With Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story coming later this year, 2021 belongs more to the musical genre than it does to superhero flicks. In The Heights, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Dear Evan Hansen,Annette, Cinderella, and the upcoming tick, tick… BOOM!, Cyrano, and Pinocchio… Let’s just say there is no shortage of big screen content for musical-loving fans. And funnily enough, a lot of those also mark prominent film directors’ debut in the genre: Spielberg, of course, but also Leos Carax, Guillermo del Toro, and Joe Wright.
In any case, Spielberg’s take on West Side Story is definitely one of this year’s most anticipated, a revival of the iconic Stephen Sondheim stage show. Originally inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, it was adapted into a Broadway musical in 1957 before heading to the big screen in 1961 and scooping no less than 10 Academy Awards. Easily (and broadly) regarded as one of the best cinematic musicals of all time, Spielberg’s adaptation certainly has some big shoes to fill.
The upcoming romantic musical drama will reportedly stick more closely to the Broadway script than the 1961 feature. West Side Story stars newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria Vasquez, Baby Driver‘s Ansel Elgort as Tony, Ariana DeBose as Anita, David Alvarez as Bernardo Vasquez, Mike Faist as Riff, Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino, Corey Stoll as Police Lieutenant Schrank, and Brian d’Arcy James as Police Sergeant Krupke. Rita Moreno, who played Anita the 1961 film, appears here as Valentina and shares executive producing credits.
The brand new, full-length trailer for Spielberg’s adaptation shows a reverence for the style and aesthetics of the 1961 West Side Story, courtesy of regular ‘berg collaborator Janusz Kamiński. No big surprises to be uncovered here of course, but between Zegler’s voice, the grandiose set pieces, and the image’s lustrous sheen, West Side Story looks to be a well-produced marriage between big-budget Hollywood and Broadway royalty.
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story releases in cinemas December 10th. Watch the full trailer below:
The popular Twisted Metal video game series is headed to the small screen for a live-action series adaptation, courtesy of the power duo behind the Deadpool and Zombieland movies.
Joining Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick is none other than Captain America himself, Anthony Mackie, who will both star in and executive produce the series. With all those comedy chops joining forces on one project, we’d say it’s safe to expect some gory and laugh-out-loud action. Cobra Kaiwriter Michael Jonathan Smith is on board to pen the series.
As Deadline reports, Twisted Metal is a high-octane action comedy based on an original take by Deadpool scribes Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.
Mackie plays John Doe, an amnesiac milkman whose driving skills wouldn’t be out of place in Fast & Furious.
It’s unlikely that the video games will serve as more than just a conceptual jumping off point for the series, considering they were always more about mindless vehicular destruction than character development or careful narrative plotting.
No word yet on which network the Twisted Metal series might call home, nor when we might expect a release, but stay tuned!
The AVOD platform W4FREE has announced 14 fantastic horror films for the service just in time for Halloween. The free streaming service, which is available through browsers and an app is the fastest emerging free AVOD platform around, and the latest acquisitions will make it a must-watch for terror fans.
The new additions are:
Franck Khalfoun’s superb remake of Maniac, starring Elijah Wood.
Jackals, starring Stephen Dorff and Deborah Kara Unger.
Horror musical comedy Stage Fright, starring Minnie Driver and Meatloaf.
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s brilliant Spring.
The House Across the Street, starring Eric Roberts and Ethan Embry.
Travis Oates’ Don’t Blink, starring Mena Suvari.
Tyler Shield’s Final Girl, starring Abigail Breslin and Wes Bentley.
Cameron Macgowan’s Red Letter Day.
Elliot Goldner’s effectively chilling British found footage flick The Borderlands.
The gore-filled seasonal anthologies All Hallows’ Eve (which features the first appearance of Terrifier’s iconic Art the Clown) and All Hallows’ Eve 2.
Park Chan-Woo’s stunningly stylish Thirst.
Marina de Van’s Dark Touch.
Plus everyone’s favourite vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows, directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi.
Chris Sharp, Chairman of W4FREE, said of the announcement: “The horror genre continues to be an integral part of the channel’s output and today’s announcement reinforces the steady output of international titles, ranging from cult classics to the contemporary”.
W4FREE, founded by Sharp, a former Chief Operating Officer for Cello Zone and AMC Networks UK, also provides TV drama and crime series, documentaries and Reality TV and can be accessed on all mobile devices and via Apple, Swisscon TV Box and Sky Ticket. It has also recently launched on Netgem TV in the UK and Ireland.
Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or not, the newly released Cinematic Trailer for the upcoming title Star Wars: Hunters is a real treat. Not only is it slickly animated (can we have a whole show in this style please?), it also introduces fans to some juicy new canon in the form of the Outer Rim planet Vespaara, home of The Arena, and several new characters including Mandalorian Aran Tal.
In the years after the fall of the Galactic Empire (a lawless era currently being explored in The Mandalorian), mercenaries of all species test their mettle in a combat-based sporting event (think The Hunger Games but with less Jennifer Lawrence and more Jawas) for the enjoyment of blood-thirsty scoundrels galaxy-wide. Check it out below and read on for screenshots and details on where you can play the game when it’s released next year…
Join the greatest Hunters from the Star Wars™ galaxy on the planet of Vespaara where Hunters from across the galaxy compete in The Arena. Engage in thrilling third-person combat to dominate grand arenas set in a range of maps that evoke iconic Star Wars worlds. Mix and match teams, use skill, tactics and customize your character to find a winning strategy and reap the spoils of victory in this all-new free-to-play game.
Star Wars: Hunters will be released as a free-to-play game on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android in 2022. For more info hit up the official site www.swhunters.com and register for early access! We’ll see you in The Arena!
For a full rundown of other Star Wars content coming in 2022 and beyond, head to our article The Future of Star Wars.
The first look images from Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming thriller Nightmare Alley are out, and they are beautiful.
Featuring its star-studded cast in sexy noir lighting, the images hint at the tone and feel of del Toro’s latest, which he promised is a “very different movie from my usual”. This is because the story, based on William Lindsay Gresham’s novel, will have no fantasy or supernatural elements; it is a remake of the 1947 film of the same name, directed by Edmund Goulding, though del Toro told Vanity Fair that his screenplay with Kim Morgan had been taken more from the book than the film adaptation. The film has nonetheless received an R-rating and, knowing what we know of del Toro’s penchant for genre features, one can assume horror fans will have plenty to enjoy.
Boasting an ensemble that includes Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette, and more, Nightmare Alley looks to be a stunningly cinematic piece from the Oscar-winning director.
Cooper stars as Stanton Carlisle, an ambitious carny and conman who becomes romantically entangled with psychiatrist Dr. Lillith Ritter (Blanchett). Ritter will prove to be even more dangerous than Carlisle, with a secret agenda of her own.
Take a look below at some of Nightmare Alley’s first look images, courtesy of Vanity Fair:
Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley is slated for cinema release on December 17th.
Official trailers and posters for all four horror thrillers from Amazon Studios and Blumhouse Television’s Welcome to the Blumhouse collection are in! This is the second batch of films from the movie anthology.
Following the release of the first four titles – The Lie, Blackbox, Evil Eye, Nocturne – the next four film titles were announced. They are Bingo Hell, Black as Night, Madres, and The Manor, all of which will be released as Amazon Originals on Prime next month. While the first four films focused on “family and love as destructive or redemptive forces,” these next four will centre on “themes of institutional horrors and personal phobias.”
Read below for your first look at the full trailers and synopses!
Bingo Hell
“When a sinister figure threatens the residents of a low-income community, a feisty senior citizen tries to stop him in Bingo Hell, a wickedly original horror movie with a fiendishly funny twist. After 60-something neighbourhood activist Lupita (Adriana Barraza) discovers that her beloved local bingo hall has been taken over by a mysterious businessman named Mr. Big (Richard Brake), she rallies her elderly friends to fight back against the enigmatic entrepreneur. But when her long-time neighbours begin turning up dead under grisly circumstances, Lupita suddenly discovers that gentrification is the least of her problems. Something terrifying has made itself at home in the quiet barrio of Oak Springs, and with each new cry of “Bingo!” another victim falls prey to its diabolical presence. As the cash prizes increase and the body count steadily rises, Lupita must face the frightening realization that this game is truly winner-takes-all.“
Bingo Hell is directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero.
Black as Night
“A resourceful teenage girl leaves childhood behind when she battles a group of deadly vampires in Black as Night, an action-horror hybrid with a strong social conscience and a biting sense of humour. Fifteen years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, a new threat leaves its mark on the Big Easy in the form of puncture wounds on the throats of the city’s vulnerable displaced population. When her drug-addicted mom becomes the latest victim of the undead, 15-year old Shawna (Asjha Cooper) vows to even the score. Along with three trusted friends, Shawna hatches a bold plan to infiltrate the vampire’s mansion in the historic French Quarter, destroy their leader, and turn his fanged disciples back to their human form. But killing monsters is no easy task, and soon Shawna and her crew find themselves caught in a centuries-old conflict between warring vampire factions, each fighting to claim New Orleans as their permanent home.”
Black as Night is directed by Maritte Lee Go.
Madres
“Beto (Tenoch Huerta) and Diana (Ariana Guerra), a young Mexican-American couple expecting their first child, move to a small town in 1970’s California where Beto has been offered a job managing a farm. Isolated from the community and plagued by confusing nightmares, Diana explores the rundown company ranch where they reside, finding a grisly talisman and a box containing the belongings of the previous residents. Her discoveries will lead her to a truth much stranger and more terrifying than she could have possibly imagined.”
Madres is directed by Ryan Zarazoga.
The Manor
“A malevolent force preys upon the residents of a sleepy nursing home in The Manor, a gothic tale of terror with a modern twist. When a mild stroke diminishes her ability to care for herself, Judith Albright (Barbara Hershey) moves to Golden Sun Manor, an assisted living facility with a sterling reputation. But despite the best efforts of the staff, and a budding friendship with fellow senior Roland (Bruce Davison), strange occurrences and nightmarish visions convince Judith that a sinister presence is haunting the massive estate. As residents begin to die mysteriously, Judith’s frantic warnings are dismissed as fantasy. Even her devoted grandson Josh (Nicholas Alexander) thinks her fears are the result of dementia, not demons. With no one willing to believe her, Judith must either escape the confines of the manor, or fall victim to the evil that dwells within it.”
The Manor is written and directed by Axelle Carolyn.
Games Workshop have released an app for their core fantasy game, Age of Sigmar.
The app is currently in Open Beta and is free to download. Once the Beta is over it will be available as part of Games Workshop’s gaming resource service, Warhammer+.
The idea is that you can have all the rules and other information required to play the game stored onto your phone. The app comes with full rules resources and the army lists from the previous edition of the game, as the game’s latest edition is pretty new. The lists from the new books (called Battle Tomes) can be unlocked by picking up the new books and inputting a special code in each book.
Apps that let you manage wargame rules are very, very useful. Not only does it save you carry lots of books everywhere, it also means you can create new strategies and ideas for the game in any place you’d normally bring a phone.
You can find out more here, and download the Apple version here. The Android version can be found via this link.
After a successful first season released in February 2020, Netflix’s supernatural fantasy series Locke & Key was renewed for a second and third outing, confirmed late last year. Today, the streaming network announced that the new season will premiere on October 22nd.
The show follows the titular Locke family as they move from Seattle, Washington to their ancestral home in Matheson, Massachusetts and discover a mysterious collection of magical keys, which may provide answers as to the story of their father’s death. The keys, which provide access to mystical doors and powers, also make the Lockes the targets of malevolent forces who desire the keys’ power for themselves. Locke & Key is based on the comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.
Season 2 will of course see Darby Stanchfield return as Nina Locke, Jackson Robert Scott as Bode Locke, Connor Jessup as Tyler Locke, Emilia Jones as Kinsey Locke, Laysla De Oliveira as Dodge, Griffin Gluck as Gabe, Petrice Jones as Scot Cavendish, and Genevieve Kang as Jackie Veda.
“This world had so much potential to be reborn and consumed, to be ruled,” Gabe says in the just-released teaser trailer. “It’s time to finish what I started.”
Expect many more doors, keys, and demons in Locke & Key’s second season, releasing October 22nd on Netflix. Check out the teaser below:
The Batman may not be due for release until next year, but Warner Bros. are already planning a world of spin-off series from Matt Reeves’ latest. Previously announced is a series based on the corruption within the Gotham Police Department, set to take place a year before the events of The Batman and during ‘Year One’ of Wayne’s career as the vigilante. This is currently being developed for HBO Max. Now, Deadline reports that another spin-off television series is in its early development stages, focused on Batman’s recurring nemesis and crime lord, the Penguin (aka Oswald Cobblepot).
Previous actors to take on the infamous mantle are Robin Lord Taylor in Gotham, and most famously Danny DeVito in Batman Returns.
So far, only Reeves and The Batman producer Dylan Clark are attached, serving as executive producers, alongside Lauren LeFranc (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as showrunner.
The Batman will release in UK cinemas on March 4th 2022.
Hayley Atwell, best known for her role as Agent Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (most recently in What If…?) and her upcoming role in the much-delayed Mission Impossible 7, will voice Lara Croft in the upcoming Netflix Tomb Raider anime series.
The series will pick up after the video game reboot trilogy of 2012-2018 from Square Enix, and will be written by Tasha Huo (Red Sonja, The Witcher: Blood Origin) who also serves as showrunner. Grey’s Anatomy actress Camilla Luddington provided voice, facial, and motion capture for Lara Croft in the rebooted trilogy, garnering praise for her ability to add depth and emotion to the iconic character.
It’s unclear why Luddington wasn’t brought on to reprise the role in the anime series, though the actress had hinted in 2018 that Shadow of the Tomb Raider might be her final appearance as Lara Croft, explaining that although she would love to be Lara on the big or small screen, she also feels that she has “done [her] part”.
Netflix promises that this will be Lara Croft’s “latest, greatest adventure,” 25 years after the character debuted in the first Tom Raider video game. Since, the video game character has been brought to life numerous times, including the unforgettable live-action adaptation starring Angelina Jolie, and the more recent Hollywood reboot starring Alicia Vikander.
