‘Shang-Chi’ Production Stalls As Director Self Quarantines For Coronavirus Testing

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March 13, 2020

There have been many advancements that have eased the ability of filmmakers to do what they do best. Technology has simplified the process to such an extend that we’ve seen entire, award-winning films shot on a simple IPhone. But there’s one thing any film, especially a major studio production, still needs and that’s a director. Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is dealing with the possibility of losing its director, Destin Daniel Cretton, over…you guessed it, the coronavirus.

Cretton has self-quarantined, suspending production on Shang-Chi, while he undergoes testing for COVID-19. The message sent to the movie’s crew talks about Cretton’s cautious approach to the virus, driven by the birth of his newborn child and the recommendation of his doctor.

While the production of a Marvel movie sucks for us fans, it’s important to put real life ahead of such things. Cretton is doing what’s best for his family, and for the safety of the people working on Shang-Chi. Now, if the movie’s release date gets pushed back, and the same happens to the May release of Black Widow, we could see quite a reshuffling of MCU decks.

For now, Shang-Chi is set to open on February 12th 2021, so quite a ways off. Below you can find the full statement:

“As many of you know, Destin, our director, has a new born baby. He wanted to exercise additional caution given the current environment and decided to get tested for Covid-19 today. He is currently self-isolating under the recommendation of his doctor. While he waits for the results of the test, we are suspending 1st unit production in an abundance of caution until he gets the results this coming week. Second unit and off production will continue as normal. We will reach out to everyone by Tuesday for the latest update.”

“This is an unprecedented time. We appreciate everyone’s understanding as we work through this.”

Disney Finally Postpones ‘Mulan’ Release Over Coronavirus
'The New Mutants' And 'Antlers' Also Delayed

By
Travis Hopson
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March 13, 2020

Like the arrival of Thanos, this too was inevitable. Disney has postponed the release of three big 2020 films; Mulan, The New Mutants, and Antlers, for the exact reason you’re thinking. Yep, the coronavirus that has ripped the world apart and made mincemeat of the entertainment industry. Disney still hopes to open each film in 2020, but nothing can be certain with the situation evolving so rapidly.

Mulan is the biggest and nearest of the three movies, as the live-action remake was set to debut on March 27th. Screenings in L.A. had already been held, with the early reviews trending very positive for Disney. Early estimates were strong, as well, with a $90M opening weekend projected. As we saw with MGM’s costly move of No Time to Die, this is going to hit Disney in the pocketbook pretty hard.

The New Mutants was set to open on April 3rd, after a long series of delays that had nothing to do with the virus outbreak. The final movie in Fox’s long-running X-Men franchise may end up moving to streaming, after all, as had been rumored for months. The Guillermo Del Toro-produced horror Antlers was set to debut on April 17th.

With Disney shutting down Disneyland theme park, it was only a matter of time before this move happened. Marvel’s Black Widow remains unaffected, and with a release a bit further off in May there’s time to wait.

Kumail Nanjiani’s ‘Lovebirds’ Latest To Delay Due To Coronavirus Fears

By

John Nolan

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March 13, 2020

And another one bites the dust… I can hear all day on the news that this virus is a big deal, but it’s when Hollywood starts clearing the marquees that I really start to take notice. It seems in the last few days that half of our posts are announcing another film delayed and hear I am, with yet another announcement. This time it’s the latest Marvel Hunk, a term I never thought I’d use to describe Kumail Nanjiani but here we are, taking the hit as his romantic comedy Lovebirds, in which he co-stars with Issa Rae, is officially listed as TBD. The film, which was supposed to hit theaters on April 3rd showcases Hollywood’s increasingly open arms to films with POC leads. Romantic comedies are, historically, whiter then fresh fallen snow so it’s a shame to see any hurdles get in the way of this movie’s release. Let’s just hope the additional time leads to more awareness of the film when it actually hits and doesn’t result in a stunted box office, which you just know those holding the purse strings would use as proof that there’s no demand for diversity in rom-com world.

Tom Holland Reveals ‘Spider-Man 3’ Will Shoot In July

By

John Nolan

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March 13, 2020

SPIDER-MAN 4 is still in need of some work

Don’t cry for Tom Holland, sure his venture into the land of Pixar, Onward fell flat last weekend but he’s far from hurting because of it. Hollywood’s youngest “It” superhero has plenty going on to keep him busy, including a trip back into those famous red and blue tights. While sitting down with the Philippine Daily News Holland revealed that Spidey will be back in action sooner then alot of us may have thought:

“We will be shooting ‘Spider-Man 3’ in July in Atlanta,” said Holland. “I’m super happy about it.”

Yeah, so are we Tommy boy. With all of the deadly virus talk and fear soaked media hitting our streams in the last week hearing that Marvel’s new favorite son will be back on the streets in just a few months is music to my ears. Holland also revealed that Zendaya, Mary Jane to Holland’s Peter Parker, will be back…and honestly, how couldn’t she? Those two are dynamite together on-screen…which still surprises me because, let’s be honest, she’s too much for him to handle, right?

New ‘Scream’ Film Lands ‘Ready Or Not’ Co-Directors
Radio Silence To Revive Wes Craven's Influential Horror

By
Travis Hopson
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March 12, 2020

Are you ready for a new Scream? Well, as we learned last fall, Spyglass Media is reviving the once-popular horror franchise whether you like it or not, but at least they’ve set a pair of filmmakers that genre fans can be excited about.

Ready or Not directors Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are set to helm a new Scream film. They’re joined by producer Chad Villela, making up the filmmaking collective known as Radio Silence. It’s unclear whether this will be a sequel to 2011’s poorly-received Scream 4, or have any connection to the MTV anthology series.

What we do know is this will be the first Scream movie without the late Wes Craven. The horror legend launched the franchise with writer Kevin Williamson back in 1996, taking on horror cliches in a way that was fun and influential on the genre for many years after. One thing is for certain and it’s that the Ghostface-masked killer will return.

Radio Silence killed it with last year’s sleeper hit, Ready or Not, which earned nearly $60M on a $6M budget. That film helped make a star out of Samara Weaving, and here’s hoping they can find a way to bring her back to be stalked once again.

Jon Bernthal Is An ‘American Gigolo’ For Showtime’s New Drama Series
Based On Paul Schrader's Steamy 1980 Film Starring Richard Gere

By
Travis Hopson
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March 12, 2020

It’s been a pretty shitty day, with just about every news story a delay caused by coronavirus. So here’s some good news worth sharing, news that guarantees fans of Jon Bernthal who want to see more (possibly MUCH more) of the actor will be very happy. Showtime has set Bernthal to lead a new drama pilot based on Paul Schrader’s steamy 1980 crime film American Gigolo.

The series has long been in the works by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who is now working with Ray Donovan writer/director David Hollander. Intriguingly, this won’t be a total remake or reboot of Schrader’s movie, which starred Richard Gere as Julian Kaye, a narcissistic male sex worker in Los Angeles, servicing only to the highest-class clientele. His world goes awry when one of his clients ends up murdered, with Julian the prime suspect. The film helped turn Richard Gere into a superstar leading man, while also being one of the rare cases of a major motion picture with male frontal nudity.

The new show finds Bernthal in the role of Julian Kaye, released from jail 18 years after his murder conviction. Seeking to rejoin the Hollywood sex industry, Julian also wants to find out the truth behind his arrest and reconnect with his lost love, Michelle.

I don’t know if Bernthal will be quite as exposed as Gere was, but it’s a role that all but guarantees a hefty fashion budget. Considering the wealth of talent already involved, expect Showtime to pick this up for series quickly.

‘Arkansas’ Trailer: Clark Duke’s ‘Fargo’-esque Crime Film Stars Liam Hemsworth, Vince Vaughn, & Michael K. Williams

By

Travis Hopson

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March 12, 2020

If you know the name Clark Duke it’s probably from his rambunctious supporting roles in comedies Kick-Ass, Hot Tub Time Machine, Sex Drive, and The Office. Now he’s taken what was learned in front of the camera and put it towards his directorial debut, the comedic-thriller Arkansas. Judging by the cast, Duke has made some pretty cool friends along the way.

The Fargo-esque crime movie stars Liam Hemsworth, Michael K. Williams, Vince Vaughn, John Malkovich, Vivica A. Fox, Eden Brolin, and Duke himself. It follows a group of southern drug dealers who try to live normal lives by day, and of course, they fail miserably at it.

Duke not only directed and co-stars, he also wrote the script and produced. So when the movie’s world premiere at SXSW was canceled due to the coronavirus, it had to have him hardest of all. Fortunately, Arkansas will still see the light of day on May 5th.

SYNOPSIS: In Clark Duke’s directorial debut, Kyle (Liam Hemsworth) and Swin (Clark Duke) live by the orders of an Arkansas-based drug kingpin named Frog (Vince Vaughn), whom they’ve never met. Posing as junior park rangers by day, they operate as low-level drug couriers by night under the watchful eye of Frog’s proxies (John Malkovich and Vivica A. Fox). Swin then settles into his day job by taking up a relationship with Johnna (Eden Brolin) against orders to blend in while Kyle continues to question his night job by trying to figure out who Frog really is. Their world is then upended after one too many inept decisions, and Kyle, Swin, and Johanna find themselves directly in Frog’s crosshairs, who mistakenly sees them as a threat to his empire. Based on John Brandon’s best-selling book of the same name, ARKANSAS weaves together three decades of Deep South drug trafficking to explore the cycle of violence that turns young men into criminals, and old men into legends.

Universal Pushes Back ‘F9’ Nearly A Year Over Coronavirus Outbreak
'Fast & Furious 10' Is Affected, Too

By
Travis Hopson
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March 12, 2020

It just goes to show that, for all of Vin Diesel’s bluster yesterday, the ultimate decision on delaying F9 belongs to Universal. And boy, did they decide to supercharge this thing because we aren’t seeing the latest Fast & Furious movie for nearly a year.

Universal has announced a delay of F9 until April 2nd 2021. That date was when we were to see Fast & Furious 10, but that has obviously been pushed back, as well. A press statement reads:

“While we know there is disappointment in having to wait a little while longer, this move is made with the safety of everyone as our foremost consideration. Moving will allow our global family to experience our new chapter together.”

In recent days the coronavirus outbreak has led to a virtual shutdown of every major country. The movie market has been affected tremendously, leading to studios making the hard choice to delay some pretty big films. F9 joins No Time to Die, Peter Rabbit 2, and A Quiet Place 2, while Disney has thus far held firm on keeping Black Widow and Mulan where they stand. The way this situation keeps evolving, however, that could change very soon.

‘A Quiet Place 2’ Is Latest Film Delayed Over The Coronavirus

By

Travis Hopson

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March 12, 2020

So…SXSW is canceled, the NBA season is suspended, Tom Hanks (TOM HANKS!!!!) is sick, Coachella ain’t happenin’, and it’s only going to get more desolate out there as the coronavirus continues to spread. Shaking the feeling we’re living through some kind of horror movie has become tougher this week than ever before. And while the delay of an anticipated film may seem like a minor concern considering the world’s turmoil, that it’s A Quiet Place 2 is still pretty significant.

As confirmed by director John Krasinski, Paramount has decided to delay the global release of A Quiet Place 2, just a week ahead of release. This makes sense considering the fast-moving impacts of the pandemic, which has seen limits placed on all public gathering and, as of last night, led to a travel ban out of Europe.

Initially, the delay was targeted solely at the European release but Krasinski has confirmed it is worldwide and a new date has yet to be named.

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AQuietPlacePart2…Take2

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‘Soul’ Trailer: Pixar Gets Jazzy In Taking On The Afterlife

By

Travis Hopson

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March 12, 2020

After the relative disappointment that was Onward‘s box office returns, Pixar is set to get metaphysical with Soul. The film features Jamie Foxx as an aspiring jazz musician who, on the cusp of getting his big break, unexpectedly dies. But is his story over? Well, not quite, as his soul continues on in a journey that could possibly see him return to Earth and the life he always wanted.

Pixar is taking on the afterlife, which may sound like too big of a concept for kids to understand. That is until you learn Soul comes from the mind of Inside Out director Pete Docter, who made our understanding of human emotion a fun and enlightening adventure. Surely he can do the same with the subject of man’s own mortality?

Foxx is joined in the voice cast by Tina Fey, Angela Bassett, Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, and Daveed Diggs. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will provide original music, joined by Jon Batiste on the jazz stylings.

Soul hits theaters on June 19th.

SYNOPSIS: Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22, who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions.