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Dwayne Johnson Tags In John Cena To Star In ‘The Janson Directive’

By
John Nolan
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena have had their share of beefs, which inevitably spilled over into the WWE ring and all the way to WrestleMania. But they’ve long since squashed all of that, and unlike Johnson’s feud with Vin Diesel they will definitely work together again. Johnson had been set to star in an adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Directive, but due to his busy schedule that role is now going to Mr. Hustle Loyalty Respect himself.

Cena is in talks to lead the adaptation of the espionage novel by Ludlum, the author behind the Jason Bourne books. Johnson stays on board as a producer, giving his good friend a lift like he was setting him up for a “Rock Bottom”, only less painful I hope.  The story, penned by James Vanderbilt and Akiva Goldsman. Here’s the synopsis:

When billionaire philanthropist Peter Novak is kidnapped by a terrorist known as The Caliph, it’s up to Paul Janson?a legend in the notorious U.S. covert agency Consular Operations?to save him. But Janson’s rescue operation goes horribly wrong…and soon Janson is marked for death, the target of a “beyond salvage” order issued from the highest level of the government. Now Janson is running for his life, pursued by Jessica Kincaid, a young agent of astonishing ability who can anticipate and counter his every move. To survive, Janson must outrace a conspiracy that has gone beyond the control of its originators. To win, he must counter it with a conspiracy of his own…


This is a pretty big deal to have Johnson giving Cena such a major role, his first franchise to call his own since The Marine, which he ditched after one movie.  Cena has been killing it lately in everything from Sisters to The Wall to Blockers, and he’s earned this. I may not like his jorts-wearing character on WWE TV, but he works his ass off to improve at everything he does.  One of these days we’ll get the Johnson/Cena teamup movie we’re all dying to see (Or at least I’M dying to see it!) but for now this is a good start. [Variety]

John Woo To Direct Lupita Nyong’o In Remake Of ‘The Killer’

By
John Nolan
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Considering John Woo’s style of double-barreled, swan-flying, slow-motion action has been borrowed by Hollywood for decades, learning that a remake of his seminal 1989 film The Killer is in the works should be unsurprising. What may shock you is who is directing and who will be starring in it.

Deadline reports that a remake of The Killer is on the way, and it’ll be Woo himself who directs it. What’s more, Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o is set to star, taking over the role made famous by Chow Yun-fat. That’s right, more gender swapping of iconic movies, folks. Get used to it. The script has had a lot of hands on it, which may not be a good thing. While Brian Helgeland (LA Confidential) is doing the latest pass, it was originally penned by Eran Creevy (Collide) and 10 Cloverfield Lane‘s Josh Campbell & Matt Stuecken.

The Killer starred Chow Yun-fat as a hired killer on his last job for the Hong Kong triad, but in the process he accidentally injures a young girl’s eyes.  Devastated by guilt, he begins to follow and take care of her, and the two fall in love. He decides to take on one more job in hopes of securing the money for surgery that will restore her sight. 

There’s tons of stylized violence in the John Woo mode, plus an incredibly charismatic lead performance that will be interesting to watch Nyong’o try and fill. But if anyone can do it, it’s her. Her Oscar win for 12 Years A Slave showed she has dramatic chops to spare, and she was entertaining in Black Panther. But this will be the first action movie to put her in the spotlight, and we can only hope Woo makes the best use of her many talents. Getting the most out of his actors has never been a problem before, though.

Shooting begins later this year in France and Germany.

First Look At Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman’ With John David Washington And Adam Driver

By
John Nolan
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Spike Lee seems to have gotten his groove back. After getting solid reviews for Chi-Raq and adapting his breakthrough film She’s Gotta Have It for the small screen, he’s due to hit up Cannes with BlacKkKlansman, which has a ton of buzz.

Focus Features is getting out in front of the film’s debut with the first official image, featuring stars John David Washington and Adam Driver. Washington, yes that’s Denzel’s kid, plays real-life cop Ron Stallworth, the first African-American officer in the Colorado Springs force. Stallworth went undercover in the KKK to root out a conspiracy to take over the city. Driver plays Stallworth’s partner, Flip Zimmerman. 

Get Out director Jordan Peele is on board as a producer  and with the racially charged material you know Focus will be playing up that connection. Hopefully this means we’ll be getting a trailer soon.

‘Free Fire’ Director Ben Wheatley May Be Working On A “Big” Marvel Film

By
John Nolan
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Ben Wheatley is one of those filmmakers often cited as a favorite of cinephiles, but his movies have yet to find a niche with audiences. His most mainstream effort by far was last year’s star-studded shoot ’em up, Free Fire, and nobody bothered seeing it. But as we all know by now, being an indie darling has been the foot in the door to some big projects, and it may have gotten him a gig at Marvel.

On the Adam Buxton Podcast comedian Bob Bortimer was in the middle of a story about how he and Wheatley were working on a movie about Michael Jackson, when all of a sudden Marvel came calling…

“We were about to start that but then Ben got offered one of the big Marvel films, so it weren’t for us to say, ‘you ain’t doing that Ben.”

So what’s a “big Marvel film”, anyway? He doesn’t go into details, and certainly Marvel hasn’t confirmed anything about it. Wheatley has expressed interest in a Marvel movie before, though. Last year he told Little White Lies he’d be interested in Marvel Zombies, which is a series of spinoffs in which the entire Marvel Universe has been turned into zombies.

Doubtful that would ever happen, if only because it would certainly be R-rated and appeal only to a certain genre audience.

We shouldn’t assume this automatically means Marvel Studios, either. Wheatley could be talking with Sony Pictures for one of their Spidey-verse flicks (Morbius, maybe?) or 20th Century Fox for a future X-Men movie. Right now we have no idea but I hope there’s news on it soon.

DC Readers: Win Tickets To A Free Early Screening Of ‘Breaking In’

By
John Nolan
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We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of Breaking In, the new thriller starring Gabrielle Union and directed by V for Vendetta‘s James McTeigue.

SYNOPSIS: Next Mother’s Day, Gabrielle Union stars as a woman who will stop at nothing to rescue her two children being held hostage in a house designed with impenetrable security.  No trap, no trick and especially no man inside can match a mother with a mission when she is determined on Breaking In.


The screening takes place on Wednesday, May 9th at 7:30pm at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring. If you’d like to enter, simply complete the required steps in the Rafflecopter form below. Winners will be selected on Sunday, May 6th and notified by email. Good luck!

Breaking In opens May 11th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marvel Keeps Teasing ‘Avengers 4’ Title, Russos Talk Post ‘Avengers’ Projects

By
John Nolan
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It was so much easier when Avengers: Infinity War was just a two-part movie, but ever since we learned otherwise intense speculation has been on the Avengers 4 title. And for good reason, it’s been teased as a major spoiler if revealed, which is why nobody is even coming close to spill the beans. That goes double for the Russo Brothers, who just saw Infinity War open with an absolutely mind-blowing $640M worldwide. You’d think they’d be ready to share, but instead they told Bustle a whole bunch of nothing…

“We do have a name for it, we’re just not announcing it … and I think we came to that name fairly early in the development process. It speaks to the heart of the story.”

I’ve maintained it’ll be something like Avengers: Secret Wars, but after seeing Infinity War I’m not so sure. That said, I hope it’s something better than ‘Endgame‘, which is what some are beginning to theorize. That title sucks. One thing is for sure, there has been so much guessing about the title that nothing Marvel comes up with will measure up. At least Kevin Feige realizes it, telling IGN that his strategy of keeping it secret has “backfired” monumentally…

“[Now it] will have no chance [of] living up to any expectations of what it’s gonna be.”

Sure won’t. Enjoy the backlash whatever you call it.

Going back to the Russos, their dance card is pretty full after Avengers 4 but it won’t be with anything Marvel related. The brothers have started a new studio venture alongside Infinity War writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, with multiple projects lined up already. And they aren’t starting small, they’re sticking with what has earned them billions of box office dollars already, and that’s major tentpole films. They tell Empire…

“The next film that we will direct will most likely be for our company, and most likely be a tentpole,” the Russos said. “[Christopher] Markus and [Stephen] McFeely have come on board in a very unique capacity, as what we’re calling Co-Presidents of Story. We’ve been developing inside the studio system for many years, inside networks, and we know what works about them and what doesn’t work about them.”


It makes sense. The Russos began their career with smaller comedies, the little-seen Welcome to Collinwood (with George Clooney) and the mildly successful You, Me and Dupree with Owen Wilson. From there they hit it big with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, becoming Marvel’s major home run hitters in the process. Now it’s time to take what they’ve learned and put it to their own benefit.

What they have lined up sounds pretty impressive. Matthew Carnahan (House of Lies) will be making his directorial debut on a new film. There’s also a reunion with Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, that will land at Netflix. There’s also The Electric State, a previously-announced collaboration with It director Andy Muschietti.

Hopefully they all find their way back to Marvel at some point. The Russos have changed the way Marvel makes movies, and nobody does action scenes quite like them. They have an eye for it that few directors can touch. For now we’ll have to settle for seeing Infinity War a few more times in theaters, until Avengers 4 opens next year on May 3rd.

*UPDATE* Box Office: What Superhero Fatigue? ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Assembles Biggest Debut Ever

By
John Nolan
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*Actuals on Avengers: Infinity War have it earning a superpowered $640.9M worldwide, $258M of that domestically. That crushes The Fate of the Furious‘ $541M as the new global record holder. It’s worth noting that Infinity War has yet to open in China, one of the world’s largest markets.

1. Avengers: Infinity War (review)- $250M
Sorry, James Cameron. Your wish for “Avengers fatigue” has gone un-fucking-answered. Avengers: Infinity War absolutely shredded the box office record for a debut film, opening with $250M, just ahead of Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ $247M. That’s after an incredible $105M on Friday, boosted by $39M of Thursday night previews. Saturday’s $82M is the biggest ever for that day, even if you wanted to be a stickler and adjust for inflation. While those numbers are mind-blowing enough, worldwide the film has amassed an incredible $630M worldwide. Marvel chose to drop the film day and date around the globe, which they have never done before. I think the $1.5B haul of The Avengers is within striking distance, don’t you? So what does this mean? Ant-Man and the Wasp opens in July, a film that takes place pre-Infinity War, which will likely still be in theaters at the time. Marvel will play up their connection, however loose it may be, and I expect we’ll see Paul Rudd’s sequel out-perform its predecessor.
2. A Quiet Place– $10.6M/$148.1M
3. I Feel Pretty– $8.1M/$29.5M
4. Rampage– $7.1M/$77.9M
5. Black Panther– $4.3M/$688M
Incredible that after 11 weeks Black Panther suffered only an 11% drop even with Avengers: Infinity War taking up so much multiplex space. Its $4.3M is undoubtedly made up of those who took in double-features of the two films, which a number of theater chains were offering on Thursday and Friday night. The film now sits at $1.3B worldwide.
6. Super Troopers 2– $3.6M/$22M
7. Truth or Dare– $3.2M/$35.3M
8. Blockers– $2.9M/$53.2M
9. Ready Player One– $2.4M/$130.6M
10. Traffik– $1.6M/$6.7M

New Trailer For Terry Gilliam’s Still-Troubled ‘The Man Who Killed Don Quixote’

By
John Nolan
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So I know it seemed like the path had been cleared for Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote to debut at Cannes, and finally get released into theaters, but…well, nah. Not so much. Nothing is ever going to be simple for this movie, apparently, and the same legal issues are still threatening to derail everything, and Cannes is forced to go by whatever the judge’s ruling will be in a few days. It’s a shame because the previous trailer, and this new one, show that Gilliam has done his best to ensure these years of struggle weren’t for nothing.

Jonathan Pryce and Adam Driver star in the story of a delusional old man who believes he’s the titular nobleman, and the jaded ex-film student who mistakenly becomes his Sancho Panza.  The film co-stars Olga Kurylenko and Stellan Skarsgard. Here’s the rather lengthy synopsis:

Once upon a time, Toby was an idealistic young film student. His great achievement, a lyrical re-working of the Don Quixote story set in a quaint old Spanish village. But that was then; these days he is a jaded, arrogant and over-sexed commercials director. Money and glamour have derailed him, and now he juggles his boss’s wife Jacqui, a biblical storm and his own ego as he tries to complete a new commercial shoot in Spain. Until a mysterious Gypsy approaches him with an ancient copy of Toby’s student film: Toby is moved and sets off to find the little village where he made his primary opus all those years ago. To Toby’s horror, his little film has had a terrible effect on the sleepy village; Angelica, the young girl who was innocence personified, now works as a high class call-girl, and the old man who played Quixote has now gone completely mad, believing he really is the ‘Knight of the Mournful Countenance’. A series of accidents leads to a fire that threatens to destroy the village. The police come for Toby, but he is ‘rescued’ by the deluded old man, who, mistaking him for his loyal squire Sancho, leads Toby away into the countryside on the quest for his perfect lady, Dulcinea. On their quest, Toby comes face to face with demons, both real and imagined, modern and medieval. Damsels are rescued, jousts are fought, giants are slain and women have beards! Reality and fantasy blur on this bizarre road trip which leads to a phantasmagorical finale.


While I continue to think this movie won’t do much at the box office, at least not domestically, a good showing at Cannes would be a huge boost for its international prospects. If nothing else let’s hope this movie gets a chance to be shown and be a success on its merits.  Watch the new trailer below:

Final ‘Book Club’ Trailer Looks Like The Perfect Mother’s Day Movie

By
John Nolan
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They might not be the Avengers, but the ladies of Book Club have a mission of their own: to bring some romantic sizzle back into their boring lives. Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda, and Mary Steenburgen star in the comedy about a group of ladies who have their lives rocked when one introduces them to E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey.

Fonda’s character looks to be the Blanche Devereaux of this group, encouraging her friends to zip up those book jackets and unzip something else entirely.  The comedy co-stars Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Richard Dreyfuss, and Don Johnson as the men in their lives, along with Alicia Silverstone, Katie Aselton, Ed Begley Jr., Wallace Shawn, and more.

Directed by Bill Holderman, Book Club opens May 18th, shortly after Mother’s Day. I’m sure the timing is a coincidence.

Marvel Meetings Already Taking Place For Films Through 2025, ‘Infinity War’ Fixes Messed Up Timeline

By
John Nolan
-

Maybe it’s the radical events of Infinity War that have done it, but Marvel’s Kevin Feige isn’t looking as far ahead as he used to. Back in 2014 he said the future of the MCU had been laid out all the way through 2028, a full 14 years ahead. Now in a conversation with APNews it seems Feige has dialed that back a few years and closed he gap…

“We’re always thinking ahead. Just when people think they can pin us down, we go somewhere else and that’s going to happen again after ‘Infinity War’ in the build-up to the next Avengers film. And we had meetings earlier today about 2024 and 2025.”

Okay, to be fair he said they’ve taken meetings about those two years specifically. There could still be plans in place through 2028 that they aren’t having meetings about. Other than the previously announced projects, which are confirmed through Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020, pretty much anything goes. We could see priorities shift along the way (Remember when Inhumans was going to be a movie first?) as needs dictate, characters become more popular, etc.

And I’m sure if/when the Fox deal goes through that will cause a complete reshuffling of the decks, although to what degree we’ll just have to wait and see.

So not everything quite runs like a well-oiled machine over at the House of Ideas. Another case in point, Marvel’s continuity was all jacked up, too, although we can probably blame Sony for that. Spider-Man: Homecoming had a scene flashing back to The Avengers, before moving to the present “8 years later”. All of that was weird because Joss Whedon’s film clearly took place in 2012, which would have meant movies like Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man, and Black Panther were in 2020. Makes no sense whatsoever.

So Infinity War fixes a problem most fans probably didn’t notice or didn’t really give a damn about. In a conversation between Iron Man and Doctor Strange it’s made mention that the attack on New York was six years ago, setting this movie in 2018. If it gets confusing just remember the MCU moves in real time unless specifically stated to the contrary.

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