Major Dispute Affecting LUCIFER’s Future

Lucifer

It’s been an up and down ride for fans of Lucifer. After being effectively cancelled twice, all was looking well and good for a sixth season of this fan favourite series. But now, well now it looks as if the Netflix show has hit yet another bump in the road.

If you remember, the first blow for Lucifer was FOX axing the show after three seasons. Following that, the huge social media fan support shown for the series ultimately resulted in Netflix picking up the rights to continue on with Lucifer. After a well-received fourth season, it was then confirmed by the streaming juggernaut that Lucifer would finally come to a close with a fifth and final season that will land at some point later this year.

Despite Season Five pegged as the final offering for Lucifer, reports last month suggested that there was a chance that fans may actually get a sixth season of the show. Now though, a spanner has been thrown into the works courtesy of an ongoing dispute between Warner Bros. TV and Lucifer star Tom Ellis.

Via TVLine, it’s believed that a deal was actually agreed in March for Ellis to return as Lucifer Morningstar for that sixth season. In the time since then, there’s been some unhappiness between Ellis and WB. This report claims that Warners has upped their offer several time to Ellis, but the actor is unhappy with what’s on the table.

Given that a deal was supposedly agreed between Tom Ellis and Warner Bros. TV, this could mean that the actor would be breaching his contract if he refuses to return to the Lucifer fold. And that unfortunately means that lawsuits could follow, and the whole affair could become extremely messy.

As an insider told TVLine, “Everyone wants Tom to be happy, but there’s a limit, and it’s been reached.”

Make of all this what you will, but right now the future doesn’t seem all that bright for that sixth season of Lucifer. Fortunately for audiences, if that is the case, the creative minds behind the show had already delivered a Season Five finale that would serve as a suitable way to conclude Lucifer should that really be it for the series.

OVERLOOK in Development at HBO

The Shining

In addition to today’s news of J.J. Abrams developing a live-action Justice League Dark series for HBO Max, now comes word that Abrams will also be bringing another fan favourite property to the streaming service.

Courtesy of Variety, Abrams’ Bad Robot banner and HBO Max are teaming up on Overlook – which will be a series centred on the infamous Overlook Hotel from The Shining.

The early word on Overlook has it pegged as “a horror-thriller that explores the untold stories of the Overlook Hotel.”

Abrams will be producing the show alongside Rachel Rusch Rich and Ben Stephenson. This won’t be the first time that J.J. has been involved in the world of Stephen King, of course, for he was the driving force behind the stunning Castle Rock.

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

CASSIAN ANDOR Adds Stellan Skarsgard and Kyle Soller

Stellan Skarsgard and Kyle Soller

As Disney+’s Cassian Andor continues to develop, the series has moved to add two new names to its ranks.

Courtesy of Variety, the Rogue One prequel show centred on Diego Luna’s Andor has brought in Thor’s Stellan Skarsgard and Poldark’s Kyle Soller.

At this stage, there’s no word on what roles Skarsgard and Soller will have in Cassian Andor, and they join Luna and the returning Alan Tudyk in the small screen offering.

Previously, it was expected that Cassian Andor would be premiering in late 2021 or early 2022, although there is obviously a sense of uncertainty surrounding any and all upcoming movie and TV projects right now.

J.J. Abrams Developing JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Series

Justice League Dark

We heard earlier this year that J.J. Abrams was working with HBO on several Justice League Dark-driven projects, and now we have an update on that front.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, one of these projects will be a Justice League Dark TV series for HBO Max. Abrams will executive produce the show through his Bad Robot banner.

At this stage, it’s not been revealed just which JL Dark characters will be featured in any of these various projects, and this is all part of Abrams recent five-year deal with WarnerMedia.

Justice League Dark is the second new DC Comics-centred live-action series heading to HBO Max, with Greg Berlanti at work on a Green Lantern show. This being in addition to James Wan producing an animated Aquaman series, too.

Featuring some of DC’s most mystical and magical characters, the likes of John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Zatanna, Deadman, and the Spectre are just some of the names to have been a part of the comic book JL Dark team.

In recent years, Matt Ryan’s Constantine had his own one-season TV series before becoming a part of the Arrowverse and now a regular member of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Likewise, Derek Mears brought Swamp Thing to life in the character’s own DC Universe show that was similarly cancelled after one season. Then there’s the Spectre, who was played by Emmett J. Scanlan in Constantine and then more recently by Stephen Lobo in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Previously, Guillermo del Toro had spent years trying to put together a Justice League Dark film, before GDT ultimately had to focus his attention on other projects.

As ever, expect more on all of this as we get it.

Universal and Amasia Teaming for New GREEN HORNET

The Green Hornet

Back at the turn of the year, we heard rumblings of a new Green Hornet movie being on the way from Amasia Entertainment – and now comes an update that Amasia will be teaming with Universal on the picture.

Via Deadline, Universal Pictures and Amasia Entertainment are working together on a film titled The Green Hornet and Kato. At this early stage, this effort has yet to find a creative team or cast just yet.

Created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, The Green Hornet debuted as a radio serial back in 1936. Focussed on Britt Reid and his masked alter-ego of the crimefighting Green Hornet, forever at his side is Kato and the pair’s advanced tech car, the Black Beauty.

Van Williams and Bruce Lee starred in the most famous incarnation of the property in 1966’s The Green Hornet, with Seth Rogan and Jay Chou headlining the 2011 big-screen reboot.

Several other versions of the IP have surfaced over the decades, and the last we’d heard on anything was a couple of years ago when Paramount were lining up Warrior’s Gavin O’Connor to direct.

As ever, expect more on Universal and Amasia’s The Green Hornet as it continues to develop.

Demon Records Announce The Underwater Menace

demon underwater

Continuing their series of narrated BBC soundtracks of classic Doctor Who serials, Demon Music Group has announced The Underwater Menace as their next release.

Pressed on ‘volcanic eruption’ coloured vinyl, the story is from the Patrick Troughton era and the full serial only exists in audio format, as several episodes are missing from the BBC archives.

From the press release:

In The Underwater Menace the TARDIS arrives on a volcanic island above the lost city of Atlantis. The Doctor learns of Professor Zaroff’s insanely dangerous plan to raise the city of Atlantic from the depths of the sea once more. Whilst Ben and Jamie are put to work in the mines, and Polly is set to be transformed into one of the strange, enslaved Fish People, the Doctor must do everything he can to prevent Zaroff causing the end of the world.

Presented across 2 x 140g vinyl discs, this 1967 TV soundtrack is narrated by Anneke Wills, who co-stars with Michael Craze and Frazer Hines as the Doctor’s companions Polly, Ben and Jamie. Among the supporting cast are Joseph Furst, Colin Jeavons, Paul Anil and Noel Johnson (radio’s Dick Barton). Incidental music is composed by Dudley Simpson, and the familiar strains of the Doctor Who theme are courtesy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

The coloured vinyl LPs are presented in a fully illustrated gatefold sleeve showing cast and credits, with inner bags featuring complete episode billings. 

The double vinyl album will be released on May 29th and you can pre-order it now.

Horror Channel Reveals May Delights

channel may

The May line-up on Horror Channel has been unveiled and it promises to keep people glued to the screens. With no fewer than eight channel premieres, there’s something for everyone’s terror tastes.

Included in the month’s delights are Highlander (1986), Russell Mulcahy’s fantastic fantasy that pitches Christopher Lambert against Clancy Brown with the guidance of Sean Connery – all set to the music of Queen. Val Kilmer and Christian Slater star as FBI agents in Mindhunters (2004), a hungry RV terrorises a family in The Toybox (2018), John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson attempt to get to find out why a phone signal is turning mobile users into violent killers in Cell (2016), and Adam Green’s monster is back in Victor Crowley (2017), with Kane Hodder returning as the hillbilly killer. If that’s not all, there’s Dwayne Johnson and Karl Urban in the video game adaptation Doom (2005), David Tennant playing a serial killer in Bad Samaritan (2018), and the gloriously lavish adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Keanu Reeves, Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder, and Gary Oldman as the titular bloodsucker.

There can be only one station you must watch!

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

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

Sam Raimi Confirmed for DOCTOR STRANGE Sequel

Sam Raimi

In some news that we kinda already knew, Sam Raimi is to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Being honest, most days are tending to be ‘slow news days’ right now, so yes, we’re snaffling up any sort of news story that we can. And in that regard, the Evil Dead helmer finally confirming his participation in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange sequel is indeed news.

Raimi confirmed this news during a conference call promoting his 50 States of Fright anthology series that’s airing on Quibi. As the filmmaker enthused, “I loved Doctor Strange as a kid. He was probably number five for me for great comic book characters. He was so original.”

If you remember, Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson left Multiverse of Madness earlier this year over the ever-familiar creative differences. Following that, Marvel Studios and Disney were quick to swoop in and begin negotiations with Sam Raimi to take over the director’s chair for this sequel offering.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was previously set for a May 7, 2021 release, although that date has now been changed to November 5, 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic causing all kinds of delays and cancellations in the entertainment industry.

In terms of what we know about Multiverse of Madness, Benedict Cumberbatch will of course be back as the Sorcerer Supreme, and he’ll be joined by Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Baron Mordo, Benedict Wong’s Wong, and there will also reportedly be an appearance from Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch.

Chris Jericho to Co-Host THE LAST DRIVE-IN Season Premiere

Chris Jericho

One of the few pieces of good news from the past few weeks, is that The Last Drive-In is returning on April 24th. And now, we have word that Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl won’t be alone for that season premiere.

As first announced by Shudder, Chris Jericho will be co-hosting said season premiere with Joe Bob and Darcy. Following that news, the wrestler-turned-rocker-turned-actor-turned-G.O.A.T. took to Twitter to give his thoughts on joining The Last Drive-In.

In a follow-up, Joe Bob Briggs enthused, “Chris Jericho is the most exciting wrestling personality to befriend horror since Rowdy Roddy Piper co-hosted They Live! with me on TNT years ago. In fact, Jericho may be the most famous wrestler in the world right now, not to mention lead singer for a metal band that charted on Billboard with an anthem that thousands of arena fans know by heart.”

From becoming one of the biggest names in the wrestling business during a near-20-year stint in WWE, Jericho then became the flagbearer and poster boy of Tony Khan’s All Elite Wrestling company since that company launched just over a year ago. In addition to becoming AEW’s inaugural World Champion – Le Champion, if you will – the ridiculously talented Canadian has likewise toured the world with his band Fozzy, hosts his weekly Talk is Jericho podcast, has ran two Rock ‘n’ Ragers at Sea cruises, and forever has a multitude of various plates spinning at any one time.

And now, Jericho is taking his engaging, entertaining presence to The Last Drive-In on Friday, April 24th.

Seriously, if you’ve yet to sample Shudder – available via Amazon Video here in the UK – The Last Drive-In alone is worth signing up for.

BLOODSHOT Director to Tackle INFLUX

Influx Daniel Suarez

Fresh off of helming Sony Pictures’ Vin Diesel-headlined Bloodshot adaptation, director David S.F. Wilson has now found his new project with the studio.

Via Deadline, Wilson will next tackle a take on Daniel Suarez’s Influx sci-fi novel for Sony. Lights Out producer Zak Olkewicz is also on board for the project.

In terms of the plot of Influx, the story is a future-set offering centred around a particle physicist. Said physicist, Jon Grady, is working on a world-changing invention that has him in the crosshairs of the US government. Kidnapped and tortured for refusing to work with the government, Grady has to break free and stop their nefarious plans.

As ever, expect more on this Influx adaptation as it continues to develop.