrigo Perez of The Playlist mentioned in a recent tweet that Deigo Luna’s prequel series Andor will be getting a third season with showrunner “Tony Gilroy staying on.” We already knew that Andor was going to have 12 episodes shot and expected to be split into two seasons, this would be the second Star Wars show to get a third season alongside The Mandalorian.

Forest Whitaker will reprise the role of Saw Gerrera, which was confirmed earlier in the year via Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard (Thor, Dune, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo). Whitaker also reprises the role in the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

I’m sure fans are curious if we’ll see characters from Star Wars: Rebels or the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, as someone like Cal Kestis (played by Cameron Monaghan) could be a good fit depending on Lucasfilm’s live-action plans for him.

The rest of the Andor cast includes Adria Arjona (Morbius), Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma, Robert Emms (Chernobyl), Fiona Shaw, and Kyle Soller. 

Toby Haynes (Sherlock, Doctor Who, Utopia, Black Mirror) will be directing with a writing team that includes Tony Gilroy (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler), Beau Willimon (House of Cards), and Stephen Schiff (The Americans).

Andor’s 12-episode run will debut on Disney+ sometime in 2022.

There is also a tiny production update on The High Republic series, The Acolyte, as the show is said to have the working title of Paradox, as mentioned by The Illuminerdi. The show’s working title is also backed up by Production Weekly.

Adding that a key role is a female character named Aura (possible codename) and production could begin sometime this summer, despite director/directors not being announced.

Lucasfilm has an opportunity to give fans an original story and characters given that this takes place 200 years before the Skywalker Saga, allowing the studio to finally make something new that isn’t beholden to previous films and shows. As stuff like The Mandalorian quickly shrugged off their original angle to bring in existing characters like Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker, Bo-Katan, and Ahsoka Tano becoming more focused on fan service than doing its own thing.

We suspect Lucasfilm will be announcing directors for The Acolyte next week and likely won’t be ready to air on Disney+ until 2023 alongside Ahsoka. There is also an assumption that we’ll get some casting updates on Patty Jenkin’s Star Wars: Rogue Squadron as well.

SOURCE: THE PLAYLIST & THE ILLUMINERDI

Posted on in News

Dwayne Johnson Says Seven Bucks Productions Will Use Rubber Guns On Projects Moving Forward

Last month, the film industry saw the devasting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western film Rust. Her death directly connected to a real gun loaded with real live rounds that was presented to actor Alec Baldwin and was fired during a rehersal leading to Hutchins and director Joel Souza being shot, the latter suriving his injuries.

The tradgey has led to folks reconsidering the use of real guns on sets and led to the television show The Rookie to switch over to airsoft guns adding mussle flash/smoke in post using digital effects, something that already is common and cost effective.

Actor and producer Dwayne Johnson was on the red carpet at the premiere of his Netflix action flick Red Notice, revealing his production company Seven Bucks Productions is committed to using rubber guns on projects moving forward.

“Any movie we have moving forward at Seven Bucks Productions, movie or television show…we won’t use real guns at all. We’re going to switch over to rubber guns. We’re going to take care of it in post. We’re not going to worry about the dollars.”

You can watch the exchange on the red carpet below.

Most recently they’ve been invovled with Jumanji: The Next Level, Jungle Curise, Red Notice, Black Adam, and Shazam!: Fury of The Gods. Other projects that haven’t started filming include sequels to Hobbs & Shaw, Jumanji, and Jungle Cruise.

The key project there would be the Hobbs & Shaw sequel as guns are huge part of the Fast & Furious franchise and films directed by David Leitch (John Wick, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde), a former stuntman and stunt coordinator.

While Seven Bucks isn’t a major studio, this could be a growing trend among other production companies leading to studios making similar committments to using non-firing weapons on set or simply pivoting to rubber guns that can’t be confused with real guns, leading to a safer set for everyone.

Their next film Red Notice debuts November 12 on Netflix.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Posted on in News

‘Snow White’: Gal Gadot To Play Evil Queen In Disney’s Live-Action Remake

Disney and director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer, The Amazin Spider-Man) are behind yet another animated fairy tale movie getting a modern live-action version with Snow White. The studio already hired young actress Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, Shazam!: Fury of The Gods) to play the iconic Disney princess in the new movie.

Deadline is reporting that Israeli actress Gal Gadot has nabbed the antagonist role of the Evil Queen, joining others such as Emma Stone, Angelina Jolie, and Cate Blanchette playing female Disney villains. The Evil Queen attempts to poison/kill Snow White when her magic mirror reveals that the young princess is a rival to her own beauty.

Gadot confirmed the report on the red carpet for her upcoming Netflix film, Red Notice.

Technically, this would be her third Disney role after Ralph Breaks The Internet and 20th Century Studios’ murder mystery pic Death On The Nile. Perhaps, this is yet another step towards Gadot potentially joining the Marvel or Star Wars cinematic universes.

We’ll keep my fingers crossed that Marvel Studios considers her Squadron Supreme members Princess Power or Thundra, whenever, they make their live-action debut.

Gal is also attached to Wonder Woman 3, but director Patty Jenkins will be busy with Star Wars: Rogue Squadron for the next two years. It’ll be interesting to see if DC Films attempts to squeeze her in another DCEU before then.

Snow White & The Seven Dwarves is one of the most iconic Disney films as it was their first animated feature film released all the way back in 1937.

SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARVES – Jealous of Snow White’s beauty, the wicked queen orders the murder of her innocent stepdaughter, but later discovers that Snow White is still alive and hiding in a cottage with seven friendly little miners. Disguising herself as a hag, the queen brings a poisoned apple to Snow White, who falls into a death-like sleep that can be broken only by a kiss from the prince.

SOURCE: DEADLINE