Remy Hii Joins SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

Remy Hii

As Spider-Man: Far From Home continues to flesh out its cast, now comes word that Remy Hii has joined the follow-up.

Via The Wrap, the Crazy Rich Asians actor has landed a to-be-revealed role in Jon Watts’ Homecoming sequel. Hii joins fellow new additions in Jake Gyllenhaal as the nefarious Mysterio, comedian J.B. Smoove in a TBC role, and Numan Acar as Dmitri – a character some are speculating could ultimately be the Chameleon or Kraven the Hunter.

In terms of returning names, Far From Home will see Tom Holland as Spidey, Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, Zendaya as MJ, Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes/Vulture, and appearances from MCU mainstays Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders. Then there’s the expected return of several other of Peter’s schoolmates.

To be largely set in London, Spider-Man: Far From Home is set for a July 2019 release. Before that, of course, May 2019 will see the next Avengers movie – which, y’know, will somehow have to bring ol’ Web-head back into actual existence.

CASTLE ROCK Renewed for a Second Season

Castle Rock

From what we’ve heard, the Stephen King-driven Castle Rock is all kinds of impressive – and now Hulu has moved to renew the show for a second season.

The series is currently midway through its debut season, but Hulu has already confirmed Castle Rock for a second year. No particular details are known on what lies ahead in Season 2 at this early stage, but we do know that the series has already been pegged as an anthology series; meaning that the story will likely be a completely new one that won’t continue the narrative of said debut season.

Given how there’s so much King material to mine from, the possibilities are literally limitless for the second year and beyond. Already, there’s been plentiful familiar King names and places showcased in the series – although we won’t ruin the fun for our UK readers just yet.

At this stage, Castle Rock has yet to be confirmed for a UK home, but we are absolutely chomping at the bit to see what delights await us in this J.J. Abrams-produced series.

Ethan Peck is STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s Spock

Ethan Peck

We’ve recently heard how Spock was going to be a part of Star Trek: Discovery’s second season, and now comes word on who’ll be playing this most iconic of genre figures.

As revealed by CBS, 10 Things I Hate About You’s Ethan Peck has landed the Spock role. Fun fact for you, Ethan is actually the grandson of the legendary Gregory Peck.

On this news, showrunner Alex Kurtzman enthused, “Through 52 years of television and film, a parallel universe and a mirror universe, Mr. Spock remains the only member of the original bridge crew to span every era of Star Trek. The great Leonard Nimoy, then the brilliant Zachary Quinto, brought incomparable humanity to a character forever torn between logic and emotion. We searched for months for an actor who would, like them, bring his own interpretation to the role. An actor who would, like them, effortlessly embody Spock’s greatest qualities, beyond obvious logic: empathy, intuition, compassion, confusion, and yearning. Ethan Peck walked into the room inhabiting all of these qualities, aware of his daunting responsibility to Leonard, Zack, and the fans, and ready to confront the challenge in the service of protecting and expanding on Spock’s legacy. In that spirit, we’re thrilled to welcome him to the family.”

Ethan Peck will join fellow new addition Rebecca Romijn in Discovery’s second year. The Mystique actress is set to play the original Number One in the show.

Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery will premiere at a to-be-confirmed 2019 date.

KNIGHTFALL Renewed for Second Season; Adds Mark Hamill

Knightfall

Not only has History Channel moved to renew Knightfall for a second season, but the series has gone one better by adding the iconic Mark Hamill to its cast.

Knightfall has impressed many with its debut year, exploring the Knights Templar and their quest to find the legendary Holy Grail. Hamill will be playing Talus, a veteran of the Crusades who has returned to help train new members of the Knights Templar.

On this news of a second season, History Channel’s Eli Lehrer enthused, “In the fact of ever-increasing competition, we’re proud of History’s track record of producing signature drama series that are epic in scope with complex characters. Whether it’s the legendary Knights Templar, the extraordinary tale of medieval Norsemen, or the story of a formerly classified United States Air Force program investigating UFOs during the Cold War, these series reflect our commitment to bringing the defining, big canvas stories of history to life. We look forward to offering our viewers a grittier, darker Knightfall in Season 2 and welcoming Mark to the cast.”

Expect more on Knightfall’s second year as it continues to develop.

Production Starts on LUCIFER’s Fourth Season

Tom Ellis Lucifer

In some news that’s sure to put a smile on the face of fans of Mr Morningstar, production is now underway on Lucifer’s fourth season.

Of course, what makes this news so special for fans is that said fourth season was at one point not going to happen. If you remember back, FOX made the move to cancel Lucifer after the show’s third season came to an end. That move surprised many, largely due to the fact that the Tom Ellis-starrer was still pulling in decent ratings throughout said third year.

After fan outrage, petitions, and appeals from some of the show’s key figures, Netflix swooped in to save the series. And now, production has officially commenced on Season 4 that will consist of ten episodes – vastly lower than the 24 episodes that made up each of the previous seasons, but, y’know, ten episodes are better that zero episodes.

Lucifer’s fourth season will premiere at a to-be-confirmed 2019 date.

IT FOLLOWS David Robert Mitchell to Pen THEY HEAR IT

They Hear It

In recent years, director David Robert Mitchell has marked himself as one for horror hounds to keep their eyes on. And now, we have word on what’s next for the It Follows helmer.

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, Mitchell is penning a feature-length version of They Hear It. That short was created by Julien Terry as a proof of concept effort, and now Legendary Entertainment and The Picture Company have given the nod for the short to be fleshed out as a full movie. Terry will make his directing debut with the film, with Mitchell on writing duties. Previously, Julien Terry made quite the impression by winning New Line’s short film contest that they ran to promote Annabelle: Creation. Terry’s The Nurse won that competition, and he’s since garnered plentiful praise for another short, Whisper.

The brief official word on They Hear It has it pegged as: “There is a mysterious and terrifying noise called The Sound that attracts children when they hear it.”

Sources close to the production have likened the tale to both A Nightmare on Elm Street and IT, which of course is sure to pique the interest of you genre fans out there.

Expect more on They Hear It as it continues to develop.

‘First Look’ at CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

One of the most hotly anticipated new shows on the radar of many a genre fan right now is Netflix’s upcoming Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. And now, the on-demand streaming service has released a couple of ‘first look’ photos from the series.

Be sure to click on the below images for a closer look:

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

The official word on this new take on an old fave reads:

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is based on the comic book of the same name, which reimagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, this adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature – half-witch, half-mortal – while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

Kiernan Shipka stars as the titular teenage witch, with her joined by the likes of Miranda Otto, Lucy Davis, Michelle Gomez, Chance Perdomo, Ross Lynch, Jaz Sinclair, Richard Coyle, and Bronson Pinchot.

From showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will land on Netflix this October 26th.

First Look at THE FLASH’s New Outfit for Season 5

The Flash Season 5

Check out the swanky new duds on Barry! Yes, as the headline – and, y’know, the giant image – suggests, the titular Scarlet Speedster is getting a new outfit ahead of The Flash’s fifth season.

Moving away from the more leather-like look utilized at times in previous seasons, this new outfit seems very much in tone with the classic Flash looks straight from the comic book realm. More basic, more simplified, and just rather damn spiffy, this new get-up is a gift for Barry from the future.

The Flash Season 5

If you remember, the final moments of The Flash’s fourth year saw Barry and Iris’ daughter Nora turn up from the future. In the new season’s SDCC trailer, we got to see that Nora will be giving her old man the iconic Flash ring – a ring used to store the Flash suit in the comics – and seemingly this is the suit that will come out of said ring.

The Flash’s fifth season will premiere in the US on October 9th, while the season’s UK premiere will air shortly after.

Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth Departing STAR TREK 4?

Chris Pine Chris Hemsworth

Well, this could prove quite the pickle for Paramount Pictures. After all, how can you do a film based around Captain Kirk and his pops, without featuring those who’ve so far played Kirk and his old man?

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, right now it looks as if both Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth may not be returning for the impending fourth Star Trek picture.

If you remember, the plot for what’s currently being referred to as simply Star Trek 4 is to focus on a time-travel adventure based around Pine’s James T. Kirk and Hemsworth’s George Kirk. Hemsworth famously played the role in the opening moments of J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek reboot, and he was set to finally have a larger presence in this new movie.

The big issue here is a pay dispute between Paramount and the two actors. Since the poor box office turnout for Star Trek Beyond, Paramount has looked to renegotiate the deals between the studio and the film’s returning cast members. Sticking to their guns, Pine and Hemsworth want Paramount to honour the agreement that was previously in place.

Currently, Paramount is confident of agreeing deals with Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Karl Urban, and Simon Pegg, and the studio is still full steam ahead regardless of Pine or Hemsworth’s involvement. Given how the film will focus on the Kirks, it’d be a little odd to bring in new actors in those roles here, and you can understand where Pine and Hemsworth are coming from if Paramount is essentially forcing them to undergo a pay cut and go back on the deals that were previously agreed to.

Expect more on all of this as it develops.

Adam Pally and Neal McDonough Join SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

Adam Pally Neal McDonough Sonic

As Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog movie continues to assemble its core cast, now comes word on two new additions for the picture.

Courtesy of Collider, it’s been confirmed that Iron Man 3’s Adam Pally and MCU and Arrowverse fave Neal McDonough have joined the film. Pally will be playing a police colleague of James Marsden’s character, while McDonough’s role has yet to be revealed.

In addition to this news, it’s also now been confirmed that Parks and Recreation’s Ben Schwartz is the person tasked with providing the vocals for Sonic’s iconic titular speedster.

This trio joins a cast that features Jim Carrey as the villainous Doctor Robotnik, the aforementioned Marsden as a police officer helping Sonic to put a halt to the nefarious plans afoot, and then unknown roles for Natasha Rothwell and Tika Sumpter.

This Sonic picture will be a mixture of live-action and CGI work, similar to what we saw in Jon Favreau’s impressive The Jungle Book. Gopher Broke’s Jeff Fowler will direct, with Neal H. Mortiz producing through his Original Film banner. Deadpool’s Tim Miller is on board as an executive producer.

The character of Sonic made his debut way back in 1991 on the SEGA Mega Drive. A superfast hedgehog, the blue furball sped around various levels as he collected gold rings on his quest to stop Doctor Robotnik and free a bunch of captive animals. Following that, plenty of further games, cartoon series, comics, and any merch imaginable followed for Sonic, including the addition of friends such as Tails and Knuckles.

As ever, expect more on Sonic the Hedgehog as it continues to develop.