EXCLUSIVE: ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Cinematographer Ben Seresin Joins Jennifer Lopez Assassin Pic ‘The Mother’ Directed By ‘Mulan’s Niki Caro

Back in February, Deadline reported that Jennifer Lopez was attached to star/produce a new action film for Netflix. The Mother has a script penned by Misha Green (Tomb Raider 2, Lovecraft Country) and Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton) it was described as being in the vein of Luc Besson’s The Professional and would see Lopez playing an assassin. 

Lopez will play a deadly female assassin who comes out of hiding to protect the daughter that she gave up years before, while on the run from dangerous men.

The Ronin can exclusively reveal that Kiwi cinematographer Ben Seresin has joined The Mother’s production team and should bring a striking visual flair after being behind Legendary’s Godzilla vs. Kong. Seresin’s other credits include World War Z, Pirates of The Caribbean At World’s End, Pain & Gain, Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, Unstoppable, Tom Cruise’s The Mummy, and Chaos Walking. 

Fellow Kiwi, director Niki Caro (Mulan), has closed her deal to direct, and we can confirm that Canadian production designer Jean-Francois Campeau (Annie With An E, Bon Cop Bad Cop II) has also joined the production team. 

We’ve learned that filming will take place from early October to late January in Vancouver, British, Columbia, Canada.

Misha Green is currently attached to write and direct MGM’s Tomb Raider sequel starring Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander, she also signed an overall deal with Apple after HBO cancelled Season 2 of Lovecraft Country.

Lopez is coming off the heat from her stripper movie Hustlers and has wrapped on the action-comedy Shogun Wedding. You might remember her kicking serious ass in Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight opposite George Clooney, so it’ll be interesting to see her tackling a similar badass role.

HUSTLERS – Working as a stripper to make ends meet, Destiny’s life changes forever when she becomes friends with Ramona — the club’s top money earner. Ramona soon shows Destiny how to finagle her way around the wealthy Wall Street clientele who frequent the club. But when the 2008 economic collapse cuts into their profits, the gals and two other dancers devise a daring scheme to take their lives back.

James Gunn’s ‘Peacemaker’ Series Officially Adds Robert Patrick, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, and Chris Conrad As Vigilante

Today, HBO Max has officially announce more cast members have joined the new DC Comics series Peacemaker starring John Cena as his character Christopher Smith from The Suicide Squad. The 8-episode series will be written and directed by James Gunn with it’s shoot set to begin this January in Vancouver under the working title The Scriptures and wrap in June.

In an official press release, they announced that Danielle Brooks is playing Leota Adebayo, Robert Patrick is playing Aggie Smith, Jennifer Holland is reprising her role as Emilia Harcourt, and Chris Conrad will play Adrian Chase aka Vigilante.

HBO Max announces new stars for original DC action-comedy series “Peacemaker” from “The Suicide Squad” writer / director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran. Danielle Brooks (“Orange Is the New Black;” “The Color Purple” on Broadway) will star as Leota Adebayo, along with Robert Patrick (“Terminator 2: Judgment Day;” HBO’s “Perry Mason”) as Auggie Smith, Jennifer Holland (“Brightburn;” “American Horror Story”), who will reprise her role of Emilia Harcourt from “The Suicide Squad” film and Chris Conrad (“Perpetual Grace, LTD.;” “Patriot”) as Vigilante/Adrian Chase. They join previously announced stars John Cena in the title role and Steve Agee as John Economos. Cena and Agee also reprise their roles from “The Suicide Squad” movie. 

While details about “Peacemaker” are being kept under wraps, the series will explore the origins of the character that Cena will play in the upcoming film, a man who believes in peace at any cost — no matter how many people he has to kill to get it. The series will extend the world that Gunn is creating for “The Suicide Squad” movie, which is scheduled to be released in theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on August 6, 2021.

The Suicide Squad is set to be released on August 6th, 2021.

SOURCE: HBO MAX

James Gunn’s ‘Peacemaker’ Series Will Shoot January-June In Vancouver and Working Title Is ‘The Scriptures’

The Ronin has been able to independently confirm that James Gunn’s upcoming 8-episode Peacemaker series for HBO Max will shoot in Vancouver under the working title The Scriptures. Filming will take place from January 18th until June 15th.

James Gunn recently mentioned on Twitter that filming would be taking place in Canada.

The HBO Max series is a direct spinoff of his DC Comics film The Suicide Squad starring John Cena as Christopher Smith aka Peacemaker and Steve Agee returning as Warden John Economos.

Oh f*ck, it’s Peacemaker! HBO Max is set to explore the origins of the Peacemaker character, the master of weapons from the highly anticipated upcoming The Suicide Squad film, in the new Max Original action-adventure-comedy series Peacemaker. HBO Max has given a straight-to-series order of eight episodes for the first season of the show. John Cena will reprise his role from The Suicide Squad movie to star in the series, and the film’s acclaimed writer/director James Gunn will write all eight episodes of Peacemaker and will direct multiple episodes, including the first. Gunn and The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran will serve as executive producers of the series, with Cena as co-executive producer. Based on characters from DC, Peacemaker will be produced by Gunn’s Troll Court Entertainment and The Safran Company in association with Warner Bros. Television. Peacemaker is scheduled to begin production in early 2021, prior to Gunn beginning work on the next Guardians of the Galaxy film.

Gunn is expected to begin prepping Guardians of The Galaxy 3 once he finishes up on Peacemaker and could begin shooting once the promotional tour for the August 6th, 2021 release of The Suicide Squad ends.

James reassured fans on Twitter that Peacemaker won’t be delaying Guardians of The Galaxy 3.

GUNN: “I’m doing Peacemaker in the time always allotted between The Suicide and Guardians of Galaxy Volume 3. Normally I would have been taking more of a break in this space but it’s Covid, I’m stuck at home, so I wrote a TV series.”

We should be getting more casting announcements very very soon.