THE LAST OF US Showrunner Gets DUNE: PART TWO Writing Credit

Craig Mazin to receive writing credit on Dune: Part Two

The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin will get a writing credit for his work on the script for Dune: Part Two. Mazin said director Denis Villeneuve was the one to call on him for his input, stating on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that: “I’m out of the movie business, basically. I’ll work with certain directors when they call because I love them and because they’re so brilliant, so if, like, Denis Villeneuve calls, then absolutely. I’m there for, three-four weeks, a month, to work on what you’re working on.”

Villeneuve co-wrote the script with Jon Spaihts and Craig Mazin will now receive a credit, following a recent change in the WGA rules. Under the prior policy, Mazin’s work on Dune: Part Two would have gone uncredited.

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.

Dune: Part Two also stars 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.

Dune: Part Two will release in cinemas on November 3rd. Watch the trailer here.

FrightFest 2023 Monster Poster Revealed

frightfest monster

This year’s FrightFest will soon be here, and the now-customary poster design by the legendary Graham Humphreys has been unveiled.

The 2023 poster marks the 15th appearance of his iconic monster and celebrates the theme of ‘mad doctors’. Graham said of the painting: “This year’s FrightFest poster share it’s theme with the annual FrightFest book, exploring the subject of Mad Doctors. Once again, my artwork needed to be built in multiple parts that could be dismantled and rearranged across different formats, allowing individual elements to work on their own.”

The feature film line-up for this year’s festival will be revealed on July 15th – so watch this space!

frightfest monster

FrightFest 2023 takes place at Cineworld Leicester Square between Thursday, August 24th and Monday, August 28th. Find out more information at www.frightfest.co.uk

The Ray Harryhausen Awards will Celebrate JASON’s 60th

Harryhausen awards jason 60th

The winners of the 2023 Ray Harryhausen Awards will be announced at a ceremony taking place at the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh on June 29th, and they will be followed by a special 2K screening of the 1963 classic Jason and the Argonauts to celebrate the film’s 60th anniversary.

Awards will be given out on the night in the following categories:

Best Feature Film Animation

Best Short Film Animation

Best Student Film Animation

Best Children’s Film Animation

Harryhausen Hall of Fame Award

The date also marks Ray Harryhausen’s birthday and promises to be a wonderful celebration of his legacy and ongoing influence on contemporary animators.

You can find out more at www.harryhausenawards.com

Linda Hamilton Joins Final Season Of STRANGER THINGS

terminator: dark fate actress linda hamilton to star in stranger things 5

Among the many announcements over Netflix’s Tudum fan event in São Paulo, Brazil, comes the news that Linda Hamilton is joining the cast of Stranger Things for its fifth and final season. No details have yet been revealed regarding the actress’ role.

Linda Hamilton is best known for her role as Sarah Connor in the Terminator franchise, most recently having dominated the screen in 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate.

Due to the ongoing writers strike and the delays in production, it’s still unclear when Stranger Things 5 might release on Netflix. Though all scripts have reportedly been written, the series’ August 2nd production start date has been scrapped, with no update on when cameras might begin rolling.

Stranger Things 4 ended with big bad Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) defeating Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the rest of the Hawkins crew. The gate to the Upside Down has been opened, lettings its monsters roam free in the real world.

Discussing season 4’s finale and hinting at what season 5 might hold, the Duffer Brothers wrote:

“… Because this is the penultimate season, we wanted an Empire Strikes Back style ending — meaning, it ends on a down note, with our characters experiencing real defeat for the first time. 

The bad guy wins. Friends (heroes) die, or are badly wounded. We felt this led to some incredibly devastating performances from our cast, as they come face to face with death and loss, a feeling which will cast a dark cloud over the final season. 

Like a lot of people, high school was a very challenging time for us — you’re facing the pressure of figuring out your future at the same time you are trying to fit in, or even just trying to understand who you are. It’s a lot to take on at that age and it can leave you feeling hopeless, like there’s no end to the uncertainty in sight.

This emotional truth was at the center of Vecna. In many ways a physical representation of anxiety and depression, he is an evil force that leeches on youth’s frailty. The devil on your shoulder, the dark whisper in your ear.

We hope that the show ultimately gives hope to kids that, with the help of loved ones, you can overcome anything. You can run your way up that hill, out of darkness and into the light.”

KRAVEN THE HUNTER Finally Reveals Trailer

kraven the hunter trailer reveals first look at aaron taylor-johnson in starring role

It’s been a long and delay-fraught wait, but fans finally have their first look at Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s antihero in the redband Kraven The Hunter trailer. The film follows the epic journey that will transform Sergei Kravinoff into one of Marvel’s best-known and most iconic villains as he seeks to prove that he is the greatest hunter in the world.

Also starring in the Sony Pictures movie are Ariana DeBose (playing the supervillain Calypso, a psychopathic voodoo priestess whose abilities include the use of mind control, creating potions and the power of resurrection), Russell Crowe (who we now know is playing Sergei/Kraven’s father), Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus and Fear Street actor plays Kraven’s half-brother Dmitri Smerdyakov, aka Chameleon), Alessandro Nivola (as the classic character The Rhino, here a villain for Kraven to go up against), and Christopher Abbott (playing an antagonist called The Foreigner). J.C. Chandor directs from a screenplay by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk.

The film is slated to release in cinemas on October 6th. Watch Sony’s Kraven The Hunter trailer below:

The trailer’s release also comes with a first look at the film’s poster, in which the titular character reclines on a throne made of human skulls and antlers.

WONDERWELL Trailer Sees Carrie Fisher’s Last Performance

wonderwell trailer showcases carrie fisher in final role

The long-gestating fantasy feature Wonderwell has finally released a trailer, and sees the late Carrie Fisher give her final performance before she passed away in 2016, a mere six weeks after wrapping on the film.

Fisher leads the cast of Wonderwell alongside newcomer Kiera Milward, singer and actress Rita Ora (the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu), Nell Tiger Free (Servant), and Sebastian Croft (Heartstopper). Vlad Marsavin directs from a script by William Brookfield.

A coming-of-age fairy tale set between modern-day Italy and an imaginary realm just beyond, Wonderwell follows Violet (Milward), a naïve and inquisitive 12 year-old-girl living with her American parents and older sister, Savannah (Tiger Free). When Savannah is selected to be the face of world-famous designer Yana (Ora)’s fashion label, the family travels to a medieval village for a photo shoot. There, Violet wanders from the ancient Tuscan town into a nearby forest where she meets Hazel (Fisher), who warns her about Yana’s stepson, Daniele (Croft). Guided by Hazel to a mystical portal, Violet sets off on a thrilling journey that transforms her world forever.

Wonderwell is having a limited theatrical run from June 23rd, followed by a digital release. Watch the trailer below:

THE FLASH Director To Helm BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

The Flash director Andy Muschietti to direct DC feature Batman: The Brave and The Bold

The Flash director may have spent some time in the Batcave already, but Andy Muschietti will soon be returning to the secret lair for Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The feature project will introduce a new big-screen version of Batman for the brand-new DC universe being developed by James Gunn and Peter Safran.

“We saw The Flash even before taking the reins at DC Studios, and knew we were in the hands of not only a visionary director but a massive DC fan,” Gunn and Safran said in a statement. “It’s a magnificent film – funny, emotional, thrilling – and Andy’s affinity and passion for these characters and this world just resonates through every frame. So, when it came time to find a director for The Brave and the Bold, there was really only one choice. Luckily, Andy said yes. Barbara signed on to produce with us and we were on our way. They’re an extraordinary team, and we couldn’t have better or more inspiring partners as we embark on this thrilling new adventure in the DCU.”

Muschietti will direct from a script by an as-yet unnamed writer. With everything currently happening with screenwriters in Hollywood though, it may still be a while before anyone is hired. Andy Muschietti joins a current roster of upcoming DC directors that includes James Mangold for a Swamp Thing movie, and Gunn himself for Superman: Legacy.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is part of the first chapter in Gunn and Safran’s DC Universe, with other features currently including Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the aforementioned Swamp Thing, and The Authority. Television titles also include The Lanterns, Waller, and Paradise Lost.

Giancarlo Esposito Joins Radio Silence’s Monster Feature

Giancarlo Esposito as Stan Edgar in The Boys

Genre favourite and all-round acting icon Giancarlo Esposito has joined the cast of Radio Silence’s untitled monster thriller at Universal. The upcoming feature also stars Melissa Barrera (Scream VI, In The Heights), Alisha Weir (Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical), Kevin Durand (Locke & Key), Kathryn Newton (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), Angus Cloud (Euphoria), Dan Stevens (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities) and Will Catlett (Black Lightning).

Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will helm the project, with Chad Villella on board as producer. The script hails from Stephen Shields, with revisions by Guy Busick. Plot details on the monster feature are being kept under wraps, but we do know that the project in question was at one point titled Dracula’s Daughter. According to sources, that project was centred on kidnappers who abduct a group of young people, one of whom is revealed to be the titular character.

It seems Radio Silence’s upcoming film will follow in the footsteps of Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man and Adam McKay’s Renfield, which are movies taking on Universal’s legendary monsters in a new, modern direction.

Giancarlo Esposito was recently seen reprising his role as Moff Gideon in season 3 of The Mandalorian and stars in the ongoing Prime Video series The Boys. He will next be voicing characters in the Russo brothers’ Electric State and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, as well as acting in Ti West’s MaXXXine and Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.

AI-Driven Sci-fi Horror Podcast Launches              

ai podcast

A narrative podcast, performed entirely by artificial intelligence, has started. The Virtual Tableread is an anthology series that will showcase a new story every month, split into separate podcast chapters.

The first episode of the debut story, Kenopsia, has been released to the usual providers, and it’s an enthralling, immersive experience. Surprisingly, you wouldn’t guess it was voiced by AI. The story is written by Tom Paton, best known as the writer/director of films such as 400 Bullets and G-Loc. Paton also acts as a producer on the project, which is brought to life under the direction of executive producers Charley McDougall, Jamie Mcleod-Ross, and Steve Moseley. Nicole Bartlett, Max Sweiry, Alvin Adams, Frank Corbie, and Mark Woodyatt also produce.

The next instalment, Compliant, is set for release following the run of Kenopsia. Production company Pigeon Shrine is also preparing to launch additional AI-centric podcast shows that delve into the intriguing intersection of technology and creativity. Subscribers of Pigeon Shrine Plus can gain early access to all this content and binge new blocks of The Virtual Tableread as they are released by subscribing on Apple.

Pigeon Shrine is a forward-thinking production company committed to crafting original and inclusive content that challenges conventional narratives. By partnering with film production company Empire Studio and leveraging synth-assisted production, they plan to continuously redefine storytelling within the film industry.

You can listen to and follow The Virtual Tableread here and get stuck in with the first episode of Kenopsia.

ai podcast

Return To Isaac Asimov’s World In The FOUNDATION Season 2 Trailer

foundation season 2 trailer released by apple tv+

An epic battle will soon rage for the future of Empire, as Apple TV+ releases a new trailer for Foundation season 2 ahead of the episodes’ July 14th premiere.

Season 2 takes place over a century after the events of the Season 1 finale. Per the official synopsis for the sci-fi epic’s second season: As the Cleons unravel, a vengeful queen plots to destroy Empire from within. Hari, Gaal, and Salvor discover a colony of Mentalics with psionic abilities that threaten to alter psychohistory itself. The Foundation has entered its religious phase, promulgating the Church of Seldon throughout the Outer Reach and inciting the Second Crisis: war with Empire, with nothing less than the fate of humanity in the balance.

Based on Isaac Asimov’s canon, Foundation Season 2 will comprise ten episodes and will see stars Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell and Leah Harvey return. The new season will also introduce new characters Isabella Laughland (Brother Constant), Kulvinder Ghir (Poly Verisof), Ella-Rae Smith (Queen Sareth of Cloud Dominion), Holt McCallany (Warden Jaegger Fount), Rachel House (Tellem Bond), Nimrat Kaur (Yanna Seldon), Ben Daniels (Bel Riose), and Dimitri Leonidas (Hober Mallow).

Foundation will premiere on July 14th with its first episode, followed by new episodes every Friday. Watch the trailer below: