Godzilla Spits Fire In First Look At ‘Godzilla: King Of The Monsters’

By

-

July 13, 2018

Gareth Edwards’s Godzilla movie kicked off Legendary’s Monsterverse with a mighty roar, and we’ve only seen it grow louder with last year’s Kong: Skull Island. But those two films are just the beginning, as next year brings Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which finds the titular creature battling some of his greatest foes while setting up 2020’s gigantic showdown, Godzilla vs. Kong.

EW has debuted the first images from Godzilla: King of the Monsters, one showing Godzilla as he spews atomic fire up into the heavens. We also get a look at two of the film’s human stars, Millie Bobby Brown as Madison and Vera Farmiga as her mother Dr. Emma Russell. Emma is a scientist working for the monster-hunting organization Monarch, which played a big role in Kong: Skull Island.

Director Michael Dougherty, best known for the Christmas horror Krampus, talks about how the world has changed in the five years since the events in Godzilla…

“The world is reacting to Godzilla in the same way we would react to any other terrifying incident, in that we are overreacting. There’s paranoia and endless speculation about whether he is the only one out there or whether we’re threatened by others like his kind.”

Of course, we know Godzilla isn’t the only one of his kind. There are other monsters lurking underground just waiting for their chance to strike. It’s been promised since the day the sequel was announced that Godzilla’s foes King Ghidora, Mothra, and Rodan would appear, making this the ultimate war for monster supremacy.

Others in the cast include Kyle Chandler as Emma’s ex-husband and Madison’s father. Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins reprise their Godzilla roles as key Monarch employees. O’Shea Jackson Jr., Zhang Ziyi, Bradley Whitford, Charles Dance, Anthony Ramos, and Thomas Middleditch co-star.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters opens May 31st 2019.

Danai Gurira Up For Roles In ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ And ‘Star Trek 4’

By

John Nolan

-

July 13, 2018

If the best thing to come out of Black Panther is Danai Gurira getting more blockbuster franchise roles, then “WAKANDA FOREVER” it is! The Walking Dead actress is eyeing two major studio flicks, Legendary’s Godzilla vs. Kong, and Paramount’s Star Trek 4.

Deadline reports Gurira is in talks for Legendary’s massive crossover flick, Godzilla vs. Kong, a mashup sequel to 2014’s Godzilla, 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, and next year’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. She would be joining the previously-cast Millie Bobby Brown, Zhang Ziyi, Kyle Chandler, and Julian Dennison in the Monsterverse film directed by Adam Wingard. No word on Gurira’s role but I’m sure we’ll find out more if she signs on the dotted line. Godzilla vs. Kong opens May 22nd 2020.

Meanwhile, Gurira is also said to be up for a role in Star Trek 4, which will be directed by S.J. Clarkson, the franchise’s first female director. She would be joining the cast of the most recent Trek films, plus Chris Hemsworth who is reprising his role as Kirk’s father, seen sacrificing his life in the first movie. The script by JD Payne and Patrick McKay will include time travel and an encounter between Kirk and his father. Once again, we don’t know what Gurira would be doing if she agrees. The film has yet to secure a firm release date so it may be a while before we know anything.

‘Warcraft’ Director Duncan Jones Is Working On A Comic Book Movie Next

By

John Nolan

-

July 12, 2018

Duncan Jones’s long-awaited film Mute didn’t make much noise when it was released to Netflix earlier this year, but the director is forging ahead on his next project. While it looked like it would be a sequel to Warcraft, Jones recently tweeted hopes for a followup were unlikely. And now today Jones has teased that his next film will be based on a comic book. Which one? He’s decided to play coy on that score…

A little nervous about this, but hell, nervous is where the fun is!
I’m going to be making a comic book movie next! A pretty special one.
That’s the initial tease…

Second tease to come in a few days!

— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) July 12, 2018

Of course, the speculation is that it will be something from Marvel or DC but I seriously doubt that. Jones told Joblo some months back that he’s interested in doing lesser-known comic book movies, which wipes out most titles from the Big 2 companies. I highly doubt it will even be a superhero movie.

Let’s wait and see what the next tease is, but my curiosity is piqued.

Marvel Selects Cate Shortland To Direct Their ‘Black Widow’ Movie

By

John Nolan

-

July 12, 2018

It’s taken Marvel longer than it probably should have for them to fully hand the directorial reins over to a woman director, but that time is finally here. THR reports Cate Shortland, the director of acclaimed films Somersault, Lore, and the recent Berlin Syndrome, will take the helm of Marvel’s Black Widow movie.

Shortland beat out some strong contenders for the job, including Kimberly Peirce, Maggie Betts, Amma Asante, Melanie Laurent and others. It was star Scarlett Johansson who gave Shortland the edge, having been a fan of the filmmaker’s work. She’ll be working from a script by Jac Schaeffer that will reportedly be set before Joss Whedon’s The Avengers. Just how far back that means is unclear, but speculation has been that it could go back to her early days as a Russian spy.

Marvel met with dozens of potential directors before deciding on Shortland, and they have made an excellent choice. One of Shortland’s talents is highlighting new stars, whether it’s Sam Worthington, Abbie Cornish, or Saskia Rosendahl. Berlin Syndrome gave Teresa Palmer one of her best roles, as well. It makes me hope Shortland will have the opportunity to launch another new star.

Joaquin Phoenix On Playing The Joker And How It Scares The Sh*t Out Of Him

By

John Nolan

-

July 12, 2018

Although his name has been attached to Todd Phillips’ Joker movie for months, Joaquin Phoenix was by no means a sure thing. He’s been up for comic book movies in the past, most notably Marvel’s Doctor Strange, and it’s never worked out. That’s over now with Warner Bros. greenlighting the origin story for Batman’s greatest nemesis, in the process confirming Phoenix’s casting.

So what won Phoenix over this time? After playing coy for so long he actually opened up a little bit to Collider, and revealed the role terrified him so much he had to take it….

“I take a lot of time and consideration when making decisions and what I’m gonna work on always. So, in some ways, the process, which is obviously reading a script and meeting a filmmaker and then continuing to have meetings and discussions with Todd [Phillips]. I think he’s very impressive and he seems to have a very interesting understanding of this world and what he’s trying to say. And so there is something very appealing about that and working with him on this particular project. It feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe, mostly, it scares the [frick]ing shit out of me or something. It might as well be the thing that scares you the most.”

He adds that another factor in his decision was a desire to star in a lower budgeted comic book film, one with a singular focus…

“Three or four years ago, I called my agent and said ‘Why don’t they want to take one of these characters and just make a lower budget film about it, a movie but a character study, and why not take one of the villains?’ And I thought, ‘You can’t do the Joker, because, you know, it’s just you can’t do that character, it’s just been done.’ So I was trying to think of other characters, and he said ‘I’ll set up a general meeting with Warner Bros.’ And I said ‘I’m not gonna go, I can’t go to a general meeting.’ So I completely forgot about it, and so then I heard about this idea, I was like, ‘Oh that’s so exciting, that’s the kind of experience I wanted to have, with a movie based on a comic character.’ I felt like you could get something on screen.”

While the prospect of Phoenix playing the Joker is exciting, having multiple Joker movies with different actors (Jared Leto’s version is still out there) isn’t an idea that fans have taken to yet. For Phoenix, he doesn’t sees the film as different from anything else Warner Bros. is doing, and that seems to be a big part of the attraction…

“I think, underneath the excitement of these films, and the size of them, there are these incredible characters that are dealing with real life struggles. And sometimes that is uncovered and exposed, and sometimes it isn’t, and so I always felt, like, there were characters in comics that were really interesting and deserve the opportunity to be kind of studied. And so I think that’s what Todd sees appealing about this idea.”

Hopefully more details emerge in the coming days, especially if Phoenix shows up at Comic-Con for the big Warner Bros. panel.

Mark Rylance Is ‘Waiting For The Barbarians’, Julianne Moore Joins ‘The Woman In The Window’, And More

By

John Nolan

-

July 12, 2018

Oscar-winning Bridge of Spies and Ready Player One star Mark Rylance is confirmed to lead adaptation Waiting for the Barbarians. J.M. Coetzee’s allegorical 1980 novel centers on a magistrate and loyal servant to “the Empire”, who begins to reconsider his role in the regime after witnessing the brutal treatment of prisoners of war. The film will be directed by Ciro Guerra, best known for Best Foreign Language Film nominee Embrace of the Serpent. [THR]

Julianne Moore may be joining Amy Adams in the Rear Window-esque thriller, The Woman in the Window. Based on the book by AJ Finn, the story centers on an alcoholic recluse in New York City who spends too much time spying on her nearby neighbors. When a new family moves in she witnesses something she shouldn’t have that changes her life. Moore will play the mother of a mysterious young boy who moves in across the street, presumably from the family Adams’ character is infatuated with. The talent on board for this is incredible, with Joe Wright (Atonement) directing from a script by acclaimed playwright/actor Tracy Letts. The Woman in the Window opens October 4th 2019. [THR]

Blockers breakout Geraldine Viswanathan is joining Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney in high school dramedy Bad Education. Thoroughbreds director Cory Finley is at the helm with a script by I Think We’re Alone Now writer Mike Makowsky. Comparisons to the classic school satire Election are already going around, although actual plot details are being kept under wraps. What we do know is that it will be based on Makowsky’s own high school experiences.

Keri Russell To Star In Guillermo Del Toro’s Supernatural Horror, ‘Antlers’

By

John Nolan

-

July 12, 2018

This is turning out to be a big week for Keri Russell. The Americans star recently signed on for a role in Star Wars 9, the biggest film of her career by far, and now she’s entered talks for Guillermo Del Toro’s supernatural horror, Antlers.

Set to be directed by Scott Cooper (Hostiles) with Del Toro producing, the film would star Russell as “a teacher who takes an interest in a mysterious and withdrawn student. Only too late does she discover that the boy is harboring a deadly secret that is key to their town’s survival.” The film is based on the short A Quiet Boy by Nick Antosca, who adapted the script with Henry Chaisson.

Filming begins this fall, a smart move with Russell in such high demand right now. [THR]

‘Glass’: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, & James McAvoy Get Help In First Official Images

By

John Nolan

-

July 12, 2018

One of the big panels at next week’s San Diego Comic-Con will be for M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass, where it’s expected the first trailer will debut. Before we get there, EW has dropped the first official images from the third chapter of Shyamalan’s trilogy which began with Unbreakable and Split.

The images feature the return of Bruce Willis as hero David Dunn, Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, and James McAvoy as Kevin Wendell Crumb aka The Beast. We also see Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey, who managed to escape Crumb’s clutches. We also see Sarah Paulson as a new character, a psychiatrist charged with treating all three at the mental instituion they end up at.

Shyamalan says of Paulson’s character, “She deals with people that think they’re comic-book characters. It’s kind of the modern-day equivalent of ‘I think I’m Jesus’ or ‘I’m an emperor.’ ”

Glass hits theaters on January 18th 2019.

‘Mary Queen Of Scots’ Trailer: Saoirse Ronan And Margot Robbie Are Rivals For The Throne

By

John Nolan

-

July 12, 2018

Palace intrigue doesn’t get much more intrguing than the tumultuous relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart. Their lives have always been a Hollywood fascination, and it continues with Mary Queen of Scots, which boasts the irresistible duo of Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie as the royal “sisters”.

Directed by Josie Rourke, the film’s debut trailer feels like an episode of The Tudors, or perhaps Game of Thrones. With both Ronan and Robbie in the Best Actress race last year the awards season designs are very evident. Maybe we’ll get a battle of royals between this film and Yorgos Lanthimos’ offbeat The Favorite? Here’s the synopsis:

“Mary Queen of Scots” explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth 1. Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.

Also starring Jack Lowden, Guy Pearce, and David Tennant, with a script by House of Cards creator Beau Willimon, Mary Queen of Scots opens December 7th.

Anya Taylor-Joy, Nick Robinson, & Sasha Lane To Lead ‘Weetzie Bat’ Adaptation

By

John Nolan

-

July 12, 2018

Author Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat, the first of her Dangerous Angels series of novels, were the doorway to which many young people first learned of the AIDS crisis, LGBTQ issues, teen sex, and more. For those very reasons it was also very controversial as some critics claimed it was not meant for the YA audience. That said, I’m not at all surprised it has taken this long for Hollywood to greenlight an adaptation, as we’re starting to see a diversity of representation on the big screen.

The cast being put together for Weetzie Bat is like a who’s who of young Hollywood. Anya Taylor-Joy will play the titular character, a pixie-ish young woman growing in a neon fairy tale version of Los Angeles in the 1980s. Love, Simon‘s Nick Robinson and Keiynan Lonsdale, American Honey‘s Sasha Lane, and Theodore Pellerin of Boy Erased round out a truly amazing cast. Block will adapt the screenplay with Justin Kelly (I Am Michael) directing.

Deadline describes the story this way: Weetzie (Taylor-Joy) is an ethereal pixie living in 1980s Los Angeles, where she grew up the child of an alcoholic starlet mother and a junkie screenwriter father. She teams up with her Mohawked best friend Dirk (Pellerin) to find love, leading her to mysterious trenchcoat-wearing filmmaker Max (Robinson) and platinum-haired surfer Duck (Lonsdale). But when their bliss is threatened by deaths, breakups and Max’s witchy and bitter ex-girlfriend Vixanne (Lane), Weetzie must take off her pink harlequin sunglasses in order to confront life’s darkness and find happiness in a city known as much for the glamour of fame and fortune as the darkness of cults and crime.

There are seven novels in the Dangerous Angels series, with the most recent released in 2012. If the first film is a hit I wouldn’t be surprised to more adaptations down the line.