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MORBIUS Commits Identity Fraud In New Trailer

Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) in Columbia Pictures' MORBIUS.

Jared Leto’s Dr. Michael Morbius makes his debut in the official trailer for Morbius, the upcoming instalment in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters from director Daniel Espinosa.

The Marvel antihero, also known as the Living Vampire, is “one of Marvel’s most compelling and conflicted characters.” Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will he succumb to his mysterious new urges?

And because we can sense you wondering, yes. Leto has previously teased that Morbius could appear alongside Blade in a future project, with Mahershala Ali cast in the role of vampire hunter for the MCU. Add to that the cheeky Venom name-drop (and that post-credits Let There Be Carnage scene), and we have a complicated ‘shared universes’ web forming. You can, of course, thank the Sony and Marvel studio mess for that.

As Morbius is heard explaining in the trailer, the character’s new abilities include “increased strength and speed, some form of ‘bat radar'”. Yet this new-found power comes at a cost, a hunger to “hunt and consume blood” that he doesn’t quite understand, nor can he seem to control.

Leto is joined by Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal and Tyrese Gibson (in what is set to be a recurring role, the actor having signed a three-picture deal). Michael Keaton also reprises his role as Adrian Toomes / Vulture from Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Morbius is set to release in cinemas January 28th, 2022.

Morbius

MIND FALL Casts Daisy Ridley

Daisy Ridley returns to sci fi genre with Mind Fall after Star Wars

Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley has been cast to star in Mind Fall, a science fiction film from La Haine‘s Mathieu Kassovitz, with a script from Graham Moore (The Imitation Game).

Taking place in London in a near future where memories have become the most sought-after, profitable and highly illegal drug, Mind Fall is follows top trafficker Ardis Varnado (Ridley). By physically removing memories from individuals desperate for cash, she can then resell them to wealthy clients. These memories become indistinguishable from their new host’s “real” memories.

Meanwhile, Varnado struggles with her own addiction to the memories, and struggles to separate her lived experiences from those she’s implanted. So, when she stands accused of murdering one of her buyers, she has no choice but to solve the crime herself and find out the truth.

Mind Fall will mark the respected French filmmaker and actor’s third English-language directorial effort – after supernatural horror Gothika and the Vin Diesel-starrer Babylon A.D. – and Kassovitz’s first time directing a feature in over a decade (his last was L’ordre et la morale, 2011). Most recently, he starred in political thriller Le Bureau Des Légendes, even directing a handful of episodes in its last season, as well as Yvan Attal’s drama Les choses humaines.

As for Ridley, this marks her first major genre project since she said goodbye to Rey, and since the release of the less-than-stellar Chaos Walking.

Daisy Ridley Mind Fall

HOST Director Rob Savage To Adapt Stephen King’s THE BOOGEYMAN

Short film The Boogeyman from director Gerard Lough

Writer-director Rob Savage, who quickly emerged as a beloved horror filmmaker with his pandemic Zoom thriller Host and the upcoming (hilarious and incredibly gory) Blumhouse film Dashcam, has been brought on to helm an adaptation of Stephen King’s short story, The Boogeyman.

King’s 1973 story follows a man named Lester Billings, who visits a psychiatrist and recounts how his three young children were each killed by a nightmarish creature that emerged from their bedroom closets. The logline for this The Boogeyman movie adaptation, however, suggests slight deviations from the source material. According to Deadline, the official synopsis reads: still reeling from the tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl and her little brother find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house and struggle to get their grieving father to pay attention before it’s too late.

This particular adaptation has been in development for a few years, having passed from Akela Cooper (Malignant) to Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place), and onto Black Swan’s Mark Heyman. Casting is expected to happen soon, with filming set to begin early next year.

This is the latest in a string of Stephen King adaptation announcements. While Salem’s Lot is expected soon in September 2022, the busy development slate also includes The Vigil director Keith Thomas’s Firestarter, starring Zac Efron, due next year; an untitled Pet Sematary sequel; Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum’s Netflix adaptation of Mr. Harrigan’s Phone; a remake of John Carpenter’s impeccable Christine; a Steven Spielberg-produced Netflix series The Talisman; a movie rendering of Elevation; a The Jaunt series from Fear The Walking Dead co-creator Dave Erikson; a Running Man remake from Edgar Wright; a series based on The Ten O’Clock People; The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon from director Lynn Ramsay; the never-before adapted The Long Walk; and a The CW series Revelations.

And that’s just a handful of examples, of which there are about fifteen more. Must be good to be Stephen King.

Rob Savage The Boogeyman

THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT Trailer Is Here!

It’s been a long wait for Star Wars fans everywhere, but the official trailer for Disney+’s upcoming show, The Book of Boba Fett, is finally here!

After reappearing in The Mandalorian and joining with Mando and little Grogu on the planet Tython, it was revealed that the legendary Boba “I am not a bounty hunter” Fett (Temuera Morrison) had escaped Tatooine with mercenary Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen). Then, in a surprise post-credits scene, the duo returned to the sandy planet to storm Jabba the Hutt’s palace, killing its leader and taking the throne for themselves.

Every galaxy has an underworld, the trailer reminds us, and Boba looks to be taking over this one.

The series comes from The Mandalorian creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, who are teaming with Robert Rodriguez (who directed season 2’s excellent and Boba-focused episode, “Chapter 14: The Tragedy”). The Book of Boba Fett will precede Mando’s much-anticipated third season, which is currently in production.

The Star Wars universe is also due to expand further, with a series centred on The Clone Wars’ breakout hero Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), and another focused on Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, included amongst the slate.

The Book of Boba Fett begins streaming on December 29th.

Star Wars The Book of Boba Fett

Phoebe Waller-Bridge & Fiona Shaw Join Krasinski Fantasy-Comedy

Phoebe Waller-Bridge joins ensemble cast for John Krasinski's unnamed fantasy comedy

Multi-award winning and multi-hyphenate creative Phoebe Waller-Bridge, along with veteran actress Fiona Shaw, have been cast in John Krasinski’s upcoming ensemble fantasy-comedy, writes The Hollywood Reporter. The pair previously worked together on both Fleabag and Killing Eve.

After directing the immensely successful horrors A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II, Krasinski will also be writing and directing the as-yet-unnamed movie (though it was, at one time, titled Imaginary Friends). He is also set to star opposite beloved comedic actor Ryan Reynolds. Very little is known about the plot, though it was revealed that the story is based on a child’s journey to rediscover their imagination.

Waller-Bridge is currently in production on Indiana Jones 5 in an undisclosed role, and recently co-wrote the screenplay for Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond in No Time To Die. Shaw, meanwhile, is soon set to appear in the Star Wars series Andor, a prequel series to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story which follows the adventures of Cassian Andor during the formative years of the Rebellion.

Krasinski’s film is set to release on November 17th, 2023, and is due to begin filming in summer next year. Stay tuned for further updates.

John Krasinski phoebe waller-bridge

Ana de Armas In Talks For JOHN WICK Spinoff BALLERINA

Ana de Armas, whose star is shining particularly bright after a fantastic outing in Knives Out and a scene-stealing turn in No Time To Die, is reportedly in talks to take on the lead role in Ballerina, the anticipated John Wick spinoff about a young female assassin seeking revenge against those who killed her family.

The ballerina-turned-assassin made a brief appearance in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, played at the time by Unity Phelan. Len Wiseman (Underworld) will direct the action thriller from a script by Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead, Parabellum). The latter is also attached to pen Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 of the Keanu Reeves franchise.

De Armas is currently in post-production on the Netflix and Russo brothers project The Gray Man (which sees her reunite with Knives Out co-star Chris Evans), as well as the Marilyn Monroe biopic, Blonde.

The John Wick universe is also expanding down the television avenue, with Lionsgate’s upcoming series The Continental which will explore the origin behind the hotel chain for assassins and criminals. Meanwhile, John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to release in May 2022, with Reeves of course returning to the titular role, joined by Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Rina Sawayama. Production on the film began this summer, with Chad Stahelski directing.

Ballerina John Wick

Michael B. Jordan’s VAL ZOD Lands TRANSFORMERS 7 Writing Duo

Michael B. Jordan’s previously unnamed Black Superman project, now Val Zod, has found its writing team! Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters have signed on to write the series, whilst Jordan is currently attached to executive produce via his production company Outlier Society. The writing duo most recently worked on the seventh Transformers film, Rise of the Beasts, as well as Sam Raimi’s upcoming project The Nola.

The titular Val-Zod is a Kryptonian who escapes to Earth 2 and who, like Superman, is sheltered on his adopted planet; he is also the second DC character to take on the mantle of Superman. At one point in the comics he is even pitted against a brainwashed, Earth-2 version of Man of Steel, though the latter is revealed to be a clone of the original Kal-El, weaponised by Darkseid.

No word yet on whether Jordan will play the superhero in the upcoming limited series, or whether he’ll opt to stick to producing duties – he is currently in pre-production on Creed III, which he will both direct and star in as Adonis Creed. The actor will be next seen in Denzel Washington’s A Journal For Jordan.

Val Zod is one of several other DC projects in the works at HBO Max, including a Black Canary movie from Lovecraft Country showrunner Misha Green, and a Batgirl film starring Leslie Grace and Brendan Fraser. Jordan is also producing Static Shock, about a teenage boy named Virgil Hawkins who possesses electricity based powers.

On his involvement with the DCEU, Jordan previously stated that “I’m proud to be a part of building a new universe centred around Black superheroes; our community deserves that.”

Static Shock Val Zod

Felicity Jones Stars As Mother To Inhuman Baby In BLOOD MOTHER

Felicity Jones in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is cast in upcoming horror Blood Mother

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actress Felicity Jones has been cast in the starring role of Blood Mother, a project she also boards as producer. The film is written by Steve Zissis (Cruella), based on an original story by himself and Kelly Marcel (Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage).

According to Deadline, who broke the news, Blood Mother follows an Oxford University professor who discovers that her baby is inhuman, and finds herself doing the unimaginable to keep him alive. With a creative team that have proven themselves skilful in juggling comedy and darker action, and an Oscar-nominated actress aboard, this latest project from New Regency certainly sounds promising.

The short description makes it sound like a horror pregnancy movie, perhaps something akin to Rosemary’s Baby, or the more recent French horror-thriller Titane, but we’ll see… perhaps a baby Venom? Or is that just wishful thinking?

No further casting has been announced, nor do we know if a director is yet attached – it’s still very early days but, from what we know so far, the film has a strong core team at its back as it moves into the development phase. Stay tuned for further updates.

Blood Mother

Bill Murray In The MCU?

Could Bill Murray really be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe? According to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (and translated by Google), the legendary actor and recent French Dispatch star responded to a question about working with directors multiple times by stating:

“You know, recently I made a Marvel movie. I probably won’t tell you, but never mind. In any case, some people were quite surprised why I decided on such a project. But for me the thing was quite clear: I got to know the director – and really liked him very much. He was funny, humble, everything you want from a director. And with the cheerleader story Bring It On he made a movie years ago which I think is damn good. So I agreed, although I’m not interested in these huge comic book adaptations as an actor otherwise…Let’s put it this way: the director is a good guy, and now I’ve at least tried out what it’s like to shoot a Marvel movie. But I don’t think I need that experience a second time. And to come back to your previous question: I have mostly had a pretty good knack for avoiding the nasties of this industry. Fortunately, most good artists are also good people. At least that’s how I experience it with my friends.”

Now let’s unpack that, shall we? The “cheerleader story” Bring It On, starring Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union, was directed in 2000 by Peyton Reed. That’s the same Peyton Reed that has previously directed Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, and is now helming the much-anticipated Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – which is due to release July 2023.

And in terms of him “recently” making a Marvel movie, the Quantumania theory tracks. Filming on the third Ant-Man film began in Turkey in February 2021, with additional filming taking place in mid-June in San Francisco. Principal photography began at the end of July, and further shooting is expected to occur in Atlanta and continue until 2022.

Whatever the role is which Murray would be playing though, further comments suggest the actor won’t be returning to the role in later instalments. “Now I’ve at least tried out what it’s like to shoot a Marvel movie,” he explains, “but I don’t think I need that experience a second time.”

At any rate, Bill Murray would be joining MCU regulars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror, as well as newcomer Kathryn Newton who plays Cassie Lang, Scott’s grown-up daughter.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Bill Murray

Chris Evans Goes To Infinity And Beyond In New LIGHTYEAR Trailer

Disney and Pixar have debuted the first trailer for their upcoming Toy Story prequel, which tells the origin story of the real Buzz Lightyear. Though Tim Allen has voiced the toy astronaut in the past, this time it’s Captain America himself stepping up to the plate, not as the toy but as the man who inspired its creation.

Chris Evans stars in this sci-fi action-adventure, which presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear — the hero who inspired the toy — and introduces the legendary Space Ranger as a young test pilot, before he became the superhero we know and love.

The stunning teaser trailer sees Buzz heading to space, possibly battle an alien lifeform, get taught science by a cute robot, and make friends with a cat.

With the release of the first Lightyear trailer, Evans issued a heart-warming statement about taking on the iconic role: “The phrase ‘a dream come true’ gets thrown around a lot, but I’ve never meant it more in my life. Anyone who knows me knows that my love for animated films runs deep. I can’t believe that I get to be a part of the Pixar family and work with these truly brilliant artists who tell stories unlike anyone else. Watching them work is nothing short of magic. I pinch myself every day.”

The trailer showcases an impressive range of set designs, with clear inspirations drawn from Blade Runner 2049 and other 21st Century science fiction epics.

Said artists includes veteran Pixar animator Angus MacLane, who makes his solo feature directorial debut with Lightyear, having previously co-directed Finding Dory. Further voice casting has yet to be confirmed, so stay tuned for further announcements ahead of the film’s release.

Lightyear is set for a cinematic release on June 17th, 2022. Watch the official teaser trailer, complete with a rocking David Bowie soundtrack, below: