When it became clear Spider-Man: No Way Home would include the Multiverse and bring in characters from the wallcrawler’s Sam Raimi films, Marvel opened themselves up to a ton of speculation and rumor-mongering. Along with stories that Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire would be back in their respective Spidey suits, some have also said that Emma Stone would be reurning as Gwen Stacy. Well, the Cruellastar has some news for ya: she ain’t coming back.
Speaking with MTV, Stone shot down rumors of a Gwen Stacy return pretty definitively…
“I have heard those rumors. I don’t know if I’m supposed to say anything, but I’m not [involved].I’m not. I don’t know what you’re supposed to respond as an alumnus.”
Gwen Stacy met her death in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, anyway, so I don’t know how that would’ve worked. Then again, we’re talking about alternate universes here so anything is possible. But with Stone pregnant through much of the No Way Home shoot, it was unlikely to ever happen.
Stone can be seen starting today in Cruella on Disney+ and in theaters. Spider-Man: No Way Home opens December 17th.
Earlier this year we learned that Black Panther director Ryan Coogler would be working on a Wakanda spinoff series for Disney+, along with other Marvel projects. It’s possible we’ve learned about one of those now, as THR‘s boring report on Hollywood lawyers has yielded yet more news (as it did here about Joker 2), revealing that Danai Gurira is reprising the role of Okoye in a new show.
The story says that Gurira has agreed to return as Okoye, the fiercest member of the royal warriors the Dora Milaje, for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and an origin spinoff series on Disney+. Whether this is the same show reported on earlier that would focus on the many tribes of Wakanda is unclear, but it sounds like something altogether different.
What’s unclear is if this is an origin for Okoye specifically, the Dora Milaje, or for Black Panther. The assumption is Okoye, but until we know more it’s all just guesswork.
Members of the Dora Milaje have leapt from Black Panther to play key roles across the MCU. Okoye was part of the fight against Thanos in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame where she was working alongside the superhero team. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier also saw Ayo (Florence Kasumba) get involved and deliver Bucky’s most humiliating moment of the series.
But an Okoye series led by Gurira? Pretty awesome if it were to happen. We already know how badass Gurira is from her years on The Walking Dead, and it’ll be good to see her on a regular basis again, even if just for a short time.
When Joker was release a couple of years ago I don’t think anybody could have imagined it would as successful as it turned out to be. Not only did it go on to earn more than $1B at the box office, the first ever for an R-rated movie, but the list of accolades was extensive. Two Oscars were won, including Best Actor for star Joaquin Phoenix. While intended as a standalone effort, Warner Bros. wasn’t going to let that go to waste, and now it seems they’re moving forward on a sequel.
Deep in a THR report about Hollywood lawyers (*snooze*) is word that Todd Phillips has “struck a deal to co-write the next Joker installment.” That’s pretty much all they’ve got on it, which is curious. You would think news like this would warrant its own individual headline, which leads me to believe the info is a bit wobbly.
There have been numerous reports of a Joker sequel, and for the most part they’ve all been debunked by Phillips himself. Although Phillips and Phoenix have shown interest in returning, nothing was ever made official by Warner Bros.
So we’ll see if this for real or just another case of an outlet getting ahead of itself. Frankly, I’d like Joker to be a single effort without franchise aspirations.
I feel a resurgence of Werewolf movies coming, last year we had The Wolf of Snow Hollow and this year on June 25th in theaters, and July 2nd on streaming, we have Werewolves Within. Based on the video game of the same name, the film follows a small town park ranger who has to lead his town through a night of Werewolf attacks. As dark as that may sound, the trailer promises something TOTALLY different, and I’m totally sold! Milana Vayantrub is sure to be a big draw, but this ensemble looks like so much fun. There’s nothing better then a good horror-comedy in my mind, and the split they pulled here looks to be perfect. The atmosphere, the violence, it’s all super dark, but the dialogue is so completely opposite…it’s french fries in a milkshake type perfection.
Check out the official synopsis, then on to the trailer!
A proposed gas pipeline has created divisions within the small town of Beaverfield. When a snowstorm traps its residents together inside the local inn, newly arrived forest ranger Finn (Sam Richardson) and postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub) must try to keep the peace and uncover the truth behind a mysterious creature that has begun terrorizing the community.
Natalie Morales (who stars in Dead to Me) makes her directorial debut with Plan B (her SXSW film Language Lessons is unreleased so far) and is written by the witty and talented team of Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy. The film is from the producers of Harold & Kumar and Cobra Kai, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, along with Josh Heald, Dina Hillier also of Counterbalance Entertainment, and also produced by Ryan Bennett, Jeremy Garelick and Will Phelps of American High and Matt Lottman (Big Time Adolescence). Plan B is a sexually charged teen comedy filled with ruthless quips and insane shenanigans that make you want to buckle up and embrace the chaos.
Sunny (Kuhoo Verma, The Big Sick) is a straight A student who aims to be perfect and to make her mother, Rosie (Jolly Abraham) proud but is struggling with the peak of her sexual curiosity. She desires to achieve more of a mature awakening. Her best friend and known for her bad-girl reputation, is Lupe (Victoria Moroles, Teen Wolf). She’s also the daughter of widowed and local pastor, Pedro (Jacob Vargas). Sunny’s mother happens to be out of town for the night, so the girls decide to throw a party. They invite their love interests with the intent to break out of their adolescent/virgin shells. Things don’t go according to plan when Lupe’s date can’t make it and Hunter (Michael Provost), Sunny’s ambition for the evening, ends up leaving with another girl. Feeling heartbroken and abandoned, Sunny retreats to her bathroom and finds she is not alone. Kyle (Mason Cook), is a friendly nerd but his over-the-top church-y personality permeates a creepy and uncomfortable vibe that eventually lands him hiding in the bathroom as well. Feeling a brief, mutual connection in their moment of despair, the two throw all their cares out the window and officially (well, quickly and awkwardly) do the “dirty deed”.
The next morning, Sunny goes to the bathroom only to have the protection that was used the night before, literally plop into the toilet bowl. Insinuating that her sexual encounter didn’t go as safe as initially thought and in need of a Plan-B pill ASAP, the girls are determined to fulfill this mission for Sunny. Their discretionary hunt is halted after being denied at a local pharmacy for going against the seller’s “religious beliefs”. Realizing that the next closest Planned Parenthood facility is several hours away, the girls take Rosie’s van and hit the road. Navigating through the rural roads of Midwest America proves to be a roller coaster of insane and off-the-wall events that test their friendship, individual livelihood, and question the trust they want to have for their ‘rents.
Plan B has some great qualities that were very entertaining. This film includes the typical social awkwardness and a party bash with unintended consequences that most of us have enjoyed since featuring in the late 60’s and excelled in the 80’s. There’s an overflowing ambiance of dry sarcasm and off-the-wall shenanigans that is a big win for me. The chemistry and overall performances between all the characters are phenomenal. I love that there isn’t a one-lead dynamic either. Both girls have a secret and unknowingly share the eternal quest of acceptance and self-identity in this whole “coming of age” pursuit of life that makes this film definitely relatable. The conversation between Sunny and Hunter (Provost) at the diner is absolutely everything and by far, my most memorable/favorite scene. Another fabulous connection is when Lupe finally meets up with Logan, the gorgeous (sorry to spoil it!!!) Myha’la Herrold. They are perfect together! Plan B does not disappoint when it comes to its raunchy, over-the-top antics and there’s a wonderfully further diverse cast that includes Edi Patterson, Moses Storm, Jay Chandrasekhar, and Rachel Dratch. The soundtrack is fun too. Love Peaches!
Spanning at 1 hour and 48 minutes, Plan B is too long. Some scenes went overboard to prove its comedic value and pokes fun at the genuine concern that women face in too often a lose-lose battle regarding this dilemma. Had her mother simply talked to her in the first place AND appropriate education and resources were provided within the community, NONE of that drama would have ever had to happen. In fairness, the struggle of trying to protect and parent sexually charged teenagers and them not wanting to spill their guts yet is by far one of the most complex relationships you’ll ever have with them. That’s totally normal. Trust me, I know. I have teenage daughters!!
Plan B is definitely going to ruffle some feathers and draw attention to it’s controversial nature which could be a good thing. Or, the issue surrounding the Plan B pill could be completely overlooked having been overshadowed by the film’s need for gross shenanigans. The latter being my primary concern. Some will love it and some will hate it. Then there are people like me who are caught in the middle. We may agree that there are funny moments but feel like it still blankets the associated social stigma and casually tosses aside a genuine conundrum that often has no happy ending in these situations. Aside from all that, this movie meets all the craze of being crazy hilarious and breaks the ice surrounding this taboo topic. With that being said, I recommend that Plan B should be watched, at least once and with caution.
With Finn Wittrock set to play Guy Gardner and Jeremy Irvine as Alan Scott, Warner Bros.’ Green Lantern series for HBO Max is off and rolling. One question that gets asked a lot is whether this show and others will connect to what they’re doing over on The CW, and while the answer is likely “no”, incoming director Lee Toland Krieger has a ton of experience there.
Deadline reports Krieger will direct the first two Green Lantern episodes from Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Seth Grahame-Smith. Krieger is best known for his work on other Berlanti shows including Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Superman & Lois. So maybe this Green Lantern will be closer in style to them than the dark and gritty Titans or what Warner Bros. is doing on the big screen?
Green Lantern will span decades, beginning in the 1940s with the first Lantern, secretly gay FBI agent Alan Scott, up to the ’80s with the cocky Guy Gardner and alien Bree Jarta. Loads of other Lanterns are expected to appear, both familiar favorites (Kilowog!!) and some who are brand new.
Outside of his Berlanti-verse stuff, Krieger also directed rom-com Celeste & Jesse Forever and the Blake Lively drama The Age of Adaline.
Having worked on short films for the likes of Kid Cudi, Miley Cyrus, and A$AP Rocky, director Jimmy Giannopoulos is accustomed to being around big stars. That continues with his feature directing debut, the crime drama The Birthday Cake, which gives us a chance to see Val Kilmer as a Brooklyn mob boss.
The film stars Kilmer alongside Shiloh Fernandez, Ewan McGregor, William Fichtner, Ashley Benson, Aldis Hodge, Penn Badgley, Luis Guzmán, Jeremy Allen White, and Emory Cohen, and Sopranos vets Lorraine Bracco and Vincent Pastore.
Here’s the synopsis: Gio brings a cake to a memorial celebration for the 10th anniversary of his father’s mysterious death, hosted by his uncle (Kilmer), a Brooklyn mafia boss. His life begins to change as he pieces together what really happened to his father.
The Birthday Cake will hit theaters and VOD on June 18th.
Of all of the people who would be the right fit to play boxing champ Iron Mike Tyson, one of the best choices is Trevante Rhodes. The Moonlight actor will don the gloves as Tyson in an upcoming limited series on Hulu.
THR reports Rhodes will play Tyson in Iron Mike, a biopic series from I, Tonya screenwriter Steven Rogers and that film’s director Craig Gillespie. Karin Gist will act as showrunner. The series will follow Tyson’s rise to become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion at the age of 20. From there he courted public controversy with his marriage, then a rape conviction that led to a handful of years in prison. When Tyson did mount a boxing comeback, he gained infamy for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear.
If you’ve seen Rhodes in action, especially on The Predator, you know he’s got the physicality to play Tyson. Moreso than Jamie Foxx, who we know is starring as Tyson in an upcoming series directed by Antoine Fuqua. Rhodes was most recently seen in The United States vs. Billie Holliday, and also had a role in Bird Box.
Hulu has yet to set a date for Iron Mike but we’ll fill you in when they do.
Are we done talking about the M. Night Shyamalan “comeback”? He’s had a few solid films in the bank for a while now with The Visit, Split, and Glass, while his Apple TV+ series Servant helping launch that newbie streaming service. And now Shyamalan returns with Old, another promising thriller that, even judging by the trailers, looks like it will have one of the director’s famous twists.
Starring Gael García Bernal, Eliza Scanlen, Thomasin McKenzie, Aaron Pierre, Alex Wolff, Vicky Krieps, Abbey Lee, Embeth Davidtz, and Rufus Sewell, the film finds a group of people on a mysterious beach, where they begin to age rapidly without explanation. Worse, none of them seem to be able to leave. The film is based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and illustrated by Frederik Peeters.
Old hits theaters on July 23rd!
This summer, visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan unveils a chilling, mysterious new thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly … reducing their entire lives into a single day.
Well, I guess Searchlight Pictures heard the murmurs yesterday when Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatchwas confirmed as part of the Cannes lineup, but didn’t have an actual release date. The studio has now made official an October 22nd debut in theaters, after a long delay caused by the pandemic. Also confirmed is its spot as an Official Selection at Cannes Film Festival in July and the 59th New York Film Festival in the fall.
The film had been set to open on July 24th 2020, only to be pushed to October 16th 2020 because of COVID-19. Plans for Anderson’s period ensemble piece to appear at last year’s Cannes were also scuttled.
Described as a “love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th Century French city and brings to life a collection of stories published in ‘The French Dispatch’ magazine”, the film stars Benicio del Toro, Tilda Swinton, Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, Owen Wilson, Frances McDormand, Adrien Brody, Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Timothée Chalamet, and more.
October 22nd will find The French Dispatch going head-to-head with Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho. The movies are definitely back, people! You’ve got choices to make again.
