What a week! It’s been crazy! So now let’s see how crazy the world of film news has been! Onward!
In this week’s “Vin Diesel’s big mouth” story, Vin Diesel let some interesting Marvel news slip in a Facebook video interview. He was only doing the because he has 100 million fans on his page and so he mostly talked about how awesome his fans are and how thankful he is, blah blah blah, – and THEN he said that the Guardians of the Galaxy are going to be in Avengers: Infinity War! Sweet spoiler!
In this weeks “Not to be confused with ‘RepliCANTS” story, Keanu Reeves and Alice Eve will be starring in the sci-fi thriller, Replicas. The story, written by Chad St. John, is about a daring neuroscientist who will stop at nothing to bring back his loving family after they are killed in a terrible car crash.
In this week’s “Leave it to Reddit for leaks” story, it seems someone there has unearthed a casting docket for the upcoming Spiderman: Homecoming film. Looks like Bokeem Woodbine is playing Marvel villain, The Shocker. I can honestly say I know very little about this character. But hey, I’m betting it’ll all be chock full o’fun!
In this week’s “Haunted hotel gets more famous” story, actor Michael Pena is to star in the horror thriller The Bringing, directed by Jeremy Lovering. The film is set in dowtown Los Angeles at the Cecil Hotel which has a horrific past. You know, lots of seediness, deaths, and such.
Plot details are vague, we should find the writers, Brandon and Phillip Murphy, and ask them. 🙂
In this week’s “It’s TV -but it’s so cool it’s worth it!” story, in this upcoming second season of Supergirl, Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter, will be starring as the President of the United States! Huzzah!
In this week’s “JCVD” story, this week Amazon brings their new pilots up for people to vote on to become full-fleged series. I just watched the trailer for Jean-Claude Van Johnson, the new show with Jean-Claude Van Damme. It looks like it could be really funny, and maybe a bit sad. Funny sad.
Ok, the premise is about a contractor named Jean-Claude Van Johnson who lives a cover life under the guise of washed up action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. Here’s some more detail:
“Jean-Claude Van Damme comes out of retirement to put on once again the mantle of his alter-ego, undercover private contractor Jean-Claude Van Johnson. “Johnson’s” cover as the lead role in a re-imagined action film version of “Huckleberry Finn” lands him right back in the midst of the danger he secretly always craves–but most importantly, back in the orbit of Vanessa, his fellow operative and the woman he loves.”
Oh, please just go watch the short trailer here: http://www.slashfilm.com/jean-claude-van-johnson-trailer/
In this week’s “By who’s standards?” story, Joe Carnahan is writing and directing the next Bad Boys movie, Bad Boys for Life. He says “I’m a big believer in ‘Do the work at the script level until you’ve got something you know works.’ That everyone is happy with, the stars are happy with, the director is happy with, the studio is happy with.”
Carnahan goes on to say he’s written “the strongest script of any of those movies. Hands down. In a walk over.” He knows that the third installments in franchises typically kinda suck, so he wants to make sure if he’s making a Bad Boys 3, he’s making the best Bad Boys 3 imaginable:
“When you’re coming back after 15 years, you better come back with a home run ball. And I really believe that’s what we have….We’ve got a responsibility to make something that’s absolutely equivalent or exceeds what comes before. That’s a really important thing for all of us.”
That’s all well and good, and thankfully Carnahan is directing, but Michael Bay is still producing, so what he thinks is good may not be what Carnahan thinks is good. I just have to put my faith in Joe Carnahan. He’s a cool director.
In this week’s “Godzilla goes Anime” story, Toho has announced that it’s next installment of the Godzilla series will be an Anime film next year. Very little is known about it yet, but it will be written by Gen Urobuchi and directed by Kobun Shizuno and is currently untitled. But I still can’t wait! Hell, I can’t wait to see the current Godzilla: Resurgence. Funimation has the U.S. rights to the film and is saying they will release it in America in late 2016. Yay!
In this week’s “Godzilla related” story, director of the last U.S. Godzilla film, Gareth Edwards, has left the Godzilla 2 project saying he wants to focus on smaller projects rather than big studio tentpole films. I can’t remember if I reported on this earlier or not, so I am surely late on this. But I’m ok with it. He’s a talented guy and I’m sure he’ll make some cool smaller films. You know, right after he finishes Rogue One. 🙂
In this week’s “Well, this doesn’t answer any questions at all” story, there seems to be some question about whether someone, and by someone, I mean Max Landis (son of great director John Landis), is doing a remake of An American Werewolf In London.
Now, where I would certainly normally think, “Why the Hell would anyone do that?”, if someone were, then perhaps the son of the guy that directed the original might be the only logical choice. Or maybe the worst choice. I don’t know. But Max Landis has been tweeting about it, albeit very vaguely. He tweeted, “Since I get the question all the time, there’s only one of my dad’s movies I’d ever be willing to try to remake and I’m already doing it.”
Hmmm, that’s it. But then later, another tweet:
“currently definitely writing (some codenames in here)
moors
daytrippers
further
skunk
on docket:
Kōjin
satoshi”
Vague, but the word “moors” is particularly telling…
HOWEVER. A month or so later, Max Landis tweets: “I categorically deny any rumors about upcoming projects today.” and then in response to someone else’s tweet asking “So is Max Landis making an American Werewolf In London emake or what?, Max tweets: “Or What?”
Well, that explains that. Or does it? I DON’T FUCKING KNOW. Is he remaking it? Or is he just back-pedaling because he revealed it too soon? It’s a damn mystery.
In this week’s “Depp/Heard divorce update” story, Amber Heard said she was going to donate her divorce settlement to charity! And it turns out, she has! She was awarded $ 7 million dollars from Johnny Depp in her settlement and she went and donated all of it to charity.
The 30 year old actress states: “As described in the restraining order and divorce settlement, money played no role for me personally and never has, except to the extent that I could donate it to charity and, in doing so, hopefully help those less able to defend themselves.” She continued: “As reported in the media, the amount received in the divorce was $7 million and $7 million is being donated. This is over and above any funds that I have given away in the past and will continue to give away in the future.” Amber added that the $7 million will be divided amongst charities with “a particular focus to stop violence against women,” including the Aclu and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where she has volunteered for over a decade.
Oh, this is good. The couple gave a statement saying that their relationship was “at times intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love.” And then it gets very carefully worded: “”Neither party has made false accusations for financial gains. There was never an intent of physical or emotional harm.” Amber also reportedly withdrew her request for a domestic violence restraining order against Johnny, which she filed back in May. Also on Tuesday, Amber’s lawyer Samantha F. Spector retracted the statement they made after their settlement: “The statement is untrue and we retract it, without qualification,” she told ABC News. “My assertion that Amber Heard has been vindicated in the court of public opinion is not true. We regret the error and apologize to Johnny Depp.”
Holy shit, man. I’m not sure if crazy people should marry each other or each should marry a sane person to ground them. Who rubs off on the other? I do think that wacky island-owing Depp should not marry. Anyone.
~ Neil T Weakley, your average movie goer, recommending you go and watch that trailer for Jean-Claude Van Johnson!