Marvel Studios Searching For Screenwriters To Tackle Their ‘Blade’ Reboot Starring Mahershala Ali

Marvel Studios is reportedly finally seeking screenwriters to write their upcoming Blade reboot film starring two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali as Eric Brooks aka Blade, a Marvel Comics anti-hero that hunts/kills vampires and happens to be half-vampire himself.

The brief update comes from The Hollywood Reporter as Marvel is looking at black writers to tackle the horror superhero, although, no names were mentioned.

Current projects that studios are hoping to populate with Black behind-the-camera talent include Marvel’s Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali, which is looking for writers…

Before the epic casting announcement at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Marvel had an in-house draft back in 2013 that sprung-up from their writers program that was created to produce original scripts internally. The original version of the Guardians of The Galaxy script was penned by Nicole Perlman in the writers program ahead of the hiring of James Gunn. It’s unknown if they’ll even use that previous draft as a blueprint.

This news would confirm that Blade isn’t as far along in the development process as we previously thought.

Wesley Snipes previously played the role in three feature films from New Line Cinema and rapper Sticky Fingaz reprised the part for a short-lived television series for Spike TV. The rights eventually reverted back to Marvel and they had been sitting on them until Mahershala asked to play Blade when he met with Marvel. Blade is traditionally an R-rated character that was reworked for the big screen by Snipes, screenwriter David S. Goyer, and director Stephen Norrington.

BLADE – A half-mortal, half-immortal is out to avenge his mother’s death and rid the world of vampires. The modern-day technologically advanced vampires he is going after are in search of his special blood type needed to summon an evil god who plays a key role in their plan to execute the human race.

Marvel’s Kevin Feige has yet to confirm if they are aiming to make the new film for mature audiences or will go with a PG-13 route, given that they are dealing with vampires it would be difficult to have a large amount of blood, violence or gore.

Blade is currently without a director or a release date.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Remake of Nicole Kidman Horror Flick ‘The Others’ Lands At Universal

Deadline reports that Universal Pictures has landed the rights to The Others remake from Sentient Entertainment, as the two will partner on a reboot feature film.

The 2001 horror film from director Alejandro Amenabar starred Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman. Neither a writer nor director have been officially hired for the new incarnation.

THE OTHERS – Grace (Nicole Kidman), the devoutly religious mother of Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), moves her family to the English coast during World War II. She awaits word on her missing husband while protecting her children from a rare photosensitivity disease that causes the sun to harm them. Anne claims she sees ghosts, Grace initially thinks the new servants are playing tricks but chilling events and visions make her believe something supernatural has occurred.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Get Out’ Actress Allison Williams To Star In Robot Horror Flick ‘M3GAN’ From Blumhouse and James Wan

Deadline reports that Get Out star Allison Williams will be reuniting with Blumhouse for a new technology horror film titled M3GAN. Williams will star as the lead character, Gemma, a brilliant robotics scientist.

She will produce alongside James Wan’s Atomic Monster as well.

Williams plays Gemma, a brilliant roboticist at a toy company. She uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to be a kid’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. After unexpectedly gaining custody of her orphaned niece, Gemma enlists the help of the M3GAN prototype – a decision that has unimaginable consequences.

The project sounds interesting with a script penned by Akela Cooper (Malignant, The Nun 2, Luke Cage) based on a story by James Wan and will be directed by Gerard Johnstone (Housebound).

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Resident Evil’ Reboot Cast Officially Includes Kaya Scodelario As Claire Redfield and Hannah John-Kamen As Jill Valentine – Will Be Set In 1998

Constantin Film has announced via Deadline that the cast of their upcoming Resident Evil film reboot which includes Kaya Scodelario (Crawl) as Claire Redfield alongside Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ready Player One) as Jill Valentine, Robbie Amell (Upload) as Chris Redfield, Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy) as Albert Wesker, Avan Jogia (Zombieland: Double Tap) as Leon S. Kennedy, and Neal McDonough (Yellowstone, Band of Brothers, Captain America: The First Avenger) as William Birkin.

Johannes Roberts will be directing and it’s been confirmed that it will be an origin story taking place at Raccoon City in 1998.

Instead of continuing the Alice story from the Paul W.S. Anderson films they will going to be taking more of a traditional horror angle with the characters from the Capcom video game leading the film as Alice was created for the films.

RESIDENT EVIL (1996) – Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, members of an elite task force known as S.T.A.R.S., as they investigate the outskirts of Raccoon City following the disappearance of their team members. They soon become trapped in a mansion infested with zombies and other monsters.

Filming is confirmed to take place in the Toronto/Greater Toronto Area aka GTA along with talk of a shoot in New Zealand.

Daniel Richtman first mentioned Kaya was in the mix and The Illuminerdi first mentioned that Hannah was up for the Jill Valentine role.

There had been speculation that Kaya was joining the cast of Amazon’s Lord of The Rings series which seems to be debunked with this announcement.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Zac Efron’s New Dad Bod Lands Him Dad Role In ‘Firestarter’ Remake – Based On Stephen King Novel

Collider is reporting that Zac Efron has landed the role of Andy McGee in Blumhouse’s remake of the sci-fi action thriller Firestarter based on the Stephen King novel. Andy is the father of Charlie a young girl with telekinesis powers that include the ability to create fire out of thin air. Keith Thomas will direct a script penned by Halloween Kills screenwriter Scott Teems.

Zac Efron’s Netflix series Down To Earth turned heads when the actor revealed his “dad bod” which has led to him now playing dad roles.

The original 1984 film starred Drew Barrymore as Charlie.

Firestarter was a huge influence on the Netflix series Stranger Things.

Universal Pictures hasn’t given the film a release date.

FIRESTARTER – As youths, Andy McGee (David Keith) and his future wife, Vicky (Heather Locklear), participated in secret experiments, allowing themselves to be subjected to mysterious medical tests. Years later, the couple’s daughter, Charlie (Drew Barrymore), begins to exhibit the ability of setting fires solely with her mind. This volatile talent makes the youngster extremely dangerous and soon she becomes a target for the enigmatic agency known as “The Shop.”

SOURCE: COLLIDER

‘Resident Evil’ Reboot Film Adds ‘Shazam!’ Production Designer Jennifer Spence

The Ronin has been able to confirm that production designer Jennifer Spence has been hired for the Resident Evil reboot film, which is based on the classic Capcom zombie horror video games.

Jennifer’s extensive horror credits include Lights Out, Insidious: Chapter 2, Insidious: Chapter 3, Paranormal Activity 2, The Lords of Salem, Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4, Rob Zombie’s Lords of Salem, Annabelle: Creation, The Nun, and most recently The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

She also worked on DC Comics film Shazam! as well.

They’ve also added art director Tony Ianni, who does extensive work on the sci-fi series The Expanse as art director and now as the show’s production designer.

Some character tidbits that leaked suggested that the new film will focus mostly on iconic characters from the video game franchise rather than continuing the Alice story from the Paul W.S. Anderson films that starred Milla Jovovich.

There is a live-action Netflix series in development as well.

Filming is expected to begin in/around the Toronto area on October 13th and complete by December 19th.

Horror Flick ‘Candyman’ Bumped From October To 2021 By Universal

Universal Pictures has officially moved their new Candyman movie from Captain Marvel 2 director Nia DaCosta to unnamed spot in 2021 after a previous release date of October 16th. The move is likely due to the weak box office as theaters have slowly reopened and allows Candyman to have a theatrical release.

Nia also made the following statement on Twitter.

DACOSTA: “We made Candyman to be seen in theaters. Not just for the spectacle but because the film is about community and stories–how they shape each other, how they shape us. It’s about the collective experience of trauma and joy, suffering and triumph, and the stories we tell around it.”

“We wanted the horror and humanity of Candyman to be experienced in a collective, a community, so we’re pushing Candyman to next year, to ensure that everyone can see the film, in theaters, and share in that experience.”

The film has been called a “spiritual sequel” while I was able to dig up details about Candyman which includes them making the events of the original film canon in this new installment.

We’ll have to wait and see how long we’ll be expected to wait for the horror movie.

CANDYMAN – For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials. With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.

SOURCE: UNIVERSAL

Neve Campbell Finally Confirmed For ‘Scream 5’ Return and Other Cast Members Announced

Back in May, Scream franchise actress Neve Campbell confirmed talks with Spyglass Media for a return to the Sidney Prescott role in Scream 5. 

That interview was then deleted from YouTube and it was all but assumed that Campbell would be back after it was announced that original cast members David Arquette and Courtney Cox were returning for what looks to be a continuation of the satirical horror franchise. 

Yesterday, Bloody Disgusting was finally able to confirm Neve’s return. 

She’ll be joining a cast that also includes Jack Quaid, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Dylan Minnette, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Kyle Gallner, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Marley Shelton, and Mikey Madison. 

Ready or Not’s Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are directing from a script penned by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.

The original film from Wes Craven followed Sidney Prescott and her group of high school friends as a killer “Ghostface” is going around town killing students which leads to Cox’s tabloid reporter Gale Weathers to return to the town after writing a sleazy tell-all-book about the murder of Sidney’s mother. Craven’s take on the slasher was to be more of a send-up/satire of the genre itself and harped on the troupes as rules to stay alive.

I wouldn’t hold out any hope that the original characters will survive the new installment. 

The horror pic will be released on January 14th, 2022 by Paramount Pictures.

SOURCE: BLOODY DISGUSTING 

Zack Snyder’s Zombie Flick ‘Army of The Dead’ Getting A Prequel Movie and Anime Series Titled ‘Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas’

Netflix announced today via Variety that Zack Snyder’s upcoming zombie genre action flick Army of The Dead will be getting a prequel film and an “anime” series. 

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.

Army of The Dead’s 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, and Samantha Win. 

It was recently announced that stand-up comedian and actress Tig Notaro would be joining the film as well. 

Shay Hatten will write the prequel and anime series. 

Matthias Schweighöfer, who plays Ludwig Dieter will direct and focuses on his character. 

The anime series titled Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas follows Dave Bautista’s character with Jay Oliva (The Dark Knight Returns) showrunning and directing a couple of episodes. 

Most of the shows being labeled as anime by Netflix aren’t part of that genre and it seems to be a blanket marketing term used by the streaming service, we’ll have to wait and see if it applies to this show. 

SOURCE: VARIETY 

‘Scream 5’ Adds ‘The Boys’ Actor Jack Quaid – Releases January 2022

Variety has reported another new addition to the cast of Scream 5, as they’ve added Jack Quaid in an undisclosed role. Jack is best known for playing the comic book character Hughie Campbell in the Amazon Prime Video series The Boys, which will see it’s second season drop on September 4th.

Scream 5 is being called a reboot by certain trades but the title and returning cast would suggest it’s more of a continuation, if anything.

Officially, Courtney Cox and David Arquette will reprise their roles of reporter Gale Weathers and Sheriff Dewey Cox. Jack joins fellow new additions Melissa Barrera (In the Heights) and Jenna Ortega (Jane The Virgin).

Actress Neve Campbell confirmed talks for her return to play Sidney Prescott before that interview was ultimately deleted from YouTube. Her name has been absent from these casting reports, but it’s likely she’ll sign on.

Ready or Not’s Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are directing from a script penned by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.

The original film from Wes Craven followed Sidney Prescott and her group of high school friends as a killer “Ghostface” is going around town killing students which leads to Cox’s tabloid reporter Gale Weathers to return to the town after writing a sleazy tell-all-book about the murder of Sidney’s mother. Craven’s take on the slasher was to be more of a send-up/satire of the genre itself and harped on the troupes as rules to stay alive.

It’s expected that this new film will continue the cheeky tradition of being a satire.

I know my first thought is that Jack is more or less either going to play the killer or the stand-in for Jamie Kennedy’s video store character Randy.

The horror pic will be released on January 14th, 2022 by Paramount Pictures.

SOURCE: VARIETY