Dev Patel To Write, Direct, Star In Revenge Thriller THE PEASANT

dev patel in monkey man

Dev Patel once again exercises his triple-threat muscles, coming aboard to write, direct, and star in The Peasant, a period action thriller from Fifth Season and Thunder Road Pictures. Patel will also produce via his Minor Realm production banner.

Thunder Road had also produced the critically acclaimed Monkey Man, Patel’s feature directorial debut, which he co-wrote and starred in.

The project is being billed as having shades of Braveheart and John Wick (coincidentally, Thunder Road produced the Keanu Reeves franchise) as well as notes of King Arthur, as “it mashes up medieval knights with feudal India”. THR broke the news.

Set in the 1300s, The Peasant centres on a shepherd who embarks on a rage-fuelled campaign against a group of mercenary knights who ransacked his community, thereby revealing himself to be more than he seems.

Fifth Season had initially developed the project with Will Dunn, one of Ms. Marvel‘s writers, even landing on the 2023 Black List (an annual directory of the most popular, but unproduced screenplays). With Dev Patel on board, the background was changed from its Italian setting and the protagonist’s Church-connected backstory to an India that is near-mystical. Patel and Dunn are working together on the new drafts.

Emma Mackey Is NARNIA’s White Witch

emma mackey in sex education

Emma Mackey has landed the role of the White Witch in Narnia, Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the foundational fantasy novels by C.S. Lewis.

Gerwig’s take on The Chronicles of Narnia, which is being backed by Netflix, will reportedly tackle the sixth novel of the series, The Magician’s Nephew. Gerwig directs from a script she wrote. The casting decision marks a reunion for Mackey and the director, after working together on Barbie.

Reports state that Charli XCX was at one point tipped for the role of the White Witch, but that it eventually came down to Mackey and Margaret Qualley, who has received much acclaim recently for starring opposite Demi Moore in The Substance.

The White Witch is the primary antagonist in not only Magician’s Nephew, but also the first book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She is the one responsible for sending Narnia into an endless winter, and was known for turning her enemies into statues.

Casting is still underway, but Mackey will be joining Meryl Streep, who is in talks to play Aslan, the King of Kings. The film is getting a two-week theatrical release in late 2026, so further casting announcements are expected soon.

Emma Mackey, best known for her starring role in Netflix’s Sex Education, recently starred as the titular character in Emily, a reimagining of the life of Emily Brontë that scored the actress two BIFA nominations. She’s also in production on J.J. Abrams’ untitled feature for Warner Bros., starring alongside Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega. She also has a supporting role in Alpha, the latest movie from Titane and Raw filmmaker Julia Ducournau, which premieres soon at Cannes.

PREDATOR: BADLANDS Teaser Trailer Sees The Monster Become Hero

predator: badlands teaser trailer still

The Predator franchise returns to the big screen with director Dan Trachtenberg’s (the excellent prequel Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane) Predator: Badlands, the teaser trailer for which has just been released online.

The Neon Demon actress Elle Fanning stars as Thia, a character who, rather than fight against the film’s Predator, will team up with the alien hunter. “Something unprecedented happens in this movie, and my character is not the one being chased,” Fanning told CinemaCon’s audience. “My character actually teams up with the Predator, and you get to see him in a whole new light.”

This follows what director Trachtenberg previously revealed of his film, saying: “The creature is front and centre, leading the charge. He’s still badass, but there’s something there that touches you emotionally, too. Creating a character you connect with, but are also super-intimidated by, has been challenging. But exciting.”

As previously reported, Predator: Badlands won’t be the only Predator film releasing this year, as 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell teased that there’s another unnamed feature set to release before Badlands. Details on this other film are near non-existent.

The Predator franchise kicked off with the action-horror classic in 1987. That was followed by sequels Predator 2, Predators, The Predator, and the prequel Prey, as well as the two Alien vs. Predator movies.

Watch the Predator: Badlands teaser trailer below, full of fun little Easter eggs (including, dare we say, an Independence Day nod?). The film releases in cinemas on November 7th, 2025.

URBAN LEGEND Slasher Is Getting Rebooted

urban legend of slender man

Screen Gems’ 1998 slasher movie Urban Legend is getting a modern era reboot, with the hiring of Shanrah Wakefield to pen the script. Gary Dauberman (whose video game adaptation Until Dawn releases this month) will produce via his Coin Operated banner, while Neal Moritz, who was one of the producers of the original film, is also in negotiations to produce this new version.

The original Urban Legend, which was directed by Jamie Blanks from a script by Sylvio Horta, is set in a New England university and featured a killer whose murders were inspired by popular urban legends of the period, such as death by Pop Rocks, being pursued by a gang in a car with their lights turned off, or a re-enactment of the ‘ankle slasher under the car’ story.

The movie starred Jared Leto, Joshua Jackson, Alicia Witt, Michael Rosenbaum, Rebecca Gayheart, and Tara Reid. Two sequels followed.

Plot details of this reboot are unknown, though The Hollywood Reporter states the story aims to be an examination of what an urban legend looks like in a post-digital world.

Does that mean we can expect deaths by Slender Man, Staten Island’s Cropsey, Smile Dog, or the Man in the Walls? What other urban legends of the digital age (think back to the Creepypasta days of the internet, or what crawled out of 4chan) do you think would make for an entertaining movie moment?

OUTRUN Video Game Gets Michael Bay Movie Treatment

outrun video game graphics by sega

Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney are teaming up for a high-octane movie adaptation of OutRun, the classic Sega video game franchise.

Originally released in 1986, OutRun challenged players to dodge traffic and race against the clock to reach their destination. It quickly became a flagship title for Sega, spawning multiple sequels over the years.

The project is being developed by Universal Pictures, with Bay attached to direct and produce, and Sweeney also on board as a producer. Jayson Rothwell is writing the script, though plot details remain under wraps. Bay and longtime collaborator Brad Fuller are producing through Platinum Dunes via their first-look deal with Universal. Toru Nakahara is producing for Sega, while Sega Corporation president Shuji Utsumi will oversee the project on the company’s behalf. At Universal, the project is being overseen by Matt Reilly, executive vice president of production development, and Ryan Jones, senior vice president of production development.

Hollywood continues to embrace video game adaptations following box office hits like Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog series, and Warner Bros./Legendary’s Minecraft film. Universal is also prepping Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, a sequel to its successful horror adaptation starring Josh Hutcherson, set for release later this year. There’s also, of course, the presently airing Last of Us season 2.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER Sequel Debuts Trailer

still from trailer of i know what you did last summer sequel

The first trailer for the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel horror film has debuted online, just weeks after it premiered at CinemaCon.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, best known for helming the dark comedy Do Revenge, is directing the new instalment in the slasher franchise for Sony from a screenplay she co-wrote with Sam Lensky, from an original script by Leah McKendrick. Neal Moritz, who produced the original, is back to produce this reboot. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are reprising their roles from the ’90s.

Billy Campbell, Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Haur-King, Lola Tung, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Austin Nichols, and Gabbriette also star.

The cult classic starred Love Hewitt, Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe. It was written by Scream‘s Kevin Williamson and based on the 1973 novel of the same name by author Lois Duncan. The film followed four friends who, after a night of heavy partying, accidentally ran over and killed a man. When they decide to dump his body to conceal their secret, they’re unaware that the following year will see consequences knocking at their doors.

In this the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, “When five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, their past comes back to haunt them and they’re forced to confront a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did last summer…and is hell-bent on revenge.

“As one by one the friends are stalked by a killer, they discover this has happened before, and they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 for help.”

Check out the trailer for I Know What You Did Last Summer below. The film will release in cinemas on July 18th, 2025.

Check Out This Awesome STAR WARS Fan Film

Now the dust has settled on Star Wars Celebration, the thirst for more Force-related content needs to be satiated. So why not watch this rather fantastic short fan film Echoes of Darkness.

Set almost 30 years after Return of the Jedi, the short tells the story of a ragtag group of scavengers who are hired to find a more recent relic on the Forest Moon of Endor. Unaware of how dangerous their employer is, and the true magnitude of their package, the crew play a dangerous game, making a deal that could make them rich or cost them everything.

It’s written and directed by Gary Scullion (who has worked behind the scenes on such films as Fall and Venom: The Last Dance) and stars Mark Joseph (Followers), Charlie Bond (Powertool Cheerleaders vs the Boyband of the Screeching Dead), and James Hamer-Morton (Eating Miss Campbell). The not-for-profit fan film is a brilliant precursor to The Force Awakens, essentially introducing several key characters in a different setting.

Check out the short film here:

THE REMEDY Heading to Fantastic Pavilion at Cannes

The new film from brilliant director Alex Kahuam (Failure!), The Remedy, has been announced for the Fantastic Pavilion at this year’s Cannes Festival, with the director in attendance.

Alex said of the film: “I promise horror fans that this will be a psychologically-tense, supernaturally-creepy, jump-scares-packed, bloody, big screen experience they will never forget.”

There has also been a new teaser poster released for the movie – see below. The Remedy stars Timothy Granaderos (13 Reasons Why), London Thor (Gen V), Chris Mulkey (Twin Peaks), Doug Jones (The Shape of Water), and Jenny O’Hara (Devil) and is written by Daniel Kuhlman.

More on The Remedy soon.

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READY OR NOT Sequel Taps Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood

ready or not sequel, ready or not: here i come taps sarah michelle gellar and elijah wood

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah Wood will be joining Samara Weaving in Searchlight Pictures’ Ready or Not sequel, Ready or Not: Here I Come.

The film, which has already begun production, also stars Kathryn Newton, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell and Kevin Durand (recently seen in Abigail, from the same filmmaking team), as well as acclaimed horror filmmaker David Cronenberg.

Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are back for Ready or Not: Here I Come, as are writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. The first film starred Weaving as a bride who gets caught up in her new family’s wedding night ritual, in which a murderous game is played to appease an ancient family deal with the devil. Plot details for the sequel, however, are still unknown.

President of Searchlight Matthew Greenfield, however, did say: “We’re beyond excited to make another film with the phenomenal Radio Silence. With Ready or Not: Here I Come, we get to go on another ride with the amazing Samara Weaving, mix in awesome new voices, and bring audiences a fresh take that’s every bit as twisted and fun as the first one. This is for those who’ve been waiting, and those who didn’t see it coming.”

Tripp Vinson, James Vanderbilt, Bradley J. Fischer and William Sherak are producing. Executive producers are Chad Villella, Tara Farney, Greg Denny, Paul Neinstein, Busick, Murphy and Weaving. Richard Ruiz and Cornelia Burleigh are overseeing the Ready or Not sequel on behalf of Searchlight.

Ready or Not: Here I Come does not yet have a confirmed release date.

WEAPONS Teaser Trailer Sees Children Disappearing At Night

weapons teaser trailer child running at night

The teaser trailer for Barbarian filmmaker Zach Cregger’s newest horror project, Weapons, sees children disappearing from their homes in a small town. “Those kids walked out of the homes,” someone says in the trailer’s voiceover. “No one pulled them out. No one forced them.”

When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. The multi-story film reportedly touches on police corruption, generational trauma, witchcraft, blood rituals, and religious abuse in a small Floridian community.

Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan star in the feature. Cregger, Roy Lee, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules and Miri Yoon serve as producers.

Cregger appeared on the CinemaCon stage earlier this month to share the first footage from Weapons. During the presentation, New Line boss Richard Brener described the movie as “intriguing and unpredictable, with a nice helping of batshit insane.”

Next, Cregger is writing and directing a reboot of the Resident Evil franchise, with Austin Abrams in the lead role.

Warner Bros. releases Weapons in cinemas from August 8th. Watch the eerie teaser trailer below: