Alex Kurtzman Developing New STAR TREK Content for CBS

Patrick Stewart Captain Picard

With Alex Kurtzman having recently been brought in to take over the Star Trek: Discovery ship, now comes word that he’ll actually be overseeing a whole host of Star Trek efforts for CBS.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Kurtzman has signed a five-year deal to supervise a bunch of new Star Trek TV series, miniseries, and animation shows. And just to get the excitement levels of longtime fans up, there’s even talk that Kurtzman could develop a series that sees Patrick Stewart return as Captain Picard. Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman are currently working on that Stewart vehicle, although no concrete deal has been agreed on that front just yet. As well as the CBS content, Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout banner will also be developing original series across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms.

On this news, Kurtzman enthused, “Heather [Kadin], Aaron [Baiers] and I are thrilled to continue Secret Hideout’s partnership with CBS Television Studios. Since our first collaboration with Hawaii Five-0 almost a decade ago, Les [Moonves], David [Stapf] and the full team at CBS Studios have been our foremost collaborators and champions, treating each project with integrity, supporting the creative visions and working breathlessly to make each episode of every show the best it can be. CBS has allowed us the great pleasure of reintroducing the world of Star Trek to audiences new and old, and we are very excited to keep working alongside them to expand that world.”

Expect more on all of this as we get it. Production on Star Trek: Discovery’s second season began this past April, and the show will return early next year.

Cate Shortland Frontrunner to Direct BLACK WIDOW

Black Widow

With it finally looking that fans may get that Black Widow movie they’ve been eagerly waiting years for, now comes an update on the solo outing for Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha.

As per Deadline, Marvel Studios is currently putting together a shortlist of potential directors for the movie. Not just that, but the early frontrunner for the gig is Cate Shortland. The Australian is likely best known for Somersault, Lore, and impressive psychological terror Berlin Syndrome. Other names reported to be in the frame are Belle‘s Amma Assante, Kings‘ Deniz Gamze, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women‘s Angela Robinson, and Novitate‘s Maggie Betts, and it’s believed that Marvel Studios has already met with forty directors to discuss the movie.

At present, The Hustle’s Jac Schaeffer is working away on Black Widow’s screenplay, and that’s pretty much all that we know about the picture bar the obvious fact that Johansson will indeed be back to play the titular role.

Of course, up first for Natasha is deciphering the events of Avengers: Infinity War when that film’s follow-up arrives next May.

Big-Screen TMNT Being Rebooted Once More

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

With all things Heroes-in-a-Half-Shell having been relatively quiet for the past few years, now comes word that Paramount Pictures is moving forward with a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has brought in Bad Words’ Andrew Dodge to pen a new TMNT picture; a picture that will actually serve as yet another reboot, completely ignoring the most recent two films.

The last we’d heard about any cinematic shenanigans for everyone’s favourite humanoid turtles was back in late 2016 when producer Andrew Form said there were no plans to continue with the franchise. Fast-forward to 2018 and that has kind of being proven to be true, with the powers-that-be now choosing to continue with the Turtles but to also go in a new direction once again.

That’s all that we know for now, but expect more on all things Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as we get it.

Lucasfilm Put Fett and Kenobi Movies on Hold

Boba Fett Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars

Being perfectly honest, we can’t say that we didn’t see this coming. Yes, as the headline suggests, two in-development Star Wars movies have been put on hold.

Previously, we’d heard how Stephen Daldry was to tackle a picture centred on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s time between Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars (or A New Hope, to you young ‘uns), and it was only a matter of weeks ago that Logan’s James Mangold was confirmed to be writing and directing a film focussed on Boba Fett.

Now, the disappointing box office haul brought in by Solo: A Star Wars Story has seen both the Obi-Wan and Boba movies put on hold by Lucasfilm. Collider broke the news, with the full attention of Lucasfilm and Disney to be put on next year’s Star Wars: Episode IX. Similarly, it’s still full steam ahead on the new cinematic Star Wars trilogy that Rian Johnson’s working on, not to mention the movies that Game of Thrones’ David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have been developing.

Here at Moonbase Alpha, we hugely enjoyed Solo. The thing is, the picture has only managed to bring in $340 million globally at this point – the movie’s budget being in the $275 million range. For some perspective, Rogue One was said to have received a lukewarm box response by many, yet that film took home $700 million. Then there’s The Last Jedi’s haul of $1 billion and The Force Awakens’ monstrous $1.7 billion box office. All of this makes Solo the lowest grossing of the recent Star Wars efforts, and by quite the large margin.

When looking for the reasons for Solo: A Star Wars Story’s poor performance, we guess there are several factors that you could look at. We guess the big one is the question of whether fatigue has now set in with this most iconic of cinematic properties, which then can have you attaching Solo’s disappointing return to the unhappiness many had with The Last Jedi. Then there’s the fact that many people simply didn’t have any sort of need to see the tale of the young Han Solo. To them, Han is what they know and love in the Holy Trilogy and beyond, and they didn’t need to see the ins and outs of why and how he became the scruffy-looking nerf-herder we first saw in 1977’s Star Wars.

Regardless, Solo was a brilliant movie, even if it may have been a movie many of us didn’t realise we needed to see. Out of all of the more recent Star Wars efforts, many have rightly suggested that Solo feels the most like a classic Star Wars film of yesteryear.

Still, it appears that the ramifications of Solo: A Star Wars Story’s poor reception are now to be felt on other Star Wars Story movies, with the aforementioned Kenobi and Fett pictures now indefinitely put on hold.

As ever, expect more on all things Star Wars as we get it.

Warner Bros to Summon THE WITCHES

Witches

It’s been 28 years since the release of Nicolas Roeg’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved 1983 novel, The Witches, so considering we live in an age where properties can be rebooted in 28 ‘months’, we can’t begrudge Warner Bros going back to the well on this one, especially given the cult status the original has achieved.

Fans of the book itself (a tale of a young boy discovering his grandmother is actually the head of a sinister coven) may already be enthused by the potential of a contemporary retelling and the promise that this will steer closer to its source than previously, but even genre fans unfamiliar are sure to be sold by the talent circling the project. As per Variety, it seems that Back to the Future godfather Robert Zemeckis is eyeing to direct, with Guillermo del Toro, fresh from his fishy victory in The Shape of Water, acting as producer. Chuck Gravity’s Alfonso Cuaron into the pot as his co-producer and the film already has itself a formidable brew of talent behind it. Magic!

It’s early days yet, but expect more news as the project takes shape…

Book Synopsis:

BEWARE. Real witches dress in ordinary clothes and look like ordinary women. But they are not ordinary. They are always plotting and scheming with murderous, bloodthirsty thoughts – and they hate children.
The Grand High Witch hates children most of all and plans to make every single one of YOU disappear.
Only one boy and his grandmother can stop her, but if their plan fails the Grand High Witch will frizzle them like fritters, and then what…?


Animals Attack on Horror Channel in July

animals attack

Prepare for a beastly time in July as Horror Channel unleash the Animal Attack Season.

Every Saturday from 9 pm we’ll be subjected to mauling, mutilation, and massive beasts as four fantastic creature features take centre stage.

Kicking off the season on July 7th is the fondly remembered Stephen King adaptation Cujo (1983), in which a lovable St Bernard dog turns nasty after being bitten by a bat.

On July 14th, Burning Bright (2010) sees a ranch owner attempt to launch a safari park but his price attraction – a Bengal tiger – isn’t keen on being captive.

Black Water (2007) gets its UK TV Premiere on July 21st. Set in the mangrove swamps of Northern Australia, a group get out of their depth when they are stranded and stalked by a hungry crocodile.

Finally, Into the Grizzly Maze (2007) has James Marsden, Billy Bob Thornton, and Thomas Jane face off against a large killer bear in the Alaskan wilderness. Catch the film on July 28th.

Also screening during July is the supernatural Boogeyman 2 (2007) starring Tobin Bell (Saw) and survival thriller Wake in Fear (2016) starring Caitlin Stasey (Fear, Inc) and Markus Taylor (Deadheads).

For more information, head on over to the Horror Channel website. You can tune in on Sky 317, Virgin 149, Freesat 138, Freeview 70.

Jon Bernthal Returning to THE WALKING DEAD

The Walking Dead Jon Bernthal Shane

Well, this is a little bit out of left field. Yes, as the headline suggests, Jon Bernthal is returning to The Walking Dead.

TV Line broke the news, with Bernthal reprising his role of Shane Walsh. And no, you’re not mistaken, Shane was indeed killed off at the end of the genre juggernaut’s second season.

The hugely talented Punisher actor will be back for at least one episode, with there being a good chance that this could somehow tie in with the departure of Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes. If you remember, it was Rick who first “killed” Shane, with the character then briefly coming back as a walker before being put down once and for all by Carl.

It could well be that Shane appears in either a flashback or in some sort of hallucination. With Lincoln set to appear in only six more episodes of The Walking Dead before departing the series mid-way through the show’s upcoming ninth season, it seems like some sort of hallucination process could play out should Rick’s exit also involve him being killed off. We’ve seen some brilliant trippy hallucinations before when certain characters have been taking their last breaths, and having former best friend Shane turn up in Rick’s final moments seems likely and slightly fitting. How Jon Bernthal’s Shane is used, of course, is merely speculation at this point.

In addition to Lincoln leaving the series, fellow mainstay Lauren Cohan will also be departing The Walking Dead during this next season; with Cohan again reported to appear in just six more episodes.

As ever, expect more on all things The Walking Dead as the ninth season continues to develop. Safe to say, it certainly looks to be a season that will be shaking the very foundations of this massive fan favourite show.

New STAR WARS RESISTANCE Character Revealed….

RESISTANCE

Those of us who have avidly followed the small-screen adventures set in the Galaxy far, far away (from The Clone Wars debut back in 2008 through to the incredible series finale of Rebels earlier this year), have been eagerly awaiting further news on Lucasfilm’s next animated outing, Star Wars Resistance. Beyond the few facts revealed in April’s Press Release – primarily that the show will adopt an anime-inspired aesthetic and detail the early days of the resistance – news has been painfully slow. It’s this starvation of info why this recent development is actually worth reporting on – it’s certainly not something that’s going to get us any more giddy than we already are, or even win over any readers that aren’t already on board, but it’s a crumb at least (though hardly a salacious one)….

Most well known for playing the memorably deranged Dalmatian-loving Dean Pelton in Community (though we wager he’d rather be remembered for that little Oscar he scored for Best Screenplay in 2011!), writer/actor Jim Rash was one of the newcomers already announced for Resistance’s voicecast, but he’s now revealed who he will be playing on the eagerly-awaited show: a “creature” named Flix who “runs the equipment check out area” in the Resistance base (we’re presuming the latter part, as we doubt Phasma would put up with any Rash-style shenanigans!). Flix will be paired with SNL alum Bobby Moynihan’s character, with their dynamic compared to that of The Odd Couple’s Felix Ungar (see what they did there?) and Oscar Madison. You can watch Rash undoubtedly irking his Lucasfilm overlords by saying way too much to interviewers Entertainment Tonight by visiting the source here.

For those unfamiliar with Star Wars Resistance, read on for the original details revealed in the official Press Release:

StarWars.com is thrilled to announce that production has begun on Star Wars Resistance, an exciting new animated adventure series about Kazuda Xiono, a young pilot recruited by the Resistance and tasked with a top-secret mission to spy on the growing threat of the First Order. It will premiere this fall on Disney Channel in the U.S. and thereafter, on Disney XD and around the world.

Featuring the high-flying adventure that audiences of all ages have come to expect from Star Wars, Star Wars Resistance — set in the time prior to Star Wars: The Force Awakens — will feature the beloved droid BB-8 alongside ace pilots, colorful new characters and appearances by fan favorites including Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma, voiced by actors Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, respectively.

The series was created by renowned Lucasfilm Animation veteran Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels); executive-produced by Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Justin Ridge (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) and Brandon Auman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); and art-directed by Amy Beth Christenson (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels).

“The idea for Star Wars Resistance came out of my interest in World War II aircraft and fighter pilots” said Filoni. “My grandfather was a pilot and my uncle flew and restored planes, so that’s been a big influence on me. There’s a long history of high-speed racing in Star Wars, and I think we’ve captured that sense of excitement in an anime-inspired style, which is something the entire team has been wanting to do for a long time.”

Marc Buhaj, senior vice president, Programming and general manager, Disney XD, said, “Our colleagues at Lucasfilm have created a compelling narrative for an untold moment in the Star Wars galaxy, and we are excited to partner with them again on this new original series. Star Wars Resistance will bring viewers across generations an engaging story with heart, humor and both new and familiar characters.”

In addition to Isaac and Christie, the voice cast includes actors Christopher Sean (Days of Our Lives), Suzie McGrath (East Enders), Scott Lawrence (Legion), Myrna Velasco (Elena of Avalor), Josh Brener (Silicon Valley), Donald Faison (Scrubs), Bobby Moynihan (DuckTales), Jim Rash (Community), and Rachel Butera (Tammy’s Tiny Tea Time).

STAR WARS RESISTANCE premieres later this year, more details to follow….

 


New 3 FROM HELL Image Provides Plot Clue

With shooting having now wrapped on Rob Zombie’s hotly anticipated The Devil’s Rejects follow-up, 3 from Hell, the director has released another new image from the threequel – an image that could prove some key plot details.

Taking to his social media channels, Zombie sent out the following:

That, of course, would be Sheri Moon Zombie’s Baby. Now, while the “Free Baby” t-shirt is interesting, it’s the bullet wounds on her arm that has many speculating. Given how the end of Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects saw Baby, Billy Moseley’s Otis and Sid Haig’s Captain Spaulding all shot and killed as they went out in a blaze of glory in one final run-in with the law, many were wondering how the trio would be brought back for 3 from Hell.

Could the bullet wounds on Baby’s arm mean that the threesome actually survived that seemingly-fatal finale and have spent the ensuing years locked up in prison? Could it maybe mean that they did indeed die and have somehow been brought back to life? Either way, those bullets clearly did some damage. We guess we’ll have to just wait and see.

While Zombie has confirmed that filming on 3 from Hell has indeed wrapped, he’s also explained how the film won’t be released until next year as he and his band are off touring throughout the second half of 2018.

Hartley Sawyer Becomes Series Regular on THE FLASH

Elongated Man Hartley Sawyer The Flash

Having debuted in the recent fourth season of The Flash, now comes word that Hartley Sawyer has been bumped up to a series regular for the show’s upcoming fifth season.

In The Flash, Sawyer plays Ralph Dibny, aka the Elongated Man. After debuting early in Season 4, the character would go on to become a pivotal part of Team Flash and their season-long battle with the Thinker. This comes fresh off the news that Danielle Nicolet has similarly been upgraded to a series regular, with Nicolet playing Joe West’s beau and Central City DA, Cecile Horton.

While Hartley Sawyer and Danielle Nicolet will indeed now be a regular part of the show on a week-to-week basis, one person who won’t be doing just that is Keiynan Lonsdale. The Wally West actor recently revealed that he’ll be stepping away from The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow for the foreseeable future. From what we’ve heard, Wally will appear in the premiere episode of Season 5 before then zooming off out of Central City. The powers-that-be at The CW have already stated that they won’t be killing Wally/Kid Flash off, and that the door will remain open for his return down the line.

Where the aforementioned fifth season is concerned, it looks like the Scarlet Speedster and Co. could well end up butting heads with Cicada as the ‘big bad’ of this new season. That’s merely speculation at this point, but the character breakdown for the new villain has him pegged as a metahuman who can disable other metahumans’ powers and who also harbours a whole lot of hate for metahumans, period.