June 27, 2014

IRON MAN 3's Shane Black Directing New PREDATOR Sequel, Will Schwarzenegger Return?



It sounds like Fox isn't waiting around for Robert Rodriguez's Predators sequel. THR reports that Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Last Boy Scout) will return to his early career roots, by directing a new Predator film. His Monster Squad partner Fred Dekker (Tales From The Crypt, Night of The Creeps) will handle the scripting duties with Black helping with the treatment. Black had a supporting role in the original film, and even wrote an early draft that was never used.

Collider adds that Fred Dekker and Black will be scripting the film as a sequel, rather than a reboot. Expanding on existing mythology setup by the original films. This could leave the door open to have Danny Glover or Arnold Schwarzenegger return. There had been ideas from Robert Rodriguez to have Glover and Arnold's characters taken to the Predator homeworld to battle aliens in a gladiator arena. It's unknown if that's the angle for this new film, but with Arnold reprising his classic roles (Terminator, Conan, Twins), returning as Dutch wouldn't be very shocking. Arnold was originally set to cameo in Predators, but had to turn it down and Laurence Fishburne took the part instead. Let's not forget that Shane and Arnold worked together on Last Action Hero.


Fox has a sequel to Prometheus about to begin production too. Could we see all these worlds eventually connected? Or, at the very least better connected, than the horrible AVP films? We should forget those movies ever happened and expect the studio trying to at least have all these films connected. Ridley Scott has already connected Prometheus to Blade Runner, by having Eldon Tyrell as the mentor of Peter Weyland. This establishes the cinematic universe is also connected that franchise as well, which is also getting a sequel.

While having the xenomorphs, predators, engineers and replicants existing in the same universe, but not exactly interacting/fighting each other. Darkhorse Comics is already putting together a series of comics, which connects all the films (Alien, Prometheus and Predator). Connecting the sci-fi horror franchises could be a good idea, but needs to be executed properly. Shane Black has experience with grand mythology and expanding film universes, dipping his toes into the MCU with Iron Man 3.

We recently heard from Sigourney Weaver that she wants to play Ripley again in Alien 5. Considering Fox is pushing forward with so many sci-fi projects, they'll finally give fans an end to the main Alien saga. The studio hasn't commented on this, but I'm sure they're strongly considering it. Since Weaver will be appearing in all three of the Avatar sequels, her awareness will be pushed into the international markets again. Originally, Prometheus was set to be a two-part feature, ending with the second film. Having Ripley return and complete her story would make sense post-Prometheus 2.


SOURCE: THR

The First Trailer For Legendary's DRACULA UNTOLD Is Batty!

Guillermo Del Toro Officially Directing PACIFIC RIM 2 And It's Coming April 2017!



There was a giant-wave of anticipation last summer, concerning what to expect from Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim. An original cinematic universe influenced by the the world of anime, manga and kaiju films. It made a rather large splash internationally, earning $411 million worldwide. A decent amount of box office considering the genre and the fact it's not an existing franchise or IP. There had been talk from everyone invovled that a sequel could happen. Although, many people believed it still needed to earn more for that to happen. Critics mostly embraced the silliness of it and took it for what the film was (giant robots versus giant monsters).

The film also had a comic book and toys in stores at the time of it's release. Pacific Rim does have major merchandising potential, not unlike the Marvel/Star Wars universes. This seemingly has been picked up by the people over at Legendary Pictures, who produced the film and own the rights to it.

Guillermo has announced (via Legendary Picture's Youtube channel) that Legendary is moving forward with the sequel and he will be returning as it's director. Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim) and Zak Penn (Incredible Hulk, Avengers) will be working with del Toro to create the script. The release date has been set for April 7th, 2017, which is very similar to the Marvel's The Winter Soldier's date. It's a better placement for the release, as it will have less summer competition next time. Also, Universal will be partnering with Legendary on the project. The two companies recently developed a deal, which would see Universal distribute their films.

Production on Pacific Rim 2 would likely return to Pinewood Studios in Toronto. Where del Toro shot the original and is currently finishing-up production on his next film Crimson Peak. Actors such as Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman are expected to return for the sequel.

Legendary Pictures is highly invested in the kaiju genre, and is already moving forward with a Godzilla sequel. Gareth Edwards is attached to direct, but is also involved with an unnamed Star Wars spin-off coming in 2016. Oddly enough, Godzilla has currently earned even more than Pacific Rim. Taking in about $478 million worldwide, let's just remember Godzilla is known property that has been stomping cities since 1954. While Pacific Rim is just getting put together.



June 21, 2014

Milo Ventimiglia Wants A Shot At Playing THE PUNISHER?


We've seen actors campaign for Marvel roles, but ultimately never land their choices. A new actor has joined that club, but for a character we don't often have actors asking to play. That role just happens to be Frank Castle aka The Punisher. Heroes alumni Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls, Pathology, Mob City, Wolverine) has taken to Twitter to tease the idea of taking the role of Castle, including a photo of himself looking very different and wearing a Punisher shirt.




We know there currently aren't any film plans to bring The Punisher back to screens (since regaining the film rights from Lionsgate), Disney is seemingly opposed to releasing R-rated Marvel movies. While the rating is unknown we know Marvel has partnered with Netflix to release a bunch of gritty street-level shows. These 13-episode series include Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and The Defenders. All of them will be set in and around New York City's notorious Hell's Kitchen, and are expected to be more crime focused than previous Marvel productions.

The city is also the stomping ground of violent vigilante Frank Castle, so it's not impossible that the character will show-up or at the very least be mentioned in these shows. It's expected that The Kingpin would have to cross paths with The Punisher at some point. We've also been considering a Punisher and Blade series being apart of the next wave of Netflix shows for Marvel.



Milo has a history of working in both television and film, not to mention a Marvel connection voicing Logan for the Wolverine anime series. He's looking the part in recent photos, and if he trains enough could nail the fighting/gunplay the character is best known for. If Castle is indeed apart of the Netflix MCU, should Milo play him?

SOURCE: TWITTER

Joe Carnahan Working On Bruce Willis Action Flick FIVE AGAINST THE BULLET For Sony


Joe Carnahan (Narc, The Grey) is a treasured and unappreciated action director. His recent film Stretch was shelved by the studio and was pulled-off Fox's Daredevil reboot when the rights reverted back to Marvel. That hasn't stopped him with his awesome series The Blacklist and developing Mark Millar's Nemesis for Fox. It sounds like he's getting a chance to make another hard-boiled action flick for Sony.

While talking with Collider producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura mentions that Carnahan is helping with their Bruce Willis flick Five Against The Bullet. The film centers on a Mexican politician who, after his father is killed by a drug cartel, hires the five best bodyguards from around the world to protect him through a contentious election. The assumption is that Joe will direct and also add rewrites to the existing script from Alex Litvak. Let's just pray that Joe is able to get a non-wooden performance from Bruce Willis, who is notorious these days for putting zero effort into his performances.

“Joe [Carnahan] we just put on a project called Five Against a Bullet, which I’ve loved for a long time. It is a tale of a group of men who have become cynical, sort of lost their sense of hope about life and the world, who are rekindled and betrayed and rekindled and betrayed in this story, and it’s got some of the coolest action and some of the greatest characters, and it’s a really fantastic action movie that I think will really grab people. And Joe’s working on it right now.” 

“We have a great script and no doubt he’ll put a little pen to paper as well, but we’re already in great shape and Sony loves the project and no doubt we’ll start trying to figure out how to cast that.”

SOURCE: COLLIDER

June 20, 2014

DOCTOR STRANGE Starts Filming Next Spring And Releasing July 2016?


TotalFilm was to speak with Marvel's Kevin Feige about the upcoming production of Doctor Strange. Firstly, Kevin confirmed that Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil) is indeed directing the film and revealed casting will be underway in the next month or two. An actor will be announced soon, we've been expecting said lead to be unveiled during Comic-Con. We've been hearing names like Benedict Cumberbatch, Jared Leto and Tom Hardy linked for the role.

"Scott Derrickson has been announced as the director. Doctor Strange is a character that I've been interested in for many, many years and that I've talked about in interviews for probably 14 years, because I believe it's very, very important for us to explore every nook and cranny of the comic-book universe and we've done the street-level heroes, and we've done the billionaire superheroes [on Earth]. We've now done the cosmic side with Thor and Avengers and most obviously with Guardians, but there's a whole other side of the Marvel comics, which is that supernatural side - the interdimensional side of the Marvel universe, and Doctor Strange is, I believe, our entry point into that other realm, which has dozens of characters and storylines all of its own.

So Strange is very, very important, not just because it's an amazing character study, and a journey of a man who's gone from this very arrogant surgeon to somebody who is quite zen and literally keeps all of reality together on a daily basis, but it also is going to open up a whole other side of storytelling for our movies. So we're about to hire a writer to redo a draft, and we think we'll be casting probably in the next month or two, and announcing an actor, and then we get into production in the spring of next year."


Feige also went on to confirm that production is set to begin in the spring of next year, I assume this will happen when Captain America 3 wraps. The assumption is that Strange will take the second 2016 spot on July 8th. Other sources say that the release date could be set later in the year. Currently, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Black Hole) is doing rewrites to the original script.




SOURCE: TOTALFILM

Guy Pearce Wants To Return For PROMETHEUS 2


Prometheus has had it's share of problems pointed-out, but one thing Ridley Scott nailed was casting Guy Pearce as an ambitious young Peter Weyland. His scenes at Ted Talk were cut-out of the main film and used in the viral campaign instead. They plant the seeds of Weyland's search to find immortality, space exploration and his god-complex. Weyland is a twisted and ruthless character that never really got flushed-out in the film, but he could in Prometheus 2.

During a recent interview with IGN, the Aussie actor revealed a desire to join the cast of Prometheus 2, and would jump at the chance to work with Ridley Scott again. The film is being eyed for a March 4th, 2016 release date. Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace are already set to return in their roles. Guy mentions being open to playing Weyland again, or someone else entirely.

"I'd love to go back and play that character again..To work for Ridley again, you know, he's great -- really wonderful to work for. So yeah, I'm very curious to see what he will do next with it."

"Based on my character's request for immortality and then getting whacked in the head with Michael Fassbender's head, uh... no. [Laughs] But I think it's possible. I just think it may not be for Peter Weyland. I mean, who knows? When you look at science fiction and the ways in which you can cut the pie and things can develop -- technologically speaking, etcetera -- anything's possible, really, isn't it? Particularly with Ridley at the helm."

Of course, there are plenty of ways Guy could be used in the film. Flashbacks or propaganda company videos being the first things that come to mind. Perhaps, cloning is used to keep Peter Weyland around, even after his death. Alien Resurrection used cloning to bring back Ripley, it wouldn't be hard to imagine Weyland having access to that kind of technology. Another angle could be he plays an heir to the Weyland dynasty. A relative that happens to be the spitting-image of Peter Weyland.

An even simpler way would be to pull a Bishop, and have a Weyland look-a-like android. We've already had talk of many Davids (Fassbender) in the sequel. Adding another android acting on the behalf of the interests of Weyland Industries looking like Peter sounds about right. I'd also think it's possible we could see a ship computer not unlike mother/father, with a hologram persona in the guise of young Peter Weyland.

SOURCE: IGN

RUMOR: Are We Getting A Cameo From NOVA In GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY?


We've already had hints that Adam Warlock will be appearing in some form (possibly cocoon) in Guardians of The Galaxy, but another cosmic character is rumored for the outer-space action comedy. LatinoReview is claiming we'll see Nova also known as Richard Rider make a cameo in the film, possibly in an end-credits scene. It's not hard to imagine that happening since The Nova Corps. are a well established force in the film.



They Add that this character could be played by none-other-than Nathan "rumored for every Marvel role" Fillon. Previously, the talk was he was going to play Peter Quill's father. We'll have to wait until August to find out for sure, where they'll be using him. Fillion could be playing a cantina bartender for all we know.


This image that popped-up on Reddit has fuelled the idea Nova film is in the works. However, we haven't heard this from trades or other blogs. While a Guardians sequel was mentioned recently by JoBlow, making Nova a major character in the next film would more sense than getting his own film. I have to call bullshit on this image, since Captain America 3 and Doctor Strange are currently the only films eyed for Marvel's 2016 slate. Nothing says that Marvel isn't developing a movie, there had been rumblings that Adam Warlock and Nova could get movies in the future.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

RUMOR: Does Villain Darren Cross Steal The Yellow Jacket Suit In ANT-MAN?


There have been a couple of rumors circling via JoBlow and TheWrap concerning who the villains of Peyton Reed's Ant-Man will be. There is talk of actors Corey Stoll and Patrick Wilson taking the roles of the villains, with Stoll playing main industrial baddie Darren Cross. I assume the pair are the ones who are hellbent on stealing Hank Pym's technology, which leads us to the "big heist" of the picture.

BadassDigest seems to try to clear things up a bit, mainly noting that it very well could be the Yellow Jacket suit that is being stolen from Pym. The suit is best known as giving Hank Pym a personality disorder, which leads to him hitting his wife Janet. A rather large and shocking plot-point for comics in that era, since domestic abuse wasn't the subject of hero's daily lives back then. It's uncertain who Stoll and Wilson will be playing, but Devin confirms Darren Cross is one of the villains. Also, hinting one of the two could be donning the Yellow Jacket suit. This would make a lot of sense and allow the darker side of Pym to be explored without making Hank out to be total piece of garbage.

SOURCE: BADASSDIGEST

Rosario Dawson Moves From SIN CITY To Hell's Kitchen, Joins DAREDEVIL Cast


Another actor has been cast in Marvel's Daredevil series, and THR reveals the newest addition is Rosario Dawson (Trance, Sin City 1-2, Death Proof, Kids) in an unnamed role. One that very well could be Jessica Jones, considering her high profile it's a strong possibility. The production for the series will begin soon in New York City and as expected Marvel is looking a strong film talent to fill roles.


Charlie Cox (Boardwalk Empire, Stardust) will play Matt Murdock/Daredevil and recently announced Vincent D'Onofrio (Jurassic World, Full Metal Jacket, The Cell, Brooklyn's Finest, Run All Night) will play Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin. Our suspected main villain of the series, or likely most of them.


SOURCE: THR

LOOPER Director Rian Johnson To Write/Direct STAR WARS EPISODES VIII And XI


Lucasfilm is putting together some of the best filmmakers for their new film universe. A new report from Deadline gives the best directing news to date. They say that Brick and Looper director Rian Johnson will take the Episodic reigns of Star Wars, for Episode VIII and Episode XI (some are claiming his is only doing the script treatment). This is confirming that Abrams won't be directing the next two installments, and his future within the Star Wars franchise is unknown.

We've been hearing for months that Lucasfilm has been meeting with directors to round out both the spin-offs and main trilogy. The Star Wars machine is now in full gear (taking cues from Marvel Studios) and needs to move forward. I believe J.J. was never going to direct the entire trilogy and his pre-production/script problems may have cemented that fate. They need the new generation like Rian Johnson, Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters) and Josh Trank (Chronicle, Fantastic Four) to keep the franchise fresh and inventive.

Rian Johnson is dedicated filmmaker and has the vision/originality to push the boundaries of the franchise. Rather than just paying homage to what has come before, I expect Johnson will add greatly to the existing universe. Fans should rejoice that we finally have an indie director back directing Star Wars, if this doesn't shut-up film nerds I don't know what will.



SOURCE: DEADLINE

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY's Karen Gillan Wants To Play A Web-Slinging Marvel Heroine


Scottish actress Karen Gillan spoke to SFX and mentioned that she wants a crack at playing Spider-Girl/Spider-Woman. I think a large percentage of Spidey fans are now currently fan-casting her as the new Mary Jane Watson, for Amazing Spider-Man 3. However, here's a little bit of what I think of this extremely cool idea.

If you could play a superhero, which one would you choose?Yeah, who is there…? I want to play a version of Spider-Man that’s a lady.
Spider-Woman?Spider-Woman – does she exist?
There’s a Spider-Woman and a Spider-Girl.I want to play Spider-Girl!

Let's try to forget that producer Avi Arad has been hard-headed when it comes to the Spider-Man franchise, and closing-the-door for characters like Ben Reilly and Miles Morles to take-up the mantle. This didn't seem to rule-out lady versions of the character showing-up eventually. We know that Felicia Hardy (Felicity Jones) is already been established in the last installment, so anti-heroine Black Cat is on the horizon. We've never really seen a female heroine in the Spider-Man franchise, while the studio has access to many of these characters. Sony would be mad not even consider partnering Parker with a female counterpart, other than Hardy. These characters include May Parker the first Spider-Girl, redhead Anya Corazon the second Spider-Girl (happens to have the best costume of the bunch which is very similar to Arachne's).

A couple might also might in the hands of Marvel Studios, which seems to lend themselves to more supporting female characters and a greater chance of this happening. The original Spider-Woman who is Jessica Drew, is very likely not in control by Sony but Marvel Studios. As the character has origins in other comics, ties to Hydra and very little connection to the Spider-Man universe.

Julia Carpenter is the second Spider-Woman and like Jessica Drew has ties to The Avengers and most importantly is involved in the Civil War comics which is expected to play a role sometime in the MCU. Julia is also known as Arachne, which could be a great way to get around the whole confusion of calling the heroine Spider-Woman and getting her confused with the Spider-Man franchise.


However, considering she's playing an action-driven role as villainess Nebula in Guardians of The Galaxy, anything is possible. We've seen actors like Ryan Reynolds, Ray Stevenson and Idris Elba play multiple Marvel roles, so this wouldn't be unheard-of. Considering she is almost unrecognizable as Nebula, it wouldn't be impossible for Marvel Studios or Sony to place her in another future role.

SOURCE: SFX

THE EQUALIZER Franchise On The Way And Director Antoine Fuqua Comments On Sequels



The R-rated American action film is becoming a dying breed, we've seen franchises like Fast And Furious flourish within the PG-13 rating, tempting studios to water-down the genre. Which has led to The Expendables 3 wimping-out and scaling back the shoot-em-up gore to get a bigger box office. One voice in the genre has taken the attitude Hard-R is the way to go with these adult-action films. That is surprisingly Antoine Fuqua, who is better known for his crime thrillers such as Training Day and blew us away with his balls-to-the-wall action flick Olympus Has Fallen.

His next feature will see him re-teaming with his Oscar winner lead from Training Day, Denzel Washington. The film based on the widely popular series The Equalizer, sees Washington as a total badass only interested in levelling the playing field. The studio doesn't have a bunch of original action franchises lying around to fill release spots. They also have to try to develop whatever existing properties they have to their fullest potential, so it makes sense that they would want this to be very successful and make more installments.

Back in February, TheWrap reported that Sony is indeed moving forward with a sequel. They had rehired screenwriter Richard Wenk (Expendables 2, The Mechanic) to pen the script. Wenk wrote the first installment and has apparently closed a deal to write it's second installment with the working title The Equalizer 2. They add that test-screenings have earned the highest scores for an R-rated film for the studio. This basically should give the impression Sony could have a massive hit on their hands, and will actually be worth franchising.

Director Antoine Fuqua actually took on that question head-on with ScreenRant, and gave a hopeful but coy response to the talk the studio wants more installments.

Ah, you know, I would be lying to you if I said I wouldn’t love for it to become a franchise, I would love for it to become a hit and all that great stuff. Who knows-you just make the best movie you can make, you know it’s like, eat the whole thing, one piece at a time. And then, we’ll see what happens, I would love for it to be.

I'm a massive fan of both the work of Washington and director Antoine Fuqua, so I'm totally on board for this. The only thing is that Fuqua has setup franchises before and left, case-in-point he didn't return to direct London Has Fallen the sequel to Olympus Has Fallen. I believe the deciding factor will be what the studio will offer Fuqua via future projects, and if Denzel is willing to stick around. The trailer is extremely promising, and it's hard to not to want to see that Training Day magic return.





SOURCE: SCREENRANT

RUMOR: Matt Damon Teaming-Up With Jeremy Renner For BOURNE 5?


Sometimes when a rumor is too good and extremely likely, it has a very hard time going away. We've been hearing for years that Matt Damon has been considering returning to Universal's Bourne franchise. There were even rumblings that Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross could be paired-up with Bourne in future films. Well that talk has resurfaced, and it's coming from a very creditable source.

LatinoReview is reporting that the reason Universal has delayed Justin Lin's (Fast And Furious 6) Bourne 5, is to include Matt Damon in the film. THR reported the fifth installment was originally set for August 14th, 2015, the film is being delayed and is now being released on July 15th, 2016. LR believes this new delay is to allow Damon join the production.

It's not surprising since Bourne Legacy didn't set the world on fire, and Matt's last few movies haven't done too well at the box office. Damon returning to the series that allowed him to make the jump to the world of action films, might be just what he needs to reenergize himself. I doubt that Renner will be stepping-aside, since he's about to take a big role in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

June 19, 2014

RUMOR: WB Planning On Releasing THE BATMAN In 2019 And Will Ben Affleck Direct?



LatinoReview has another big DC scoop, this time it concerns our favorite caped crusader. We recently learned that Warner Bros. is setting-up a large slate of DC films, shockingly a solo Batman movie wasn't on that list. LR reveals that the studio is tentatively placing a new Batman standalone in their 2019 release lineup, and giving it the working title of The Batman. Fans might recognize that title, as it was the original title for Batman Begins.

There is also a bit of speculation that Ben could also direct the film, something we've been expecting since he was originally announced for the role. There had been rumblings that Ben's deal with Warner Bros. was so extensive, that it could include clauses to direct as well. This was never confirmed or announced by the studio, so it's currently unknown if this is indeed their plan or if Ben is obligated to direct.

After watching Affleck's films Gone Baby Gone and The Town. It's easy to see the director has a grasp on the gritty world of crime, and could be a decent successor to Christopher Nolan. The release date is also another hint to Affleck directing as well, since it would allow him plenty of time to film Batman v Superman, Justice League and his period gangster film Live By Night.

At this point there isn't even talk of a script being put together, which might be another reason for the 2019 release date. Giving the studio plenty of time to setup a new trilogy and make the first installment a solid one. Let's not forget that Ben also has an Oscar for screenwriting.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

June 18, 2014

PROMETHEUS And BLACK HOLE Screenwriter Jon Spaihts Could Rewrite DOCTOR STRANGE Script


Deadline is reporting that Prometheus screenwriter Jon Spaihts is in talks to write Marvel's Doctor Strange, which will be directed by Scott Derrickson (The Day The Earth Stood Still, Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil)Jon was recently tasked to write Disney's Black Hole remake and Universal's Mummy reboot. I have to assume that Disney is very happy with his work on Black Hole and was suggested to Marvel. Jon and Scott are a perfect match as both have a horror background, a strong element of the world of Strange.

Jon confirmed the news himself via his Twitter account.




The words rewrite aren't mentioned as the original script was penned by Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, the pair are best known for writing the Conan The Barbarian reboot. I doubt it will be a page-one rewrite, but I'm sure they're hiring Jon to overhaul the entire thing. When I first heard Marvel's requirements for directors from my source, they specifically mentioned writer-directors for Strange. The studio wanted extensive rewrites, mainly because of industry leaks and the early script review from LatinoReview.

Casting is still going-on, as recent names such as Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy have been mentioned for being on Marvel's radar/lists.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Sigourney Weaver Still Open To Making ALIEN 5 And Finishing The Ripley Saga


A fifth Alien movie has been in development and limbo for almost two decades, but a new glimmer of hope has arrived. Sigourney Weaver recently commented on her desire to reprise the role of Ripley and finally end her story for good in Alien 5. For years she's been hinting that she wants it to happen, I'm sure Fox wants that as well, but wants to round-out their Prometheus sequel first. Here's what Weaver had to say at the Hero Complex Film Festival.

“Had we done a fifth one, I don’t doubt that her humanity would have prevailed. …I do feel like there is more story to tell.”

“I feel a longing from fans for the story to be finished,” she said, adding, “I could imagine a situation where we finish telling the story.”

Ideas and scripts for fifth film has been been kicking around for almost 20 years. You might remember that in Alien Resurrection, Joss Whedon and Fox left a large potential for more films. Leaving the xenomorph-hybrid Ripley clone alive on Earth (Paris, France to be exact) with her new pirate comrades. There had been versions of the script that included xenomorphs being set loose on Earth, which Weaver was very much against. Here's a little quote from Signourney about making a fifth movie.

"We were thinking about doing this fifth one, and I didn't really want to go ahead and do it on Earth," Weaver revealed. "So we kind of left the sentence unfinished. There's something slightly unfinished to me about it. I wasn't too keen to come to Earth. I always feel that science fiction, when it comes to Earth, it's a little [Weaver mimics yawning]. I wanted to go back to the original planet that the space jockey brought the eggs from and go back into the alien world rather than have the alien arrive in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower."

Joss Whedon admittedly started work on writing the next film, it's unknown how much of his work was going to be used in fifth installment. At one point Ridley Scott and James Cameron were willing to partner for Alien 5, Weaver agreed to return as well. Cameron would write-produce (I assume with some help from Whedon?) the film with Ridley set to direct. The studio decided on making Alien Vs Predator instead, and James Cameron walked away completely disgusted by the move. The idea was to have Ripley seek-out the origin planet of the xenomorphs and destroy them completely. You can understand how that idea of the xenomorph planet, may have influenced the concepts for Pandora.

This led to Fox developing the two-part prequel Alien: Origins, which would explore the origins of space jockey alien and where the xenomorphs came from. This was later turned into what we now know as Prometheus, and Fox was able to wrangle Ridley Scott back into the director's chair. I know a lot of people where expecting the first film to answer all their questions, but it was always envisioned as two-parter. Prometheus 2 (Paradise) will likely hold the answers most were assuming would be revealed in the first film.

The ball is in the court of 20th Century Fox, who is seemingly putting all their effort into their X-Men and Avatar franchises. Here is hoping they do the right thing and get this project moving again, as Prometheus has become it's own animal and only slightly connected to the Alien franchise. Fans have been waiting since 1997 for this to happen, let's not let that opportunity just disappear.

SOURCE: LATIMES

WONDER WOMAN Movie Coming After JUSTICE LEAGUE In July 2017?


NikkiFinke claims to have obtained a list of future DC films and their order of release. They include Shazam and Sandman movies coming out before the release of Justice League. Along with Wonder Woman, Man of Steel 2 and Flash/Green Lantern team-up films post-League. It's interesting that WB is going to attempt to bring back Green Lantern (new actor), but even more interesting the Flash will be involved.

May 2016 – Batman v Superman
July 2016 – Shazam
Xmas 2016 – Sandman
May 2017 – Justice League
July 2017 – Wonder Woman
Xmas 2017 – Flash and Green Lantern team-up (no Ryan Reynolds)
May 2018 – Man Of Steel 2



We know a little bit more concerning the Wonder Woman movie, than a majority of these other projects listed. Scripts from Joss Whedon, and more recently Michael Goldenberg are in the hands of the studio. It's unknown if they plan on using existing material from the two screenwriters or start fresh with a new script.

Gal Gadot is already in the title role and will be first seen as Diana Prince in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It's expected Gal will take an even larger role in Justice League. Developing the character over two films then giving her a solo-outing after the release of Justice League, could give the film a massive boost in awareness internationally. It's hard to say if Wonder Woman will end-up gaining as much box office success as her male counterparts, but she has the greatest chance at.

A director hasn't been named, but it's very possible that Zack Snyder could be called-in to direct Wonder Woman as well, after he completes shooting Justice League. Finishing them back-to-back wouldn't be hard to imagine as Gal Gadot will be taking-on that duty. We've been hearing a lot about about Snyder filming both BVS and Justice League. Having him also direct Wonder Woman wouldn't be much of a stretch. Considering there has been a bit of a comparison to the David Yates era of The Harry Potter franchise.

My biggest issue is that there has been a calling for a female director to handle the production. Mainly, we've been backing television director Michelle MacLaren (Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones) to take the gig. She's perfect for the subject matter and has the experience to make a excellent feature.

SOURCE: NIKKIFINKE

Tao Okamoto Playing Lex Luthor's Bodyguard Mercy Graves In BATMAN V SUPERMAN?


While were starting to piece-together who is playing-who in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. New information has surfaced via ComicBook, which states that Japanese actress Tao Okamoto (The Wolverine) could be playing an assistant to Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). The character they name is Mercy Graves, better known as Lex's driver and personal bodyguard.

A solid female character and one that should give even Batman a bit of a challenge. I'm curious if Mercy is taking the place of Joker's Neo-Nazi gal-pal Bruno. Considering this is a PG-13 film and I assume a semi-topless white-supremacist villain, might be too much even for Snyder. Plus, Mark Millar and Jeff Wadlow already ripped-off the character's look with Mother Russia in Kick-Ass 2. This could be the first step in the direction of Lex Luthor taking the place of Joker in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, which is said to be influencing the film.

SOURCE: COMICBOOK

Jason Momoa Confirmed For AQUAMAN In BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE


BadassDigest was first to mention the rumor and HitFix brought it back to life. Variety is confirming it and it's official that we'll be seeing Jason Momoa (Conan, Game of Thrones) as Aquaman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Momoa had been spending a lot of time distracting fans, by putting down the character and teasing other DC roles (like Lobo). It's assumed the character will have a larger role to play in Justice League and could lead to a solo outing.

 It's an interesting casting choice and one that will likely payoff in the end. Considering the character is one of the biggest jokes of the Justice League. Turning the punchline hero into a complete badass, is one way to get DC fans pumped for their future lineup of movies. Momoa is best known for hulking fantasy characters such as Conan and Game of Thrones' Khal Drogo.


SOURCE: VARIETY 

Director Peyton Reed Confirmed For ANT-MAN With Adam McKay Touching-Up Script



After Edgar Wright's departure from Marvel's Ant-Man, there was a lot of "what-now" and speculation. Even more so, a wave of directing candidates and denials. Until, Yes Man's Peyton Reed became the front-runner via TheWrap. There is more developing concerning that news.



Marvel has confirmed Peyton as the new director and also announces that Adam McKay (Step Brothers, Anchorman, The Other Guys, Talladega Nights) will complete the rewrites to Wright-Cornish's script. Production is expected to begin soon with it's release date set for July 17th, 2015. We finally have our first synopis of the film as well, which pairs Pym and Lang together.

Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world. 


I'm still convinced that with Reed's addition to the project, my hope of Zooey Deschanel playing Janet (The Wasp) is a very strong possibility. The pair have worked together on Yes Man and The New Girl. It doesn't hurt that she's previously worked with Paul Rudd. We haven't seen a complete casting announcement from Marvel concerning cast members besides Rudd and Douglas, so it's unknown if the studio has signed-off on Edgar's choices. Evangeline Lily has been named as having leading female role, but is said to be playing the daughter of Hank Pym (Douglas). I'm unsure if Marvel is about to make Janet the daughter of Hank, it's possible that Lily is playing another character.




SOURCE: MARVEL 

David Oyelowo Is Likely Joining The Cast Of STAR WARS: EPISODE VII



For months now British actor David Oyelowo (The Last King of Scotland, Rise of The Planet of The Apes, Jack Reacher, Red Tails, Spooks) has been linked for meetings and a role in Star Wars: Episode VII. Rumors are circling that he's indeed taken a part in the seventh installment of the franchise. It doesn't hurt he has a connection to George Lucas, via starring in his passion-project Red Tails.

LatinoReview seems to be the more respected and known of the sites reporting on this news. The lesser known sites are stating he could be playing a CGI character, but that is being disputed by LR. They also add that Adam Driver and Lupita Nyong'o are playing villainous "mercenaries", not Jedi Hunters which is another disputed claim.

David has been a standout lately and we've already included him in our wish-list for Marvel's casting of Black Panther. He was also in the mix for a major role in Jurassic World. The rising star should win-out a breakout role with this project and even more international awareness than from previous movies. It had been rumored Oyelowo's role could be Lando's son, but this was never confirmed. Here's hoping his Star Wars commitments allow him to take on projects that place him as the leading hero in the future.


SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

Gemma Arterton Reunites With Idris Elba For ONE SQUARE MILE



TheDailyMail is reporting that British actress Gemma Arterton (Alice Creed) is joining Idris Elba in the English film One Square Mile. The film is said to have action, romance and include London's west-side gangsters, not unlike Guy Ritchie's RockNRolla, which the pair had roles in previously. A film which also focused on the seedy-side of London.


SOURCE: DAILYMAIL

June 6, 2014

Marvel Wants Benedict Cumberbatch And Tom Hardy For DOCTOR STRANGE


It was recently confirmed that Scott Derrickson (Sinister) would be directing Doctor Strange for Marvel. While the casting was currently a bit of mystery on it's own. The likes of Johnny Depp, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jon Hamm, and Jared Leto were rumored to be in the mix or at least considered. New names are being added that group, and one being a major fan favorite.

According to Deadline, Marvel has others also in mind for the casting of Doctor Strange. They report that Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Hobbit, Star Trek Into Darkness, War Horse, ) and Tom Hardy (Inception, Dark Knight Rises, Bronson) could take roles in the film, and are on a studio casting wish-list. It's unknown if both are wanted for the same role, or are being paired together for the feature. Ben and Tom have a bit of a history together, working in television and even on film projects like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Benedict Cumberbatch has been a fan favorite for the role of Stephen Strange for years now, and there was even rumors he had previously met with Marvel about a role. While he's on a "list" nothing is too solid, but it does sound like he turned down a Star Wars role for something bigger.

Unlike Cumberbatch, Hardy has a lot more on his plate. He's already signed-up for the lead in Dough Liman's Splinter Cell movie and could have another franchise on his hands with Mad Max: Fury Road coming out next summer. I think it's less likely we'll see Hardy chosen, but the actor is a workaholic and loves taking-on genre work.

I also wouldn't be shocked if Marvel is looking to pair the two together in the film, casting one as the villain and the other Stephen Strange. It's hard to say which one could be the hero/villain, as they have plenty experience playing both kinds of characters.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Peyton Reed Is The Frontrunner To Replace Edgar Wright On ANT-MAN


I've been a bit hesitant to post anything on the crazy amount of contenders linked for replacing Edgar Wright as the director of Marvel's Ant-Man. It all started with Wright exiting over massive rewrites to his script (alleged to be spearheaded by Disney's Alan Horn), that he and Joe Cornish had been developing together for almost decade. Fair enough, and good on Edgar to sticking to his vision.

Well that started a good ol' rumor shit-storm and it came blowing in hard. We got a bunch of names linked for job, which included Rawson Marshall Thurber, Ruben Fleisher, Adam McKay, Nicholas Stoller and Michael Dowse. A few of the directors went out of their way to remove themselves from the running, by either revealing to trades other projects. And, in other cases flat out denials via Twitter or blogs. Ouch, it's a tough situation for Marvel and the cast of Ant-Man, even worse for Wright's replacement.

TheWrap seemingly has more concrete news and states that Peyton Reed (Yes Man, The Break-Up, Down With Love) is now the frontrunner for the director's chair. Which is a solid choice, as Reed is the type of hired-gun Marvel needs at this point. He's also got a quirky side to his directing, which I assume will work well for the project. I really do hope this is the last name, and Marvel confirms the news soon. Production is expected to begin sometime this summer, we should get confirmation in the coming days.


Plus, if there's even a hint to getting Zooey Deschanel involved with the MCU by hiring Peyton, I'm 100% on board for it. I'm fine if Evangeline Lily takes the Janet/Wasp role, but Zooey playing Janet opposite Paul Rudd would be magical. I just picture Janet having that quick-wit and sassiness that Zooey is known for. It also doesn't hurt the pair worked together on Our Idiot Brother and The New Girl.

SOURCE: THEWRAP

Will The GAMBIT Movie Be The First Time Channing Tatum Plays The Ragin' Cajun?


Although we've heard Bryan Singer admitting his desire to include Gambit in X-Men Days of Future Past and the in-development X-Men Apocalypse, recent quotes from Channing Tatum could mean Singer won't get his wish. While speaking with MTV, Tatum gives the impressive he's looking to play Remy in the standalone Gambit film before any X-Men installments. A great way to bolster his commitment to the character, pushing for the solo feature first.

“We’ve talked about it being a standalone, first, and actually trying to change the ‘hero, superhero movie.’ Because Gambit is not your typical hero. He’s a thief. He walks on the gray. I’m hoping we can change it a little bit, and then ultimately feather into the other ones.”

The events of Days of Future Past has made the future of the present day X-Men unknown, along characters stuck in a timeline gray-area such as Gambit. Singer, Kinberg and Shuler Donner could really go any route they want with the character. However, if they are going to consider Origins a bit of a blueprint, we'll see Remy living a pre-X-Men life in the 1980's. That decade is currently the setting for X-Men Apocalypse and would be a good way to introduce his character. It's sort of a shame that fans might never see Gambit and Rogue play-out their romantic storyline in the films, but you never know with altered timelines and access to time-travel powers/time machines.

It's a given that X-Men producer and writer Simon Kinberg will likely get involved if/when the studio pursues the Gambit film. At the moment a script isn't in place and it's without a director, Tatum hasn't been officially announced by the studio either. Longtime producer Lauren Shuler Donner has been a bit more positive and told press Tatum was indeed playing Gambit. Even hinting the project could work with a lower budget than recent X-Men films. The only question is, will Fox be willing to fit the bill and greenlight it?

This isn't the first X-Men spin-off mentioned and even pitched to Fox, in the last couple of years. Spin-offs like Deadpool and X-Force have existing scripts, but haven't been given the go-ahead. We've seen Fantastic Four 2 and The Wolverine 2/Wolverine 3 get official release dates, without even completed outlines. This must be extremely frustrating to people like Tim Miller and Jeff Wadlow who have been patiently developing their projects for the studio.


SOURCE: MTV

TERMINATOR: GENESIS Set Images With Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney And Jason Clarke


Production has been underway for a few weeks on Alan Taylor's Terminator: Genesis. A few set photos have been making their way online thanks to outlets like JustJared and DailyMail. We get our first glimpses of Arnold Schwarzenegger as an aged T-800 model terminator. Along with Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney and Jason Clarke. There is also a photo from a shootout scene with Emilia and Jai's stunt-doubles.






STARDUST And BOARDWALK EMPIRE Actor Charlie Cox Is Officially Our New DAREDEVIL


Marvel has announced that British actor Charlie Cox (Boardwalk Empire, Stardust) has landed the role of Matt Murdock in their Daredevil series on Netflix. The 13-episode run is set to shoot this summer in New York City, with Steven DeKnight (Spartacus) showrunning the series. Drew Goddard was poised for the job originally, but had to exit to focus on Sony's Sinister Six. It's possible we could also see a new Elektra added to the cast as well, along with cameos from the other Defenders.

There's no word on villains, but it was revealed that Marvel has access to Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin. A rather formidable gangster that controls a majority of the crime in Hell's Kitchen. Other iconic villains include Bullseye, The Owl, The Hand, Typhoid Mary and Elektra. The latter two have played both love-interest and foe.



SOURCE: MARVEL

Lupita Nyong'o And Gwendoline Christine Join STAR WARS EPISODE VII


We officially have more ladies joining the cast of J.J. Abrams' Star Wars Episode VII. There had been a bit of controversy, when Daisy Ridley was the only new female addition to the cast, among six new male cast members. A total of two actresses with eleven actors, was a bit embarrassing and earned a bit of backlash during the original casting announcement.

The pair of ladies couldn't be better and will be exciting additions to the franchise. First, we have Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong'o (Non-Stop, 12 Years A Slave), who had been rumored for meetings since the winter. The second is rising Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christine, who also recently filmed a role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the Saga Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film. Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

SOURCE: LUCASFILM

June 5, 2014

ZOMBIELAND Director Ruben Fleisher In The Mix For GHOSTBUSTERS 3?


During the recent Ant-Man madness concerning who will replace Edgar Wright, a tidbit was dropped about Ghosbusters 3. TheWrap reveals that Sony is considering Zombieland's Ruben Fleisher (Gangster Squad, 30 Minutes or Less) to the direct the film, after Ivan Reitman exited. The studio seems hellbent on getting this movie made.

We know that Bill Murray wants nothing to do with the film, but did work with Ruben on Zombieland. Which did homage Murray's iconic role in Ghosbusters. Emma Stone and Jonah Hill were pursued for the two new leads, the former was also in Zombieland. I'm not entirely sure if we'll end up getting our Peter Venkman ghost cameo, but at least we know Fleisher respects the original material.



SOURCE: THEWRAP

Lucasfilm Announces FANTASTIC FOUR's Josh Trank Will Direct A Standalone STAR WARS Movie


Lucasfilm is going full-force with their future Star Wars plans. Episode VII is currently filming and it was revealed Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters) would be directing an unnamed spin-off (likely Boba Fett) for a Decemeber, 2016 release. They have named another director for second unnamed standalone film. Chronicle and Fantastic Four director Josh Trank has been hired for the nameless Star Wars project. I'm assuming it will have a December release date in 2018.

The studio fails to name the project or even give any details, but it's rumored it could be their Han Solo movie. It's said to focus on the early smuggling days of Solo, a prequel of sorts. Another possibly is a Red Five movie, which could focus on the group of legendary X-Wing pilots (including Luke Skywalker) who took-on the Empire. We also heard about the studio considering a Yoda movie, the least interesting of the bunch (unless it's combined with Zack Snyder's Seven Samurai pitch).

SOURCE: LUCASFILM