Shooting Now Under Way on the Soska Sisters’ RABID Remake

Soska Sisters Rabid

In some pretty rad news, shooting has now commenced on the Soska Sisters’ remake of David Cronenberg’s iconic Rabid. And along with that, now comes word on who’ll be joining headliner Laura Vandervoort in the picture.

As per Bloody-Disgusting, the Smallville and Jigsaw star’s Rose will be joined in Rabid by Code Black’s Ben Hollingsworth as fashion photographer Brad, Playing Dead’s Henneke Talbot as Rose’s best pal Chelsea, Riverdale’s Mackenzie Gray as snobbish fashion designer Gunter, and CM Punk and AJ Mendez as Billy and Kira. The Twisted Twins are longtime pro wrestling fans, and they’ve previously worked with multiple-time World Champions Kane (on See No Evil 2) and The Big Show (on Vendetta). Now, beloved WWE Champ-turned-UFC fighter Punk has joined the film, along with his wife and multiple-time WWE Divas Champion-turned-award-winning author AJ Mendez, aka AJ Lee.

Jen and Sylvia Soska have written the redo with John Serge, and the hugely popular Soskas will, of course, be on directing duties. In this new take on David Cronenberg’s iconic 1977 original, the film will this time focus on the action from the female perspective of Rose.

The early blurb on this new Rabid has the film pegged as:

Drawing influence from the original movie, the remake will follow Rose, a young woman who, after an accident leaves her scarred beyond recognition, undergoes a radical untested stem-cell treatment. While turning Rose into the belle of the ball, the experimental transformation comes at a price.

So, what’s really not to love? The Soskas? Genre fave Laura Vandervoort? The knowledge that Jen and Sylvia will be true to a beloved classic while putting their own unique spin on things? Consider us well and truly sold on this one!

Expect more on Rabid as we get it.

BATWOMAN to Get Her Own CW Series

Batwoman

It was back in May when we reported that Batwoman would be debuting in the Arrowverse later this year as part of the annual crossover event between Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl – and now comes word that the character is to get her own show!

As per Deadline, Greg Berlanti is developing a new series based around the Kate Kane character, with The Vampire Diaries and Smallville’s Caroline Dries currently penning the pilot episode.

The extremely early blurb for Batwoman reads:

In Batwoman, armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an our lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the falling city’s criminal resurgence. But don’t call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a saviour, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.

The Batwoman character will debut in this December’s crossover extravaganza, with her own series expected to premiere at some point in 2019.

To date, the shared Arrowverse realm of Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and (kind of) Supergirl has made mention of plentiful Bat-tropes, such as name-dropping Gotham, Blüdhaven and even Bruce Wayne, not to mention a whole host of famed Bat-villains have been utilised across those shows.

For those not familiar with Batwoman, she’s a character who’s found herself back in the spotlight again in more recent years, although her origins actually date back to a 1956 debut as Kathy Kane in Detective Comics #233. The Kathy Kane character was a creation of Edmond Hamilton and Sheldon Moldoff, and soon became synonymous with the Silver Age expansion of Batman’s supporting cast of players.

In more recent years, Batwoman was given a spruce up as part of DC Comics’ New 52 reinvention. Now while The New 52 as a concept was largely flawed and found wanting for a number of reasons, the change to Batwoman was one of the more positive moves to come from the rejig. After seemingly dropping off the face of the Earth, Batwoman was brought back into the fold in that 2006 refresh, reimagined as Kate Kane, a Jewish lesbian with bucket-loads of cash behind her. Inspired by Batman, she decided to use her hefty resources to don the cape and cowl and become one of Gotham City’s protectors.

BRAVE NEW WORDS Nominated for British Fantasy Award

fantasy

STARBURST is pleased to announce that our very own book podcast BRAVE NEW WORDS has been nominated for an award at the British Fantasy Awards.

Organised by the British Fantasy Society, the prestigious awards cover everything from books, comics and graphic novels, artists, film and television and more. The Best Audio category also includes Anansi Boys (by Neil Gaiman, adapted by Dirk Maggs for Radio 4), Breaking the Glass Slipper podcast (Lucy Hounsom, Charlotte Bond and Megan Leigh), Ivory Towers (by Richard H Brooks, directed by Karim Kronfli for 11th Hour Audio Productions), PseudoPod podcast (Alasdair Stuart and Escape Artists) and Tea & Jeopardy podcast (Emma and Peter Newman), Brave New Words is in good company but also some stiff competition.

It’s a massive achievement for or Literary Editor Ed Fortune and his team, and we’re all immensely proud of them.

The winners will be announced at FantasyCon 2018, which takes place in Chester from October 19th to 21st.

You can catch up with the latest Brave New Words podcast here.

New RUGRATS Cartoon Series and Live-Action Movie in Development

Rugrats

For fans of Rugrats, we’ve got word that not one, but two new incarnations of the famed property are in development.

As announced by Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures, a 26-episode new animated series is on the way, and a live-action/CGI movie is similarly happening.

On this news, Nick’s Sarah Levy enthused, “Rugrats is hands-down one of the most celebrated cartoons in TV history, and we are thrilled for a whole new audience to meet these iconic characters in brand-new adventures. What was true in 1991 when the original show premiered is still true today: kids are fascinated with the world of babies. We can’t wait for today’s kids to meet Tommy, Chuckie and pals.”

From Paramount’s perspective, Brian Robbins added, “Now feels like the ideal time to reintroduce this iconic cast of characters to a whole new generation of young fans. Kids who grew up with Tommy Pickles and the Rugrats crew will now be able to share that experience with their own children.”

This new cartoon series will see original series creators Gabor Csupo, Paul Germain, and Arlene Klasky returning as executive producers. On the live-action movie side of things, Futurama and Family Guy’s David A. Goodman will be penning the screenplay. That film is currently pencilled in for a November 13th, 2020 release.

Rugrats debuted back in 1991, going on to run for nine seasons and spinning off the three big-screen movies. The general focus of the show centred on a bunch of babies – Tommy, Chuckie, twins Phil and Lil, and the slightly older, slightly more mischievous Angelica – and their everyday exploits.

BILL & TED 3 Now May Not Happen

Bill and Ted

As it happens, today is Alex Winter’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately for the Bill S. Preston actor, it looks as if one thing he won’t be getting for this birthday is that long-gestating third Bill & Ted movie.

The last we’d heard, that picture – officially titled Bill & Ted Face the Music – was a definite go, with Winter and Keanu Reeves reprising their roles as the titular Wyld Stallyns. After years in development hell, it looked as if we were finally to get that third outing for the iconic duo. Now though, Reeves has explained how we may not get Bill & Ted 3 after all.

Speaking to Yahoo, Reeves explained, “I don’t know if it is a reality. We’ve been trying for a long time to get that film made, and it still has its challenges. I really love the characters, and I think we have a good story to tell. Part of it is business stuff – financing, rights deals. Nothing creatively.”

So “on” was Bill & Ted Face the Music, an official synopsis was even released several months ago – a synopsis that reads:

When we last met Bill and Ted they were time-traveling teenagers trying to pass history class and win the battle of the bands. Once prophesized to save the universe with their rock and roll, middle age and the responsibilities of family have caught up with these two best friends who have not yet fulfilled their destiny. They’ve written thousands of tunes, but they have yet to write a good one, much less the greatest song ever written. With the fabric of time and space tearing around them, a visitor from the future warns our heroes that only their song can save life as we know it. Out of luck and fresh out of inspiration, Bill and Ted set out on a time travel adventure to seek the song that will set their world right and bring harmony in the universe as we know it. Together with the aid of their daughters, a new crop of historical figures, and some sympathetic music legends, Bill and Ted find much, much more than just a song.

As ever, expect more on Bill & Ted Face the Music as and when we get it. To paraphrase the late Jim Morrison, it appears for now, at least, that the music’s over… turn out the light.

Premiere Date Set for SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Netflix and DreamWorks Animation TV have revealed just when we can expect to see their refresh for She-Ra, in addition to releasing some new images for the animated effort.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has been confirmed to premiere on the streaming service on November 16th. As for the images, click on the below pics for a closer look.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power She-Ra and the Princesses of Power She-Ra and the Princesses of Power She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

In those images, we can see the titular She-Ra, Glimmer, Bow, Catra, and Bright Moon Castle. In the series, Elena of Avalor’s Aimee Carrero is voicing She-Ra, Suicide Squad’s Karen Fukuhara is voicing Glimmer, black-ish’s Marcus Scribner is Bow, and The Goldbergs’ AJ Michalka is Catra. Other names lending their vocals to the action include Royal Pains’ Reshma Shetty, Orange in the New Black’s Lorraine Toussaint, The Good Place’s John Keston, and Superstore’s Lauren Ash.

The official word on this new series reads:

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is the story of an orphan named Adora, who leaves behind her former life in the evil Horde when she discovers a magic sword that transformers her into the mythical warrior princess She-Ra. Along the way, she finds a new family in the Rebellion as she unites a group of magical princesses in the ultimate fight against evil.

As is so often the case with new takes on old favourites, though, there’s already plentiful people online slamming She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. More worryingly, a lot of those complaints – which are from middle-aged men – are concerned because She-Ra isn’t as sexy as she should be. For those people, firstly, let’s remember that this show isn’t necessarily meant for you. If you’re not keen on the idea of this classic character getting a modern-day refresh, that’s fine, and, y’know, it still doesn’t spoil what you enjoyed about the classic She-Ra content of yesteryear. You can still go back and watch that stuff and it will be just as you remembered it. And secondly, why in the blue hell are you moaning that a character aimed at young girls isn’t sexy enough for your middle-aged tastes? There’s just something a tad creepy about that, right?

Anyways, we digress, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power will land on Netflix this November, and we for one are looking forward to seeing what this new take on this iconic character plays out like. It may be good, it may be utter tripe, but let’s at least wait to find out, yeah?

Details on Who Will be Joining Harley Quinn in BIRDS OF PREY

Harley Quinn

We’ve known for a while now that Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was to headline Warner Brothers’ Birds of Prey picture, but we’d yet to have anything concrete on which characters would be joining the Maid of Mischief in the film.

Now though, as per The Wrap, we may well have some deets on who’ll be doing battle alongside Harleen. The outlet reports that Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya, and Cassandra Cain will all be a part of the film.

Previously, speculation had Black Canary and Huntress as likely candidates, but Montoya – one of Jim Gordon’s most trusted colleagues – and Cain – who has gone by the monikers of Batgirl, Black Bat, and Orphan since debuting in 1999 – are new names in the mix.

Additionally, The Wrap is reporting that the villain of the piece will be a Batman rogue who has yet to appear on the big screen. Previously, we’d heard that Penguin was being looked at as a possibility, although that would obviously rule him out due to Danny DeVito playing Oswald in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns.

With Dead Pigs’ Cathy Yan now in the director’s chair, Birds of Prey has been pushed ahead of Gavin O’Connor’s Suicide Squad sequel, with David Ayer’s Gotham City Sirens and that Harley/Joker romance film seemingly put on the backburner for now.

For those unfamiliar with the Birds of Prey team, they’re a female group of heroes from the DC realm, with names such as Barbara Gordon, Black Canary, Huntress, Catwoman, Lady Blackhawk, Katana, and, yes, Harley Quinn having made-up its ranks at points over the years. Initially, the plan for the film was to see Harley as the villain of the picture, but those plans have seemingly changed after the character got such a positive response in Suicide Squad.

Up next for Margot Robbie is playing Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. For Birds of Prey, the latest word is that the film will start shooting in January.

THE WALKING DEAD Brings in Lauren Ridloff

The Walking Dead Connie Lauren Ridloff

With the upcoming ninth season of AMC’s The Walking Dead getting set to majorly shake-up the landscape of the genre juggernaut, now comes word of a new addition for the hugely popular series.

Courtesy of EW, Lauren Ridloff has joined the show as Connie. Ridloff is likely best known for her Tony Award-nominated turn in Children of a Lesser Men. As for the Connie character, she’s someone pulled straight from the comic book source material of The Walking Dead.

In the comics, Connie is a member of the Magna-led group of survivors who end up living in Alexandria. For the TV take on the character, the early word has her pegged as “a seasoned survivor deft at using her senses to read people, situations, and trouble. Her character is deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate.”

As for the major changes to The Walking Dead that we alluded to, the ratings giant is getting set to lose two of its biggest names – with Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan to depart the series mid-way through Season 9.

Timothee Chalamet in Talks for Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE

Timothee Chalamet

With Denis Villeneuve currently working away on a new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s iconic Dune, now comes word on who could be up for the lead role of Paul Astreides.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Interstellar and Lady Bird’s Timothee Chalamet is said to be in negotiations for a main role in the film, with it presumed that the role in question will indeed be the Paul Atreides character.

The last we’d heard on all things Dune was back in March of this year, with Villeneuve explaining how he has plans for at least two Dune movies and that he expects the first of these films to be released at some point in early 2020.

Dune began life back in 1965, with Frank Herbert’s original novel tying for the 1966 Hugo Award and then winning the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel. Set in the distant future, the story centres on Paul Atreides as his family takes control of the desert planet known as Arrakis. With valuable resources key to the tale, what unravels is a plot that’s full of politics, betrayal, and man’s relationship with nature. A Kyle MacLachlan-starring, David Lynch-helmed movie followed in 1984, which went on to become a cult classic, and then Syfy developed a Dune TV series in 2000. As for written works, Herbert penned five sequels himself before Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert expanded that written world even further.

Expect more on all things Dune as it continues to develop.

ROGUE TROOPER Adaptation Enlists Duncan Jones

Rogue

After much speculation, it has now been confirmed that director Duncan Jones will indeed be tackling a comic book adaptation for his next film, in the form of 2000AD’s Rogue Trooper. For those unfamiliar, Rogue Trooper is a genetically developed, Na’vi-looking, Mohawk-sporting super soldier fighting the good fight in a future-set war, and is arguably 2000AD’s second most celebrated character after Judge Dredd himself. With any luck, Jones will enjoy tremendously more success with Rogue Trooper than his previous two movies – the mind-boggling Mute and the widely ignored Warcraft – and return his status to that of the man whose debut, Moon, heralded an exciting new voice in genre storytelling.

Jones took to Twitter to let fans in on the news, tweeting:

“For years now, I have felt a sting as Marvel and DC have poured out their entire comic roster into film.  Wonderful for their fans, but every new release I silently scream “Where’s all the 2000AD?!”  I’m so excited to finally be able to right that wrong and bring Finley-Day and Gibbons’ Rogue Trooper, a seminal British spun war yarn, to the big screen!”

We couldn’t agree more, Duncan! While no release date has been announced as of yet, we’ll take a punt and say watch out for Rogue Trooper hitting sometime in 2020.