EXCLUSIVE: Noah Hawley’s Earthbound ‘Alien’ Series Adds ‘Foundation’ & ‘I Am Mother’ Cinematographer Steve Annis

FX/Hulu, 20th Century Studios, and Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions have come together alongside creator/showrunner Noah Hawley (“Legion,” “Fargo”) to make a series set within the “Alien” universe. Filming has been underway in Thailand after a production pause due to last year’s strikes and we have a small tidbit to share.

The Ronin can confirm that director of photography Steve Annis (“I’m A Virgo”) is part of the show’s crew working on the Earthbound series that takes place before the events of the mainline film franchise. Annis is best known for the Apple TV+ series “Foundation,” the Netflix movie “I Am Mother,” the Nicolas Cage sci-fi horror flick “Color of Space,” and recently worked on Lionsgate’s remake of “The Crow.” We previously revealed that “Fargo” director Dana Gonzales would be helming an unknown number of episodes alongside Hawley and that production designer Andy Nicholson (“Captain Marvel,” “Gravity”) would be working on the show as well.

The “Alien” series has a cast that consists of Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Kit Young, Essie David, Samuel Blenkin, David Rysdahl, Adarsh Gourav, Babou Ceesay, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diêm Camille, Moe Bar-El, and Adrian Edmondson. One of the more recent additions has been Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”) who is said to be playing an android character. “Synthetics” in the “Alien” franchise have been both friends (Walter, Bishop, Call) and foes (Ash, David) to our human leads.

This isn’t the only “Alien” project on the horizon with Fede Alvarez’s “Alien: Romulus” being released on August 16, 2024, that will focus on a group of young human colonists on an off-world facility. Actress Cailee Spaeny confirmed that “Romulus” takes place between the events of the first two movies within the franchise timeline, suggesting a potential link to “Aliens” and the Hadley’s Hope outbreak on LV-426.

We also got some promising news about the “Predator” franchise as director Dan Trachtenberg (“Prey”) is set to return for a future-set film called “Badlands with a bunch of other projects in development including “Prey 2.” Hopefully, “Badlands” and “Romulus” end up planting seeds for a faithful feature/series incarnation of “Aliens vs Predator” that takes place in a futuristic off-world setting for that fray with the return of Colonial Marines. The lackluster “AVP” movies were some of the less interesting entries due to their contemporary Earthbound settings and the thinking is that 20th Century Studios may attempt to resurrect the comic book/video game crossover down the line.

Earlier this month it was revealed that the “Alien” series is aiming to debut sometime in 2025.

‘Alien’ Series: Timothy Olyphant Reportedly Playing An Android In New Earthbound Show From Noah Hawley

As production on the new “Alien” series is expected to resume in the new year according to creator/showrunner/director Noah Hawley, a big casting addition has been revealed by Deadline. The outlet reports that veteran actor Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”) has joined the sci-fi horror series that had been shooting in Thailand and is said to be playing an android character. Synthetic characters in the “Alien” franchise have been both friends (Walter, Bishop, Call) and foes (Ash, David) to our human leads.

Olyphant and Hawley previously worked together on the fourth season of “Fargo.”

The rest of the cast consists of Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, and Kit Young.

While we’re waiting on more concrete plot details the show is expected to take place in the events of the original “Alien” from 1979 and specifically is set on Earth, the first installment of the main franchise to do so. Outside of Paris scenes in “Alien Resurrection” and the opening of “Prometheus.” There is an expectation it will focus on the greedy and evil corporation Weyland Industries/Weyland-Yutani, who act as the secondary antagonists that throw various expendable crew members into the meat grinder in an attempt to secure the Xenomorph for their biological weapons program.

Meanwhile, on the film front, we’re expected to have “Alien: Romulus” by director Fede Alvarez released on August 16, 2024. That pic is said to be focused on a young group of off-world colonists that are forced to confront the Xenomorph/Xenomorphs.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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

‘John Wick’s John Leguizamo Plays Gangster Gor Koresh In ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Premiere – Plus Episode 1 Concept Art

Warning spoilers ahead for Episode 1 of the new season of The Mandalorian.

Character actor John Leguizamo (John Wick) reunites with Chef director Jon Favreau on the Season 2 premiere episode of The Mandalorian titled The Marshall. John plays the seedy gangster Gor Koresh in the opening sequence who wants Mando’s armor because of the value of it.

Also, in the episode we got confirmation that Timothy Olyphant plays Cobb Vanth, a Tatooine marshal (a nod to Justified?) that happened to acquire Boba Fett’s armor from jawas. It’s super interesting to see a live-action version of a Star Wars Legends character in the series, hopefully, we see more in the future.

Temuera Morrison showed up briefly at the end to show his face.

Here is a batch of concept art from the first episode as well.