Movie/TV News (4 Viewers)

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN---trailer released for the Bob Dylan biomovie starring Timothee Chalamet.

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THE DIPLOMAT---trailer released for Season 2.

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HERETIC---new trailer released for the horror movie starring Hugh Grant.

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD---spoiler alert (see below).

FAST AND LOOSE---Michael Bay is in negotiations to direct the Will Smith action movie whose plot is described as “FAST AND LOOSE follows a man who wakes up in Tijuana with no memories. As he pieces together his past, he learns he’s been living two lives: one as a crime kingpin and the other as an undercover CIA agent.”

THE PROFESSIONALS---Chad Stahelski/Lionsgate assassin movie underway whose synopsis says, “The story follows a group of contract killers stranded in an English countryside estate when one of them is murdered. Now, the remaining group has to solve the death.”

MARTIN SCORSESE---the director commented on rumors that he is retiring after his Frank Sinatra and Jesus Christ biomovies were postponed, “I’m not saying goodbye to cinema at all. I still have more films to make, and I hope God gives me the strength to make them.”

BLACK WIDOW---Saoirse Ronan commented on the rumor she turned down the Yelena Belova role that then went to Florence Pugh, “I can’t see myself doing Marvel. I don’t . . . No, I would prefer to do Bond. There’s nothing wrong with [Marvel] and I think they’re brilliant films. I want to do more big movies. I’m at the point where I’ve done… I love making independent film, I really do, but to know — especially in this landscape that we’re in, in film right now — to know that a film is going to be seen is such a luxury.”

KAOS---Netflix cancelled the series.

TRIVIA---a British couple began their annual vacation to America by buying a vintage car in England and have it shipped to New York where they would later arrive by airliner. They would then drive the car cross country to Los Angles where they would sell the car for a handsome profit to pay for their vacation. In 1966, they bought a vintage 1937 Bentley convertible as they began their latest US vacation. During their stop in Colorado at the Arapaho National Forest near Boulder, the remake of the classic STAGECOACH starring John Wayne was filming. The remake cast included Ann-Margret, Bing Crosby, Mike Connors, Van Heflin, Red Buttons, Slim Pickens, Bob Cummings, Alex Cord and Stefanie Powers.
Connors, a vintage car enthusiast, saw the couple's Bentley parked nearby and offered them $4,000 and asked them to deliver the car personally to him when they reached Los Angeles. The couple accepted Connors' offer.
A year later, Connors drove his Bentley to Desilu Productions for an interview. After the interview, Connors was getting in his car when he heard a man call out to him, "Mike Connors, wait a minute! I want to talk to you!" The man was Gary Morton, who was married to Desilu co-founder Lucille Ball. Morton, also a vintage car enthusiast, offered to buy the Bentley from Connors. Then Morton remembered Desilu was casting for a new private detective tv series and told Connors, "Hey, wait a minute! I've got a script you'd be perfect for. Let me go get it and see if you like it." Morton went back to his office, got the tv pilot script and gave it to Connors. The pilot script was for MANNIX which made Connors a star. Connors later said, "A 1937 Bentley convertible got me MANNIX."

While filming the remake of STAGECOACH near Boulder, Colorado, Mike Connors bought a vintage 1937 Bentley convertible from a vacationing British couple for $4,000.

Later, Connors drove the Bentley to Desilu Productions for an interview and Gary Morton, husband of Desilu co-founder Lucille Ball, offered to buy the car from Connors and then also offered him the starring role in a new detective tv series---MANNIX. Connors later said, "A 1937 Bentley convertible got me MANNIX."

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD---the sequel plot and other information were reportedly leaked.

"The report claims the only real big ‘cameos’ in the film are Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and Amadeus Cho (believed to be Logan Kim) who is working at Stark Industries.
The overall plot line deals with mind control which is triggered via mobile phones, including one order in which an attempted assassination of U.S. President Ross takes place.
Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader is unsurprisingly responsible for the whole scheme, including Ross’ Red Hulk abilities. The Serpent Society, and Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder, figures into the film’s opening sequence and have been stealing adamantium, but are said to be quite limited in terms of screen time.
Harrison Ford’s President Ross becoming Red Hulk is apparently triggered by his blood pressure levels, and he uses lollipops to keep it under control (no more cigars). Big set pieces are said to include a naval battle off the coast of Tiamut Island, and a Sam/Red Hulk fight by the White House which gets torn up.
The report is also partly a review – it says there weren’t enough scenes between Sam and Joaquin Torres/Falcon to establish that relationship, that “The Leader’s goals were vague and his methods of doing what he was doing even vaguer,” and that Mackie and Harrison “are good” at playing off each other.
They also say Ford hulking out is “definitely the highlight of the entire movie,” and warn that the cut they saw had unfinished scenes and likely some missing ones.
As for the mid-credits scene, The Leader warns something “big and bad” is coming, and it is strongly hinted that Amadeus Cho has also been given that Hulk serum.
A separate report by Daniel Richtman adds to those details, saying the scene is meant to set the stage for ‘World War Hulks’ with The Leader having created several Hulks like Ross that he can control.
Richtman also indicates Shira Hass’ Sabra character’s origins have been altered – she will now be played as a powerless former Black Widow, not a mutant like in the comics."

source: darkhorizons

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN---Matt Damon is in talks to reunite with Christopher Nolan as the lead star of the movie whose plot has not been announced.

SPEED---Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves and director Jan de Bont reunited for a special screening of SPEED for its 30th anniversary. Bullock commented on a possible SPEED 3 after Reeves's comment in early 2024 that he would like to reunite with Bullock for a sequel, “The geriatric version. It won’t be fast."
She also commented on de Bont and SPEED 3, “All these things happened because the crazy man in the greenish jacket over there. He’s so soft and gentle today and I’m like, that’s not the man I remember. But he’s the man who put the energy and the idea together, knew what the audience wanted and demanded it from everyone and everyone stepped up to play it. So what would that movie be that would make Jan’s brain and brilliance happy?...It would require a lot from everybody. I don’t know if we’re in an industry anymore that’s willing to tolerate it and be brave enough to do it. Maybe I could be wrong. If he can’t make [what’s in his brain] for the audience, then he’s failed it felt like. I don’t know what we could do that would be good enough for the audience.”

GLADIATOR 3---Ridley Scott said he is already working on a third movie, “I’ve already got eight pages. I’ve got the beginning of a very good footprint. If there’s a GLADIATOR 3, I don’t think you’d ever go back into the arena. But I had to go back into the arena.”
Earlier, Scott hinted at a second sequel, “The end of GLADIATOR II evokes that of the GODFATHER, with Michael Corleone who finds himself with a job he did not want, and who wonders, ‘and now, Father, what am I doing?’ The next [film] will, therefore, be about a man who does not want to be where he is.”

JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION---Jeff Goldblum recently commented on DOMINION's divisive ratings among critics and fans (Rotten Tomatoes critics rating--29%, audience rating--77%), "I enjoyed working on it and enjoyed trying to make it good. I think it sold a bunch of tickets. But, you know… [laughs] Everybody’s got an opinion about it. It’s tough to make a good movie."
Goldblum said he enjoyed reuniting with his co-stars from JURASSIC PARK, "...a very enjoyable experience...getting together again with Laura Dern and Sam Neill", and he commented on the future of Dr. Ian Malcom, "I think Ian Malcolm may have ridden off into the sunset. Maybe."
Goldblum said he is looking forward to the upcoming JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH, "Because this next one--my friend Scarlett Johansson and my new friend Jonathan Bailey from WICKED, I think, are taking up the reins. And I can’t wait to see what they do. I think that’s a good idea."

BLADE---Jeymes Daniel posted about rumors he is replacing Yann Demange as director of the Marvel Studios reboot movie, “I don’t know where these rumors start, but I am not in talks to do Blade with Marvel. I love me the Daywalker tho, I cannot wait to watch that joint. Sidebar: When Blade 2 came out I prayed they would make: ‘WESLEY SNIPES/CHRISTOPHER LEE – BLADE III’. It didn’t happen sadly.”

SHINOBI---Sam Hargrave (EXTRACTION) will direct the Universal Pictures movie based on the video game.

REACHER---Amazon Prime renewed the series for Season 4.

THE NIGHT AGENT---Netflix renewed the series for Season 3.

TRIVIA---in THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL, child actor Jeremy Black played the four young clones of Adolf Hitler who are cloned by the infamous Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele (Gregory Peck). Ironically, Black's father is Broadway director/producer/writer David Goldmark Black, who is Jewish.

 

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL---trailer released for the Peacock assassin miniseries based on the novel.

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CONCLAVE---trailer released for the movie about the new Pope starring Ralph Fiennes.

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ARMOR---trailer released for the armored car heist movie starring Sylvester Stallone and Jason Patric.

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THE ORDER---trailer released for the white supremacist heist movie starring Jude Law.

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JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX---a source blamed part of the sequel's failure on director Todd Phillips, who only dealt with Warner Bros. co-heads Michael DeLuca and Pamela Abdy. The source said Phillips "wanted nothing to do with DC" and never dealt with DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, who never saw the sequel in an internal screening.
The source said, “No one could get through to Todd, and the one thing about genre stuff: If you don’t listen and pay attention to what the fan expectations are, you’re going to fail.”

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER---Amazon MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke commented on Season 2, "... over 70 million people at this point have engaged since Season 2 launched. And if you look at the long-term trajectory, which is how this company looks at an asset like that, this is a long-term investment in that franchise . . . There’s well over 100 million viewers watching and engaging with the show. So I feel really good. I think we all do.”
She also commented on a possible Season 3, "We’ll continue to make the show as long as we see global customers loving it and watching it to the point where — it is a business. Obviously, we need a large amount of people showing up. And there are a large amount of people, so there’s no debate about whether or not the show will continue.”

THE ASSOCIATE---Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren are in talks to star in the Guy Ritchie/Paramount+ tv series about a fixer and his gangster family.

LANTERNS---Aaron Pierre (REBEL RIDGE) will play John Stewart on the HBO/DC Studios tv series.

THE TOMORROW WAR---Yvonne Strahovski commented on a rumored sequel to the Amazon Prime sci fi movie that also starred Chris Pratt, “I, unfortunately, probably cannot say anything about it. I am hopeful that it will work out, but that’s it. That’s all I got on that.”

THE SERPENT QUEEN---Starz cancelled the series, but it is developing a spinoff about Queen Elizabeth I starring Minnie Driver.

LADIES FIRST---Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike will star in the romantic comedy movie about a womanizer who finds himself in a female-dominated society.

TRIVIA---actor Scott Paulin and his actress wife, Wendy Phillips, both appeared in outer space movies. Paulin played astronaut Donald K. "Deke" Slayton in THE RIGHT STUFF, and Phillips played the space shuttle stewardess in AIRPLANE II: THE SEQUEL.

Actor Scott Paulin played astronaut Donald K. "Deke" Slayton in THE RIGHT STUFF.

Paulin's wife, actress Wendy Phillips, played the space shuttle stewardess in AIRPLANE II: THE SEQUEL.

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

INVESTIGATION ALIEN---trailer released for the Netflix docuseries about UFOs.

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MARTHA---trailer released for the Netflix documentary about Martha Stewart.

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HEADHUNTERS---Kevin Costner is the star/co-writer/producer of the movie about a washed-up surfer who leads a team of surfers to find the "the perfect wave" on Bali and encounter a tribe of deadly headhunters.

VOLTRON---Henry Cavill has joined the cast of the live-action movie based on the animated series. His role was not disclosed.

WONDER WOMAN 3---Connie Nielsen commented on the DC Studios decision to shelve the second sequel, “I think it’s crazy. I mean, frankly, I don’t understand it. [WONDER WOMAN] made $800 million just in the movie theaters, and it has an enormous and passionate, passionate fan base.
These are spectacular films, and there’s just no reason I can understand whatsoever for not investing in that. If I were a business person, I would say that’s money on the table.
It’s right there. Plus every time we’ve done it, [it was] with budgets that were way smaller than any of the other DC budgets.
It’s a pity. I really hope that they change their minds, and that they realize this is crazy. This is a billion dollars that is lying on the table. Not claiming those fans and making them happy is something I just don’t really understand at all.”

BATMAN---a rumor claimed "...DC Studios wants a middle-aged Batman for the DCU!". DC Studios co-head James Gunn replied, "Bulls*t" and later added, “Sometimes the rumor folks get information wrong – but other times they seem to just make up stuff for clicks out of whole cloth. This is one of the latter.”

THE KARATE KID---Sony Pictures announced the title for the sequel starring Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan and Ben Wang is KARATE KID: LEGENDS.

THE HIDER---Robert Downey, Jr. is in talks to star in the movie based on the short story whose plot has not been disclosed.

NETFLIX---Netflix renewed THE DIPLOMAT and NOBODY WANTS THIS.

PEAKY BLINDERS---Sophie Rundle, Packy Lee, Stephen Graham and Ian Peck are returning for the Netflix movie based on the tv series.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE---Netflix series underway based on the Jane Austen novel.

TRIVIA---Marina Sirtis is best known for playing Counselor Deanna Trois on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. One of Sirtis' first movie roles was in DEATH WISH 3 where she played rape victim Maria Rodriguez. Sirtis said director Michael Winner pressured her into filming the nude rape scene. She also said the rape scene was filmed in an extremely cold garage where Winner would not let her sit up, and when the director of photography put a coat on her to keep her warm, Winner ordered him to remove it.
Years later, Sirtis said, "I know you're not supposed to speak ill of the dead, but I hope Michael Winner will rot in hell for all eternity. I was pressured into doing a graphic rape scene, with nudity I did not feel comfortable with, and I said nothing. You didn't say anything because you were told you would never work again, and I wasn't going to let some idiot who didn't know how to behave destroy the dream I'd had since I was three years old."
Kirk Taylor, who also appeared in DEATH WISH 3, said Winner was disliked by many of the cast and crew because of his dictatorial behavior which led to one crew member printing a fake newspaper article which said, "Michael Winner Killed by a Falling Scaffold. All 200 Crewmembers Claim Responsibility."

Marina Sirtis is best known for playing Counselor Deanna Trois on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.

One of Sirtis' first movie roles was in DEATH WISH 3 where she played rape victim Maria Rodriguez in which she said she was mistreated by director Michael Winner.

 

[dragon53]

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14

LOCKERBIE: A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH---trailer released for the Peacock five-part miniseries about the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 starring Colin Firth.

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THE BOURNE DILEMMA---Edward Berger (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT) has reportedly signed as writer/director of the sixth movie in the Jason Bourne franchise. It is not known if Matt Damon is returning.

FREAKIER FRIDAY---photo released of Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan returning for the sequel to the 1992 movie.

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX---the sequel's second weekend earned only $7 million which is an 82% drop from its dismal premiere weekend. The sequel has earned only $165 million globally with $450 million required just to break even.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS---director Matt Shakman said the movie is set in an alternate reality, not Earth-116 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so other MCU superheroes will not be in FIRST STEPS, “The great thing about this is we’re building a new universe where there are no other heroes. It’s the Fantastic Four.”

BALLERINA---a source claims JOHN WICK director Chad Stahelski was brought in to re-shoot most of the spinoff movie starring Ana de Armas without director Len Wiseman being present, “Of course, Chad had to clean up someone else’s mess. Remember, this film is basically JOHN WICK 3.5. This story happens before JOHN WICK 4 and after that film, they can’t have a failure in anything WICK related...Chad is going to do HIGHLANDER, but cleaning up BALLERINA pushed him by five months for sure.”

GHOSTBUSTERS---writer Gil Kenan said more sequels are being developed, “The answer is yes, Jason [Reitman]… we take the responsibility and the joy of being the keepers of the flame of ‘Ghostbusters’ very seriously… we definitely are continuing the conversation of telling big GHOSTBUSTERS stories on the big screen. And stay tuned. There’ll be more. There’ll be more about that later.”

THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE---Mary Elizabeth Winstead is in negotiations to play Claire Bartel, who was played by Annabelle Sciorra in the original 1992 nanny horror movie.

READY OR NOT 2---Samara Weaving is returning for the sequel to the comedy horror movie.

THE WILD ROBOT---director Chris Sanders said a sequel to the animated movie is underway, “100% yes there are absolutely plans for a second one.”

UNSTABLE---Netflix cancelled the series which will be shopped to other outlets.

TRIVIA---Leslie Nielsen played three roles in projects that led to major future projects. Nielsen played US intelligence agent Brent in the HAWAII FIVE-O tv pilot which led to the classic tv series starring Jack Lord that ran from 1968-1980. The reboot tv series HAWAII FIVE-0 starring Alex O'Loughlin ran from 2010-2020. Nielsen played Captain Harrison, skipper of the ocean liner SS Poseidon in the Academy Award-winning disaster movie that starred Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine. The sequel BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE starred Michael Caine and Sally Field. The reboot movie POSEIDON starred Kurt Russell and Richard Dreyfuss. Nielsen played Detective Frank Drebin in the short-lived tv series POLICE SQUAD! which led to three hit movies THE NAKED GUN, THE NAKED 2 1/2: THE SMELL OF FEAR and THE NAKED 33 1/3: THE FINAL INSULT, all three co-starred Priscilla Presley and George Kennedy.

Leslie Nielsen played US intelligence agent Brent in the HAWAII FIVE-O tv pilot which led to the classic tv series starring Jack Lord that ran from 1968-1980.

The reboot tv series HAWAII FIVE-0 starring Alex O'Loughlin ran from 2010-2020.

Nielsen played Captain Harrison, skipper of the ocean liner SS Poseidon in the Academy Award-winning disaster movie that starred Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine. The sequel BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE starred Michael Caine and Sally Field. The reboot movie POSEIDON starred Kurt Russell and Richard Dreyfuss.

Nielsen played Detective Frank Drebin in the short-lived tv series POLICE SQUAD! which led to three hit movies THE NAKED GUN, THE NAKED 2 1/2: THE SMELL OF FEAR and THE NAKED 33 1/3: THE FINAL INSULT, all three co-starred Priscilla Presley and George Kennedy.

 

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15

THE MONKEY---trailer released for the horror movie based on the Stephen King short story.

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THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN---trailer released for the slasher movie starring Sean Astin.

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SUPERMAN---James Gunn posted a photo of Superman and his dog Krypto.

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX---insiders estimate that Warner Bros. will lose at least $125 million and could be as high as $200 million after FOLIE A DEUX bombed at the box office. Also, director/writer Paul Schrader (TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL) commented on FOLIE A DEUX, “I saw about 10 or 15 minutes of it. I left, bought something, came back, saw another 10 minutes. That was enough.”
Schrader then commented on stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, “I don’t like either of those people. I don’t like them as actors. I don’t like them as characters. I don’t like the whole thing. I mean, those are people who, if they came to your house, you’d slip out the back door.”

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD---Harrison Ford plays General Ross/Red Hulk in BRAVE NEW WORLD and commented on Quentin Tarantino claiming Marvel movies are leading to the demise of Hollywood movie stars, “Oh, I think it’s rubbish. I don’t think the question is whether or not there are any movie stars. There’s wonderful actors coming up every day. Whether or not they become movie stars is really not the point.
If movies need stars, they will find them. I’ve never f—ing understood being a movie star. I’m an actor. I tell stories. I’m part of a group of people who work together, collaborate on telling stories. I’m an assistant storyteller. That’s what I am.”
Ford also commented on actors who refuse to appear in Marvel movies because it is beneath them, “I mean, this is the Marvel universe and I’m just there on a weekend pass. I’m a sailor new to this town. I understand the appeal of other kinds of films besides the kind we made in the ’80s and ’90s.
I don’t have anything general to say about it. It’s the condition our condition is in, and things change and morph and go on. We’re silly if we sit around regretting the change and don’t participate.
I’m participating in a new part of the business that, for me at least, I think is really producing some good experiences for an audience. I enjoy that.”

SONG SUNG BLUE---Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson will star in the movie whose synopsis says, “Based on a true story, two down-on-their-luck musicians (Jackman and Kate) form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams.”

MASERATI: THE BROTHERS---Anthony Hopkins will co-star in the movie about the Italian sports car racing family. Hopkins will play the financier who funded the Maserati brothers in their early race efforts.

SLOW HORSES---Apple TV+ renewed the series for Season 6. The synopsis says, “Season six sees the Slow Horses on the run as Diana Taverner embroils them all in a fatally high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge.”

UAP---Joel Courtney (KISSING BOOTH), Celeste O'Connor (GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE) will star in the sci fi movie about childhood friends reuniting at a vacation house when a UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) crashes nearby.

TRIVIA---John Carpenter was writing the screenplay for ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and was unable to come with the perfect name for the movie's hero. A friend of a friend suggested Carpenter's high school classmate named Plissken who was nicknamed "Snake" because he had a big snake tattoo on his abdomen and he was "sort of a tough guy".
Carpenter explained, "Anybody with a snake tattooed on them some place ... that's my kinda hero."

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16

CARRY-ON---trailer released for the Netflix thriller movie starring Taron Egerton.

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THE LEGEND OF OCHI---trailer released for the fantasy movie starring Willem Dafoe.

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BLUE THUNDER---a rumor claims Christopher Nolan's next movie starring Matt Damon will be inspired by the 1983 movie BLUE THUNDER which starred Roy Scheider and Malcolm McDowell. Nolan's movie is not a remake of BLUE THUNDER, but it will have a similar plot in which terrorists pursue the prototype of an advanced attack helicopter flown by the New York Police Department's Aviation Unit. The rumor claims Nolan has been in contact with the NYPD Aviation Unit and has sent high quality copies of BLUE THUNDER to movie crew members instead of a script to illustrate the concept.

THE GORGE---poster released for the Scott Derrickson/Apple TV+ monster movie in which two rival snipers, an American and a Lithuanian, are assigned to guard a top secret gorge and are forced to team up when they discover the gorge contains deadly entities. Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Sigourney Weaver star.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS---set photo shows Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch.

MARY---photo and synopsis released for the Netflix movie starring Noa Cohen and Anthony Hopkins about Mary of Nazareth, "Through Mary’s eyes, this coming-of-age biblical epic tells the story of one of history’s most profound figures and the remarkable journey that led to the birth of Jesus. Chosen to bring the Messiah into the world, Mary (Noa Cohen) is shunned following a miraculous conception and forced into hiding. When King Herod (Anthony Hopkins) orders a murderous hunt for her newborn baby, Mary and Joseph (Ido Tako), go on the run – bound by faith and driven by courage – to save his life at all costs."

CHRISTY MARTIN---photo released of Sydney Sweeney starring in the biomovie about Christy Martin, the most successful female boxer of the 1990s.

FAIRY TALE---Paul Greengrass is the writer/director of the 10-part miniseries based on the Stephen King fantasy novel.

TRIVIA---Al Pacino, in his new autobiography SONNY BOY, said he appeared in Adam Sandler's JACK AND JILL because his crooked accountant lost his money in a Ponzi scheme, “I was broke. I had $50 million, and then I had nothing. I had property, but I didn’t have any money...JACK AND JILL was the first film I made after I lost my money. To be honest, I did it because I didn’t have anything else. Adam Sandler wanted me, and they paid me a lot for it. So I went out and did it, and it helped. I love Adam, he was wonderful to work with and has become a dear friend. He also just happens to be a great actor and a hell of a guy.”

 

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17

THE ELECTRIC STATE---trailer released for the Netflix sci fi movie starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.

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THE CREEP TAPES---trailer released for the Shudder found footage horror tv series.

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CHRISTOPHER NOLAN---after rumors of Christopher Nolan's next movie would be a remake of the classic Patrick McGoohan tv series THE PRISONER, a sci fi movie or a movie inspired by the advanced helicopter movie BLUE THUNDER starring Roy Scheider, VARIETY reported Nolan's next movie will be an espionage thriller, "Sources say Nolan’s latest isn’t another sci-fi epic; some speculate that it may be in the espionage genre. That’s not a surprise given that Nolan flirted with making a Bond film at one point."

SUPERMAN---James Gunn replied to fan questions after he posted a photo of Superman with his dog Krypto in which fans wanted to know why Krypto is not a labrador as in the comic book, “Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer. Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman. Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He immediately came in & destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture – he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him. I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?’- and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life. What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than AdoptaShelterDog month. Btw, Ozu today, is, fairly often, a very good boy.”

MR. IRRELEVANT---David Corenswet (SUPERMAN) will star in the biomovie about John Tuggle, the last played picked in the 1983 NFL draft by the New York Giants and surprisingly made the team only to later die of cancer.

GODZILLA MINUS ONE---to celebrate Godzilla's 70th anniversary, the Academy Award-winning movie will return to AMC Theatres on November 1 with 13 minutes of new bonus content.

SPIDER-MAN 4---Tom Holland commented on the status of the sequel, “It needs work, but the writers are doing a great job. I read it three weeks ago, and it really lit a fire in me. Zendaya and I sat down, read it together and we at times were bouncing around the living room.”

BALLERINA---after sources claimed Chad Stahelski reshot large parts of the JOHN WICK spinoff movie without director Len Wiseman being present, another source connected directly to BALLERINA denied the original claim and added that Wiseman led the reshots with Stahelski.

SCRUBS---creator Bill Lawrence commented on the status of the reboot of the comedy tv series, “I think it’s getting really close to being figured out, and I think in a good way. Big chunks of the creative team behind the camera, and most of it from in front of the camera, are all super invested and excited, so very close.”
He added, “We’ve been talking about a lot, and I think the only real reason to do it is a combo. A: people wanting to see what the world of medicine was like for the people they love, which is part of any successful reboot. But B: I think that show always worked because you get to see young people dropped into the world of medicine, knowing young people that go there are super idealistic and are doing it because it’s a calling. There’s no cliché ‘rich doctors playing golf’ — that’s not what it is anymore. So I think that, no matter what it is, it would be a giant mistake not to do as a combo of those two things.”

TRIVIA---BACK TO THE FUTURE co-star Lea Thompson commented on Michael J. Fox, who starred on FAMILY TIES, after he was signed to replace Eric Stoltz, “I remember specifically being really snooty because there was a big division between movie stars and TV stars at that point. I remember being like, ‘He’s just a TV star and I’m a movie star — I was in JAWS 3-D.' So I think it took me a while to warm up to him.”
Fox won three Emmy Awards for starring in FAMILY TIES and JAWS 3-D was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture.

Lea Thompson and Michael J. Fox starred in BACK TO THE FUTURE.

Michael J. Fox starred on FAMILY TIES and won five Emmy Awards.

Lea Thompson co-starred in JAWS 3-D which was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture.

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

WEREWOLVES---trailer released for the horror movie starring Frank Grillo.

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DUNE: PROPHECY---trailer released for the Netflix spinoff tv series.

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THE PENGUIN---mid-season trailer released for the Max tv series.

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BLACK CAB---trailer released for the Shudder horror movie.

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THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM---writer Philippa Boyens commented on Ian McKellen saying THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM will be two movies, "I can tell you definitively it isn’t two films! That was a genuine misunderstanding that happened because we’ve begun to work, conceptually, on two different live-action films. The first being THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM, the second one still to be confirmed. [THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM is] quite an intense story, which falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines Of Moria. It’s a specific chunk of incredible untold story, told through the perspective of this incredible creature. [For the follow-up feature,] we’re playing around with a number of ideas, but most of those ideas do include Gandalf. So Gandalf would potentially return for two live-action films. We have an absolute banger of a second film that would just be incredible as an anime. But let’s see if there’s an appetite for it."

DUNE: PART THREE---Denis Villeneuve gave some details on PART THREE, “The story takes place like 12 years after where we left the characters at the end of PART TWO. Their journey, their story is different this time. That’s why I always say that while it’s the same world, it’s a new film with new circumstances.”
He added that changing political dynamics will cause Paul Atreides to, "betray the love of his life."

KARATE KID: LEGENDS---Sony Pictures poster released for the sequel starring Ben Wang, Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan.

THE RUNNING MAN---Josh Brolin is in negotiations to co-star with Glen Powell in the movie based on the Stephen King novel. Brolin will play the villain game show producer. The 1987 movie starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Dawson.

TRIVIA---Johnny Carson was the host of THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON for 30 years (1962-1992), but he appeared in a movie only once. He played himself in LOOKING FOR LOVE which starred Connie Francis, Jim Hutton and Danny Thomas. The movie bombed which led Carson to quip that it should have been transferred to flammable nitrate film stock. Martin Scorsese offered Carson the role of Jerry Langford in THE KING OF COMEDY, but Carson remembered his cameo in LOOKING FOR LOVE and replied, “You know that one take is enough for me.”

 

[dragon53]

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21

WOLF MAN---trailer released for the remake of the Universal Studios horror movie.

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STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS---trailer released for Season 3.

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THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2---trailer released for the horror sequel.

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GODZILLA MINUS ONE---Toho released a video and poster celebrating Godzilla's 70th anniversary with MINUS ONE returning to theaters on November 1 with 13 minutes of new behind-the-scenes material.

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THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS---photo released of stars Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby in 1960s clothing with some of the comic book's writers including C.B. Cebulski, David Bogart, Tom Brevoort, Alan Davis, Heather Davis, Chip Zdarsky, Dan Slott, Mark Bagley, Matt Fraction, Ryan North, Sara Pichelli and Tom DeFalco.

STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY---Paramount+ renewed the series for Season 2. Also, Tatiana Maslany (ORPHAN BLACK, SHE-HULK) will be a recurring guest star in Season 1.

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN---synopsis released for the Disney+/Marvel superhero tv series, “Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities, is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm. Former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course."

AMERICAN PSYCHO---Luca Guadagnino is in negotiations to direct the movie based on the novel. The screenplay was written by Scott Z. Burns (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM). The movie is not a remake of the 2000 movie starring Christian Bale.

BUGATTI---producer Andrea Lervolino (FERRARI, LAMBORGHINI: THE MAN BEHIND THE LEGEND) is developing a biomovie about Ettore Bugatti, founder of the luxury car line.

THE MONSTER---Djimon Hounsou (GLADIATOR) will star in the horror movie whose synopsis says, “The movie follows two millennials who make quick money by leasing incredible New York City apartments they don’t own to people who don’t know they are being scammed. The con works brilliantly until they run into an apartment owner with a dark secret who flips the game on them.”

TRIVIA---countdown to Halloween.
Before 4' 5" Emmy Award-winner Peter Dinklage achieved stardom as Tyrion Lannister on GAME OF THRONES, he played mathematics/linguist genius Arthur Ramsey on the sci fi alien invasion tv series THRESHOLD which also starred Carla Gugino and Brent Spiner. THRESHOLD ran for only two months in 2005 before being cancelled.

 

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22

YELLOWSTONE---trailer released for Season 5 Part 2.

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THE BRUTALIST---trailer released for the movie starring Adrien Brody.

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DON Q---trailer released for the comedy movie starring Armand Assante.

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THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY---trailer released for Season 2.

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CHRISTOPHER NOLAN---Tom Holland has joined the cast of Christopher Nolan's next movie in an undisclosed role. The movie's plot has not been released, but THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER claimed it is not set in the present day.

CARRIE---Amazon Prime tv series underway based on the Stephen King novel with Mike Flanagan as the writer/show runner/producer. The 1976 movie version starred Sissy Spacek.

EXTRACTION 3---Joe Russo commented on the status of the latest sequel, "We're in the middle of working on that story right now. Hard at work. We're hoping to go into production on it next year. It's definitely filming next year. I'm just being cagey because it's more fun."
He also commented on if Idris Elba is returning, “Yes, we know who that character is. It was built that way. If you like that relationship between Idris and Chris [Hemsworth], you're gonna enjoy EXTRACTION 3 ."

THE LADY IN THE LAKE---Scarlett Johansson will star in the movie based on a proposed novel which is described as "WHAT LIES BENEATH meets THE SIXTH SENSE."

TRIVIA---countdown to Halloween.
In FORBIDDEN PLANET, three actors who played crewmen on the starship C-57D who were killed by the Id monster later starred on hit tv series. In FORBIDDEN PLANET, Richard Anderson played Chief Quinn, and he played Oscar Goldman on THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and THE BIONIC WOMAN. On FORBIDDEN PLANET, James Drury played crewman Strong, and he played The Virginian on THE VIRGINIAN. In FORBIDDEN PLANET, Jack Kelly played Lieutenant Jerry Farman, and he starred as Bart Maverick on the Western tv series MAVERICK. In FORBIDDEN PLANET.

In FORBIDDEN PLANET, Richard Anderson played Chief Quinn, and he played Oscar Goldman on THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and THE BIONIC WOMAN.

In FORBIDDEN PLANET, James Drury played crewman Strong, and he played The Virginian on THE VIRGINIAN.

In FORBIDDEN PLANET, Jack Kelly played Lieutenant Jerry Farman, and he starred as Bart Maverick on the Western tv series MAVERICK.

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23

LOVE HURTS---trailer released for the comedy assassin movie starring Ke Huy Quan.

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SUPERMAN & LOIS---trailer released for Season 4, Part 2.

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COBRA KAI---trailer released for Season 6, Part 2.

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SCANDALOUS---Sydney Sweeney and David Jonsson will star in the movie about the scandalous affair between Kim Novack and Sammy Davis, Jr.

GOD OF WAR---Ron D. Moore is the writer/showrunner/producer of the Amazon Prime tv series based on the video game.

PRIMETIME---Robert Pattinson is the producer and may star in the movie loosely based on DATELINE NBC's TO CATCH A PREDATOR hosted by Chris Hansen which involved sting operations to catch pedophiles.

ABSOLUTION---Liam Neeson co-stars with Ron Perlman in the upcoming action movie which Neeson said will probably be his last action role, “I’m 72 — it has to stop at some stage. You can’t fool audiences. I don’t want [stunt work collaborator Mark Vanselow] to be fighting my fight scenes for me...Maybe the end of next year. I think that’s it.”

JOHN WICK---Chad Stahelski said the upcoming animated movie will be a prequel that includes “at least some” of the “impossible task” which allowed Wick to retire in the original movie.

MATLOCK---CBS renewed the series for Season 2.

TRIVIA---countdown to Halloween.
7' 2"Richard Kiel is best known for playing Jaws in two James Bond movies (THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, MOONRAKER) and an alien Kanamite in the classic THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode "To Serve Man". Kiel's first movie role was playing an alien Solarite in the 1961 sci fi movie PHANTOM PLANET in which an astronaut is stranded on an invisible asteroid inhabited by tiny people and monsters.

7' 2" Richard Kiel and Barbara Bach in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.

Kiel as an alien Kanamite in the classic THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode "To Serve Man".

Kiel's first movie role was playing an alien Solarite in the 1961 sci fi movie PHANTOM PLANET.

 

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24

SEPTEMBER 5---trailer released for the movie about ABC's coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack.

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MARIA---trailer released for the Netflix Maria Callas biomovie starring Angelina Jolie.

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INTERIOR CHINATOWN---trailer released for the Hulu ten-part comedy miniseries starring Jimmy O. Yang and Chloe Bennet.

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THE DIPLOMAT---film clip released from Season 2.

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THE MERRY GENTLEMEN---trailer released for the Netflix comedy Christmas movie starring Chad Michael Murray.

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THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM---poster and synopsis released for the animated movie, “Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.”

PRINCE CHARMING---Chris Hemsworth is in talks to star in the Disney live-action movie that is reportedly not connected to Cinderella.

ST. ELMO'S FIRE---Rob Lowe commented on the status of the sequel, “...going a little more slowly than I would have liked, but that’s a good thing because we’re trying to find the right writer and the right story. But all of the actors, everybody is onboard. Everybody’s excited.”

CREATURE COMMANDOS---Benjamin Byron Davis will play villain Rupert Thorne on the Max/DC Studios animated tv series.

THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA---Amazon Prime renewed the series for Season 4.

TRIVIA---countdown to Halloween.
In Ray Harryhausen's 1953 THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, the doctor who warns the Army that the wounded Rhedosaurus' blood contains deadly bacteria that threatens all of New York was played by Michael Fox. When Canadian actor Michael Fox applied for membership in the Screen Actors Guild, he saw that Michael Fox was already registered, so he chose Michael J. Fox with the "J" being a tribute to his favorite actor, Michael J. Pollard.

In THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, Michael Fox (left) played the doctor who warns the Army that the wounded Rhedosaurus' blood contains deadly bacteria that threatens all of New York.

When Canadian actor Michael Fox applied for membership in the Screen Actors Guild, he saw that Michael Fox was already registered, so he chose Michael J. Fox.

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25

THE AGENCY---trailer released for the Paramount+/Showtime CIA series starring Michael Fassbender and Richard Gere.

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BASED ON A TRUE STORY---trailer released for Season 2.

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STAR WARS: NEW JEDI ORDER---writer Steven Knight (PEAKY BLINDERS) has left the movie starring Daisy Ridley. Knight replaced Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson. No reason was given for Knight's departure.

ALIEN: ROMULUS---20th Century Studios head Steven Asbell said a ROMULUS sequel is underway, “We haven’t quite closed our deal with Fede [Alvarez], but we are going to, and he has an idea that we’re working on. The two survivors, Rain and Andy, played by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, were real highlights of the film.
And so I always think of it like, 'Wow, where do people want to see them go next?' We know there’s going to be aliens. We know there’s going to be great horror set pieces. But I fell in love with both of them and I want to see what their story is.”

PREDATOR---20th Century Studios head Steve Asbell said director Dan Trachtenberg's next movie, DIRECTOR: BADLANDS, will be released in theaters and he will direct another PREDATOR movie, “Yes, a PREDATOR movie will have a theatrical. I’ll tell you very simply. After PREY became a success, Dan came back and said he didn’t want to do PREY 2. And we’re like, ‘What do you want to do?’ And he rattled off a bunch of ideas that were really crazy but really cool.
We’ve actually done two of them. Two are coming out next year. One I can’t talk about yet, but the other one is the live-action PREDATOR film with Elle Fanning that just wrapped in New Zealand. That’ll be out theatrically sometime next year.”
Asbell said about BADLANDS, “It’s titled BADLANDS and it is an absolutely bonkers idea. It is a sci-fi thing, but it’s not what everybody thinks it is. And I mean, it’s awesome. It is so nuts. But in Dan, we trust.”
He added, “There’s a second PREDATOR movie that we have different plans for. Dan has actually directed both… there’s a secret PREDATOR movie that will come out before the theatrical one but I can’t say anything about yet.”
Asbell also commented about an ALIEN VS. PREDATOR sequel, “Probably… It wouldn’t be in the way you think. That’s the thing. Not in the way that it will just be called ALIEN VS. PREDATOR or anything like the original movies. If we do this, they’ll be organically created out of these two franchises that we’ve continued with characters that we fall in love with and those characters will combine…perhaps. But we haven’t gotten to that point. And we’re not just going to bang it out.”

AGATHA CHRISTIE---20th Century Studios' Steve Asbell said the studio is developing several movies based on Agatha Christie, “More, yes. We have, AND THERE WERE NONE. We have WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION. We’re doing MISS MARPLE. There are a bunch of other titles that we’re working on. We have a very close relationship with the estate.” Another movie, TEN LITTLE INDIANS, will be directed by George Tillman, Jr. (THE LONGEST RUN).

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD---20th Century Studios head Steve Asbell said a prequel to the 2003 movie starring Russell Crowe is underway, “I’m trying so hard. It’s the first movie I worked on at Fox twenty years ago. We have a great script. It just needs the right director.”

RUNNER---Alan Ritchson will star in the action movie about a high-end courier who must deliver an organ to a hospital in three hours for a seven year-old girl's organ transplant, but a deadly crime syndicate also wants the organ.

TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT---Netflix renewed the series for Season 2.

THE BOOKIE & THE BRUISER---Vince Vaughn will star in the movie about a bookie and an enforcer who team up after they are targeted by the Mafia and the Irish mob.

TRIVIA---countdown to Halloween.
The 1958 sci fi movie IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE was about a Martian monster sneaking onboard a spaceship and stalking its crew and was reportedly an inspiration for Ridley Scott's ALIEN. "It" was played by Western actor/stuntman Ray "Crash" Corrigan, who had a reputation for being temperamental and a heavy drinker. In one scene, director Edward L. Cahn asked Corrigan to walk across the spaceship set so he could film It's huge, menacing shadow. Corrigan, who was unhappy wearing the ill-fitting Martian's head and had too much to drink, refused to wear the head as he walked across the set, and told Cahn that no one would notice. However, in the finished movie, It's head is clearly human and not a Martian monster.

In IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE, Ray "Crash" Corrigan played "It" and hated wearing the ill-fitting monster head (Corrigan's chin is the monster's tongue).

Corrigan refused to wear the ill-fitting head in the shadow scene because he said no one would notice.

 

[dragon53]

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28

BLUE THUNDER---PRODUCTION WEEKLY posted its short synopsis of Christopher Nolan's next movie which matched an earlier rumor that the movie will have a plot similar to Roy Scheider's high tech police helicopter movie BLUE THUNDER, "About a pair of aerial helicopter cops, with an older mentor and a younger lead."
One Reddit member posted, “My sisters father in law works at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn & there has been excitement recently among the personel in the NYPD Aviation Unit that Christopher Nolan & key people from his production team will be arriving in November to spend roughly a month with the unit ahead of production of his next movie with Matt Damon joining early next year. The word is that the movie will be a New York based futuristic action movie about a Helicopter pilot Cop who heads up the Aviation Unit in the US & the creation of a super advanced yet dangerous Helicopter itself being pursued by terrorists.”

SPIDER-MAN NOIR---a set photo posted from the Amazon Prime tv series starring Nicolas Cage shows a stunt man in the Spider-Man costume on top of a car.

28 YEARS LATER---Ralph Fiennes, who reportedly will play a doctor, commented on the new sequel, “It’s three films, of which two have been shot. Britain is 28 years into this terrible plague of infected people who are violent, rabid humans with a few pockets of uninfected communities. And it centers on a young boy who wants to find a doctor to help his dying mother. He leads his mother through this beautiful northern English terrain. But of course, around them hiding in forests and hills and woods are the infected. But he finds a doctor who is a man we might think is going to be weird and odd, but actually is a force for good.”

DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE---photo released of Jeremy Allen White starring in the Bruce Springsteen biomovie.

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE---a rumor claims Jenna Ortega is returning for a MCU role after appearing in IRON MAN 3.

DC UNIVERSE---DC Studios co-head James Gunn denied rumors Dua Lipa will play Zatanna in the DCU.

MASERATI: THE BROTHERS---Andy Garcia will play Mr. Rossini, who helped the Maserati brothers build their sports car empire in the Maserati biomovie.

LOONEY TUNES---Warner Bros. Animation head Bill Damaschke said the studio is developing a "super secret" theatrical movie with ABOMINABLE co-directors Todd Wilderman and Hamish Grieve.

THE HOUSEKEEPER---Anthony Hopkins and Uma Thurman will star in the movie inspired by Daphne du Maurier's REBECCA.

TRIVIA---countdown to Halloween.
Character actor James Hong is perhaps best known for appearing in three classic movies. In BLADE RUNNER, Hong played eye designer Hannibal Chew, in CHINATOWN he played butler Khan and in AIRPLANE!, he played the Japanese general. One of Hong's earliest movie roles was providing both of the voices for the two lead male roles, Ogata and Dr. Serizawa, in the original GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS!
Hong recalled on how he and his friend, Sammy Tong, were cast in the classic monster movie, "One producer said to us, 'We’re looking for guys to do some voices for a Japanese monster film.' He went on to say that he picked up this film in Japan. 'It’s a monster film, and I have the rights now, and I want to do the dubbed version for (the) United States.' He said he was going to patch in some scenes with Raymond Burr and some other colleagues. So they built this set. It’s the set that you see in the movie, that window with Raymond Burr looking out, and narrating all that stuff about the Godzilla. (laughs) Previously, I had worked with Raymond Burr twice, I think, on PERRY MASON and something else.
Getting back to how the interview took place, the producer said, 'Come on over to Japan Town, and audition if you want to, for these voices. The pay is minimum.' I think he paid $100. So Sammy and I showed up over at Japan Town. It was a Caucasian guy that got the rights, some producer who was just at that time a nobody. So we went up to the second story — it was a big empty room, and he had a desk in the center. He said, 'Okay, I have the microphone here. Just give me a sample of what you do with a Japanese accent.'"
Hong added, "We said, 'Okay, where’s the script?' He says, 'There’s no script.' (laughs) He said, 'Use THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER' (laughs) He said, 'Okay, just read THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER right here on this second column here, with a Japanese accent.' Sammy and I looked at each other: 'Oh, no script, and he wants Japanese accents.' I looked at THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER and I said, 'So let’s see now. Ah, so!' (Mr. Hong proceeds to read in a Japanese accent) I read — I don’t know — maybe another paragraph. He said, 'That’s great! That’s great! (laughs) You got the job!' Sammy Tong did the same thing. He had a broader accent than I do. (laughs) He was going, 'Let’s see.' (Mr. Hong proceeds to imitate Sammy Tong‘s Japanese accent) So Sammy Tong did his accent, and neither one of us was Japanese."
Hong said in one scene, the two lead male characters, Ogata and Dr. Serizawa, argue with each other, "Well, both of those voices were mine! (laughs) I’m arguing with myself! So all those voices that I did were just thrown in there for all those characters, the young characters, and all the old men, the scientist that was pointing to the blackboard, all those were Sammy Tong’s voice. Together, Sammy and I did probably 80% of all the voices."

In BLADE RUNNER, Hong played eye designer Hannibal Chew.

In CHINATOWN, Hong played butler Khan.

In AIRPLANE!, Hong played the Japanese general.

In GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS!, Hong provided both of the voices for the two lead male roles, Ogata and Dr. Serizawa, and others.

 

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM---Christopher Lee will return as the voice of Saruman in the animated prequel movie. Writer Phillipa Boyens said she got permission from Lee's widow, Birgit Kroencke, to use Lee's voice taken from his voice archives, “[Kroencke] said the thing that I think that Peter [Jackson] felt in his heart, which was that actually Sir Christopher would’ve wanted this. So we went into his records, I got to go back and hear his voice–not just doing the lines, but talking to us as we were recording him.“
Boyens added, “We based it on a line from THE HOBBIT, which is, ‘Are you in need of assistance, my lady?’ [It was] a version of that line, and we thought, okay, that’s a line we can see how many takes he did of that. Can we use it? Can we find a new read on it and change it up a little bit? And our brilliant guys did that. But it is an authentic bit of Christoper Lee performance that it’s based on that line.”

ALPHA GANG---Cate Blanchett, Channing Tatum, Dave Bautista, Lea Sedoux, Steven Yeun, Riley Keough and Zoe Kravitz will star in the comedy movie about aliens disguised as a 1950s biker gang who invade Earth. The synopsis says, "They look and sound human, but Alpha Gang are aliens, sent on a mission to conquer Earth. Armed and dangerous, they show no mercy, until they catch the most toxic, contagious human disease of all: emotion. Their plan for world domination is in danger of derailing once they start to feel joy, fear, empathy, and – worst of all – love… But hopefully they can still annihilate mankind before it’s too late."

AMERICAN PRIMEVAL---poster and synopsis released for the Netflix Western six-part miniseries starring Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin, "This is America…1857. Up is down, pain is everywhere, innocence and tranquility are losing the battle to hatred and fear. Peace is the shrinking minority, and very few possess grace — even fewer know compassion. There is no safe haven in these brutal lands, and only one goal matters: survival. AMERICAN PRIMEVAL is a fictionalized dramatization and examination of the violent collision of culture, religion, and community as men and women fight and die to keep or control this land."

PAINTER---Alan Ritchson (REACHER) and Amber Midthunder (PREY) will star in the action movie whose synopsis says, “PAINTER centers on a young woman, trained from a young age, who must employ every skill in her arsenal to rescue her father after he is kidnapped.”

DAY DRINKER---Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz will star in this movie about a cruise ship bartender and a day drinker who get involved in the criminal underworld. Marc Webb (THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) is the director.

MONKEY HILL---Olivia Wilde and Gael Garcia will star in the erotic thriller movie whose plot is described as, “In MONKEY HILL, an heiress accused of a white-collar crime hides away with her husband at a luxury resort in an Indian holy city. In deep denial of the growing scandal, they distract themselves with sexual escapades and spiritual dalliances. Meanwhile, the hotel staff who pamper them by the pool return each night to a village plagued by civil unrest and a deadly water crisis. When the couple ventures past the hotel gates that protect them, they awaken the sleeping giant of fate.”

THE RUNNING MAN---William H. Macy will play a man who helps Ben Richards (Glen Powell) in the movie based on the Stephen King novel.

BLADE---the long-gestating reboot movie reportedly has an all-new script.

FASTER THAN HORSES---Ansel Elgort (BABY DRIVER) will star in the survival movie whose synopsis says, “inspired by a true story and based on an article by Hampton Sides, follows a former Olympic runner who attempts a return to glory in the world’s toughest footrace, the Marathon des Sables, a series of back-to-back marathons across the Sahara Desert. When a devastating sandstorm engulfs the race, he finds himself lost in the Sahara Desert and locked in a ten-day battle for survival.”

TRIVIA---countdown to Halloween.
The classic THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet" starred William Shatner and was written by Richard Matheson. Shatner played a man who has recovered from a nervous breakdown and is flying home with his wife when he sees a gremlin on the airliner's wing that no one else sees. The gremlin was played by stuntman Nick Cravat. Ironically, Cravat later played an airliner passenger in the hit movie AIRPORT which started the disaster movie craze.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet" starred William Shatner as the airliner passenger who sees a gremlin, played by Nick Cravat, on the airliner's wing that no one else sees.

Nick Cravat is fitted with the gremlin mask.

Ironically, Cravat later played an airliner passenger in the hit movie AIRPORT which started the disaster movie craze.

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30

GODZILLA MINUS ONE---trailer released for the movie's return to theaters.

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ASSASSINATION---Jessica Chastain, Al Pacino, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston will star in Barry Levinson's murder mystery thriller movie about John F. Kennedy's assassination. The synopsis says, “The film reveals a new take on the JFK conspiracy, centering around Dorothy Kilgallen, one of the most famous voices in media at the time. When Dorothy suspects that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, she uses her fame and influence to find the real killer of JFK. Part murder mystery, part film noir, Dorothy’s journey will put her up against the CIA, Mafia bosses, and the FBI, all who would love nothing more than to make her and this story disappear.”
Levinson said,“She started putting pieces together that no one else did. She died under very suspicious circumstances, but it was never investigated.”

VICTORIAN PSYCHO---Margaret Qualley will star in the horror movie based on the upcoming novel. The synopsis says, "In 1858, a young, eccentric governess named Winifred Notty (Margaret Qualley) arrives at the remote gothic manor known as Ensor House. Winifred’s responsibilities include teaching the children table manners and educating them about their family’s history, all whilst hiding her psychopathic tendencies. As Winifred assimilates into life at Ensor House, staff members begin to inexplicably disappear, and the owners of the estate begin to wonder if there is something amiss about their new governess."

THE GALLERIST---Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega will star in the movie whose plot is described as, “a desperate gallerist who conspires to sell a dead guy at Art Basel Miami.”

SNOW WHITE---Rachel Zegler said fan criticism of her being cast in the starring role of the Disney remake movie is because of racism and her Colombian ancestry, "For being brown. For having brown skin. For playing Snow White. There was a lot of harassment from a certain group of people—they were showing up at my apartment and screaming profanities.
Where I wanted to, in a way that made it seem like it was tongue in cheek. Then it got to a point where it was not funny anymore and I really hated myself for something that other people were telling me about myself. But my ability to bounce back from that and still be passionate about the work I did for that project is something that I admire about myself."

FAIRY TALE---Ke Huy Quan will star in the action movie about a New York taxi driver who has an encounter with a criminal gang and then seeks to get his son's Christmas present back.

PRESUMED INNOCENT---Season 2 will be based on the upcoming novel DISSECTION OF A MURDER whose synopsis says, "DISSECTION OF A MURDER is about a woman, Leila Reynolds, who has just been handed her first murder case but then has to battle her husband, who is the case’s prosecutor."

ARMOR WARS---writer Yassir Lester commented on rumors Marvel Studios cancelled the movie, “Everything’s still in development. In the same way BLADE goes away and comes back the next day, ARMOR WARS is — it’ll be a thing that happens every few months, then it won’t happen, then it’ll happen again.”

THE FAMILY PLAN 2---Apple TV+ is developing a sequel to the comedy assassin movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan.

SCARY MOVIE---the Wayans Brothers announced they are developing a new sequel in the comedy horror movie franchise.

TRIVIA---countdown to Halloween.
In THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, an Arctic research station discovers a crashed flying saucer containing a blood-thirsty alien who seeks to conquer Earth.
In the scene where the US Air Force crew and scientists discover the crashed flying saucer frozen under the ice, the flying saucer's fin is seen protruding from the circular crash site (middle photo)---and the film crew's road grader used to clear the ice is seen nearby (bottom photo).

 

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

BLACK DOVES---trailer released for the Netflix six-part spy miniseries starring Keira Knightley.

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THE ****ED---trailer released for the horror movie.

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JACK RYAN---Amazon Prime sequel movie underway to the spy tv series starring John Krasinski. Co-stars Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly are in negotiations to also return.

QUENTIN TARANTINO---Quentin Tarantino said he will not watch Denis Villeneuve's DUNE or other movie remakes, “I saw [David Lynch’s] DUNE a couple of times. I don’t need to see that story again. I don’t need to see spice worms. I don’t need to see a movie that says the word ‘Spice’ so dramatically.”
He added, “It’s one after another of this remake, and that remake. People ask ‘Have you seen DUNE?’ ‘Have you seen RIPLEY?’ ‘Have you seen SHOGUN?’ And I’m like “no, no, no, no.” There’s six or seven Ripley books. If you do one again, why are you doing the same one that they’ve done twice already? I’ve seen that story twice before, and I didn’t really like it in either version, so I’m not really interested in seeing it a third time. If you did another story, that would be interesting enough to give it a shot anyway...I saw SHOGUN in the ‘80s. I watched all 13 hours. I’m good. I don’t need to see that story again, I don’t care how they do it. I don’t care if they take me and put me in ancient Japan in a time machine. I don’t care, I’ve seen the story.”

HAMMER DOWN---Idris Elba will star in the movie whose synopsis says, “Mac (Elba) is the best at what he does, driving a big rig truck across the country with a ‘no questions asked’ policy about the goods he transports. When he takes his tenacious teenage daughter along for a job, they are tracked and attacked by a relentless group of criminals that will stop at nothing to secure the consignment he has been entrusted to deliver. Pursued by merciless killers and with the police hot on their trail, Mac and his daughter must work together to prevent the cargo falling into dangerous hands and survive to live another day.”

LANTERNS---Kelly MacDonald will play Sheriff Kerry in the HBO/DC Studios superhero tv series that also stars Kyle Chandler.

THE WILD ROBOT---author Peter Brown commented on the possibility of an sequel, “Yeah, there are three books, and who knows if all three or two or who knows how many more movies will be made. It’s not official just yet. We’re hoping there’ll be at least a sequel. There’s a second book called THE WILD ROBOT ESCAPES, which I know Chris [director Chris Sanders] and Jeff [producer Jeff Herman] have read and loved. I feel like the two first books in the series really are one big story. So I think they’re really hoping to get the green light to make that happen. But we’ll see, we’ll see. I don’t know. I don’t wanna get ahead of myself, but I’m cautiously optimistic that there will be a sequel, and I know a lot of us are hoping that’ll happen.”

TOMB RAIDER---Sophie Turner (GAME OF THRONES) and Lucy Boynton (BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY) are testing for the Amazon Prime tv series.

THE PLAYERS---John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan will star in the Shakespeare comedy movie based on the rivalry between Edwin Forrest and William MacReady.

EMILY THE STRANGE---Warner Bros. Animation/Bad Robot movie underway based on the graphic novel character.

OUTLAST---horror movie underway based on the video game.

TRIVIA---Halloween movie trivia.
VARIETY released "The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time".

1. THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974)
2. THE EXORCIST
3. PSYCHO
4. JAWS
5. ROSEMARY'S BABY
6. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
7. AUDITION
8. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
9. SALO (120 DAYS OF SODOM)
10. CARRIE
11. ALIEN
12. KING KONG (1933)
13. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
14. NOSFERATU: A SYMPHONY OF HORROR
15. DON'T LOOK NOW
16. HALLOWEEN
17. DIABOLIQUE
18. THE SHINING
19. THE MUMMY (1932)
20. GET OUT
21. BLACK SUNDAY (1960)
22. CARNIVAL OF SOULS
23. DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
24. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
25. SCREAM
26. THE INNOCENTS
27. DRACULA (1931)
28. THE WICKER MAN (1973)
29. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925)
30. EYES WITHOUT A FACE
31. RINGU
32. THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
33. M (1931)
34. EVIL DEAD: DEAD BY DAWN
35. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956)
36. HEREDITARY
37. DEEP RED
38. FREAKS
39. KWAIDAN
40. BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN
41. THE DEVILS
42. 28 DAYS LATER
43. VAMPYR
44. MANHUNTER
45. THE INVISIBLE MAN (xxx)
46. THE THING
47. GODZILLA (1954)
48. THE BIRDS
49. THE WITCH
50. ONIBABA
51. IRREVERSIBLE
52. BLOOD AND BLACK LACE
53. ERASERHEAD
54. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
55. THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI
56. THE FLY (1986)
57. PEEPING TOM
58. RAW
59. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?
60. FUNNY GAMES
61. CANDYMAN
62. GREMLINS
63. DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931)
64. PLANET TERROR
65. THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN
66. THE BABADOOK
67. POSSESSION
68. THE SIXTH SENSE
69. NEAR DARK
70. THE WAILING
71. HOSTEL: PART II
72. CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
73. BLOOD FOR DRACULA
74. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
75. THE DESCENT
76. I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE
77. THE BLOB (1958)
78. ANGST
79. THE OMEN
80. HOUSE OF WAX (1953)
81. THE WOLF MAN (1941)
82. WHAT LIES BENEATH
83. THE LITTLE SHOP PF HORRORS (1960)
84. DEAD RINGERS
85. RE-ANIMATOR
86. VILLAGE OF THE ****ED (1960)
87. THE VANISHING (1988)
88. BLOOD FEAST
89. HORROR OF DRACULA
90. A PAGE OF MADNESS
91. DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)
92. THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2
93. CAT PEOPLE (1942)
94. EVENT HORIZON
95. DEAD ALIVE
96. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978)
97. THE HAUNTING (1963)
98. THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE
99. SUSPIRIA
100. REPULSION

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1

STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW---new trailer released for the Disney+ tv series starring Jude Law.

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BEYOND: UFOS AND THE UNKNOWN---trailer released for the MGM+ UFO docuseries.

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YEAR 10---trailer released for the cannibal horror movie.

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GODZILLA---Toho announced on the 70th anniversary of the original GODZILLA movie that a new Godzilla movie is underway with GODZILLA MINUS ONE writer/director Takashi Yamazaki returning. No plot details were released.

GAME OF THRONES---THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER says Warner Bros. is developing a movie based on the HBO/George RR Martin tv series, "Multiple sources describe the project as very early stage development, with no filmmaker, cast or writer yet attached. But the company is keen on exploring the idea of Westeros invading cinemas."

IT: WELCOME TO DERRY---photo released from the prequel movie starring James Remar and Madeleine Stowe.

THE LAST DRUID---Russell Crowe will star in the movie about a Celtic elder who must resurrect his warrior spirit when a Roman emperor discovers an isolated Druid stronghold in the mountains of Caledonia.

MOLEPEOPLE---Ben Mendelsohn and Anthony Ramos star in this horror movie whose plot is described as, “one man’s nightmarish descent into the abandoned tunnels beneath the streets of New York City, where a twisted society lurks.” Rob Savage (THE BOOGEYMAN) is the director.

HOUSE OF THE DEAD---Paul WS Anderson will direct the horror movie based on the video game.

LEGO---the Lego Group and Universal Pictures are developing four movies based on Lego toys of which three will be directed by Jake Kasdan, Patty Jenkins and Joe Cornish. No plot details were released.

BENDY AND THE INK MACHINE---Andre Ovredal will direct the movie based on the video game.

SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW---Eve Ridley will play Ruthye Mary Knolle in the DC Studios movie.

GUNDAM---Jim Mickle (SWEET TOOTH) will direct the movie based on the anime.

TRIVIA---in 2023, researchers from the US and Peru discovered a new species of snake in the Andes Mountains in Peru, and named the species Tachymenoides harrisonfordi after Harrison Ford whose character, Indiana Jones, had a fear of snakes, and for Ford's support for conservation.
Ford quipped, “These scientists keep naming critters after me, but it’s always the ones that terrify children. I don’t understand. I spend my free time cross-stitching. I sing lullabies to my basil plants, so they won’t fear the night.“
He added, “In all seriousness, this discovery is humbling. It’s a reminder that there’s still so much to learn about our wild world — and that humans are one small part of an impossibly vast biosphere. On this planet, all fates are intertwined, and right now, one million species are teetering on the edge of oblivion. We have an existential mandate to mend our broken relationship with nature and protect the places that sustain life.”

 

[dragon53]

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4

PRESENCE---trailer released for the Steven Soderbergh horror movie.

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THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON---trailer released for Season 3.

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WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?---Robert Zemeckis said the sequel script to the 1988 movie is finished, but Disney will not make the sequel because Jessica Rabbit is too sexy, “There’s a good script sitting at Disney, but here’s what you have to know, and you know this: the current Disney would never make ROGER RABBIT today…They can’t make a movie with Jessica in it.
So the [Peter] Seaman and [Jeffrey] Price sequel script isn’t ever going to see the light of day, as good as it is. Because look what they did to Jessica at the theme park, they trussed her in a trench coat.”
He also said Universal Pictures is not interested in a movie musical based on BACK TO THE FUTURE, “I would like to do the BACK TO THE FUTURE the musical just like [Mel] Brooks did THE PRODUCERS. I would love to do that. I think that would be great… I floated that out to the folks at Universal. They don’t get it. So, nothing I can do.”
Zemeckis' new movie HERE, which reunited FORREST GUMP stars Tom Hanks and Robin wright, only earned $5 million for its premiere weekend.

LUNIK HEIST---Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong'o star in the movie based on the true story set in 1959 when four CIA agents stole a Russian Lunik spacecraft from an exhibit in Mexico City without being discovered.

TWILIGHT OF THE DEAD---Milla Jovovich will star in the seventh and last installment of George A. Romero's LIVING DEAD movie franchise.

FANTASTIC FOUR---the reboot movie's title may have been changed from THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS after a puppeteer working on the reboot movie has his LinkedIn profile saying he is working on "FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST CONTACT".

JUDD APATOW---Judd Apatow commented on modern movies, “I have a new theory, which is, everything is like in the newspaper business: ‘If it bleeds, it leads’. Everything is doomscrolling because they don’t want you to shut anything off, so they’re obsessed with it being really intense.
That’s why almost everything on the streamers is either about the biggest star in the world or a serial killer. Everything is a thriller, everything is intense.”

PAPER TIGERS---Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway will star in the movie about two brothers who pursue the American Dream and run afoul of the Russian mob. James Grey (AD ASTRA) is the writer/director.

TRIVIA---Peter Falk played LAPD homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo in the COLUMBO tv series that won 13 Emmy Awards and ran from 1968-2003. However, Bert Freed was the first actor to play Columbo in the 1960 NBC anthology tv series THE CHEVY MYSTERY SHOW episode "Enough Rope". Eight years later, writers Richard Levinson and William Link resurrected Columbo into the hit tv series eight years later.
Levinson and Link originally wanted Lee J. Cobb to play Columbo, but he had schedule problems. They then offered the role to Bing Crosby, but he declined the role because he wanted to concentrate on golf since he was essentially retired.

Bert Freed was the first actor to play Lieutenant Columbo in the 1960 NBC anthology tv series THE CHEVY MYSTERY SHOW episode "Enough Rope".

Peter Falk played LAPD homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo in the COLUMBO tv series that won 13 Emmy Awards and ran from 1968-2003.