BATWOMAN Finds its Hush and Magpie

Hush Magpie

With only a matter of days left until Batwoman premieres on The CW, two more new additions have been confirmed for the Ruby Rose-headlined series.

Courtesy of TVLine, Revenge’s Gabriel Mann will be playing Tommy Elliot/Hush and Happy Death Day’s Rachel Matthews will be playing Margaret Pye/Magpie.

We’d previously heard how Hush was going to be a part of Batwoman, but we’d not heard who exactly would be playing this fan favourite modern-day Bat-rogue. A childhood friend of Bruce Wayne’s, Tommy Elliot goes on to become a hugely successful surgeon before returning to Bruce’s life when they’re both adults. In Batwoman, however, Tommy’s story will be tweaked so that he’s a “real estate mogul boasting easy charm and a friendly smile.”

As for Magpie, she’s a thief who loves nothing more than nabbing shiny things. Unlike her comic book counterpart, Batwoman’s take on the villain will give her a mask to hide her secret identity – and she’ll also apparently be portrayed as a Robin Hood-esque character.

Batwoman debuts on The CW this Sunday.

FrightFest Halloween Line-Up Announced

frightfest halloween

What’s better at Halloween than taking in 12 hours of fabulous horror films? Well, the Arrow Video FrightFest All-Dayer will provide all the chills you need!

From the press release:

The day kicks off with the European Premiere of Josh Hasty’s CANDY CORN. With an impressive all-star genre cast (including Tony Todd, who exec-produces), an innovative iconic killer and cool score, say hello to a new twist on a Halloween tradition

This is followed by a 80s throwback horror comedy, WE SUMMON THE DARKNES. From Marc Meyers, director of My Friend Dahmer, this UK premiere delivers gore and guffaws with gleefully twisted abandon.

Next up is the International premiere of UNCANNY ANNIE, directed by Paul Davis, who gave us the fabulous documentary Beware The Moon: Remembering ‘American Werewolf In London’  This dice-throwing game of death and survival kicks off the second season of Hulu’s Blumhouse-produced series Into The Dark and Paul will be introducing the film.

Then there is the UK Premiere of SWALLOW, a warped fairy tale, posing provocative questions about the expectations imposed on women and the psychologically damaging effects of patriarchal culture. Anchored by Haley Bennett’s knockout performance, this bold and atmospheric film marks the feature directorial debut of Carlo Mirabella-Davis.

The 8.30pm film is the UK premiere of TRICK, from Patrick Lussier, director of Drive Angry and the My Bloody Valentine remake. This surprising slasher delivers graphic shock after shock.

The finale presentation is SCARE PACKAGE which introduces us to the next generation of horror directors, Each of the eight talented filmmakers has selected a different horror sub-genre, taking aim at the tropes and overused clichés we find all too often in horror films.

Plus, we’ll be showing THE HAUNTED SWORDSMAN, the latest in acclaimed puppeteer Kevin McTurk’s Spirit Cabinet series. Corin Hardy, who backed the hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, will be joining us to introduce the acclaimed short.

Alan Jones, FrightFest co-director, said today: “Get your knives out, your chainsaws revved up and your machetes raised as FrightFest, the UK’s biggest and best genre event returns to the Cineworld Leicester Square on Saturday November 2nd for a morning of mayhem, an afternoon of anguish and an evening of evil in a day of the dead extravaganza. Happy Halloween everyone!”

Day passes (£47) and single tickets (£14.50) go on sale at noon on Saturday October 5th.

 

Dean DeBlois to Direct Universal’s New TREASURE ISLAND

Dean DeBlois

Hot on the heels of being brought in to write and direct a Micronauts movie for Paramount, Dean DeBlois is also to develop a new Treasure Island picture.

Via Deadline, the How to Train Your Dragon favourite has signed on to direct the film for Universal Pictures and Mandeville Films. Beauty and the Beast’s Evan Spiliotopoulos has been tasked with writing the feature, while Todd Liberman, David Hoberman and DeBlois will serve as producers.

With Micronauts pegged for a June 2021 release, the two-time Oscar winner will tackle that movie first before then getting to work on Treasure Island.

Treasure Island, of course, began life as an 1883 novel from Robert Louis Stevenson and has been adapted countless times over the decades. The crux of the story centres on young Jim Hawkins and Captain Long John Silver, and their quest to locate some hidden pirate treasure.

As ever, expect more on Treasure Island as it continues to develop.

Audrey Marie Anderson to Play Harbinger in The CW’s CRISIS

Arrow Lyla Michaels

As The CW’s all-encompassing Crisis on Infinite Earths continues to be the gift that just keeps on giving, now comes news that Audrey Marie Anderson will be pulling double-duty in the crossover.

Via ComicBook.com, Arrow’s longtime Lyla Michaels will also be appearing as Lyla’s comic book alter-ego, Harbinger. Seemingly this Harbinger version of Michaels will be an alternative Earth incarnation of Lyla.

On this news, executive producer Marc Guggenheim enthused, “Lyla Michaels as Harbinger is a key component of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths that we were determined to honour in our crossover. What makes this particularly satisfying for us is that we introduced Lyla Michaels and her Harbinger codename all the way back in Arrow Season 1.”

In the comic book Crisis on Infinite Earths story, Harbinger was rescued as a child by the Monitor and became his right-hand woman in his mission to save the multiverse.

Of course, Audrey Marie Anderson isn’t the only person pulling double-duty in this huge crossover event, for Brandon Routh will be playing Ray Palmer in addition to picking up the Man of Steel role he played in 2006’s Superman Returns. But Routh isn’t the only Superman to be a part of Crisis, for the Arrowverse’s Tyler Hoechlin will once more don the famed blue and red duds… and Tom freakin’ Welling will pick up his Kal-El role from Smallville.

To go into the full list of characters, shows, and nods ‘n’ winks featured in Crisis on Infinite Earths would likely have us typing for the rest of the day, but let’s just say this is going to be the stuff that fans of DC Comics and DC TV have been dreaming of as The CW looks to streamline a whole host of shows into one shared timeline of existence.

Crisis on Infinite Earths begins this December.

Black Sunday Film Festival Unviels Line-Up

black line-up

The line-up of screenings for The Black Sunday Film Festival has been revealed. The event returns to the Whirled Cinema, Brixton, for three full days of genre madness between Friday October 25th and Sunday 27th.

 From the press release:

This year’s festival will open with the UK Premiere of Lisa Ovies’ beautifully layered comedic slasher Puppet Killer, featuring a powerful ensemble cast including Aleks Paunovic (War For the Planet of The Apes, iZombie), Richard Harmon (The 100, Bates Motel), Lee Majdoub (The 100, Supernatural), Lisa Durupt (Murder She Baked), Kyle Cassie (Deadpool), and Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock, El Gigante).  Joining Puppet Killer on the Friday are three incredible short films. First, horror-comedy Dead Air from director Geoff Harmer (having its London Premiere), followed by the brilliant On Air from director Bastiaan Rook. Next up is the award-winning animated horror-comedy Literally Hell from director Robert Poller, before Puppet Killer takes centre stage. Friday will then descend into the early hours of Saturday morning with the Black Sunday Film Festival opening night party rocking the Whirled to 2.00am.

Saturday kicks off with the amazing short film Postal from director Nailah Robinson, followed by the International Premiere of An Accidental Zombie (Named Ted) from director Anne Welles; starring the incredible cast of Kane Hodder (Friday 13th, Hatchet), Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story) Gary Anthony Williams (The Boondocks) and Sandi McCree (The Wire).

Short Film Block 1 follows, showcasing a range of incredible talent from across the globe, kicking off with The Third Hand from Director Yoni Weisberg, The Widower (UK Premiere) from filmmaker Peter Mckeirnon, I Have To Go from director Karanja Yorke, Night Crawl from director Gregory Shultz, Junk (World Premiere) from Martin Lynn and Diane Jessie Miller, The Cleaner (World Premiere) from director Gareth Brown, The Knowledge (South London Premiere) from director Alexander Osman, The Desecrated from John Gray and Melissa Jo Peltier and Dispel (International Premiere) from filmmaker Kylie Eaton.

Saturday closes with the International Premiere of the outstanding short The Automaton from filmmaker W. Alex Reeves, followed by the London Premiere of comic book-obsessed serial killer feature Artik; from filmmaker Tom Botchii and starring the insanely talented cast of Chase Williamson (John Dies at the End, The Guest, Beyond the Gates), Jerry G Angelo (Better Call Saul), Lauren Ashley Carter (Jugface, Darling, Imitation Girl) and Matt Mercer (Contracted, Dementia Part II, Beyond the Gates).

Sunday then kicks off with Short Film Block 2 showcasing even more upcoming talent from around the world; kicking off with Dog Skin from filmmaker Tiago Teixeira, Midnight from filmmaker Katie Bonham, Service from director Theo Watkins, Vampire of Soho from director Andy Edwards, One Last Meal from filmmaker Jill Gevargizian, Tickle from director Chris Chalklen, The Whistler (UK Premiere) from filmmaker Jennifer Nicole Stang and Siren: A Cyberpunk Story (UK Premiere) from filmmaker Steven Gurney.

Closing out this year’s Black Sunday Film Festival is the brilliant festival smash The Barge People from director Charlie Steeds and writer Christopher Lombard. Starring Kate Davies-Speak (Horizon, Invasion Planet Earth, Dead Air), Natalie Martins (Cruel Summer, Kill or be Killed), Mark McKirdy (Electric Man, After Dark) and Makenna Guyler (Blood Bags, David and Goliath).

Sponsored by STARBURST and Arrow Video, The Black Sunday Film Festival promises to be the perfect weekend to indulge in some truly awesome genre cinema, with the most diehard genre community in the world and plenty of filmmakers in attendance. And with such a mouth-watering line-up, they guarantee you’ll never be the same again!

Tickets are on sale now, so grab yourself a day pass or weekend pass while you can. This is one event you do not want to miss!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-sunday-film-festival-2019-tickets-73193839745

Nat Wolff Joins CBS’ Adaptation of THE STAND

Nat Wolff

As CBS’ take on Stephen King’s The Stand continues to put together its cast, Nat Wolff is the latest name to join the adaptation.

Deadline broke the news, with the Death Note and The Fault in Our Stards star signed on to play Lloyd Henreid in the miniseries. That character is a petty criminal who ends up becoming a loyal follower of the nefarious Randall Flagg.

Henreid joins a cast the includes Alexander Skarsgard as the aforementioned Flagg, with key roles for Whoopi Goldberg, James Marsden, Amber Heard, Odessa Young and Henry Zaga and.

The early word on this latest adaptation of The Stand reads:

The series will bring to life King’s vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man.

The Fault in Our Stars’ Josh Boone and SEAL Team’s Ben Cavell are on writing duties for the ten-episode take on King’s 1978 novel.

The Stand, of course, was previously given the TV treatment back in 1994. Then, Mick Garris helmed a miniseries that clocked in at just over the six-hour mark in total, with names such as Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, Miguel Ferrer, and Ossie Davis starring.

For those not familiar with the written world of The Stand, the loose plot centres on a decimated post-apocalyptic world in which a deadly plague has wiped out a huge chunk of the population. Two rival groups form, with the vastly differing views of the leaders of these groups putting both sides on a collision course as good battles evil.

Expect more on The Stand as it continues to develop.

Kevin Smith Reveals CLERKS III is Moving Forward

Clerks III

For fans of Kevin Smith, we’ve got the great news that Clerks III is seemingly back on!

If you remember, Smith first mentioned plans for a third Clerks movie six years ago, and then again had tentative plans for the threequel a year ago. Both times, the project unfortunately didn’t materialise – but now it appears that Clerks III is a go.

Good ol’ Kev Smith himself took to social media to reveal how a meeting with Jeff Anderson – Clerks’ Randal Graves – convinced him that now was finally the time to push ahead with Clerks III.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

3 CLERKS! Thanks to the good folks at @zscentertainment and @leeloomultiprops, I got to see Randal! #JeffAnderson, @jaymewes, and I spent Saturday signing stuff and catching up, seeing so much movie merch that’s been made over the last 25 years (hit the Leloo site for sweet signed skateboards)! But even better than that? We talked about making a movie together. It’ll be a movie that concludes a saga. It’ll be a movie about how you’re never too old to completely change your life. It’ll be a movie about how a decades-spanning friendship finally confronts the future. It’ll be a movie that brings us back to the beginning – a return to the cradle of civilization in the great state of #newjersey. It’ll be a movie that stars Jeff and @briancohalloran, with me and Jay in supporting roles. And it’ll be a movie called CLERKS III! To be great is to go on. To go on is to go far. To go far is to return. And we’re all gonna return to the scene of the crime! This won’t be the old script we almost made a few years back: this is a completely new screenplay that I just started writing last night! And so far, it’s like a dream come true! After mending fences with @benaffleck earlier this year, I was hoping for a chance to do the same with Jeff – so huge thanks to Leeloo Multiprops for getting us all in the same room. But the biggest thanks ever go to Jeff, for being receptive to the idea at all. This means I’m gonna get to play with my two favorite inaction figures again: Dante & Randal! Two weeks from the debut of @jayandsilentbob Reboot (on @fathomevents screens 10/15 & 10/17, link in my bio), I’m ecstatic to announce our imminent return to Quick Stop! So I assure you: we’re open! #KevinSmith #clerks3 #jaymewes #jayandsilentbob #danteandrandal #quickstop #leeloomultiprops #indiefilm #clerks

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One of the big stumbling blocks previously was that Anderson didn’t want to be involved in the movie. Considering that Clerks and Clerks II were largely based around the relationship between Anderson’s Randal and Brian O’Halloran’s Dante Hicks, it would’ve been kinda hard to move forward with Clerks III if either of those names weren’t on board.

For fans of Smith and Clerks, here’s hoping that this time out we finally do get Clerks III.

Up next for Kev, of course, is Jay & Silent Bob Reboot – in selected cinemas from October 15th.

Madison Iseman Joins Blumhouse and Amazon’s NOCTURNE

Madison Iseman

Having starred in Annabelle Comes Home earlier this year, Madison Iseman has signed on to headline Nocturne.

Deadline broke the news, with the actress to tackle the new Blumhouse TV and Amazon Studios offering. Iseman joins Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney, The Society’s Jacques Colimon and Casual’s Ivan Shaw in the picture.

The early word on Nocturne reads:

The supernatural thriller is about an incredibly gifted pianist who makes a Faustian bargain to overtake her older sister at a prestigious institution for classical musicians.

Ze Quirte is on writing and directing duties for Nocturne.

Netflix Renews STRANGER THINGS For a Fourth Season

Stranger Things 4

In a case of “well, of course…”, Netflix has moved to renew Stranger Things for a fourth season.

The on-demand streaming service confirmed this news, while also adding that Stranger Things showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer have signed a multi-year movie and series deal with Netflix.

Check out the official Stranger Things fourth season announcement video below:

On this renewal, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos enthused, “The Duffer Brothers have captivated viewers around the world with Stranger Things and we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with them to bring their vivid imaginations to other film and series projects our members will love. We can’t wait to see what The Duffer Brothers have in store when they step outside the world of The Upside Down.”

Expect more on Season 4 of Stranger Things as we get it.

Nancy Stephens Returning for HALLOWEEN KILLS

Halloween

As next year’s Halloween Kills looks to bring back certain characters from John Carpenter’s original 1978 movie, now comes word on another familiar face returning to tackle The Shape.

Courtesy of HalloweenMovies, Nancy Stephens is the latest name to join the follow-up to last year’s Halloween. Stephens played Nurse Marion Chambers in earlier entries in the franchise. That character was driving the car in which Michael Myers escaped Smith’s Grove in Carpenter’s ’78 film, and she’d return in Halloween II before being killed off by Michael in the opening moments of Halloween H20.

Of course, the 2018 Halloween completely ignored any of the movies that took place after the 1978 classic – meaning Marion’s death at the hands of Myers never actually happened.

Nancy Stephens Halloween H20

Nancy Stephens’ Marion Chambers is one of several characters from the original Halloween who’ll be returning for Halloween Kills. The ‘78 picture’s Kyle Richards will be reprising her role as Lindsey Wallace, while Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Longstreet will be playing Tommy Doyle and Lonnie Elam, respectively.

If you remember, Lindsey and Tommy were the two children being babysat on the night he came home, while Lonnie was a young bully who had a pants-filling meeting with The Shape in that first Halloween.

David Gordon Green is again on directing duties for Halloween Kills, with the film set for an October 2020 release. Following that, October 2021 will serve up what’s being pegged as the final entry in the franchise, Halloween Ends.