Tag: Dave Bautista

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‘Knives Out 2’: ‘WandaVision’s Kathryn Hahn Latest Actor To Star Opposite Daniel Craig In Murder Mystery Comedy

Breaking news as WandaVision actress Kathryn Hahn is the latest addition to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out 2, according to a report from Deadline. The comedic actress is having a career renaissance and landing a role in the comedy murder mystery should be fun to watch given how underrated Kathryn has been for the longest time.

She’ll join a growing cast that consists of Bond actor Daniel Craig reprising the role of crime novelist and part-time private detective Benoit Blanc, Dave Bautista (Blade Runner 2049, Spectre, Guardians of The Galaxy, Army of The Dead), Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk, Rounders, Moonrise Kingdom), and Janelle Monae (Moonlight).

The untitled sequel will begin shooting next month in Greece giving the movie a stark contrast to the original’s setting in the United States. While it’s a sequel, there are expectations that Benoit Blanc will be the only returning character (as far as we known at this time).

Netflix made a massive deal with Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig to secure two sequels to Knives Out, reportedly spending $400+ million with Rian and Daniel earning $100 million each. The streaming service could end up pushing beyond that depending on the success and viewership the first round of films bring to Netflix.

Kathryn Hahn will be third actor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe added to the sequel’s roster alongside Dave Bautista (plays Drax) and Edward Norton (once played Bruce Banner). Hahn was a huge standout in Marvel’s Disney+ series WandaVision playing the manipulative witch Agatha Harkness and arguably stole many scenes from the main cast, including getting her own theme song Agatha All Along.

A release date hasn’t been announced by Netflix.

KNIVES OUT – The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there’s one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc knows for sure — everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

‘Knives Out 2’: Edward Norton Joins Daniel Craig In Rian Johnson’s Whodunit Sequel

Another high-profile addition to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out 2 has been revealed.

A report from Deadline announces that Edward Norton has joined the murder mystery alongside Daniel Craig and Dave Bautista. Norton is a three-time Oscar nominee with credits such as Birdman, Fight Club, Moonrise Kingdom, The Incredible Hulk, American History X, Primal Fear, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Bourne Legacy, Kingdom of Heaven, 25th Hour, Red Dragon, Rounders, Alita: Battle Angel, and Isle of Dogs.

Craig plays southern crime novelist Benoit Blanc, who also moonlights as a detective and in the sequel will be needed during another murder in the very scenic country of Greece. Other plot details are being kept under lock-and-key which is a good thing as there is an expected twist that hopefully isn’t spoiled before it’s release. While this will be a sequel, from what we understand Daniel Craig is expected to be the only returning cast member.

It remains to be seen if we’ll be seeing another family focused murder plot or something a little different to the formula.

Production will begin next month in Greece and Netflix spent a massive $400+ million to secure Rian Johnson’s two sequels. The big payday will see both Rian and Daniel Craig land $100 million each, opening the door for Netflix to get another franchise under their belt.

Folks are trying to do their own sleuthing as Rian recently followed actress Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, A Most Violent Year, Crimson Peak, Interstellar) on Instagram, which might signal that she might have landed a role, but it’s only speculation for the moment.

KNIVES OUT – The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there’s one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc knows for sure — everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

‘Knives Out 2’: Dave Bautista Reunites With Daniel Craig For Rian Johnson’s Murder Mystery Sequel

Rian Johnson is looking to turn his wonderful comedic murder mystery film Knives Out into a full-fledged franchise and has partnered with Netflix to make that happen. A historical deal worth upwards of $400 million was made back in March that would see both Rian Johnson and lead actor Daniel Craig make $100 million each. The hefty deal includes the next two installments that are yet-to-be-titled and I assume if they want to do more Netflix will be all-ears.

We won’t have to wait too long before getting our hands on Knives Out 2 as filming is reportedly set to begin in Greece starting in late June.

Deadline is reporting that Daniel’s Spectre co-star Dave Bautista has landed an undisclosed role in the sequel and we’ll be excited to find out what his character will be. I’m going to lean towards fellow detective but there are likely less obvious choices as well. There is an expectation Knives Out 2 will focus on an entirely new group of characters excluding Craig’s southern detective Benoit Blanc and the Greece setting during a summer shoot will likely be a fantastic visual contrast to the original movie.

Dave Bautista’s upcoming projects includes Zack Snyder’s Army of The Dead and will be reprising the Drax role for James Gunn’s Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3. Hopefully, he’ll be able to showcase his comedic chops in Knives Out 2 as he’s been known to be extremely assuming when given the chance.

It’ll be interesting to see if Rian will cast other former co-stars of Daniel Craig in various roles. Personally, I’ll be rooting for Casino Royale’s Eva Green to show up and give us another fantastic femme fatale.

KNIVES OUT – The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there’s one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc knows for sure — everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

Dave Bautista Turned Down ‘The Suicide Squad’ To Make A Lot More Money & Work With Zack Snyder On ‘Army of The Dead’

Dave Bautista isn’t automatically thought of as a leading man despite leading a handful of projects in the past, but he’s aiming to branch-out from his intimidating supporting roles with his upcoming action-horror flick Army of The Dead, directed by Zack Snyder.

He was originally offered a role in James Gunn’s R-rated DC Comics film The Suicide Squad but reveals to Digital Spy in a recent interview the reasons he decided to do Army of The Dead instead. Those coming down to a bigger role, a lot more money, building a professional relationship with streaming giant Netflix and getting to work with Zack.

BAUTISTA: “James Gunn wrote a role for me in The Suicide Squad, which I was all fired up about, not only because he was making a huge comeback. He’s come back with The Suicide Squad and was rehired by Marvel, and has really been vindicated as far as that whole thing went. I was all up for it, and then I got Army of the Dead, which was not only a lead role for me, but also I really wanted to work with Zack Snyder. I’ve been wanting to work with him for years.”

“I had The Suicide Squad where I got to work with my boy again, even though it’s a smaller role, and then I had Army of the Dead on which I get to work with Zack, I get to build a relationship with Netflix, I get a lead role in a great film – and I get paid a lot more money. I had to call James, and I told him, ‘It breaks my heart, because as a friend, I want to be there with you, but professionally, this is the smart decision for me.'”

You can’t really blame Bautista to make a career move like that to give himself bigger exposure with a leading role over another supporting role.

The film stars Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Raúl Castillo, Michael Cassidy, Tig Notaro, and Garret Dillahunt.

Army of The Dead will be released on Netflix May 21 and in select theaters on May 14.

ARMY OF THE DEAD – After a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries takes the ultimate gamble by venturing into the quarantine zone for the greatest heist ever.

SOURCE: DIGITAL SPY

Posted on in Film News

Dave Bautista Uncertain About Drax’s Future After ‘Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3’ & Downplays Marvel’s Desire To Make Drax/Mantis Movie

You might remember that Drax actor Dave Bautista was one of the biggest defenders of director James Gunn when Disney originally fired him from Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 and threatened not to return as Drax if Gunn wasn’t directing the third installment. Luckily, Disney had a change of heart but at that point, James Gunn was already committed to making The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. further delaying the Guardians sequel and leading to alterations to the existing script when he ultimately returned. 

Gunn has mentioned publicly that Guardians 3 would likely be his final installment and that could be the case for Dave’s Drax as well. The actor spoke with Digital Spy revealing that while he hasn’t read the latest incarnation of the script, he’s not expecting a big future for Drax after the third pic and downplayed the idea of a Drax/Mantis team-up movie coming together. 

BAUTISTA: “I don’t know what the script of the third film is, to be honest with you. There was a script years ago that obviously is going to have to change because the whole direction of the Marvel universe has changed.”

“There were talks for a while about a Drax and Mantis film. It was really because it was James Gunn’s idea. He really wanted to do a Drax and Mantis film. He laid it out to me. I thought it was such a brilliant idea, but I haven’t heard any follow-up from the studio. I don’t think they’re very interested, or it doesn’t fit into the way they have things mapped out. But other than that, no. I mean, as far as my obligations, I’ve got Guardians 3, and that’s probably going to be the end of Drax.”

Director James Gunn is aiming to begin production on Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3 (working title Hot Christmas) alongside the Holiday Special in the United Kingdom (where the first film shot) before the end of the year as previously mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter back in November. Gunn has been particularly busy with the post-production of his R-rated DC Comics sequel The Suicide Squad and its spinoff HBO Max series Peacemaker (working title Scriptures) starring John Cena, which is still filming in Vancouver. 

Other upcoming projects for Bautista include co-starring with Milla Jovovich in the Geroge R.R. Martin adaptation of his fantasy novella The Lost Lands from Resident Evil filmmaker Paul W.S. Anderson and he’s expected to shoot the alien prison break flick Universe’s Most Wanted next for director Brad Peyton. 

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3. is officially set for release on May 5, 2023.

SOURCE: DIGITAL SPY  

Posted on in Film News

Dave Bautista Reveals He Had Meeting About Playing DC Comics Villain Bane

Could we end up seeing Guardians of The Galaxy actor Dave Bautista join the cast of a DC Comics film in the future? According to Dave, he’s been actively trying to get his foot in the door recently.

While speaking during Justice Con (via Screen Rant), the wrestler turned actor revealed he had met with Warner Bros./DC about playing Batman villain Bane, but the studio apparently was shocked about his request as they weren’t even actively casting the role. It remains to be seen if he’ll ultimately play the character but you can’t get the impression he was passionate about trying to land it.

BAUTISTA: “Oh, it would be Bane all day long. I’ve made no secret about this. I want to play Bane so bad I went to Warner Bros., had an appointment with them, had an appointment with DC, walked in the door and said, ‘I want to play Bane.’ I’m not kidding. They were a little like ‘Woah, we’re not even casting Bane.’ I was like ‘I don’t care, I’m playing him.'”

Bane is traditionally a Batman villain and we don’t really know the next time we’ll see him on the big screen as Matt Reeves is currently overseeing the new Batman trilogy starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne and it’s unclear if he plans to introduce Bane anytime soon. Something like the Suicide Squad franchise might be a project where Bane could have popped-up without the need to have him interacting with Batman.

The most notable version of Bane was Tom Hardy’s incarnation featured as the League of Shadows leader in The Dark Knight Rises directed by Christopher Nolan.

Dave Bautista’s next big project will be Zack Snyder’s Army of The Dead which will be released on May 14, 2021, and is still expected to return for James Gunn’s Guardians of The Galaxy 3.

ARMY OF THE DEAD – After a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries takes the ultimate gamble by venturing into the quarantine zone for the greatest heist ever.

SOURCE: JUSTICE CON

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George R.R. Martin’s ‘In The Lost Lands’ Getting Film Adaptation From Director Paul W.S. Anderson With Milla Jovovich & Dave Bautista Starring

Deadline is reporting that George R.R. Martin’s fantasy short story In The Lost Lands is going to be getting a big screen adaptation from Resident Evil franchise director Paul W.S. Anderson and FilmNation. Martin is most best-known for creating the Game of Thrones franchise, so the project should have some increased interest given the connection to the author.

They also reveal that Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista are attached to star in the fantast-action film as the sorceress Gray Alys and a drifter named Boyce.

Anderson is adapting the short into a script.

The movie will follow a queen, desperate to obtain the gift of shape shifting, who makes a daring play: she hires the sorceress Gray Alys (Jovovich), a woman as feared as she is powerful. Sent to the ghostly wilderness of the ‘Lost Lands’, Alys and her guide, the drifter Boyce (Bautista), must outwit and outfight man and demon in a fable that explores the nature of good and evil, debt and fulfillment, love and loss.

Milla’s action roles go back to Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element and got most of international notoriety from leading the profitable Resident Evil film franchise, she was most recently seen in Lionsgate’s Hellboy reboot.

Bautista is coming off his involvement with Marvel’s successful Guardians of The Galaxy franchise with a third installment on the horizon along with appearing in the box office juggernauts Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. He recently worked with Zack Snyder on the zombie flick Army of The Dead and is attached for an alien bounty hunter movie, titled Universe’s Most Wanted, directed by Brad Payton.

The film’s distribution rights are being sold at the European Film Market’s virtual event.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

‘Army of The Dead’: Watch Teaser Trailer For Zack Snyder’s Zombie Action Flick Coming To Netflix On May 21st

Earlier today, Netflix released the first teaser trailer for Zack Snyder’s Army of The Dead, a Las Vegas heist movie set within the zombie horror genre. Zack you might remember teamed-up with screenwriter James Gunn on the fantastic remake of George A. Romero’s Dawn of The Dead and seeing him return to the genre should be exciting for horror fans.

Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

The film stars Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Raúl Castillo, Michael Cassidy, Tig Notaro, and Garret Dillahunt.

Army of The Dead will be released on Netflix May 21st.

Posted on in Film News

Chris Hemsworth Announces Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ Has Officially Started Filming In Australia

Thor: Love & Thunder has officially started filming in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia according to franchise star Chris Hemsworth after a new post on his Instagram account revealing the production has begin today during a Welcome to Country ceremony that Chris and director Taika Waititi attended.

HEMSWORTH: “A beautiful start to our shoot today with a Welcome to Country ceremony from the Gamay dancers of the Gadigal and Bidiagal Nation and performance and karakia by Maori dancers from Te Aranganui. Indigenous Australians may be just as proud of this country, but many see January 26th as a date signifying the beginning of dispossession, disease epidemics, frontier violence, destruction of culture, exploitation, abuse, separation of families and subjection to policies of extreme social control. Let’s begin the healing and stand together in unity and support with our First Nations people with solidarity and compassion. Let’s find a date where all Australians can celebrate this beautiful country together”

Production will be taking place at Fox Studios Australia the same facility recently used for Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings.

A full casting roster has yet to be announced by Marvel Studios but it looks like it will include Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Lady Thor aka Jane Foster, Tessa Thompson as King Valkyrie, Chris Pratt as Star-Lord aka Peter Quill, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Christian Bale as Gorr The God Butcher, Dave Bautista as Drax The Destroyer, Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif, Sean Gunn as Rocket/Kraglin, and Taika Waititi as Korg.

At the end of Avengers: Endgame, we saw Thor join the ranks of Guardians of The Galaxy which explains why a bunch of those actors are in Sydney.

Matt Damon is also there to shoot scenes but it’s unknown if he’ll be reprising the role of the Asgardian actor or will take another role entirely. There seem to be more actors yet to be announced or revealed by the Australian press.

Thor: Love & Thunder is currently set to be released on May 6th, 2022 but I wouldn’t get too attached to that date as there might be more shifts from Disney adjusting their 2021-2022 theatrical schedules.

SOURCE: CHRIS HEMSWORTH

Posted on in Film News

‘Army of The Dead’: Zack Snyder Says Warner Bros. Passed On The Zombie Project – Prequel Movie Wraps Production

Zack Snyder‘s horror remake Dawn of The Dead (penned by James Gunn) is arguably one of the filmmaker’s most accessible feature films to date. So, having the the director return to the zombie/action-horror genre with Army of The Dead for Netflix is exciting for a multitude of reasons.

Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Zack reveals that the film had been lingering at Warner Bros. for years but the studio ultimately didn’t want to make it because of the money involved for the budget that would have taken to get it made the way that Snyder wanted.

SNYDER: “They didn’t want to spend that kind of money on a zombie movie, or just didn’t take it that seriously. I was always like, ‘Look guys, this is more than [just a zombie movie],’ but it fizzled out.”

Ultimately, the streaming giant Netflix picked-up Army of The Dead after they loved the pitch detailed by Snyder. They’ve been so enthused about the project, Netflix also recently wrapped on a prequel film last month directed by franchise actor Matthias Schweighofer.

SNYDER: “We were in a meeting at Netflix and I was talking about some of these scripts I was working on. And I mentioned the idea to [Netflix head of original films Scott Stuber] and he was like, ‘That is the movie! Go write that movie and let’s make it.’ I was like, ‘What, do you mean now?’ And he’s like, ‘Go write it tomorrow and we’ll do shoot it in a week.'”

Netflix obviously has few roadblocks concerning budgets for their projects as they notably spend a hefty amount of money on original programming, however, The Gray Man from The Russo Brothers will be their first film budgeted over $200 million competing on the level of major film studios.

Army of The Dead’s large cast consists of Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana De La Reguera, Theo Rossi, Huma Qureshi, Omari Hardwick, Hiroyuki Sanada, Garret Dillahunt, Matthias Schweighöfer, Raúl Castillo, Nora Arnezeder, Tig Notaro, and Samantha Win. 

It’s expected to drop later this year and Netflix is banking on it becoming their new horror franchise. A trailer is likely on the horizon given the new promotion for the film.

SOURCE: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY