Chris Rock’s SAW Brought Forward to May 2020

Saw

With a new Saw movie on the way from Chris Rock and Darren Lynn Bousman, said return for this fan favourite horror franchise has been brought forward.

Originally pegged for an October 23rd, 2020 release, Lionsgate has moved the film to May 15th, 2020 – meaning that the picture will be released five months earlier that initially planned.

Seemingly, one reason for moving out away from that October 2020 release may be down to the recent confirmation that The Shape will be back in Halloween Kills during that same period.

In this to-be-titled Saw offering, Chris Rock stars as a police detective tasked with investigating a batch of grim and brutal murders. Samuel L. Jackson will be playing Rock’s father, while there are also roles for Horns’ Max Minghella and Riverdale’s Marisol Nichols.

The idea for the movie actually came from Rock, who will also be acting as producer on the film. Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV’s Bousman will be back in the director’s chair for this ninth Saw movie.

Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane Returning for CRISIS

Elizabeth Tulloch Lois Lane

Hot on the heels of Burt Ward being confirmed to be a part of this year’s hugely anticipated Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event for the Arrowverse, now comes word on another person who’ll be a part of this multi-episode, multi-show Crisis.

Via Entertainment Weekly, it’s been revealed that Elizabeth Tulloch will be returning to the Arrowverse as Lois Lane.

This doesn’t come as a major surprise, given that Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman was recently confirmed for Crisis. Remember, Tulloch’s Lois was a part of last year’s stunning Elseworlds crossover for the Arrowverse.

Back during Elseworlds, the conclusion of that crossover saw a pregnant Lois taken to Argo City by the Man of Steel. And the pair have yet to be seen since. When this duo return for Crisis, they won’t be alone – for Superman and Lois will have their child in tow!

Expect more on Crisis on Infinite Earths as we get it.

Animated SUPERMAN: RED SON Movie Set for 2020

Superman: Red Son

Fresh of premiering the Batman: Hush animated movie at San Diego Comic-Con, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have moved to announce what animated offerings are lined up for 2020.

First up, early 2020 will see fans treated to an animated take on Mark Millar’s stunning Superman: Red Son tale. In that famed 2003 Elseworlds tale, readers saw a Kal-El who landed in the Soviet Union and was brought up as a Communist hero.

After Superman: Red Son, 2020 has Justice League Dark: Apokolips War and Superman: Man of Tomorrow lined up. Details on those films are scarce at this stage, although it may well be that JL Dark: Apokolips War is a spin on Geoff Johns’ The Darkseid War. For Man of Tomorrow, that is reportedly an original movie with no direct comic-book basis.

As for the aforementioned Batman: Hush, we’ve already had a chance to check out this animated adaptation of one of the greatest modern-day Bat-stories – and let’s just say it’s sure to get DC fans talking.

Keep your eyes peeled towards the turn of the month for our full Hush review.

The CW’s BATWOMAN to Feature Hush

Hush DC Comics

With Batwoman premiering this October, now comes word on one particular Bat-foe who’ll be going up against Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane.

Straight from San Diego Comic-Con, executive producers Caroline Dries and Sarah Schechter have revealed that Hush will be appearing in Batwoman. Debuting as Tommy Elliot, the show’s debut season will see Tommy’s transition to the calculating and clinical Hush.

For those unfamiliar with that particular villain, he’s one of the Caped Crusader’s modern-day great opponents. Aware that Bruce Wayne and Batman are one and the same, the character was introduced in Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s stunning 12-part Hush arc back in 2002.

With Kate Kane first introduced in last year’s Elseworlds crossover event, Batwoman is set for an October 6th premiere.

The Arrowverse’s CRISIS Adds Burt Ward

Burt Ward

Holy crossover, Batman!

Hot on the heels of Brandon Routh reprising his Superman role for this year’s huge Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event over in The CW’s Arrowverse, now comes the bonkers-but-brilliant news that Burt Ward has a role to play in the crossover.

Executive producer Caroline Dries revealed the news at San Diego Comic-Con, and the Robin of Batman ’66 fame will be appearing in Crisis. Of course, it’s not been revealed just what his role in the crossover will be – and it could simply be that this is a brief cameo of sorts. Either way, long-time DC fans will likely be grinning from ear-to-ear when the former Boy Wonder turns up on their screens.

In addition to playing Robin back in the iconic ‘60s show, Burt Ward more recently voiced the character in the animated Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and Batman vs. Two-Face movies.

Crisis on Infinite Earths will take place towards the end of the year and will be a multi-episode, multi-show adventure that will feature the likes of Green Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, and the Legends coming together to try and save existence from the wrath of the nefarious Anti-Monitor.

Huge MCU Comic-Con Round-Up

Marvel Studios MCU

With many hoping that San Diego Comic-Con would bring some major news on the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, SDCC has gone ahead and served up a ludicrous amount of new MCU information.

From new movies, to casting information, to Disney+ details, to outright surprises, Marvel Studios has delivered massively at SDCC. And to keep things all in one place, we’re going to try and summarise all of the news from last night’s Marvel Studios panel.

– Phase Four of the MCU will officially kick off on May 1st, 2020 with Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff will be joined by The Handmaid’s Tale’s O-T Fangbenle, Stranger Things’s David Harbour, Fight with My Family’s Florence Pugh, Sexy Beast’s Ray Winstone and The Favourite’s Rachel Weisz. Directed by Lore’s Cate Shortland, the film will be a prequel offering exploring Nat’s origins and time working for the KGB.

– Marvel’s The Eternals will star Maleficent’s Angelina Jolie as Thena, Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden as Ikaris, Silicon Valley’s Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Frida’s Salma Hayek as Ajax, Child’s Play’s Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, The Lodge’s Lia McHugh as Sprite, The Walking Dead’s Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, and Train to Busan’s Ma Dong-seok as Gilgamesh. Upcoming director Chloe Zhao is on directing duties from a script by Matthew and Ryan Firpo as The Eternals eyes up a November 6th, 2020 release.

– Premiering on Disney+ in August 2020 will be the Anthony Mackie and Sebastien Stan-starring The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series that sees the pair going up against Daniel Bruhl’s returning Baron Zemo. John Wick’s Derek Kolstad is heading up the creative team for the show.

– Taken’s Simu Liu has been cast as the titular hero in Shang-Chi and Legend of the Ten Rings, with The Master of Kung-Fu to commence battle with The Mandarin. Yes, after being teased with the legendary villain in Iron Man 3, fans will finally get to see the real Mandarin – as played by Tony Leung. Crazy Rich Asian’s Awkwafina also has a role in the film, with Short Term 12’s Destin Daniel Cretton directing for a February 12th, 2021 release.

– Spring 2021 will see Disney+ premier WandaVision as Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprise their MCU roles of Wanda Maximoff and Vision. Mad Men’s Teyonah Parris will be playing an adult version of the Monica Rambeau character we saw introduced in Captain Marvel. As it happens, Captain Marvel’s Jac Schaeffer is serving as writer and showrunner on the series.

– Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief takes centre-stage in Disney+’s six-episode Loki series, as we explore what happened to the charming rogue when he took the Space Stone.

– A Doctor Strange sequel is booked in for May 7th, 2021, and the picture will feature Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch. Titled Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness, the follow-up will be influenced by the events of the Disney+ WandaVision series and will have a gothic horror vibe to it.

– The first of the animated What If…? stories will premiere in Summer 2021 and Westworld’s Jeffrey Wright will be voicing The Watcher who ties each of this ponderous tales together. The show will see various MCU stars lending their dulcet tones to the animated series.

– Fall 2021 will see the Disney+ premiere of Hawkeye as Jeremy Renner once more picks up the Clint Barton role. In the six-part show, Barton will be mentoring young Kate Bishop in the ways of being a total badass.

– The recent news of Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi helming Thor 4 has now had more details made public. With Natalie Portman back as Jane Foster, this next Thor effort will be titled Thor: Love and Thunder and will see Jane eventually take on the moniker of The Mighty Thor. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson will be joining Portman in the film – which has been set for November 5th, 2021.

– Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 are all confirmed, although no release dates have been announced at this stage.

– Oscar winner Mahershala Ali been cast as Blade! The Moonlight star will be playing the famed Daywalker in something, but it’s not yet been confirmed whether that will be a movie, a TV show, or both.

– The Fantastic Four are on the way! Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige explained how there are several other MCU projects in early development that he is currently unable to discuss any further – one of which involves introducing Marvel’s First Family into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And breathe…

Quite a lot to take in, right? With so much utterly fantastic news, the one that really stands out for us has to be the casting of Mahershala Ali as Blade. But then, how can you overlook Jane Foster becoming the Goddess of Thunder? Or the nefarious Mandarin stepping out of the shadows to battle Shang-Chi? Or the FF joining the fold?

For comic book and superhero fans, this is literally a ‘pinch yourself’ time to be alive, as Marvel Studios continues to bring some of Marvel Comics’ greatest characters to life over the next few years.

As ever, expect more on all of these projects as they continue to develop.

Hex Studios Anthology For We Are Many Needs You!

anthology many

We’ve been following the career of Lawrie Brewster and Hex Studios since before the release of his first film Lord of Tears and were delighted to have the man himself (and the lovely Sarah Daly, writer of many of his nightmares) at the STARBURST International Film Festival back in March with Automata. The studios’ latest release is produced by Brewster and is a feature-length anthology in the style of the Amicus movies of the ’70s.

For We Are Many includes 13 short stories, all focused on a different demon. The film will have its world premiere at this year’s Arrow Video FrightFest, but you can help get the movie finished and polished to perfection by taking part in the Kickstarter they are running. You’ll essentially be pre-ordering the Blu-ray release – and believe us, these guys don’t skimp on these releases, they are future collectors’ items – but in doing so, you can help post production costs. There are many more awesome perks available too!

The film stars Nicholas Vince (Hellraiser), Laurence Harvey (The Human Centipede 2), and Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist) and has sections directed by Mark Logan (Rats), Paddy Murphy (The 3 Don’ts) and Mitch Wilson (Knucklebones) amongst others.

Check out the campaign now – it’s almost at its target goal with 26 days left to run – and be part of something special.

Check Out Loveseat, a Twisted Short Funding Now

loveseat funding

A few years ago, STARBURST screened the UK Premiere of Jerry Pyle’s Service at a special event at Manchester’s FAB Café, now Jerry is back and is crowdfunding another short. The horror may not be completely apparent from the synopsis, but stick with us, you won’t have seen anything like this before! Make sure you check out the pitch video!

Loveseat is the tale of a man whose love of his life is something a little different: a couch.

The official pitch blurb reads:

This is a story unique to our time. Our sexual identities are accepted like never before and yet we are more disconnected than we’ve ever been. A man thinks he has found the perfect mate but his world is thrown into chaos when the object of his love is purchased out from under him.

Loveseat is a story of an awkward objectophiliac named Austin who is deeply in love with a couch. He works as a salesman at a furniture store and when the object of his love is purchased and taken away by a married couple while he’s gone, he’s devastated. Heartbroken and alone, he starts to break into the couple’s house to be with the couch. This unhealthy relationship drives him deeper into dangerous territory until he finds himself in a situation he can’t escape from.   

Intimacy is different for everybody. Boiling it down to generalities sucks the taste out of it. Variety is what makes it exciting and sexy. That’s why I want to make this film. I want to explore the sex and wonder of beautiful design. 

When I was a welder’s apprentice, I learned about the inherent beauty of the perfect bead. The ideal blend of heat, metal and timing. Creating beauty and strength with the same force.

That passionate search for elegance and the love for the way things are put together are the reasons behind this film. It’s pure. It’s religious. It’s sexual. It drives everything we do. 

And what happens when the object of that passion is taken from us. 

There are plenty of great perks on offer for helping getting the film made, so head on over to Seed and Spark to find out more.

Russo Brothers Adapting GRIMJACK and BATTLE OF THE PLANETS

Battle of the Planets

In the post-Endgame world, Anthony and Joe Russo have begun early work on a slew of interesting projects – and now comes word on two further such projects for the brothers Russo.

From San Diego Comic-Con, the Avengers: Endgame directors have revealed that they are developing live-action movie takes on both Grimjack and Battle of the Planets.

For Grimjack, Anthony and Joe will not be on directing duties, but they will be overseeing the adaptation for Amazon. Defiance’s Kevin Murphy is currently on board to pen the screenplay for the film, with the Russos producing through their AGBO banner. Created by John Ostrander and Timothy Truman, Grimjack centres on a sword-wielding war veteran called John Gaunt as he and his team head to the pan-dimensional city of Cynosure.

As for Battle of the Planets, Anthony and Joe Russo have teased that they may end up directing this one – although that is far from set in stone right now. Based on the iconic Science Ninja team Gatchaman anime series, Western audiences will be more familiar with the Battle of the Planets series that focused on G-Force as they sought to protect the Earth from alien menaces.

These projects, of course, come in addition to the Russo brothers developing a Stan Lee documentary, working on a Magic: The Gathering animated series – which they’ve recently teased may also get a live-action movie – and producing new takes on the likes of The Thomas Crown Affair and Poltergeist.

Expect more on all of these projects as they continue to develop.

HALLOWEEN KILLS and ENDS Set for 2020 and 2021

Halloween

We’d heard rumblings of just such a thing, and now the Horror Master himself has confirmed that two new Halloween movies are on the way.

John Carpenter has revealed that The Shape will be back to cause havoc for poor Laurie Strode and her family in Halloween Kills on October 16th, 2020 and then in Halloween Ends in October 15th, 2021. And yes, that 2021 effort is currently set to bring this legendary horror franchise to a close.

Earlier this month, there was talk of two Halloween offerings being shot back-to-back, and that is indeed to be the case.

David Gordon Green – director of last year’s Halloween – will be back to helm both of these new films, and he’s co-writing these pictures with Danny McBride, Scott Teems, Chris Bernier and Paul Brad Logan.

Jamie Lee Curtis will reprising her iconic role of Laurie Strode, with it presumed that Judy Greer and Andi Matichak will also be back as Laurie’s daughter and granddaughter. Likewise, John Carpenter will be returning to oversee the antics of the nefarious Michael Myers.

Expect more on all things Halloween as we get it.