Channing Tatum Joins Disney’s ‘Bob The Musical’

By

-

January 23, 2020

Disney’s been trying to get the musical, appropriately titled Bob the Musical, off the ground for years, with a ton of top tier talent attached. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Michael Hazanavicius, Adam Shankman, and even Tom Cruise just to name a few. And now you can add Channing Tatum to that list, as Variety reports he’ll star as the title character.

Bob the Musical centers on a regular guy who wakes up (possibly after a blow to the head) to discover he’s living his worst nightmare trapped in a musical. The list of writers who have tried to crack the script includes Michael Chabon, Mike Bender, Alan Loeb, John August, Lowell Ganz, and Babloo Mandel. Currently there is no director attached.

Tatum is gearing up for his directorial debut, Dog, which will probably come first. We haven’t seen Tatum in a live-action role since 2017 and it’ll be good to get him in front of cameras again, especially if he has the chance to sing, dance, and be funny like he was in Hail, Caesar!

‘Duel Of The Fates’ Leaked Concept Art Teases What ‘Star Wars: Episode 9’ Might’ve Been

By

John Nolan

-

January 23, 2020

Forget the Snyder Cut. Can we get a #TrevorrowCut of Star Wars: Episode 9, please? In the weeks following the disappointing The Rise of Skywalker, reflected not only in critical reviews but in lackluster box office, we’ve seen leaks of what might’ve been in Colin Trevorrow’s film, titled Duel of the Fates, had remained in place. Count me in among those who feel it would’ve been a far superior movie, with a storyline that embraces and concludes ideas from both Rian Johnson and JJ Abrams.

Well, the leaks are continuing, now with concept art for Trevorrow’s film that highlights some of the key scenes in what was to be a vastly different story than what we got in The Rise of Skywalker. I encourage you to read my breakdown of the Duel of the Fates story to get a better understanding of what these images mean. We see Rey with her dual-bladed saber, Finn’s rebellious activities on Coruscant, the fall of Chancellor Hux (Yep, he got a new gig!), and Kylo Ren’s battles with the spirits of Vader and Luke Skywalker. Where’s Palpatine? Dead and buried, just as he should’ve stayed.

‘The Last Thing He Wanted’ Trailer: Anne Hathaway Stars In Dee Rees’ Sundance Political Thriller

By

John Nolan

-

January 23, 2020

With her debut feature Pariah, her Oscar-nominated drama Mudbound, and now The Last Thing He Wanted, Dee Rees continues to make Sundance the place to be for following her impressive career. Once again teamed with Netflix, her latest is led by Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck, Rosie Perez, Willem Dafoe, and Toby Jones, based on the acclaimed novel by Joan Didion.

Set in the 1980s during the Iran-Contra scandal, Hathaway plays a Washington Post reporter who leaves her job covering the 1984 Presidential election to help care for her ailing father. Taking on one of his dangerous errands as a chance to break a huge story, she unwittingly becomes the subject in the very plot she hoped to expose.

The Last Thing He Wanted will be one of the most anticipated premieres at Sundance in a few days, then heads over to Netflix beginning February 21st.

‘Vivarium’ Trailer: Jesse Eisenberg And Imogen Poots Are Trapped In The ‘Burbs

By

John Nolan

-

January 23, 2020

Buying a first home turns out to be a nightmare for Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots in Vivarium. A different kind of housing crisis unfolds for them, a couple who follow a mysterious real estate agent into a suburban neighborhood from which they are unable to escape.

Behind the camera is Lorcan Finnegan, who previously helmed the 2016 eco-thriller Without Name. Finnegan debuted Vivarium at Cannes a year ago where it was enthusiastically received, so maybe put this one on your list of flicks to see in this early part of 2020.

Vivarium is expected to be released in March.

All The Boys Come Calling in the Trailer for ‘To All The Boys 2: P.S. I Still Love You’

By

John Nolan

-

January 23, 2020

I have a horrible confession to make….I haven’t seen the first one. I know it was a sensation and everyone went crazy for it but I’m not really in the key demo am I? That being said, based on this trailer I can see the appeal to those looking for a sugary sweet romance to watch. I mean that in the best of ways, we have enough drama in this world, sometimes what we need is a sweet, innocent story that’s pretty to look at. Speaking of, I have to give credit where it’s due and say that Netflix has done amazing things with the quality of their original content, this film looks absolutely beautiful, bright colors and clarity about adding to the sweetness of (I assume), the story.

Check out the trailer below and look for To All The Boys 2: P.S. I Still Love You on Netflix February 12th, just in time for Valentines Day!

Matt Damon Rejoins James Mangold For Don Winslow’s ‘The Force’

By

John Nolan

-

January 23, 2020

Hot on the heels of Ford v Ferrari‘s four Oscar nominations, director James Mangold and star Matt Damon are getting back in the driver’s seat. Deadline reports the two will reunite for an adaptation of Don Winslow’s novel, The Force.

In the works for a couple of years, The Force had a screenplay originally penned by David Mamet, but will now be overhauled by Mangold and screenwriter Scott Frank. Mangold and Frank worked together previously on The Wolverine and Logan.

Here’s a breakdown of the plot as well as Damon’s role: “Damon is attached to play Denny Malone, a NYPD detective who runs an elite crime fighting squad, but bends the law so often that he loses the line between good and evil and becomes ensnared in a pending corruption scandal. To stop the city’s long-simmering racial tensions from exploding, he must reconcile the idealistic guardian he still views himself to be, with the corrupt cop he’s become. He under siege from all sides: Harlem drug gangs, the mob he’s in bed with, the brother cops he’s about to destroy, the mayor’s office who fears what he knows and who he can implicate, the federal investigators who want to put him behind bars. But most of all, he struggles with the Faustian bargain on the table that will require him to testify against his loyal but dirty team, weighing loyalty to them over his own family.”

Ridley Scott is on board as a producer. Damon is about to shoot Scott’s upcoming film, The Last Duel. Mangold has his Bob Dylan biopic Going Electric coming up, led by Timothee Chalamet, but it’s unclear if that will be next.

Sean Durkin Grappling With Film On The Von Erich Wrestling Family Curse

By

John Nolan

-

January 23, 2020

If you were a fan of professionally wrestling in ’80s and ’90s, you undoubtedly have heard of the Von Erich Curse. The Von Erichs, led by patriarch Fritz Von Erich, were a royal family of the wrestling business, in particular in the Texas scene. Five of Fritz’s sons became prominent wrestling superstars, with unlimited charisma and athletic ability. But by the time of Fritz’s death at the age of 68, four of his wrestling sons (David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris) had died before him, three by suicide. A fifth son died at the age of 6.

Not exactly a happy story, but one that is made to be told on the big screen. In a surprising bit of news, it’ll be Martha Marcy May Marlene director Sean Durkin telling the Von Erich story. Durkin will write the script, working alongside producers Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, and BBC Films.

Durkin tells Deadline…

“I’m very excited about this one. It’s another family portrait, about a wrestling family who revolutionised the sport and then suffered tragedy.”

After making waves here at Sundance with the creepy Martha Marcy May Marlene (which introduced us to Elizabeth Olsen), Durkin has pretty much been MIA. He’s back in Park City this year with his long-awaited followup, The Nest.

There are many tragic stories in the world of professional wrestling, but nothing quite like the Von Erichs. It’s impossible to calculate just how different the entire landscape would be if Fritz’s sons had lived. If you’re interested in learning more about them, the ESPN 30 for 30 doc “Wrestling the Curse” is a good place to start. Also, the Viceland series “Dark Side of the Ring” has a great episode on the Von Erich Curse.

‘Captain Marvel 2’ Moves Forward With ‘WandaVision’ Writer And New Directors

By

John Nolan

-

January 23, 2020

Of the many projects Marvel has coming up, a sequel to Captain Marvel might be the one we know the least about. Well, it was, anyway, because today brings news on the high-flying sequel, beginning with the hiring of WandaVision writer Megan McDonnell.

THR reports McDonnell, a staff writer on the Disney+ series WandaVision, is nearing a deal to pen Captain Marvel 2 and move the action from the ’90s to the present. This actually makes some sense, as the film and TV series are connected by the character of Monica Rambeau. She appeared as a child in Captain Marvel, but will be an adult woman, played by Teyonah Parris (Chi-Raq) in WandaVision and possibly taking on a superheroic persona as Photon, Spectrum, or one of her many other codenames.

With the hiring of McDonnell comes word that Captain Marvel directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden won’t return, but are being sought for a future Disney+ series. That’s only surprising because Marvel tends to keep filmmakers around for the long haul, but they may see Fleck and Boden’s indie strengths better-suited to long-form storytelling. I would agree with that. Their best films have always been character studies, something we don’t see much of from the MCU.

Marvel’s plan is to hire a woman to direct Captain Marvel 2, in time for a 2022 release. Brie Larson will return as the cosmic-powered hero, having driven the first movie to a $1.1B haul.

Netflix Doubles Down on ‘The Witcher’ As A New Anime Film Is In Development

By

John Nolan

-

January 23, 2020

It’s clear that Netflix knows they have a hit on their hands with The Witcher. The adaption of Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy book series has been a rating juggernaut (76 million people worldwide watched the first season based on Netflix’s metrics) as we were introduced to “The Continent” as we got to know monster hunter Geralt (Henry Cavill), sorceress Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and process Ciri (Freya Allan) as their fates will eventually intertwine. The first season (while time-jumping and confusing at times), helped fill in that GOT sized hole in our hearts and gave us a brand new world to explore filled with actual real fantasy, completed with magic, monsters, talking dragons, porcupine-faced royalty, and everything in between. It’s a no brainer that a second season of the show was coming (pretty much before the first season premiered), but now we’re getting even more of The Witcher in the form of an anime film.

Both Netflix and series creator Lauren S. Hissrich tweeted that a new anime film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is in development and will also be animated by the same studio behind The Legend of Kora, The Boondocks, and Voltron: Legendary Defender (Studio Mir).

It’s a big day here in #TheWitcher world — and I’ve been keeping this one secret for over a year! https://t.co/9Rp1ftDO0p

— Lauren S. Hissrich (@LHissrich) January 22, 2020

Netflix is no stranger to having multiple projects attached to the same IP as they currently have two different He-Man projects in the works: one anime series produced by Kevin Smith that’s a continuation of the 80’s classic (they really like anime) and another that’ll be a reboot of the property. There’s no word if Cavill, Chalotra, Allan or any of the other people from the live-action show will provide voice work for the film just yet or even if it will be connected. But rest assured, if it’s as fun as the TV show, we’ll all be watching!

Want to Stay Up All Night? The Trailer for ‘The Lodge’ is Here to Help!

By

John Nolan

-

January 22, 2020

I’ve always been a huge horror fan, I eat it up. There’s only one sub-genre that ever really scared me though. Paranormal horror with a religious slant is a surefire way to get me acting like a 4 year old girl (or boy, whatever, no gender stereotypes here). Enter The Lodge a story about a woman in a remote cabin, a Lodge, if you will, accompanied by what seems to be her boyfriends kids. They then dribble in some backstory about her time in a cult where everyone killed themselves and she was the only survivor and we start to realize that this isn’t going to end well. The remote nature of the setting, the feel, the shot selection, all of it seems primed to give us a terrifying time. Add in Timothy Omundson as the leader of the aforementioned cult and I’m all aboard this train ride to hell. Omundson has got to be one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood, an amazing character actor with a look that can’t be mimicked.

Check out the trailer below and….hey, wait! Was that Alicia Silverstone! More bonus points to Gryffindor for that one!