Tag: Harry Potter

Posted on in Film News, News

Daniel Radcliffe Denies Persistent Wolverine Casting Rumor Whilst Strapped To A Literal Lie Detector: “Flattered, But No”

As soon as it was revealed that Marvel Studios would end up getting the “X-Men” film rights reverted back them in the wake of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, there has been an oddball fan campaign online to get “Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe (A well-known short actor) to take over the Wolverine role from Hugh Jackman (Appearing as Logan in “Deadpool 3”).

Well, despite the actor himself debunking various casting rumors over the years, he’s now been strapped to a lie detector for Vanity Fair(See video below) and was asked again about his potential casting as the iconic Canadian mutant by his fellow “Merrily We Roll Along” cast members Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez. As expected, the British actor denied it, again, adding that his recent buffness seen in the latest season of his comedy series “Miracle Workers” has nothing to do with being courted to play Wolverine by Marvel. When directly asked if he started the Wolverine rumor himself he responded with a clear, “No.”

“Yes. I got buff because I am obsessive, and I want to… You’ve seen my parents, they’re like insane fitness people. So that’s just been passed on. But no. No Wolverine. Flattered, but no,” Radcliffe stated.

This wouldn’t be the first time the actor has been connected to an MCU role as “online rumors” once claimed he was in the running to play Mark Spector, aka, Moon Knight, and was another rumor he had to deny multiple times in interviews.

Still, I’ll be holding out for more likely/suitable contenders such as Austin Butler (“Dune: Part Two”) Jeremy Allen (“The Bear,” “Iron Claw”), and Paul Mescal (“Gladiator 2”) to get a crack at the role of one of the most popular Marvel Comics characters. While I’m warming up to the idea of Taron Egerton doing it, I feel like there are plenty of others already doing action that could put the claws on too. Just hiring an actor because they’re short is a bit of the ridiculous fan asks applied to the new Wolverine, but likely won’t be a real make-or-break requirement of the studio for casting given this role is going to become a mainstay in the MCU for the next decade or more. Given that Marvel is reportedly only just meeting with screenwriters for “X-Men” it’s unlikely that we’ll see the new Wolverine actor anytime, despite any online rumors concerning what will or not show up in “Deadpool 3.”

SOURCE: VANITY FAIR

Posted on in News, Television News

Marvel’s ‘Secret Invasion’ Enlists ‘Harry Potter’ & ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ VFX Supervisor John Moffatt

After Film London mentioning that production has begun this month on Marvel’s Secret Invasion series, it looks like the big project has nabbed a film industry veteran to handle the show’s extensive visual effects.

The Ronin has learned that visual effects supervisor John Moffatt has joined the series. Moffatt is best known for strictly film work with some impressive credits such as Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows 1-2, Wonder Woman 1984, Life, The Brothers Grimsby, and Snow White & The Huntsman.

The impressive cast consists of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Ben Mendelsohn as Skrull Leader Talos, Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite, Hot Fuzz, The Crown), four-time Emmy nominee Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones, Solo: A Star Wars Story), Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night In Miami, Peaky Blinders) said to be playing a villain, and most recent addition to the Marvel series is character actor Christopher McDonald (Hacks, Happy Gilmore).

This would again suggest that Secret Invasion might be a bit bigger than previous Disney+ shows.

Secret Invasion is a big event in Marvel Comics, where it’s revealed that Skrulls have quietly replaced various leaders and even superheroes in a bid to invade Earth. As with other MCU adaptations, it’s assumed that the studio will have its own take on the source material for the live-action incarnation.

It’ll be interesting to see if they’ll indeed reveal that beloved characters were Skrulls the entire time or during the events of Infinity War/Endgame, which may or may not ruffle feathers depending on who they pick for that.

We previously confirmed Secret Invasion’s crew would include production designer Frank Walsh (Lost In Space) and cinematographer Sylvaine Dufaux (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Future Man).

Kyle Bradstreet (Mr. Robot) is the MCU show’s head writer with directors Thomas Bezhucha (Let Him Go) and Ali Selim (The Looming Tower) shooting episodes.

Samuel L. Jackson has already confirmed on Instagram that he’s shot scenes for Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels (currently in production at Longcross Studios), which further illustrates the expected cross-pollination between the casts given their similar shooting schedules and proximity as both are filming in the London area.

Secret Invasion is aiming to be ready for release on Disney+ sometime in 2022.

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Star Wars’ & ‘Game Of Thrones’ Actress Natalia Tena Joining ‘John Wick 4’?

John Wick 4 has been filming outside of Berlin, Germany with Keanu Reeves back as the big bad assassin John Wick and director Chad Stahelski assembling quite the cast for the latest action pic. Another actor might have been added to the main lineup.

Take the following with a grain of salt, but British actress Natalia Tena (Black Mirror, Wolfe) has been listed on IMDB (could be bogus) as being part of the cast. However, Tena is such a left-field name to falsely attach to the project and sort of makes sense given her recent projects including a new crime series Wolfe.

Tena has various franchise roles including being part of the Star Wars universe playing Xi’an in the first season of The Mandalorian, Osha in multiple seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones, and Nymphadora Tonks in four Harry Potter installments.

She wouldn’t be the only Game of Thrones alumni involved with the Wick franchise as Aflie Allen was the little brat that pulled Wick back into the life of hired killers and Ian McShane also had a brief role in the fantasy series.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum ended with John Wick surviving the fall from the roof of The Continental hotel after Ian McShane’s Winston shot him. Winston’s motivations weren’t entirely clear as he didn’t seem shocked that Mr. Wick got away and could be giving The High Table a false sense of security. Wick eventually lands at the feet of Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King, who had his organization taken away from him by The High Table and convinces John to go to war with him against the mysterious group of criminal syndicate puppet masters. 

The rest of the cast consists of Ian McShane as Winston, Lance Reddick as Charon and Laurence Fishburne back as the Bowery King, Donnie Yen (Mulan, Ip Man, Blade II, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Hiroyuki Sanada (Shogun, Westworld, Sunshine, The Last Samurai) as Watanabe, Clancy Brown (Highlander, The Punisher, Billions), Scott Adkins (The Expendables 2, Doctor Strange), Marko Zaror (Machete Kills, Alita: Battle Angel), Bill Skarsgard (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2), Shamier Anderson, and Japanese-British singer Rina Sawayama. 

John Wick 4 is set for release on May 27, 2022.

SOURCE: IMDB

Posted on in Television News

EXCLUSIVE: Lucasfilm’s ‘Willow’ Series Adds ‘Outlander’ Director Stephen Woolfenden

The Ronin can exclusively reveal that British director Stephen Woolfenden has joined Lucasfilm’s Willow series with production officially taking place in Wales. It’s unclear how many episodes he’ll be helming. The director’s television credits include Outlander, The Spanish Princess, Poldark, Doctor Who, Strike Back, and Fate: The Winx Saga.

Woolfenden also has an extensive career as a second unit director working on massive studio films such as Harry Potter & The Order of The Phoenix, Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows 1-2, Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts 3, Detective Pikachu, and The Legend of Tarzan.

Willow is a direct sequel to Ron Howard and George Lucas’ original 1988 fantasy film but is set decades after those events.

Warwick Davis is reprising the role of Willow Ufgood with new additions like Erin Kellyman (The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Green Knight) in the role of Jade, Ellie Bamber (Nocturnal Animals) playing Dove, Ruby Cruz (Castle Rock) taking the role of Kit after replacing Cailee Spaeny, and Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Dope, Spider-Man: Homecoming) in an undisclosed part.

Jonathan Entwistle, who is attached to direct the Power Rangers reboot at Paramount Pictures, is set to helm the pilot after Jon M. Chu (In The Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) exited the fantasy series to focus on a big screen adaptation of Wicked.

Willow is said to debut on Disney+ sometime in 2022.

WILLOW – Enter the world of Willow. Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, where dream and reality live side by side … to a place that never existed, a time that never was. It is a world where a young man named Willow lives out an adventure that explodes beyond the boundaries of his own hopes and fears.

Posted on in Television News

Live-Action ‘Harry Potter’ Series In Early Development At HBO Max

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that WarnerMedia is in early development on a Harry Potter/Potterverse series for HBO Max. Plot details aren’t mentioned, where it will take place in the franchise timeline, characters it will focus on or who will work on the series.

Essentially, it sounds like the series hasn’t exactly come together just yet and there is a chance it doesn’t even happen if these “exploratory meetings” don’t go anywhere.

A Harry Potter live-action TV series is in early development at HBO Max. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that executives at the WarnerMedia-backed streamer have engaged in multiple conversations with potential writers exploring various ideas that would bring the beloved property to television. Sources say broad ideas have been discussed as part of the early-stage exploratory meetings.

Filming is currently underway on Fantastic Beasts 3 in Watford, England, as the studio replaced Johnny Depp with Mads Mikkelsen for the role of villain Gellert Grindelwald. There are also two more Fantastic Beasts sequels also in the works at the studio.

It would be interesting if they’ll attempt another prequel series potentially set even before Fantastic Beasts or will attempt something more contemporary with new characters.

HBO Max has been looking to mine a bunch of film spinoff series including James Gunn’s Peacemaker, The Batman series focusing on Gotham PD, Dune: The Sisterhood, Overlook, and heap of other DC Comics projects.

We’ll keep our fingers crossed they’ll eventually announce other off-shoot shows such as one set in Godzilla vs. Kong‘s Monsterverse or taking place in the worlds of The Matrix and Mad Max. I’d personally would love to see a Matrix origin series that takes place during the war between humans and the machines.

It’s unknown how much involvement that J.K. Rowling will have on the untitled series, considering the franchise creator has been doubling-down on multiple anti-trans comments and endorsements. Making Rowling increasingly toxic to have attached to future projects.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

Mads Mikkelsen Officially Playing Franchise Villain Grindelwald In ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ and Beyond

In an official press release from Warner Bros., they have confirmed that Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Casino Royale, Hannibal, Doctor Strange) has replaced Johnny Depp as the Fantastic Beasts franchise villain Gellert Grindelwald. Depp announced his forced resignation of the role on social media and this led to a Deadline report that placed Mads as director David Yates’ top contender to fill the part.

Filming is already underway on Fantastic Beasts 3 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Watford, England.

He joins fellow cast members Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Callum Turner, William Nadylam, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Jessica Williams, Victoria Yeates, and Jude Law.

The studio is also developing Fantastic Beasts 4 and Fantastic Beasts 5. We have to assume that Mikkelsen will be playing the role in those films as well.

Fantastic Beasts 3 will be released on July 15th, 2022.

SOURCE: WARNER BROS.

Posted on in Film News

‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ To Release A Week After ‘Captain Marvel 2’ On July 15th, 2022

Today, Warner Bros. announced that their Potterverse film Fantastic Beasts 3 would be getting a new summer release date of July 15th, 2022. The sequel will be competing directly with Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel 2 in it’s second weekend of release.

It remains to be seen if Captain Marvel 2 keeps it’s July 8th, 2022 spot or if Warner Bros. moves Fantastic Beasts 3 again. The film’s previous release date was November 12th, 2021.

This comes after filming has already begun in England despite the announcement that Johnny Depp has officially exited the franchise as the main villain. The actor released a statement on his Instagram account last week that he was being forced to give up the role upon request of the studio.

There is an expectation that Warner Bros. will recast the Grindelwald role but has yet to make any formal announcements on Depp’s replacement.

SOURCE: WARNER BROS.

Posted on in Film News

Johnny Depp Officially Resigns Grindelwald Role In ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ – WB Will Recast

Johnny Depp won’t be in Fantastic Beasts 3 after all, the actor took to his Instagram account to make a public statement about the studio asking him to resign the role of villain Gellert Grindelwald.

You can read Johnny’s post below.

The studio is said to be looking to recast the role as filming has been underway at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Watford, England making it a little difficult to pivot to a new villain given how Grindelwald was being lined-up to be a baddie in the next three films.

Colin Farrell had played a version in the first installment before morphing into Johnny Depp and we’ll keep our fingers crossed they’ll go back to him, given how much hype the Irish actor is getting for playing The Penguin in The Batman with heavy special effects makeup.

It feels like Warner Bros. was waiting on the results of Johnny Depp’s libel court case against The Sun (concerning articles calling him a “wife beater”) before making any concrete calls, Depp had recently lost that trial and alludes in his statement to that being a reason for the exit.

There has also been some behind the scenes chatter that Depp will also be removed from Disney’s Pirates of The Caribbean franchise as well, despite two separate projects in the works from the studio.

Warner Bros. has also had to deal with multiple anti-trans comments from Fantastic Beasts franchise screenwriter and Harry Potter author/creator J.K. Rowling, the writer sticking to guns and seemingly inflaming upset fans by doubling-down on that transphobia.

Rowling and director David Yates had previously stood by Depp.

SOURCE: JOHNNY DEPP