Tag: Hobbs and Shaw

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Producer Says Dwayne Johnson Decided Not Be Involved With Future Main ‘Fast & Furious’ Movies After Filming ‘Fate Of The Furious’

Last month, while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Dwayne Johnson announced that he wouldn’t be reprising the Hobbs role in the next two films, Fast & Furious 10 and Fast & Furious 11. This made waves because there had been expectations from fans that Hobbs would appear in the final two installments.

“I laughed and I laughed hard. I think everyone had a laugh at that. And I’ll leave it at that. And that I’ve wished them well. I wish them well on Fast 9. And I wish them the best of luck on Fast 10 and Fast 11 and the rest of the Fast & Furious movies they do that will be without me,” Johnson told THR and revealed he won’t be involved with the final two movies.

Dwayne Johnson’s producing partner Hiram Garcia (Jungle Cruise, Black Adam, Hobbs & Shaw) has reiterated this with Collider, and revealed that Johnson had decided about not returning after filming The Fate of The Furious. He also confirmed that a sequel to Hobbs & Shaw is in early development.

“After filming Fast 8 DJ made the clear decision to close the Fast & Furious chapter for all the evident reasons. He wished them all well and shifted our focus on to other story telling avenues. So while he will not be in F10 or F11, that won’t in any way interfere with our Hobbs plans. Obviously all these characters exist in the Fast universe and we love to see all aspects of that universe thrive and succeed. We just have specific plans for what we want to do with the Hobbs character and I think the fans are going to love it! We’re working to deliver something very unique and fresh and we know the studio is eager for us to get into it ASAP!,” the producer told Collider.

I’m sure many will remember that there seemed to be clashes of egos on the set of Fate of The Furious between Vin Diesel and Johnson, that seemed to be brushed-off as some wrestling promo thing. However, it’s possible that Johnson does have issues with working Diesel and simply doesn’t want to add to that tension.

It’ll be interesting to see when Johnson and Jason Statham will be able to make their sequel, director David Leitch (Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde) has indicated a willingness to return.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

Posted on in Film News, News

Dwayne Johnson Says He Won’t Be Involved With ‘Fast & Furious 10’ Or ‘Fast & Furious 11’; Wishes Them “Best Of Luck”

Once upon a time, the Fast & Furious franchise had lost a bit of it’s mojo and attempted a bit of a resurrection by luring back Vin Diesel when his blockbuster career sort of fizzled-out. Universal Pictures eventually got the bright idea to start asking established movie stars to take supporting or villain roles in the franchise leading to Dwayne Johnson playing Hobbs that sort of signaled to other bigger names that is was okay to put their name to the franchise (which had been a complete joke at one point).

Later on, we’d see folks like Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, and John Cena get involved with the Fast franchise.

Interestingly enough, when it was time to start making spinoff films, Hobbs & Shaw was the first one to get made with the pairing of Johnson and Statham. The movie was a good gamble because it ended up earning $759 million at the global box office and a sequel is officially in the works.

There had been tension between stars Vin Diesel and Johnson (manufactured or not), but it seems real enough to the point that Dwayne hasn’t been involved with the movies since The Fate of The Furious. Well, the actor is promoting his big Disney movie Jungle Cruise that he stars alongside Emily Blunt and revealed to The Hollywood Reporter in an interview that he won’t be returning for Fast & Furious 10 or Fast & Furious 11, wishing them well.

“I laughed and I laughed hard. I think everyone had a laugh at that. And I’ll leave it at that. And that I’ve wished them well. I wish them well on Fast 9. And I wish them the best of luck on Fast 10 and Fast 11 and the rest of the Fast & Furious movies they do that will be without me,” Johnson told THR and revealed he won’t be involved with the final two movies.

F9: The Fast Saga has already earned an impressive global cume of $592.6 million at the box office, a large feat given most pandemic era blockbusters have struggled to turn a profit.

Dwayne Johnson recently wrapped on his DC Comics film Black Adam, a passion project that took well over a decade to get in front of cameras. His busy schedule likely means he can find other things to do and with the Hobbs & Shaw films can dip his toes back in the franchise if he really has the itch.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

‘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

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‘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

Posted on in Film News

‘Bullet Train’: Brad Pitt Action Movie Officially Adds ‘John Wick’ Cinematographer and ‘The Mandalorian’ Stunt Coordinator

Bullet Train is currently filming and director David Leitch has announced on Instagram the film’s production team will include cinematographer Jonathan Sela (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Transformers: The Last Knight), stunt coordinator Greg Rementer (The Mandalorian, Nobody, Hobbs & Shaw), and costume designer Sarah Evelyn (Hobbs & Shaw, Hollywood, American Horror Story).

He also confirmed The Ronin’s previous report that he would be reuniting with production designer David Scheunemann (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Gunpowder Milkshake).

The action is considered a big project at Sony Pictures which is reflected with it’s rather large and established cast. Bullet Train’s cast lineup 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), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad), 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 Sony Pictures has yet to give Bullet Train an official release date.

SOURCE: DAVID LEITCH

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‘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

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Brad Pitt’s ‘Bullet Train’ Enlists Logan Lerman and ‘Deadpool 2’ Production Designer David Scheunemann

There had been so many casting announcements concerning Sony’s upcoming assassin flick Bullet Train that they’ve been hard to keep track. But yesterday it was revealed by Deadline that Logan Lerman (Gamer, Fury, Hunters) has taken yet another undisclosed role in the action film directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, John Wick, Atomic Blonde).

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), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

Logan and Brad previously worked together on the WWII thriller Fury from David Ayer, so this will be a reunion of sorts for the two actors.

I’m starting to get a little concerned that Sony and Leitch have only hired two Asian actors of Japanese heritage out of the ten announced given that the film’s setting is supposed to be Tokyo, Japan. A location predominately populated by Japanese people and not westerners. Hopefully, they’ll start to notice how odd this looks to people and we’ll hear more Asian actors joining the cast.

Filming is taking place in Los Angeles under the working title of Haiku #87, a reference to the train in the action flick. The Ronin has learned that Leitch is expected to reunite with production designer David Scheunemann (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw), who recently worked on Karen Gillan’s Gunpowder Milkshake.

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

Posted on in Film News

Ryan Gosling and Director David Leitch Team On Stuntman Drama For Universal – Penned By ‘Iron Man 3’ Screenwriter Drew Pearce

Deadline is reporting actor Ryan Gosling has signed on to star in an untitled stuntman drama for Universal Pictures that will be directed by David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 3) from a script penned by Drew Pearce (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Iron Man 3, Hotel Artemis, Hobbs & Shaw). 

Plot details on the project are currently tight-lipped but Ryan previously played a stuntman in the thriller Drive for director Nicolas Winding Refn.

Universal landed the project with a seven-figure deal after reported interest from Netflix, Paramount Pictures, and MGM Studios.  

Leitch is currently making the Brad Pitt action flick Bullet Train for Sony Pictures. 

Gosling recently attached himself to a new Wolfman film from Invisible Man writer/director Leigh Whannell that is at Universal Pictures as well. 

Ryan is also set to co-star with Captain America actor Chris Evans on the Netflix spy thriller The Gray Man directed by The Russo Brothers, one of the most expensive films ever produced at the streaming service. 

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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‘Snake Eyes’ Actor Andrew Koji Joins Brad Pitt In David Leitch’s Action-Thriller ‘Bullet Train’ – Plays An Assassin

Deadline reports the latest addition to the upcoming Japanese-set action-thriller starring recent Oscar-winner Brad Pitt and directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, John Wick, Hobbs & Shaw), as Andrew Koji will play one of the many assassins in the film traveling on a Japanese bullet train. 

Koji is best known for his Cinemax series Warrior and will play the new Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe prequel film Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins for Paramount Pictures, which is expected to become a reoccurring franchise role as multiple G.I. Joe movies are in the works.

Joey King also has a role in the film. 

Filming on Bullet Train is expected to begin this fall in Los Angeles, California. 

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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‘Deadpool 2’ Director David Leitch’s Next Film Will Be Sony’s Japan-Set Action Film ‘Bullet Train’ – Eyes Fall Production Start

Director David Leitch has landed yet another studio action project according to The Hollywood Reporter. The co-director of John Wick will return to the world of assassins with Bullet Train for Sony Pictures and they’re hoping to begin sometime in the fall. 

They’ve also provided a brief idea of what to expect from the project. Its script is being handled by Fear Street screenwriter Zak Olkewicz. 

Bullet Train centers on a group of hitmen and assassins with conflicting motives on a train in Tokyo. 

Oddly enough, Bullet Train shares it’s title with an existing Japanese film from 1975 directed by Jun’ya Satô with legendary action stars Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter, Kill Bill) and Ken Takakura (Black Rain, The Yakuza) in leading roles. I’m curious if the original film from Japan will have any influence on this new project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1dO3Hjj8Lk

Sony is hopeful because of the contained setting of the project (on a train) they’ll be able to limit the number of people on set during the filming. 

David’s previous releases all have strong action sequences which has helped him gain the reputation of a solid action film director, thanks to his background in stunts.

At one point, Antoine Fuqua was attached to direct. 

The director has been putting together multiple deals to make multiple films at various studios, but I’m unsure if he’ll be able to make all of them. Here is a rundown of the other various projects that David has been reportedly attached to direct over the last year or so. 

  • A feature adaptation of the Ubisoft video game The Division for Netflix with Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star. 
  • A remake of the classic Bruce Lee martial arts action film Enter The Dragon for Warner Bros. Pictures. 
  • Undying Love, a vampire action film set in Hong Kong and based on the Image Comics property. 
  • A feature film remake of the classic David Carradine series Kung Fu. 

Leitch is also producing a string of upcoming releases such as the Universal action flick Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) coming to theaters on February 26th, 2021, the Toyko-set Netflix assassin film Kate starring Elizabeth Winstead (Birds of Prey), and the recently announced memory loss thriller for STX titled Fast & Loose. 

While sequels to Hobbs & Shaw, Atomic Blonde, and Deadpool 2 are said to be in early development stages. It remains to be seen if David will return to direct those projects. 

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER