Michael Keaton in Talks to Play Batman in THE FLASH

Michael Keaton Batman

In some potentially amazing news, Michael Keaton may be set to finally don the cape and cowl once again.

Via The Wrap, Keaton is reportedly in early talks to play Batman in Andy Muschietti’s The Flash.

That first solo outing for Ezra Miller’s Scarlet Speedster is to be based upon Geoff Johns’ iconic Flashpoint comic book arc. In Flashpoint, Barry Allen goes back in time to save his mother from being killed. But as a result of changing history, Allen awakens in the modern-day to a skewed version of the regular timeline.

In this new timeline, not only does Barry not have his superspeed, but Bruce Wayne died that night in Crime Alley, Thomas Wayne became a brutal, alcoholic Batman, Martha Wayne became The Joker, Green Arrow is an arms dealer, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are at bloody war with one another, Superman has been kept as a lab experiment ever since he crash-landed onto Earth, and Cyborg is the planet’s greatest hero.

There had been rumblings that The Flash would feature Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprising his Thomas Wayne role from Batman v Superman and possibly become the Flashpoint Batman, but this Keaton news is way out of left-field – and in the best possible way.

Keaton famously played the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns. His involvement in The Flash is far from confirmed at this early juncture, and talks are said to be in the tentative stages right now.

It’s believed that the current plan is to have Keaton very much play the Bruce Wayne version of Batman that we last saw on the silver screen back in 1992. The Flash will ignore Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, with the older Dark Knight positioned in a Nick Fury-esque role overseeing certain younger heroes.

Should everything fall into place, there’s scope for Keaton’s Batman to appear in further DC-driven movies down the line – with the prospect of those long-gestating Batgirl and Nightwing movies clearly standing out on that front.

To clarify, the plan at the moment is for Matt Reeves’ Robert Pattinson-fronted The Batman to exist away from what we’ve seen in the DC Extended Universe so far – which obviously includes The Flash.

Of course, in the DCEU, we’ve seen Ben Affleck as Batman. While it could possibly be done where Keaton and Affleck have both played the same version of Bruce Wayne/Batman, the more likely event is that the use of the multiverse and alternative Earths will be ‘in’ to get Keaton’s take on the World’s Greatest Detective into The Flash.

At this stage, The Flash is currently awaiting a new release date. And as ever, expect more on this movie and any Michael Keaton developments as and when we get it.

Joel Schumacher 1939 – 2020

Joel Schumacher

In some sad news, director Joel Schumacher has died. He was 80 years of age.

Schumacher’s publicist has confirmed that Joel passed away in New York City earlier today after a year-long battle with cancer.

Throughout a directing career that spanned five decades and began in 1974 with TV movie Virginia Hill, Schumacher’s most notable works include The Lost Boys, St. Elmo’s Fire, Flatliners, Falling Down, A Time to Kill, Tigerland, Phone Booth, and of course Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.

The thoughts of all here at STARBURST go out to the family, friends, and fans of Joel Schumacher. Rest in peace, sir.

New BILL & TED Comic Book Series Announced

Bill & Ted Are Doomed

Ahead of their third feature film arriving later this year, now comes word on a new Bill & Ted comic book series.

Via Newsarama, Dark Horse Comics have announced Bill & Ted Are Doomed as a direct sequel to Bogus Journey and a precursor to the upcoming Bill & Ted Face the Music. Evan Dorkin – who previously worked on Bill & Ted comics in the ‘90s – and franchise co-creator Ed Solomon are penning the four-issue miniseries, with art from Roger Langridge.

The official blurb on Bill & Ted Are Doomed reads:

There’s tension in the band and worry at home. Bill and Ted’s obsession with writing the one song to bring peace to the world is affecting both their playing and their relationships with their families. The band is losing fans and the future isn’t shaping up as they were led to believe it would.

Desperate for a solution, Bill and Ted burst in to announce their great idea to revive the band’s fortunes. A world tour to spread the love – and the rock, and the love of the rock – to the world.

At present, Bill & Ted Are Doomed #1 is set for a September 9 release. As for silver screen antics, Bill & Ted Face the Music is currently booked in for an August 14 release.

Warner Bros. Adapting Ray Bradbury’s THE HALLOWEEN TREE

Ray Bradbury The Halloween Tree

In some fun news for genre fans, Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree is being adapted for the big screen.

Courtesy of Deadline, Bradbury’s 1972 fantasy tale is getting the movie treatment over at Warner Brothers. Will Dunn has been tasked with penning the film’s screenplay.

For those not familiar with The Halloween Tree, the official word on the novel reads:

The Halloween Tree follows Tom and his schoolmates who begin to investigate the strange happenings in their small town on Halloween night.

Their friend Pip is abducted by a powerful demon from the Land of the Dead. With the help of an unlikely ally, a mysterious figure named Moundshroud, Tom and his pals must journey into the Land of the Dead to save their friend.

This adventure all plays out across a whole variety of locations throughout literal time and space, with Tom and his pals diving deep on the true origins of Halloween.

Previously, Hanna-Barbera teamed with Ray Bradbury to serve up an animated TV movie take on The Halloween Tree back in 1993.

Expect more on this new The Halloween Tree adaptation as it develops.

Edgar Wright to Adapt THE CHAIN for Universal

Edgar Wright

Whilst his next movie Last Night in Soho has recently been pushed back to next year, there’s now news on a new project for director Edgar Wright.

Via Deadline, Wright will tackle an adaptation of Adrian McKinty’s 2019 novel The Chain for Universal Pictures.

A kidnap-driven thriller which seems to be pulling inspiration from Richard Matheson’s Button, Button and The Box, the official synopsis for The Chain reads:

The Chain tells the story of Rachel, who learns that her 11-year-old daughter has been kidnapped. Her daughter will be released only when the next victim’s parents kidnap another child. If Rachel doesn’t kidnap another child, or if that child’s parents don’t kidnap a child, her daughter will be murdered. She is now part of The Chain, a terrifying and meticulous chain letter-like kidnapping scheme that turns parents from victims to criminals.

Kingsman’s Jane Goldman is working on the script for Wright’s take on The Chain.

As for the aforementioned Last Night in Soho, the ongoing global pandemic recently saw that movie moved from this September to an April 2021 release.

Shortlist for Arthur C. Clarke Award Announced

Clarke Award Logo

The Clarke Awards have announced their 34th shortlist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award for science fiction literature. The Clarke is chosen by a panel of industry professionals, and is often compared to the Man Booker Prize in terms of impact and importance.

 

The shortlist for the Arthur C. Award 2020 is:

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley from (Angry Robot)
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine from (Tor)
The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell from (Hogarth)
Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky from (Head of Zeus)
The Last Astronaut  by David Wellington from (Orbit)
The City in the Middle of the Night  by Charlie Jane Anders from (Titan)

This year’s winner will be announced in September 2020.

This years judges are:
Stewart Hotston, British Science Fiction Association
Alasdair Stuart, British Science Fiction Association
Farah Mendlesohn, Science Fiction Foundation
Chris Pak, Science Fiction Foundation
Rhian Drinkwater, SCI-FI-LONDON film festival

More information can be found on The Clarke Award Blog, here.

Lark Productions Nab Rights for DESCENDER

Descender

With barely a week going by without news on a new adaptation of a comic book or graphic novel, now comes word on a Descender adaptation on the way.

As per Variety, Lark Productions has bagged the TV rights to Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen’s Descender and its follow-up Ascender.

For those not familiar with Descender, the title was launched through Image Comics back in 2015. Centred on the intergalactic adventures of robot child Tim-21, this world is one where any androids are outlawed and hunted by bounty hunters.

That initial series came to a close in 2018 after 32 issues, with Ascender then picking things up a decade later – and putting a more magical and mystical lick of paint on the IP.

Expect more on this TV take on Descender and Ascender as it continues to develop.

Work Already Underway on a Third Year of CREEPSHOW

Creepshow

Well, hit is all kinds of brilliant to hear. Yes, as the headline suggests, it appears that a third season of Creepshow is happening.

As per Variety, Shudder is already at work on plans for a third year of its devilishly delightful Creepshow series. The outlet reports that Shudder has ordered a full set of scripts for a third season, with Shudder GM Craig Engler going on to confirm this news.

Of course, Creepshow’s second season hasn’t actually finished filming – yet alone has it began airing on Shudder by this point in time.

Season Two of Creepshow was due to start shooting this past March, but those plans were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. By already beginning early work on a third season, the logic is that it will give Greg Nicotero and his Creepshow team a chance to plan ahead and make up lost time once production and filming is allowed to resume.

Expect more on all things Creepshow as we get it.

Ewan McGregor Joins del Toro’s PINOCCHIO

Jiminy Cricket Pinocchio

In a fun piece of news, Guillermo del Toro’s animated Pinocchio has brought in Ewan McGregor.

GDT has been in development on the project for the past few years, and this first piece of casting news has seen McGregor himself reveal he’ll be voicing Jiminy Cricket in the picture.

McGregor revealed this news during an interview with ACE Universe, in which he added how he’d already started recording some of his dialogue in New York before the world was thrown into uncertainty.

For this new spin on the classic Pinocchio, del Toro is on writing, directing, and producing duties. The animated offering will be based on designs from Gris Grimley, and it’ll be set in Italy during the 1930s at a time when Mussolini and Fascism was running wild.

Expect more on GDT’s Pinocchio as it continues to develop.

Horror Channel Reveals July Treats

channel july

July brings a host of premieres to Horror Channel alongside some welcome classics.

Included in the line-up is the UK TV premiere of The Rezort (2015), in which holiday makers hunt zombies for kicks in a theme park. Nothing in the slightest could go wrong, surely? Also making their debut on the channel are Don’t Hang Up (2016), in which the tables are turned on some pranksters, and the much-loved Resident Evil (2002), Paul W. S. Anderson’s video game adapatation starring Milla Jovovich.

Other highlights include the brilliant No One Lives (2012), Sam Raimi’s tour-de-force The Evil Dead (1981) and the Arnie classic The Gth Day (2000)

For more information, head over to http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/

Tune into Horror Channel on Sky 317, Virgin 149, Freeview 70, Freesat 138.