‘Tron: Legacy’ & ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Director Joseph Kosinski Returns To Sci-Fi With ‘Chariot’ For Warner Bros.

Filmmaker Joseph Kosinski finished the big Tom Cruise sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which simply waiting to be released by Paramount Pictures this fall and is in post-production stages with his Chris Hemsworth pic Escape From Spiderhead at Netflix.

After previously talking the science-fiction genre with Disney’s Tron: Legacy and the Tom Cruise action movie Oblivion, Kosinski is reportedly returning to the genre for a comic book adaptation, Chariot. The adaptation, according to Deadline, was won by Warner Bros. after the project went to auction.

The Chariot was a Cold War-era secret government project to provide its star agent with a weapon unlike any other in the form of a supercharged muscle car. It sank into the ocean decades ago, and the agent along with it. Now, a petty criminal looking to reform his life has stumbled upon the Chariot, and he’s about to find out that the agent’s consciousness is still controlling it in this synthwave thriller.

Julian Meiojas (Jack Ryan) adapted the sci-film’s script from the AWA Studios graphic novel written by comic book creator and screenwriter Bryan Edward Hill (American Carnage, Bitter Root) and drawn by Priscilla Petraites (Rat Queens).

From design standpoint, Chariot lucked-out landing at the feet of Joseph Kosinski as Tron: Legacy was pure eye candy and this new project could easily take similar visual cues, alongside a hip synthwave soundtrack. Sadly, Daft Punk have broken up and won’t likely get involved here.

With the popularity if the Fast & Furious franchise, picking up a high-octane driving genre movie based on a graphic novel doesn’t sound like the worst idea imaginable, hopefully, it doesn’t turn out as generic as Need For Speed did. Chariot certainly feels like it could be the fourth project for Kosinski and Tom Cruise, as Warner Bros. is also trying put together a sequel to Edge of Tomorrow with director Doug Liman but is reliant on schedules and might offer this up if things are delayed further.

Then again, it could be a good excuse for the director to reunite with Garrett Hedlund.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

UPDATE: J.J. Abrams-Produced Action Flick ‘Lou’ Starring Allison Janey & Jurnee Smollett Adds Cinematographer

The Ronin has learned that the latest action film from Netflix, Lou, has nabbed cinematographer Michael McDonough (I Am The Night, Fear The Walking Dead, Bosch, Pieces of Her). Bad Robot and J.J. Abrams are producing the film that stars Oscar-winner Allison Janey (Juno, Mom) and Jurnee Smollett (Birds of Prey, Lovecraft Country, Escape From Spiderhead) that is set to begin filming soon in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The story centers on a woman whose daughter is kidnapped, so she teams up with the mysterious older woman next door to pursue the kidnapper — a journey into the wilderness that will test their limits and expose dark and shocking secrets from their pasts.

It will be directed by German filmmaker Anna Foerster, who previously helmed Underworld: Blood Wars.

Foerster also worked on episodes of Outlander, Jessica Jones, Westworld (explains the Bad Robot connection), and Carnival Row. At one time, she was attached to direct a sequel to Duncan Jones’ sci-fi thriller Source Code. As a second unit director, working on big action projects such as The Day After Tomorrow, 10,000 B.C., and the Charlize Theron pic Æon Flux.

Production is said to begin next week in Vancouver and wrap in late August. This comes after there were extensive delays due to the pandemic in 2020, but things are getting better allowing more productions to begin in various Canadian cities.

I’m sure we’ll be getting more casting announcements in the coming weeks.

Abrams and Bad Robot closed a development deal with WarnerMedia which already has them working on a new Superman film featuring a black incarnation of the iconic superhero and a Justice League Dark series at HBO Max, among other projects.

Netflix hasn’t given Lou an official release date.