Monday, November 21, 2016

Everything we know so far about the Han Solo 'Star Wars' movie

by Jason Guerrasio of www.businessinsider.com

The highly anticipated "Star Wars" Han Solo anthology film is beginning production and we can't wait to see our favorite space scoundrel as a youngster.
Though the movie (which doesn't even have a title yet) doesn't come out until 2018, there's a lot of news about it that we can delve into as we wait for the date to get closer.
There's the duo directing the movie, the raising star who will be filling Harrison Ford's boots, the popular stars in supporting roles, and more.

Below is everything we know so far about the movie.
 
The directors are Phil Lord and Christopher Miller of "The Lego Movie" fame.
The directors are Phil Lord and Christopher Miller of "The Lego Movie" fame.
(L-R) Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images

Lord and Miller are the hottest commodities in Hollywood at the moment.
Since their successful debut, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," they have done "21 Jump Street" and its sequel, "The Lego Movie," and are the executive producers of the hit TV show "The Last Man on Earth."

The movie has "Star Wars" longtime screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan.

The movie has "Star Wars" longtime screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan.
(L-R) J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan on the set of "The Force Awakens."Lucasfilm
 
Lord and Miller have by their side one of the main storytellers of the "Star Wars" saga, Lawrence Kasdan, along with his son, Jon.
Lawrence is responsible for penning "The Empire Strikes Back," "Return of the Jedi," and "The Force Awakens."

Alden Ehrenreich is playing young Han Solo.

Alden Ehrenreich is playing young Han Solo.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
 
Alden beat out a collection of established names and unknowns to win the role.
He's known at the moment for his breakthrough role in the Coen brother's "Hail, Caesar!" and currently in the Warren Beatty movie, "Rules Don't Apply."

Donald Glover is playing Solo's buddy, Lando Calrissian.

Donald Glover is playing Solo's buddy, Lando Calrissian.
Matthias Clamer/FX
 
Glover is coming off his hit first season of "Atlanta" to take on the role that was immortalized by Billy Dee Williams.

The cinematographer of "Arrival" will be shooting the movie.

The cinematographer of "Arrival" will be shooting the movie.
Paramount Pictures
 
You may not know the name Bradford Young, but you are likely aware of his work.
Most recently he was responsibly for the gorgeous shots in the sci-fi movie "Arrival." He was also DP on "Selma" and "A Most Violent Year."

"Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke is in the movie.

"Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke is in the movie.
HBO
 
We know her best as Daenerys Targaryen in "Game of Thrones," but Emilia Clarke is headed to the "Star Wars" saga.

It was announced on Friday that Clarke has been cast in the Han Solo movie. There are no details yet on who she will be playing, but we wouldn't be surprised if she causes a rivalry between Han and Lando for her affection.

And, no, we didn't forget...

And, no, we didn't forget...
Disney/Lucasfilm
 
The Wookiee will certainly be there. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy told Entertainment Weekly last year that Chewbacca will definitely be Han Solo's wingman in the movie.

Source;
http://www.businessinsider.com/star-wars-han-solo-movie-news-and-updates-2016-11/#and-no-we-didnt-forget-7

Friday, November 11, 2016

World War Z 2: What We Know So Far

World War Z Brad Pitt
They said it couldn't be done. Folks thought that World War Z could never be adapted into a Hollywood motion picture that captured the thrills and scares of Max Brooks' best selling novel of post-apocalyptic remembrance. Depending on who you are, that claim could be debated; however what can't be debated is the fact that the 2013 film was an absolute hit! So, naturally, a sequel was put into development, and World War Z 2 went from pipe dream to ongoing concern in that moment.
With a release date that's looming in the summer 2017 season, it seems like a good time to sift through the facts that we know, as well as speculate on the facts we don't have just yet. Throughout the next couple of pages, we'll take a look at everything on the table, and piece together what we feel to be the future of World War Z 2. Keep in mind, this feature is based off of the knowledge we have at the current moment, and will be refreshed as major developments occur. So bookmark this page for future reference, as this is our guide to What We Know So Far about World War Z 2.
World War Z Brad Pitt WHO

What Is The World War Z 2 Rating

More than likely, Paramount is going to want to keep the rating to World War Z 2 in the same ballpark as World War Z. This means we're expecting a solid PG-13 rating to be bestowed upon this second round of zombie carnage, with the possibility for an "unrated cut" heading to Blu-ray after the film hits home video. With the previous film grossing $590 million worldwide, during the summer of 2013, the PG-13 rating didn't hurt the film's chances at the box office, despite the controversy among horror fans. However, considering the controversy that the previous PG-13 outing had raised with fans of the source material, as well as fans of zombie flicks altogether, Paramount could revise their plans and bump the film up to an R rating.
World War Z Brad Pitt Daniella Kertesz

What Is The World War Z 2 Release Date

For a while now, World War Z 2 has been penciled in for a June 9, 2017 release date. Should this date hold, it'll put the film in direct competition with Universal's reboot of The Mummy, with Tom Cruise in the starring role. Looking at the weeks flanking this release date, Wonder Woman opens the week before and both Cars 3 and Kingsman: The Golden Circle will be opening the week after that slot. Between the intense competition, as well as the fact that production has yet to begin and there has been no director hired to shepherd the film into production, we wouldn't be surprised if the release date was bumped up to a 2018 - 2019 release date. In the meantime, June 9, 2017 is the official date set for World War Z 2's release.
World War Z Brad Pitt Zombies

The Director

With World War Z director Marc Forster deciding not to direct the sequel to his summer hit, the search was on for a directing candidate who could step in. The first, and up until recently only, candidate was The Orphanage director J.A. Bayona, who entered the ring a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, after around 2 years or so of development, Bayona dropped out of the project earlier this year, as not only did his duties on A Monster Calls demand his attention, but he also picked up another gig in the meantime. Then again, if we were given the opportunity to direct Jurassic World 2, we'd have to jump at that chance as well.
The last we'd heard about the possible replacement for J.A. Bayona's now vacant director's chair was that David Fincher, out of all people, was possibly circling the post himself. While things are still only in the "early talks" phases, and Fincher didn't sound overly enthusiastic about the possibility, there still has been no official denial or rejection of World War Z 2's directing duties by David Fincher, or anyone in his camp.

World War Z The Lane Family

The Writer

In the early days of World War Z 2's formation, writer Steven Knight, a talent known for his work on films such as Dirty Pretty Things, Locke, and Pawn Sacrifice, as well as the TV show Peaky Blinders, was working on the film. A fan of the first film's breakneck pace, Knight has brought some big ideas to the table with his approach to the World War Z 2 script, which may or may not follow directly after the events of World War Z. Of course, Steven Knight's work is only the first pass at the film's story, as a new writer has been brought into the fold: Dennis Kelly. Kelly, best known as the writer on the mind-bending conspiracy thriller series Utopia, was brought onto the project within the last year.

Source;
http://www.cinemablend.com/news/1563269/world-war-z-2-what-we-know-so-far?story_page=2

Legend of Conan Writer Reveals Opening Scene

Way back in October 2012, it was confirmed that Arnold Schwarzenegger will return for The Legend of Conan. At that time, it was just after the iconic actor left office as California's governor, as he prepared to return to the big screen. Over the last four years, there has certainly been some progress, with a report from last spring claiming that production would start in the fall of 2015. While that hasn't happened yet, there is still a script in play, and one of the writers just revealed the opening scene.
Will Beall (Gangster Squad) co-wrote the script with Chris Morgan, who wrote the last five Fast & Furious movies and is also shepherding the Universal Monsters franchise as well. /Film caught up with Will Beall at the TCA summer tour, where he confirmed that this new movie will begin where the original Conan the Barbarian left off with King Conan sitting on his throne, with his hand on his chin.
"It opens there. It opens with this [hand on the chin]. It's where you have to. It's the sequel that we were promised and never got. I'm 11 when my father took me to see Conan the Barbarian which you should never take an 11-year-old kid to. It was a life changing thing. It's an unbelievable movie. It comes back to [director John] Milius, right? There's nobody better and it's a real movie. It's a truthful movie. Chris and I from the very beginning said there's no reason to do it unless it's a worthy sequel to Milius's Conan and I think we've got that. I really do."
Last year producer Frederik Malmberg teased that he has bought the rights to all of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories, with this movie possibly even starting a new cinematic universe. While that hasn't been confirmed yet, Will Beall teased that this first story is still in development. Here's what he had to say below.
"Chris and I are continuing to hone. I think that's going to be a great movie actually."
Chris Morgan and Fredrik Malmberg also revealed in an interview last year that they plan to stick closely to the original film's roots, by keeping it R-rated, while teasing that at least three other characters from the original movie will be back. Aside from Arnold Schwarzenegger, no other cast members have been confirmed. We'll be sure to keep you posted with more updates on Legend of Conan.

Source;
http://movieweb.com/legend-of-conan-movie-opening-scene-writer/

One Popular Predator Rumor Just Got Shot Down

It's been a long time since a Predator movie has been critically well received by the masses, but Shane Black aims to fix that. The Iron Man 3 director (who also appeared in the first movie as Rick Hawkins) is helming a new Predator installment, titled The Predator, which was originally believed to be a reboot, but has since been confirmed to be a sequel. With principal photography approaching, character and plot details are slowly coming out, and last week, it was reported that the new movie would take place in a suburban setting. However, that particular bit information has since been debunked.

Shane Black confirmed to Collider that contrary to the news The Hollywood Reporter provided last Thursday, The Predator will not see the eponymous monster rampaging through a suburban neighborhood. So where will the story written by Black and Fred Dekker take place? That remains to be seen, but at least we can cross off the possibility of seeing the Predator cause chaos through swimming pools and backyard barbecues.

To be fair, had this rumored been true, it wouldn't have been the first time a Predator movie was set outside of a jungle, the setting of the original Predator and 2010's Predators. 1990'sPredator 2 was based in Los Angeles, and saw that alien menace battling military forces and drug cartel members.
 For now, Shane Black and the other creative minds involved haven't provided any clues about where The Predator will take place other than to set the record straight about this suburbia rumor. It's possible the new movie will revisit familiar territory, like a jungle or the streets of a major city, or perhaps it will take place in a new environment, like a desert or forest. However, even if we knew what the new setting will be right now, there's still the question of how the new players will come across the extraterrestrial beast.

While The Predator plot details are being kept under the proverbial lock and key, the movie's cast is slowly starting to come together. Guardians of the Galaxy's Benecio del Toro was originally in negotiations to star in The Predator, but he was forced to depart reportedly because of scheduling issues. Narcos actor Boyd Holbrook has since replaced him as the lead protagonist, a Special Forces operative named Quinn Mackenna, and X-Men: Apocalypse's Olivia Munn is in talks to play a scientist. Beyond that, Shane Black has said that he wants to keep the R-rated adventure firmly in sc-fi/thriller territory (with a little humor thrown in), while also taking steps to strengthen the franchise's "complicated" continuity.

The Predator is slated to hit theaters on February 9, 2018 (putting it in competition with Fifty Shades Freed), so keep checking in at CinemaBlend to read all the most relevant updates concerning the movie.

Source;
http://www.cinemablend.com/news/1582239/one-popular-predator-rumor-just-got-shot-down

‘Mission: Impossible 6’ Gets Summer 2018 Release Date (and The Six Billion Dollar Man Movie)

Well here’s some good news for this post-election stupor: Mission: Impossible 6 has a release date. The Mission: Impossible franchise has been one of the shining beacons in Paramount’s slate for some time now, with the Brad Bird-helmed Ghost Protocol grossing $694.7 million worldwide and Christopher McQuarrie’s Rogue Nation nearly matching that with $682.3 million total.

McQuarrie—who helmed Cruise in Jack Reacher and co-wrote the scripts for Edge of Tomorrow and Valkyrie—will mark the franchise’s first returning director, as he’s set to write and helm Mission: Impossible 6. And now, with the picture poised to start filming in spring 2017, Paramount has set a July 27, 2018 release date.

That’s a plum summer blockbuster date, and Paramount is feeling bullish as that’s also where Warner Bros. currently has its DC film Aquaman set to debut—though one of these films will likely move to avoid that kind of blockbuster logjam.

There was a bit of a dispute regarding Tom Cruise’s contract for Mission: Impossible 6 that held the film up a tad, but it was resolved in short order and now the sequel is gearing up to start production. Plot details are unknown, as is casting information regarding whether Rogue Nation standout Rebecca Ferguson might be back, but McQuarrie’s installment was arguably the best Mission: Impossible movie yet, so hopes (and expectations) are high.

Additionally, Paramount has announced a December 22, 2017 release date for writer/director Alexander Payne’s next film Downsizing. That’s a prime awards season debut for the Sideways and The Descendants filmmaker’s latest effort, which is possibly his most high-concept feature yet. It’s a social satire that stars Matt Damon as a guy who realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself. Damon is joined in the ensemble by Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Christoph Waltz, Neil Patrick Harris, Margo Martindale, and Alec Baldwin. On that Christmas release date, the film will square off directly against Jumanji, Pitch Perfect 3, and The Six Billion Dollar Man. It will also be opening one week after Star Wars: Episode VIII so, you know, good luck.

Source;
http://collider.com/mission-impossible-6-release-date-2018/#tom-cruise