Cast Revealed for HBO’s Take on Stephen King’s THE OUTSIDER

The Outsider

Another week, another update on a Stephen King adaptation, right? With an ever-expanding amount of King adaps in development, now comes word on The Outsider.

Courtesy of Deadline, HBO’s take on The Outsider has fleshed out its core cast. With Rogue One and Ready Player One’s Ben Mendelsohn to headline, he’ll be joined by series regulars in the shape of Bad Times at the El Royale’s Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney, The Looming Tower’s Bill Camp as Howie Gold, The Ferryman’s Paddy Considine as Claude Bolton, George Wallace’s Mare Winningham as Jeannie Anderson, I Am the Night’s Yul Vazquez as Yunis Sablo, Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders’ Julianne Nicholson as Mercy Maitland, The Knick’s Jeremy Bobb as Alec Pelley and Ozark’s Marc Menchaca as Jack Hoskins, while Trust’s Michael Esper and Hannibal’s Hettienne Park having landed the recurring roles of Bill Samuels and Tomika Collins.

The early word on the show reads:

In the series, a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a local boy leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything they believe to be real, as an insidious supernatural force edges its way into the case.

Jason Bateman is to direct the first two episodes of The Outsider, and he’ll also serve as executive producer alongside Richard Price, Jack Bender, Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen and Aggregate’s Michael Costigan.

Expect more on HBO’s take on The Outsider as it continues to develop.

Three More Join The CW’s BATWOMAN Pilot

Ruby Rose Batwoman

Having made her debut in last year’s stunning Elseworlds crossover, Ruby Rose’s Batwoman is getting her own time to shine towards the end of 2019. And now, we’ve got our first word on who’ll be joining Rose’s Kate Kane.

Via Deadline, the upcoming Batwoman pilot has brought in Meagan Tandy, Camrus Johnson and Nicole Kang to join the action. Even more encouraging for comic book fans, two of those additions will be playing characters pulled straight from the realm of DC Comics.

First up, Teen Wolf’s Meagan Tandy will be playing Sophie Moore. In the comics, that character has a long past with Kate Kane; the pair having been lovers during their time in the military academy. While Sophie would largely keep her sexuality to herself, Kate went public with hers as she quit the military. In Batwoman, the early blurb on Sophie has her pegged as “a high-level private security agent and one of Gotham’s staunchest protectors. Despite her bite and regimented outlook, Sophie has a soft side, illuminated by Kate Kane’s return.”

The other character to be taken from the comics is Luke Fox. Luke Cage’s Camrus Johnson will be playing Luke, who is the son of Bruce Wayne’s trusted cohort, Lucius Fox. Oh, and Luke Fox just also happens to be the hero known as Batwing in addition to being a tech guru all of his own. The Batwoman take on the character has him down as someone who “works to keep Wayne Tower secure in his boss’ absence. While Luke considers himself the guardian of all things Batman – specifically his symbol – he also recognises the city’s need for a new hero.”

Finally, You’s Nicole Kang is to play an all-new character called Mary Hamilton. As for what we know about this role, Mary is described as Kate’s “excitable, talkative, and an influencer-in-the-making… step-sister and polar opposite.”

Right now, the plan is for the Batwoman pilot to start shooting soon ahead of lining itself up for a potential premiere on The CW towards the end of the year.

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

Sony Sets Release Dates for MORBIUS and GHOSTBUSTERS 3

Michael Morbius Marvel

Well, it certainly appears that July 2020 is going to be a busy month for Sony Pictures.

Initially reported by Deadline, Sony has moved to book both Morbius the Living Vampire and Ghostbusters 3 in for a July 2020 release. Previously, it was speculated that Morbius would nab a July 2020 release, and now that picture has been confirmed for a July 31st, 2020 release. Elsewhere, the recently-announced Ghostbusters 3 will arrive slightly earlier, with that film booked in for a July 10th, 2020 release.

If you remember, Morbius the Living Vampire will be the second of Sony’s shared Spider-Verse of movies that began with last year’s Venom. Jared Leto will star as the titular reluctant bloodsucker, and he’ll be joined by Adria Arjona and Matt Smith. Life’s impressive Daniel Espinosa is on directing duties.

As for Ghostbusters 3, that was only actually announced last week. Juno’s Jason Reitman – son of the original two films’ director, Ivan Reitman – is directing the project as a straight-up continuation from Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II; in the process ignoring the 2016 Ghosbusters reboot.

Expect more on both Morbius the Living Vampire and Ghostbusters 3 as they continue to develop.

New Guest Announced for STARBURST Film Festival

film festival

We’re delighted to announce that legendary Italian filmmaker Luigi Cozzi will be attending the STARBURST International Film Festival in March.

From working with Dario Argento in the early ‘70s to the heights of such cult classics as Starcrash (1979) and one-time video nasty Contamination (1980) and beyond, he is a fascinating raconteur and will be regaling us with tales of the classic Italian cinema industry right up to him running Profondo Rosso, Argento’s famous film store. We will be screening his latest movie The Little Magicians of Oz, and celebrating the 40th anniversary of Starcrash with us.

The STARBURST International Film Festival takes place at Social7 at the Landing at MediaCityUK on March 15th and 16th. Tickets are on sale now but are limited, so hurry! https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Salford/The-Landing/STARBURST-International-Film-Festival/13411270

For more information on the line-up, head over to www.starburstfilmfest.co.uk.


Get Ready to Go Back to the VAULT OF HORROR

vault horror 2

Following the fantastic Vault of Horror: The Italian Connection album released a while back, Demon Records is about to unleash a second volume of chilling soundtrack bites to devour.

With work from such legendary composers as Ennio Morricone, Bill Wyman, Claudio Simonetti, Fabio Frizzi, and Stelvio Cipriani, there’s a wealth of brilliant titles like Opera, Bay of Blood, Zombie Holocaust, and Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue.

The record is pressed on two 180g vinyl discs, with a CD version in a replica wallet. The beautiful artwork is by the wonderful Graham Humphreys (there’s an exclusive 12” x 12” print of the design), and there are liner notes from Alan Jones, head honcho of FrightFest and Italian horror expert.

You can pre-order the album now ready for the March 29th release: https://amzn.to/2AY2Sa3

The full track listing is:

  Disc 1

     1. Savana’ from ‘Savana Violenta’ – Guido & Maurizio De Angelis

  1. Make Love On The Wing’ from ‘Zombie Holocaust’ – Nico Fidenco
  2. Ecologia Del Delitto (Titoli)’ ‘from Bay Of Blood’ – Stelvio Cipriani
  3. Il Paese Del Sesso Selvaggio’ from ‘Man From Deep River’ – Sergio Patucchi
  4. You Are Not The Same’ from ‘Contraband’ – Fabio Frizzi
  5. Valley’ from ‘Phenomena’ – Bill Wyman
  6. Conquest’ from Conquest’ – Claudio Simonetti
  7. Baby Sequenza 1′ from ‘Manhattan Baby’ – Fabio Frizzi
  8. La Luce’ from ‘The Antichrist’ – Ennio Morricone
  9. Sudden Death’ from ‘Aenigma’ – Carlo Maria Cordio

   Disc 2

  1. La Lucertola’ from ‘Lizard In A Woman’s Skin’/ ‘Una Lucertola Con La Pelle Di Donna’ – Ennio Morricone
  2. Seq 7′ from ‘Satanik’ – Roberto Pregadio
  3. John Dalton Street’ from ‘Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue’ – Guiliano Sorgini
  4. Arizona Mountain’ from ‘Thunder’ – Francesco De Masi
  5. Shining Shadow’ from ‘The Last Hunter’/’L’Ultimo Cacciatore’ – Franco Micalizzi
  6. Opera Theme’ from ‘Opera’ – Bill Wyman & Terry Taylor
  7. Verso L’Alba’ from ‘City Of The Living Dead’/ ‘Paura Nella Citta Dei Morti Viventi’ – Fabio Frizzi
  8. Cannibal Ferox’ from ‘Cannibal Ferox’ – Roberto Donati
  9. Seq 1′ from ‘A Cat in the Brain’/ ‘Un Gatto Nel Cervello’ – Fabio Frizzi
  10. Seq 1′ from ‘Lady Frankenstein’ – Alessandro Alessandroni

 

F. Gary Gray Developing an ECHO Movie with JOHN WICK Creator

Echo

2017’s first-person sci-fi offering Echo impressed many a gamer, and now a movie adaptation is on the way.

Via Deadline, Straight Outta Compton and Men in Black: International’s F. Gary Gray has picked up the rights to Echo through his Fenix Studios banner. At this stage, Gray won’t be directing the picture; instead serving as producer on the effort.

Additionally, John Wick’s Derek Kolstad will be penning the film’s screenplay. Kolstad is responsibly for creating the John Wick franchise and has written all three Wick outings to date – including this year’s upcoming Parabellum.

For those not familiar with Echo, the official blurb on the game itself reads:

Echo follows the character En as she arrives at a vast and mysterious palace hidden in the depths of space. The palace creates copies, called Echoes, that study her and use her own actions against her.

Expect more on this Echo movie as it continues to develop.

HBO’s WATCHMEN Brings in Dustin Ingram

Dustin Ingram

As HBO continues to flesh out the cast of its Watchmen TV series, now comes news on another new addition for the show.

Via Deadline, Dustin Ingram has landed a key recurring role in Watchmen. Ingram is likely best known to genre fans for roles in the likes of True Blood, The Magicians and Paranormal Activity 3. The actor joins a cast that includes Jeremy Irons as an older Ozymandias and then mystery roles for Regina King, Tim Blake Nelson, Don Johnson, Adelaide Clemens, Jean Smart, Andrew Howard, Hong Chau and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.

Uber Watchmen fan Damon Lindelof is developing the series for HBO, with the show to exist within the same universe as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ iconic graphic novel.

Watchmen will premiere at a to-be-confirmed date later this year.

Matt Smith in Talks to Join Jared Leto in MORBIUS

Matt Smith

Following the success of Venom last year, up next for Sony’s shared Spider-Verse is Morbius the Living Vampire. And now, we have word on a possible new addition for the picture.

Courtesy of Variety, Matt Smith is in final talks to join Jared Leto and Adria Arjona in Morbius. Smith, of course, is best known to genre fans as the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who, while he’s also had roles in Terminator Genisys, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Crown and will be seen later this year in Star Wars: Episode IX.

Right now, there’s no official word on who Smith is being lined up to play in Morbius, but one option may be the ‘big bad’ of the piece. The last we’d heard, the strong rumour was that Loxias Crown will be the villain of the film. That character is a classic friend-turned-foe sort who develops the same thirst for blood as Morbius.

For those not familiar with the vampiric Michael Morbius, he’s a character who debuted in 1971’s Amazing Spider-Man #101. A scientist with a rare blood disease, Morbius ends up with vampiric abilities – and also the bloodlust that comes with being such a being. Over the decades, he’s been both a friend and foe of Spider-Man, and he’s also often tied to Blade.

To be directed by Life’s Daniel Espinosa, Morbius the Living Vampire is due to start shooting next month ahead of a rumoured July 2020 release.

Netflix Developing a RESIDENT EVIL TV Series

Resident Evil

Well, this could be all kinds of brilliant. Yes, as the headline suggests, Netflix is at work on a Resident Evil series.

The last we’d heard on Resident Evil was that Constantin Films is rebooting the cinematic franchise, with James Wan producing and The Strangers: Prey at Night’s Johannes Roberts to direct. Now though, Deadline brings word that Constantin is developing a Resident Evil TV show.

At present, the hunt is on to find a showrunner for the series; the plan being to elaborate on the Resident Evil world and to dive deeper on the Umbrella Corporation responsible for the T-virus that has turned the planet on its head.

Right now, it’s not sure what this means for the Roberts-helmed movie reboot. It could be that this TV effort will exist alongside the new film and in the same universe, or it may mean that all movie plans are on hold for now.

Either way, there’s still a wide audience for the Resident Evil property. Even now, there’s a HD redo of the classic Resident Evil 2 video game released on this very day; fans clamouring to get their hands on this spruced-up take on an old favourite. As for the movie side of things, the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed, Milla Jovovich-starring six Resident Evil films managed to nab over $1 billion in total. Sure, they often strayed from the RE gaming narrative, but people kept going back to see those pictures.

As ever, expect more on all things Resident Evil as we get it.

Nic Cage to Headline Adaptation of Lovecraft’s COLOR OUT OF SPACE

Nicolas Cage? H.P. Lovecraft? The team behind last year’s brilliant and brutal Mandy?

It may sound a right old mish-mash of a collaboration, but it is indeed happening. Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, Cage is reteaming with SpectreVision for an adaptation of Lovecraft’s 1927 Color Out of Space short story.

In terms of premise, Color Out of Space centres on Nahum Gardner and his family after a strange meteorite crash-lands on their farm. From there, the meteorite and its bright emissions begin to mutate all around it… including driving anyone who comes in contact with it insane.

Hardware director and Island of Dr. Moreau writer Richard Stanley is on directing duties, with Cage headlining a cast that also features Joely Richardson, Tomm Chong, Julian Hilliard and Q’Orianka Kilcher.

Expect more on Color Out of Space as it continues to develop.