Jack O'Connell Enlisted For Role In Danny Boyle's '28 Years Later'

Jack O’Connell Enlisted For Role In Danny Boyle’s ’28 Years Later’

Writer Alex Garland (“Civil War”) and director Danny Boyle (“Trance”) have had a long-established working relationship going back to the late 1990s (first working on “The Beach”) and will be reuniting for a sequel to their action-horror pic, “28 Days Later,” with a continuation movie that will launch a trilogy at Sony Pictures. A new report from Deadline has revealed that Jack O’Connell is the latest addition to this third movie, “28 Years Later,” joining Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Bullet Train”), Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”), and Ralph Fiennes (“No Time To Die”).

Details about the sequel and these new characters are being kept under wraps, but it is said to be a direct sequel to the original and could skew toward a military angle, given that most of the United Kingdom has been overrun by the infected (hosts of the rage virus). While “28 Weeks Later” (could be removed from franchise canon) was indeed a sequel, the project didn’t have Garland or Boyle’s creative involvement as they would be focusing on their sci-fi thriller “Sunshine,” which also starred Cillian Murphy (attached to executive produce this new trilogy and might return as Jim alongside co-star Naomie Harris).

The Ronin previously revealed the film’s crew will consist of cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (“Dredd”) and production designer Mark Tildesley (“No Time To Die,” “Sunshine”), who previously worked on the original installment.

O’Connell most recently signed on to play the villain in Ryan Coogler’s period vampire action pic that stars Michael B. Jordan and takes place in the South in the 1930s. Other credits include the WWII pic “Unbroken” helmed by Angelina Jolie, “Starred Up,” Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” the military thriller “’71,” “Black To Black,” and “300: Rise of An Empire.”

Sony Pictures has yet to give “28 Years Later” an official release date, but stay tuned for that update down the line.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

'28 Days Later' & 'Dredd' Cinematographer Reunites With Director Danny Boyle For '28 Years Later'

’28 Days Later’ & ‘Dredd’ Cinematographer Reunites With Director Danny Boyle For ’28 Years Later’

Danny Boyle (“Yesterday”) and Alex Garland (“Civil War”) are getting the band back together as Garland is looking to make his grand return to screenwriting for other filmmakers by launching a new trilogy set within the universe of their previous film “28 Days Later.” The first installment, “28 Years Later,” landed at Sony Pictures with a cast that currently consists of Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Bullet Train,” “The Fall Guy”), Jodie Comer (“The Bikeriders,” “Free Guy”), and Ralph Fiennes (“No Time To Die”).

Podcast: Adventures of Anthony Dod Mantle, part I by Michael Goldman -  ProVideo Coalition

The Ronin can confirm that cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (“Dredd”), who previously worked with Boyle on ’28 Days Later,” “Trance,””Slumdog Millionaire,” “Millions,” ‘T2: Trainspotting 2,” and “127 Hours” has joined the crew of the upcoming sequel. Most recently, Mantle and Boyle collaborated on the Sex Pistols series, “Pistol.”

What originally kicked off the rage virus being unleashed into the population was when an infected chimp gets released by well-intentioned animal rights activists, only for the chimp to bite them as they turn into the mindless killers that spread across the globe. Not traditional zombies, as the rage virus horde can run which influenced a heap of horror films. “28 Weeks Later” alludes to France/Europe also being overrun with rage hordes by the end of the film, as the main gist of the sequel was that the US military trying to repopulate the country slowly before that goes south too.

It’s still unclear what the actual plot of the film will be. However, there is an expectation that two more installments are also in the works, with trade reports claiming that Nia DaCosta (“Candyman,” “The Marvels”) is in talks to direct the second movie in the trilogy. Characters played by recent Best Actor Oscar winner Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) and Naomie Harris (“No Time To Die”) have survived the events of the original, but it remains to be seen if either will reprise their respective roles. Murphy attaching himself as a producer could signal his eventual return to the franchise.

For Boyle, this will be one of his biggest recent films after bowing out to helm the last James Bond movie over scheduling/creative differences. There is an expectation that production designer Mark Tildesley (“No Time To Die,” “Sunshine”) will be a department head and also previously worked on the original pic.

“28 Years Later” will shoot primarily in the United Kingdom, and Sony is handling the global distribution, although. we’re still waiting on an official release date from the studio.

Nosferatu: Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Ralph Ineson Join Robert Eggers’ Vampire Flick

Filmmaker Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse) has been trying to get his vampire film Nosferatu off the ground for a while now and it’s now currently in production in Prague with the names of the cast tricklingly out slowly. A lovely bit of casting for the period horror film was just revealed by Deadline as Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train, Outlaw King, Tenet) has been tapped for an undisclosed part in the remake of the classic 1922 German silent film. He’s also set for a second Marvel Comics role with the Sony film Kraven The Hunter, after playing the MCU version of Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron. One his more interesting parts was playing John Lennon in the biopic Nowhere Boy and sort of got on everyone’s radar after the R-rated comic book flick Kick-Ass.

Yorkshire actor Ralph Ineson (The Green Knight, Game of Thrones) is also said to have a role making this the third project he’s worked with Eggers. Ineson had a major role in The Witch, playing the family’s patriarch that leads them from their established community to build a life in the middle of the forest. He also shows up in The Northman in a small cameo towards the film’s climax.

The pair join a cast that consists of Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, and Simon McBurney.

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.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Adds Longtime MCU Cinematographer Ben Davis

The Ronin has confirmed that British cinematographer Ben Davis (The King’s Man) has joined the production team for Sony’s Kraven The Hunter, directed by J.C. Chandor (Triple Frontier) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Tenet, Bullet Train, Avengers: Age of Ultron) playing the titular Marvel Comics character.

It’s certainly an interesting crew addition given that Ben Davis is mostly known for working on Marvel Studios films such as Avengers: Age of Ultron (also starred Taylor-Johnson), Guardians of The Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and Eternals.

The project will focus on Sergei Kravinoff aka Kraven, a Russian aristocrat turned big-game hunter that becomes a major antagonist of Marvel superhero Spider-Man as a member of The Sinister Six and half-brother of fellow villain The Chameleon.

Kraven The Hunter has a script penned by Richard Wenk (The Equalizer, The Expendables 2) with Art Marcum and Matt Holloway tackling rewrites. The duo of screenwriters aren’t strangers to studio genre projects working on Iron Man, Punisher: War Zone, Transformers: The Last Knight, Men In Black: International, and the upcoming Tom Holland video game movie Uncharted.

Could we see Kraven join the MCU like other Spidey villains?

Well, Davis’ addition isn’t the first time MCU department heads have worked on Spider-Man spinoffs. Matthew Libatique (Iron Man, Iron Man 2) did the cinematography on the first Venom and production designer Stefania Cella (Morbius) recently worked on the Disney+ series Moon Knight.

Deadline reporter Justin Kroll tweeted a list of names that Sony had considered to play Kraven (before Aaron Taylor-Johnson was hired) but they had passed. Those high-profile names were Keanu Reeves (John Wick, The Matrix), Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Fight Club, Inglorious Basterds), John David Washington (Tenet), and Adam Driver (House of Gucci, Logan Lucky, Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

Sony Pictures has already given the Spider-Man spinoff a release date of January 13, 2023.

‘Kraven The Hunter’: Aaron Taylor-Johnson Nabs Titular Role In Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ Spinoff Movie Directed By J.C. Chandor

Sony Pictures is developing a heap of Marvel movies set within their own Spider-Man cinematic universe with Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Morbius on the horizon. Another big project is one focused on Spidey villain Kraven The Hunter that was written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk with J.C. Chandor set to director.

Sony has found their Kraven, as The Wrap reports that British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has landed the titular role in the Marvel spinoff film. The actor isn’t new to comic book adaptations as he played Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, took the lead role in the two Kick-Ass movies, and has a role in the Kingsman prequel The King’s Man. He most recently joined the cast of David Leitch’s Japanese-set action film Bullet Train that stars Oscar-winner Brad Pitt.

While many people are under the impression that the spinoffs could end up part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s clear that hiring Marvel’s Quicksilver actor is a sign that the two universes aren’t as connected as fans believed.

SOURCE: THE WRAP

‘Bullet Train’: Brad Pitt Action Movie Officially Adds ‘John Wick’ Cinematographer and ‘The Mandalorian’ Stunt Coordinator

Bullet Train is currently filming and director David Leitch has announced on Instagram the film’s production team will include cinematographer Jonathan Sela (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Transformers: The Last Knight), stunt coordinator Greg Rementer (The Mandalorian, Nobody, Hobbs & Shaw), and costume designer Sarah Evelyn (Hobbs & Shaw, Hollywood, American Horror Story).

He also confirmed The Ronin’s previous report that he would be reuniting with production designer David Scheunemann (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Gunpowder Milkshake).

The action is considered a big project at Sony Pictures which is reflected with it’s rather large and established cast. Bullet Train’s cast lineup 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), Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, Westworld, The Last Samurai), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad), Logan Lerman (Fury, Hunters), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

Filming is currently underway in Los Angeles and Sony Pictures has yet to give Bullet Train an official release date.

SOURCE: DAVID LEITCH

Michael Shannon Is The Latest Addition To Brad Pitt’s Assassin Movie ‘Bullet Train’

Deadline reports that Man of Steel actor Michael Shannon has joined the growing cast of David Leitch’s (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, John Wick) upcoming assassin film Bullet Train for Sony Pictures. His other credits includes The Shape of Water, Knives Out, Bad Boys 2, and Boardwalk Empire.

The film focuses on a group of assassins on Japanese bullet train in Tokyo.

Shannon is the latest addition to a 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), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Godzilla, Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

Sony Pictures hasn’t given Bullet Train an official release date and filming is taking place in Los Angeles, California.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Eternals’ Actor Brian Tyree Henry Joins Brad Pitt’s Assassin Flick ‘Bullet Train’

Deadline is reporting that Widows actor Brian Tyree Henry is the latest addition to the growing cast of Sony’s assassin action film Bullet Train from John Wick director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw). As the title would suggest the story takes place on a Tokyo bullet train populated with multiple assassins.

Brian Tyree Henry was recently revealed to be playing an openly gay character in Marvel’s Eternals and will also be seen in Godzilla Vs Kong next year.

He joins a cast that also consists of Oscar-winner Brad Pitt, Joey King (The Dark Knight Rises), Andrew Koji (Snake Eyes), and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Godzilla, The King’s Man).

Filming will be taking place in Los Angeles.

SOURCE: DEADLINE