Movie/TV News (3 Viewers)

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

AMERICAN BORN CHINESE---trailer released for the Disney+ fantasy series starring the EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE cast of Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAeemjfVvM0



NEFARIOUS---trailer released for the horror movie.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txwrLGAL7Sg



MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-DEAD RECKONING PART ONE---poster released for the sequel showing Tom Cruise and a motorcycle stunt.

THE LAST OF US---the horror series has surpassed HOUSE OF THE DRAGON as HBO's most-watched series since GAME OF THRONES. THE LAST OF US is averaging 30.4 million viewers per episode. Co-creator Craig Mazin said PART II will be longer, “more than one [season] is factually correct.”

HELLTOWN---Oscar Issac is in talks to star in the Amazon Prime eight-part miniseries based on the book HELLTOWN: THE UNTOLD STORY OF A SERIAL KILLER ON CAPE COD in which Kurt Vonnegut, a struggling writer, tries to track down serial killer Tony Costa.

ACADEMY AWARDS---the 2023 Academy Awards telecast had a slight decrease in audience with 16 million viewers compared to 16.6 million in 2022. This continues the overall trend of a declining audience for the Oscars.

2013---40.3 million
2014---43.7 million
2015---37.3 million
2016---34.4 million
2017---32.9 million
2018---26.5 million
2019---29.6 million
2020---23.6 million
2021---10.4 million (virus year)
2022---16.6 million
2023---16 million


Paul Schrader (TAXI DRIVER) posted his views about Oscar's declining audiences.

WONDER WOMAN---James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, posted that Wonder Woman animated projects are underway, "...we’re working on getting Wonder Woman into more animation. I agree that there hasn’t been enough of her in that area and was one of the first things I brought up to the animation folks."

JUMANJI 4---Kevin Hart said a fourth movie is being discussed, "We’re going to have to do it soon. I talked to [Dwayne Johnson] the day before yesterday. Right now, we got the ball rolling on some big ideas."

DC STUDIOS---Dwayne Johnson commented on DC Studios' decision to not make a BLACK ADAM sequel and end Henry Cavill's role as Superman, "All that I can do, and all that we could do when we were making BLACK ADAM, was to put our best foot forward and surround ourselves with the best people and deliver the best movie we could. Our audience score was in the 90s. Critics took a couple of shots, but that’s just the business of it.
It’s almost like when you have a pro football team and your quarterback wins championships and your head coach wins championships and then a new owner comes in and says, ‘Not my coach, not my quarterback. I’m going to go with somebody new.'”

TRIVIA---more James Bond movie trivia.
James Bond producer Cubby Broccoli offered Roger Moore the opportunity to return as James Bond in OCTOPUSSY, and at the same time, Moore and Sean Connery were offered the role of Bond in Jack Schwartzman's NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, a remake of THUNDERBALL. Moore said, "Of course, Jack Scwartzman came to me and asked me if I wanted to do that, or did I want to do this. So, yes, of course, that gave me a certain of leverage. I said to Sean, 'Which one do you want to do?' and he didn't want to do the one with Cubby, so I'm here and he's there."

 

[Combat]

Redrum!

I bet the poor guy has heard that one a few times. It reminds me of the Abbott and Costello skit where the guy goes nuts every time the Susquehanna Hat Company is mentioned.

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

THE MOVIE CRITIC---sources say Quentin Tarantino's last movie is set in late 1970s Los Angeles and will focus on a movie critic, which led to speculation it will be based on movie critic Pauline Kael.

DUNE: PART TWO---costume designer Jacqueline West commented on PART TWO, “In PART TWO, you really dive into the different worlds of DUNE. We see what the emperor’s world looks like. We go to his planet. We spend a lot of time on Giedi Prime, the Harkonnen planet. We spend a lot of time in Stellan Skarsgård’s [Vladimir Harkonnen] world. Feyd-Rautha [Harkonnen] also comes into this one, brilliantly played by Austin Butler, ELVIS. He is pretty fabulous in it.
All the worlds get expanded. It was about creating three separate, different-looking worlds and also revisiting the Bene Gesserits, the age-old ones with these costumes that almost look like Egyptian mummies. I think it’s visually stunning, the sets, the cinematography and the concepts.”

LETHAL WEAPON 5---Mel Gibson commented on the status of the new sequel, "[Richard Donner] was developing the screenplay and he got pretty far along with it… They had a really good template. I had the honor of sitting down, after Richard passed away, with the writer and doing a couple more drafts and trying to do it in the spirit of what we thought Donner might because I knew the guy so well. We tried to get that flavor, and we were pretty happy with what we came up with”
He added, “The only delay is now with all the shake-up at Warners, with Discovery coming in and the new boss [David Zaslav]. They chop everyone else up and throw them away and get new people. It always takes time for these companies to regroup, so that’s been a delay, but I’m pretty confident we’ll get this one up on its feet, probably shoot it in the first quarter of the New Year.”

SUPERMAN & LOIS---Michael Cudlitz posted a photo of himself as Lex Luthor.

JOHN WICK---director Chad Stahelski said he and Keanu Reeves are taking a break from the franchise, “In our minds, Keanu and I are done for the moment. We’re going to give JOHN WICK a rest. I’m sure the studio has a plan. If everyone loves it and it goes kooky, then we’ll take a quiet minute.
WICKs always, for some weird reason, always get the latest release date in Japan. It’s always like, three months later. If it’s the same this time, we’ll do a Japanese tour and release the movie in September.
Keanu and I will take the long trip to Tokyo, we’ll sit in the Imperial Hotel Scotch Bar and go, ‘What do you think?’ We’ll have a couple 20-year-old whiskies and write some ideas on napkins. If those ideas stick, maybe we’ll make a movie.”

McCONAUGHEY & HARRELSON---Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson will star in this untitled Apple TV+ comedy series whose synopsis says the series is, “a heartfelt odd couple love story revolving around the strange and beautiful bond between Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Matthew and Woody’s friendship is tested when their combined families attempt to live together on Matthew’s ranch in Texas.”

DOCTOR WHO---Jemma Redgrave will return as UNIT head Kate Leithbridge-Stewart in a Russell T. Davies spinoff series which will be part of the new Whoniverse. A rumor claims another Whoniverse spinoff would involve Dr. Who's monstrous enemies.

GOODRICH---Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis will star in this comedy movie whose synopsis says, “Set in contemporary Los Angeles during the holidays, the film tells the story of art dealer Andy Goodrich (Keaton), a man whose life is upended when his younger second wife leaves him and enters a 90-day rehab program while also threatening divorce. Goodrich takes charge of their nine-year-old twins, thrusting him into the world of modern parenthood for which he is deeply unprepared. With his career falling by the wayside, he leans on his grown and pregnant daughter Grace for support, and ultimately evolves into the father Grace never had.”

CITADEL---Amazon Prime renewed the series for Season 2.

TRIVIA---Academy Award-nominated art director/director Eugene Lourie is best know by sci fi fans as the director of three giant dinosaur movies: THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, THE GIANT BEHEMOTH and GORGO. Lourie's last movie as art director was Clint Eastwood's BRONCO BILLY. Ironically, Clint Eastwood's first movie role also involved a prehistoric monster movie---Eastwood played Jennings the lab technician in REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, the sequel to the prehistoric Gill-man in THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

Eugene Lourie is best know by sci fi fans as the director of three giant dinosaur movies: THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, THE GIANT BEHEMOTH and GORGO.

Lourie's last movie as art director was Clint Eastwood's BRONCO BILLY.

Ironically, Clint Eastwood's first movie role also involved a prehistoric monster movie---Eastwood played Jennings the lab technician in REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, the sequel to the prehistoric Gill-man in THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

 

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

SUPERMAN: LEGACY---James Gunn confirmed he will write and direct the DC Studios movie about the early says of Superman. The synopsis says, “Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.”

THE HISTORY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE---Henry Cavill posted a photo of himself in the Guy Ritchie World War II spy movie based on the book THE HISTORY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE: HOW CHURCHILL'S SECRET WARRIORS SET EUROPE ABLAZE AND GAVE BIRTH TO MODERN BLACK OPS.

FRANKENSTEIN---Andrew Garfield, Oscar Issac and Mia Goth are in talks to star in the Guillermo del Toro/Netflix monster movie.

SMILE---Paramount Pictures has approved the sequel to the hit horror movie with Parker Finn returning as writer/director.

TRON 3---Bruce Boxleitner and Cindy Morgan commented on the sequel starring Jared Leto and if they might return for it. Boxleitner said, "I have no idea. Really, and I'm being honest, and I wish them luck. I think it's high time they did do it. It's been a long time since LEGACY already. And I think it's a re-imagining of it, a reboot. It needs that, and it needs it for a younger ... This generation…We did it for ours, but they need it. So, I'll always be associated with it. I was the first Tron."
Morgan added, "I'm always available because they kept it alive, so I show up and say, 'Thank you.' We just walked in there and it was like, 'Welcome to our home. Look at what we did. Remember that movie you did? We just put this all together. What do you think?"'

GATTACA---Showtime tv series underway based on the 1997 sci fi movie that starred Ethan Hawke. Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa (HOMELAND) are the co-creators.

MR. MONK'S LAST CASE---Peacock tv movie underway based on the USA Network tv series that starred Tony Shalhoub. The plot has Monk getting involved in his stepdaughter/journalist's wedding. Ted Levine, Hector Elizondo, Melora Hardin, Traylor Howard and Jason Gray-Stanford are expected to return.

RETURN TO SILENT HILL---Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson will star in the reboot movie based on the video game SILENT HILL 2. The synopsis says, “The film will follow James (Irvine), a man broken after being separated from his one true love (Anderson). When a mysterious letter calls him back to Silent Hill in search of her, he finds a once-recognizable town transformed by an unknown evil. As James descends deeper into the darkness, he encounters terrifying figures both familiar and new and begins to question his own sanity as he struggles to make sense of reality and hold on long enough to save his lost love.”

WILLOW---Disney+ cancelled the series.

TRIVIA---Ken Berry is best known for starring in the tv comedies F TROOP and MAYBERRY R.F.D., a spinoff of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. Originally, Berry joined the Army after high school and was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in an artillery unit. He then joined the Army's Special Services Division, which entertained troops. Berry's commander in the Special Services Division was Sgt. Leonard Nimoy, who achieved future tv stardom on STAR TREK. Berry appeared on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, and Nimoy contacted Hollywood agents and studios to watch Berry. This led to Berry signing a contract with Universal Studios which led to his success in F TROOP, MAYBERRY R.F.D. and other shows.

Originally, Berry joined the Army after high school and was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in an artillery unit. He then joined the Army's Special Services Division, which entertained troops.

Berry's commander in the Special Services Division was Sgt. Leonard Nimoy, who achieved future tv stardom on STAR TREK.

Berry appeared on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, and Nimoy contacted Hollywood agents and studios to watch Berry. This led to Berry signing a contract with Universal Studios which led to his success in F TROOP and MAYBERRY R.F.D., THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW spinoff, and other shows.

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

DEAD RINGERS---film clip released from the Amazon Prime miniseries based on the David Cronenberg movie.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_84S4TSAO5k



GLADIATOR 2---Denzel Washington is in negotiations to co-star in the Ridley Scott sequel in an undisclosed role. Scott directed Washington in AMERICAN GANGSTER.
Also, Barry Keoghan (THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN) is in negotiations to play Emperor Geta in the sequel.

THE DIPLOMAT---photo of Keri Russell starring in the Netflix political series as the new US ambassador to England. The synopsis says she must, “diffuse international crises, forge strategic alliances in London, and adjust to her new place in the spotlight — all while trying to survive her marriage to fellow career diplomat and political star Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell).”

DC STUDIOS---Ben Affleck commented on if he would direct a DC Studios movie, “I would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he’s going to do a great job. I just wouldn’t want to go in and direct in the way they’re doing that. I’m not interested in that.”
Affleck said JUSTICE LEAGUE was his "highest-rated career movie", but appearing in it changed him, "I was going to direct a Batman, and [JUSTICE LEAGUE] made me go, ‘I’m out. I never want to do any of this again. I’m not suited.'”

ACADEMY AWARDS---Goldie Hawn commented on the Academy Awards, “I’m not old-fashioned, but sometimes jokes are off-color. And I’m missing reverence. Things have become politicized. I want to see people in awe. I want to see people believing again. I want to see people laughing more in a way that isn’t just at someone else’s expense.”
She said the Chris Rock/Will Smith slapping incident was, “a microcosm oftentimes of our world.”

THE PENGUIN---Michael Zegen (THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL) will play villain Alberto Falcone in the HBO Max spinoff series. Theo Rossi, James Madio, and Scott Cohen have joined the cast in undislosed recurring roles.

DEAR SANTA---Jack Black will star in this Farrelly Brothers comedy movie about a boy who sends his yearly letter to Santa, but it is delivered to Satan.

THE BACKUP---Kevin Hart and Keke Palmer will star in this movie about a woman who heads to Hawaii for her wedding and invited her childhood friend to be the best man, but he wants her to marry him instead.

TRIVIA---Sam Raimi said his favorite movie that he directed was A SIMPLE PLAN starring Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton.

 

[dragon53]

MONDAY, MARCH 20

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER---Ciaran Hinds (GAME OF THRONES), Rory Kinnear (SKYFALL) and Tanya Moodie (STAR WARS: EPISODE IX-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER) have joined the Season 2 cast in undisclosed roles.

AVATAR 3---movie writer Jeff Sneider claims James Cameron's AVATAR 3 is nine hours long and will be released theatrically in a shorter version with the longer version to be released as a Disney+ miniseries, “The idea is that Cameron would do all the visual effects for his nine-hour cut of Avatar 3 and then release it on Disney+ as a limited series after the theatrical cut is released.”

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS---executive producer Akiva Goldsman confirmed Season 3 is underway, "just started filming."

HELLBOY: THE CROOKED MAN---creator Mike Mignola commented on the upcoming movie directed by Brian Taylor, "His intention is to make a horror movie, so that’ll be nice. That’ll be interesting. I read the new draft of the screenplay yesterday, and yes, it is definitely R. It’s the first Hellboy script that I read and I went, ‘Oh, it’s a horror movie,’ which is what I wanted. Taylor does not have a reputation as a horror movie director. But, so far, we’ve had two horror movie directors make Hellboy movies and we’ve never gotten a horror movie.
For years, we’ve been saying, if you’re going to make a Hellboy movie, make it small. And the perfect story to do that with is my personal favorite, ‘The Crooked Man.’ I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever written. It’s beautifully illustrated by Richard Corben, and it’s a solid story that doesn’t involve a million different characters.
Everybody actually agreed from the very beginning, ‘Yes, we want to do that one.’ Budget-wise, it’s good because it’s a lower-budget kind of a story. It’s not the Hellboy origin. It’s not Hellboy saving the world. It’s not huge. It’s a subtle, dark, little folk horror story.”

THE ORVILLE---co-star Chad L. Coleman commented on the status of a possible Season 4, "We’re all in the loop and out of the loop. We think it’s gonna happen, but it’s still up in the air. There’s so much going on with all of these studios that it’s just like, ‘Well, we gotta settle this thing first, then we can really decide on that thing.’ A bunch of that is going on. We hope so. Seth has an amazing relationship with Dana [Disney co-head Dana Walden] and with Disney, who’s running it now. And they said they’ve had promising meetings, so we’ll see."

BLACK PANTHER---a rumor claims a Ryan Coogler is in talks with Marvel Studios and Disney+ to develop a BLACK PANTHER spinoff tv series titled THE GOLDEN CITY. Danai Gurira commented on the rumor, “I have been told that I can gently allude to this possibility. So, I am gently alluding. Just gently.”

ONE DAY AS A LION---synopsis released for the action movie starring Scott Caan, JK Simmons and Frank Grillo, "Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) is a nice guy but a lousy hitman sent to take out a crafty debtor (J.K. Simmons), but Jackie only pisses him off. Fleeing the scene, Jackie takes bored waitress Lola as a hostage. Jackie needs money to get his son out of jail, and Lola cooks up a scheme for them to get cash from her dying mother (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile a thug sent to kill him is sleeping with Jackie’s ex… Also starring Frank Grillo, this crime comedy is a witty homage to Tarantino and the Coen brothers."

FALL 2---the sequel is underway with new characters in danger at a perilous height.

TRIVIA---more James Bond movie trivia.
Golden Globe Award-nominated writer Kevin Wade (WORKING GIRL) did a rewrite of GOLDENEYE, but he did not get a screen credit. However, the 007 agent he created was named Jack Wade in his honor and was played by Joe Don Baker.

 

[Combat]

Things that I learned attending this weekend's horror convention in Gettysburg included: You can rent "Buffalo Bill's" home from the move Silence of the Lambs. Weird. I once stayed in the Lizzie Borden home in Fall River which was cool. Kept hoping the naked Elizabeth Montgomery would jump out of the closet. No such luck.

The Silence of the Lambs Film Location | Buffalo Bill's House (buffalobillshouse.com)

 

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, MARCH 21

PRETTY BABY: BROOKE SHIELDS---trailer released for the Hulu two-part documentary about Brooke Shields.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7KedT6uvus



STAR WARS---entertainment writer Jeff Sneider claims Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson have reportedly left their STAR WARS movie just days after they turned in their script to Lucasfilm, "Lindelof and Britt-Gibson turned in a draft of the script in mid-February and parted ways with the project just days later. Lucasfilm already has a new writer on board, though I haven't been able to ascertain their identity. Production is still slated to start in February 2024."
Earlier, Lindelof commented on Lucasfilm cancelling other STAR WARS movies in order to take the franchise in a new direction, "The degree of difficulty is extremely, extremely, extremely high. If it can't be great, it shouldn't exist."
Also, the Academy Award-winning directing team of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE) have reportedly directed or will direct an episode of STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW starring Jude Law.

GEARS OF WAR---Jon Spaihts (DUNE, DOCTOR STRANGE) confirmed he will write the screenplay for the Netflix movie based on the video game, “GEARS OF WAR is one of the all-time great action games, with vivid characters, a beautifully designed world, and a combat system that drives home the lethality of war and the importance of standing by your squadmates. It wants to be cinema, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to help that happen.”

MEPHISTO---a report claims Marvel Studios is filming a Mephisto tv special starring Sacha Baron Cohen for Disney+, “They told me there’s a Mephisto special shooting right now on the set of [AGATHA: COVEN OF CHAOS] with Sacha Baren Cohen. It sounds like they may be doing his very own special.”

SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS---a report claims Dwayne Johnson is the reason FURY OF THE GODS and BLACK ADAM failed at the box office because the original plan was to have a Shazam and Black Adam movie which would have begun with Zachary Levy as Shazam in a post-credits scene in BLACK ADAM. Johnson rejected ideas for Black Adam/Shazam movies in favor of Black Adam/Superman movies co-starring Henry Cavill. It appears both the BLACK ADAM and SHAZAM franchises are now dead at DC Studios.
FURY OF THE GODS director David F. Sandberg said the sequel's disappointing box office and reviews have led him to exit superhero movies, “On Rotten Tomatoes I just got my lowest critic score and my highest audience score on the same film. I wasn’t expecting a repeat of the first movie critically but I was still a little surprised because I think it’s a good film. Oh well. As I’ve been saying for a while now I’m very eager to go back to horror (as well as trying some new things). After six years of Shazam I’m definitely done with superheroes for now.”

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE---Keanu Reeves repeated his desire to appear in a Marvel superhero movie, “That would be fun. I love those movies. It’s great to be in that kind of make-believe land and be in those big movies and have fun like that. Hopefully, one day, they can find something that I’m suitable for.”

THE ORVILLE---Seth McFarlane posted his reply after a fan asked about the show's renewal, "The industry is in the midst of a time of upheaval and transition. I wish I could provide a definitive answer to your question. At the moment, all I can say is that I remain… cautiously optimistic."

WE WERE LIARS---Amazon Prime tv series underway based on the young adult novel.

TRIVIA---ALIENS set designer Ron Cobb explained how he created the name for the sinister Weyland-Yutani Corporation, “One of the things I enjoyed most about ALIEN was its subtle satirical content. Science fiction films offer golden opportunities to throw in little scraps of information that suggest enormous changes in the world. There's a certain potency in those kinds of remarks. Weyland-Yutani for instance is almost a joke, but not quite. I wanted to imply that poor old England is back on its feet and has united with the Japanese, who have taken over the building of spaceships the same way they have now with cars and supertankers. In coming up with a strange company name I thought of British Leyland and Toyota, but we couldn't use "Leyland-Toyota" in the film. Changing one letter gave me "Weyland", and "Yutani" was a Japanese neighbor of mine.”

In ALIENS, Paul Reiser played villain Weyland-Yutani junior executive Carter Burke.

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22

MIGHT MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS: ONCE & ALWAYS---trailer released for the Netflix series.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKE2DC7Xzog



THE DAY OF THE JACKAL---Eddie Redmayne will star in the Peacock/Sky remake of the movie based on the Frederick Forsythe novel about an assassin hired to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle. The 1973 movie starred Edward Fox and Michel Lonsdale.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING---Steve Martin posted a photo with Selena Gomez hinting about Season 3.

VISION QUEST---Marvel Studios/Disney+ tv series underway based on the Vision comic books. The writers are Megan McDonnell (WANDAVISION) and Peter Cameron (WEREWOLF BY NIGHT).

STRANGER THINGS---the writers posted a preview of Season 5 which will be the last season, "Season 5 is like if season 1 and 4 had a baby. And then that baby was injected with steroids."

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS---Zachary Levi posted his comments on the sequel's disappointing box office in which some claim Zack Snyder fans were happy to see the sequel bomb, “This is also true. Sad, but true. How much that actually affects the box office is anyone’s guess. But I think the biggest issue we’re having is marketing. This is a perfect family movie, and yet a lot of families aren’t aware of that. Which is just a shame.
I have no issue with Snyder fans. Heck, I’ve been to nearly all his movies myself. My issue is with anyone who wishes to destroy something, simply because it’s not what they want. That comes from hate, not love.”
Levi also did not directly comment on reports that Dwayne Johnson rejected Levi's Shazam appearance at the end credits of BLACK ADAM because Johnson preferred Henry Cavill as Superman, but Levi did post, "The truth shall set you free"

SPEED 3---Keanu Reeves commented on if he would return for a second sequel to the hit movie, "Of course.", but then he added his conditions for a return, "A great story, a great script."

MOTHER MAY---Anne Hathaway and Michaela Cole will star in this movie about a fictional musician and her fashion designer.

SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE---Cillian Murphy will star in the movie based on the novel whose synopsis says, "It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season,” reads the book synopsis. “Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. It is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.”

TRIVIA---in the STAR TREK episode "Wolf in the Fold", actress Pilar Seurat played Sybo, one of several women murdered by an alien serial killer with Enterprise Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott being accused of the murders. In reality, Seurat's son, Dean Devlin, co-created several deadly alien outer space movies including INDEPENDENCE DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE and STARGATE.

In the STAR TREK episode "Wolf in the Fold", actress Pilar Seurat played Sybo, one of several women murdered by an alien serial killer with Enterprise Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott being accused of the murders.

In reality, Seurat's son, Dean Devlin, co-created several deadly alien outer space movies including INDEPENDENCE DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE and STARGATE.

 

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

RENFIELD---trailer released for the comedy Dracula movie starring Nicolas Cage.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVA8uRhTlKU



THE BLACK DEMON---trailer released for the giant shark movie starring Josh Lucas.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpYgzeJ4Cn0



STAR WARS---Steven Knight (PEAKY BLINDERS, SAS: ROGUE HEROES) will replace Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson as the writer for the future STAR WARS movie.

GRAND DEATH LOTTO---photo posted from the Amazon Studios/Paul Feig comedy movie starring Awkwafina and John Cena in which a lottery winner bodyguard must protect a woman who has the winning ticket in the California lottery where anyone who kills the winner can claim the jackpot.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-DEAD RECKONING PART TWO----Christopher McQuarrie posted a photo of Rolf Saxon returning as CIA analyst William Donloe, who appeared in the original 1996 movie.

GAMERA REBIRTH---poster and synopsis released for the Netflix animated monster tv series. The synopsis says, "The last summer. Friends. And Kaiju--. In the summer of 1989, Boko, Joe, and Junichi, all sixth grade elementary school students, were having their last summer vacation. Each of them is worried about their future. Brody, the son of a US military commander, appears before the three of them and steals away the money they have saved together. Boko and his friends are furious and plan a plan to get their money back. As they are about to carry out the plan, the town is threatened. The kaiju Gyaos suddenly attacks Tokyo. The four are petrified in a town ruined by Gyaos. As Gyaos sets its sights on them, a huge kaiju appears. Its name is Gamera. This is the beginning of their 'Summer of Kaiju.' Kaiju appear one after another, and Gamera fights back despite his wounds. The boys witness the legend."

SUPERMAN: LEGACY---James Gunn commented on reports that casting has begun for actors in their twenties, "Untrue. We haven’t begun casting other than making lists, and it’s not limited to people in their twenties."

CHEECH AND CHONG-- Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong will star in an untitled biomovie about themselves.

TRIVIA---two actors who appeared in the original PLANET OF THE APES movie also appeared in the 1974 tv series. Norman Burton played the gorilla Hunt Leader in the original movie, and he played Yalu on the tv series. Woodrow Parfrey played Dr. Maximus in the original movie, and he played Veska on the tv series.

Norman Burton played the gorilla Hunt Leader in the original movie, and he played Yalu on the tv series.

Burton also played CIA agent Felix Leiter in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.

Woodrow Parfrey played Dr. Maximus (left) in the original movie, and he played Veska on the tv series.

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

LOVE & DEATH---trailer released for the HBO Max true murder miniseries starring Elizabeth Olsen.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z778sJGKB3E



BIG SHARK---trailer released for the Tommy Wiseau big shark movie.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PkpUEHiefM



VERTIGO---Robert Downey, Jr. may star in the Paramount Pictures remake of the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock movie that starred Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. Steven Knight (PEAKY BLINDERS) is the writer.

THE EXORCIST---Linda Blair reportedly has a small role in the Blumhouse sequel to the 1973 horror movie. A Blumhouse spokesperson did not confirm Blair was a cast member by saying, “Linda Blair served as an advisor on the upcoming Exorcist film”.

AVERAGE HEIGHT, AVERAGE BUILD---Robert Pattinson and Robert Downey, Jr. will star in this Adam McKay movie about a serial killer who becomes a politician who introduces legislation to make murder more acceptable.

DINOSAURS---Anne Hathaway will star in an untitled Warner Bros./Bad Robot dinosaur movie set in the 1980s. David Robert Mitchell (IT FOLLOWS) is the director. No plot details were released.

STAR TREK: PICARD---fan requests for a PICARD spinoff are underway. One fan petition on Change.org with Jeri Ryan has over 11,000 signatures. Levar Burton said, “What the writers have done is they have really set it up well. You have got the next generation of The NEXT GENERATION. The La Forge sisters, one’s an engineer, the other’s a pilot. We’ve got Jack Crusher, Seven of Nine. It makes a whole lot of sense.”

THE LORD OF THE RINGS---Elijah Wood commented on returning to the franchise, “Reboot… I don't know about that, but if there's more films that potentially involve Frodo, I would be down.”

JONI MITCHELL---Cameron Crowe and Joni Mitchell are developing movie about Mitchell that is described as,“not a traditional biopic in the conventional sense of the word, nor is it a documentary. Instead, it’s akin to an autobiography.”

TRIVIA---in THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, Gates McFadden played Jack Ryan's wife, Caroline. She explained why she did not return for the sequel PATRIOT GAMES starring Harrison Ford, "...that was Alec Baldwin. He asked for too much money, and they said no. But I was supposed to. I would have gone on and done the second movie. That's why it was a tiny part in the first one, but it was going to be a bigger part in the second one. But then they just said [to Alec], 'Nope, we're not paying you that money.' And they went and they cast Harrison Ford, so they couldn't have the same woman playing his wife. That hurt." McFadden was replaced by Anne Archer in PATRIOT GAMES.

In THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, Gates McFadden played Jack Ryan's wife, Caroline

McFadden was replaced by Anne Archer in PATRIOT GAMES.

 

[dragon53]

MONDAY, MARCH 27

THE FLORIDA MAN---trailer released for the Netflix miniseries starring Edgar Ramirez.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juyodtul_7s



FEAR THE WALKING DEAD---trailer released for Season 8. Also, THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY spinoff will premiere on June 18.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58j16ansB9M



JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4---the sequel's premiere had a $73.5 million box office which set a franchise record. Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski said they were taking a hiatus from the franchise, but Reeves said he has one condition if he returned for fifth JOHN WICK movie, "I don't know, I guess I'm going to have to lean on never say never. I mean, I wouldn't do a JOHN WICK film without Chad Stahelski. We'd have to see what that looked like. For me, it feels really right that John Wick finds peace."
Producer Erica Lee said another spinoff movie, in addition to BALLERINA, is underway in the John Wick Universe “There is another film that we're developing that I think we'll be announcing in the next, say, month or two. Then, I'm hopeful there's a BALLERINA 2 and JOHN WICK 5, and lots of other things. But we're developing a lot of stuff and having a lot of discussions with a lot of writers and brand management and Wick universe is my utmost priority.”
Lee added the spinoffs might feature the Bowery King or Akira, "Yeah, I think the world of the Bowery King and the Bowery is something that we're really interested in exploring more of. He sort of runs the underground, and it's such an interesting world. How does he get the guns and the boats? He shows up everywhere. He's the leader; he has homeless running the streets and information through pigeons. He's low-tech and analog in a digital world, and he knows everyone and gets everywhere. I think that is something that's really interesting to explore.
The character of Akira really pops in the movie, and I'd love to sort of see some further adventures with her character. There's a lot! There's a lot of characters in JOHN WICK 4, and a lot of fan favorites from movies of the past. There's definitely a lot of stuff we want to dig deeper into."

DAMAGED---Samuel L. Jackson and Vincent Cassel will star in this movie about a Chicago police detective who travels to Scotland to investigate a serial killer whose crimes are similar to murders he investigated five years earlier in Chicago whose victims included his girlfriend.

WICKED---Jeff Goldblum confirmed he will play the Wizard in the movie based on the Broadway musical inspired by THE WIZARD OF OZ.

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES---poster released for the prequel.

THE SAVANT---Jessica Chastain will star in this Apple TV+ miniseries based on the true story of a woman known as The Savant who infiltrates online hate groups in order to prevent terrorist attacks.

THE ARISTOCATS---AhmirThompson (Questlove) will direct the Disney live-action/CGI remake movie.

TRIVIA---more James Bond movie trivia.
Canadian character actor Laurence Herder played a Russian in six movies. In FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, Herder played the Russian consulate clerk. In YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, Herder played a Russian cosmonaut. In THE MOUSE ON THE MOON, Herder played a Russian cosmonaut again. In FIRST MEN ON THE MOON, Herder played Glushkov, the Russian member of the UN Space Agency. In PATTON, Herder played the Russian translator. In THE CHAIRMAN, Herder played the Russian patrol commander.

In FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, Herder played the Russian consulate clerk where James Bond (Sean Connery) is stealing a Russian Lektor cryptography device.

In YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, Herder (right) played a Russian cosmonaut whose spacecraft is hijacked by SPECTRE.

In THE MOUSE ON THE MOON, Herder (holding Russian flag) played a Russian cosmonaut again.

In FIRST MEN ON THE MOON, Herder played Glushkov, the Russian member of the UN Space Agency, who is investigating the first men to land on the Moon in 1899.

In PATTON, Herder played the Russian translator in the scene with Gen. George S. Patton (George C. Scott) and Russian Gen. Katkov.

In THE CHAIRMAN, Herder played the Russian patrol commander who helps American professor Dr. John Hathaway (Gregory Peck) escape from Chinese troops.

 

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, MARCH 28

KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC---trailer released for the fantasy movie.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sko0o_KoBHY



JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX---a photo of a newspaper from the sequel confirms Lady Gaga is playing Harley Quinn, an inmate at Arkham State Hospital.

JOHN WICK 5---Lionsgate head Joe Drake said the studio is hoping JOHN WICK 5 can be made even though Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski said they are not interested in returning and the ending to CHAPTER 4, "There’s a will and there’s an openness. And you could certainly interpret that ending in different ways. We’re all going to take a tiny rest here and then scratch at ideas about whether there’s a credible way to get into 5. But there’s no guarantee. Keanu and Chad, rightly so, are very protective about never screwing with the audience. So we certainly have our work cut out for us … Keanu is so beloved and that character is so beloved; that’s not lost on him. He is in BALLERINA, interestingly, in a very strategic ways. And we’re talking about a couple of others that he could certainly participate in. I know that Chad has a bunch of really cool ideas. You could certainly go earlier [with the story].

ASTEROID CITY---poster released for the Wes Anderson movie starring Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jeff Goldblum, Margot Robbie, Willem Dafoe, Bryan Cranston and Liev Schreiber.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: NEW WORLD ORDER---Liv Tyler is returning as Betty Ross for the sequel.

YELLOWJACKETS---the Season 2 premiere ratings of almost two million viewers was more than double Season 1's premiere and broke Showtimes' DEXTER: NEW BLOOD's record as its most-streamed premiere.

THE ABANDONS---Lena Headey has joined the cast of the Kurt Sutter/Netflix Western tv series. Headey will play Fiona, mother of four orphans, who joins with other settler families to battle wealthy and powerful men who want their land.

ASH---Aaron Paul and Eiza Gonzalez have replaced Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Tessa Thompson in the sci fi movie about a woman who wakes up and discovers everyone on her space station has been savagely murdered and awaits a man who is sent to rescue her--maybe.

TRIVIA---character actor Ned Glass played Cary Grant's nemesis in two movies. In Alfred Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST, Glass played the train ticket agent who calls the police on murder suspect Roger Thornhill (Grant). In CHARADE, Glass played Leopold Gideon, one of three ex-OSS agents threatening Brian Cruikshank (Grant) and Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) as they seek stolen loot from World War II.

In Alfred Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST, Ned Glass played the train ticket agent who calls the police on murder suspect Roger Thornhill (Grant).

In CHARADE, Glass played Leopold Gideon, one of three ex-OSS agents threatening Brian Cruikshank (Grant) and Reggie Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) as they seek stolen loot from World War II.

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29

ASTEROID CITY---trailer released for the Wes Anderson comedy movie.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW88VBvQaiI


THE X-FILES---THE X-FILES creator Chris Carter said Ryan Coogler (CREED) is developing a diverse reboot of the sci fi series, “I just spoke to a young man… Ryan Coogler… who is going to remount THE X-FILES with a diverse cast. So he’s got his work cut out for him because we covered so much territory.”

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME---Thomas Haden Church only had a Sandman voice role in NO WAY HOME, but he said he might return in an expanded capacity in a future movie, “We had a whole story involving his daughter, for NO WAY HOME, and it just ended up [cut]. There was just so much going on…Amy [Pascal] and Kevin [Feige], we all had a lot of conversations.
And I would say that conversations have been had about the possibility of Sandman coming into a future iteration of it. The conversation has happened about him coming back and maybe picking up a more fulfilling story and being not just Sandman.”

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM---the show will reportedly ended with Season 12. Richard Lewis posted, “There I was a few hours ago in my trailer on location to shoot my last scene of #Curb1. Hard to believe we started in 2000. The cast and crew all knew we were working for a genius. When that rarity happens, no one ever takes a moment for granted. We love you LD.” Producer-writer Jon Hayman said in a now-deleted post, “shooting the last scene of the last episode of the final season.”

MAN ON FIRE---Netflix tv series underway based on the ex-mercenary John Creasy novels. Denzel Washington starred in the 2004 movie based on the novel.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON---Season 2 will have eight episodes compared to Season 1's ten episodes.

STAR TREK---Paramount+ renewed STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS and STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS.

BILLIONS---Dan Soder said the Showtime series will end with Season 7, “Season seven, the final season of BILLIONS, is on its way… Am I not supposed to say that? I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that.”

BRITANNIA---Sky cancelled the series with Season 3 being the last season.

TRIVIA---Academy Award-nominated Trevor Howard's many memorable roles included playing a military officer in World War II movies VON RYAN'S EXPRESS, BATTLE OF BRITAIN, THE WAY TO THE STARS, THE COCKLESHELL HEROES, MORITURI and FATHER GOOSE. During World War II, Howard was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the South Staffordshire Regiment on October 3, 1942. After the war, Howard reportedly jump-started his acting career by claiming he was a war hero and received the Victoria Cross, England's highest military honor. In reality, records in the Public Record Office state he relinquished his commission on October 3, 1943 due to "ill-health". Terence Pettigrew, author of Howard's biography, said Howard was discharged due to mental instability and having a "psychopathic personality".

Trevor Howard played Maj. Eric Fincham in VON RYAN'S EXPRESS.

Howard played RAF Air Vice-Marshall Keith Park in BATTLE OF BRITAIN.

 

[marco55]

After having to wait at least 2 years (June 2024 at the earliest) for House of the Dragon they are cutting the episodes back. I have officially lost interest. X-Files is one of my all time favorite shows but this reboot won't be. Haven't they learned that most people don't want their woke BS.
Mark

 

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

THE MOVIE CRITIC---Quentin Tarantino denied rumors his upcoming movie is based on movie critic Pauline Kael.

THE MOLE PEOPLE---Universal Pictures is developing a remake of its 1956 monster movie that starred John Agar.

THE CHOSEN ONE---poster released for the Netflix movie based on the graphic novel AMERICAN JESUS trilogy.

CLAYFACE---Mike Flanagan (DOCTOR SLEEP) replied to rumors he has talked with DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran about a movie featuring Clayface in a non-antagonistic role, "Re: CLAYFACE - the news today is entirely speculative. When or if something like that ever becomes real, I promise I'll tell you guys."

THE SHROUDS---David Cronenberg's new horror movie stars Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger and Guy Pearce in which a man invents a device which allows connection with the dead in their burial shrouds.

THAW---movie underway set in a post-apocalyptic world “years after the polar ice caps have melted and the sea levels risen...a group of survivors at sea searching for a new home. Their prayers are answered with the discovery of an inhabitable town, that is, until they encounter a new nightmare living just below the water’s surface.”

HOPE---Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Hoyean will star in this mostly-Korean language movie which is described as, "The largely Korean-language film will follow the residents of Hope Port, where a mysterious discovery is made on the outskirts of the remote harbor town. Before long, the residents find themselves in a desperate fight for survival against something they have never encountered before. Hoyeon will play a policewoman."

BELLA--Samara Weaving will star in this Paramount Pictures movie set during the 1980s New York crime wave in which an NYPD officer's daughter seeks revenge on the assassin who tried to kill her father and uncovers massive police corruption.

THE NIGHT AGENT---Netflix renewed the series for Season 2.

WONDER MAN---Demetrius Grosse (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON) will play villain Grim Reaper in the Disney+ tv series.

DEADPOOL 3---Leslie Uggams and Karan Soni are returning for the sequel.

TRIVIA---Keanu Reeves was asked if he had stolen any props from his movies as souvenirs, "Not stolen...the watch and wedding ring from John Wick, a sword from 47 Ronin and the first red pill that the Wachowski's ever gave me."

Keanu Reeves kept the watch, a Carl F. Bucherer Manero AutoDate, and wedding ring from JOHN WICK.

Reeves also kept the sword from 47 RONIN and the red pill from THE MATRIX.

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

WHITE HOUSE PLUMBERS---trailer released for the HBO comedy Watergate scandal miniseries.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuKM2sTTmHg



CITADEL---new trailer released for the Amazon Prime spy series.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4urrj-jT-k



JUROR #2---this movie is rumored to be Clint Eastwood's "final film" before he retires at 93 in 2023. Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette are rumored to be starring in the movie whose plot is described as, “a juror on a murder trial who realizes that he may have caused the victim’s death and must grapple with the dilemma of whether to manipulate the jury to save himself, or reveal the truth and turn himself in.”

STARFLEET ACADEMY---new Paramount+ spinoff series set at Starfleet Academy. The synopsis says, "STARFLEET ACADEMY will introduce us to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.”

SUPERMAN: LEGACY---DC Studios James Gunn denied rumors he is close to casting the star for LEGACY, “Not true. Haven’t had a single talk with a single actor about the role. Just making private lists, prepping material for auditions.” He also replied to rumors Logan Lerman was the top candidate to play the young Superman, “For the record, I don’t know who that is.”
After a fan explained who Lerman is, Gunn replied, “Guys, this isn’t a dig at the actor. I don’t know lots of actors’ names. Now that you tell me who he is, I recognize him from stuff and think he’s talented. But I’ve never met him, and he’s never been part of a conversation about playing Superman… It’s certainly not any fault on the part of the actor if I don’t know their name.”

SECRET INVASION---Emilia Clarke confirmed she will play G'iah, daughter of Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) in the Marvel/Disney+ tv series, "It's hardened her for sure. There's a kind of punk feeling that you get from this girl. She's a refugee kid who's had Talos for a dad, you know what I mean? Maybe the fact that we didn't know he had a kid up until this point tells you everything you need to know about their relationship."

AHSOKA---Morgan Elsbeth is rumored to be the main villain in the Disney+ tv series.

STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW---David Lowery (GREEN KNIGHT) directed one episode of the Disney+ series starring Jude Law.

TRIVIA---Academy Award-nominated Sarah Miles drinks a small cup of her urine everyday to maintain her youth and health, ‘I’ve been ostracized for my pee-drinking, but if you drink your own pee, you’ll stay young. It protects against allergies."
She said her urine-drinking began in the 1970s when she received urine injections at a California clinic to cure her allergies. The injections worked, but they were too expensive for everyday use, so the clinic therapist suggested a cheaper alternative, "Drink it." Miles said, “I didn’t like the sound of that, but then I remembered that when Robert (husband/playwright Robert Bolt) was researching a film about Gandhi, we’d visited his ashram in India where we met this 90 year-old woman who looked about 58. She said they all drank their own pee there – not a glassful, just a little homeopathic sip – so I went to this LA clinic. The essence of who you are is in your pee. You couldn’t do it if you had a bad lifestyle, but my food is pure and I only drink water and the occasional glass of wine.”
Miles said that she drinks her urine twice a day with urine taken from her first and last urinations everyday, "It is fantastic. I put it on my face — it is very pale and odorless. I put it in my hair. I just rub it in." She said she does not wash the urine off, "No, no! I just let it sink in. It’s the essence of who we are."

Sarah Miles received an Academy Award nomination for starring with Robert Mitchum in RYAN'S DAUGHTER.

 

[marco55]

Starfleet Academy doesn't sound like something that would interest me. I loved the original show. (I was a little kid back then),I liked TNG, Didn't care for Deep Space Nine, Liked Voyager, Didn't like Enterprise with Scott Bakula, Don't like Discovery (liked first season),Like Picard, Like Strange New Worlds. Never watched the cartoons. Liked some of the movies, others not so much. First Contact was my favorite.
Mark

 

[lancer]

Starfleet Academy doesn't sound like something that would interest me. I loved the original show. (I was a little kid back then),I liked TNG, Didn't care for Deep Space Nine, Liked Voyager, Didn't like Enterprise with Scott Bakula, Don't like Discovery (liked first season),Like Picard, Like Strange New Worlds. Never watched the cartoons. Liked some of the movies, others not so much. First Contact was my favorite.
Mark

Interesting. I also found First Contact to be my favorite ST movie, with only Wrath of Khan being anywhere near as good. Loved the original show and TNG. Found all the 5 TV series to be interesting as each show had characters I liked but they also had characters that drove me nuts. Never have seen any of the cable generated shows. The 5 year mission just lives on and on. -- Al

 

[marco55]

Khan was a great character. He was a human but a superior form and it shows as he felt he should rule all others.
Mark