New Hotel Artemis Character Posters and Character Trailer
Global Road Entertainment has released brand new character posters and a character trailer (inspired by 1975’s Nashville) for the action-thriller Hotel Artemis! Check out the Hotel Artemis character posters in the gallery, along with the video in the player below and let us know what you think in the comments.
Set in riot-torn, near-future Los Angeles, Hotel Artemis is an original, high-octane action-thriller starring Jodie Foster as The Nurse, who runs a secret, members-only hospital for criminals. Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs) is joined by an all-star cast that includes Sterling K. Brown (American Crime Story, This Is Us) as Waikiki, Sofia Boutella (The Mummy, Star Trek Beyond) as Nice, Jeff Goldblum (Thor: Ragnarok, Jurassic Park) as The Wolf King/Niagara, Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta) as Honolulu, Jenny Slate (Zootopia, Obvious Child) as Morgan, Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) as Ilya, Charlie Day (Pacific Rim Uprising) as Acapulco, and Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War) as Everest.
The film was written and directed by Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3), marking his directorial debut. Producers for the film include Marc Platt, Adam Siegel, Stephen Cornwell, and Simon Cornwell.
Hotel Artemis opens in theaters on June 8. Will you be checking in?
Watch Jennifer Garner kick butt in Peppermint trailer
STXfilms has released the full trailer for Peppermint, the brand new Jennifer Garner-led action-thriller. Check out the trailer below and make sure you get a look at yesterday’s poster debut in the gallery below too.
Peppermint tells the story of young mother Riley North (Garner, Alias) who awakens from a coma after her husband and daughter are killed in a brutal attack on the family. When the system frustratingly shields the murderers from justice, Riley sets out to transform herself from citizen to urban guerilla. Channeling her frustration into personal motivation, she spends years in hiding honing her mind, body and spirit to become an unstoppable force – eluding the underworld, the LAPD and the FBI- as she methodically delivers her personal brand of justice.
The film is directed by Pierre Morel, well known for his work in the action genre with the hits Taken and District 13, and will also star John Ortiz (Kong: Skull Island), John Gallagher, Jr. (10 Cloverfield Lane), Method Man (Keanu), Richard Cabral (Lethal Weapon) and Tyson Ritter (Preacher). Peppermint was written by London Has Fallen screenwriter Chad St. John.
Renee Zellweger’s Judy acquired by LD Entertainment & Roadside Attractions
LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions are partnering on their 8th collaboration in the acquisition of U.S. distribution rights to the highly-anticipated Judy Garland movie Judy, directed by Tony nominee and two-time Olivier winner Rupert Goold (King Charles III) and starring Academy Award winner and three-time Academy Award nominee Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Cold Mountain, Chicago). Zellweger is joined by a terrific ensemble cast that includes Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story), Jessie Buckley (Beast), and Michael Gambon (Harry Potter).
Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform in a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town. It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through. Even her dreams of romance seem undimmed as she embarks on a courtship with Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband. Featuring some of her best-known songs, the film celebrates the voice, the capacity for love, and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer.”
The acquisition was jointly announced today by Mickey Liddell of LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions co-founders Howard Cohen & Eric d’Arbeloff: “Judy Garland remains one of the quintessential legends of stage and screen and this chapter of her life is particularly riveting” said Cohen, d’Arbeloff, and Liddell. “From the incredible early footage that we saw in Cannes, Renee delivers a remarkable performance. As the first feature film about Judy Garland, we believe Judy will be event movie going for a broad audience and we are thrilled that our enthusiasm and ambition for the film made the difference in acquiring such a hotly pursued Cannes title. We could not be more excited to be partnering again to distribute this film in the United States.”
Principal photography wrapped two weeks ago and Judy is scheduled for completion and delivery in 2019. The film is directed from a script by Tom Edge (The Crown) based on the stage play End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter. It is a Pathé, BBC Films and Ingenious Media presentation of a Calamity Films Production. BAFTA winner David Livingstone produces for Calamity and Executive Producers include Cameron McCracken for Pathé, Rose Garnett for BBC Films and Andrea Scarso for Ingenious. Pathé is distributing Judy in the U.K., France, and Switzerland and has handled international sales throughout the rest of the world.
LD and Roadside have partnered on a successful run of films such as I Can Only Imagine, which became the top independent film of the last year, and Albert Nobbs and Biutiful, which together garnered Roadside and LD five Academy Award nominations, including recognition for Best Actress and Best Actor.
New DC Premium Format Collection Video From Sideshow
Sideshow Collectibles has just debuted a new video that gives you an inside look at their forthcoming DC Premium Format Figure Collection. The first wave of intensely detailed collectible statues include iconic representations of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Joker and Harley Quinn, and the video also teases future releases including Green Arrow, Green Lantern (John Stewart), Supergirl, Doomsday, Poison Ivy, Catwoman and Mr. Freeze. Check out the video below, along with an extensive set of preview stills in the gallery!
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Measuring 26” tall, Superman touches down from flight onto a base themed after Brainiac’s skull ship. Mechanical tendrils reach up towards the Man of Steel as he prepares to bring justice to the twelfth-level intellect. The polystone Superman Premium Format Figure has a sculpted blue costume with textured elements and red and yellow accents, including his belt and the symbol of the House of El emblazoned across his chest. Superman has a muscular physique and a detailed portrait inspired by his comic book appearance, complete with his signature black curl of hair. The Superman Premium Format Figure also includes a poseable red fabric cape marked with Superman’s symbol in yellow. The Exclusive edition of the Superman Premium Format Figure includes a swap-out right hand holding the head of the defeated Brainiac. Superman’s powerful punch is imprinted on the side of his foe’s face as vibrant green blood is splattered across his severed mechanical neck. (Retail: $585, Dec 2018-Feb 2019)
Measuring 22” tall, Wonder Woman stands on guard as she descends a blackened staircase to Hades, lined with clear resin flames that include a flickering light-up feature. The sculpted underworld staircase is detailed with molten orange hues, as well as the shadowy portraits of helmeted warriors, inspired by classical statues. A champion of justice, Wonder Woman prepares to swing her golden Lasso of Truth at any oncoming foes, with her sword and aegis shield at her back. Both the lasso and the leather-like strap across her chest are fabric features. Wonder Woman has a beautifully detailed portrait inspired by her comic book appearance, with dynamic, windswept hair, her golden tiara and matching golden necklace, and a strong-willed expression. Wonder Woman’s demigoddess physique is carefully sculpted showcasing her grace and strength in polystone. Her iconic red and blue costume is accented with white stars, and her armor includes a golden eagle breastplate, a matching gold belt, silver bracelets, and red boots with silver covers. The Exclusive edition of the Wonder Woman Premium Format Figure includes a removable polyvinyl skirt for Diana’s costume, allowing an additional display option for the figure. (Retail: $560, Dec 2018-Feb 2019)
Batman measures 21” tall, perched atop an Arkham cemetery base. Fans familiar with the shaded history of Gotham’s famed asylum may recognize the marks of madness carved into the gravestones beneath Batman’s boots. The Batman Premium Format Figure stands ready to bring justice to his city, wearing an updated version of his iconic costume. The polyresin figure has a sculpted black and grey tactical bodysuit featuring a gold utility belt. Batman’s chest, gauntlets, and boots textured with elements of battle-damage. The Caped Crusader’s portrait is detailed with a grim expression, framed by his iconic cowl with white eyes. The Batman Premium Format™ Figure also has a tailored fabric cape with internal wiring to allow custom cape poses when displaying the piece. The Exclusive edition of the Batman Premium Format Figure includes alternate left and right hands clutching Batarangs. Use the Dark Knight’s arsenal to defend Gotham with this added display option. (Retail: $600, Jan-Mar 2019)
The key to humor is a good punch line- The Joker measures 25” tall atop a pogo-fist base inspired by his own suit sleeve, fitted with a dilapidated carnival game head. A giant purple glove is breaking the Gotham courthouse Seal of Justice, while his patented toxic laughing gas leaks from the wreckage. A Batusi 8-track hides on the control panel of The Joker’s crazy contraption along with a carved heart with H+J as a symbol of their mad love. Bouncing into battle, the Clown Prince of Crime comes equipped with a Joker Fish tommy gun to put the fin-ishing touches on his elaborate scheme. The Joker has a maniacal, scarred portrait with his iconic face makeup and coiffed green hair, and a sculpted purple two-piece suit, green vest, and orange shirt. His suit is outfitted with intricate stitching details as well as a grinning Batgirl plush pinned to his lapel. Always playing the heel to Batman’s heroic antics, The Joker has a custom pair of shoes with ‘Ha!’ treads and a “Your Face Here” on the soles. Give Batman the ol’ one-two punch when you pair The Joker with his best girl, the Harley Quinn Premium Format Figure. Gotham will never know what hit them! The Exclusive edition of The Joker Premium Format Figure includes an alternate classic portrait of the Clown Prince of Crime, as well as a swap-out right hand holding a special cake for Batman. These accessories can be swapped out independently of one another, giving you additional display options. (Retail: $640, Jan-Mar 2019)
Harley Quinn measures 20” tall, leaping off a derelict funhouse base packed with gunpowder and crackling explosives. This resin figure has an entirely sculpted costume decked out with diamond patterns and frills, all in Harley’s signature red, black, and white style. The Harley Quinn Premium Format Figure includes two interchangeable portraits so that you can display your favorite face of Gotham’s maid of mischief! Her pouting unmasked portrait features her classic white makeup, a thin domino mask, and blonde hair pulled back into pigtails. Her masked portrait features a gleeful grin framed by her iconic harlequin hood, white makeup, and domino mask. A girl’s gotta accessorize! Harley Quinn is wearing a stolen Gotham PD utility belt complete with a nightstick, a pair of purple Joker cuffs, tatters from Robin’s cape, and a little green in her pocket courtesy of Poison Ivy. Harley is ready to crack a few jokes and a few skulls with her massive hammer, detailed with stylized portraits of her darling hyenas Bud and Lou. The Exclusive edition of the Harley Quinn Premium Format Figure includes a Bat-in-the-Box accessory, which can be displayed in proximity to the figure. It’s time to make the Bat go SPLAT! (Retail: $575, Jan-Mar 2019)
Disney’s Tangled series renewed ahead of Season 2 premiere
Today it was announced that Disney Channel has ordered a third season of the Emmy Award-nominated animated adventure comedy Tangled: The Series. This news comes before the premiere of its second season, which has been re-titled Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. Disney Channel also announced that the second season premieres on Sunday, June 24, 8AM EST/PDT on Disney Channel, the DisneyNOW app, and Disney Channel VOD.
The series’ talented voice cast includes Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi as the beloved Rapunzel and Eugene, as well as Eden Espinosa, James Monroe-Iglehart and Jeremy Jordan as fan-favorites Cassandra, Lance and Varian. The series features music by Academy Award-winning Disney Legend Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater.
Season two of Tangled: The Series finds Rapunzel venturing outside of the kingdom in search of where the mystical black rocks lead, after discovering she is somehow connected to them. Accompanying Rapunzel on her journey is her partner in life, Eugene; her best friend and confidante, Cassandra; her loyal chameleon sidekick, Pascal; no-nonsense and dutiful horse, Maximus; Eugene’s best friend, Lance and the Snuggly Duckling Pub Thugs. Together, they’ll discover new people and places and embark on an incredible new adventure far beyond Corona’s walls.
The guest voice cast for season two includes Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Carol Kane (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as the mystical traveler Madame Canardist, Lil Rel Howery (Get Out) as a fast-talking host named Goodberry, Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck) as Eugene’s old love interest Stalyan, Bruce Campbell (Cars 2) as the bizarrely charming King Edmund, Britt Robertson (For the People) as the whip-smart no nonsense teenager Vex, Timothy Dalton (License to Kill) as inventor and adventurer Demanitus, Katy Mixon (American Housewife) as the stunningly beautiful Seraphina, and Kathy Najimy (Hocus Pocus) as a sprightly and strange resident of the magical forest.
Brand extensions for the series include toys, role-play products and more from Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products. New products, including a brand-new line of back-to-school items, will be available at Disney Stores beginning June 11.
Produced by Disney Television Animation, Tangled: The Series was developed by animation veterans Chris Sonnenburg and Shane Prigmore. Sonnenburg serves as executive producer and supervising director; Benjamin Balistreri is co-executive producer, Jase Ricci is story editor and co-producer, and Alan Bodner is art director. Celebrated artist Claire Keane, who painted Rapunzel’s tower murals in the feature film, is the series’ visual development artist. Emmy Award-winning Kevin Kliesch serves as score composer.
Cinemax’s drama series Strike Back has started filming its sixth season today. All ten episodes of the new season will be shot entirely in Malaysia. The premium cable network also released a brand new image from the new season, which you can check out in full in the gallery below.
Stars Warren Brown (Luther, The Dark Knight Rises), Daniel MacPherson (A Wrinkle in Time) and Alin Sumarwata (Neighbours, Burning Man) are returning for the sixth season. They will be joined by new cast members Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica, Monday Mornings) and Yasemin Allen (Water and Fire).
When a Russian bomber crashes in the South China Sea, the covert special-ops soldiers of Section 20 — Thomas “Mac” McAllister (Warren Brown), Samuel Wyatt (Daniel MacPherson) and Gracie Novin (Alin Sumarwata) — are sent on a mission to investigate. There, they cross paths with Katrina Zarkova (Yasemin Allen), a rogue Russian operative with questionable loyalties.
Under orders of the new commanding officer, Col. Alexander Coltrane (Jamie Bamber), Section 20 pursues stolen contents of the Russian jet across Southeast Asia. They will work alongside the Malaysian police to shut down a Triad gang in Kuala Lumpur, uncover a corrupt plot by a wealthy Indian businesswoman running for Parliament and plunge into the jungles of the Golden Triangle in Myanmar, facing off against mercenary drug agents and terrifying warlords, as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens to push the world to the brink of global conflict.
“Strike Back has reestablished Cinemax as a destination for adrenalized, entertaining action series,” notes Kary Antholis, president, HBO Miniseries and Cinemax Programming. “We are delighted to offer Section 20 the opportunity to continue saving the world from mayhem and destruction.”
Jack Lothian, writer and executive producer, says, “We’re delighted to be back with Cinemax and Sky for a new season of Strike Back. We have fantastic actors and crew members who work incredibly hard to provide big-screen action for the small screen, with all the drama, high stakes, and mayhem that involves, and I can’t wait for the audience to see the twists and turns we’ve got lined up.”
This new season marks Cinemax’s sixth – and UK co-producer Sky’s seventh – in the Strike Back franchise.
Jason Momoa and director Corin Hardy exit The Crow remake
Deadline reports that Jason Momoa and director Corin Hardy formally withdrew from The Crow remake today in what sounds like creative and financial differences with Davis Films’ Samuel Hadida who holds the rights to the film and is financing the project.
The Crow was picked up by Sony Pictures last year for worldwide distribution and in March it was announced that the movie would hit theaters on October 11, 2019. Sources say that the deal with Sony hasn’t closed, putting the studio in “exit mode” which reportedly lead to Momoa and Hardy leaving the project.
Originally, the film was described as a gritty reboot of the 1994 cult classic featuring Momoa playing the lead iconic character of Eric Draven who returns from the grave as The Crow on a mission to avenge his wife’s murder so that his soul can finally rest. Production was set to start in about five weeks in Budapest and was in full pre-production.
This marks the second time that Hardy has exited the remake, and now with the film’s director and lead star walking away from the project, The Crow reboot once again finds itself stuck in limbo with the possibility of its resurrection now in question.
Hardy’s upcoming projects include The Conjuring spinoff The Nun which will premiere in theaters this September and centers on a priest named Father Burke who is sent to Romania to investigate the mysterious death of a nun, starring Demián Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, and Bonnie Aarons.
Momoa can currently be seen in the gritty Netflix original series Frontier, where ruthless trappers and entrepreneurs in the 18th-century fight to wrest control of the fur trade from the mighty Hudson’s Bay Company. The first two seasons are available for streaming on the site, with a third season expected to premiere this year. Momoa will also be reprising his role as Arthur Curry in the upcoming Aquaman, due in theaters December 21, 2018.
First How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World poster debuts
Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation have released the first poster for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the third installment in their How to Train Your Dragon franchise. Check out the full image in the gallery below and check back here in one week for the first trailer!
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the much-anticipated culmination of one of the most beloved animated film franchises in history. As Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.
Dean DeBlois returns as the series director alongside the all-star cast, including Jay Baruchel (Million Dollar Baby, This Is the End), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty, End of Watch), Kit Harington (Game of Thrones, Pompeii), Cate Blanchett (The House with a Clock in Its Walls, Thor: Ragnarok), Gerard Butler (Den of Thieves, Geostorm), Kristen Wiig (The Last Man on Earth, Ghostbusters), Craig Ferguson (Doc Martin), and F. Murray Abraham (Homeland, Isle of Dogs) as the villain Grimmel.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is produced by Brad Lewis (Ratatouille, Antz) and How to Train Your Dragon series producer Bonnie Arnold (Toy Story, Tarzan). The first two films in the franchise received Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature and the first film was nominated for Best Original Score.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is set for release on Friday, March 1, 2019.
Netflix has announced that production has officially begun today on their new original film, The King. Cameras are rolling in the UK on the production which is expected to be released on the streaming service in 2019.
The King stars Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird), Joel Edgerton (Bright, Loving, The Great Gatsby), Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Macbeth), Ben Mendelsohn (Ready Player One, Bloodline), Robert Pattinson (Good Time, The Lost City of Z), Lily-Rose Depp (The Summoning, The Dancer), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) and Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie (Leave No Trace).
Netflix’s The King is inspired by elements of Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Henry V. It follows a young, disgraced prince, Hal who inherits the crown and must learn what it means to be a king, guided by his one true friend, Falstaff.
Joel Edgerton will be playing Falstaff in the film, guiding Chalamet who will be playing Hal. Pattinson will take on the role of The Dauphin with Mendelsohn playing King Henry IV. Lily-Rose Depp will step into the role of Princess Catherine with Sean Harris as William, Tom Glynn-Carney as Hotspur and Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie as Philippa.
David Michôd (War Machine, Animal Kingdom) will be directing from a script he co-wrote with Edgerton.
Academy Award-winning Plan B will produce along with Porchlight Films’ Liz Watts (Animal Kingdom, The Rover), Edgerton and Michôd.
Top Gun 2 filming begins with Cruise back in the flight suit
Tom Cruise has swerved back onto that Highway to the Danger Zone as the star Tweeted a picture from the first day of Top Gun 2 filming. No other cast besides Cruise have been announced yet. See Cruise back in the flight suit after 32 years in the gallery below!
Joseph Kosinski, who previously directed Cruise in Oblivion, will helm the sequel, with Peter Craig, Justin Marks and Eric Warren Singer penning the script. Although the title Top Gun: Maverick floated around briefly, the film is currently without an official title.
A follow-up to Tony Scott’s 1986 hit has been in the works for quite some time, with Tom Cruise interested in reprising his role as United States Naval Aviator Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer previously outlined that the film will deal with the rise of unmanned drones and pilots becoming a thing of the past.
The original Top Gun was directed by Tony Scott and also starred Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards and Tom Skerritt. The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Take My Breath Away” performed by Berlin. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Paramount Pictures has set a Top Gun sequel release date for July 12, 2019.
Are you guys happy that Top Gun 2 filming has begun? Let us know in the comments or tweet us your thoughts @ComingSoonnet.
CS Unboxed Plays Sabacc: Hasbro’s Han Solo Card Game
With Lucasfilm‘s Solo: A Star Wars Story now the #1 movie in the country, many of you might be curious about the card game played between Han Solo and Lando Calrissian in the film. Known in the Star Wars universe as Sabacc, Hasbro has issued a playable version called Han Solo Card Game (a licensing dispute with another company prevents them from using the word “Sabacc”), and CS Unboxed invited our fellow New York City movie pals Kristy Puchko, Devindra Hardawar, Liz Swezey and Matt Donato to unbox and play the game. Watch all the hilarious fun (and frustration) of four film nerds playing Sabacc in the unboxing video below!
Solo: A Star Wars Story makes the jump to light speed in a high-octane adventure that navigates the perils of a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, forges new friendships that will last a lifetime, and reveals untold secrets from the hidden past of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes. Han Solo meets loyal co-pilot Chewbacca and notorious gambler Lando Calrissian for the first time, bound by a desperate mission against impossible odds that will help shape the irresistible scoundrel audiences have come to love.
Directed by Ron Howard, Solo: A Star Wars Story stars Hail, Caesar‘s Alden Ehrenreich as Han, with Atlanta‘s Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian and The Force Awakens‘ Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca. Woody Harrelson is playing Han’s mentor, a man by the name of Beckett, while Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke, Westworld‘s Thandie Newton, Avengers‘ Paul Bettany, and Fleabag‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge also star.
Walt Disney Animation Studios released new images (via USA Today) for the upcoming Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 including a first-look at the assembly of Disney Princesses that can be found in the film as well as a first look at new characters Yesss (voiced by Taraji P. Henson) and KnowsMore (voiced by Alan Tudyk). Check them out in the gallery below!
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 leaves Litwak’s video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and thrilling world of the internet—which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking. Video game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush. In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet—the netizens—to help navigate their way, including a website entrepreneur named Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of trend-making site “BuzzzTube.”
The film will also include a team up of all the Disney Princesses including Auli‘i Cravalho (Moana), Kristen Bell (Anna in Frozen), Kelly Macdonald (Merida in Brave), Mandy Moore (Rapunzel in Tangled), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana in The Princess and the Frog), Irene Bedard (Pocahontas), Linda Larkin (Jasmine in Aladdin), Paige O’Hara (Belle in Beauty and the Beast) and Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid). You can read our write up of the scene here.
Directed by Rich Moore (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph) and Phil Johnston (co-writer Wreck-It Ralph, Cedar Rapids, co-writer Zootopia), and produced by Clark Spencer, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-Ralph 2 hits theaters on November 21.
WB acquires Jonathan Lethem’s new novel The Feral Detective
Kroll & Co. Entertainment, the recently launched production company of producer Sue Kroll, has acquired the rights to Jonathan Lethem’s new novel, The Feral Detective, through her exclusive deal at Warner Bros. Pictures. The highly anticipated novel — Lethem’s first detective story since his New York Times bestseller Motherless Brooklyn — sold to Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins, and will be published in November 2018.
The Feral Detective follows Phoebe Siegler, a sarcastic and garrulous woman who heads to California to try to find her best friend’s missing teenaged daughter. When a lead brings her to the stark and seedy desert towns just east of Los Angeles, Phoebe is put in contact with Charles Heist, a laconic, strange private eye with an uncanny ability to find those that don’t want to be found, who reluctantly agrees to help. She dubs him The Feral Detective. As the unlikely pair traverse the stunning desert and its enclaves and get closer to the missing girl, their lives are placed in increasing jeopardy.
The project furthers the collaborative relationship between the award-winning author and Kroll. Previously announced, she serves as an executive producer on Edward Norton’s film adaptation of Motherless Brooklyn, teaming with producers Norton, William Migliore, Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane, and executive producers Michael Bederman, Adrian Alperovich, Robert F. Smith, Brian Sheth and Daniel Nader. Currently in post-production, the film stars Norton, Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Willem Dafoe and Alec Baldwin.
“Jonathan is one of America’s greatest storytellers and, without hyperbole, a true literary genius,” said Kroll. “The Feral Detective is similarly brilliant, and also a wild, funny, contemporary, and genre-defying piece of literature that represents the type of stories I want to continue to tell through Kroll & Co. I am thrilled to be able to help bring his novel to the screen.”
Lethem added, “It’s a thrill having Sue Kroll capture The Feral Detective for the screen. From the moment we first spoke, Sue persuaded me she saw Phoebe and Charles, and their wild ricochet through the book’s barbaric landscape, in uniquely cinematic terms. What luck for me to have Sue find the book and begin to make it her own.”
Jonathan Lethem is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Dissident Gardens and The Fortress of Solitude. He is an NBCC Award winner, a recipient of a MacArthur genius grant, and is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker.
Through her exclusive deal at Warner Bros. Pictures, Kroll & Co. recently announced its first acquisition of Peter Kornbluh’s gripping Politico article My Dearest Fidel: A Journalist’s Secret Liaison with Fidel Castro, which Kroll will develop and produce alongside Gal Gadot and Jaron Varsano.
June 2018 free games for PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold
Sony and Microsoft have both announced the slate of June 2018 free games that will be available to subscribing PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold members.
PlayStation Plus members will receive the tactical, turn-based strategy game XCOM 2 and Ubisoft’s ultimate platform-racing game Trials Fusion for the PlayStation 4. For the PlayStation 3, members will receive the bloody racing game Zombie Driver HD and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier shooter, as well as the multiplayer action platform Atomic Ninjas and puzzle reflex game Squares for the PS Vita. You can subscribe to PlayStation Plus via this link.
Xbox Live Gold members will receive four new free games — two on Xbox One and two on Xbox 360 — as part of the Games with Gold program. Members can download Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia for free during the month of June, with the multiplayer online battle arena game SMITE: Gold Bundle available from June 16th to July 15th. On Xbox 360 (with Xbox One backwards compatibility), fans get Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed free from June 1 to June 15th and LEGO Indiana Jones 2 for free from June 16 through June 30th. You can subscribe to Xbox Live Gold via this link.
Which of the June 2018 free games are you looking forward to playing out of this lineup?
Paramount Players and JAKKS Pacific, Inc. announced plans today for the studio to acquire the feature film rights to Creepy Crawlers, the iconic toy brand owned by JAKKS Pacific.
“Creepy Crawlers has been an iconic brand since the 1960’s and we are honored to work with Neal Moritz, Paramount Players, and the Nickelodeon-Viacom Family in bringing it to life on the big screen,” said Stephen Berman, Chairman & CEO, JAKKS Pacific. “We, and the studio, envision the property to be developed into a family adventure film in the vein of Jumanji.”
Not much can be said about the plot as of yet. For those who are not familiar with the ’90s toy brand, Creepy Crawlers was originally created by Mattel in the 1960s. It has been said that the toy was discontinued by Mattel due to safety concerns. Considering the original toys had a metal mold and were heated on an open-faced oven, the safety concerns sound legitimate. The toy was revived in the ’90s by ToyMax with similar molds and Plastigoop, but with stricter safety regulations. JaKKS Pacific took over the reins in the early 2000s. Since then, they have introduced pop culture icons like Hello Kitty and SpongeBob to the mix. So kids are not just creating bugs. They are also bringing their favorite characters to life!
Neal H. Moritz (Fast & Furious franchise) will produce with Marc Gurvitz (The Cable Guy). Toby Ascher (Sleeping Dogs) and Stephen Berman (The Cellar) will serve as executive producers. Ali Bell and Royce Reeves-Darby will be overseeing for Paramount Players.
Locke & Key gets Netflix series order, Hulu pilot scrapped
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix is nearing a deal to give Locke & Key the thing it’s been trying to get for a decade: A series order. After producing a new pilot at Hulu, that streaming giant decided to pass on the series, so Netflix has snatched it up and will retain showrunner Carlton Cuse and creator Joe Hill. This marks the first time the property, which also had a failed pilot at Fox in 2010 and a failed movie development at Universal, has been given a series order, and also provides Netflix with more comic book content after their myriad Marvel shows, forthcoming Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and their adaptation of The Umbrella Academy.
The Hulu pilot directed by Andy Muschietti (IT) will be scrapped and recast, with Muschietti unable to return for the Netflix version due to his IT: Chapter 2 commitments, though he and sister Barbara Muschietti will be credited as executive producers. Muschietti’s pilot starred Frances O’Connor, Nate Corddry, Jack Mulhern, Megan Carpentier and Jackson Robert Scott. O’Connor portrayed family matriarch Nina Locke, who moves her three children to Maine after her husband is brutally murdered. Insiders say Hulu’s new chief content officer Joel Stillerman (The Walking Dead) and senior vp Craig Erwich wanted to pick up Locke & Key for series, but the streamer’s new CEO Randy Freer gave the project a pass.
Locke & Key tells the story of the Locke family and their journey into Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them, and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all!
Carlton Cuse (The Strain, LOST) and comic creator Joe Hill are set to executive produce and write the pilot script for the Netflix show, based on the IDW Entertainment comic series written by Joe Hill with art by Gabriel Rodriguez. Andy and Barbara Muschietti (IT, Mama) will executive produce alongside Lindsey Springer for Cuse’s production company Genre Arts. Ted Adams and David Ozer from IDW Entertainment will also serve as executive producers.
Locke & Key has had a long history of making it to another medium with Dimension Films purchasing the rights in 2008. Following that, a television series was in development at FOX in 2010 (which was even given a series order, but never went forward after the pilot was produced), and finally a failed film adaptation with producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci in 2014 with Universal Pictures.
Tom Cruise jumps out of a plane in M:I – Fallout RealD poster
Paramount Pictures has released a new Mission: Impossible – Fallout RealD poster as Tom Cruise jumps out of a plane like the badass daredevil he is. You can check out the full poster in the gallery below!
The best intentions often come back to haunt you. Mission: Impossible – Fallout finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong. Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby also join the dynamic cast.
The Mission: Impossible franchise launched in 1966 with the original CBS television series, which ran for seven seasons and 171 episodes. Mission: Impossible returned in 1988 with a rebooted series on ABC. It failed to find an audience, however, and was canceled after two seasons. It was nearly a decade later that the Tom Cruise-led Mission: Impossible feature film would turn the small screen spy series into a hugely-successful cinematic franchise.
Christopher McQuarrie, who previously helmed Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, is once again writing and directing the Paramount Pictures sequel, which opens in theaters on July 27, 2018.
What do you think about the new Mission: Impossible – Fallout RealD poster? Let us know in the comments below.
