Greta Gerwig To Direct NARNIA Film

film still of the chronicles of narnia

Moving from life in the Dreamhouse to the snowy landscapes of Narnia, Greta Gerwig has set her sights on directing a feature film adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia for Netflix. Per an interview profile with the New Yorker, the Little Women and Lady Bird filmmaker has a deal to write and direct “at least” two films in the C.S. Lewis fantasy franchise.

Netflix acquired the film and TV rights to the Narnia book series back in 2018, yet the streamer has yet to announce any projects related to the property. Before Netflix acquired the rights, Disney made adaptations of the novels The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) and Prince Caspian  (2008), starring the likes of Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Ben Barnes and Liam Neeson. Fox later released The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010.

It’s unclear whether Gerwig intends to retread the same stories already brought to screen, or whether Netflix’s films would seize on another point in the series’ timeline. Either way, we’ll admit to being very curious as to what the filmmaker will make of this adaptation!

Gerwig’s latest venture, the very buzzy, very pink Barbie, is set to release in cinemas on July 21st.

GATTACA Series Won’t Be Moving Forward

Gattaca series cancelled by Showtime

Showtime has scrapped a number of previously greenlit projects, including the planned series remake of Gattaca from Homeland co-creators Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa. The move comes after Showtime’s merge with Paramount+ (on the streaming side only), and is thought to be part of a cost-cutting drive across Paramount, following the platform’s removal of several popular titles.

Reportedly though, Gattaca will have the opportunity to be picked up elsewhere now that Showtime has abandoned the series. The series, which comes from Sony Pictures Television, would take place a generation after the events of the 1997 film, which starred Uma Thurman, Ethan Hawke, and Jude Law, and which was set in a world where science and humanity have evolved to the point where humans can direct their evolution. Genetic engineering has created a world in which parents can determine the future of their children before they are born (the Valids), which by default has created a new underclass (the Invalids).

Set in the near future where corporations screen their employees based on their genetic makeup, the Gattaca series would centre on a man with a congenital heart condition who aims to assume the identity of a former athlete with perfect genes in order to travel to space.

Keep your fingers crossed that another network or studio can pick up where Showtime and Paramount have left off!

Check Out The Second Trailer For DUNE: PART TWO

dune: part two releases second trailer

The second official trailer for Dune: Part Two has been released, a three-minute teaser of what to expect from the second half of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi novel.

Dune: Part Two is due to explore the continued journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen in search of revenge against those who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, Paul grows determined to prevent a terrible future that only he can foresee.

Alongside Chalamet and Zendaya, Dune: Part Two stars a mix of returning stars and new characters, including Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Lea Seydoux, Christopher Walken, Tim Blake Nelson, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and more.

The second Dune: Part Two trailer also reveals our first look at Walken’s Emperor and Butler’s Feyd Rautha, the latter of whom Villeneuve has enticingly described as an “Olympic sword master crossed with a psychotic serial killer.” The writer-director has also said he’s interested in doing a third film, this time based on Herbert’s sequel novel Dune Messiah, though Warner Bros. has not yet greenlit that project. 

Dune: Part Two will release in cinemas on November 3rd. Watch the first trailer here, and the second trailer below:

Banned Sci-Fi Horror EMPIRE V Releases Trailer

russian horror film empire v poster

Writer-director Victor Ginzburg’s sci-fi horror Empire V, which has been banned in Russia, has released a first trailer ahead of its world premiere at Montreal’s Fantasia Festival next month.

The film is a social parody, which tells the story of a Russian state controlled by vampires. Based on a 2006 novel by Victor Pelevin, Empire V centres on a 19-year-old Muscovite (played by Pavel Tabakov) who is turned into a vampire, propelling him into an elite and powerful echelon of society that has controlled humanity since the beginning of time.

The novel’s synopsis provides a little more information: “Roman thought he’d found the perfect opportunity to rebel. He may have been wrong… He awakens strapped to a set of parallel bars in a richly appointed sitting room, and begins a conversation with a masked man which will change his life. His world has been a facade – one which the mysterious Brahma is about to tear away.” The post-modern satirical novel explores the cults and corruption of politics, power, and consumerist culture.

The cast also features rapper Oxxymiron, whose anti-war stance has led to him being declared a foreign agent by the Russian government, as well as Taya Radchenko, Miron Fedorov, and Vera Alentova.

Fantasia Festival runs from July 20th to August 9th. Watch the trailer for Empire V below:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ELfhT5iaV6A

Watch The Trailer For The Long-Awaited FUTURAMA Revival

new futurama trailer ahead of series revival

Hulu has dropped another Futurama trailer ahead of the long-awaited revival of the adult animated series (can you believe it’s been ten years already?), which will premiere on the platform on the 24th of July. Part One of this new season will consist of ten episodes, with episodes releasing weekly.

Per the official synopsis for the new series: “After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact. The ten all-new episodes of season eleven have something for everyone. New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries – including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler’s litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy’s tadpoles. Meanwhile there’s a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV.

Futurama follows Philip J. Fry (Billy West), an NYC pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself in 1999, only to wake up in 3000. There, he meets all sorts of weird and wonderful characters, from an alcoholic robot to an alien lobster with a PhD. The original cast is returning, including John DiMaggio, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman. 

Watch the latest Futurama trailer below ahead of its July 24th premiere:

David Corenswet Is DC’s New SUPERMAN

The Politician and Pearl star David Corenswet cast as Clark Kent/Superman for DC Universe under James Gunn and Peter Safran

After a thorough and lengthy search, James Gunn has found his Superman and Lois Lane in David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan. The pair will star in the upcoming Superman: Legacy, the film that will launch DC Studios’ new universe under the direction of Gunn and Peter Safran.

Corenswet and Brosnahan reportedly beat out Nicholas Hoult and Tom Brittney for Superman/Clark Kent, and Emma Mackey and Phoebe Dynevor for Lois Lane, respectively. Screen tests took place over the June 17th weekend.

David Corenswet becomes only the fourth actor to portray the iconic superhero on the big screen, after Christopher Reeves, Brandon Routh, and Henry Cavill.

Corenswet first broke out in the Ryan Murphy-created Netflix series The Politician, and later in Hollywood. He also starred in Ti West’s horror prequel Pearl, and will next star in the Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake and in the Twister sequel. Meanwhile, Brosnahan rose to prominence in House of Cards, and became a household name with her award-winning series The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel.

Superman: Legacy has a release date of July 11th, 2025, with Gunn expecting to film early next year. The casting search now continues for characters such as Lex Luthor and the superheroes The Authority, who are expected to debut in Legacy before starring in their own film.

IT FEEDS Casts Ashley Greene & Shawn Ashmore

the aftermath stars shawn ashmore and ashley greene to reunite in it feeds

The Twilight Saga’s Ashley Greene and the X-Men series’ and The Boys’ Shawn Ashmore will lead It Feeds, an upcoming horror movie from Productivity Media Inc. and Black Fawn Films, Deadline reveals in an exclusive.

It Feeds, which is currently in production, tells the story of a young girl who insists that a malevolent entity is feeding on her. Greene portrays a clairvoyant therapist who must confront her own demons to save the girl before she is taken completely. Ashmore will play the role of the anguished father, desperately struggling to protect his daughter.

The horror pic is set to be the first in a proposed ten-feature genre slate from the aforementioned production companies. More information will likely be revealed soon, including who will direct and write the feature.

This won’t be Greene and Ashmore’s first collaboration: the two starred in another horror mystery in 2021 titled Aftermath, about a young couple struggling to stay together and who are offered an amazing deal on a home with a questionable past. Of course, the deal turns out to be a little too good to be true, and horror fare ensues.

Stay tuned to find out more info on It Feeds and potential release dates.

Elizabeth Banks To Star In Vanity Thriller SKINCARE

elizabeth banks in brightburn confirmed to star in skincare thriller

Elizabeth Banks, who recently directed the horror-comedy Cocaine Bear and starred in The Hunger Games franchise, has been announced to topline the upcoming “vanity thriller” Skincare.

Austin Peters directs the feature from a script he co-wrote with Deering Regan and Sam Freilich, while Jonathan Schwartz and Logan Lerman are on board as producers alongside Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi under their Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment banner. Banks stars alongside Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick, Outer Range), Michael Jaé Rodriguez (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Luis Gerardo Méndez (The Resort), and Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle).

“We are delighted to announce another international production involving such world-class actresses and actors,” said Iervolino. “‘Skincare’ is a film with a strong visual impact that, because of the cast and the workers it involves, has enormous potential. It is a film that we at ILBE believe in very much.”

Other than revealing that Skincare is a thriller set in Hollywood, no plot specifics have yet been revealed. Austin Peters is best known for his music video directorial work, though he has done some television; this will mark his second time directing a feature film, his first having been a concert documentary.

Skincare does not yet have a release date.

Home Invasion Thriller FEAR THE NIGHT Premieres Trailer

fear the night

Playwright, screenwriter and director Neil LaBute returns to the big screen with action-thriller Fear the Night for Quiver Distribution, starring certified badass Maggie Q.

Fear the Night follows war veteran Tess (Q) as she prepares for her sister’s bachelorette party. As the festivities unfold, the party is abruptly interrupted by a group of home invaders who quickly take the house under siege looking for a hidden fortune, and Tess soon discovers that their attackers don’t intend to leave any witnesses.

Maggie Q is best known for her starring roles in the spy-thriller series Nikita, as well as the Divergent film franchise. Kat Foster, Travis Hammer, Highdee Kuan, and Gia Crovatin also star in the thriller, which is both written and directed by LaBute.

LaBute recently directed the Justin Long and Kate Bosworth-starring comedy horror House of Darkness. He’s best known for creating the popular Syfy series Van Helsing, a horror series set in a post-apocalyptic near future, and which centres on a vampire hunter who awakens from a coma to find vampires have come to overrun humanity.

Fear the Night will have a limited cinema release and be available on VOD from July 21st, 2023. Watch the official trailer below:

THE QUIET TENANT To Be Adapted By Blumhouse TV

the quiet tenant novel by clemence michallon

The Quiet Tenant, the debut novel by Clémence Michallon, is due to be adapted by Blumhouse Television. The psychological thriller will be made into a limited series or streaming movie, Deadline writes, after the production company landed the rights.

The Quiet Tenant is a thriller about a serial killer, narrated by those closest to him: his 13-year-old daughter, his girlfriend, and the victim he keeps captive. Michallon will executive produce the project, though no writers are yet attached.

On the television side, Blumhouse is behind NBC’s Renee Zellweger-fronted The Thing About Pam, HBO’s Sharp Objects, Showtime’s The Good Lord Bird, and Amazon’s upcoming The Horror of Dolores Roach.

Per the novel’s synopsis, The Quiet Tenant tells the story of Aidan Thomas, a hard-working family man and a somewhat beloved figure in the small upstate town where he lives. But Aidan has a dark secret he’s been keeping from everyone in town and those closest to him. He’s a kidnapper and serial killer. Aidan has murdered eight women and there’s a ninth he has earmarked for death: Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed, fearing for her life. 

When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a “family friend” who needs a place to stay. Aidan is betting on Rachel, after five years of captivity, being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognises Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.