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‘Starlight’: Joe Cornish To Write And Direct Adaptation Of Mark Millar Sci-Fi Comic Book Series

By
Travis Hopson
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Joe Cornish came out of the blocks hot, with the cult favorite Attack the Block, then a co-writing gig with Edgar Wright on Marvel’s Ant-Man. While the superhero gig sorta fell through, Cornish was pretty quiet until The Kid Who Would Be King just a couple of years ago. So his output has been slim for such a fan-favorite creator, however that’s about to change as he’s lined up a new comic book project to adapt for the big screen.

Deadline reports Cornish will write and direct an adaptation of Starlight, the sci-fi comic book series by Kick-Ass, Wanted, Kingsman, and Jupiter’s Legacy creator Mark Millar. The story has a very The Last Starfighter quality to it, centering on a man who believes he went adventuring in space 35 years earlier, but nobody believes him. He settles into a quiet family life, but all of that is disrupted when his old starship arrives and he’s asked to help save the universe once more.

This is still early on, and it’s unclear when 20th Century Studios intend to release the film into theaters. Simon Kinberg, best known for the X-Men franchise, is on board as a producer.

An earlier attempt to adapt Starlight had Gary Whitta (Rogue One) on the script and Sylvester Stallone eyeing the lead role.

Cornish has a couple of other projects cooking right now, including a new series he’s developing that has Edgar Wright as a producer. There’s also been talk of an Attack the Block sequel that would reunite him with John Boyega, but we’ll see about that.

‘Army Of The Dead’ Trailer: Dave Bautista Takes On Smart Zombies In Zack Snyder’s Crazy Heist Flick

By
Travis Hopson
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Although Zack Snyder’s career has taken a pretty divisive turn, most agree that his 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead is either his best movie or near the top. He’s been wanting to return to that genre ever since, and he’s finally doing that with Army of the Dead, while also scratching another itch in the heist genre.

Zombies and heists? Yes please.

Once a Warner Bros. project (where Snyder has spent much of his career) but now at home at Netflix, Army of the Dead stars fan-favorite Dave Bautista as leader of a mercenary group busting into a Las Vegas casino for the ultimate heist. The catch? Vegas has become a quarantine zone after a zombie outbreak.

The cast includes Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Garret Dillahunt, Raul Castillo, Omari Hardwick, Tig Nataro, and Matthias Schweighöfer. Bautista notably turned down a role in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad to work with Snyder on this, so that should tell you something. Looks like an absolute blast and I can’t wait.

Army of the Dead hits Netflix on May 21st.

Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries takes the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

 

Salma Hayek Ramps Up The Fun Quotient In The Trailer For ‘The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’

By
John Nolan
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hitman bodyguard

You could be forgiven for missing or forgetting about The Hitman’s Bodyguard a 2017 action-comedy featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds. You won’t be forgiven for not making your way back around to see it now that I’ve reminded you. It’s one of those quick and easy but extremely fun action flicks that just makes your day better. Now, the rule of sequels is bigger and better, so how do you improve the fun of a movie that already features two of Hollywood’s most charismatic and enjoyable leads? You call it The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and you add Salma Hayek, that’s how!

The ageless beauty shouldn’t distract you from the power she packs in that small package, all the way back to her roots in Desperado Hayek has been a force to be reckoned with when cast in action roles, this film appears to be no different. Following up with Ryan Reynolds Michael Bryce, who’s been scarred from his time with Jackson’s Darius Kincade, finds him as a man who needs a break. When he finally takes some “me time” he’s immediately yanked from his place of zen by Darius’s wife Sonia (Hayek) to rescue Darius who’s been kidnapped by the mob.

This cast and story (plus the addition of Frank Grillo) pretty much guarantee’s that the trailer below isn’t advertising anything it doesn’t intend to sell. You can find out for yourself when The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard hits theaters on June 16th, 2021

 

 

Cate Blanchett To Star In ‘TAR’ From Director Todd Field

By
Travis Hopson
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Incredibly, it’s been fifteen years since Todd Field’s last film, Little Children. And in that time, he’s been attached to many things that just haven’t gotten off the ground. So it’s a little tough to get excited about the latest report from Deadline, which says Field will direct Cate Blanchett in a film he wrote titled TAR.

Details on TAR are scarce, other than it’s set up at Focus Features and will be set in Berlin with production set for September. This will be the first time Field and Blanchett have worked together, but it bodes well for her considering the acting awards nominations that have come out of his two previous films. In the Bedroom garnered recognition for Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, and Marisa Tomei, while Little Children earned acclaim for Kate Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley.

Again, we’ve seen this before from Field. The list of unrealized projects from him is extensive, like his forever-delayed The Creed of Violence with Daniel Craig, or his narrative version of Sundance doc Battered Bastards of Baseball, or his film on P.O.W. Bowe Bergdahl, or an adaptation of Beautiful Ruins with a litany of actresses attached including Imogen Poots.

On the plus side, TAR does have a start date so maybe this one will actually happen.

Witness The Ferocious Stare Of The Dora Milaje With This New Ayo Character Poster

By
John Nolan
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Ayo

Who’s the breakout star of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier? With two episodes left it’s too close to count, but I’m betting on Ayo, the powerfully intimidating member of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje. Not only has she shown herself to be a devastating warrior, but the reveal of her being the one that broke Bucky of his Winter Soldier programming exemplifies the diverse abilities of not only the Dora Milaje, but Wakanda in general. I mean, seriously, can you imagine who unbeatable they would be if they took just an ounce of that Wakandan firepower with them? They put the new Cap and his buddy down with a pointy stick for God’s sake!

Check out the poster below and look for new episodes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Friday at 12am on Disney+

 

 

 

‘Creed III’: Michael B. Jordan On Why Sylvester Stallone Won’t Return As Rocky Balboa

By
Travis Hopson
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On a day that saw Sylvester Stallone joining with a certain twice-impeached former “President”, we’re learning about why the actor won’t be returning for Creed III. At least according to star Michael B. Jordan it has to do with the franchise moving beyond the iconic Rocky Balboa and putting its focus squarely where it should be, on Adonis Creed.

Jordan, who is making his directorial debut on Creed III, told IGN (via Yahoo)…

“I think that Sly let it be known that he wasn’t coming back for this one but I think, you know, his essence and his spirit… there’s always going to be a little bit of Rocky within Adonis. But this is a ‘Creed’ franchise, and we really want to build this story and this world around him moving forward. So, it’s always respect and always a shit-ton of love for what he’s built, but we really want to push and navigate Adonis forward and the family that he created.”

He continued, “Hopefully you guys will love what I’m thinking…what we’re cooking up. I think it’s going to be something special.”

While we know the Rocky story will never truly be over because Stallone continues to think of ways to keep the boxer going,  Creed II really buttoned things up nicely for him. Adonis Creed really served to be a way for Rocky to fill a void in his life, and that changed when he reconnected with his estranged son. Where the character goes now, who can say?

Creed III opens on November 23rd 2022.

Live-Action ‘Gundam’ Film Lands ‘Kong: Skull Island’ Director

By
Travis Hopson
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Legendary is going big on…well, going BIG. Their MonsterVerse franchise has basically lit up the box office with Godzilla vs. Kong‘s $350M+ haul, and now they’re looking to spin that into a story of gigantic robots fighting one another. Oh, you thought it was going to be Pacific Rim 3? Nah, it’s better than that because Gundam is coming to the big screen.

Netflix has announced that a live-action Gundam film is in the works, and it’ll be directed by someone they are quite familiar with. Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the guy behind Kong: Skull Island, will take the helm of an adaptation of the popular anime series that encompasses movies, TV, books, video games, and more.

Gundam is a massive multimedia space opera set in the future and in the middle of a war between the people of Earth and independent colonists who have fled the unstable planet. They fight their battles using mecha, or giant robots called Mobile Suits.

Attempts at a Gundam movie have been happening for a while, with Y: The Last Man writer Brian K. Vaughan already on board to handle the script.

You’ll see a lot of comparison between Gundam, Macross, and Robotech for really maturing the mecha genre, telling adult-themed, dramatic storylines that weren’t necessarily for kids. To get an idea of the cultural impact Gundam has on Japan, there’s a 59-foot-tall Gundam statue in the Odaiba area of Tokyo, and yes it’s on my must-see things to visit before I die.

Just as his MonsterVerse colleague Adam Wingard was the perfect choice to helm a ThunderCats movie, Vogt-Roberts is such a nerd for this stuff that Macross is right up his alley. That said, American adaptations of Japanese properties is super tough so we’ll have to wait and see how this goes. I’m very optimistic, though. I am curious what this means for Vogt-Roberts’ Metal Gear Solid movie.

 

Lucy Liu Joins ‘Shazam’ Sequel As Helen Mirren’s Evil Sibling

By
Travis Hopson
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Chances are you didn’t know that Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu as comic book villain siblings was what you needed in Shazam: Fury of the Gods, but it’s what you’re going to get. Let’s be honest, the movie could suck but these two should be amazing.

Variety reports Lucy Liu has joined the Shazam sequel cast, and she’ll be playing Kalypso, the villain sister to Helen Mirren’s Hespera. These two are the daughters of the mythological god Atlas, y’know, the guy who holds the sky on his shoulders, and judging by the movie’s title they’re pretty pissed. Maybe it’s because Atlas’ powers are part of Shazam’s magical superhuman abilities?

Liu joins a cast that includes the returning Zachary Levi as Shazam, Asher Angel as his youthful alter ego Billy Batson, and Rachel Zegler in a key role. Considering all that Liu has done and the many action films she’s starred in, such as Charlie’s Angels and Kill Bill, it’s surprising this is her first major superhero work.

Directed once again by David F. Sandberg, Shazam: Fury of the Gods opens June 2nd 2023.

‘The Falcon & The Winter Soldier’ Mid-Season Trailer: Get Ready For A Final Showdown With Captain America

By
Travis Hopson
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Unless Marvel has a couple of extra episodes up their sleeves, this mid-season trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is telling a fib. We’re now four episodes deep in the six-episode series, so actually, this is the final stretch. And in this footage we see that they’re teasing one Hell of a final showdown between Sam “Falcon” Wilson and Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes and John Walker aka the new Captain America.

Coming off the brutal, bloody finale of episode four, John Walker can simply no longer be Captain America…right? Certainly, Sam and Bucky are going to do what they think should’ve been done all along and take the shield back in Steve Rogers’ name. However, I’m not so certain that Walker’s actions, killing a Flag Smasher in cold blood while the entire world was watching, will be viewed as so awful by everyone.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier wraps up in the next couple of Fridays, followed then by Loki and on the big screen with Black Widow. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Will Smith And Antoine Fuqua Pull ‘Emancipation’ Production From Georgia Due To Voter Suppression Laws

By
Travis Hopson
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If there’s a hot-button issue in the country right now, Georgia seems to be at the center of it. The state was integral to Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 elections, and his numerous attempts to steal the presidency despite the will of the voters. Georgia, which saw record turnout from voters of color, saw its two reliably Republican senate seats go to Democrats in special elections. Ever since, the state has been imposing new restrictions to make it harder to vote, and that has led to many protests and some high-profile corporations speaking out. And now you can add at least one major movie production which will be moving out of the state, costing a great deal of revenue and the loss of jobs.

Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith issued a statement regarding their upcoming Apple film, Emancipation, which was due to begin shooting in Georgia this summer. Well, that’s no longer happening as they will be taking the production elsewhere due to the state’s voter suppression laws. The film stars Smith as Peter, a runaway slave and his dangerous journey north from a Louisiana plantation. He is based on “Whipped Peter”, the black man whose images of his whipped and scarred back were shown in magazines and newspapers, bringing to stark reality the cruelty of slave owners.

The statement is below:

“At this moment in time, the Nation is coming to terms with its history and is attempting to eliminate vestiges of institutional racism to achieve true racial justice. We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access. The new Georgia voting laws are reminiscent of voting impediments that were passed at the end of Reconstruction to prevent many Americans from voting. Regrettably, we feel compelled to move our film production work from Georgia to another state.”

This is a significant decision, not only for Georgia but also for the Emancipation production. It’s estimated the film will lose about $15M in state tax breaks, so this effects both Fuqua and Smith’s bottom line. But this is what putting your money where your mouth is looks like in practice.

Georgia has become a popular destination for movie shoots but if these voter restriction laws continue you can bet there will an exodus away from the state. In the moment, this hurts the people of Georgia who had no part to play in corrupt Governor Brian Kemp’s tactics, and that’s unfortunate. But this direct impact will hopefully be the impetus for those people to get out and do something about the government in place in Georgia right now.

 

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