Andrew Koji Says ‘Bullet Train’ Set Was Claustrophobic & Season 3 Of ‘Warrior’ Aims To Start Shooting Spring 2022

Paramount Pictures is releasing a new origin film set within the G.I. Joe franchise with Crazy Rich Asians lead Henry Golding is playing a young version of Snake Eyes. The action blockbuster is about to hit theaters and Storm Shadow actor Andrew Koji is during the press tour to promote the G.I. Joe reboot.

While speaking with Collider, the British actor confirms that the third season of his martial arts series Warrior won’t begin shooting until the spring of 2022 and will wrap sometime around that summer.

He also briefly spoke about what it was like shooting the Brat Pitt assassin flick Bullet Train during the pandemic and the claustrophobic set brought on action scenes on film that mainly takes place on speeding train along with the mask/face shield they were required to wear.

“Yeah, it’s very different. It’ tight, it’s very claustrophobic. Also, we shot it all during COVID times. It’s going to be one of them few big blockbuster films that was made purely during COVID. [motions to mimic putting on a mask/face shield] It’s super claustrophobic, you’ve got the mask and the shield shout-out to Chris Stag, who took care of us…There is just less room, less space,” the actor told Collider what it was like shooting Bullet Train.

The rest of Bullet Train’s cast includes Joey King (The Dark Knight Rises), Michael Shannon (Knives Out, Man of Steel), Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock (Gravity, Speed), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven The Hunter, Godzilla, Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, Westworld, The Last Samurai), Logan Lerman (Fury, Hunters), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2), and rapper Bad Bunny.

Sony will release David Leitch’s (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw) next action film on April 8, 2022.

SNAKE EYES – An ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage welcomes tenacious loner Snake Eyes after he saves the life of their heir apparent. Upon arrival in Japan, the Arashikage teach him the ways of the ninja warrior while also providing him something he’s been longing for: a home. However, when secrets from Snake Eyes’ past are revealed, his honor and allegiance get tested — even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

Brad Pitt Assassin Pic ‘Bullet Train’ Releases April 2022

Sony Pictures has finally given a release date for their Japanese-set action movie Bullet Train. The project stars Oscar-winner Brad Pitt (Killing Them Softly, Inglourious Basterds, Fight Club, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as an assassin named Ladybug, that is travelling on a bullet train in Japan, only to face a wave of murderous fellow assassins.

Bullet Train will hit theaters on April 8, 2022, as announced by the studio via Deadline.

It was helmed by stuntman-turned-director David Leitch and has been hyped-up for the amount of in-camera stunt work Brad Pitt did on the film, similar to how Keanu Reeves did a lot of his own stunt work on the John Wick films thanks to months of intense training and prep.

Leitch co-directed the original John Wick only to move on as a solo filmmaker with credits such as Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and his next project is the memory loss thriller Fast & Loose starring Oscar-winner Will Smith. He produced Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody and Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Kate at Netflix coming out in September.

The rest of the cast consists of Joey King (The Dark Knight Rises), Andrew Koji (G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes), Michael Shannon (Knives Out, Man of Steel), Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock (Gravity, Speed), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven The Hunter, Godzilla, Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, Westworld, The Last Samurai), Logan Lerman (Fury, Hunters), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2), and rapper Bad Bunny.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘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

First Images of Tokyo-Set Action Flick ‘Kate’ Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead & Produced By David Leitch

John Wick co-director David Leitch is producing a handful of action films with the recent success of Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody are likely going to be on folks’ radar from now on. Leitch is also behind Atomic Blonde, Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2, and was recently working with Brad Pitt on the Sony flick Bullet Train.

One of the other productions produced by Letich is the Netflix film Kate that stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, as Kate, a criminal that is poisoned in Tokyo, Japan and has 24 hours to dish-out revenge before she dies.

After she’s irreversibly poisoned, a ruthless criminal operative (Winstead) has less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her enemies and in the process forms an unexpected bond with the daughter of one of her past victims.

The first images have been released by Entertainment Weekly showing off the film’s slick visual style.

The rest of the cast includes Woody Harrelson (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, True Detective), Michiel Huisman (The Haunting of Hill House), Tadanobu Asano (Thor: Ragnarok, Mortal Kombat, Midway), Jun Kunimura (Rain), Miyavi Lee Ishihara (Unbroken, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), and newcomer Miku Martineau as Ani.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead isn’t a stranger to genre projects with credits such as 10 Cloverfield Lane, Fargo, Live Free or Die Hard, the DC Comics film Birds of Prey playing The Huntress. The Thing (2011), Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Gemini Man, Black Christmas, and Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof.

Another female led action flick on the horizon is Karen Gillan’s Gunpowder Milkshake, which is being released by Netflix.

SOURCE: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Netflix Secures Multi-Year Deal Landing Streaming Rights To Sony Feature Films Starting In 2022

Many people had been curious why Sony Pictures hadn’t started-up their own streaming service or attempted to sign a deal with an existing streaming player. That has all changed as there is news today via The Hollywood Reporter that Sony and Netflix have signed a lucrative deal giving the them the streaming rights to their feature films starting in 2022 after the theatrical/home video windows.

Sony has inked a multi-year, exclusive first pay window licensing deal in the U.S. that will allow Netflix first pay window rights to Sony Pictures titles following their theatrical and home entertainment windows, the studio announced Thursday. (The typical pay one window is 18 months.)

Over the course of the deal, Netflix has also committed to financing a number of titles from the studio’s motion picture group. These will encompass the films that Sony intends to make directly for streaming from inception or decides at a later point to license for streaming. The announcement notes that Sony’s theatrical output will “continue at its current volume.

The new deal also gives them access to Sony’s Spider-Man franchise which is going to continue to expand for the foreseeable future as they’ll have dibs on future Spider-Man (mentioned by THR) and Venom films. It will seemingly include upcoming spinoff movies such as Olivia Wilde’s Spider-Woman film, J.C. Chandor’s Kraven The Hunter, Madame Web, Jackpot, Black Cat, Silver Sable, and Nightwatch.

Upcoming releases part of this deal include Uncharted, Morbius, Bullet Train, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2, and other films released within the deal.

There was always a hint that Netflix was going to seek a studio partnership after Disney+ became their main competition and HBO Max started throwing the new releases from the Warner Bros. slate on the streaming service.

It’ll be curious if Netflix will attempt to develop exclusive series based on Sony franchises as well. In September, it was reported that a Silk live-action series was in the works with Amazon being considered with Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Amy Pascal producing. Cindy Moon aka Silk is a spinoff character from Sony’s stable of Spider-Man universe heroes.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

‘Bullet Train’: Oscar-Winner Sandra Bullock Joins Brad Pitt In Assassin Flick

Sony’s action movie Bullet Train currently filming Los Angeles has reportedly added Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock (Gravity) according to Deadline. Bullock returning to the action genre after starting her career in movies like Speed and The Net.

Starring fellow Oscar-winner Brad Pitt and directed by David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, John Wick, Deadpool 2), the Tokyo-set film will focus on a group of assassins with varying motivations on a Japanese bullet train.

The rest of the cast consists of 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), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, Westworld, The Last Samurai), Logan Lerman (Fury, Hunters), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2), and rapper Bad Bunny.

As previously revealed, film’s production team will include production designer David Scheunemann (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Gunpowder Milkshake), cinematographer Jonathan Sela (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Transformers: The Last Knight), and stunt coordinator Greg Rementer (The Mandalorian, Nobody, Hobbs & Shaw).

Leitch is also lining-up his next film Fast & Loose starring Will Smith and produced the upcoming Bob Odenkirk actioner Nobody.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Fast & Loose’: Will Smith Teaming Up With ‘Deadpool 2’ Director David Leitch For Memory-Loss Action Flick

Deadline reports that a bidding war is underway for an upcoming action film titled Fast & Loose from John Wick co-director David Leitch and starring Oscar-winner Will Smith. The outlet says that studios in the mix for the bidding include Warner Bros., MGM, Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures.

It’s script was penned by Jon and Eric Hoeber with Leitch expected to direct.

After the leader of an upper-echelon criminal organization suffers memory loss from an attack, he reunites with his crew, only to find that things aren’t what he thinks they are. When John Riley (Smith) wakes up in Tijuana after being left for dead with absolutely no memory, he follows a string of clues to uncover his identity discovering he’s been living two different lives: one, as a super-successful crime kingpin, surrounded by beautiful women, expensive toys, and a lavish lifestyle and the other as an undercover CIA agent, but with a puny salary, no family or home life whatsoever, and zero trappings of success. The problem is, he can’t remember which of these two personas is his true identity, and, more importantly, which life he really wants to live.

Leitch’s action credits go deep with Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and is currently shooting the Brad Pitt assassin movie Bullet Train in Los Angeles. He’s also behind the upcoming Bob Odenkirk movie Nobody as one of the film’s producers.

Smith recently had a hiccup with his film Gemini Man becoming a bit of a box office flop. However, Bad Boys For Life became one of the most profitable films of 2020 earning an impressive $426.5 million on a budget of $62.5 million, it’s box office success led Sony Pictures to quickly put Bad Boys 4 into development.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Damien Chazelle’s R-Rated 1920s Hollywood Drama ‘Babylon’ Bumped To Christmas 2022 By Paramount

Deadline has revealed that Paramount Pictures is bumping the release date of Damien Chazelle‘s latest movie titled Babylon an entire year to December 25, 2022 . The film will be a period drama set in Hollywood’s transition to talkies in the 1920s with Brad Pitt attached to star and Margot Robbie reportedly in talks for a role after Emma Stone exited.

The film is a period, R-rated drama, set in the shifting moment in Hollywood when the industry turned from silent film to talkies. 

This new release date would place Babylon in direct competition with upcoming blockbusters Avatar 2 and Aquaman 2 as both will drop earlier in the month.

The pair of actors starred in Quentin Tarantino‘s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood leading to Pitt’s Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor, however, they never shared the screen together. It’ll also be interesting to see if the project will skew more in the realm of something similar to David Fincher‘s latest project Mank, a dramatic biopic about the Citizen Kane screenwriter that takes place well after that talkies have dominated the film industry.

Brad Pitt is currently shooting the Sony Pictures assassin action flick Bullet Train in Los Angeles for director David Leitch (Deadpool 2, John Wick, Atomic Blonde).

Margot Robbie‘s next theatrical release will be The Suicide Squad on August 6th and is said to have a role in David O. Russell‘s next project.

It’s certainly notable that movies focused on Hollywood and the film industry tend to do extremely well during awards season nominations suggesting that Babylon could be gearing-up to become a contender even before cameras roll.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Bullet Train’: Rapper Bad Bunny Joins Brad Pitt Action Flick Currently Filming In Los Angeles

Production is already underway on Sony’s big action film Bullet Train in Los Angeles, Californi and the new additions to the film’s cast keep rolling in from Deadline.

The outlet reports that rapper Bad Bunny has nabbed an undisclosed role.

Starring Oscar-winner Brad Pitt and directed by David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, John Wick, Deadpool 2), the action flick will focus on a group of assassins with varying motivations on a Japanese bullet train.

The rest of the cast consists of 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), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, Westworld, The Last Samurai), Logan Lerman (Fury, Hunters), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

As previously revealed, film’s production team will include production designer David Scheunemann (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Gunpowder Milkshake), cinematographer Jonathan Sela (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Transformers: The Last Knight), and stunt coordinator Greg Rementer (The Mandalorian, Nobody, Hobbs & Shaw).

Recently, a bad ass trailer for an upcoming action movie titled Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk was released by Universal Pictures which is also produced by David Leitch and worth checking out as it was led by Bullet Train‘s stunt coordinator.

NOBODY – When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe), is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen), seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary (famed Russian actor Aleksey Serebryakov)—and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again.

A release date has yet to be announced by Sony Pictures for Bullet Train.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Bullet Train’: ‘The Boys’ Actress Karen Fukuhara Confirmed For Role In Brad Pitt Action Flick

The cast for action director David Leitch’s new film titled Bullet Train has landed another key cast member as the director announced on Instagram that actress Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad) has joined the project.

Bullet Train focuses on a group of assassins on a Tokyo train with mysterious motivations.

David Leitch has a strong action film pedigree with credits that include John Wick, Hobbs & Shaw, Atomic Blonde, and Deadpool 2. He’s also assembled a fantastic cast.

The rest of the cast 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), 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 Karen is expected to begin shooting Season 3 of The Boys in Toronto starting in February.

Sony Pictures has yet to give Bullet Train an official release date.

SOURCE: DAVID LEITCH