All a tad perplexed by the recent cinematic Joker news? Well, it turns out you’re not the only ones, for Jared Leto himself is struggling to keep up with recent developments.

Speaking to ODE about which DC movies he’ll be reprising his Joker role in, Leto responded, “I’m a little confused too, but yeah, there are a couple of things happening in the DC world, and I loved the Joker, he’s a great character, a really fun character to play. It’s a big universe, and when you play the Joker there’s no ownership there. You have the honour of holding the baton for a little while and then passing it off. But there are other films in development and I’m excited to see what comes from them.”

If you remember, it was only last month that news broke that Warner Brothers were developing a Joker origin movie that would take place outside the confines of the DC Extended Universe. Set in the ‘80s and described as a gritty crime thriller laced with tonal elements of Taxi Driver, the film wouldn’t feature Leto as its Clown Prince of Crime. Instead, a different actor – the latest rumours stating Leonardo DiCaprio is the current top choice – would play the Joker in that picture while Leto continues on as the Jester of Genocide in DCEU efforts such as Gotham City Sirens and the Suicide Squad sequel. For the origin film, The Hangover’s Tod Phillips has been brought in to direct, with the legendary Martin Scorsese loosely involved in a producing capacity.

As seems to sadly regularly be the case these days, fans were left scratching their heads and mouthing obscenities of disbelief as yet another strange decision was made for the fumbled DCEU. And now, it seems that even Leto himself is a little confused as to what exactly is going on.

With Warner Brothers currently developing Shazam! as part of their DC Extended Universe, there’s some interesting news on who could be being lined up to play the titular hero.

As per The Hashtag Show, it’s believed that the two current frontrunners for the gig are John Cena and Joshua Sasse. Sixteen-time WWE Champion Cena has recently signed on for the upcoming Transformers spinoff picture, Bumblebee, and he’s previously featured in the likes of The Marine, 12 Rounds, Daddy’s Home and plenty of fun animated WWE efforts such as Scooby Doo! WrestleMania Mystery and The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown. For Sasse, he’s best known for the likes of Galavant, Frankenstein’s Army and No Tomorrow.

For those not familiar with the superhero Shazam – formerly known as Captain Marvel – the early synopsis for the film should get you up to speed on the basics:

Based on the DC Comics character Shazam, Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel, the world’s mightiest mortal, when he says the magic word “Shazam!” The name is an acronym for six gods and heroes of the ancient world as well as their attributes. The wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, stamina of Atlas, power of Zeus, courage of Achilles and speed of Mercury.

If you’re wondering who Billy Batson is, he’s a mere youngster who has this amazing ability to turn in to the aforementioned superhero merely by uttering that one special word. While Cena and Sasse would obviously be up for the main Shazam role, Warner Brothers are supposedly looking to cast someone in the 12 – 15 age bracket in the Billy Batson role.

With Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation’s David F. Sandberg on board to direct, it appears that the plan is to get Shazam! rolling early next year ahead of a potential 2019 release. In addition to this, Shazam’s longtime nemesis, Black Adam, is also getting his own DCEU picture, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson long signed on to headline that movie. Despite previous plans to the contrary, it’s recently been confirmed that Black Adam will not be featuring in Shazam!, which rules out any possibility at this stage of potentially seeing former wrestling rivals Cena and Johnson locking horns once more should Cena wind up landing the Shazam role.

We’re all still a tad shocked here at Moonbase Alpha to hear last night’s announcement that director Colin Trevorrow has departed Star Wars: Episode IX, and now comes word on an early contender to replace Trevorrow in the director’s chair.

As per Deadline, Rian Johnson could well wind up helming Episode IX. Johnson, of course, is currently working on this December’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi for Lucasfilm and Disney. Right now, the early word is that he’s at the top of a short list of names being considered to take over Episode IX, and it’s believed by many that Johnson was originally pegged to direct two pictures upon being brought in to a galaxy far, far away before Trevorrow was given the Episode IX gig. Now, it looks as if Lucasfilm may well be revisiting that idea by having Johnson continue his The Last Jedi work with Episode IX.

At present, Episode IX is set for a May 2019 release, and, as ever, expect us to bring you more on all of this as it continues to develop.

In some interesting news, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is set for another reboot.

Deadline reports that Millennium Films is about to reboot the property; a property that began life as a comic book before being adapted as a Irish McCalla-starring TV series in the 1950s. A Tanya Roberts-headlined movie known simply as Sheena would be released in 1984, and another crack at a TV show would happen in 2000 with Gena Lee Nolin taking top billing. Elsewhere, there’s been a whole bunch of Bollywood outings for the character over the decades. And in a piece of completely random trivia for you, it’s widely believed that The Ramones’ Sheena is a Punk Rocker is indeed inspired by Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.

The Sheena, Queen of the Jungle comic book title was originally created by Will Eisner and Jerry Iger, and Sheena has the honour of being the first female character to be given her own title way back in 1937. As a character, Sheena was an orphan who lived in the jungle and had the ability to communicate with animals. In her many depictions over the years, she’s been shown to be a master hunter and even in some takes she can actually channel the power of any animal whose eyes she looks in to.

As ever, expect more on all things Sheena, Queen of the Jungle as we get it.

One of the most popular horror franchises of recent years is the Insidious series that was initially thought-up by James Wan and Leigh Whannell. With a fourth installment on the way, that new movie has now seemingly had its title revealed.

As per BBFC, the title is reportedly Insidious: The Last Key. Previously, it was presumed that the film would simply be called Insidious: Chapter 4, but BBFC is usually a pretty reliable source for they are the guys who rate trailers – meaning that they’re often in the now, and also that we should likely expect to see a first trailer pretty soon.

The early word on the movie reads:

The film is set years before the events from the previous films and follows Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), in her youth in New Mexico, that begins to be haunted by malevolent and demonic spirits in their own house.

As well as genre fave Shaye taking centre-stage, she’ll be joined by Josh Stewart, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Kirk Acevedo, Bruce Davison, Spencer Locke and Caitlin Gerard. While Whannell popped his directorial cherry with Insidious: Chapter 3, this time The Taking of Deborah Logan‘s Adam Robitel will be directing. Much like the previous three movies, though, Whannell has penned the screenplay.

At present, Insidious: The Last Key is set for a January 5th, 2018 release.

Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull most certainly split opinion, but one thing that was pretty universal amongst fans was that they weren’t exactly keen on Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt Williams character. Well, with a fifth Indy movie now in development, we’ve had confirmation that Mutt will definitely not be back for this next film.

Speaking to EW, screenwriter David Koepp explained, “Harrison plays Indiana Jones, that I can certainly say… and the Shia LaBeouf character is not in the film. We’re plugging away at it. In terms of when we could start, I think that’s up to Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Ford. I know we’ve got a script we’re mostly happy with. Work will be endless, of course, and ongoing, and Steven just finished shooting The Post. If the stars align, hopefully it’ll be his next film.”

If you remember back, Crystal Skull revealed that the Mutt Williams character was the son of Indy and Marion Ravenwood, and there were certain teases in that movie that LaBeouf’s Williams may well take over the iconic fedora and bullwhip from his pops. Due to that revelation and the response to Crystal Skull as a whole, the past few years saw plenty of rumours that the franchise was to be rebooted with a new star taking over the iconic role of Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones. Names regular tossed around for the gig were the likes of Chris Pratt and Bradley Cooper, although eventually we’d get confirmation that the franchise would continue forward with Harrison Ford leading the charge.

The last we’d heard on Indy 5, the film was tentatively booked in for a July 10th, 2020 release. As with the previous four films in the series, Steven Spielberg will be back to direct.

“Gore. Sex. Masochism. Bondage. Flaying. Sadism. Eighties-influenced British slasher where nothing is as it seems.” That’s the early word on the Kickstarter-funded Clownface, and boy does it have our attention here at Moonbase Alpha!

To give a little prefix, one of our favourite horror finds of recent years has been Hellbound Media and their deliciously twisted genre-spanning output that features the likes of Slaughterhouse Farm, The Disease and Mandy the Monster Hunter. Now, Hellbound have teamed with Great Escape Films to produce their first full feature film, with Alex Bourne – who cut his teeth on My Bloody Banjo and The House of Screaming Death – in the director’s chair and Mark Adams – another My Bloody Banjo alum – producing. With the project having recently launched a Kickstarter campaign, you can help support Clownface’s production by heading here. And trust us, some of the perks on offer sound absolutely fantastic!

Just to up the terror levels a tad, here’s an early preview of the what lies ahead for those brave enough to tackle Clownface:

You can find the official press release on Clownface below:

In the British Midlands an urban legend stalks the residents of a suburban town; an individual with no known identity beyond the grinning mask of flesh he wears…

CLOWNFACE offers a combination of psychological terror and eighties-influenced slasher carnage. Exploring themes of sadomasochistic desire, revenge and trauma, CLOWNFACE is a horror film that draws from both dramatic thrillers and brutal slasher movies, to bring you a unique and unsettling experience. Filming in and around Birmingham in the UK, CLOWNFACE draws on wealth of local and national talent to bring its tale of terror to life.

Starring in the film is Hannah Douglas (U Want Me 2 Kill Him), Dani Tonks (Parasitic Twin), Richard Bucker (The House of Screaming Death & former UK Olympic Athlete), Thomas Loone (Wuthering Heights) and Philip Bailey (Doctor Who & Carnival of Sorrows) as Clownface himself.

Plot Summary:

No one talks about the disappearances. People leave. Accidents happen. But the legends are true, and this town is home to Clownface and he’s ready for his next performance.

A year after the abduction of her friend Zoe, Jenna Carter is trying to put her life back together. But the arrival of Owen Reynolds, whose family were slaughtered tens years earlier, brings up the past. Owen is certain that Clownface is real, and has kept Zoe prisoner, the latest subject of the killers fascination with finding the perfect flesh.

Jenna, Owen and Zoe must struggle for survival, and to hold onto their own identifies, as they are stalked by the sadistic and brutal Clownface.

CLOWNFACE is being produced by Hellbound Media, in association with Great Escape Films. Hellbound Media have focused on creating horror comics in the UK for the last six years, with successful titles such as the critically acclaimed “Slaughterhouse Farm” and the award-nominated “The Disease”. The feature film debut for Hellbound Media, CLOWNFACE, is produced by Mark Adams (My Bloody Banjo, Carnival of Sorrows) and directed by Alex Bourne (The House of Screaming Death).

Granted, there are plentiful crowdfunding campaigns out there right now, but Clownface most definitely stands out from the pack. And let’s face it, you had us at “Gore. Sex. Masochism. Bondage. Flaying. Sadism. Eighties-influenced British slasher where nothing is as it seems.”

To keep up to date with all things Clownface, be sure to check out the project on Kickstarter, Facebook and Twitter.

In a majorly surprising development, director Colin Trevorrow has departed Star Wars: Episode IX.

Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Pictures broke the news, confirming that the Jurassic World helmer is stepping away from a galaxy far, far away. The official announcement on this can be found below:

Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX. Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon.

This isn’t the first time this year that a Star Wars movie has seen its director’s chair vacated. Previously, Phil Lord and Chris Miller left the to-be-titled Han Solo-driven Star Wars Story movie over similar issues with differing visions to Lucasfilm and Disney. That duo would eventually be replaced by Ron Howard on the Solo picture.

For Episode IX, very little is known on the film right now, with things obviously to be a whole lot clearer once Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrives in cinemas this December. At present, Star Wars: Episode IX is set for a May 2019 release.

As ever, expect more on all of this as we get it.