HBO and Sky Developing Dark Comic Horror THE BABY

HBO

Having wowed audiences with the jarring, stunning, terrifying Chernobyl, HBO and Sky are once again working with Sister Pictures on a new series titled The Baby.

Pegged as a dark comic horror, newcomer Sian Robins-Grace is on writing duties for The Baby, with Deadline reporting that the current plan is to shoot the show in the UK next year.

The early word on The Baby reads:

The Baby is a raw examination of motherhood as an institution: a set of unspoken rules that affect women differently depending on how they’re viewed by society.

When 38-year-old Natasha is unexpectedly landed with a baby, her life of doing what she wants, when she wants, dramatically implodes. Controlling, manipulative and with violent powers, the baby twists Natasha’s life into a horror show. Where does it come from? What does it want? And what lengths will Natasha have to go to in order to get her life back? She doesn’t want a baby. The baby wants her.

Lucy Gaymer is developing The Baby with Robins-Grace, with the series set to consist of eight episodes.

Elisabeth Moss Re-Teaming With Blumhouse for MRS. MARCH

Elisabeth Moss

With Elisabeth Moss currently one of the hottest stars in the business, now comes news on the Invisible Man star re-teaming with Blumhouse for a new project.

Via Deadline, Moss has signed on to headline Blumhouse’s adaptation of Virginia Feito’s Mrs. March novel.

The Mrs. March book itself isn’t actually being released until August 2021, but the buzz around the thriller is extremely high. Fieto herself is also on board to write the movie adaptation for Blumhouse.

In terms of the plot of Mrs. March, the synopsis for Feito’s upcoming novel reads:

Mrs. March follows a polished Upper East Side housewife who unravels when she begins to suspect the detestable protagonist of her husband’s latest bestselling novel is based on her.

As well as starring in Blumhouse’s Mrs. March, Elisabeth Moss will also serve as a producer on the project through her Love and Squalor Pictures banner. This all comes hot on the heels of Moss recently signing on to develop and star in Apple’s The Shining Girls, similarly develop and star in Hulu anthology series Black Match, and front Universal’s based-on-a-real-serial-killer Candy TV show.

Expect more on Mrs. March as we get it.

Hulu Adapting MEXICAN GOTHIC

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Having only been released this past June, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic has already been picked up for a TV adaptation.

Courtesy of Deadline, the horror-thriller novel is being given the TV treatment over at Hulu. ABC Signature and Milojo Productions are putting together the series, with Moreno-Garcia on board to serve as an executive producer.

The official synopsis Mexican Gothic reads:

The acclaimed author of Gods of Jade and Shadow returns with a mesmerising feminist re-imagining of Gothic fantasy, in which a young socialite discovers the haunting secrets of a beautiful old mansion in 1950s Mexico.

He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me.

When glamorous socialite Noemí Taboada receives a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging to be rescued from a mysterious doom, it’s clear something is desperately amiss. Catalina has always had a flair for the dramatic, but her claims that her husband is poisoning her and her visions of restless ghosts seem remarkable, even for her.

Noemí’s chic gowns and perfect lipstick are more suited to cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing, but she immediately heads to High Place, a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside, determined to discover what is so affecting her cousin.

Tough and smart, she possesses an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerised by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to leave this enigmatic house behind . . .

Expect more on Hulu’s Mexican Gothic as it develops.

Netflix Picks Up FEAR STREET Adaptation

R.L. Stine Fear Street

Hot on the heels of a new Goosebumps TV series in development and The Babysitter also now picked up for the small screen, now comes an update on another adaptation of R.L. Stine’s work.

Via Deadline, the movie take on Stine’s Fear Street has been picked up by Netflix.

The last we’d heard on the feature-film adaptation of Fear Street was over a year ago now, with Honeymoon’s Leigh Janiak then brought in to direct for Disney/Fox and Chernin Entertainment.

Janiak is still directing Fear Street, but the plan now is for her to direct three Fear Street movies that will each premiere one month apart on Netflix next year in an event that’s being dubbed the Summer of Fear.

The already-announced cast for Fear Street features Gillian Jacobs, Kiana Madeira, Sadie Sink, Ashley Zuckerman, Benjamin Flores Jr., and Jeremy Ford.

In terms of what to expect from these Fear Street pictures, Fear Street 1 will be set in 1994 and centre on a group of teenagers who discover the haunting past of their hometown. Fear Street 2 will take place in 1978 and focus on the counsellors and campers of Camp Nightwing banding together to solve a horrifying mystery, while Fear Street 3 is another 1994-set offering, this time exploring the witch-hunting past of a colonial town.

Like his The Babysitter series, Fear Street is one of the pre-Goosebumps collections that first put R.L. Stine on the map – with the series going on to comprise of a total of 52 stories by the time all was said and done.

Support THE VEIL OF ISOLATION on Kickstarter!

veil isolation

STARBURST’s very own James L. Perkins has successfully launched his second short as writer and director, The Veil of Isolation, on Kickstarter. Award-winning filmmaker Scott Lyus is on board as producer, and actor Natalie Martins will star. And there’s still time for you to get involved!

From the press release:

After the country is put into lockdown, a young woman shares her experiences with the world in the form of a video diary – however as the world descends into darkness and her paranoia grows, it becomes clear normal life will never be the same again.

Writer/Director James L Perkins says, “I wanted to use film and more specifically, technology such as a camera that we use on a day-to-day basis, to tell the story of one woman whose normality is slowly ripped away from her and how she would deal with that massive change in her life. Taking some of my own experiences and the fears of others, I set out to craft a compelling character-driven thriller that is relatable whilst also being enthralling”.

Produced by Scott Lyus, the filmmaker behind festival hits Silently Within Your Shadow, Echoes of the Passed and most recently Black Mass (both winners of awards at the STARBURST International Film Festival), the film stars genre favourite Natalie Martins of Cruel Summer and The Barge People, and has caught attention for all the right reasons.

The film is currently on Kickstarter and has got off to an incredible start. Over 60% funded in their first week and trending number 1 in the horror films category. If you’re interested in joining the team, hit the link below and grab yourself one of the many awesome perks up for grabs. There’s a perk for everyone, from completed film links, all the way to Associate and Executive Producer perks. And given the festival hits and successes of all involved we have no doubt this is one project to keep an eye on.

Join the team by heading over to the Kickstarter page.

Shia LaBeouf to Play the MCU’s Iceman?

Bobby Drake

Treat this as a major rumour right now, but Shia LaBeouf is reportedly being lined up for a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

According to WeGotThisCovered, Disney is looking at LaBeouf to play Iceman when they bring the X-Men into the MCU.

Bobby Drake is a hugely important character in the realm of Marvel Comics, for he was a founding member of Charles Xavier’s X-Men. And in more recent years, his importance has been reiterated when he was the first core member of the X-Men to come out as gay.

The X-Men have always been about inclusivity and addressing very real-life issues, and few members of Xavier’s team have encompassed that ethos more than the character of Iceman. Added to this, he has some of the literal coolest powers and abilities of all of the X-Men. Previously, Shawn Ashmore played Iceman in X-Men, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

It’s no secret that Disney and Marvel Studios are making tentative plans to have a rebooted X-Men team arrive in the MCU at some point over the next few years. Much like the Fantastic Four, it seems like only a matter of time before the X-Men make their presence known as the MCU continues to expand further and further, with new heroes being brought in to keep this shared universe fresh.

Many traditionalists would like to see the MCU X-Men consisting of the original comic book team – Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel, and Iceman – and if so then Shia LaBeouf is certainly an interesting option for the Bobby Drake gig.

LaBeouf has spent the last two years out of the spotlight, opting to take a step back from big-budget blockbusters after becoming disillusioned due to his experiences on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise.

If LaBeouf is open to returning to blockbuster movies once more, being part of an ensemble cast would be one logical way to do it – and that ensemble could well be as one of the X-Men.

As mentioned, treat this as a major rumour right now, but expect more on all of this as and when we get it.

Adria Arjona Joins Disney+’s CASSIAN ANDOR Series

Adria Arjona

As Disney+’s Cassian Andor series begins to move forward once more after recent delays, the show has now added Adria Arjona to its ranks.

Via Deadline, Emerald City star Arjona has signed on for Cassian Andor in a role that’s yet to be revealed. She joins Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Genevieve O’Reilly, Stellan Skarsgard, Kyle Soller, and Denise Gough in the Rogue One prequel series.

Right now, the belief is that Cassian Andor will premiere on Disney+ towards the end of 2021 or early 2022.

Shawn Ashmore is THE BOYS’ Lamplighter

Shawn Ashmore Lamplighter The Boys

With The Boys gearing up to premiere its second season next month, now comes word that Shawn Ashmore will be a part of the new season.

Via CinemaBlend, Ashmore – who is likely best known to genre fans for playing the X-Men’s Bobby Drake, aka Iceman – will be playing Lamplighter in Season Two. That character was briefly referenced in The Boys’ first season, and he’s someone who is a former key member of The Seven.

On this news, showrunner Erik Kripke enthused, “We were thrilled that Shawn – who is, let’s be honest, an OG superhero – wanted to play the crucial part of Lamplighter. He brings so much depth, menace, and world weary humanity to this former member of The Seven. And Shawn is a really good guy. We’re grateful to have him join our bloody little family.”

Season Two of The Boys will hit Amazon Prime Video on September 4.

Garth Davis to Direct Jared Leto in New TRON Movie

Tron: Legacy

After years of rumours and rumblings of a new Tron movie, now comes word that the picture is finally happening.

Via Deadline, Disney is at early work on a new Tron offering which will be directed by Lion’s Garth Davis. Not only that, but, as previously speculated, Jared Leto will headline the movie.

From what we can tell, this film will be a straight-up third Tron movie that will follow in the footsteps of 1982’s Tron and 2010’s Tron: Legacy. At several points over the past decade, Legacy director Joseph Kosinski claimed that a sequel to that film would happen at some point, and the last few years saw Leto linked to that sequel.

While Kosinski won’t be involved in this third Tron, we now know that Leto will be.

In that ’82 original, Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn is a computer programmer who ends up transported to a world inside a hugely powerful computer. When Flynn is unable to get out of this world, the 2010 Tron: Legacy found Garett Hedland playing Flynn’s son Sam as he looks to try and find his old man.

Tron: Legacy may not have quite got the universal praise of the first movie, but we’ll be damned if Legacy wasn’t a visual delight with an absolutely gorgeous soundtrack to accompany its action.

There were tentative plans to follow Legacy will a sequel shortly after its release, but Disney pulled back on that call after that movie and George Clooney’s Tomorrowland underperformed at the box office.

Finally getting a third Tron film? With the technological possibilities presented here in 2020? Consider us hugely intrigued by this.

Interestingly, Leto took to Twitter to seemingly reveal the title of Tron: Ares for this new movie – although that post was quickly deleted.

Jason Bateman to Direct SUPERWORLD Adaptation

Superworld Jason Bateman

In some intriguing news, Warner Bros. has moved to bring in Jason Bateman to direct their Superworld adaptation.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, with Bateman reuniting with Game Night writer Mark Perez on the project.

Superworld is an Audible production from Gus Krieger, and the official blurb on the property can be found below:

Earth, 2038. Every single man, woman, and child on the planet has a unique gift: an extraordinary, superhuman ability.

All except one.

And he may be civilization’s only hope.

Ignatius Lohman longs to make his mark, to be someone. But in a world populated entirely by superpowered beings, he’s nothing but a powerless white-collar civilian. Iggy’s plight is not helped by the fact that his father, General Lancelot Lohman of the defense agency PEERLESS, is one of the most powerful men on the planet.

Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, Iggy finds himself in the crosshairs of Erle P. Van Owen, a megalomaniacal corporate overlord with the astonishing ability to neutralize any superpower.

Van Owen is seemingly invincible. But he didn’t count on this: If he can effortlessly defeat anyone with superhuman abilities, how will he fare against the one person with no powers at all?

Teaming up with his father and their PEERLESS allies, Iggy must find a way to save the United Nations of Earth. And maybe, with a bit of luck, find himself along the way.

Whilst Jason Bateman is best known for starring in the likes of Arrested Development, Ozark, and Horrible Bosses, he’s also been impressing many with his directorial work on offerings such as The Family Fang, Bad Words, and the aforementioned Ozark.

As ever, expect more on Superworld as it develops.