Tag: Ben Wheatley

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‘Normal’: Action Western Flick From ‘John Wick’ Creator Teams Bob Odenkirk With ‘Free Fire’ Director Ben Wheatley

“John Wick” creator/screenwriter Derek Kolstad has countless projects in the works including a sequel to the Bob Odenkirk action pic “Nobody,” but that won’t be the only project with Odenkirk on the horizon as Deadline has revealed he’s written a western project for the “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” actor with the project heading into the European Film Market as it seeks financier/distribution partners. The kicker is that British genre filmmaker Ben Wheatley (“Kill List”) is attached to direct the movie.

The outlet included the following synopsis of the western actioner that sees Odenkirk in the role of a small-town sheriff:

Thrust into the temporary role of the sheriff for the small sleepy town Normal after the previous one’s untimely death. When the town’s bank is robbed by an out-of-town couple, Ulysses arrives on the scene to find that the town is hiding much more sinister deep-seated secrets under its surface and everyone – from the bartender to the priest – is in on it. And now Ulysses, who’s up-till-now focused only on running away from the demons of his past, must uncover the full extent of this criminal conspiracy.   

Wheatley isn’t a stranger to the action genre with “Free Fire” which starred Cillian Murphy and Brie Larson, an A24 action-comedy focused on an illegal gun sale in 1970s Boston that goes south real quick. He also recently worked with Jason Statham on the gonzo Megalodon movie, “The Meg 2.”

Other than being the architect of the popular “John Wick” franchise Kolstad is also involved with a “Hitman” series, a standalone “Dungeons & Dragons” series, a “Streets of Rage” movie adaptation at Lionsgate, a feature film based on manga/anime “Hellsing,” a potential reunion with director Chad Stahelski for a remake of “Man From Nowhere,” and was one part of the writing team on Marvel’s “The Falcon & The Winter Soldier.”

Production details and a timeline is unclear at the moment as there had been some signals that “Nobody 2” would be heading in front of cameras shortly.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

Ben Wheatley Down To Tackle A New ‘Doom’ Movie If Given The Chance

British director Ben Wheatley has been mulling-over the idea of making a video game film as he was originally hired to direct a Tomb Raider sequel starring Swedish actress Alicia Vikander. He eventually exited to focus on The Meg 2 and Misha Green (Lovecraft Country) was hired to replace him on Tomb Raider 2.

While speaking with The Playlist Podcast to promote In The Earth, Ben revealed a desire to still potentially tackle a video game project citing a third Doom movie or a film based on the shooter Counter-Strike.

WHEATLEY: “I still want to make a Doom film though. I know it’s been done, but come on! Or Counter-Strike, that would be the one I’d like to make.”

After recently re-watching Wheatley’s gun-play action flick Free Fire, you can understand why something like Doom could be appealing to the filmmaker. Doom is basically all the elements of a fun action-horror project with Mars, Hell, demons, and a never-ending amount of gunfire. However, there have been two attempts to make a feature film based on the property with Doom movie released in 2015 starring Dwayne Johnson, Karl Urban, and Rosamund Pike. The other being the 2019 film Doom: Annihilation.

DOOM – The game is set on Mars, with a UAC facility being invaded by the forces of Hell. The Doom Slayer awakens chained to a sarcophagus in a UAC facility. After stabilizing the Foundry before a meltdown occurs, Doomguy learns that Pierce plans to use the UAC’s Argent Energy Tower to tear a permanent portal into Hell.

SOURCE: THE PLAYLIST

Posted on in Film News

‘Tomb Raider 2’: ‘Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green Replaces Ben Wheatley As Director

Deadline reveals that MGM Studios has lost director Ben Wheatley on their Tomb Raider sequel starring Alicia Vikander, they’ve hired Lovecraft Country showrunner Misha Green to both write and direct Tomb Raider 2.

This will be Green’s feature film directorial debut after directing an episode of Lovecraft Country. Her HBO series produced by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams runs the gauntlet of genres between horror, action, thriller, crime, and science fiction. So, tackling the supernatural and action-adventure genre doesn’t seem like a huge stretch for Misha.

I do think fans are going to be puzzled why MGM was willing not to wait for someone like Ben Wheatley, who proved with his action-comedy Free Fire he really should be making more films within the action genre. He had recently signed-on to direct the sequel to Jason Statham’s The Meg for Warner Bros. and likely came into conflict with shooting Tomb Raider sequel.

Misha certainly has the writing chops to pen the film but given the scale of the film having her make a feature film debut might be scary to a lot of fans. I’m sure there is a reason why MGM selected her vision and didn’t go after a seasoned filmmaker to execute it.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

Neon Distributing Ben Wheatley Horror Flick ‘In The Earth’ – Secretly Shot During The Pandemic

Neon, best known for the domestic release of Oscar-winner Parasite will be distributing a new horror film titled In The Earth directed by Ben Wheatley (Free Fire, Rebecca, A Field In England) secretly during the pandemic according to Deadline via the American Film Market.

As the world searches for a cure to a disastrous virus, a scientist and park scout venture deep in the forest for a routine equipment run. Through the night, their journey becomes a terrifying voyage through the heart of darkness, the forest coming to life around them.

In The Earth is said to be aiming for release sometime next year and I’ll be keeping my fingers-crossed that this pandemic project will a bit more tasteful than the Michael Bay-produced Songbird (feels super exploitative from the trailer).

It’s cast consists of Joel Fry, Ellora Torchia, Hayley Squires, and Reece Shearsmith.

The director is no stranger to horror tackling films such as Kill List and Sightseers, the latter skewing more in the realm of satire.

Ben Wheatley is attached to direct Tomb Raider 2 and The Meg sequel for Warner Bros. but when those will shoot is a little unclear.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

Ben Wheatley To Direct Jason Statham In ‘The Meg 2’

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rebecca director Ben Wheatley has been hired by Warner Bros. to direct their sequel to the shark action flick The Meg.

The studio has set filmmaker Ben Wheatley, whose updated version of Gothic tale Rebecca debuted this week, to direct the sequel to its 2018 giant shark thriller hit, The Meg.

The original earned an impressive $530.2 million globally on a budget of $130 million.

THE MEG – Previously thought to be extinct, a massive creature attacks a deep-sea submersible, leaving it disabled and trapping the crew at the bottom of the Pacific. With time running out, a visionary oceanographer recruits rescue diver Jonas Taylor to save the crew and the sea itself from an unimaginable threat — a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark known as the Megalodon.

Ben Wheatley is no stranger to action with his excellent R-rated action comedy Free Fire that focused on a Boston arms deal with the IRA that goes sour very quickly which starred Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer, and Sharlto Copley.

He was also tasked to direct the Tomb Raider sequel but we haven’t got many updates on that film recently from Warner Bros. or the trades.

Jason Statham is a busy bee lately as he filmed a thriller called Wrath of Man aka Cash Truck for director Guy Ritchie and will reunite with Ritchie for the spy flick Five Eyes.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER