Hello ladies and gentlemen, here is some movie news with some of my thoughts and opinions (which will be in BOLD print). So without further ado...
(NOTE: All of these stories come from comingsoon.net)
It was two-and-a-half years ago that Warner Bros. officially announced Ben Affleck would be the new Batman in their then-Untitled Man of Steel sequel. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has since been released and all eyes are on the future of the DCU. So what’s next for Affleck’s Dark Knight? Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, William Morris Endeavor co-CEO (and Affleck’s agent) Patrick Whitesell revealed that currently there are two movies left on Affleck’s contract but that another could be on the horizon. “He’s contracted to do at least Justice League One and Two, so at least three times wearing the cape,” he says, adding, “there’s a script that he’s written that is a really cool [Batman] idea, so that’s out there as an option.” Last summer, it was revealed that Affleck would co-write a solo Batman movie with comic scribe Geoff Johns with an eye toward directing it, though no further information on this film has been released since. It is interesting to note however, in contrast to the extensive contracts of Marvel Studios, that Affleck’s appearance in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad later this year doesn’t count toward his final tally. Production on Justice League: Part One is set to begin April 11 in London. Affleck will be joined by his fellow Justice League members Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, and Ezra Miller as The Flash. Amber Heard is set to play Queen Mera in the film as well before moving to the solo Aquaman movie in 2018, with J.K. Simmons set to appear as Commissioner Gordon. The Zack Snyder-directed movie will debut in theaters on November 10, 2017.
I'm actually not surprised by this news. It makes sense for Ben Affleck to only be contracted for a limited amount of movies mainly due to his characters age in the film universe. By the time we get to a solo Batman film Ben Affleck will only be 46 or 47, but his Batman/Bruce Wayne will probably be 60 and Ben Affleck is directing a lot more and wanting to do other things in his career besides being Batman. Now if Warner Bros. can work it out with him where he can do DC film, then do an original film, then back to DC, then I think that would be ok, but it just depends on the other projects he is wanting to do. Plus I don't the wants to be like Robert Downey Jr. is by having to go through constant contract negotiations to where he ends up hurting both himself and the company. I want Ben Affleck to be Batman for at least another 10 years, but I would be fine if he only stuck around for another 4 and that would mark the second longest tenure from actor to play Batman only behind Christian Bale who played the character for 7 years.
Golden Globe winner Robin Wright is in final negotiations to join Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford in Alcon Entertainment’s Blade Runner 2, it was announced by Alcon co-founders and co-CEO’s Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. Director Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners) is directing. Principal photography is scheduled to begin July 2016. Blade Runner 2 will then be released by Warner Bros. in North America. Sony Pictures Releasing International will distribute in all overseas territories in all media. Blade Runner 2 (which has still not announced its official title) is set several decades after the 1982 original. Harrison Ford will reprise his iconic role as Rick Deckard. The film is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and succeeds the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. Story details, as well as Wright’s character, are not being revealed. Alcon Entertainment acquired the Blade Runner 2, television and ancillary franchise rights to the franchise in 2011 from the late producer Bud Yorkin and Cynthia Sikes Yorkin to produce prequels and sequels to the iconic science-fiction thriller. Cynthia Sikes Yorkin will produce along with Johnson and Kosove. Bud Yorkin will receive producer credit. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO’s of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers. Ridley Scott will also executive produce. Wright’s upcoming projects include next summer’s Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster). There, Wright will star alongside Gal Gadot (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) and Chris Pine (Star Trek). She can currently be seen on season four of Netflix‘s House of Cards, where she reprises her Golden Globe winning role as Claire Underwood.
I really love this casting. Robin Wright is a tremendous actress and she has proven that with he stint on House of Cards. I think she fits in well with the film and there a lot of different roles she can play. She could possibly be replacing Sean Young's character from the first film and for those that haven't seen the first film (which you should) runs off with Harrison Ford's character at the end of the first film. She could also play the head of the police force that Ryan Gosling could be working for as they try to find Rick Deckard. This is a film I am really looking forward to and I think it could be a tremendous film especially with everyone involved with the film.
The Tracking Board brings word that Goosebumps director Rob Letterman is preparing to dive into another world of monsters and mayhem with the long-developing Dungeons & Dragons movie adaptation at Warner Bros. Pictures. Letterman’s other feature films include Gulliver’s Travels, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Shark Tale. Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis, Courtney Solomon and Allan Zeman of Sweetpea Entertainment, and Roy Lee (The LEGO Movie, How to Train Your Dragon) are attached as producers of the film, which features a script by David Leslie Johnson (The Conjuring 2, Wrath of the Titans). There is currently no word yet on who will lead the film, though the outlet notes the producers are eyeing “a Vin Diesel-type” for the lead role. Dungeons & Dragons first became popular in 1974, and since then has amassed millions of players and fans worldwide. The hugely popular property has also influenced numerous writers, directors, game designers, and other creative professionals throughout its four decades. The feature was first announced in 2013 wherein a rights-dispute began between the studio and Hasbro (parent company of publisher Wizards of the Coast), but the issues were resolved last year and the film remains in-development. First adapted for the small screen as an animated television series in 1983, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson’s iconic role playing was turned into a feature film in 2000 with a live-action version directed by Courtney Solomon. The film was neither a critical nor financial success, but it did lead to a telefilm sequel with 2005’s Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God and a direct-to-DVD followup with Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness in 2012.
I really like this choice. I thought Letterman did a great job with Goosebumps despite a few story problems, but overall the film was a success. It's one of the reasons why I think he's a great choice for the film because he's already dealt with monsters when he did Goosebumps and he's already worked with a name brand property. Now I don't think he can do much worse than the last Dungeons & Dragons film that came out in 2000, but I think going in with very little expectations will help this film a lot and I think it can be a great success.
CBS Films and Lionsgate have announced that Golden Globe winner Kevin Bacon (Black Mass, Mystic River) has joined Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Lone Survivor), Golden Globe winner John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane, Inside Llewyn Davis, Argo), Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Zootopia), Golden Globe nominee Michelle Monaghan (“True Detective,” Gone Baby Gone), Jimmy O. Yang (“Silicon Valley,” “Criminal Minds”), Vincent Curatola (“The Good Wife,” “The Sopranos”) and James Colby (“Limitless,” “Jessica Jones”) in Patriots Day. Patriots Day chronicles the events surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. Bacon will play Special Agent in Charge, Richard DesLauriers, of the FBI. “Richard DesLauriers worked tirelessly as one of the key figures in an impossibly sophisticated investigation and Kevin Bacon possesses the intelligence and empathy to portray him,” commented Berg. The film will be directed by Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor) and produced by Scott Stuber, Mark Wahlberg, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson, Dorothy Aufiero and Michael Radutzky. Patriots Day will be co-financed by CBS Films and Lionsgate with the former handling production and marketing and the latter handling distribution.
I love this casting a lot more than I thought I would. Kevin Bacon is a really underrated actor and he has done great in just about everything he has been in and I think he is a perfect fit for this film. One of the reasons besides being a good actor, is the fact that once again he'll be doing a film set in Boston. Both Mystic River and Black Mass where set in Boston and both of those films turned out great, so hopefully this film can do the same. This is one of the many projects in the works about this tragic event in American history, but I think that this film can be the best although the other mainstream film about this is going to give this film a run for its money.
Walt Disney Pictures is developing a new live-action take on their classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs tale, adding a bit of a twist. The Hollywood Reporter today brings word that the studio is developing a Rose Red movie that relates the fairy tale from the perspective of the sister you didn’t realize Snow White had. Originally scripted by Justin Merz (The Boxcar Children), the Rose Red movie was initially unconnected to Disney’s Snow White. The history of the Rose Red character, after all, gets a little bit confusing. The Brothers Grimm tale “Snow White and Rose Red” is unconnected to the “Snow White” story, instead featuring a different character by the name of Snow White. This Snow White is a young girl with a sister, Rose Red, who, along with a friendly bear, face off against an evil dwarf. According to the trade, Evan Daugherty (who scripted Universal Pictures‘ Snow White and the Huntsman) pitched a concept whereby Merz’ Rose Red movie screenplay will be reworked to fit into the more traditional Snow White narrative. The film will follow Rose Red and the seven dwarfs as they work together to free Snow White from her curse. Tripp Vinson is set to produce the Rose Red movie through his Vinson Films. This isn’t the only fairy tale story that Vinson is bringing to the screen, either, as the banner is also developing the previously-announced Prince Charming movie as well as the Aladdin prequel, Genies. Tara Farney will executive produce the Rose Red movie with Merz and Adam Rodin co-producing.
Listen you all know how much I love Disney, but this is such a stupid idea. I get that they want to make live-action versions of their old animated fairy tales, but this is simply reaching too far. Why would you make a film about a character from one of the most beloved animated films of all-time that we actually never seen or knew about. I know Disney wouldn't do this unless they thought it could make money, but I just think that this might be a really bad decision in the end.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, which of these stories peaked your interest or was there another story that interested you? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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