Universal Moves JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION to 2022

Jurassic World: Dominion

With yesterday bringing word that a whole host of Warner Bros. heavy hitters were being delayed to 2021 or beyond, now comes the news that one of Universal’s biggest upcoming movies is likewise being pushed back.

As first reported by Variety, Universal has made the call to officially move Jurassic World: Dominion to June 10, 2022. Originally, Jurassic World: Dominion was scheduled for June 11, 2021 – but the ongoing global pandemic has resulted in the film being delayed by a further year.

Sadly, Jurassic World: Dominion isn’t the first movie to be affected by the current COVID-19 situation, and sadly it likely won’t be the last.

Right now, it’s a tough time for all involved in the film industry. Earlier this week, we saw Cineworld and Picturehouse cinemas all close indefinitely. With people hesitant to visit the cinema at the moment, that in turn has seen studios hold off on releasing their big-budget movies due to having no way of making any semblance of profit. And, in an egg and chicken situation, with no big-budget movies in cinemas, people are not visiting said cinemas.

MGM’s No Time to Die and Warner Brothers’ Dune, The Batman, The Flash, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and Black Adam are the latest major movies to be delayed until at least next year, and this follows the likes of Black Widow, Wonder Woman: 1984, Top Gun: Maverick, Ghostbusters: After Life, and Venom: Let There be Carnage as just a select few films pulled from 2020 silver screen releases.

With recent offerings such as Mulan and Bill & Ted Face the Music, we’ve seen some studios opt to release films direct to digital, although this again realistically means that these pictures aren’t able to make anywhere near the money that they would’ve with a full cinema release in usual times.

Christopher Nolan’s Tenet is the example that all are seemingly looking at right now, with that $200 million+ movie getting a cinema release earlier this year. While many had initially predicted that film to be pushing the $1 billion mark at the box office, the times we’re in at the moment saw Tenet struggle to a global box office haul in the region of $300 million.

As mentioned, the very future of cinema and the concept of big-budget movies is up in the air right now – whether that’s from money rich studios, to international cinema chains, to small arthouse cinemas, to the staff working in those venues.

Netflix Developing GODZILLA Anime Series

Godzilla: Singular Point

Having already served up a trilogy of CGI-meets-anime Godzilla movies a couple of a years ago, the King of the Monsters is gearing up for further adventures at the on-demand streaming service.

Courtesy of Variety, Godzilla will be headlining his own Godzilla: Singular Point animated series at Netflix. From what we’re hearing, Singular Point will have zero ties to that previous Godzilla trilogy – although it will feature a similar animated style to that trio of Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle, and Godzilla: The Planet Eater.

Bones and Studio Orange are the anime studios behind Godzilla: Singular Point, with Blue Exorcist’s Atsushi Takahashi to direct the series and sci-fi writer Toh Enjoe writing and editing.

Expect more on Godzilla: Singular Point as it continues to develop.

Cast Revealed for Johannes Roberts’ RESIDENT EVIL

Resident Evil 2

With Johannes Roberts having long been on board to director a Resident Evil reboot for Constantin Films, now comes some huge casting news for the picture.

Via Deadline, The Maze Runner’s Kaya Scodelario is playing Claire Redfield, Upload’s Robbie Amell is Chris Redfield, Ant-Man and the Wasp’s Hannah John-Kamen is Jill Valentine, Zombieland: Double Tap’s Avan Jogia is Leon S. Kennedy, The Umbrella Academy’s Tom Hopper is Albert Wesker, and Captain America: The First Avenger’s Neal McDonough is William Birkin.

To be set in Raccoon City in 1998, this new Resident Evil movie will be based on the events of the first two entries in the RE video game franchise.

When we spoke to Roberts earlier this year, he teased a film truer to the video game franchise – in particular the first two games – rather than the more skewed, largely original story seen across the Milla Jovovich-headlined Resident Evil franchise.

On this latest news, Roberts enthused, “With this movie, I really wanted to go back to the original first two games and recreate the terrifying visceral experience I had when I first played them, whilst at the same time telling a grounded human story about a small dying American town that feels both relatable and relevant to today’s audiences.”

For those wondering, Johannes Roberts’ Resident Evil is different to the live-action Wesker-driven series in development at Netflix and the CGI animated Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness also on the way at Netflix.

As ever, expect more on all things Resident Evil as we get it.

Paddy Considine to Headline HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

Paddy Considine

With Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon currently amassing its core cast, the show has added a huge favourite of many to its ranks.

Courtesy of Variety, House of the Dragon has brought in Paddy Considine to headline the series as King Viserys Targaryen I. Considine is likely best known for Dead Man’s Shoes, Hot Fuzz, Tyrannosaur, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Death of Stalin, and currently can be seen in HBO’s The Third Day.

Where Viserys is concerned, he was “chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.”

House of the Dragon will showcase the rise and fall of the Targaryens, with casting for the series currently ongoing. Taking place 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. Martin and Colony’s Ryan Condal created the series, with Condal to also serve as showrunner on House of the Dragon.

At present, House of the Dragon is set to premiere on HBO at some point in 2020.

More Major Warner Bros. Releases Delayed

Not just have we got news on Netflix cancelling GLOW this morning, but there’s also a whole load of changes up on the big screen.

Last night saw Warner Bros. push Denis Villeneuve’s hugely anticipated Dune back from this December to October 1, 2021. As a direct result of that, Matt Reeves’ The Batman – itself previously set for October 1, 2021 – has been pushed back to March 4, 2022.

Elsewhere at The WB, The Flash has been shunted to November 4, 2022 and Shazam! Fury of the Gods has been moved to June 2, 2023. Then there’s Dwayne Johnson’s long-gestating Black Adam picture, which is now completely off the release schedule right now despite previously being pegged for a December ’21 release.

In slightly more positive news, Warner Bros. has brought The Matrix 4 forward from March 4, 2022 to December 22, 2021.

Sadly, these are not the first movies to be delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and even more sad is the cold, hard fact that these films will not be the last films delayed due to the current global situation.

Right now, it’s a tough time for all involved in the film industry. Just yesterday, we saw Cineworld and Picturehouse cinemas all close indefinitely. With people hesitant to visit the cinema at the moment, that in turn has seen studios hold off on releasing their big-budget movies due to having no way of making any semblance of profit. And, in an egg and chicken situation, with no big-budget movies in cinemas, people are not visiting said cinemas.

MGM’s No Time to Die is the latest heavy hitter to be delayed until at least next year, and this follows the likes of Black Widow, Wonder Woman: 1984, Top Gun: Maverick, Ghostbusters: After Life, and Venom: Let There be Carnage as just a select few films pulled from 2020 silver screen releases.

With recent offerings such as Mulan and Bill & Ted Face the Music, we’ve seen some studios opt to release films direct to digital, although this again realistically means that these pictures aren’t able to make anywhere near the money that they would’ve with a full cinema release in usual times.

Christopher Nolan’s Tenet is the example that all are seemingly looking at right now, with that $200 million+ movie getting a cinema release earlier this year. While many had initially predicted that film to be pushing the $1 billion mark at the box office, the times we’re in at the moment saw Tenet struggle to a global box office haul in the region of $300 million.

As mentioned, the very future of cinema and the concept of big-budget movies is up in the air right now – whether that’s from money rich studios, to international cinema chains, to small arthouse cinemas, to the staff working in those venues.

Netflix Cancels GLOW

GLOW

Despite earlier in the year confirming that a fourth season was on the way, the axe has sadly swung on Netflix’s GLOW.

With the show previously renewed for a fourth year that would serve to be a final season for the series, GLOW actually managed to get about three weeks of filming done earlier this year before the production was put on hold due to the ongoing global pandemic.

Now, that pandemic has seen the decision made by Netflix to add GLOW to the ever-growing list of shows cancelled as a direct result of COVID-19.

In a statement to Deadline, GLOW creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch explained, “COVID has killed actual humans. It’s a national tragedy and should be our focus. COVID also apparently took down our show. Netflix has decided not to finish filming the final season of GLOW. We were handed the creative freedom to make a complicated comedy about women and tell their stories. And wrestle. Now that’s gone.

There’s a lot of shitty things happening in the world that are much bigger than this right now. But it still sucks that we don’t get to see these 15 women in a frame together again. We’ll miss our cast of weirdo clowns and our heroic crew. It was the best job.”

Based on the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling show of the 1980s, GLOW has headlined by Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and Marc Maron. Exploring the landscape of the wrestling business in the ‘80s, the show proved to be a major hit with fans and critics alike across its three seasons.

For their part, Netflix has cited the problems of filming such a physically intimate series with such a large cast as being the driving force for the decision to cancel GLOW.

Sadly, GLOW is one of many shows to have been cancelled over the last few months, with I Am Not Okay With This and The Society just two series that Netflix has axed.

Ryan Murphy Developing MONSTER: THE JEFFREY DAHMER STORY

Ryan Murphy

With Ratched having recently impressed fans and critics alike, another new Ryan Murphy project has been given the green light over at Netflix.

Via Deadline, Murphy and Ian Brennan are developing Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story for the on-demand streaming service. That will be a limited series about infamous serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer.

The early word on Monster reads:

Monster chronicles the story of one of America’s most notorious serial killers, largely told from the point of view of Dahmer’s victims, and dives deeply into the police incompetence and apathy that allowed the Wisconsin native to go on a multiyear killing spree. The series dramatizes at least 10 instances where Dahmer was almost apprehended but ultimately let go.

Already, The Shape of Water’s Richard Jenkins has signed on to play Dahmer’s father, with the show to take place across the 1960s, 1970s, and culminate with Dahmer’s arrest in the ‘80s.

Pose’s Janet Mock is on board to write and direct Monster, and Mindhunter’s Carl Franklin will also be directing some episodes of the series.

As ever, expect more on Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story as we get it.

Logan Marshall-Green and Freida Pinto to Headline INTRUSION

Intrusion

In a case of ‘one to keep your eye on,’ Netflix’s Intrusion is shaping up rather nicely.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, Upgrade’s Logan Marshall-Green and The Path’s Freida Pinto have signed on to headline the home invasion thriller. I Smile Back’s Adam Salky will be directing, with a script in place from Buried’s Chris Sparling.

Intrusion will focus on a husband and wife duo who move to a small town and soon experience a traumatic home invasion. From here on out, the couple start to question whether those around them are really who they seem.

Expect more on Intrusion as we get it.

Kickstarter Underway for KILLTOPIA #3

Killtopia #3

You may have a vague awareness that we at Moonbase Alpha are suckers for indie creations, and as such we think you might like to take a look at the Kickstarter campaign for issue three of cyberpunk comic Killtopia.

The series takes place in a futuristic Tokyo where a fatal disease spread by mechs is ravaging the city, including the sister of protagonist Shinji. While out scavenging Shinji encounters Crash, the first ever sentient mech, who may hold the key to stopping the plague, if they can only stay alive long enough to do so. We’ve previously reviewed the comic’s first and second issues, and it’s safe to say were pretty impressed by what we saw.

As well as digital and print issues of the comic itself, also available are the previous two issues of the series and digital editions of writer Dave Cook’s other series Vessels, a fantasy saga inspired by Dark Souls, and Bust, a post-apocalyptic road trip. Other merch included as rewards consists of the likes of t-shirts, beer mats, bottle openers, a painted 3D printed model of Crash’s head, and art prints by a variety of guest artists who include Darick Robertson and Frank Quietly.

You can check out the campaign in more detail here.

Zavvi Launch D&D themed clothing and houseware

Dungeons and Dragons is the tabletop game that’s become the surprise hit of 2020. Not only are more people playing the game than ever before (mostly via video conferencing), public interest in all things D&D have gotten to the point that fans want to announce to the world how much they like the game.

Online Merch peddler Zavvi have leapt to the challenge by launching an exclusive new range of D&D themed goods. T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags as well as cushions and blankets. That’s right, if you want to decorate your gaming cave with a wealth of Fifth Edition inspired goodies, Zavvi has you covered.

The range is split into three distinct categories; Infernal, Celestial and Vintage. The Infernal range includes famous D&D baddies such as Beholders, Lich and Gnolls. The Celestial range promotes the various D&D character classes including Rangers, Druids and Paladins. Because y’know, D&D characters tend to be on the side of the angels.

The traditional range uses images from the classic 80’s Dungeons and Dragons cartoon series. So if you ever really wanted a Uni Tote bag or a Presto The Magician t-shirt, take a look at Zavvi’s new merch.