Tag: Rebecca Ferguson

Posted on in Film News, News

Rebecca Ferguson Explains Her Exit From ‘Mission: Impossible’ Franchise & Downplays Miraculous Return For Ilsa Faust

The “Mission: Impossible” franchise is in a very odd place at the moment after “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” didn’t do as well as expected compared to “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” and took a bit of a nosedive in regards to the film’s global box office earnings. It made about $222.3 million less than the last movie leading Paramount to ditch the “Dead Reckoning Part 2” title for the 8th installment they have nixed that entirely for a new/unknown title to be revealed at a later date. Production is still underway on “Mission: Impossible 8” and one franchise alum has indicated they won’t be magically coming back anytime soon.

Rebecca Ferguson, who has played the rogue British spy Ilsa Faust for three installments for writer/director Christopher McQuarrie starting with “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” is now doing the promotional tour for “Dune: Part Two” and might have explained the reasoning behind Faust’s death in “Dead Reckoning.” The actress dished to Entertainment Tonight (See video below) that her three-picture deal with the studio had expired and decided it was her time to leave to focus on other projects.

“Do you remember when we talked about those three-picture deals in Hollywood? So, sometimes they end and actors have the possibility to saying ‘yes or no.’ We were at that point and ‘Mission’ is such a huge dedication. I’ve done it and it’s fantastic. [McQurrie] and Tom wrote this fantastic character but there is only so much you can do with a character, I find. You know, I’m entitled to my own opinion in this. I want her to go rogue I’m interested in the dark side I don’t want a ‘team member’ it’s not interesting for me and I felt that was where we were heading. It takes a lot of time to make ‘Mission’ it is blood, sweat, and tears doing those films. And by now I’ve done a TV show and two movies, they’re still on [‘Mission: Impossible 8’].”

When asked if she is totally out, “That’s it, you never know.”

Faust had been a character many fans and journalists had assumed could have taken over the franchise, had star/producer Tom Cruise decided to end his tenure of Ethan Hunt given that the aging action star has been mulling over plans elsewhere including a new development deal at Warner Bros. that could lead to new franchise ventures. That said, Ferguson isn’t struggling for work with the Apple TV+ series “Silo,” could be returning to Arrakis for Denis Villeneuve‘s “Dune Messiah,” and previously lined up the lead role in the fantasy revenge flick “Best Served Cold” from director Tim Miller (“Deadpool”).

“Dune: Part Two” will debut in theaters on March 1 and is expected to open with a much larger fanfare than the original one.

SOURCE: ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT

Posted on in Film News, News

Rebecca Ferguson To Star In Skydance’s Fantasy Revenge Flick ‘Best Served Cold’ From ‘Deadpool’ Director Tim Miller

“Deadpool” and “Terminator: Dark Fate” director Tim Miller has finally found his next big feature film project after spending his time recently on the acclaimed animated anthology series “Love Death + Robots” at Netflix that he co-produces with David Fincher. The new project is based on the fantasy revenge novel “Best Served Cold” from author Joe Abercrombie and landed an A-list actress to lead it.

Deadline has revealed that Rebecca Ferguson has been enlisted to play the film’s heroine. Ferguson is no stranger to genre projects becoming a main staple of the “Mission Impossible” franchise along with the two “Dune” films. She’ll play the legendary mercenary Monza Murcatto, who is the aforementioned revenge seeker of the story. Abercrombie has also penned the script and has previously worked with Miller on “Love Death + Robots.”

There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king. War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso’s employ, it’s a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular – a shade too popular for her employer’s taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto’s reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die. Her allies include Styria’s least reliable drunkard, Styria’s most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that’s all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started…

While an actual distributor home isn’t named in the report, Skydance has been expanding it’s reach on streaming services such as Apple, Netflix, and Amazon. They do still put out theatrical releases for Paramount Pictures but there is a really good chance this project does end up on streaming. Given Ferguson’s hit series “Silo” is an Apple TV+ success, we shouldn’t be terrible shocked if it lands there.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Mission: Impossible 7’ Has Finally Wrapped After A Long & Exhausting Shoot

Christopher McQuarrie has taken to Instagram to announce that they’ve finally finished production on Mission: Impossible 7 starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. This after almost a year and a half of filming with various pauses/hiccups due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mission: Impossible 7 is part one of a two part story with Mission: Impossible 8 expected to shoot a some point, but likely won’t get going anytime soon as it was reported that it will no-longer shoot back-to-back. Given the lengthy production on this film, we shouldn’t be surprised.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTrSQEas8-U/

The rest of the sequel’s cast includes Esai Morales, Rebecca Ferguson (Dune), Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger), Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby (Hobbs & Shaw), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.2), Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire), Henry Czerny (Mission: Impossible, Clear & Present Danger), Cary Elwes (Saw, Stranger Things), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Obi-Wan Kenobi), Rob Delaney (Deadpool 2), Charles Parnell (The Last Ship), and British character actor Mark Gatiss (Sherlock).

Filming took place in London, Rome, Abu Dhabi, and Norway.

Paramount Pictures recently bumped the film’s release date to September 30, 2022 after putting Top Gun: Maverick in it’s previous spot of May 27, 2022.

SOURCE: CHRISTOPHER MCQUARRIE

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Dune’: Jason Momoa Wants 4-To-6-Hour Extended Cut To Be Released; “I Don’t Want It To Be Trimmed”

We’ve been hearing a lot about extended or director’s cuts being championed recently. And it sounds like Dune has a much longer cut and actor Jason Momoa is getting behind the idea of releasing the four-to-six-hour incarnation allowing people to watch Denis Villeneuve’s longer version like a television.

Momoa’s comments were made during a chat with the New York Times and seemingly echoes how HBO Max released the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League.

“It was a cool movie. You know what they need to do? They need to make the four-to-six hour version of the first half. It’s like, ‘Let’s watch the four-to-five-hour movie like a TV show; I can choose when I want to watch the whole thing.’ I want to see Denis’s whole vision. I don’t want it to be trimmed,” Momoa told the New York Times about his interest of seeing the extended cut of Dune being released.

This idea of Dune being watched as a television show isn’t that far-fetched, as there was a miniseries adaptation by the Sci-Fi Channel and HBO Max/Legendary are developing a new streaming series, Dune: The Sisterhood.

Dune, part one of two installments covering the original novel by Frank Herbert, will be officially released in theaters and HBO Max on October 22.

DUNE – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Dune’s cast consists of Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”), Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “Avengers: Infinity War”), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Avengers: Endgame”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” HBO’s “Euphoria”), David Dastmalchian (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Dark Knight”), Chang Chen (“Mr. Long,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Netflix’s “Sex Education”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”).

SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES

Posted on in Film News, News, Trailers

TRAILER: Sci-Fi Epic ‘Dune’ Is Coming October 22; Fight Like Demons

Today, Warner Bros. has released the main trailer for Denis Villleneuve’s Dune, based on the first half of the classic Frank Herbert sci-fi fantasy novel. It will hit both theaters and HBO Max on October 22 with Legendary hoping that it will turn into a franchise as a sequel covering the second half of the book in already in development and an HBO Max series Dune: The Sisterhood has been announced as well.

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

The film stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”), Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “Avengers: Infinity War”), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Avengers: Endgame”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” HBO’s “Euphoria”), Chang Chen (“Mr. Long,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), David Dastmalchian (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Dark Knight”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Netflix’s “Sex Education”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”).

SOURCE: WARNERMEDIA

Posted on in Film News

Warner Bros. Bumps Release Of Denis Villeneuve’s Sci-Fi Epic ‘Dune’ To October 22

While folks will get a chance to see early screenings of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, Warner Bros. has officially delayed the film’s mainstream release from October 1 to October 2. The news mentioned by Aaron Couch from The Hollywood Reporter on his Twitter account.

This release date update likely won’t make sci-fi fans like myself happy but folks need to understand that studios will continue to shift release dates over 2021. I wouldn’t be shocked if we see even more changes from Warner Bros. in the coming weeks and months.

Legendary is hoping that Dune becomes a big hit for them as they’re already developing Dune: Part Two based on the second half of the original Frank Herbert novel and an HBO Max series, Dune: The Sisterhood, is also in the works. There are six books in the original run from Frank Herbert and countless other books set within the Dune universe to pull from if Legendary wants to make a heap of sequels and shows. They have plenty of source material to work with.

DUNE – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, DUNE tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

The film stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”), Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “Avengers: Infinity War”), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Avengers: Endgame”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” HBO’s “Euphoria”), David Dastmalchian (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Dark Knight”), Chang Chen (“Mr. Long,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Netflix’s “Sex Education”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”).

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

Jason Momoa Calls ‘Dune’ A “Masterpiece” & “Beautiful” After Watching The Sci-Fi Fantasy Epic With His Kids

Jason Momoa will begin shooting his Aquaman sequel Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom over the summer for director James Wan, but while speaking with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show he couldn’t help to gush about viewing his other big film, Dune, with his children. He went on to praise Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and called the film a “masterpiece.”

“It is a masterpiece, I’ve never been on something of that scope, Denis [Villeneuve] is a genius. I got to see it, it’s really cool because my kids are up here and took them to it. First time I got to see something like that with my kids, it’s very adult movie but it’s so beautiful, the cast is massive,” Jason Momoa told Jimmy Fallon.

Fallon also reiterating that Dune will indeed a hybrid release on October 1 heading to both theaters and HBO Max, an obvious note from WarnerMedia when the project was brought-up and promoted by the two.

Luckily, for Dune fans it won’t end with this single film as Denis Villeneuve is attached to return for Dune: Part Two (an adaptation of the second half of the first novel) and had been expected to helm episodes of the HBO Max series Dune: The Sisterhood.

DUNE – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, DUNE tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

The film stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”), Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “Avengers: Infinity War”), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Avengers: Endgame”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” HBO’s “Euphoria”), David Dastmalchian (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Dark Knight”), Chang Chen (“Mr. Long,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Netflix’s “Sex Education”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”).

SOURCE: FALLON

Posted on in Television News

‘Dune’ Actress Rebecca Ferguson To Star In Sci-Fi Series ‘Wool’ For Apple TV+

Today, it was announced that Apple TV+ and AMC Studios are teaming on a series adaptation of the Hugh Howey sci-fi dystopian trilogy of novels that focuses on a community of survivors living underground in a ruined world, titled Wool, and they have selected British actress Rebecca Ferguson to play the lead role of Juliette with Graham Yost (Band of Brothers) writing and Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Games) directing.

Rebecca is best known for her role in the Mission: Impossible franchise and will be next seen in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune remake in the role of Lady Jessica this October. Legendary is already developing a second Dune film to focus on the second half of the first novel and would allow Rebecca to reprise her part in the sci-fi epic. The studio is also working on an HBO Max series Dune: The Sisterhood, but there hasn’t been any word on casting for that series.

Ferguson recently shot Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible 7 during the pandemic and is assumed to return for the production of Mission: Impossible 8 later this year.

Some of the other Apple TV+ shows I’m anticipating is the Isaac Asimov adaptation Foundation alongside the WWII series Masters of The Air from producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

Below is the official press release from Apple.

Apple TV+ today announced a series order for “Wool,” a world building drama series based on Hugh Howey’s New York Times bestselling trilogy of dystopian novels that will star Rebecca Ferguson (“Dune,” “Mission: Impossible” films), who will also serve as executive producer. “Wool” will be written by Emmy-nominated screenwriter Graham Yost (“Band of Brothers,” “Justified”) and directed by Academy Award nominee Morten Tyldum (“Defending Jacob,” “The Imitation Game”).

“Wool” is a set in a ruined and toxic future where a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Ferguson will star as ‘Juliette,’ an independent and hardworking engineer.

The series is executive produced by Ferguson, Yost and Tyldum, alongside author Hugh Howey. Remi Aubuchon, Nina Jack and Ingrid Escajeda will also serve as executive producers on the drama, produced by AMC Studios.

SOURCE: APPLE

Posted on in Film News

Hugh Jackman’s Dystopian Sci-Fi Movie ‘Reminiscence’ Directed By ‘Westworld’s Lisa Joy Coming To Theaters & HBO Max On September 3rd

Today, Warner Bros. has announced that their upcoming sci-fi drama Reminiscence has landed a late summer release as it will drop on September 3rd in theaters and on HBO Max.

The project is part of WarnerMedia’s controversial day-and-date release model.

Directed by Westworld’s Lisa Joy, the film stars X-Men actor Hugh Jackman, who plays a private eye who deals in recapturing vivid cherished memories for clients. He becomes vexed by one of those clients played by Mission: Impossible’s Rebecca Ferguson. The setting takes place slightly in the future as Miami has been transformed by climate change as much of the city submerged underwater.

Other actors in the film include Thandie Newton and Cliff Curtis.

A trailer is likely just around the corner as we’ve seen a glimpse of footage from a recent HBO Max promo. I’m curious if Reminiscence will skew more in the realm of Inception.

SOURCE: WARNER BROS.

Posted on in Film News

‘Mission: Impossible 7’ & ‘Mission: Impossible 8’ Won’t Be Filming Back-To-Back As Schedule Will Conflict With ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Promotion

While the original plan was to shoot the next two Mission: Impossible films back-to-back under the working title Libra, that seems to be on hold according to a report from Deadline. As the outlet states Paramount Pictures is going to need Tom Cruise to help promote Top Gun: Maverick for it’s July 2nd release, assuming the film doesn’t get pushed to the fall or winter, which means that filming will need to be placed on pause for a bit.

Sources said this is simply down to the shifting release calendar. Star Tom Cruise will now be needed on promotional duties by the studio for Top Gun: Maverick ahead of that film’s planned release on July 2, and will be out of action for a period. 

This comes as Mission: Impossible 7 is heading back to London for some “finishing touches” according to writer/director Christopher McQuarrie on Instagram.

MCQUARRIE: “Now back to London for a few finishing touches. All aboard for our greatest challenge yet…”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLRQi0ljRUn/

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.2 actress Pom Klementieff, who has a role in the films recently flew to Sydney, Australia to get ready to for the shoot of Marvel’s Thor: Love & Thunder. We have to assume this signaled that she had completed the filming for the first installment.

The rest of the cast includes Esai Morales, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Shea Whigham, and Henry Czerny.

Filming on the 7th installment hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine, there had paused back in March of 2020 due to the pandemic that led to production hiccups and a viral audio clip of Tom Cruise chewing out crew members for not adhering to the strict on-set COVID-19 protocols. It’s possible that everyone just needs a break after spending over a year on this film.

Mission: Impossible 7 is slated for November 19th, 2021 and Mission: Impossible 8 is set for November 4th, 2022.

TOP GUN: MAVERICK – After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”

SOURCE: DEADLINE