UPGRADE TV Series in the Works

Upgrade

With Leigh Whannell delivering a modern-day sci-fi masterpiece with Upgrade, it’s fantastic to hear that a sequel of sorts is on the way for this 2018 movie.

Courtesy of Bloody Disgusting, Blumhouse Television and UCP are taking Upgrade to the small screen.

This TV series take on Upgrade will pick things up several years after the events of the Logan Marshall-Green-headlined film. In that picture, Marshall-Green’s Grey Trace sees his wife killed in a horrific mugging which also leaves him paralysed. When he’s approached by a billionaire tech genius, Grey accepts the offer of an experimental chip – STEM – which gives him enhanced abilities.

In this Upgrade show, the landscape of the movie will be expanded on, with the government now in possession of STEM and using it as a way to keep on top of criminal activity.

Whannell will serve as executive producer on Upgrade alongside showrunner Tim Walsh. Walsh is best known for his work on the likes of Shooter and Treadstone. The Purge’s James Roland and Krystal Ziv Houghton are joining Whannell and Walsh in a writer’s room for the series.

This is all part of the exclusive first-look deal Leigh Whannell has recently penned with Blumhouse for both movie and TV projects.

SONIC Sequel in Development

Sonic the Hedgehog

Despite initial trepidation, Paramount Pictures’ Sonic the Hedgehog proved to be an absolute blast. And now, it’s great to hear that a sequel has been officially given the green light.

Courtesy of Variety, that first film’s director Jeff Fowler will be returning to helm the second outing for the furry blue speedster. Likewise, Sonic screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller will be back to pen this follow-up.

There’s no word just yet on who’ll be appearing in the picture, it seems likely that Ben Schwartz will be back to lend his vocals to Sonic, and Jim Carrey also seems a shoe-in to pick up his Doctor Robotnik role.

Sonic the Hedgehog ended with the tease of more to come, with a Colleen Villard-voiced Tails making a post-credits appearance. Similarly, the end of the film saw the promise of more chaos from Carrey’s Robotnik.

Released earlier this year, Sonic the Hedgehog took a worldwide box office haul of $306 million from a budget of approximately $90 million.

As ever, expect more on this Sonic sequel as we get it.

Amazon and Sony Teaming for Horror Anthology Series

Alex de la Iglesia

In some intriguing news, Amazon and Sony are teaming on a new horror anthology.

Courtesy of Variety, the two powerhouses are coming together for an anthology feature titled The Fear Collection.

Amazon Prime Video and Sony Pictures International Production have agreed a multi-movie deal with Witching and Bitching, The Day of the Beast, and The Oxford Muders’ Alex de la Iglesia. The filmmaker will direct or produce entries of The Fear Collection.

The current plan is for these feature films to first be given a theatrical release by Sony, before heading to Amazon Prime in Spain. Sony will retain the distribution rights for other markets.

On this news, de la Iglesia enthused, “The concept is to make a collection of films that unveil a universe of horror beyond time. The characters face supernatural forces that threaten humanity. The idea is to generate a label of films with a specific character, Cosmic Horror.”

It’s expected that this deal will see two movies a year produced, with directors and screenwriters with a penchant for genre being scouted.

As ever, expect more on The Fear Collection as we get it.

Henry Cavill to Return as SUPERMAN?

Superman Henry Cavill

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… Henry Cavill returning as Superman?!?!

Via Deadline, Cavill is reportedly in talks with Warner Bros. over returning to play the Big Blue Boy Scout.

The reason why this is a little surprising, is largely down to the small fact that Cavill seemed done and dusted with the cape ‘n’ tights two years ago. Cavill himself seemed keen to reprise the Kal-El role, yet back then it was more of a case of Warners keen to go in a direction.

Of course, Henry Cavill played Superman in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League.

In this latest story, the word is that this would not be a straight-up Man of Steel 2. Instead, it looks more likely that these talks are for Cavill’s Last Son of Krypton to appear in a cameo capacity in A.N. Other DC Comics-driven picture – with speculation throwing up Shazam! 2, Aquaman 2, Black Adam, or The Flash as logical possibilities.

Another report from The Wrap suggests that these talks may actually be for Cavill to film new footage for next year’s long-discussed Justice League: The Snyder Cut that’s heading to HBO Max. If so, let’s just hope he’s shaved off his ‘tache by now…

As ever, expect more on a possible Super returning for Henry Cavill as we get it.

New Joe Abercrombie Cover Revealed!

Joe Abercrombie Trouble with Peace

We’ve gotten our hands on the cover of Joe Abercrombie’s forthcoming novel, The Trouble with Peace.

The lovely artwork from the award-winning Tomás Almeida looks suitably epic. Abercrombie, who is known as the Lord of Grim Dark fiction, tends to end up with some extremely striking covers. The hardback will be out this 15th September 2020.

The Trouble With Peace is the sequel to the excellent A Little Hatred and continues the epic fantasy series, the Age of Madness.

Blurb for the new book is below

Second in the AGE OF MADNESS trilogy, THE TROUBLE WITH PEACE is the next instalment of a series which is revolutionising fantasy

Conspiracy. Betrayal. Rebellion.
Peace is just another kind of battlefield

Savine dan Glokta, once Adua’s most powerful investor, finds her judgement, fortune and reputation in tatters. But she still has all her ambitions, and no scruple will be permitted to stand in her way.

For heroes like Leo dan Brock and Stour Nightfall, only happy with swords drawn, peace is an ordeal to end as soon as possible. But grievances must be nursed, power seized and allies gathered first, while Rikke must master the power of the Long Eye . . . before it kills her.

Unrest worms into every layer of society. The Breakers still lurk in the shadows, plotting to free the common man from his shackles, while noblemen bicker for their own advantage. Orso struggles to find a safe path through the maze of knives that is politics, only for his enemies, and his debts, to multiply.

The old ways are swept aside, and the old leaders with them, but those who would seize the reins of power will find no alliance, no friendship, and no peace, lasts forever.

More Stars Play D&D for Comic Relief

dndlive 2020

Hot on the heels of their recent fund raising success with Comics Play Dungeons and Dragons, Comic Relief and Wizards of The Coast have teamed up to present more celebrities playing even more Dungeons and Dragons for charity. The D&D Live 2020: Roll w/ Advantage event will be live via DND Live Portal between June 18th to June 20th. It’s all happening live in the US, so you may have to stay up a little later if you’re in Europe.

Events include:

  • Funny people like Thomas Middleditch, Brian Posehn, and Kevin Sussman will work together to solve problems or, more likely, cause some hilarious new ones.
  • WWE Superstars Alexa Bliss, Tyler Breeze, Dio Maddin, Ember Moon, and Xavier Woods will contend with the beefcake destroyer Jeremy Crawford, a.k.a. Principal Rules Designer for D&D.
  • Deborah Ann Woll will lead a group of actors—including Amy Acker, Janina Gavankar, and Matthew Lillard, and Sam Richardson—in improvising a way to help people in a fantasy world not that different from ours.
  • And principal D&D writer Chris Perkins takes players new to D&D—including Felicia Day, Brett Gelman, David Harbour, Brandon Routh, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Martin Starr—through adventures sure to de-mystify the hobby for all who tune in.

    • SILENT HILL Comes to DEAD BY DAYLIGHT

    Silent Hill

    With Dead by Daylight still proving to be hugely popular four years on from its initial release, now comes news on the latest update for the gloriously gruesome horror game.

    Having recently teased that Dead by Daylight was to get some swanky new content, Behaviour Interactive has revealed that Silent Hill is being brought to the world of DBD.

    This latest update to the game will bring Midwich Elementary School, Heather (renamed as Cheryl Mason), and the sinister Pyramid Head to gamer’s fingertips.

    The official word on this Silent Hill update reads:

    Midwich Elementary School is the scene of unspeakable horrors. Any sense of the innocence that once marked these halls is gone. In its place: stained walls, rusted chains, hanging cadavers, and a sense that things have gone horribly wrong. Pyramid Head, known as the Executioner, is a sadistic and merciless killer fixated on dispensing punishment through pain. Never without his hulking blade in tow, Pyramid Head has stepped into the fog to fulfil his nefarious duty.

    Cheryl Mason, previously known as Heather, is the Chapter’s newest survivor, is the Chapter’s newest survivor. Having freed herself from the religious cult that had pursued her since birth, she now must fight an eternal battle in the Entity’s ream.

    Dead by Daylight: Silent Hill is already live on Steam’s Public Test Build, and the update will hit consoles on June 16th.

    LAST NIGHT IN SOHO Gets New Release Date

    Last Night in Soho

    Earlier this month saw Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho have its release date completely pulled, but now comes news of a new date for the picture.

    Wright himself took to Twitter to confirm that Focus Features will release Last Night in Soho in cinemas on April 23rd, 2021.

    Previously, Wright’s claustrophobic horror offering was set for a September 18th release. As revealed by the director, post-production on Last Night in Soho has been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    While exact specifics on Last Night in Soho are being kept hush-hush for now, the ‘60s-set picture stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie.

    As ever, expect more on Last Night in Soho as we get it.

    FX Moving Forward with AHS Spin-Off Series

    American Horror Story

    After a tease of just such a series happening, it’s now been confirmed that an American Horror Story spin-off is in development.

    As first reported by Deadline, FX has officially given the A-OK for AHS creator Ryan Murphy to move forward with a spin-off titled American Horror Stories.

    The only concrete information on American Horror Stories at this point is time, is that the show will be one up of one-hour self-contained stories that will run completely separately from American Horror Story. Then again, who knows if there may be some crossover between the two shows down the line.

    On the American Horror Story front, filming on that show’s tenth season is currently up in the air due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On a more positive note for fans of AHS, the genre favourite series has already long been given the green light to deliver at least 13 seasons.

    Expect more on both American Horror Story and American Horror Stories as we get it.

    THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO TV Series in Development

    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

    Fan favourite property Millennium is now set to head to the small screen.

    Courtesy of Variety, Amazon Studios is teaming with Sony Pictures Television to develop a series based on Stieg Larsson’s iconic book trilogy.

    To be titled simply The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the TV offering won’t be a sequel or follow-up to the story seen in the books, but instead the series will take the Lisbeth Salander character and put her in today’s world, complete with new settings, new characters, and a new story to tell.

    The Millennium franchise has of course already been adapted previously, with Larsson’s trilogy brought to life in 2005, 2006, and 2007, not to mention English language do-overs of the first two tales.

    Since Larsson’s death in 2004 at the age of just 50, David Lagercrantz continued the book series with three further novels.

    Expect more on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as we get it.