‘Normal’: Action Western Flick From ‘John Wick’ Creator Teams Bob Odenkirk With ‘Free Fire’ Director Ben Wheatley

John Wick” creator/screenwriter Derek Kolstad has countless projects in the works including a sequel to the Bob Odenkirk action pic “Nobody,” but that won’t be the only project with Odenkirk on the horizon as Deadline has revealed he’s written a western project for the “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” actor with the project heading into the European Film Market as it seeks financier/distribution partners. The kicker is that British genre filmmaker Ben Wheatley (“Kill List”) is attached to direct the movie.

The outlet included the following synopsis of the western actioner that sees Odenkirk in the role of a small-town sheriff:

Thrust into the temporary role of the sheriff for the small sleepy town Normal after the previous one’s untimely death. When the town’s bank is robbed by an out-of-town couple, Ulysses arrives on the scene to find that the town is hiding much more sinister deep-seated secrets under its surface and everyone – from the bartender to the priest – is in on it. And now Ulysses, who’s up-till-now focused only on running away from the demons of his past, must uncover the full extent of this criminal conspiracy.   

Wheatley isn’t a stranger to the action genre with “Free Fire” which starred Cillian Murphy and Brie Larson, an A24 action-comedy focused on an illegal gun sale in 1970s Boston that goes south real quick. He also recently worked with Jason Statham on the gonzo Megalodon movie, “The Meg 2.”

Other than being the architect of the popular “John Wick” franchise Kolstad is also involved with a “Hitman” series, a standalone “Dungeons & Dragons” series, a “Streets of Rage” movie adaptation at Lionsgate, a feature film based on manga/anime “Hellsing,” a potential reunion with director Chad Stahelski for a remake of “Man From Nowhere,” and was one part of the writing team on Marvel’s “The Falcon & The Winter Soldier.”

Production details and a timeline is unclear at the moment as there had been some signals that “Nobody 2” would be heading in front of cameras shortly.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Sterling K. Brown To Lead Amazon Action Pic ‘Coyote Blue’ Penned By ‘John Wick’ Creator Derek Kolstad

Amazon Studios and John Wick creator Derek Kolsad are teaming up for an original action film.

Variety reports that Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us) will lead the pic titled Blue Coyote, which will see Brown playing a man on the run from a group of ruthless criminals, but as seen in other Kolstad projects he has a certain set of lethal skills that will be begrudging be used at some point against his would-be killers.

The story revolves around an everyman (Brown) who’s hunted by a ruthless criminal syndicate for his mysterious cargo, and now must navigate the treacherous terrain of Route 66 while unleashing his lethal set of skills in a fight for survival.

Coyote Blue will be the feature film debut for television director Hanelle M. Culpepper, who has worked on Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Kung Fu, American Crime, Mayans M.C., Samuel L. Jackson’s Apple TV+ limited series The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, and the upcoming Amazon series adaptation of Neil Gaimen’s Ansani Boys.

Sterling K. Brown is no stranger to action projects with credits such as Hotel Artemis, The Predator, The Rhythm Section, and had a brief role in Marvel’s billion-dollar hit Black Panther playing the father of Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger.

Kolstad was recently behind the Bob Odenkirk actioner Nobody (sequel in early development) and worked with head writer Malcolm Spellman on Marvel’s hit streaming series The Falcon & The Winter Soldier.

With Culpepper busy with Amazon’s Anasni Boys, it’s unknown when we can expect Blue Coyote to begin shooting.

Still, it’s interesting to see Sterling K. Brown make the big jump to action lead and should be a fun ride given how he’s grown as a solid actor over the years. We don’t normally see seasoned actors given these type of roles and Brown’s involvement should easily elevate the material, just like with Bob Odenkirk in Nobody.

SOURCE: VARIETY

‘Nobody 2’: Sequel To Bob Odenkirk Action Flick In The Works From ‘John Wick’ Screenwriter Derek Kolstad

While John Wick franchise creator Derek Kolstad has stated he won’t be involved with the writing of John Wick: Chapter 4 or John Wick: Chapter 5, he’s apparently going to be busy writing a sequel to the Bob Odenkirk action movie Nobody.

The development news comes from Nobody director Ilya Naishuller (Hardcore Henry) speaking with genre outlet Jo Blo, as he has confirmed that Derek Kolstad is already working on a script, hoping it will be greenlit.

“There’s plenty of stories that can be told in this world, with the character Hutch. I know that Derek (Kolstad – the writer) has begun work on the sequel,” Naishuller told the outlet.

Kolstad recently worked on Marvel’s hit Disney+ series The Falcon & The Winter Soldier among other high-profile IP projects.

While Nobody certainly felt like low-budget John Wick, it still seemed to find an audience and a lot of people enjoyed it. Considering the budget was only $16 million and earned $61.5 million globally during the pandemic, they could crank out a bunch of these R-rated movies and I’m sure Universal Pictures would be happy with the results.

With Bob Odenkirk’s series Better Call Saul wrapping-up, he’ll have a large opening in his filming schedule to accommodate sequels. I’m also curious if producer David Leitch will attempt to connect Nobody to his other action movies like Atomic Blonde, Kate, Bullet Train, or the John Wick franchise since crossovers could be the next big kick.

NOBODY – Hutch Mansell fails to defend himself or his family when two thieves break into his suburban home one night. The aftermath of the incident soon strikes a match to his long-simmering rage. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must now save his wife and son from a dangerous adversary — and ensure that he will never be underestimated again.

SOURCE: JO BLO

Brad Pitt Assassin Pic ‘Bullet Train’ Releases April 2022

Sony Pictures has finally given a release date for their Japanese-set action movie Bullet Train. The project stars Oscar-winner Brad Pitt (Killing Them Softly, Inglourious Basterds, Fight Club, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as an assassin named Ladybug, that is travelling on a bullet train in Japan, only to face a wave of murderous fellow assassins.

Bullet Train will hit theaters on April 8, 2022, as announced by the studio via Deadline.

It was helmed by stuntman-turned-director David Leitch and has been hyped-up for the amount of in-camera stunt work Brad Pitt did on the film, similar to how Keanu Reeves did a lot of his own stunt work on the John Wick films thanks to months of intense training and prep.

Leitch co-directed the original John Wick only to move on as a solo filmmaker with credits such as Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and his next project is the memory loss thriller Fast & Loose starring Oscar-winner Will Smith. He produced Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody and Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Kate at Netflix coming out in September.

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), Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock (Gravity, Speed), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven The Hunter, 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.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

First Images of Tokyo-Set Action Flick ‘Kate’ Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead & Produced By David Leitch

John Wick co-director David Leitch is producing a handful of action films with the recent success of Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody are likely going to be on folks’ radar from now on. Leitch is also behind Atomic Blonde, Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2, and was recently working with Brad Pitt on the Sony flick Bullet Train.

One of the other productions produced by Letich is the Netflix film Kate that stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, as Kate, a criminal that is poisoned in Tokyo, Japan and has 24 hours to dish-out revenge before she dies.

After she’s irreversibly poisoned, a ruthless criminal operative (Winstead) has less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her enemies and in the process forms an unexpected bond with the daughter of one of her past victims.

The first images have been released by Entertainment Weekly showing off the film’s slick visual style.

The rest of the cast includes Woody Harrelson (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, True Detective), Michiel Huisman (The Haunting of Hill House), Tadanobu Asano (Thor: Ragnarok, Mortal Kombat, Midway), Jun Kunimura (Rain), Miyavi Lee Ishihara (Unbroken, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), and newcomer Miku Martineau as Ani.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead isn’t a stranger to genre projects with credits such as 10 Cloverfield Lane, Fargo, Live Free or Die Hard, the DC Comics film Birds of Prey playing The Huntress. The Thing (2011), Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Gemini Man, Black Christmas, and Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof.

Another female led action flick on the horizon is Karen Gillan’s Gunpowder Milkshake, which is being released by Netflix.

SOURCE: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Rundown of 2021 Movies That Have Been Given New Release Dates

No Time To Die wasn’t the only studio film to get a bump to later in the year as there were a wave of release changes yesterday. The COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t seem to be letting up over the spring or possibly the summer meaning that theatrical releases are going to be further delayed.

Here is a rundown of those releases changes that took place over the week.

  • Godzilla vs. Kong – March 26th, 2021 (moved up)
  • Nobody – April 2nd, 2021
  • BIOS – August 13th, 2021
  • The Many Saints of Newark – September 24th, 2021
  • No Time To Die – October 8th, 2021
  • Last Night In Soho – October 22nd, 2021
  • Antlers – October 29th, 2021
  • Ghostbusters: Afterlife – November 11th, 2021
  • Nightmare Alley – December 3rd, 2021
  • Morbius – January 21st, 2022
  • Uncharted – February 11th, 2022
  • Ambulance – February 18th, 2022

We’re likely to get more release date changes in the coming weeks as summer movies alongside other spring films might be getting pushed later in the year or to 2022. I wouldn’t be terribly shocked if we saw new dates for films such big films as Black Widow, Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Spider-Man 3, F9, The King’s Man, Top Gun: Maverick, Jungle Cruise and others.

I know people are going to assume that studios will simply throw these projects on streaming services, however, considering the large budgets involved they will be more interested in turning a profit than offloading the films from their slates, they are still businesses that need to generate revenue. Until we get those official announcements it seems a little premature to speculate which projects will end up on streaming as plenty of these releases escaped that fate in 2020 and might continue that in 2021.

I personally believe the best way to go is with reasonable prices for multiple digital renting and buying options along with great access to those choices. Having access to these films suck behind a paywall then given high price of $30 like with what Disney did with Mulan meant that Disney+ subscribers still had to pay a premium price alongside their monthly subscription. At the very least, they should have given a discount to subs asking for $10-20.

We’ll certainly update when further changes are announced.

‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Series In Development From ‘John Wick’ Creator Derek Kolstad – Multiple Projects In The Works

As production is expected to begin soon in Belfast, Northern Ireland for a new live-action Dungeons & Dragons movie from Paramount Pictures, more projects within the fantasy table-top franchise is reportedly in the works. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Hasbro/eOne is now in the early stages of development on a series with the help of writer Derek Kolstad.

Derek Kolstad, the creator and writer behind the John Wick franchise, has been tapped to pen and develop a pitch for a live-action series based on the Dungeons & Dragons universe.

A screenwriter with massive action chops, Derek is best known for creating the successful John Wick franchise at Lionsgate starring Keanu Reeves, he’s also worked on Marvel’s The Falcon & The Winter Soldier and the Bob Odenkirk action flick Nobody that will be released by Universal next month.

They also mention that other writers are working on multiple other projects, but they stopped short from naming who they are and what they’re developing. This sounds a lot like how a handful of Transformers projects were developed all at once for Hasbro/Paramount, using a writers’ room format to hash-out many different film projects. While there are plenty of stories within the umbrella of the Dungeons & Dragons mythology, it’s unknown if the series will be something original or connected to various table top modules or existing stories/characters.

Paramount’s feature film starring Star Trek actor Chris Pine will be directed by with a release date of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the duo behind the comedy Game Night. More casting announcements are expected within the coming weeks/months.

The fantasy genre is getting many high-profile television projects with a Lord of The Rings and Wheel of Time series at Amazon, both expected to have large budgets. HBO is about to begin production on their Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon this spring. Streaming giant Netflix has their The Witcher series adaptation starring Henry Cavill that is in the middle of filming Season 2 with another spin-off show in the works and they also recently secured film/television rights to Robert E. Howard’s iconic fantasy character Conan.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

‘Nobody’: Bob Odenkirk Spent Two Years Training Including Hundreds of Hours Learning Fight Choreography Before Production Even Started

After the exciting trailer for Bob Odenkirk‘s action film Nobody it’s pretty interesting to hear him confirm he spent two years training for the film even before they shot a single frame. Here is what he had to say during a recent interview with IGN.

ODENKIRK: “I trained for two years before we started shooting. I knew I had a long way to go. I was a comedy writer for 25 years so I didn’t even exercise for most of my life. We weren’t trying to develop a superhero body. I look like a dad, I look like a regular guy. Maybe I eat fewer hamburgers than you, but I still eat hamburgers. I said, when this guy gets hurt I want that pain to linger. So many times people get punched and they shake it off and they’re fine. I wanted him to feel all the impact of the fighting and violence.”

They also reveal Bob spent hundreds of hours in the gym practicing the choreography for the fights which is going to be intense with the creator of John Wick, Derek Kolstad, writing the script and David Leitch producing the film, the action scenes had to be at next level than an average action flick. You might remember seeing behind the scenes videos for Keanu Reeves prepping for John Wick or Charlize Theron doing similar training for Atomic Blonde.

NOBODY – Sometimes the man you don’t notice is the most dangerous of all. Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, The Post, Nebraska) stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody. When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe, The Shack), is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen, Wonder Woman), seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary (famed Russian actor Aleksey Serebryakov, Amazon’s McMafia)—and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again. Nobody is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ilya Naishuller (Hardcore Henry), from a script by Derek Kolstad, the narrative architect of the John Wick franchise, and co-stars legendary Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd as Hutch’s father and multi-hyphenate musician-actor RZA as Hutch’s brother, whose own hidden talents aid Hutch in his quest for vengeance.

Universal had planned on releasing the film on February 19th, 202 but have pushed to February 26th.

SOURCE: IGN

‘Bullet Train’: Rapper Bad Bunny Joins Brad Pitt Action Flick Currently Filming In Los Angeles

Production is already underway on Sony’s big action film Bullet Train in Los Angeles, Californi and the new additions to the film’s cast keep rolling in from Deadline.

The outlet reports that rapper Bad Bunny has nabbed an undisclosed role.

Starring Oscar-winner Brad Pitt and directed by David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, John Wick, Deadpool 2), the action flick 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), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

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).

Recently, a bad ass trailer for an upcoming action movie titled Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk was released by Universal Pictures which is also produced by David Leitch and worth checking out as it was led by Bullet Train‘s stunt coordinator.

NOBODY – When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe), is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen), seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary (famed Russian actor Aleksey Serebryakov)—and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again.

A release date has yet to be announced by Sony Pictures for Bullet Train.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

TRAILER: Bob Odenkirk Channels Keanu Reeves To Become A Full-On Badass In ‘Nobody’ – From The Architect of The ‘John Wick’ Franchise

NOBODY – Sometimes the man you don’t notice is the most dangerous of all. Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, The Post, Nebraska) stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody. When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe, The Shack), is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen, Wonder Woman), seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary (famed Russian actor Aleksey Serebryakov, Amazon’s McMafia)—and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again. Nobody is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ilya Naishuller (Hardcore Henry), from a script by Derek Kolstad, the narrative architect of the John Wick franchise, and co-stars legendary Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd as Hutch’s father and multi-hyphenate musician-actor RZA as Hutch’s brother, whose own hidden talents aid Hutch in his quest for vengeance.

Universal had planned on releasing the film on February 19th, 202 but have pushed to February 26th.

SOURCE: IGN