Full Trailer Drops For JLo-Starring Sci-Fi ATLAS

jennifer lopez in atlas trailer

Jennifer Lopez is forced to confront her ambiguous feelings about artificial intelligence in the first official, full-length trailer for Netflix’s science-fiction feature, Atlas. 

Per the official synopsis, Atlas follows Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez), a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.

The full trailer gives us a better look at the high-budget production and impressive action set-pieces, even if it does seem to spoil a lot of the plot.

Due to release on the streaming platform on May 24th, filmmaker Brad Peyton’s upcoming feature also stars Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings actor Simu Liu, recent Academy Award nominee Sterling K. Brown, Gregory James Cohan, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla and Mark Strong.

Rampage filmmaker Peyton directs from a screenplay by Leo Sardarian, with rewrites by Aron Eli Coleite. Producers include Peyton, Lopez, Jeff Fierson, Joby Harold, Tory Tunnell, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.

Watch the trailer for Atlas below, ahead of the film’s release to Netflix on May 24th, 2024.

LaKeith Stanfield To Star In Film Adaptation of Vampire Video Game EL PASO, ELSEWHERE

lakeith stanfield to star in and produce film adaptation of neo noir vampire video game el paso, elsewhere

LaKeith Stanfield, who most recently starred in Jeymes Samuel’s sophomore feature, The Book of Clarence, is teaming up with veteran producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura for El Paso, Elsewhere, an adaptation of the neo-noir vampire video game.

Stanfield is reportedly in talks to star in the feature, and will also produce alongside di Bonaventura, the man best known for steering huge franchises like Transformers. Colin Stark is also attached to produce.

The project does not yet have a writer or director, as the project is still being packaged in hopes of finding it a studio. Considering the recent influx of buzzy video game adaptations, with the likes of The Last of Us, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fallout being both critical and financial successes, odds are high that El Paso, Elsewhere will find a home in no time.

The game centres on a vampire hunter named James Savage, who is on the hunt for his ex-girlfriend Janet (aka Draculae), the latter of whom seeks to bring about the end of the world. The logline, penned by the producers specifically for the adaptation, hints at a deeper, internal conflict: “Recovering from a toxic relationship, James Savage (Stanfield) confronts both his inner demons and enigmatic ex-girlfriend, Janet, before she executes a world-ending ritual. James navigates her reality-bending universe of ethereal monsters while facing the truth of his own addictions and skewed sense of self-worth. James learns that the only route to love is through healing.”

Elliot Page To Adapt Sci-Fi Novel THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE US

the darkness outside us book illustration

The Darkness Outside Us is looking to move from ink and paper to the big screen, with The Hollywood Reporter announcing that Pageboy Productions, the banner run by Oscar nominee Elliot Page, Matt Jordan Smith and Tuck Dowrey, has optioned the rights to the 2021 sci-fi novel.

The Darkness Outside Us, from author Eliot Schrefer, is a YA love story about two young men, alone in space. After the first settler on Titan trips her distress signal, neither remaining country on Earth can afford to scramble a rescue of its own, and so two sworn enemies are put onto the same spaceship for a joint mission.

Ambrose wakes up on the Coordinated Endeavor, with no memory of a launch. There’s more that doesn’t add up: Evidence indicates strangers have been on board, the ship’s operating system is voiced by his mother, and his handsome, brooding shipmate Kodiak has barricaded himself away. But nothing will stop Ambrose from making his mission succeed—not when he’s rescuing his own sister. In order to survive the ship’s secrets, Ambrose and Kodiak will need to work together and learn to trust one another… especially once they discover what they are truly up against. Love might very well be the only way for them to survive.

“We are proud to stand behind Eliot’s remarkable work. The Darkness Outside Us is exactly the type of story we want to champion at PAGEBOY – it’s subversive and deeply human at its core,” said Page, Jordan Smith and Dowrey in a joint statement. “It’s a complex love story, inventive thriller, and a space epic with twists at every turn. We cannot wait to take the next steps towards getting it on the big screen.”

“What would I hope for most for my novel? An agile, young, motivated production company that’s buzzy in Hollywood—and that’s just what I got with PAGEBOY Productions. I’m so excited by their vision for The Darkness Outside Us and honored to have the talents of Elliot and Matt and Tuck and the rest of the team devoted to it.”

The sequel to The Darkness Outside Us, titled The Brightness Between Us, hits shelves in October.

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Are Back In Full Trailer

till of deadpool kissing dog from full trailer for deadpool & wolverine

Ryan Reynolds has taken over from Marvel Studios to post the very first, full-length trailer for Deadpool’s highly-anticipated third outing in Deadpool & Wolverine, marking the Merc with a Mouth’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Per the official synopsis, the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline (which was thoroughly explored in the Disney+ series Loki), pulls Wade Wilson / Deadpool (Reynolds) from his quiet life and sets him on a mission with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) that will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Deadpool 3 will mark a number of firsts for Marvel Studios: not only will it be its first R-rated film, it will also be the first film to star a character that originally appeared in movies made by 20th Century Fox (the studio that owned the IP to key characters like the X-Men before Disney swallowed up the company in 2019). As part of that, Jackman gets to return to his role as Wolverine. Shawn Levy directs the pic.

With the MCU’s recent slump, this trailer looks like this chaotic duomight be the shot of adrenaline it needs.

Deadpool & Wolverine releases in cinemas July 26th. Watch the trailer below:

TRANSFORMERS ONE Launches Trailer… From Space?

transformers one trailer

The trailer for Transformers One marks a first for any Hollywood studio, according to Paramount: it launched from space!

Per the press release: “This long-awaited origin story of how the most iconic characters in the Transformers Universe, Orion Pax and D-16, went from brothers-in-arms to become sworn enemies, Optimus Prime and Megatron, debuted its trailer… The launch kicked off at 6am PT with a live-streamed countdown showing the journey into space. After one hour, the craft reached its peak at 125, 000 feet above the Earth, revealing the trailer with a custom introduction video”. The studio used a weather balloon to reach space.

Transformers One stars Chris Hemsworth as the voice of Orion Pax, Brian Tyree Henry as D-16, Scarlett Johansson as Elita-1, Keegan-Michael Key as B-127, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm. Josh Cooley, best known for Toy Story 4, directs the pic from a script by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari.

The trailer launch accompanies news that the animated film will release to cinemas on September 20th, instead of its previously announced September 13th premiere, giving it two weeks’ breathing room from Sony’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and allowing it to make full use of IMAX screens.

Watch the trailer for Transformers One below:

GOLDEN AXE Receives Series Order

golden axe video game

Comedy Central has greenlit a series order for Golden Axe, a new, 10-episode animated series based on the classic side-scrolling action game. Produced by CBS Studios with Sony Pictures Television and Original Film, Golden Axe has already lined up an impressive voice cast: Matthew Rhys (The Americans, Perry Mason), Danny Pudi (Mythic Quest, Community), Lisa Gilroy, Liam McIntyre (Spartacus), and Carl Tart.

Golden Axe is described as a hilarious and loving homage to the 1989 Sega video game series, and follows warriors Ax Battler, Tyrus Flare, and Gilius Thunderhead as they once again battle to save Yuria from the evil giant Death Adder, who just can’t seem to stay dead. Except this time, the heroes have the inexperienced and underprepared Hampton Squib on their side.

Rhys voices Gilius Thunderhead, a grumpy battle dwarf with poor hygiene and a chip on his shoulder. Pudi voices Squib, a first-time adventurer who has dreamt of questing his entire life. Gilroy portrays Tyrus Flare, a fearsome battle sorceress, deadly in a fight and even deadlier with her sharp wit. McIntyre plays Ax Battler, a barbarian warrior with a strict code of honour and a heart of gold. Tart is Chronos ‘Evil’ Lait, a humanoid panther.

Mike McMahanand Joe Chandler will co-write the first episode and executive produce the series, with Chandler serving as showrunner.

Steve Buscemi Joins WEDNESDAY Season 2

steve buscemi in hubie halloween

Jenna Ortega is back as Wednesday Addams in the second season of Netflix’s eponymous series, with reports that Steve Buscemi will be joining the cast. The actor recently appeared in the Netflix comedy-horror Hubie Halloween, and will be playing the new headmaster of Nevermore Academy in Wednesday season 2, a role previously held by Game of Thrones alum Gwendoline Christie.

*Spoilers ahead*

During the first season’s twist ending, Christie’s character was fatally poisoned by Ms. Thornhill (played by Christina Ricci), so we already knew a new principal needed to be cast. Steve Buscemi is certainly a very fun choice for the role.

Smallville‘s Alfred Gough and Miles Millarare the writers and showrunners, with Tim Burton executive producing and directing several episodes of the show’s debut season. Expected to return for season 2 are Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley., and Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester.

While season 1 released in 2022, work on season 2 was delayed due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes that shut down much of Hollywood last year. Production on Wednesday is expected to begin later this month in Ireland. We don’t know much about Wednesday Season 2 yet, but Ortega has hinted that the new season will be “bolder” and darker than the first season of the series, stating that “we’ve decided we want to lean into the horror more.”

Neon Drops A Very Strange Teaser For LONGLEGS

maika monroe in longlegs

NEON’s upcoming horror film Longlegs is in the midst of a very strange, cryptic, and creepy marketing campaign, with new poster art and a teaser trailer.

The poster is called “Sweet: Part One” and the video is “Sweet: Part Two”. The teaser reveals very little about the story, consisting of a sequence of short clips and the following words appearing on the screen:

So close the crimson and clover
All gone now to the edge
Where the black begins
The long forked tongue hisses
Daughter of the seventh she

Your guess is as good as ours as to what any of that means, but that’s the fun of it! The poster art, meanwhile, sheds no further light on the subject, seemingly a straightforward process to joining the FBI.

In the film, “FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer (Nicolas Cage). As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.” Longlegs is written and directed by Oz Perkins, best known for The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel.

Longlegs releases in cinemas on July 12th. Watch the latest teaser below:

Steven Spielberg Is Working On A New UFO Film

still from close encounters of the third kind by steven spielberg

Variety reports that Steven Spielberg is going back to his genre roots after his Oscar-nominated drama The Fabelmans, writing that the beloved filmmaker will “likely make his next project a UFO film based on his own original idea”.

Further good news, the pic in question is set to be written by David Koepp, the original scribe of Jurassic Park who is also writing a follow-up Jurassic World film for Universal, which will star Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey.

This, of course, is far from Spielberg’s first tangle with aliens, having directed the genre-defining Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 and E.T. in 1982, as well as the an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds in 2005.

The director clearly has had aliens on the brain, appearing on Stephen Colbert last year to discuss alien visitors while promoting The Fabelmans. Steven Spielberg first clarifies that he’s “never seen a UFO” but that he believes others have, and that “there is something going on that simply needs extraordinary due diligence.” He goes on to explain that “it’s mathematically impossible that we’re the only intelligent species in the cosmos.”

That’s all we know about this upcoming UFO film so far, but we’re very curious to find out more.

Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 25th Anniversary Poster Revealed

Horror will have a new home this August, as Pigeon Shrine FrightFest takes over the massive Odeon Luxe Leicester Square for its 25th anniversary. The poster for the event – painted by the legendary Graham Humphreys – has also been unveiled.

Graham said of the poster: “Although FrightFest marks its first quarter century, the significant change of venue is this year’s focus. The soaring black Art Deco tower of the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square, which was completed in 1937, is as iconic to London as the Art Deco Empire State Building in New York – completed six years earlier, in 1931.  In the 1933 movie King Kong, the giant primate scaled the Empire State Building. It seems a fitting homage to have our own monster scale the Leicester Square landmark… the top of the world for the king of horror festivals.”

FrightFest co-director Ian Rattray observed: “The move to our new venue after many successful years is bittersweet, but we are excited about the fresh opportunities and experiences it will bring. As we celebrate 25 years, we look forward to welcoming FrightFesters to this exciting new chapter for the UK’s biggest, brightest, and most successful genre event.”

He added: “Graham’s poster art Is inspired, and it amazes all of us that year after year his FrightFest creations continue to thrill and surprise.  He is a truly talented artist”.

Bill Brock, event manager of ODEON Cinemas Group, commented: “We’re thrilled to be hosting FrightFest at the iconic ODEON Luxe Leicester Square for its 25th anniversary event. We share FrightFest’s passion for this genre and are honoured to be hosting the event. As our most famous cinema location and the home of UK premieres, we can’t wait for guests to brave and enjoy five days of fantasy and horror stories in our luxurious OLLS screens.”

This year’s annual Bank Holiday event, the UK’s largest celebration of genre cinema, will take place at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square between Thursday, August 22nd, and Monday, August 26th, 2024.

The line-up of films will be announced on Thursday, July 11th.

25th Frightfest Monster Graphics