Mindy Kaling To Headline HBO Max VELMA Series

Scooby-Doo Velma

For some of us, Scooby-Doo is the property that just keeps on giving. Across different decades, for different generations, the spooky adventures of Mystery Inc. have kept us all entertained time and time again – and now, it’s the turn of Velma Dinkley to take centre-stage.

As announced by Warner Bros., Mystery Inc’s resident genius sleuth is getting her own HBO Max animated series simply titled Velma. The brilliant Mindy Kaling – likely best known for starring as Kelly Kapoor on The Office, in addition to serving as a writer on that show – is on board to executive producer and voice Velma in this new show.

The early word on Velma reads:

Velma is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang.

An original and humours spin that unmasks the complex and colourful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers, executive producer Mindy Kaling will voice the titular character.

Charlie Grandy, Sam Register and Howard Klein will also be acting as executive producers on Velma, with Warner Bros. Animated producing the series for the HBO Max streaming service.

The Velma character has been a mainstay of any and all Scooby-Doo projects ever since Scoob first came to animated life in 1969’s Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! cartoon series. Of the numerous people to voice the character over the decades, Nicole Jaffe and Marla Frumkin are likely the most synonymous with the tones of Velma Dinkley, while Linda Cardellini played Velma in the two live-action Scooby-Doo movies of the 2000s.

As ever, expect more on Velma as we get it.

Zawe Ahston Is CAPTAIN MARVEL 2’s ‘Big Bad’

Zawe Ashton

With Marvel Studios and Disney having a huge slate of upcoming pictures in various stages of development, now comes word that Captain Marvel 2 has found its villain.

Via Deadline, Velvet Buzzsaw and Greta star Zawe Ashton – who Doctor Who fans may also recognise – has signed on to butt heads with Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. However, it’s not yet known which particular Marvel Comics rogue Ashton will be playing in November 2022’s Captain Marvel sequel.

In addition to Larson, Ashton will also be joined in Captain Marvel 2 by Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani. Parris can currently be seen as the adult Monica Rambeau in WandaVision, while Vellani is to headline Disney+’s Ms. Marvel miniseries as the titular Kamala Khan.

There are sure to be a few other familiar MCU faces involved in Captain Marvel 2, but these are the only confirmed cast members that we know of at this early juncture. One other nugget of information that we do know, though, is that the action of Captain Marvel 2 will take place in the present-day setting of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – whereas its predecessor was obviously set in the ‘90s.

With a script from WandaVision’s Megan McDonnell, the upcoming Candyman reboot’s Nia DaCosta is in the director’s chair for Captain Marvel 2.

Up next for the MCU is Black Widow this May, with that film having been delayed several times from its original release date of April 2020.

New PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Movie Finds Its Director

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

With news coming last March that a new Paranormal Activity movie was on the way, with Christopher Landon on writing duties, now comes word that the picture has found its director.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, Underwater’s William Eubank has been brought in to direct this seventh Paranormal Activity film. Details on this movie are minimal right now, bar the fact that it will carry on with the found footage approach of the franchise and it will be an “unexpected retooling” of the series.

Previously, of course, 2015’s Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension was pegged as the conclusion of the PA franchise, yet horror has a habit of those final films never quite being as final as they’re billed as.

Once more, Blumhouse and Paramount Pictures are producing this latest installment in the series, with Jason Blum and Oren Peli again overseeing things. As for the aforementioned Christopher Landon, the Happy Death Day helmer has plenty of previous with Paranormal Activity, having written the second, third and fourth entries in the franchise, before then directing Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.

When Jason Blum first announced a new Paranormal Activity back, the plan then was for this movie to hit the silver screen on 19 March, 2021. That date has now been pushed back to 4 March, 2022.

HBO’s THE LAST OF US Finds their Joel in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Mere hours ago, we reported that Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) had been cast as Ellie in the upcoming HBO adaptation of The Last of Us.

Well now, via Deadline, we have our Joel – Mandalorian and Wonder Woman 1984 superstar Pedro Pascal will brave the American wasteland as Joel, the man tasked with transporting Ellie across the country and forming an incredible bond along the way. Pascal was reportedly available for a new series and opted for a homecoming to HBO and to be reunited with his Game of Thrones co-star.

Based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name and developed by Naughty Dog, the series will follow Joel and Ellie’s journey and is being co-written by Craig Mazin and the game’s lead writer and director, Neil Druckmann.

More details will be announced as Sony and HBO release them.

THE MANDALORIAN’s Gina Carano Dropped by Disney and Lucasfilm

Gina Carano

Gina Carano, star of Deadpool and the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, has been dropped by Disney and Lucasfilm following a series of offensive social media posts.

The former MMA fighter, who has also been dropped by United Talent Agency (UTA), made comparisons between modern-day political divisions and the treatment of Jewish people in Nazi Germany.

“Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future,” a spokesperson for the company said. “Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”

Carano first attracted controversy when she blocked accounts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement on Twitter, after it was alleged that she was being ‘trolled’ on Twitter. In November, she appeared to mock people who choose to share their personal pronouns after she updated her Twitter bio with “beep/bop/boop.” She later deleted it.

The hashtag #FireGinaCarano was trending on Twitter following her most recent posts, with many of them trying to get Lucasfilm’s attention.

Playing a former rebel shocktrooper who ends up befriending the Mandalorian on Sorgan, Carano’s character ends up helping Mando and the local village fight against a cohort of raiders. At the end of the second season, she is part of the crew that helps Mando rescue the Child from the clutches of Moff Gideon. 

The future of Cara Dune in The Mandalorian, and in the recently announced spin-off Rangers of the New Republic, is now uncertain. There is no word yet as to whether the character will be dropped or recast, although the spin-off seemed to be centred around a solo outing for Dune. However, a new cast for the show has not been announced, and it seems early enough in the day that Disney could simply opt to drop the show entirely if they decide not to continue with the character.

Charisma Carpenter Latest To Speak Out Against Joss Whedon

Charisma Carpenter

On Wednesday, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Charisma Carpenter accused series creator Joss Whedon of emotionally abusive and manipulative behaviour on the set of the two hit shows.

Carpenter made the allegations in a two-part statement she posted on her social media accounts. She states that “Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions” and that “while he found his misconduct amusing, it only served to intensify my performance anxiety.”

The actor drew particular attention to how Whedon reacted to her pregnancy. Carpenter alleges that Whedon called her “fat” when she was four months pregnant, and fired her from the show after she gave birth. Whedon also reportedly asked Carpenter whether or not she was “going to keep it.” 

“He was mean and biting, disparaging about others openly, and often played favourites, pitting people against one another,” she added.

Carpenter was speaking out following allegations of manipulative behaviour made by Justice League’s Ray Fisher, after Whedon was brought on to finish the film following the death of Zack Snyder’s daughter. He described the director’s treatment of the cast and crew as “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable.” A subsequent investigation by Warner Bros. in which Carpenter was involved finished last December and “remedial action” was taken, according to the studio. Fisher has since tweeted his support for Carpenter, calling her “one of the bravest people I know.”

Carpenter is fondly remembered for her performance as Cordelia Chase, a character who started out as a self-centred and stuck-up Sunnydale High cheerleader before emerging as a reluctant heroine, and then an agent of The Powers That Be in Angel. She proved to be a fan favourite, bringing depth and staying power to a character that could so easily have proved to be a minor role. However, her death in Season 4 of Angel remains a bitter point with fans, who feel it was handled poorly. Carpenter stated in 2019 that she saw her writing off the show as related to her becoming a mother. 

Other cast members from Buffy and Angel have also shared their stories. Sarah Michelle Gellar posted a statement on her Instagram page that reads “while I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don’t want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon… I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out.” Reposting Gellar’s statement, Michelle Trachtenberg – who played Dawn, Buffy’s younger sister – added “I am brave enough now as a 35 year old woman….To repost this. Because. This must. Be known. As a teenager. With his not appropriate behavior….very. Not. Appropriate. So now. People know. What Joss. Did.”

Amber Benson has also spoken out, retweeting Carpenter’s statement and agreeing that the set of Buffy was “a toxic environment.” Another co-star, Clare Kramer, also voiced her support for those who have spoken out against Whedon.

Many online are now calling for the male co-stars of Buffy and Angel to speak out in support of the women and voice their experiences of working with Whedon. Last year, James Marsters (who gave a memorable performance in both shows as Spike) told the Inside of You Podcast with Michael Rosenbaum that Whedon backed him up against a wall and yelled at him in an aggressive manner, annoyed that Spike’s popularity was at odds with his vision for the show.

Buffy is a phenomenon unlike anything else, made popular by far more than the vision of a single man who many have now claimed works in an aggressive, controlling and emotionally abusive manner. The actors who brought their characters to life in such memorable ways, and all the crew working behind the scenes who had little to nothing to do with Whedon himself, play just as much of a role in making the show what it is. Buffy still deserves to be recognised as a pioneering piece of genre television that pushed new boundaries in narratives and representation, but the fact that so many of the female stars felt unsafe while making the show leaves a sour taste in the mouths of it’s sizeable fanbase.

HBO’s THE LAST OF US Adaptation has OFFICIALLY Cast its Ellie

In March 2020, HBO announced that the Multi-Award winning video game The Last of Us would be getting a live-action adaptation penned by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and the game’s lead director and writer Neil Druckmann. Since then the internet has been rife with speculation as to who would be playing the lead roles of Joel and Ellie.

Today, via the Hollywood Reporter, we now have an answer as to who will be portraying Ellie – English Actress and Game of Thrones star, Bella Ramsey.

Ramsey, 17, who portrayed Lyanna Mormont in the fantasy epic, has landed arguably the biggest gig of her career as she will be battling the infected as the foul-mouthed orphan Ellie – who, along with Joel, will battle to survive and may hold the key to saving the world.

As for Joel, Oscar-Winning Actor Mahershala Ali was tipped to land the part, but an offer was never made according to sources.

The pilot is scheduled to be directed by Beanpole director Kantemir Balagov and the series is being co-produced by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint and game developer Naughty Dog. Executive producers include Carolyn Strauss, Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions and Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells.

More on this story as it develops including more casting news, production updates and release news.

Jamie Lee Curtis Joins Eli Roth’s BORDERLANDS Movie

Jamie Lee Curtis Tannis Borderlands

As Eli Roth’s Borderlands movie continues to amass its core cast, now comes word that Jamie Lee Curtis has joined the picture.

Via Collider, major genre fave Curtis has signed on to play Dr Patricia Tannis in Roth’s adaptation of the beloved video game franchise. That character is a scientist pivotal to all three of the main Borderlands video games, with her often there to assist the central protagonists of said gaming series.

Roth himself was quick to confirm this news, enthusing about how working with Jamie Lee “has been a life long dream” of his, citing the “humour, warmth and brilliance” that the actress will bring to the Tannis role.

In Borderlands, Curtis joins the previously announced Cate Blanchett as Lilith and Kevin Hart as Roland. Along with Eli Roth, Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin has penned the screenplay for this adaptation.

For those not familiar with the Borderlands video game franchise, the official word reads:

Borderlands is set in the distant future, in which four ‘Vault Hunter’ travel to the distant planet Pandora to hunt down an alien vault, rumoured to contain advanced alien technology. The hunters find themselves battling the local wildlife and bandit population, but ultimately attempt to stop the head of a private corporation army from reaching the vault first.

As a video game series, Borderlands began back in 2009. Since then, there have been three follow-up games, several spin-off games, a comic book series, and several novels.

Up next for Jamie Lee Curtis, of course, is a returning to the franchise that started it all for the iconic star – that being Halloween Kills this October, which will then be followed by Halloween Ends in October 2022.

WATCHMEN’s Nicole Kassell to Helm New WIZARD OF OZ

Nicola Kassell Watchmen

Over 80 years since Judy Garland and Co. wowed in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, New Line Cinema is moving forward with another new telling of this tale – and not just that, but they’ve already nabbed a director for this feature project.

Via Deadline, Nicole Kassell has been tasked with helming this new spin on The Wizard of Oz. Kassell made her film debut back in 2004 with The Woodsman, and she’s likely best known for her more recent work in TV on shows likes Watchmen, Better Call Saul and Westworld.

After a significant and extensive search, Kassell reportedly won out after New Line was impressed with her world-building skills showcased on HBO’s Watchmen series.

While literally anybody can make their own Oz project thanks to the rights to L. Frank Baum’s original novel having been in the public domain since 1956, the fact that New Line falls under the Warner Bros. banner means that this new film can use certain elements of the ’39 picture that other projects cannot – notably Dorothy’s ruby slippers.

On this news, Kassell enthused, “I am incredibly honoured to join Temple Hill and New Line in bringing this beloved classic to the screen. While the 1939 musical is part of my DNA, I am exhilarated and humbled by the responsibility of re-imagining such a legendary role. The opportunity to examine the original themes – the quest for courage, love wisdom and home – feels more timely and urgent than ever. These are profoundly iconic shoes to fill, and I am eager to dance alongside these heroes of my childhood as we pave a newly minted yellow brick road.”

At this early juncture, New Line has yet to set any sort of even loose release date for this film, but expect more on this new Wizard of Oz as and when we get it.

New Trailer Released for SILENCE OF THE LAMBS Sequel Series

clarice

“Hello, Clarice.” Again.

NBC’s Hannibal may still be dead and buried despite the outcry from its army of fans, but CBS are stepping up to bat with their own show featuring Thomas Harris’s world. Clarice will see Rebecca Breeds (The Originals) stepping into the iconic role made so famous by Jodie Foster in the 1991 classic, The Silence of the Lambs. Will it do justice to the original? Will it fill the void created by Hannibal’s unjust cancellation? We’ll find out for sure once it begins to be rolled out from Feb 11th, but in the meantime take a sneak peek at the new trailer below. Look good? Ambivalent? Let us know on Twitter @STARBURST_mag

 

Official Synopsis:

Set one year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs, join Agent Clarice Starling in this new psychological thriller that takes a deep dive into her untold personal story. The series will bring you along as she returns to the field in pursuit of serial murderers and sexual predators while navigating the high stakes political world of Washington, D.C.