Geez, another busy week in happenings and stuff!
In this week’s “He-Man returns!” story, Sony’s new film adaptation of Masters of the Universe will release December 19, 2019, has lost McG as director. I’m sure we’re all sad about that, right? Uh huh. So they’re looking for a new director. David s. Goyer is still writing the script, though, so there’s that.
In this week’s “The Z War continues” story, Paramount Pictures, after taking the film off it’s schedule, looks to be moving forward with a World War Z sequel, with David Fincher directing and Brad Pitt back to star, thanks to the studio’s new chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos, according to knowledgeable sources.
While Gianopulos has not officially official greenlit the movie yet, he is expected to do so in coming weeks. This will likely be among the studio chief’s first greenlit movies. Sources say that production would probably begin in the first quarter of 2018.
In this week’s “CLEAR!” story, TriStar Pictures has hired Joe Johnston (Jumanji, Captain America: The First Avenger) to direct their revival (or resuscitation) of Narnia by helming The Silver Chair.
TriStar Pictures will partner with the Mark Gordon Company, the C.S. Lewis Company, and Entertainment One on the project with Mark Gordon, Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham, Vincent Sieber, and Melvin Adams producing the pic. Life of Pi scribe David Magee adapted the script.
But will anyone care? I’m not holding MY breath.
In this week’s “In Memoriam” story, we lost director Johnathan Demme this week. He passed away at the age of 73.
In this week’s “Jurassic call back” story, the always delightful Jeff Goldblum will be returning to the Jurassic Park films in the next installment, Jurassic World 2, to be directed by J.A. Bayona. Goldblum will join returning stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. He will be reprising his role of Dr. Ian Malcolm.
Hey, for my money, you can’t go wrong by adding Jeff Goldblum to your movie.
In this week’s “Still controversial” story, Roman Polanski’s latest film, D’après une histoire vraie (Based on a True Story), has been added to the official lineup at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, organizers announced Thursday.
The film will be shown out of competition. No award for you, Roman!
True Story had long been rumored to be in the running for a competition slot. By its late placement out of competition, the fest may be be looking to avoid the protests from French feminist groups that plagued France’s Cesar Awards earlier this year, which attacked the decision to name Polanski president of ceremonies. He later resigned.
In this week’s “More Sly for Marvel” story, it turns out that Marvel is looking to keep Sylvester Stallone’s character from Guardians of the Galaxy 2 around for more films.
Director James Gunn says he wants him in more of the Marvel Universe. “My plan is to see more of [Stallone’s character],” Gunn told the Toronto Sun. “I’m not sure about him appearing in Vol. 3, we’ll have to see about that, but it’s our plan to see more of Stallone. [Marvel Studios chief] Kevin [Feige] and I are working on what is going to become of the Marvel Cosmic Universe and where it’s going to go. We plan to see the rest of them in the future.”
Well, isn’t that interesting.
The “them” in question refers to the group that Stallone’s character belongs to in the second installment of Marvel’s interstellar series.
In this week’s “Mind BLOWN” story, M Night Shyamalan said he had a BIG announcement to make, and he made it. He says his next project will be a sequel to his 2000 film Unbreakable, called Glass. The crazy thing is, it’s also a sequel to his last film, Split.
He states that the film will include both Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, AND James McAvoy. Apparently Shyamalan has always intended to make this sequel. He tweeted: “My new film is the sequel to #Unbreakable AND #Split. It was always my dream to have both films collide in this third film.”
Shyamalan revealed little else about the project other than its planned release date on 18 January 2019, but its title indicates that Jackson’s character – a comic-book dealer with a genetic bone disease, nicknamed Mr Glass – may be the central figure.
There was a lot more positive response to Split than I ever thought possible, so It does make me want to see it. But now I want to see it even more, because I, unlike many people, rather enjoyed Unbreakable. So a sequel that combines both? Sure, I’ll bite.
I just hope the film doesn’t.
In this week’s “TV Revivals continue” story, Rosanne Barr is getting the Rosanne show back together. Barr, John Goodman, and Sarah Gilbert are already signed on to reprise their roles.
The project is currently being shopped to both broadcast networks and streaming services. The original series ran for nine seasons on ABC and was widely praised for its portrayal of working class Americans.
In this week’s “Even the poor don’t want to be given this movie” story, Lionsgate is giving us yet another remake of Robin Hood. Directed by Otto Bathurst (mostly TV stuff like Peaky Blinders) and a screenplay by Joby Harold (Edge of Tomorrow, upcoming Flash movie), this Robin Hood film stars Taron Edgerton as Robin, Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham, Jamie Dornan, and Jamie Foxx as Little John (?!).
Oh, just stop it already.
In this week’s “OMG, what is going on?!” story, Universal is rebooting, are you ready? – the 1988 John Candy comedy, The Great Outdoors. And Kevin Hart will star.
Michael De Luca will produce through his Michael De Luca Productions with Hart through his Hartbeat Productions banner. Randall Green is penning the script.
Universal is looking for a director and a co-star for Hart. Or maybe they should find something better for Kevin Hart to star in? Seems like his talents are being wasted.
In this week’s “Give us more!” story, the creator of Rogue One, John Knoll, says he is working on another stand alone Star Wars story.
“I have another idea I’ve been tinkering with,” Knoll told the National Association Of Broadcasters during a ‘Rogue One’-centric event. “It’s maybe 75 percent there. I haven’t pitched it to [Kathleen Kennedy]. It’s another ‘Star Wars’ thing.” Unsurprisingly, Knoll wasn’t ready to spill the beans on exactly what it is, but hinted that it wouldn’t just be a group of rebels trying to steal the plans to Starkiller Base or something close to ‘Rogue One’ again.
Yeah, I’ll be willing to hear about this new idea. Hurry up, John.
In this week’s “SPOON!” story, Ben Edlund’s show, The Tick, will air August 25, 2017, on Amazon Prime. It stars Peter Serafinowicz, Griffin Newman, and Richie Moriarty. If you aren’t familiar with The Tick yet, you should absolutely read the comics by Edlund, then maybe watch some of the animated show that aired for a while. I might even say watch the first incarnation of the TV show that starred Patrick Warburton as our blue suited hero. It was short-lived, but funnier than most people say. It grows on you.
The story, for those uninitiated, is about a meek accountant, Arthur, with zero powers that discovers an arch villain is in control of his city. Then he happens to meet The Tick, a clueless, but powerful, superhero who is determined to stop this super villain. He makes Arthur his reluctant sidekick, and the adventures begin!
Creator Ben Edlund is one of the writers here, so I anticipate much of his delightfully goofy humour.
In this week’s “Celebrity crime-stopper” story, actor Tom Hardy apprehended an alleged motorcycle thief in London. According to the BBC reports, Hardy grabbed one of two teenagers who fled after the stolen bike ran into a vehicle, while the other was apprehended by police.
“He went off like a shot in pursuit and looked furious,” a witness told U.K.’s The Sun. “I asked Tom what happened and he told me he chased him through my back garden and caught him around the block — but the route was like an assault course.”
“We can confirm that there were two people on a stolen moped that went through a red light and crashed into another vehicle,” a spokesman for Richmond police noted. “The males ran off and one was detained by Tom Hardy.”
Tom Hardy: all-around badass.
In this week’s “He’s gone a bit off” story, apparently Johnny Depp showed up fully in character as Captain Jack Sparrow on Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride Wednesday night. Instead of the animatronic one, Depp showed up in it’s place. I guess that’s a treat for the Disneyland park goers. I guess. Does he think he really IS Jack Sparrow now? It’s getting hard to tell.
And in this week’s “Just stop” story, Vin Diesel made his Rap debut at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. The actor surprised everyone at Miami’s Watsco Center Thursday night when he took the stage with Nicky Jam, who was performing his Spanish hit, “El Ganador.”
“Now I’m making movies with Vin Diesel,” the singer said before his xXx: Return of Xander Cage costar walked out with a microphone in hand.
Diesel and Nicky, who took home six Billboard awards, became fast friends after working on the action sequel together in early 2016.
What I want to know is, at what point did the audience start vomiting and jamming things into their ears? C’mon, seriously? Even I think this is too much. Vin Diesel doesn’t say enough in any of his roles to warrant becoming a rap singer. You know, a rap song with, like, four words isn’t a rap song – it’s a guy having a stroke. Ugh.
~ Neil T Weakley, your average movie-goer, thanking you once again for checking out some of the weeks shenanigans!