Tag: Netflix

Posted on in Film News

Charlize Theron Confirms She’ll Film ‘The Old Guard’ Sequel In 2022 & Vin Diesel Says A Cipher Spinoff Movie Is Being Written

While Oscar-winner Charlize Theron is fully embracing her era as an action star, she won’t be reprising the Furiosa role in George Miller’s prequel film that will begin shooting next month in Australia with Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, The Queen’s Gambit, Last Night In Soho) playing a younger incarnation of the character. However, Theron will have plenty of things on her plate for the foreseeable future.

Variety’s Mark Malkin has dished some interesting updates on Charlize Theron projects such as The Older Guard sequel that will begin shooting in the first quarter of 2022 and even development on a Cipher movie focused on her character from the recent Fast & Furious movies, according to franchise star Vin Diesel.

Charlize Theron tells me that the script is done for the sequel to The Old Guard, her Netflix film adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. Cameras will start rolling in the first quarter of 2022. The gay couple, played by Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli, will be back, too. “Oh, yeah!” Theron says. “They’re definitely there.” Meanwhile, Vin Diesel tells me that he has writers working on a Fast & Furious spinoff for Theron’s character, Cipher.

The Old Guard is a Netflix action movie based on the Greg Rucka (also wrote the script) comic book about a diverse group of immortals and was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball). According to Netflix, it was one of their most popular original feature films and a sequel felt like a given.

Given the box office successes of The Fate of The Furious and F9: The Fast Saga along with Hobbs & Shaw it feels like an obvious thing to give Theron her own film, but you’d hope that someone hires a better hairstylist for the actress. Other projects in the works at Universal Pictures is a Hobbs & Shaw sequel and a female-led film focused on Michelle Rodriguez’s character Letty Ortiz.

I’ll patiently wait for director David Leitch (Bullet Train, John Wick, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw) and Theron to reunite for an Atomic Blonde sequel.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Posted on in Film News

‘Knives Out 2’: Ethan Hawke Spotted On Set In Greece Confirming He Has Joined The Sequel’s Cast

This week saw the start of production on John Wick: Chapter 4, Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom, Black Panther: Wakanda, and Rian Johnson’s sequel to Knives Out. The latter has seen a bunch of set photos trickle-out over the last couple of days and they’ve revealed a brand new casting addition.

Daily Mail has posted a heap of set photos from Greece that confirms that Ethan Hawke has joined the massive cast. His participation in Knives Out 2 is a little odd since he was supposed to have a major role in Marvel’s Moon Knight series, shooting in another country would give the impression that his reported villain role was smaller than we have originally imagined.

The impressive cast of Knives Out 2 already consists of Daniel Craig (No Time To Die), Dave Bautista (Blade Runner 2049, Spectre, Guardians of The Galaxy, Army of The Dead), Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk, Rounders, Moonrise Kingdom), Janelle Monae (Moonlight, Hidden Figures), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision), Jessica Henwick (The Matrix 4, Game of Thrones), Kate Hudson (Almost Famous), Madelyn Cline, and Leslie Odom Jr. (Murder On The Orient Express, One Night In Miami).

Craig returns as the comedic Southern detective Benoit Blanc as it seems like a group of Americans are the target of a new murder mystery in Greece, I wouldn’t be terribly shocked if it involves another bunch of rich/entitled characters if the set photos are anything to go by.

When the Knives Out sequels were first announced they made headlines because when Netflix closed a massive deal with Johnson and Craig worth a massive $400 million to secure the next two installments.

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: THE DAILY MAIL

Posted on in Film News

Director Rian Johnson Announces He’s Started Shooting ‘Knives Out 2’ In Greece

Director Rian Johnson has taken to Twitter to officially announced that cameras have started rolling on Knives Out 2 in Greece.

The impressive cast of Knives Out 2 already consists of Daniel Craig (No Time To Die), Dave Bautista (Blade Runner 2049, Spectre, Guardians of The Galaxy, Army of The Dead), Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk, Rounders, Moonrise Kingdom), Janelle Monae (Moonlight, Hidden Figures), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision), Jessica Henwick (The Matrix 4, Game of Thrones), Kate Hudson (Almost Famous), Madelyn Cline, and Leslie Odom Jr. (Murder On The Orient Express, One Night In Miami).

The Ronin previously confirmed that cinematographer Steve Yeldin would reuniting, yet again, with Johnson for the sequel.

The setting of Greece would suggest that the sequel will likely focus on a murder in a hotel, cruise ship, or possibly among a group of American tourists.

The Knives Out sequels made headlines when Netflix closed a massive deal with Johnson and Craig worth a massive $400 million to secure the next two installments.

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: RIAN JOHNSON

Posted on in Film News

Tom Hardy Action Pic ‘Havoc’ Taps Timothy Olyphant & Jessie Mei Li For Roles; Helmed By ‘The Raid’ Director Gareth Evans

Netflix is developing a new crime action film from director Gareth Evans, the main man behind the two fantastic installments on The Raid franchise. The new project, Havoc, sounds like it will be a solid crime flick with Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker headlining the project.

The action pic takes place after a drug deal gone wrong and centers on a bruised detective who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.

Variety reports a string of casting additions have joined Havoc, they include Timothy Olyphant (The Mandalorian, Justified, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Justin Cornwell (Training Day, Umbrella Academy), Jessie Mei Li (Shadow & Bone, Last Night In Soho), Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann, Quelin Sepulveda, character actor Luis Guzmán (Boogie Nights, Carlito’s Way), Sunny Pang (Heatshot), and UFC MMA fighter Michelle Waterson.

The project is part of Evans’ exclusive deal with Netflix.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Posted on in Film News

David Fincher’s Action Thriller ‘The Killer’ Starring Michael Fassbender Aiming To Begin Shooting This November In Paris; Oscar-Winning Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt Confirmed

We couldn’t be more excited about David Fincher returning to the thriller genre and his upcoming film The Killer sounds like something fans can really get behind. It will see him work with actor Michael Fassbender as an assassin in adaptation of the Alexis Nolent’s graphic novel that will have a script from Se7en’s Andrew Kevin Walker.

A man solitary and cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, the killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. And yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he’s losing his mind, if not his cool. A brutal, bloody and stylish noir story of a professional assassin lost in a world without a moral compass, this is a case study of a man alone, armed to the teeth and slowly losing his mind.

Spanish outlet El Diario Vasco (via The Film Stage) spoke with Mank’s Oscar-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, who confirmed his involvement and that they’re hoping to begin shooting this November in Paris, France. Messerschmidt’s previous credits include Raised By Wolves, Legion, Fargo, and Mindhunter.

While not officially attached for a role, Mank actress Lily Collins was spotted meeting with David Fincher in Paris and could signal she’ll join Michael Fassbender in the thriller.

Fassbender has completed production on Taika Waititi’s sports drama Next Goal Wins and David Sandberg’s satirical action flick Kung Fury 2. His recent films Dark Phoenix, The Snowman, Alien: Covenant, and Assassin’s Creed haven’t be huge box office successes, I’m sure the actor is hopeful The Killer will have a greater impact with audiences.

While this is the first graphic novel/comic book adaptation for David Fincher, it won’t be his first attempt to tackle genre material as his first feature film was Alien 3 and had been trying to direct a sequel to Brad Pitt’s World War Z until things fell apart.

A release date has yet to be announced but the film is produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, and will hit Netflix at some point in 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpKbZ_3zlb0

SOURCE: EL DIARIO VASCO

Posted on in Film News

Netflix & Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Announce New Partnership To Develop Multiple New Films

Today, it was announced by streaming giant Netflix that they’ll be partnering with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners to develop multiple new films per year for the streaming service, which includes banners such as Amblin Entertainment, Amblin Television, and DreamWorks Pictures.

This likely means that Amblin is going be increasing it’s output of feature films and that upcoming projects such as their vampire flick Last Voyage of The Demeter along with ones still in development stages, could end up being released by Netflix and likely won’t have as much trouble getting financing. On paper it like a win-win for both media companies.

Here’s is the official press release.

Amblin Partners, the global film and television studio led by Steven Spielberg, and Netflix have announced a partnership that will cover multiple new feature films per year.

“At Amblin, storytelling will forever be at the center of everything we do, and from the minute Ted and I started discussing a partnership, it was abundantly clear that we had an amazing opportunity to tell new stories together and reach audiences in new ways. This new avenue for our films, alongside the stories we continue to tell with our longtime family at Universal and our other partners, will be incredibly fulfilling for me personally since we get to embark on it together with Ted, and I can’t wait to get started with him, Scott, and the entire Netflix team,” said Amblin Partners Chairman Steven Spielberg.

Netflix’s Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said, “Steven is a creative visionary and leader and, like so many others around the world, my growing up was shaped by his memorable characters and stories that have been enduring, inspiring and awakening. We cannot wait to get to work with the Amblin team and we are honored and thrilled to be part of this chapter of Steven’s cinematic history.”

The two companies previously worked together on the Academy Award-nominated The Trial of the Chicago 7, and are currently collaborating on Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein film, Maestro, which is in pre-production.

It’ll be interesting to see what this means for Amblin’s participation with the theatrical experience and this is a sign they could end up walking away completely, outside of deals with Universal Pictures and Disney.

Amblin’s recent projects include the Paramount+ sci-fi action series Halo debuting in 2022, James Mangold’s Indiana Jones 5 at Disney, and Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion at Universal Pictures.

SOURCE: NETFLIX

Posted on in Television News

‘Terminator’: Showrunner Mattson Tomlin Shares Update On His Netflix Anime Series Being Made By ‘Ghost In The Shell’ Animation Studio

Writer Mattson Tomlin might not be a household name but he’s been behind the Netflix superhero flick Project Power and co-wrote Robert Pattinson’s The Batman with director Matt Reeves. One of his upcoming projects that people seem to have forgotten he’s involved with is a Netflix anime series from Japan’s Production I.G set in the dystopian cyberpunk world of James Cameron’s Terminator that launched in 1984.

Well, the writer/showrunner has teased that he’s completed a draft or currently working on one as the title page credits both James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd.

THE TERMINATOR – Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent to protect Sarah is Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who divulges the coming of Skynet, an artificial intelligence system that will spark a nuclear holocaust. Sarah is targeted because Skynet knows that her unborn son will lead the fight against them. With the virtually unstoppable Terminator in hot pursuit, she and Kyle attempt to escape.

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY – In this sequel set eleven years after “The Terminator,” young John Connor (Edward Furlong), the key to civilization’s victory over a future robot uprising, is the target of the shape-shifting T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a Terminator sent from the future to kill him. Another Terminator, the revamped T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), has been sent back to protect the boy. As John and his mother (Linda Hamilton) go on the run with the T-800, the boy forms an unexpected bond with the robot.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Japanese animation company Production I.G, they were behind the original Ghost In The Shell, Ghost In Shell 2: Innocence, Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Ghost In The Shell: Arise, Blood: The Last Vampire, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth, Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion, and they made the anime segment in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol.1 that covered the origin of O’Ren Ishii.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ji2-_wdUY

SOURCE: MATTSON TOMLIN

Posted on in Television News

Netflix Hires ‘Die Hard’ & ‘Leviathan’ Screenwriter Jeb Stuart For Their Live-Action ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Series; Recently Worked On ‘Vikings: Valhalla’

Netflix is looking to bring Ubisoft’s video game franchise Assassin’s Creed to the small screen and have reportedly landed on a well-known action film writer to tackle the upcoming live-action series.

The open world games explore the war between the rival secret orders of the Assassins and the Templars as they use advanced machines to access the genetic memories of Assassins in different periods of the past to track down powerful artifacts called Pieces of Eden.

According to a report from Variety, Netflix has tasked writer Jeb Stuart for the new show and had recently worked with the streaming service giant for Vikings: Valhalla. His screenwriting credits are the iconic action flick Die Hard that established Bruce Willis’ acting career, the genre-bending/underrated Leviathan, Harrison Ford’s The Fugitive, Another 48 Hours, and Sly Stallone’s Lock Up.

Casting information hasn’t been announced but it sounds like it hasn’t been given an official series order at this time.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Posted on in Film News

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.

Posted on in Film News

‘Knives Out 2’: Rian Johnson Adds ‘Outer Banks’ Star Madelyn Cline To The Growing Cast

Another potential murder suspect has been added to the cast of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out sequel.

The impressive cast of Knives Out 2 consists of Daniel Craig (No Time To Die), Dave Bautista (Blade Runner 2049, Spectre, Guardians of The Galaxy, Army of The Dead), Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk, Rounders, Moonrise Kingdom), Janelle Monae (Moonlight, Hidden Figures), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision), Kate Hudson (Almost Famous), and Leslie Odom Jr. (Murder On The Orient Express, One Night In Miami).

A new casting report from Deadline mentions that Madelyn Cline has landed a part in Knives Out 2, which will begin shooting later this month in Greece.

Craig will officially reprise the role of detective Benoit Blanc for at least two more films and the scenic filming location of Greece would lead to speculation there has been a murder at some sort of hotel or cruise ship. This is increasingly bolstered by the majority of American cast members in the sequel.

The second film isn’t expected to have any members of the Thrombey family return.

The Knives Out sequels made headlines when Netflix closed a massive deal with Johnson and Craig worth a massive $400 million to secure the next two installments.

The Ronin previous confirmed that Johnson will reunite with his longtime cinematographer Steve Yedlin.

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