Sony is still reeling from the embarrassing Madame Web release, just the latest of their Spider-Man spinoff films to fail miserably. But there are still two more left to go in 2024, which just goes to show how much they’ve invested in this cinematic universe that nobody seems to care about. Coming up next in August is Kraven the Hunter, which already has the stink of death surrounding it. And after that is the continuation of Sony’s most successful franchise, Venom 3, which has just been given a new title and release date.
Arriving a couple of weeks earlier than expected on October 25th is Venom: The Last Dance, suggesting one final adventure for Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and his symbiote partner. The film was co-written by Hardy and Kelly Marcel, with Marcel also taking over as director. She follows Andy Serkis who directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Ruben Fleischer who helmed the first movie in 2018.
Joining Hardy in the cast are Juno Temple, Clark Backo, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, the latter playing on both sides of the Marvel field. He’s also part of the MCU as Mordo, a villain who has appeared in both Doctor Strange movies.
As for plot details, that remains a mystery. But one has to expect we’ll see more female symbiote running around. Perhaps a symbiote love triangle?
Sony has raked in over $1.3B from the first two Venom movies, so it’s a bit surprising they’d want to wrap it up with Venom:The Last Dance. Then again, the second film earned $300M less than its predecessor, so perhaps they see the writing on the wall.
Jennifer Lopez has always kept one foot in her pop star world, the J-Lo side, and her career as an actress. But recent weeks have seen her straddling both more than she has in a while. Lopez recently released her hybrid concert movie This is Me…Now on Prime Video, with an accompanying album. And now Lopez turns to another streamer, Netflix, for a big sci-fi action thriller, Atlas, that arrives in May.
The film is directed by Brad Peyton, who doesn’t really do small movies as the director of San Andreas, Rampage, and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. Lopez stars as an analyst with a distrust of artificial intelligence who is sent on a mission to capture a rogue robot.
Joining Lopez in the cast are Oscar nominee Sterling K. Brown, Shang-Chi and Barbie actor Simu Liu, Mark Strong, and Lana Parrilla. Atlas has a script by Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite who previously worked with Peyton on the short-lived Netflix series, Daybreak.
Here’s the synopsis: Atlas Shepherd (Lopez), a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, who joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.
A movie set against the backdrop of Portland’s racing pigeon scene hardly sounds like where you’d find an honest, heartfelt teen coming-of-age story. But then Little Wing isn’t just another film conjured up to tug at the heartstrings. It’s based on a New Yorker article penned by Susan Orlean, with the fact-based aspects only matched by the genuine performances by Brian Cox, Kelly Reilly, and star Brooklynn Prince.
Prince, who most will recgonize for her breakout role as Moonee in The Florida Project, has really come into her own as an actress. Having starred in numerous films, including last year’s hit Cocaine Bear, Prince is in nearly every scene and holds her own opposite her veteran co-stars. It also doesn’t hurt that Prince is the same age as 13-year-old protagonist, Kaitlyn, who is struggling with being a teen as well as her parents’ divorce and the prospect of moving away from the only home she’s ever known. Reilly plays Kaitlyn’s mother, Maddie, who works too many hours and doesn’t see enough of her children, including son Matt (Simon Khan) who has gone silent since the divorce. Worse, Maddie can’t keep up with the mortgage payments no matter how many shifts she picks up at work.
Expecting an Iphone for her birthday, Kaitlyn instead is gifted two pigeons from a family friend. She hates the gift, of course, until her best friend, the timid dodgeball magnet Adam (Che Tafari) tells her of Jaan Vari (Cox), who has a racing pigeon worth more than $100K. Kaitlyn, who doesn’t want to move away and start her life over again, decides to steal the bird and sell it to fix her mother’s financial problems.
This might sound utterly ridiculous, but the script by John Gatins (Real Steel, Power Rangers) embraces how crazy a notion this is while staying true to Kaitlyn’s motivations. For a desperate teen prone to rash decisions, it’s not so crazy to see how she could see this as a solution. And it’s just a bird, right? Nobody is actually going to be hurt by this, right?
In contrast to his Logan Roy persona in Succession, Cox brings a lot of warmth to the role of Jaan. While intimidating initially, he’s someone who has seen enough of the world to have a broader perspective. A war veteran in his golden years, he sees in Kaitlyn someone just beginning to discover who she is. Yes, she has this chip on her shoulder and it’s probably like one he used to carry. So when he decides to take her under his wing, no pun intended, it’s to help her see that the future will be a bright one whenever she’s ready to take flight.
Directed by Dean Israelite, whose previous filmsProject Almanac and Power Rangers carried superhero trends to the coming-of-age genre, Little Wing succeeds on authenticity and powerful performances. Most of all, Prince is doing some of the best work of her young career in a complicated role. Kaitlyn’s depression sinks to depths that could be tough for some to watch, but I would say that her resilience and fearless attitude are just as much of a pleasure. Reilly is also very good as Kaitlyn’s mother, and I thought it was important how they show the helplessness some parents feel when trying to help their struggling children. But it’s also crucial to show a mother like Maddie who plows through and tries her best, anyway. She never gives up.
Little Wing isn’t breaking the mold, and there are some familiar genre beats which is to be expected. But this movie is a real joy to watch, its heart is in the right place, and it’s worth seeking out on Paramount+ right now.
Following the news of The Batman 2‘s delay into 2026, Warner Bros. is setting the release date for another high-profile project. Paul Thomas Anderson’s follow-up to Licorice Pizza, an untitled film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has been set for August 8th 2025. A summer release is interesting as it doesn’t necessarily suggest an awards contender, but then one can’t possibly know until actually seeing it.
Details on the film remain scarce, and rumors differ on what it’s actually about. It’s either a sweet coming-of-age story about a young girl training to be a martial artist, or it’s an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland. Maybe it’s a little bit of both? A girl martial artist against the backdrop of 1984 California and the reelection of Ronald Reagan?
Also in the cast are Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, and Chase Infiniti. Anderson wrote the script and will direct, finally achieving his goal of working with DiCaprio who nearly starred in Boogie Nights years ago.
Let’s just say that Beau is Afraid was not everyone’s cup of tea, doing middling business at the box office and receiving a middling response from audiences. But that hasn’t stopped Ari Aster, who has been talking about a reunion with Joaquin Phoenix for a sort of Western comedy/road movie. There have been a lot of rumors flying around about an A-list cast, and now A24 has confirmed many of those rumors to be true.
A24 has revealed the full cast for Ari Aster’s next film, Eddington, which will indeed star Joaquin Phoenix. Joining him will be Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, and Austin Butler, along with Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward, and Clifton Collins Jr.
Plot details have not been confirmed, but some sites are saying the nightmare road movie centers on a couple on their way to Los Angeles who are stranded near the small town of Eddington, New Mexico.
This will be a reunion for Phoenix and Stone. You might recall they starred together in Woody Allen’s Irrational Man in 2015. It’s okay if you forgot about that one, too.
Aster said during a Reddit AMA previously, “There was a period of time when I thought “Midsommar” would be the debut feature, and there was a period when I thought another script called “Eddington” might be the first movie. For like five years, I was trying to get that Western-noir dark ensemble comedy going. That won’t be the next one, by the way, though I do still want to make it very badly. I made ‘Hereditary‘ first, but I always had “Midsommar” in my back pocket, like it was right there in me.”
“Although it’s sort of a—I don’t know if you’d call it a revisionist western. It’s contemporary; one foot is in the Western [genre], and one foot is even more heavily in the noir genre. So, it’s like a film noir ensemble western dark comedy.”
And as you can see from the below post, production on Eddington has begun in New Mexico.
The irony of Scream and Scream VI helping to revitalize the horror franchise is that its success was followed by its greatest turmoil. External events led to the firing of star Melissa Barrera, the exit of red-hot star Jenna Ortega, and the quitting of director Christopher Landon. But it’s clear that an effort is being made to make amends, at least to the fans and unquestionably Scream‘s most popular star.
Spyglass Media announced that Neve Campbell is officially back as Sidney Prescott for Scream VII. Campbell had decided not to return for Scream VI due to pay disparities, and a general feeling that her worth to the franchise was going unappreciated.
Not only that, but Scream creator and writer Kevin Williamson will finally get to direct one for himself. He previously penned three of the previous movies, plus other iconic teen horrors of the era such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Faculty. Previous to this, Williamson’s only directorial effort was 1999’s Teaching Mrs. Tingle.
Campbell remarked on IG about the news, praising the people she’s worked with and showing excitement to finally have Williamson behind the camera:
“While I’ve been so incredibly lucky to make these films with both the master of horror Wes Craven and the wonderfully talented Matt and Tyler team, I’ve dreamt for many years of how amazing it would be to make one of these movies with Kevin Williamson at the helm. And now it’s happening: Kevin Williamson is going to direct ‘Scream 7’! This was his baby, and it’s his brilliant mind that dreamt up this world. Kevin is not just an inspiration as an artist but has been a dear friend for many years. To the amazing Scream fans, I hope you are as excited as I am.”
Scream VII will have a script by Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt. The film doesn’t currently have a release date, and with the writers essentially starting from scratch, we might not hear about one for a while.
Here’s hoping you weren’t too eager for Matt Reeves’ sequel to The Batman. The next film, tentatively titled The Batman-Part II, was due to open on October 3rd 2025. But today Warner Bros. has confirmed a year-long delay, pushing it to October 2nd 2026.
This shouldn’t be a total shock. There hasn’t been a lot of chatter out there about The Batman-Part II. Reeves has never been a quick writer or filmmaker, preferring to take a deliberate approach with each project. Add to that cinematographer Greig Fraser who has been quite busy on The Creator and Dune: Part Two.
Of course, Pattinson will return as Bruce Wayne/Batman, with Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Andy Serkis as Alfred, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, and Colin Farrell as The Penguin.
The Batman was the seventh highest-grossing movie of 2022 with $772M worldwide. Like Joker and its upcoming sequel, it is not completely separate from the DCU being established by James Gunn.
Those eager to return to this Bat-verse can check out Farrell in the Penguin series coming to Max later this year.
Imagine the biceps on this set! Deadline confirms that Arnold Schwarzenegger is joining muscle-bound Reacher star Alan Ritchson in the Christmas heist comedy The Man with the Bag. The film is set up at Amazon MGM Studios with a plan to shoot later this year.
This will be Schwarzenegger’s first film since Terminator: Dark Fate in 2019. That same year he also shot scenes for Kung Fury 2, which has yet to be released. Schwarzenegger was a presenter this past weekend at the Oscars alongside his Twins co-star and fellow Batman villain Danny DeVito, as they traded barbs with Batman himself, Michael Keaton.
Ritchson most recently starred in the faith-based drama Ordinary Angels, and played a baddie in Fast X.
Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Disenchanted) will direct the film from a script by Allan Rice. Here’s the synopsis:
“When Santa’s magic bag is stolen, he turns to his naughty list to find Vance, a former thief, to help him get it back. Along with his daughter, Santa, and a group of misfit elves, Vance will have to pull off the greatest heist of his life to save Christmas.”
The likelihood that Arnold is playing Santa, with Ritchson as Vance. Seriously, this is almost like a passing of the torch moment, because Ritchson has been compared to Schwarzenegger in some action-junkie circles and I totally see it. These two were destined to make a movie together, so consider me pumped to see this one.
With $369M worldwide, Dune: Part Twois looking like the blockbuster hit that Warner Bros. and director Denis Villeneuve hoped it would be. At this rate it should easily surpass the $443M of Dune in 2021, and hopefully clear the path for Villeneuve to direct the third movie, Dune Messiah. However, that has yet to be officially greenlit as far as we know.
Villeneuve is excited to do it, however, and a big part of the reason is a chance to work again with actresses Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor-Joy. The two had small roles in Dune: Part Two, but if Messiah happens you can expect that to change as Pugh’s Princess Irulan and Taylor-Joy’s Alia Atreides are more significant to the story.
“I love her,” Villeneuve said of Taylor-Joy. “I would love to make ‘Dune Messiah’ just to work with her and Florence more. Those actresses are so inspiring. They give me chills and the will to do another one.”
“I was deeply happy with the fact that Anya accepted this challenge of playing a ghost and a secret. I cannot believe that we kept the secret that long. It required so much work to keep that secret. Everybody signed with their blood.”
So it sounds like Villeneuve is gung-ho for more Dune. Certainly, fans of the adaptations would agree, and you can count me as one of them. But these were two massive movies, and the director may decide to take a break before coming back to the world of Arrakis. Stay tuned, and enjoy some spice while you wait.
George Miller’s anticipated Mad Max: Fury Road prequel, Furiosa, isn’t far away. While we know Anya Taylor-Joy will play a young Furiosa, with Chris Hemsworth as the villain Dementus, one question has remained a mystery. Who is the actor playing a younger version of Immortan Joe, the insane warlord previously played by the late actor Hugh Keays-Byrne? Well, now we know the answer.
Empire has learned that another Aussie actor, Lachy Hulme, will play Immortan Joe in Furiosa. Joe was a major player in the first movie but will have more of a supporting role this time.
Hulme already had a role in Furiosa as Rizzdale Pell, a member of Dementus’ gang, but will now pull double-duty as Immortan Joe. And it turns out that Hulme personally lobbied Miller for the job to honor Keays-Byrne…
“He said, ‘I’ll probably just get a body double’ I said, ‘Well, somebody needs to step up for Hugh. Someone needs to honour this great man. I can do it. I can do the voice. And it’s all in the eyes.”
Hulme continued, “He said, ‘Do you want to do it?’ I said, ‘What took you so long? You’ve finally figured out that this movie ain’t gonna make dollar one until you’ve got double Lachy Hulme in it!’”
Miller does know Hulme well, having worked with him on last year’s Three Thousand Years of Longing. Hulme also played the role of Sparks in two Matrix movies.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga hits theaters on May 24th.
