Rogue One: A Star Wars Storyactress 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.
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.
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 2049and 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:
It may come as no surprise, but it is definitely a relief to have the news confirmed: the sequel for Denis Villeneuve’s science fiction epic, Dune Part 2, has been greenlit for an October 20th, 2023 theatrical release.
Where Dune: Part One finished fairly abruptly, the sequel will bring to life the second half of Herbert’s epic novel. Villeneuve previously stated that the script has already been written and that he is ready to begin production early next year.
“I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two,” the filmmaker said. “It was a dream of mine to adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune, and I have the fans, the cast, and crew, Legendary and Warner Bros. to thank for supporting this dream. This is only the beginning.”
Announcing the project on their social media channels, Legendary also wrote that “Legendary is pleased to officially move forward with Dune: Part Two … once again based on the amazing books written by Frank Herbert. We would not have gotten to this point without the extraordinary vision of Denis and the amazing work of his talented crew, the writers, our stellar cast, our partners at Warner Bros., and of course the fans! Here’s to more Dune.”
Prior to the sequel being officially confirmed, Villeneuve shed some light on what viewers could expect should Dune Part 2 get the go-ahead: “I laid the base, the basics of the world – it’s done now,” the filmmaker told Fandango. “I don’t have to explain most of the world. So now I can just have fun with cinema. [laughs] That’s what I will say, is that I think if ever such a thing happens as a Part 2, it’s going to be a cinematic party. I mean, it’s not the right word. I apologize. I will say it is going to be a cinematic blast for me. I think that I could create something much more built into cinematic action and less talking. “
So, sci-fi fans can rest easy tonight in the knowledge that Villeneuve will indeed be able to complete his grand vision for the sci-fi tale. Bring on more sandworms!
Kevin Smith‘s career highs (“There’s nobody in film school or anything that could write like him”) and lows (“I got a phone call from the head of studio who said, ‘We’re gonna make a hundred million dollars!’ He was off by 98 million.”) are charted in the upcoming documentary Clerk, which has just released its trailer!
Smith came to prominence in 1994 with the iconic, counterculture comedy Clerks, which he wrote, directed, and acted in as Silent Bob. The film spurred a series of films (Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, etc.) that, while not sequential, shared a number of crossover characters and plot elements; it’s now referred to as the View Askewniverse canon.
Smith’s varied career has also included writing DC and Marvel comics, directing a number of horror films, directing episodes of The Flash and Supergirl, creating a podcast, hosting Q&As, performing stand-up comedy, and more.
Smith’s friend and frequent collaborator Malcolm Ingram writes and directs the documentary Clerk, with interview appearances from Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Mewes, Penn Jillette, Jason Lee, Richard Linklater (whose comedy, Slacker, Smith says inspired him to become a filmmaker), Justin Long, and more.
Clerk will release on digital in the US on November 23rd, but has yet to receive a UK release date. Meanwhile, Smith’s upcoming Clerks III wrapped shooting this summer and is due to release next year.
The Mummy trilogy star Brendan Fraser will join Batgirl’s Leslie Grace (In The Heights) in the Warner Bros. and DC Films project. Although his role has yet to be confirmed, Deadline sources report that Fraser would play the pyromaniac supervillain Firefly/Garfield Lynns. Batgirl won’t be the first time Fraser has stepped into the DC Universe, having previously portrayed Robotman/Clifford “Cliff” Steele in the TitansTV show, and later in Doom Patrol.
Grace stars as Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner James Gordon (J.K. Simmons, returning to the role after Zack Snyder’s Justice League), who was part of the Batman family as Batgirl before becoming the Oracle. Grace is the first Latina actress to play Batgirl and only the third to be cast in the DC Extended Universe, after Sasha Calle as Supergirl in The Flash (2022)and Rachel Zegler as a daughter of Atlas in the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Jacob Scipio also recently joined the cast in an unconfirmed role. The film is being helmed by Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from a script by Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson, the details of which are being kept tightly under wraps. Batgirl will also be one of the first major DC properties to debut exclusively on HBO Max.
Fraser has finally been seeing a well-deserved resurgence this year, after being blacklisted from Hollywood for speaking out against the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who Fraser alleges sexually assaulted him in 2003. Beginning with his landing the lead role in Darren Aronofsky’s upcoming psychological drama The Whale, he was then cast in a key role for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moonalongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. Most recently, Fraser was seen in Steven Soderbergh’s gangster period film No Sudden Move.
Margot Robbie may have been attached to Warner Bros.’ Barbie film for two years now, but she has only now found her Ken! Ryan Gosling is in final negotiations to play the world’s most famous ascot-wearing fashionista.
Directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, LittleWomen), who co-writes the script with Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha, Marriage Story) it’s a safe bet that this Barbie won’t just be another cash-grab production by the studio. As Robbie herself put it at the time, the project “comes with a lot of baggage! And a lot of nostalgic connections, but with that comes a lot of exciting ways to attack it. People generally hear ‘Barbie’ and think, ‘I know what that movie is going to be,’ and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, ‘Oh, well, maybe I don’t.'”
The long-gestating project was originally planned for Sony back in 2009. The studio later lined up Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body, Tully) to write the script. In 2016, Amy Schumer was cast as the titular Barbie from a script by Hilary Winston, where it was stuck in development until 2018, when Warner Bros. and Robbie picked it up. Though they originally aimed for Wonder Woman‘s Patty Jenkins to direct, 2019 saw Gerwig secure the job.
However, it’s thanks to these delays that the world will see Gosling as Ken: given his busy schedule, the Blade Runner 2049actor had initially passed on playing the part when it was first offered to him. According to Deadline insiders however, Warner Bros. remained persistent about him being their first and only choice for the role and, when Gosling found himself with an opening in his schedule (he has just wrapped filming on Netflix action pic The Gray Man, in which he stars opposite Chris Evans with the Russo Brothers directing), the actor was finally convinced to sign on. With Ken now cast, the long-delayed film may finally begin production as early as next year, with sights set on a 2023 release.
20th Century Studios debuts the latest character posters for their upcoming Kingsman prequel, the not-at-all lazily titled The King’s Man, which stars Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, and Djimon Hounsou. Not included in the newly-released posters but nonetheless due to appear in the prequel are Daniel Brühl as Erik Jan Hanussen, Charles Dance as Herbert Kitchener, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Lee Unwin, Valerie Pachner as Mata Hari, Stanley Tucci, and many more. See the seven posters below:
Harry Dickinson is Conrad, the intelligence organisation’s newest recruit and Oxford’s son and protégé.
Ralph Fiennes plays Kingsman agent the Duke of Oxford, who fills a role similar to that of Colin Firth’s Harry.
Matthew Goode as Morton; Goode is elsewhere also credited as the mysterious “The Shepherd”. Do with that information as you will.
Tom Hollander features in a fun role as ‘The King’, via which he portrays the King of the United Kingdom George V, German Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Tsar Nicholas II.
Gemma Arterton describes Polly as “the brainiest person in the room” who, alongside Hounsou’s Shola, runs a covert information network of cleaners and butlers around the world.
Rhys Ifans plays the film’s primary antagonist, legendary figure Grigori Rasputin, a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, Russia’s last Tsar, and gained considerable influence in late Imperial Russia. He was also an immensely divisive figure at the time, as his sinister and scandalous reputation meant many were wary of the power he wielded in court.
Djimon Hounsou, seen most recently (and all-too-briefly) in A Quiet Place Part II, looks to receive the screen time he deserves as the sword-wielding, ass-kicking Shola.
This marks the third instalment in the Kingsman franchise, which also includes 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service and 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Previous films focused on the relationship between young recruit Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and his mentor Harry Hart (Colin Firth).
Set during World War I, The King’s Man follows the members of the world’s first independent intelligence agency. The official synopsis reads: “As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King’s Man.”
The King’s Man releases in UK cinemas on December 22nd. Watch the newly-released “Rogues” TV spot below, or see the official trailer here.
Hocus Pocus 2 has finally begun filming on Rhode Island, and has cast Sam Richardson (Werewolves Within, The Tomorrow War) in a starring role. Disney had confirmed late last year that the long-awaited sequel had been greenlit for its Disney+ streaming service, and the film is currently set to release in autumn of next year (one would assume close to Halloween).
Fans of the 1993 original were excited to hear that the Sanderson sisters would return, with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy all reprising their original roles. The rest of the cast has yet to be announced and Richardson’s role in the film is still unknown, but since Hocus Pocus 2 is still in early production, you can likely expect more information in the near future!
Rom-com queen Anne Fletcher (who you can thank for The Proposal, 27 Dresses, Step Up, and Dumplin’) is directing from a script by Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics), which sees three young women accidentally summon the Sanderson sisters from the 17th Century back to present-day Salem. The trio must then figure out how to stop the diabolical, child-eating witches from wreaking their usual havoc on the world.
The synopsis sounds similar to the 2018 book sequel by AW Jantha, in which three teens – Max and Allison’s (played by Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw in the original, respectively) daughter Poppy, her friend Travis, and a girl Poppy has a crush on named Isabella – accidentally bring the Sanderson sisters back to life. However, Shaw also stated earlier this month that she hadn’t been approached about a sequel, so it’s unclear whether the novel and the sequel bear any relation.
Either way, it sounds like good, old-fashioned fun to us! Fletcher previously stated that “Now more than ever, people need to laugh. We should be laughing every day, and there is so much fun to be had with these three unbelievable women playing delicious characters from such a beloved film,” adding that, “this is a movie for everyone, from the fans who grew up with the first film to the next generation of viewers.”
Hocus Pocus 2 is slated for an autumn 2022 release. Until then, the 1993 classic Hocus Pocus is available to stream now on Disney+.
The horror-thriller English-language remake Hide and Seek will be heading to cinemas and on VOD platforms on November 19th, it was just announced. With the announcement also came the official poster and trailer, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Dracula,Vikings), Jacinda Barrett (Bloodline), Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos, The Matrix), and Mustafa Shakir (Luke Cage, the upcoming Cowboy Bebop reboot).
From writer-director Joel David Moore, who is perhaps best known for portraying Norm Spellman in the ongoing Avatar franchise, this remake of the 2013 South Korean hit – which not to be mistaken for the Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning film of the same name – is a social horror-thriller that will explore themes related to the widening wealth gap between the 1% and the lower class. “As population in urban areas balloon and real estate prices skyrocket, lower-income segments of society are finding themselves continually getting pushed out. This film explores the question of ‘what if’ when those left marginalised decide to take matters, and homes, into their own hands.”
Hide and Seek therefore follows a wealthy business man (Meyers) as he searches for his missing brother, an investigation that drags him through the city’s underbelly, a world of squatters and vagrants. Rather than a straight-up remake that just so happens to be in English, it seems Moore has made the effort to adapt the ideas of the South Korean original and cast its lens towards American society. As reported by Deadline, the director explained that “Hide and Seek is a sharp, sophisticated thriller that created a lasting imprint on me. I wanted to explore what could happen if we retold this story to an American audience, using the tools from the original story. We found a rich and complex world, relevant to our current race, class and power struggles we’re seeing here in America.”
Hide and Seek releases in theatres and on VOD November 19th, 2021. Check out the trailer below:
