September 29, 2014

Matt Bomer And Margaret Qualley Join Shane Black's THE NICE GUYS


Deadline reports that Matt Bomer (White Collar, Magic Mike) is on board Shane Black's Nice Guys. The 70's era thriller features Ryan Gosling as a private detective hired by a gangster played Russell Crowe to find a missing girl. Bomer is said to be possibly playing the villain of the film, while newcomer Margaret Qualley (Leftovers) will play the female lead. Black's wheelhouse has been noir-like subject matter, getting his start creating the Lethal Weapon franchise. I just want this film to exclude Black's usual Christmas setting for once.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

September 27, 2014

Dwayne Johnson Confirms Lead Role In THE JANSON DIRECTIVE


It looks like Universal Pictures will have a third Bourne franchise. Actor Dwayne Johnson has confirmed via Twitter, a lead role in the studio's The Janson Directive. The film is based on Robert Ludlum's (the Bourne series) final novel, and will be scripted by Akiva Goldsman. Jason Bourne won't feature in the film, as the main character is an ex-Navy Seal named Paul Janson. However, it's hard to imagine that Universal won't try to crossover Janson with Bourne (Matt Damon) and Cross (Jeremy Renner) in the future.




SOURCE: DWAYNE JOHNSON

September 23, 2014

If Offered, Idris Elba Would "Absolutely" Take The BOND Role!


Looks like British actor Idris Elba is confirming his desire to pick-up where Daniel Craig leaves-off, when Craig exits the Bond franchise after Bond 25. During his Reddit interview he answered a couple of questions, and the the subject of James Bond came-up. He mentions that he would "absolutely" take the role if offered. We've been hearing for ages that Elba is a fan favorite for the role, along with Michael Fassbender and others.

I'm sure producers are already considering what to do with Bond 26. As months (maybe even years) of planning would be needed to make sure it's a strong first entry into a new era. Bond 26 is years away from now, but with Elba being this vocal and his latest starring vehicle debuting #1 in North America, he seems like a strong contender for the role. We've come to expect the producers of the franchise to be progressive and think outside the box. Elba has all the charm needed for the role, not to mention lengthly action career filled with awards worthy performances along the way as well.

We know that Elba is desperately looking for the right franchise. Marvel met with him about Blade, Luke Cage and Black Panther. Elba confirmed in the Reddit posts, that Marvel has hired someone else for the Cage role. It's also unlikely with him possible return for Thor 3, that Marvel Studios would cast him other roles. There's still a bit of hope that Idris could land a role with the DCU, the roles are quickly getting gobbled-up by other actors.

SOURCE: REDDIT

RUMOR: Quentin Tarantino Wants Viggo Mortensen For A Role In THE HATEFUL EIGHT


Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight won't be shooting until this winter, but the casting rumors are already flying around. NewYorkDailyNews (via ThePlaylist) is reporting on pretty damn cool rumor, that Quentin Tarantino has met with actor Viggo Mortensen about playing a "ruthless gang leader". However, their source is a hotel guest and doesn't seem like the most reliable intel. That said, Viggo working with Tarantino doesn't seem that out of place. Mortensen gravitates towards more passionate filmmakers, and Quentin has a lot of that.


Previously over the summer, Jennifer Lawrence was being courted for a leading role. It seems like Tarantino's script rewrites have expanded the original roles. Possibly allowing for some serious stunt-casting, which could help draw-in audiences. The way having Leonardo DiCaprio playing the main villain in Django Unchained, helped make that film becoming Tarantino's biggest earners to date.

Having both Jennifer and Viggo on board, could get the attention of a audience members. I'm not entirely sure the massive Hunger Games following are massive fans of Tarantino's work. It could be a  great way to tap-into a huge group of female viewers, who usually don't pay to see his films. The film shoots this winter, and will be released sometime in December, 2015.

SOURCE: NYDAILYNEWS

September 22, 2014

Marvel Confirms Shea Whigham For Lead Role In AGENT CARTER


Marvel has confirmed that character actor Shea Whigham has joined the cast of Marvel's Agent Carter on ABC. The role is that of SSR Chief Roger Dooley, a major part for the actor and the show. His time with Boardwalk Empire is over, as the series is wrapping-up with the final season currently airing. Other impressive credits include True Detective, Silver Linings Playbook, Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle and Knight of Cups. Shea doesn't shy away from genre roles either being apart of Machete, Fast And Furious, Non-Stop and Savages.

This addition certainly overshadows what ever is going on with Agents of SHIELD, and will likely become a series with some very high expectations.


SOURCE: MARVEL

Michael K. Williams Campaigning To Play Marvel's BLACK PANTHER



We know that for years now Marvel Studios has been trying to get a Black Panther movie into theatres. It was the runner-up to land this August's release date, but lost to James Gunn's Guardians of The Galaxy. The current status of the project hasn't been made known to the public. However, Kevin Feige made it clear this summer at Comic-Con, that both Black Panther and Captain Marvel movies are in active development. Stating the strong fan demand for the films hasn't gone unnoticed.

There had been talk that Chadwick Boseman was the front-runner for the role of T'Challa. Nothing has been made official, and we would normally get a press release if a deal was done. Another actor has placed his name into the race, and that would be Michael K. Williams. Best known for his iconic role as Omar from HBO's The Wire, and his prohibition gangster Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire. Not to mention a huge list of supporting roles in films like Gone Baby Gone, The Road, Brooklyn's Finest, and . He was doing an interview with CinemaBlend about his upcoming release Kill The Messenger (co-starring with Jeremy Renner), which led to talk about Black Panther. Here is what Michael said to the site.

"No not yet. And I'm saying 'yet' with a lot of emphasis. But hopefully I'm looking forward to being apart of the franchise"

"Black Panther. Yeah, definitely.

"It would depend on the script. I would definitely bring that quintessential New York City edge. You know, just a little bit of that grit."

The only problem if any, would be that Williams has already appeared in a Marvel film. He had a short cameo in The Incredible Hulk, during the NYC fight scenes (I believe in Harlem). There was speculation at the time that Michael was playing Luke Cage in the scene, it was never really confirmed. Seeing how he's talking about another Marvel character and the Netflix series is on it's way, it's unlikely he was playing anyone but a bystander.

SOURCE: CINEMABLEND

Bryan Cranston Being Eyed For Role In Legendary's China-Set Epic GREAT WALL


Legendary's Great Wall is attracting some interesting talent. We last heard from Deadline that Matt Damon was trying to figure out his busy work load, to fit the project as he's keen to work with director Zhang Yimou. The pair almost teamed-up for the WWII drama The Flowers of War. A new development has risen as the site now reports Bryan Cranston is wanted for a leading role as well. Cranston previously worked on Legendary's Godzilla, and helped gain a lot of attention for it. Let's just hope this role allows Bryan to be feature in more than just the first act.


Another interesting bit of news concerning the project, is that the most recent draft of the script has been penned by Bourne franchise screenwriter Tony Gilroy. He also recently directed Jeremy Renner in the Bourne spin-off The Bourne Legacy. I assume this means we'll be getting some really exciting action sequences.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Bryan Singer Confirmed To Direct Fox's X-MEN: APOCALYPSE


Even after all the sex scandals Bryan Singer Fox has decided that he'll direct the next X-Men film titled X-Men: Apocalypse, according to Deadline. The director has just reached a deal to helm the next installment, which is expected to begin shooting early next year in Montreal. This isn't much of a surprise, as Singer worked closely with producer Simon Kinberg along with screenwriters Michael Doughtery and Dan Harris to flush-out a story for Apocalypse. The two writers also wrote X2, so at least where the script is concerned it's in good hands. It's release date is set for May 27th, 2016.


We'll be seeing young versions of Jean Grey, Cyclops and Storm. These were assumed at the time of the film's announcement. It's nice to see that Mystique won't be the only lady this time around in that timeline. The most interesting addition here is actually Storm, since this will be set in the 1980s. It gives a perfect reason for Singer to use her mohawk character design. Which in my opinion is her coolest look, and is also her current look in the comics as well.

Channing Tatum's Gambit might make his debut, as pointed out by Deadline. Months back Bryan Singer didn't sound as confident about using Gambit, but had originally wanted to use him during the first two X-Men films. I'm sure producers are begging him to find space for Gambit, as they are developing a spin-off for the future. Singer listed Remy by name in a small scene in the second film, so there is obviously a desire to use him. Bryan has also mentioned wanting to include a younger Nightcrawler in the film.

The only things we know about the film, is that Apocalypse will be our main villain. It's setting will be exactly a decade after the events of Days of Future Past, placing it in the 1980s. Having the setting in one single time period, rather than jumping between past and future teams (however, that could change). McAvoy is said to be playing Professor X bald this time, which should make hardcore fans happy.


It's extremely possible would could see the return of time-travelling mutants, but in this case they'll be there to kill/save the life of Charles Xavier. Bishop, who was last seen in Days of Future Past in the comics is sent back in time (with the aid of a time machine built by tech-genius Forge) to stop events from getting worse in the future (Age of Apocalypse?). This leads him to attempt to assassinate Xavier in the past, luckily for the professor another traveler is set-out to save him. That could very well be our introduction to Nathan Summers better known as Cable. Lauren Shuler Donner and others have expressed their interest in bringing that character into the franchise. There were even hints to Cable getting his own film. Apocalypse just might be the film to explain his origin, and be our window into a even worse fate for the world.

James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender and Nicholas Hoult as expected to return. It's crazy to think we'll see two X-Men films released in 2016, with Deadpool in February and Apocalypse in May. We still have James Mangold chipping away at The Wolverine 2 story/script (has a date set for 2017), and we're still waiting to get an update about the fate of Jeff Wadlow's X-Force. There has also been chatter of a Gambit spin-off with Channing Tatum expected to that role. That one project doesn't have any creatives working on currently, so it's the biggest long shot at the moment.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

September 21, 2014

Roberto Orci Exits POWER RANGERS And How Lionsgate Can Make This Reboot Badass


I think everyone was a bit shocked when Lionsgate announced they were resurrecting the Power Rangers movie franchise. Even more so, when Roberto Orci got involved as the project's godfather. Orci has been long since hated and championed for his contributions to the world of cinema. He's partly responsible for The Transformers franchise existing, and boils the blood of beloved film blogger Devin of BadAssDigest. Roberto co-wrote Amazing Spider-Man 2, and his promotion to director on Star Trek 3 has driven fans to panic about the direction the franchise is going. That said, Orci's priority with Trek leaves the creative vision open for Power Rangers according to.

A script is in the works from screenwriting duo Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz, best known for helping to pen X-Men Fist Class and Marvel's Thor. It also has a release date set for July 22nd, 2016. At this point the project is without a creative team, a director and actors to make-up the cast. I have some suggestions on how to make this reboot worth making, and how to ensure it's a badass one.

I have my oown theories on how to move forward without Orci, and steps Lionsgate can do to ensure this franchise is worth rebooting.



DIRECTOR



I went to Twitter and suggested a director for Power Rangers, who could actually become the next James Gunn. He's got a super stylized vision, like Gunn and similar dark humor. That would be Nova Scotia's Jason Eisener best known for his Canadian grindhouse homage Hobo With A Shotgun. Originally, he won a contest to have his original fake trailer for Hobo to play in front of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse (Planet Terror and Death Proof) in certain markets. There was so much interest in the project afterwards, it actually got made.

He's also been apart of the V/H/S horror franchise and directed a couple music videos. Jason for a time was lobbying to direct a reboot of the kids monster movie The Monster Squad (original had a script written Shane Black), but that doesn't to be happening anytime soon.

Jason doesn't scream PG-13 action franchise, but I think that's kind of the point. We're seeing a very interesting trend lately with James Gunn directing a Marvel movie, and digital effects director Tim Miller (mostly known for making game cinematics/trailers) helming Fox's Deadpool. Odd choices for directors that could really pay-off in the end. The coolest part is that Jason agreed with my original suggestion, and tweeted back "sign me up!".





TONE AND ART DEPARTMENT



The original series is actually an American version of Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger, the 16th installment of the Super Sentai Series (started back in 1975) from Japan. The studio ended-up splicing-in existing footage from the original series, then reshot the rest with Western actors. I'm actually curious if they'll be bringing back villains and characters from the American series or coming-up with all new stuff. I'd love to see those Japanese root explored a bit further, and maybe even it becomes a location in the film.

I grew-up on the show and I felt the look was cheesy and dated, but still the action and design was impressive for what it was. What I'd like to see is a complete overhaul of it's look and tone. Yes, it's for kids but the series originally got into trouble for targeting a younger audience, even though violence is a staple of the show. Maybe, the new film should be pushing the limits of a PG-13 rating. Similar to what Lionsgate has done with their hugely popular Hunger Games franchise.

When it comes to it's look I'd love the world to be a mix of Pacific Rim and Dredd. It seems like the setting of this Power Rangers world would be futuristic. Playing-up on the science-fiction aspect, since they are fighting aliens with karate, laser guns, tech-weapons and giant robots. I think artist Dave Rapoza (his artwork is used at the top) could really help give the franchise a hardened look, similar to what Marvel Studios has been doing with their in-house artists like Andy Park, Ryan Meinerding and Charlie Wen. Rapoza is best known for recreating characters from the 80s and 90s, and shockingly hasn't been snapped-up by Hollywood. Below are some of his redesigns for the Red and Pink rangers. I think if put into this art into a final piece, these could be killer on screen. It should be also noted that Dave's creature design work is fantastic as well, and could make the villains/aliens look a bit more real-world than recent alien designs we've been seeing in movies.




MUSIC

Moving past our visionary, I think we can all agree that music tends to be an important part of a film. Even though Tron Legacy was a hugely visual film (nothing much else was there), the only thing people actually remember and talk about is it's amazing score by Daft Punk. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' work with David Fincher on The Social Network, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl have made those films even more atmospheric. I'm hoping that we see a similar move when it comes to putting together the music of Power Rangers.



Jason previously worked with Australian electro-thrash duo Power Glove on Hobo, and have come into their own scoring the wildly popular Far Cry 3Blood Dragon. Playing-up the connection to the 8-bit culture would be nice a way to call-back to the video games the show spawned. I really dug the Dredd soundtrack for this reason, it was hard pumping but recalled the electronic/synth beats that would most likely populate a futuristic landscape.

CASTING



In no particular order I'd love to see these actors considered for the main lineup, who actually have a bit of an action background. They include, Anton Yelchin (Like Crazy, Terminator Salvation, Fright Night, Star Trek 1-3), Michael Angarano (Forbidden Kingdom, Knick, Haywire, Red State, English Teacher) , Justin Chon (Revenge of The Green Dragons, 21 And Over, Twilight), Haliee Steinfeld (True Grit, Ender's Game, Barely Lethal, Pitch Perfect 2), Dayo Okeniyi (Hunger Games, Terminator: Gensys, Runner Runner, Spectacular Now) and Rila Fukushima (Arrow, The Wolverine, Long Goodbye).

So, Lionsgate the ball is in your court and we hope you make the right choices here. They could just slap together a rushed project, or actually spend the effort creatively to give audiences a visually stunning and fun experience.

Matt Damon Might Lead Legendary's China-Set THE GREAT WALL


We recently heard that Universal was finally putting together deals that would see Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass make another Bourne film. Another bit of possible news coming Deadline, is that Damon is being eyed for the lead in Legendary Pictures (now with Universal) supernatural China-set The Great Wall. The film has legendary (fitting I know) Chinese director Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Curse of The Golden Flowers, Flowers of War) and has been looking for a lead for some time now.

They also mention that Damon is very interested in working with Yimou, since he was in talks to take the lead in Flowers of War. That role would go to Christian Bale instead. The only problem is that shooting Ridley Scott's The Martian, and this upcoming Bourne installment, could conflict with Great Wall's production.

Before Zhang signed-on, actors such as Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, The Man From UNCLE, Batman v Superman) and Benjamin Walker (Vampire Hunter) were attached for it. Ed Zwick (Last Samurai, Defiance, Blood Diamond, The Siege) was previously set as it's director, but will instead take a producer's credit.

The plot has been sort of kept a secret, but it would reveal the "true" reasons behind the wall's construction. I assume it could be monsters or demons, since China has a rich history of folklore. Let's just hope this turns out a bit better than Universal's disastrous re-imagining of The 47 Ronin. We know that the market in China for films is going to dwarf North America, so studios having their blockbusters set there is just smart. Chinese films have come along way in the last two decades, and usually are superior to what Hollywood has been grinding-out. I'm excited to see what a visionary like Yimou can do with Legendary handling it's production.



SOURCE: DEADLINE

September 19, 2014

Director David Ayer Might Tackle SUICIDE SQUAD For Warner Bros



Variety reports that Warner Bros. might be pulling-out an old DC project out of development limbo. They say that the studio is in early talks with writer-director David Ayer to helm Suicide Squad. A group of DC villains who are thrown into a government program, that places them in suicide missions. In return, the villains will be redeemed and their prison sentences reduced. The project has been kicking around for ages, and it's about time Warner Bros. put it into production.

Ayer is best known for scripting Training Day along with The Fast And The Furious and S.W.A.T., Since then, he's made a name for himself as an action director. Making cop thrillers such as End of Watch, Sabotage and Street Kings. His most recent film is the WWII-tank action flick Fury starring Brad Pitt. We really have no idea where the film is development-wise, but there was a script penned by Justin Marks. Considering Ayer's reputable screenwriting abilities, I'm sure he would be asked to handle rewrites as well. David would bring the gritty edge needed for this type of budding action franchise, and could actually give fans on hell of a DC movie. Let's just hope these talks go well.

The lineup of the Suicide Squad (headed-up by Amanda Weller) changed a lot over the years so it would be hard to pin-point which villains will be the focus. Some of the members include prime candidate Deadshot (rumored for solo film as well), Captain Boomerang, Bronze Tiger, Nightshade and more recently Harely Quinn joined the ranks. Quinn is an interesting character as her origins stem from the Batman animated series and not the comics. Warner Bros. put out a recent animated film titled Batman: Assault On Arkham, which featured the team. A majority of the group already exists on the CW series Arrow.

I'm actually in-love with the property and believe this movie is such a better venture than Shazam!, or a couple other DC films in the works.






SOURCE: VARIETY

September 18, 2014

Toby Kebbell In Talks For BEN-HUR Villain Messala


Variety reports that Toby Kebbell is in talks to play villain Messala in Timur Bekmambetov's remake of Ben-Hur. Jack Huston is in the title role with Morgan Freeman in a supporting role as well. Production is about to begin in Europe next year. And it's casting at the moment is beyond impressive. Interesting enough the script was penned by Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years A Slave, Three Kings, Red Tails) and Keith Clarke (The Way Back).  The epic's release date is set for February 26th, 2016.

Toby played ape villain Koba played in the massive summer hit Dawn of The Planet of The Apes. Koba was actually one of my favorite blockbuster villains of the year, and it's mainly due to his motion capture performance. Director Matt Reeves has actually teased his return in the third film, which could mean Kebbell might be apart of that franchise for a while. This must have led to his casting as Dr. Doom in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot, and we're highly anticipating seeing some footage of Toby as the iconic Marvel baddie. He also recently wrapped production on Duncan Jones's Warcraft for Legendary.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Astrid Berges-Frisbey Will Play Guinevere In Guy Ritchie's KNIGHTS OF THE ROUNDTABLE: KING ARTHUR


Deadline reports that French-Spanish actress Astrid Berges-Frisbey (Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) has been tapped for the female lead in Guy Ritchie's Knights of The Roundtable: King Arthur. Astrid will play the key role of Guinevere, and will likely be expected to be apart of the purposed six-part fantasy epic. The film already has Charlie Hunnam possibly playing Arthur, with Idris Elba circling a mentor role similar to Merlin.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Max Borenstein Returns To Write GODZILLA Sequel For Legendary Pictures



Deadline reports that Legendary Pictures has made a deal for screenwriter Max Borenstein (Seventh Son) to pen the Godzilla sequel. Borenstein was one of many writers on the original film, and recently wrote the studio's King Kong origin film Skull Island. Max will have plenty of time to put the script together, since director Gareth Edwards will go-off to make an untitled Star Wars film first. The release date for the sequel will be June 8th, 2018.


We've heard teases that better known kaiju could be showing-up in the next film. This was confirmed at Comic-Con, where Legendary Pictures showed concept footage that teased Rodan, Mothra and Ghidorah.


A set of female twins were teased in film and in promo footage/trailer. Monarch's name might have direct connections to him as well.  Perhaps, the fellow good-guy kaiju might have inspired the organization. Wouldn't hurt to see Godzilla team-up for some good 'old city rumbles.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Fans Rejoice, Fox's X-MEN Spin-Off DEADPOOL Officially Coming February 2016!


THR has news that 20th Century Fox has finally greenlit the long in-development Deadpool spin-off. The film set in the X-Men universe has been trying to get pushed into production for years. Problems stemmed from it's R-rating, and a completed script leaked online a while back. The character doesn't really lend itself to a PG-13 rating, as his signature is hyper-violent and filthy mouth. Since then, screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Zombieland, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) did a bunch of rewrites to the existing script. Fox has officially given the spin-off a release date of February 12th, 2016.

Director Tim Miller's test footage featuring Ryan Reynolds leaked online not too long ago. It's sort of fun, but also a bit average. Perhaps, being all digital might be the main problem people like myself have with it. Ryan played the mercenary's alter-ego Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and has been loosely attached throughout the entire development. It looks like Ryan is set in the role, and it's ready to go.

Lauren Shuler Donner is set as producer, as she heads-up all the films in the X-Men franchise. The producer has been vocal about trying to make the film with a smaller budget, to keep it's R-rating intact. It's February release could mean that Fox has agreed to this, as the winter months have been known as the dropping season for smaller studio R-rated genre flicks. X-Men: Apocalypse is said to begin shooting this April in Montreal, with a release date only months after Deadpool in May. The impression this gives me is that Deadpool is ready to go into production soon, or it will have less post-production and will be a smaller film.

I'm not sure how much of connection this film will have with the rest of the X-Men universe, considering Deadpool understands he's in a comic book and breaks the fourth-wall all the time. He'll likely end-up directly talking to the audience and making high-volume pop culture references. Two things we really haven't seen in other X-Men films. One of the weirder comic book characters in Marvel's lineup, it'll make for an unique movie.

At a point it was unknown if Fox would actually pursue the film. As five other Marvel projects have come into light since X-Men: Days of Future Past was announced. Another main X-Men film with Apocalypse, sequels to James Mangold's successful The Wolverine and Josh Trank's unreleased Fantastic Four. Other projects without release dates but are in development include Jeff Wadlow's X-Force and another spin-off focusing on Gambit (possibly played by Channing Tatum). This will be the first time Fox will release two X-Men films in one year, so it'll be interesting to see if this becomes a regular thing. As Marvel Studios has proven the demand is clearly there for these comic book movies, and the market can handle two major releases from a studio.




SOURCE: THR

Kate Mara Could Join Growing Cast Of Ridley Scott's THE MARTIAN


Deadline says an offer has gone out to Kate Mara (House of Cards, Iron Man 2, Fantastic Four) for an unnamed role in Ridley Scott's The Martian. The sci-fi thriller setup at 20th Century Fox, has a script by Drew Goddard (Cloverfield, Cabin In The Woods) and is based on the novel by Andy Weir. I'm sure we'll be hearing a bunch of casting news concerning the project in the coming weeks.

Matt Damon is set for the lead role, with Jessica Chastain reportedly cast in a role and Kristen Wiig also circling the project. I haven't read Weir's novel, but there seems to be a lot of ladies involved currently. TheWrap recently reported that Canadian newcomer Mackenzie Davis (Halt And Catch Fire) was posed to take a supporting role. We have to assume that there are a bunch of roles that are being cast, since most of Ridley's casts are rather large.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

September 17, 2014

Jack Huston Will Play BEN-HUR In Timur Bekmambetov's Remake


Deadline reports that Boardwalk Empire and American Hustle actor Jack Huston has taken the titular role in the Ben-Hur remake. Previously, it was reported that Morgan Freeman had joined the project in a supporting part. It will be directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Night Watch, Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), let's just hope the Russian director can reign-in his exploitation roots and make a coherent film. The film is expected to begin production next year in Europe.


We know that Jack Huston has been itching for a franchise role. Becoming in the mix for the Star-Lord role in Guardians of The Galaxy, and rumored to be in the running for Doctor Strange. It's now very unlikely that Huston is still in the running (or ever was) to play Steven Strange. Only time will tell if this picture will end-up more like Gladiator, a watered-down version of Spartacus or at the end of the spectrum similar to Paul W. Anderson's Pompeii.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Tom Hiddleston Starring In Legendary's KING KONG Origin Film SKULL ISLAND


Variety reports that Tom "Loki' Hiddleston will star in Legendary Picture's King Kong origin film titled Skull Island. Godzilla and Seventh Son writer Max penned the first draft of the script. Joe Cornish (Attack The Block) and Neil Marshall (Game of Thrones, Centurion) had been pursued for the director's chair, but Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kings of Summer) has taken the gig instead. Jordan was actually in the mix to direct Marvel's Doctor Strange and is rumored to be considered for Sony's Metal Gear Solid adaptation.

Details aren't known about the film, but events would take place before the original film. The island is home to some exotic things including dinosaurs, giant bugs, ancient tribes and other dangerous creatures. Basically, everyone and everything is trying to end your life on Skull Island. Hiddleston's character is also a bit of a mystery.

What we do know is that the film is being headed-up by the same production studio that gave us Godzilla and Pacific Rim, so we're expecting this to be a bit more cohesive than Peter Jackson's take. Hiddleston's involvement isn't too much of a shock. Considering he recently finished shooting Guillermo del Toro's haunted house picture Crimson Peak, another project setup at Legendary. Skull Island is set for release on November 4th, 2016.

SOURCE: VARIETY

September 16, 2014

CASINO ROYALE Director Martin Campbell Could Return To Spy Genre With HUNTER KILLER


According to TheWrap Kiwi director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, Goldeneye) could be returning to his spy genre roots. They say he's in talks to direct Hunter Killer for Relativity Media. Other directors previously in the mix include Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Equalizer, Shooter, Olympus Has Fallen), Phillip Noyce (Salt, Patriot Games, Clear And Present Danger, The Saint), McG (This Means War) and Steve Quale (Into The Storm). The film is based on the novel Firing Point by George Wallace and Don Keith. Below is a synopsis of the novel.

A renegade Russian military leader pushing the U.S. to the brink of a nuclear confrontation and shattering a decades-old peace agreement between the two former enemies. Cut off from all outside communication, a submarine commander and an elite Navy special forces unit are all that stand between the Russian assault and all-out war.

Campbell is best known for directing the first installmets of the Pierce Broson and Daniel Craig eras of the Bond franchise, considered the highlights of those eras. Campbell has had a few hiccups lately with his Mel Gibson thriller Edge of Darkness (which I actually liked a lot at the time) not making much of a splash, and Green Lantern becoming a genre punchline. It's unlikely we'll see Campbell return to the Bond franchise. Until, I assume they get someone to replace Craig. So, it's kind of smart on Martin's part to consider jumping back into the genre with a different project. We're rooting for Campbell to get his grove back, and Hunter Killer could be the right film to do that.





SOURCE: THEWRAP

Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema Will Shoot BOND 24, Production Starts This December


There are only a handful of cinematographers, who's work you actually take notice of. One being Hoyte van Hoytema, who has been hired to lens Sam Mendes' sequel to Skyfall aka Bond 24 according to HitFlix. Some of the amazing work Hoyte has done includes, Let The Right One In, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, Spike Jonze's Her, and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.

To say that this next Bond film will look stunning is an understatement, congrats to Mendes on landing him. It's also been expected that production will begin in December, with a release date set for November 6th, 2015. Daniel Craig is set to return in the lead, which is said to be his second-last film as 007.







SOURCE: HITFIX

If Drew Pearce Were To Make A PUNISHER Series/One-Shot, What Comics Would Influence Him?


I think you'd agree that James Gunn is one of the few people involved with Marvel Studios, to make the time to interact with fans. Another person who is always in active dialog with the fan base is writer and director Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3, Sherlock Holmes 3, Mission: Impossible 5) . If you don't remember, Drew co-wrote Iron Man 3 with Shane Black and directed the All Hail The King One-Shot (which he also wrote) short which teased the real Mandarin and setup Luke Cage's Seagate Prison. Pearce also penned the script for The Runaways movie that was effectively put into development limbo.



Drew sneakily added a small Easter Egg to All Hail The King, which hinted to villains and mob families connected to Frank Castle. Seagate Prison is currently holding a mob boss responsible for the murder of his family. Pearce has responded to the possibility of doing work on something involved with The Punisher. Pointing-out a preference to the runs from Gregg Rucka and Matt Fraction. Along with mentioning the backstory of Rachel Cole, Frank's recent sidekick. This is by no means confirmation he is or will be doing this in the future, but it's lovely to hear that Pearce doesn't hate the idea.




At this point, we have zero indication that Marvel will indeed move forward with a Punisher series or even One-Shot, but the fan demand in clearly there. Even with the Russo Brothers jokingly mentioning someone being behind the wheel in a couple of scenes of Captain America: The Winter Soldier being a strong candidate for a One-Shot. Most assume they are speaking of Frank Castle, but could be just a joke from the comedic filmmakers.

"The man who drives that truck," Joe deadpans, joking that the driver is a candidate for a future Marvel One-Shot, "Is very highly trained. He thinks on his own terms. He's got a plan and a very specific skill set." 

I wouldn't be too shocked if saw a pre-tragic Frank being a special ops operator in the former SHIELD, in the third Captain America film. Castle has ties to both Fury/Rogers and anything is possible, now that Marvel is able to use characters where ever they want. Another possibility is showing-up in the Netflix series, Daredevil making the most sense. A lot of people are expecting a Punisher series being considered for a second wave of Netflix shows.

We've had a couple of actors even try to put their name into consideration. Frank Grillo wanted a shot, but that might be an issue as he's already played villain Brock Rumlow (Crossbones) in Winter Soldier. Another actor is a bit more unlikely, as Milo Ventimiglia (Gamer, Pathology, Heroes) took to Twitter and reveal his campaign for the role. There has even been calls to bring back Thomas Jane or Ray Stevenson, but I'm not sure that's the best idea.


I personally think that Marvel should be targeting actors like Dylan McDermott (Olympus Has Fallen, Survivor, American Horror Story, Hamburger Hill, In The Line Of Fire). Someone that is well known from film work, but isn't opposed to doing a Netflix series (or cameos). Dylan's work on the Vietnam action flick Hamburger Hill, might help fans sign-on to the idea. It doesn't hurt he's been playing bad guys lately in movies like Olympus Has Fallen. He's also proved with American Horror Story he can handle dramatic roles as well.






A couple of other actors I wouldn't getting into the mix, would be Clive Owen (Children of Men, Bourne Identity, Inside Man, Killer Elite, The Driver, Sin City, Shoot 'Em Up) or Superman candidate Joe Manganiello (True Blood, Sabotage, Magic Mike, Spider-Man). Owen would mean we'll have a third foreign actor playing Castle, which I'm not opposed to. However, it's likely the reason people champion Thomas Jane for the role.



SOURCE: TWITTER

James D'Arcy Added To The Cast Of Marvel's AGENT CARTER As Original Jarvis



Variety reports that British actor James D'Arcy (Jupiter Ascending, Cloud Atlas, Survivor) has joined the cast of Marvel's Agent Carter. He'll be playing the role of Edwin Jarvis, butler to Howard Stark and ally to Peggy Carter. This would seemingly confirm that Howard is indeed going to be involved in the series, but we haven't heard if Dominic Cooper is reprising the role. However, Marvel has spent a lot of effort to setup the fact that Stark was an integral part of founding SHIELD.

This is just another hint to the level of talented casting Marvel is aiming for with the new series. In my opinion, a giant set-up from the original casting of Agents of SHIELD. Hiring legitimate and current film actors for key roles will only help keep to standards of the Marvel cinematic universe. The first episodes of Agent Carter will start airing on ABC during the mid-season hiatus for Agents of SHIELD.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Mackenzie Davis Joins Matt Damon & Jessica Chastain In Ridley Scott's THE MARTIAN


TheWrap reports that newcomer Mackenzie Davis from AMC's Halt And Catch Fire has landed a role in Ridley Scott's upcoming sci-fi thriller The Martian. Adapted from the novel by Andy Weir from screenwriter Drew Goddard (Sinister Six, Cabin In The Woods, Cloverfield, Lost) The 20th Century Fox project already has Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain co-starring in the leads. Kristen Wiig was also in the mix, but currently isn't mentioned in this new report.

SOURCE: THEWRAP

Will BOURNE LEGACY Sequel Delays Give Jeremy Renner Time To Shoot Scenes For CAPTAIN AMERICA 3?


It's being reported that Universal is putting the breaks on the Bourne Legacy sequel, in favor for Matt Damon's return. This isn't the worst thing for Jeremy Renner. The sequel's looming production put in question if he'd be able to shoot scenes for Captain America 3. Renner's Clint Barton was originally expected to have a part to play in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (confirmed by directors The Russo Brothers and Renner), but scheduling became a bit of a problem.

Nothing is ruling-out Renner showing-up in this other Bourne project. However, I'd expect it to be just Damon and Greengrass. Director Justin Lin has been linked for directing a couple of season two episodes of HBO's True Detective, it adds more fuel to the thought we'll see further production delays.

Jeremy mentioned to Collider he would be game to be apart of the third film, that's if his production schedule allowed him to. He's currently shooting Mission: Impossible 5, but with Bourne delays it's possible that Renner could be available for the April start on Captain America 3. The Russo Brothers are also open to the idea, and I'd love to see them work with the character. They've done wonders reworking both Rogers and Natasha. We've been hearing that Marvel has big plans for Hawkeye, as the Avenger will have a larger role in Age of Ultron. In the comics, Barton takes-on a leadership role as the team leader of The West Coast Avengers, a splinter group of the main lineup. There are already rumors that Steve Rogers starts putting together a second team by the end of Ultron.

“There are rumblings of Captain America 3. I don’t know what’s going to happen there. I’ve got to find the time, man (laughs). I’m trying to stay home and I can’t.” 

Matt Damon And Paul Greengrass Will Return To Make Fourth BOURNE Installment


Universal is doubling-down on it's Bourne franchise. We've been hearing rumblings that Matt Damon could be returning to the Bourne role for a year or so. In 2013, Twitch originally reported talks between Matt and the studio to reprise the super-spy. His return is now being confirmed by Deadline. There had been chatter that Jeremy Renner and Matt Damon could share screen time in an installment, but that idea was never confirmed by the studio. LatinoReview scooped this story back in June being the reason for delays on Justin Lin's sequel, but met with nothing denials.

After the success of Bourne Ultimatum,  Matt and director Paul Greengrass tried to put together a fourth film. This pitch didn't go-over well at Universal, as they rejected it. The two went-off to make Iraq-War thriller Green Zone instead, and Greengrass earned some acclaim for Captain Philips. Universal, unfazed by this move put forward a reboot of sorts with Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross in Bourne Legacy. While the film was set within the same Bourne universe, it failed to make a huge impact with audiences. A sequel was still put into motion with Justin Lin (Fast and Furious, Fast Five) set to direct and a very busy Renner attached to star. The new report suggests that Renner's sequel might be put on-hold. Lin was recently linked for directing a couple of episodes of True Detective for HBO, this delay could allow him time to make that commitment.

The Bourne Legacy sequel which was being aimed for a July 16th, 2016 release date. However, it seems like the Damon flick will try to take that spot instead. There is some doubt when Renner's spin-off will shoot, as the project is still in development. Matt is about to begin production on the Ridley Scott science fiction film The Martian, so they'll have some time to get that script ready for production.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW DEADLINE

September 15, 2014

Character Actor Glenn Scott Will Play DAREDEVIL Mentor Stick


Marvel has announced that another iconic Daredevil character has joined the lineup of the Netflix series. Character actor Glenn Scott (Sucker Punch, Bourne Ultimatum, Silence of The Lambs, Hunt For Red October) has been cast as Murdock's mentor Stick. The character was shockingly absent from Fox's mess of a film, but made an appearance in Elektra and was played by Terrence Stamp. Marvel will have some sort of presentation for the series at New York Comic-Con. It's expected they could show images or footage from the show, which is still shooting. All 13-episodes will be released sometime in May for all you bingers.

SOURCE: MARVEL

September 14, 2014

BIG RUMOR ALERT! Lucasfilm Developing An OBI WAN KENOBI Spin-Off Film?



MakingStarWars (via SlashFilm) is seemingly revealing one of the next Lucasfilm spin-offs set within the Star Wars universe. Be warned, the site's article includes a large amount of possible spoilers for Episode VII.  We've already heard that spin-off possibilities could include movies focusing on Boba Fett (with a rumored script from franchise writer Larry Kasdan), Han Solo, Yoda and Red Five film with Luke Skywalker (I assume with a new actor playing Luke) expected in the lead. They are now claiming that the studio is strongly considering an Obi Wan Kenobi movie, stating that the studio has hired concept arts to with alongside a writer.

Lucasfilm has officially confirmed these spin-offs are happening by announcing directors Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) and Josh Trank (Chronicles, Fantastic Four) for them. The studio has yet to announce what the titles of the two movies will be.

The one thing that bothers me about the report, is that they go out of their way to mention Lucasfilm was originally avoiding Sith/Jedi spin-offs. When we know that statement just isn't true, with Yoda and Red Five projects being linked by separate sources to the spin-off lineup. Red Five could easily not have Luke, but I'm sure it could upset some purists. The Yoda film has been long rumored from AICN, and we no idea why it was excluded from their report. Perhaps, the studio has ditched the Yoda film for Obi Wan Kenobi, since a lot of fans hated the idea of a Yoda spin-off. Destroying some of the mystery of the character, likely isn't the best idea.

There have been some Obi Wan books that have done well, and the character is still well liked. Thanks, to the underrated Clone Wars series a whole new generation is discovering the hero. The jedi knight is still well loved, and is one of the few characters from the prequel trilogy that managed to not be entirely hated. Kenobi will also be apart of Star Wars Rebels, the era which I assume a possible Obi Wan movie could take place. Actor Ewan McGregor has been vocal on his desire to return, and I think a lot of people would be fine with that as well.

A while back it was reported the Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder had pitched a spin-off Star Was film that would be inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. An impressive take on lore, since the original film was inspired by The Hidden Fortress. When that news hit I had assumed that the group could include any number of hidden jedi across the universe, hiding from the Empire. However, it could have easily have Obi Wan as the lead character. This is just my opinion, but this idea still seems more viable than a Han Solo movie.



It also doesn't hurt that Snyder has been playing a cute game with director J.J. Abrams. Placing Star Wars characters into set BVS images, Abrams has also played back with his own images. However, Zack has been more agressive about it. I'm thinking even though he's heavily invovled with Warner Bros' DC film universe, he could eventually take a break to shoot a Star Wars movie. Since a spin-off wouldn't have massive time demand that one of the episodes would.


SOURCE: MAKINGSTARWARS

September 13, 2014

Keanu Reeves Action Flick JOHN WICK Looks Like A Solid Return With First Trailer


We've been seeing an interesting trend of action films in 2014, low-level character-driven stories within the backdrop of the action genre. Basically, the anti-Michael Bay/Expendables are looking like they'll deliver the fun and dark humor known previously known for the genre. Movies like The Guest and The Equalizer are gathering a lot of buzz, and looks like Keanu Reeves next film John Wick could be similar. It's trailer is slick in a Collateral kind of way, and features Reeves as an ex-hit man who is forced out of retirement.

There are so many things I like about this trailer, hopefully this isn't just a well-cut trailer and the film delivers on the potential it's footage is showing us. It's director Chad Stahelski, is best known in Hollywood for working in the stunt department for decades. Being involved with films such as Point Break, The Crow, Matrix Trilogy, 300, The Wolverine, Hunger Games 1-2, Tron Legacy, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, V For Vendetta, Rambo, Live Free or Die Hard, Spider-Man 2, Iron Man 2, Killer Elite and Expendables 1-2. That background in amazing action sequences, could see this film becoming a cult-classic or a giant hit. Check out the first trailer below.

September 11, 2014

Theo James Attached For UNDERWORLD 5 And Two New Females Leads Will Be Cast


THR reports that British actor Theo James is attached to reprise his role of David from Underworld: Awakening in Underworld 5, rumored to be titled Underworld: Next Generation (via BloodyDisgusting). The new film is expected to be set within the Underworld universe, but will move away from the Selena story. Cory Goodman (Preist, The Last Witch Hunter) penned the script.

Kate Beckinsale won't be returning, but the studio is looking to cast two female leads. No word when the film will be set, but it's possible that India Esley's Eve could return.

SOURCE: THR

Sony Ever Making DRAGON TATTOO Sequel GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE? David Fincher Thinks So!




ThePlaylist has caught-wind of a foreign interview David Fincher did. According to Fincher (via Google translate), the Dragon Tattoo franchise might be back in-play. He says that the current script for The Girl Who Played With Fire is in good shape and is very different from the book. I'm sure a lot of complaints from Dragon Tattoo was that it was so similar to the original Swedish film. Although, in my opinion Fincher's film felt and looked like a stronger cinematic experience.

Fincher also mentions the fact Sony has invested a lot of money in the franchise's development and obtaining the rights. Since there are two more films to be expected, with Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig likely still obligated to be in them. They have a script from Se7en and 8mm writer Andrew Kevin Walker. Not making the film would be a waste of their time and resources.

We know that Fincher has problems with working with Sony, after a rough experience making the first installment. This led to David asking for a $10 million up-front fee to direct Sony's Steve Jobs bio-pic written by Social Network's Aaron Sorkin. However, we don't blame Sony looking elsewhere for new directors, but hopefully they can at least keep Fincher on as a consultant/producer.

Fincher's latest release Gone Girl sort of echos the stylistic somber tone of Dragon Tattoo, obviously the experience made an impact. He's also busy with two new shows for HBO and considering other film projects at the moment. I wouldn't be entirely shocked if Sony approached people like director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Under The Skin) to move the franchise forward. However, I won't entirely shutdown the idea of Fincher returning, since he'd likely earn Sony more Oscar considerations. The first film earned five nominations, including Best Actress for Rooney Mara.


Daniel Craig has at least two more Bond installments, before he's expected to hang-up his martini glass. I imagine Sony would have to work around that as well, which wouldn't be hard since Sony now distributes the Bond films under a recent deal with MGM.

SOURCE: THEPLAYLIST

September 10, 2014

RUMOR ALERT! RAMBO 5 Back On The Table For Stallone?


Even before Expendables 2 was set to roll, there had been chatter that Millennium Films was developing a fifth and final Rambo film with Sly Stallone. An odd plot synopsis suggested the film could include animal-human hybrids, which seemed crazy as hell. Even by previous standards set-out by a studio known for oddball action flicks. News on the fifth film stopped entirely and Sly didn't mention it during press interviews.

ComingSoon is now reporting that the project is apparently alive again, and has the title Rambo: Last Blood. This hasn't been confirmed by any of the major trades, but it's safe to say that the studio and producer Avi Lerner could be pressuring Stallone for a hit. Let's take this a rumor, until we have official word from the studio or Stallone. The two love making headlines, so if true I'm sure they'll be making announcements soon.

SOURCE: COMINGSOON

Antoine Fuqua Confirms He'll Direct Denzel Washington In MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Remake


Variety has word from director Antoine Fuqua, that he'll indeed direct Denzel Washington again in The Magnificent Seven remake. We've been hearing extremely positive things about the upcoming release of The Equalizer. Sony has already asked for sequels to be put into development. The original Magnificent Seven was already an American remake of the famous Akira Kurosawa classic The Seven Samurai.


SOURCE: VARIETY

September 9, 2014

Five Actresses Marvel Needs To Consider For The CAPTAIN MARVEL Role


Marvel apparently understands the fan demand to see Ms Marvel/Captain Marvel join the Marvel cinematic universe. Kevin Feige confirmed during Comic-Con that new active development is underway for both Black Panther and Captain Marvel films. Trades revealed months back that the studio was indeed developing a script for a Ms Marvel film.

We've heard plenty of names rumored and wanted to fill the role of Carol Danvers in a Captain Marvel film, or cameo in Avengers: Age of Ultron (could be cut out of the final film). They include ladies such as Emily Blunt (Looper, Edge of Tomorrow), Ruth Wilson (Lone Ranger, Luther), Alice Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness), Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak, Zero Dark Thirty, Mama, The Help), and Katee Sackhoff (Riddick, Battlestar Galactica). I still think they'd make excellent candidates, but I have my own list of hopefuls.


ELIZABETH BANKS: Yes, Banks had a supporting role as Betty Brant in Sam Raimi's, Spider-Man trilogy. However, she recently revealed to MTV that James Gunn, considered her for the role of Gamora in Marvel's Guardians of The Galaxy. Seemingly still game for another Marvel role in the future. Elizabeth co-starred with Chris Pratt in The Lego Movie and Ant-Man's Paul Rudd in 40 Year-Old Virgin, which could mean having these ties to their stars might help her chances.

We've seen plenty of Marvel leads having previous working relationships, before being cast. The combos include Samuel L. Jackson/Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr./Mark Ruffalo, Johansson/Chris Evans, Chris Evans/Idris Elba and Jeremy Renner/Anthony Mackie/Evangeline Lily. Banks hasn't exactly appeared on most of these casting lists, but with her huge success with the Hunger Games franchise, her awareness level worldwide is extremely high.


IMOGEN POOTS: Imogen is actually an excellent suggestion, originally mentioned by Devin of BadassDigest. I think she's a perfect candidate because she's versatile and has the personality to push any role forward, possibly a franchise as well.

Poots has an amazing amount of connections to other actors with existing Marvel roles. Her action credits include Neil Marshall's Centurion (Marshall put his name out to direct a Black Widow film) alongside Michael "Magneto" Fassbender, the superior horror sequel 28 Weeks Later with a supporting roles from Idris "Hemidall" Elba and Jeremy "Hawkeye" Renner. the dumb-but-fun racing flick Need For Speed that featured Dominic "Howard Stark" Cooper as the villain, and the serviceable remake of Fright Night.

Her more comedic roles come from projects like the fabulous black-comedy Filth co-starring with James "Professor X" McAvoy and Jamie "The Thing" Bell, along with the average rom-com That Awkward Moment with Michael B. "Human Torch" Jordan and Miles "Mr. Fantastic" Teller. Given that a majority of her co-stars have been or became Marvel heroes/villains, I'm actually shocked she hasn't landed a role. Even though she was in the mix to play Agent 13 in Winter Soldier, I think she deserves a shot at a larger hero.


ALISON BRIE: Maybe we should go the Chris Pratt route? Hiring an actress best known for her comedic performances. Community's Allison Brie is easily the female version of Pratt, funny considered they played a married couple in Five-Year Engagement (along with doing voice work on The Lego Movie with Pratt). She's also worked with Captain America franchise directors the Russo Brothers on Community. It might have led to her being rumored for the role of SHIELD agent Sharon Carter in Winter Soldier, which she didn't end-up landing.

I've been rooting for Alison to land a Marvel role like Wasp or even Betty Ross, but she's got enough personality to take-on a larger role within the MCU. Leading a film like Captain Marvel feels something like Marvel would do, she's beyond likeable and has played around with action scenes in Community.


TESSA THOMPSON: Carol Danvers doesn't need to look exactly like she does in the comics. We've seen Marvel make modern casting choices, first with Samuel L. Jackson taking-on the Ultimates version of Nick Fury. A bold decision that has panned-out for the studio and Jackson's Fury has become a staple human character within the cinematic universe. Then again, when it was time to cast Heimdall (The Guardian of Asgard). We got one of the better additions to the Thor franchise, with British actor Idris Elba. The studio caught a bit of anger (but mostly from racist or ignorant people) from a small group of upset fanboys.

Currently, we don't have a single female character of color in the main MCU (sorry folks, Zoe Saldana is playing an alien). I'm not saying Ms Marvel/Captain Marvel needs to be Monica Rambeau, but it would be a nice hint to the character. I'm not even saying Monica is out of the question in the future, I just think this isn't a terrible idea. I've already placed my two-cents on casting Almost Human's Michael Ealy for Richard Rider in the possible Nova spin-off. My original tweet seemed to have caught his interest, as he retweeted the idea to his followers. Keeping an open-mind towards future casting is a must, considering Marvel has gotten a lot flack for their films only being lead by white males. It's the reason why Black Panther and Captain Marvel movies are such hot-topic among the fan community.

Dear White People's breakout star Tessa Thompson (Cooper) is already gathering serious buzz, from the film's debut at this year's Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Tessa balances both serious topics laced with extreme humor, and satire. She fits the Marvel mold, of an comedic actor with strong potential. Like Brie, her whit seems like a solid fit for the MCU, and not to mention for potential heated exchanges between Stark or Rogers. Either arguing or kicking their asses, via Civil War.


TAYLOR SCHILLING: Television is an extremely powerful vehicle for actors these days. Even more so for non-network shows that draw-in a mature audience. We've seen plenty of actors plucked from the small screen to lead huge movies before, including Bryan Cranston. Son of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam took on Pacific Rim, and might lead other franchises (Knights of The Roundtable: King Arthur and Escape From New York are rumored projects).

Orange Is The New Black is undoubtably a massively popular series, that is watched by many of the demographic that Marvel wants to target in the future. Basically, women over the age of 18. Taylor Schilling is a name we don't often hear when speaking of franchise players, but I think that's kind of the point. She could be very appealing, because she isn't a name I've ever heard mentioned for superhero roles.


HONORABLE MENTIONS: Antje Traue (Man of Steel, Seventh Son, Pandorum), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim, The Thing, Live Free or Die Hard, Smashed, Spectacular Now), Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day, The World's End, Gone Girl, Jack Reacher, An Education), Andrea Riseborough (Welcome To The Punch, Oblivion, Shadow Dancer), and Sarah Gadon (Dracula Untold, Cosmopolis, Amazing Spider-Man 2).


September 6, 2014

Paramount Sets Dates To Wrap-Up Their New TERMINATOR Trilogy, Sequels Coming 2017 And 2018


Paramount has lined-up the next two installments for their Terminator trilogy, and are planing to put them into production very soon. Terminator 6 will be released on May 19th, 2017 and Terminator 7 will drop on June 29th, 2018. These dates are just markers for the studio, we've seen dates change all the time. However, this proves how serious Paramount is about finishing-up this trilogy.

The film rights to the Terminator franchise actually will expire in a couple of years. Once that time has been reached, they revert back to creator James Cameron. He's said once the rights return to him, he'll be axing the whole thing. I don't doubt this considering Cameron has zero plans currently to pursue more films, and is said to be focusing all his energy on multiple Avatar sequels (perhaps Battle Angel: Alita too). Paramount have a bit of a ticking-clock and have to grind-out these films before they can't make them anymore. Not the best situation for creativity, but let's see how Terminator: Genesys turns-out first.

Previous rumblings included that John Connor and the machines would actually have entire armies time travel, and have an epic battle across time. I assume these battles would be explored in the two sequels. We have no idea if Paramount is going to pursue this original intent for the trilogy, but the studio has seemingly gone-through with committing to three films, in a very short period of time.

It's assumed that Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be returning for the sequels. The fate of director Alan Taylor is a little less known, since he could move-on to other projects or asked to return for Thor 3 (very unlikely).

SOURCE: DEADLINE

A Better Look At Paul Bettany As The Vision Via Promo Art From AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON



CBM was able to find a banner image of promo art for Avengers: Age of Ultron, likely for the toys. This image gives us our best look at Paul Bettany as android hero The Vision. Even though it's low resolution, we have a great idea of what to expect from the character's costume design. A teaser trailer is expected in the coming months, which I assume will feature the Vision. Not to mention, Marvel's usual promotional blitz will soon go into full-gear.




SOURCE: INSTAGRAM

September 5, 2014

Sean Harris Could Be The Villain Of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5!



The production for Mission: Impossible 5 is already somewhat underway, but it hasn't cast an actor to play it's villain. Deadline reports that British character actor Sean Harris (Red Riding Trilogy, Prometheus, Harry Brown) is in early talks to take that role. Harris is an extremely talented actor, and this project would likely help launch him into bigger Hollywood roles.


The rest of the cast includes newcomers Alec Baldwin and Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson. Returning for the sequel are franchise players Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paul Patton, and finally back on the team is Ving Rhames. It's being directed by Christopher McQuarrie with a script written by Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3, Sherlock Holmes 3) . A release date is set for Christmas Day, 2015.

SOURCE: DEADLINE