Movie/TV News (4 Viewers)

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30

ASH---trailer released for the sci fi horror movie starring Eiza Gonzalez and Aaron Paul.

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FRANKENSTEIN---photo released of Oscar Isaac starring in the Guillermo del Toro/Netflix horror movie based on the novel.

WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY---photo released of Daniel Craig and Josh O'Connor starring in the Netflix murder mystery sequel.

HAPPY GILMORE 2---photo released of the Netflix sequel to the 1996 comedy golf movie that starred Adam Sandler.

AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY---Anthony Mackie claims Chris Evans is returning as Captain America for DOOMSDAY, “I learned that right there. My manager showed me. He’s like, ‘Oh, so I guess Chris is coming back.’ That’s all I know. I haven’t seen a script.” However, Evans commented on Mackie's statement, "That’s not true, though. This always happens. I mean, it happens every couple years—ever since Endgame. I’ve just stopped responding to it... Yeah, no—happily retired!"

ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION 2---the 20th Century sequel to the 1997 comedy movie is underway with Mia Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow in negotiations to return.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE---Netflix is rebooting the 1970s tv series that starred Michael Landon. The synopsis says, “The reimagining will center around Charles, his wife Caroline and their daughters Laura and Mary as they leave Wisconsin to settle in Independence, KS. There will be Osage characters, as the first season is based on the book LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE."

THE FACULTY---remake underway of the 1998 Robert Rodriguez sci fi horror movie that starred Josh Harnett and Famke Janssen. Rodriguez is returning as the producer.

THE WHEEL OF TIME---synopsis released for Season 3, “At the end of Season 2, after defeating Ishamael, Rand reunites with his friends at Falme and is declared the Dragon Reborn. But in Season 3, the threats against the Light are multiplying: the White Tower stands divided, the Black Ajah run free, old enemies return to the Two Rivers, and the remaining Forsaken are in hot pursuit of the Dragon… including Lanfear, whose relationship with Rand will mark a crucial choice between Light and Dark for them both. As the ties to his past begin to unravel, and his corrupted power grows stronger, Rand becomes increasingly unrecognizable to his closest allies, Moiraine and Egwene. These powerful women, who started the series as teacher and student, must now work together to prevent the Dragon from turning to the Dark… no matter the cost.”

TRIVIA---Clint Eastwood's classic Western UNFORGIVEN won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. However, Francis Ford Coppola was the original director of UNFORGIVEN and offered the lead role of ruthless gunslinger William Munny, who seeks redemption for his deadly past, to John Malkovich. Coppola was never able to raise financial backing and the project was shelved. Later, Malkovich said he was relieved because he felt he was not the right actor to play Munny.
One year after UNFORGIVEN, Eastwood starred in IN THE LINE OF FIRE where Eastwood played Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan, head of John F. Kennedy's security detail, who is plagued by guilt because he failed to protect Kennedy when he was assassinated in Dallas. Horrigan, like Munny, eventually finds redemption when he saves a future President from being assassinated by ex-CIA hitman Mitch Leary---ironically played by John Malkovich.

In the Academy Award-winning UNFORGIVEN, Clint Eastwood played gunslinger William Munny, who was originally going to be played by John Malkovich, who finds redemption for his deadly past.

In IN THE LINE OF FIRE, Eastwood played Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan, who finds redemption for his failure to save President John F. Kennedy, by saving a future President by stopping ex-CIA assassin Mitch Leary---ironically, played by John Malkovich.

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31

THE RESIDENCE---trailer released for the Netflix White House murder mystery movie.

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LOCKED---trailer released for the thriller movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Bill Skarsgard.

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RUNNING POINT---trailer released for the Netflix comedy basketball movie starring Kate Hudson.

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

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THE OLD GUARD 2---trailer released for the Netflix sequel starring Charlize Theron.

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SUPERMAN---the estate of Superman co-creator Joseph Schuster has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics which would not allow the upcoming movie to be released in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Ireland because they do not have the foreign copyrights to do so. The lawsuit claims, “Shuster died in 1992 and Siegel [co-creator Jerry Siegel] in 1996. By operation of law, Shuster’s foreign copyrights automatically reverted to his estate in 2017 in most of these territories (and in 2021 in Canada). Yet Defendants continue to exploit Superman across these jurisdictions without the Shuster Estate’s authorization—including in motion pictures, television series, and merchandise—in direct contravention of these countries’ copyright laws, which require the consent of all joint copyright owners to do so.”
Warner Bros. Discovery released a reply to the lawsuit, “We fundamentally disagree with the merits of the lawsuit, and will vigorously defend our rights."

RIP---photo released of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck starring in the Netflix movie about cops who find millions of dollars left in an abandoned stash house.

THE ODYSSEY---John Leguizamo and Ellliot Page have joined the cast of the Christopher Nolan Greek mythology movie that stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Anne Hathaway.

DEN OF THIEVES 3---the next sequel is underway with Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson, Jr. expected to return.

SCREAM 7---Scott Foley and Matthew Lillard are returning for the latest sequel.

TRIVIA---in MAGNUM, P.I., the iconic opening credits scene shows a smiling Thomas Magnum giving snorkeling lessons to a woman. Shirley Rogers, a local surfer and photographer, claimed she was the woman in the scene. But credible sources say Debbie Bonfiglio, a full-time crew member and stunt double with a more curvaceous body than Rogers, actually played the snorkel woman. Shortly after the scene was shot, Debbie suffered a brain injury and was unaware Rogers was claiming she appeared in the scene, but she has since set the record straight.

In the MAGNUM, P.I., iconic opening credits snorkel lesson scene, Shirley Rogers is shown with Tom Selleck.

However, Debbie Bonfiglio, a full-time crew member and stunt double with a more curvaceous body than Rogers, actually played the snorkel woman.

 

[dragon53]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD---new tv spot released for the Marvel superhero movie.

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M3GAN 2.0---teaser trailer released for the sequel.

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COBRA KAI---trailer released for Season 6, Part 3.

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STAR WARS---a "reliable insider" claims Henry Cavill is in talks to play a villain in the Simon Kinberg STAR WARS trilogy.

THE BEATLES---Anna Sawai (SHOGUN, MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS) is reportedly a candidate to play Yoko Ono in the Sam Mendes biomovies.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON---James Norton will play Ormund Hightower, who is described as, “Otto’s nephew, Alicent and Gwayne’s cousin, and the Lord of Oldtown. He is presently leading the Hightower host in a march on King’s Landing to support his house against Rhaenyra.”

GODZILLA x KONG---Dan Stevens is in negotiations to return as Trapper for the untitled sequel.

MATCHBOX---John Cena and Danai Gurira will star in the live-action movie based on the Mattel toy car line whose synopsis says, “The story is described as an action-packed, globetrotting adventure that centers on a group of childhood friends who must work together to stop an impending worldwide disaster and rediscover their friendship along the way.”

THE SANDMAN---Netflix cancelled the series with Season 2 being the last season because of allegations of sexual misconduct against co-creator Neil Gaiman. Also, Disney shelved his THE GRAVEYARD BOOK movie, Darkhorse Comics dropped him and his CORALINE musical was cancelled.

APEX---Charlize Theron, Eric Bana and Taron Egerton will star in the Netflix thriller survival movie whose synopsis says, “Described as FREE SOLO meets SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, the film follows a rock climber who finds herself being hunted in the wild."

LUCKY---Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening and Timothy Olyphant will star in the Apple TV+ miniseries. The synopsis says, “The miniseries follows a young woman who left behind the life of crime she was raised in years ago, but must now embrace her darker, criminal side one final time in a desperate attempt to escape her past."

TRIVIA---in MINORITY REPORT, two people named Cameron have cameos in the commuter train scene where Precrime Captain John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is trying to escape.
Cameron Crowe, who directed Cruise in JERRY MAGUIRE and VANILLA SKY, plays the passenger reading a newspaper who recognizes Anderton sitting nearby. Cameron Diaz is the woman sitting behind Crowe.

 

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS---teaser trailer released for the reboot movie.

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HURRY UP TOMORROW---trailer released for the movie starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.

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THE LAST OF US---photos released from Season 2. Showrunner Craig Mazin said, “I think it’s pretty likely that our story will extend past a Season 3. How far past? I can’t say. And that’s not to say that there are not other stories that could be told, but this story is the one that Neil and I are telling."

JUST CAUSE---Universal Pictures movie underway based on the video game with Aaron Rabin (JACK RYAN) writing the screenplay.

BLACK PANTHER 3---Marvel Studios Vice President Nate Moore commented on rumors the role of T'Challa will be recast for the sequel after Chadwick Boseman's death, “The truth is, there’s no truth to those rumors. Never say never to anything, we haven’t really had a lot of creative conversations with Ryan Coogler yet, because he’s finishing his film SINNERS, which comes out this year. We’ll get into it later this year, but everything you read online is not true, if for no other reason than we just haven’t started [working on it]."

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER---Sarah Michelle Gellar is reportedly in "final talks" to return for the Hulu pilot sequel which is close to approval.

STAR CITY---Apple TV+ is developing a FOR ALL MANKIND spinoff series from the Soviet Union perspective with Rhys Ifans starring as the Chief Designer for the Soviet space program.

HOSTAGE---Zac Efron and Will Ferrell will star in an untitled Amazon MGM Studios comedy movie about a convict just released from prison, seeks revenge on the reality court tv judge who ruined his life by take the courtroom hostage.

AUDITION---US remake movie underway based on the 1999 Japanese horror movie. Christian Tafdrup (SPEAK NO EVIL) is the director.

TRIVIA---the GILLIGAN'S ISLAND theme song "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island" was written by the show's creator, Sherwood Schwartz, and George Wyle, and is one the most famous tv themes in tv history. However, the original theme song used on the show's pilot episode was written by Academy Award-winning composer John Williams (STAR WARS, JAWS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK), but it was replaced by "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island" when the show premiered.


JOHN WILLIAMS LINK:

THE BALLAD OF GILLIGAN'S ISLAND LINK:

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH---trailer released for the sequel.

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STAR WARS: NEW JEDI ORDER---writer George Nolfi (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM) commented on the NEW JEDI ORDER, “The way I approach it is, you look at what’s come before you, you look at the broad ideas of what they want to do. Meaning: Lucasfilm, Disney, Sharmeen [Obaid-Chinoy], the director, and then you do what a writer does, and try to try and put beats of a story together. Try and imagine characters, and then you present that with an understanding that it needs to honor, obviously, a long, incredible tradition.
If you think about George Lucas, the six movies that he did, and the universe that he created, it’s actually very steeped in broad notions of politics. It’s not talking about today, per se, but there’s the Empire’s Nazism slash Roman Empire.
The democracy of the Roman Empire collapsing and becoming an empire and the perennial story of human beings organizing themselves and against chaos, and then the tools that help human societies tamp down on chaos becomes oppression.
So that is really very core to what I think George Lucas was trying to talk about. And one of the wonderful things about science fiction and Star Wars – which is more almost science fantasy or space opera – is that you can raise the deepest issues without it feeling like a philosophy class, or a political science class, or something I read in the newspaper today.”

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY---Harrison Ford said he has no regrets about the disastrous sequel, “Sh*t happens. I was really the one who felt there was another story to tell. When [Indy] had suffered the consequences of the life that he had to live, I wanted one more chance to pick him up and shake the dust off his ass and stick him out there, bereft of some of his vigor, to see what happened. I’m still happy I made that movie.”

DUNE: PART THREE---Denis Villeuve commented on PART THREE, “Chani’s heart is broken. And it’s the beginning of the Holy War.” Villeneuve said it is set 12 years after PART TWO.

THE GUNFIGHTER---Ethan Hawke will co-write and possibly direct the remake of the 1950 Western movie that starred Gregory Peck.

F*CK VALENTINE'S DAY---Marisa Tomei and Virginia Gardner will star in the romantic comedy movie which is described as, "The film follows Gina (Gardner), born on the most celebrated day of love, Valentine’s Day, which she detests immensely. She is determined to stop her boyfriend from popping the question on a birthday getaway in Greece, home of her vivacious mother (Tomei). Enlisting fellow vacationers, the handsome Johnny Giovinazzo and his brassy sister Mickey, Gina hopes to delay the proposal, leading Gina to discover that she just might be with the wrong guy."

CARRY ON---the thriller movie starring Taron Eggerton is No. 3 among Netflix's Top 10 Most Popular Movies of All Time with 162.7 million views.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra said a Netflix sequel is“not in the cards”, but he added, “I would like to definitely make another one. When we started with the movie, it certainly felt like one unique story in a moment in time with a set of characters. If an idea comes to us that feels like we can do something that is as original as the first one, and that can connect with the audience in the same way, then we’ll explore that.“

ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR---the sequel to the 2018 Paul Feig dark comedy movie A SIMPLE FAVOR is underway with Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, Henry Golding and Allison Janney returning.

THE EMPRESS---Netflix renewed the series for Season 3 which will be the last season.

TRIVIA---in the 1960s cult classic sci fi tv series LOST IN SPACE (Guy Williams, Bill Mumy, Jonathan Harris), the voice for Robot B-9 was provided by voice actor Dick Tufeld ("Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!").
Tufeld returned to voice the Rambler-Crane Robot in the 1998 LOST IN SPACE movie (William Hurt, Gary Oldman, Matt LeBlanc) based on the original tv series.
In the Netflix 2018 LOST IN SPACE remake tv series (Toby Smith, Molly Parker, Parker Posey), Liam Tufeld was a member of the 24th Colonist Group to Alpha Centauri and the love interest for Penny Robinson. Liam Tufeld was a tribute to Dick Tufeld.

In the 1960s cult classic sci fi tv series LOST IN SPACE, the voice for Robot B-9 was provided by voice actor Dick Tufeld ("Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!").

LOST IN SPACE LINK:

Tufeld returned to voice the Rambler-Crane Robot in the 1998 LOST IN SPACE movie based on the original tv series.

LOST IN SPACE LINK:

In the Netflix 2018 remake LOST IN SPACE tv series, Liam Tufeld was a member of the 24th Colonist Group to Alpha Centauri and the love interest for Penny Robinson. Liam Tufeld was a tribute to Dick Tufeld.

 

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6

PLANKTON: THE MOVIE---trailer released for the Netflix animated spinoff movie.

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THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS---the trailer for the Marvel Studios reboot movie set a Marvel record of 202 million views in its first 24 hours for a non-sequel movie. The sequels DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE had 365 million views and SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME had 335 million views in their first 24 hours.

THE WHISPER MAN---Robert De Niro will star in the Netflix movie based on the Alex North novel about a crime writer who teams up with his estranged father, who is a retired police detective, to find the writer's kidnapped eight year-old son which may be connected to the serial killer known as The Whisper Man.

ANIMALS---Ben Affleck will star in and direct the Netflix movie also starring Gillian Anderson in which a Los Angles mayoral candidate and his wife must resort to any means to find the money to pay the ransom for their kidnapped son.

BUCKING FASTARD---sisters Kate and Rooney Mara will star in the Werner Herzog movie based on the true story of British identical twins Freda and Greta Chaplin who became romantically obsessed with a truck driver neighbor who was forced to get a court restraining order to keep them away.

OLD PALS---Brian Cox, Henry Winkler, Emma Roberts and Evan Rachel Wood will star in the comedy movie whose synopsis says, "The film follows comical opposites and recent widowers, Ira (Winkler) and Jimmy (Cox), who are forced to become friends by their conspiring daughters (Roberts & Wood). Their initial stubbornness gives way to a hilarious journey of unexpected friendship, proving that family has a way of bringing even the most unlikely people together.”

KILL YOUR DARLINGS---Julia Roberts will star in the movie based on the upcoming novel whose synopsis says, “Thom and Wendy Graves have been married for over twenty-five years. They live in a beautiful Victorian on the north shore of Massachusetts. Wendy is a published poet and Thom teaches English literature at a nearby university. Their son, Jason, is all grown up. All is well…except that Wendy wants to murder her husband.
What happens next has everything to do with what happened before. The story of Wendy and Thom’s marriage is told in reverse, moving backward through time to witness key moments from the couple’s lives—their fiftieth birthday party, buying their home, Jason’s birth, the mysterious death of a work colleague—all painting a portrait of a marriage defined by a single terrible act they plotted together many years ago.
Eventually we learn the details of what Thom and Wendy did in their early twenties, a secret that has kept them bound together through the length of their marriage. But its power over them is fraying, and each of them begins to wonder if they would be better off making sure their spouse carries their secrets to the grave.”

BAD BOY---Ke Huy Quan and Lili Reinhart will star in the movie about a woman held in the basement of a serial killer who must depend on the killer's beloved dog to help her escape.

SLEEPWALKER---Hayden Panettiere will star in the movie whose synopsis says, “Panettiere portrays Sarah, a grieving mother who is haunted by the tragic loss of her daughter in a car accident that left her abusive husband in a coma. As she battles a surreal descent into darkness, her sleepwalking episodes intensify. Plagued by haunting visions of her husband inside their home, she grapples with the blurred lines between reality and nightmare.”

EDGE OF TOMORROW---in the Tom Cruise sci fi movie, Major William Cage is a soldier who must repeat his death in battle endlessly during an alien invasion of Earth until he finds a way to survive and defeat the aliens. Cage never mentions how many repeats he endured, but Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) says she has witnessed Cage die 300 times.

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7

CASINO ROYALE---Henry Cavill's 2005 audition for the James Bond role in the remake of CASINO ROYALE was posted on YouTube.

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NOVEMBER 1963---John Travolta will play Chicago Outfit mobster Johnny Roselli in the John F. Kennedy assassination movie whose plot is described as, “NOVEMBER 1963 unfolds within the intense 48-hour period surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The film sheds light on crime group the Chicago Outfit’s alleged involvement in the assassination and draws directly from first-hand accounts, including insights from the family of crime boss Sam Giancana." Mandy Patinkin will play Chicago Outfit head Anthony Accardo and Dermot Mulroney will play Chuckie Nicoletti, Sam Giancanna's bodyguard. Roland Joffe (THE KILLING FIELDS) is the director. The screenplay was written by Nicki Celozzi, nephew of Sam Giancana.

UFO---Steven Spielber's movie that is reportedly about UFOs has the title of DISCLOSURE. The cast includes Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth and Wyatt Russell.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE--THE FINAL RECKONING---director Christopher McQuarrie commented on if THE FINAL RECKONING will be the last movie in the Tom Cruise franchise, "It is, I hope, the satisfying conclusion to a 30-year story arc. I’m pretty confident that people are going to feel that the title was appropriate."

DEADPOOL---Deadpool comic book co-creator Rob Liefeld said he has ended his relationship with Marvel Studios after a long-simmering feud with Marvel. Liefeld said the latest incident occurred when he and his family were invited to the New York premiere of DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, but they were not invited to the afterparty, and he was ignored by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige on the red carpet. Liefeld said, “Kevin Feige does not treat comic book creators well. That is my personal experience.”
He later added,” Not so much as a single handshake. Classless.”

THE RAGE---Matthew McConaughey will star in the Paul Greengrass movie about the Peasant's Revolt in 1381 England.

ALIGNMENT---movie underway about an AI company's program begins to manipulate global markets causing international conflicts and the company's board member and a software engineer team up to stop it. Joe Wright (DARKEST HOUR) is the director.

COYOTE VS. ACME---Will Forte commented on Warner Bros. shelving the animated movie, “My thoughts were that it’s f*cking bullsh*t. It is such a delightful movie. It deserves so much better than it got. I can’t tell you possibly why the decision was made to not release it. But it makes my blood boil.”
He added, "... I like talking about the movie because I don’t want people to forget what [Warner Bros.] did to this. I appreciate them letting us make it, but don’t let us make this thing that we fall in love with and then not show it. I would understand if the thing sucked, but it’s really good. Maybe somehow we get to see it at some point. I hope people do. I was really proud of it.”

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER---Sarah Michelle Gellar commented on why she changed her mind about a revival series and is now in negotiations to return, “I have always listened to the fans and heard your desire to revisit Buffy and her world, but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right.
This has been a long process, and it’s not over yet. I promise you, we will only make this show if we know we can do it right. And I will tell you that we are on the path there.
I feel so lucky to be on this journey with these four unbelievably talented women, all of whom love Buffy as much as I do. And as much as you do. Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this. This will be for you.”

NOVA---Xolo Mariduena (BLUE BEETLE) commented on rumors he will star in the Marvel Studios tv series, “[NOVA] would be cool, too. Look, yeah, that’d be great. Sh*t, I’m ready for whatever work is coming my way, bro. I’ll hit up some push-ups for whoever wants me to do some.”

BAKUGAN---live-action movie underway based on the toyline. Brad Peyton (SAN ANDREAS) is the director.

TRIVIA---William Shatner starred in hit the classic sci fi franchise tv series STAR TREK and other hit tv series including BOSTON LEGAL and TJ HOOKER, but he made it into the Guinness Book of World Records "Most Expensive Kidney Stone" when he sold his kidney stone for a record $75,000 to online casino GoldnPalace.com in 2006 and donated the money to Habitat for Humanity.
Shatner said, "I turned down their initial offer of $15,000. I turned it down knowing that my tunics from STAR TREK have commanded more than $100,000. And it went from $15,000 to $25,000, and then, when this thing got to Calgary, I said, 'Look, even Calgary's talking about it, give me $75,000.'"
He added, "I said to [GoldenPalace.com], look you're getting more publicity than you ever imagined. And they upped it to $75,000. It's amazing. And then with the $20,000 that the [BOSTON LEGAL] cast had raised as a Christmas gift, it gave us $95,000, which is enough to buy an entire house for Habitat for Humanity, and they're constructing it at the lot. They're going to send us pictures of developments on the way and then eventually of the family that will be residing there."

 

[dragon53]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10

JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH---Super Bowl tv spot released for the sequel.

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THUNDERBOLTS---Super Bowl tv spot released for the Marvel superhero movie.

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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE---THE FINAL RECKONING--Super Bowl tv spot released for the sequel.

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F1---Super Bowl tv spot released for the Brad Pitt racing movie.

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LILO & STITCH---Super Bowl tv spot released for the animated movie.

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HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON---Super Bowl tv spot released for the fantasy movie.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62-rXriXL3Q



THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU---Sigourney Weaver commented on her role in the spinoff movie which is reportedly a New Republic Colonel, “I get to have scenes with a little Grogu which is probably why I did the movie. And he’s a little badass too. It’s going to be wonderful for people to see what Grogu is up to now because he’s grown up a little bit and is capable of much more than maybe we think just watching the series.
I play a wonderful character who is, you know, in a position of authority, and I have to send the Mandalorian out on a mission on the Outer Rim where all the bad stuff happens.
I admire [STAR WARS], but I don’t sit around wishing I was in another franchise, because I’ve been so lucky to be in some wonderful ones. But at the time, when I was offered it, I was delighted. I’m a great fan of Jon Favreau. I was already a great fan of The Mandalorian.”

THE GOONIES 2---Ke Huy Quan commented on the status of the sequel to the 1985 movie, "That’s on all of our minds. I’ve spoken to everybody, and especially our head Goonie, Steven Spielberg, who also wants to do one. We are all on board. And like you just said, because it’s such a beloved movie, we want to make sure that we have a really good script that can live up to the original. Honestly, it seems like every few years without fail, there’s always a GOONIES rumor.”

THE ALTO KNIGHTS---photo released of Robert De Niro starring in the movie in which he plays rival New York mobsters Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. De Niro said, "The idea of playing the two different characters was intriguing to me. They're like two different sides of the same coin. One is more rational, more diplomatic. That's the Costello character. The Genovese character is more erratic, more impulsive."

SHOGUN---co-creator Justin Marks commented on Season 2, “We’re coming out of the writers room now. We’re also done with the ten episodes and we have our finale now. That’s allowing us to start figuring out how we’re going to shoot this. But we’re very excited about the plan.
I think the thing to take away, more than anything, is how, I hope people are going to be surprised with some of the big ideas as soon as the first episode of part two. So, we’ll start there and see where it takes us for future stories. But we’re really excited about it, especially for [Hiroyuki Sanada].”
He added, “In Season 1, [Toranaga--Hiroyuki Sanada] didn’t become a Shōgun yet. So, I’d like to see him become the leader of Japan. That is my hope.”

WILD GAME---Miles Teller and Casey Affleck will star in the thriller movie whose synopsis says, “When Fish and Game officer Jack Irigaray joins a routine poacher arrest in the Black Rock Desert, a deadly encounter with renegade Claude Dallas shatters his reality and propels him into a relentless quest for vengeance — one that blurs the line between justice and obsession.”

HARRY POTTER---a rumor for the HBO tv series claims Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been offered the role of Harry Potter's Aunt Dursley.

X-MEN---a rumor claims Denzel Washington might play a villain the latest movie in the franchise.

RUNNER---Owen Wilson will co-star with Alan Ritchson in the movie about a high-end courier who must deliver an organ to a seven year-old girl transplant patient as a criminal syndicate seeks to steal the organ first.

TRIVIA---in the opening scene of Alfred Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST, the attractive woman who walks in front of Cary Grant is Donna Douglas, who later played Elly May Clampett on the classic tv comedy THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES.

 

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11

FRIENDSHIP---trailer released for the movie starring Paul Rudd.

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STAR WARS: NEW JEDI ORDER---Daisy Ridley commented on the signing of George Nolfi (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM) to write the screenplay for NEW JEDI ORDER, “I have not read the latest script, but I know what’s happening, and I know the story, and I think what feels really good is that George is a phenomenal writer. I think we’re making sure that this story is the best way, this script is the best way to tell the story, and I think it will be worthwhile for everyone watching it, and I am very excited.”
Ridley also commented on being part of the MCU or DCU, “Look, I’m open to loads of stuff. I work with this amazing second AD called Matthew Sharp, and he texts me cause he’s doing AVENGERS, and he goes, ‘If they call.’ So I was like, ‘If they call, absolutely.’ I then of course love Batman, love The Penguin. I’m a fan of so many sorts of films. Yeah, I’m open to everything.”

BARTALI---Miles Teller will star in the biomovie about Italian cycling champion Gino Bartali, who joined the Italian underground resistance in World War II and helped fake IDs which allowed thousands of Jews to escape the Nazis and enter Switzerland.

DREADNAUGHT---Dave Bautista will star in the sci fi movie whose plot is described as, “Max (Bautista), whose world was devastated when an alien species crash-landed on Earth, unleashing a deadly plague that claimed his wife and much of humanity. In the fragile society that remains, humans have learned to coexist with their extraterrestrial invaders. But for Max, survival isn’t enough.
His older daughter, Greta, is dying from the disease. As her body weakens, an alien Sentinel lurks outside their home, drawing nearer and nearer as Greta takes her final breaths. This silent, unyielding predator is on a mission to collect her body to fulfill an unstoppable metamorphosis ritual. The government sanctions it. Society accepts it. But Max refuses to have anything else taken from him.”

EPIPHANY---Bill Murray and Kristen Wiig will star in the comedy movie whose synopsis says, “When her massive fortune evaporates overnight, heiress and fashionista Favorite Ives (Wiig) has two weeks to nab a rich husband and fight creditors to stay off the street. Her desperate search for a big-money mark slams her into eccentric math savant and billionaire Oz Bell (Murray). Favorite needs Oz’s money and Oz craves Favorite’s spirit and spontaneity. Can this unlikely couple find something more?”

THE MONGOOSE---Liam Neeson, Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames and Michael Chiklis star in the action movie about a war hero who is framed for a crime he did not commit and flees on a cross-country journey with the police in pursuit as the event is nationally televised.

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN---showrunner Dario Scardapane compared the Disney+ tv series' creative overhaul to the earlier episodes already seen, “The level of violence is way up there for a Marvel/Disney show, I don’t think there’s anything else even in the ballpark. There’s a moment in this that is just absolutely bats—, and way past anything Netflix ever did.”

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE---Morena Baccarin (DEADPOOL) will play The Sorceress and Johannes Haukur Johannesson (VIKINGS) will play Fisto in the live-action movie.

LEGALLY BLONDE---Madison Wolfe (TRUE DETECTIVE) and Lexi Minetree (LAW & ODER: SVU) are the lead candidates to play Elle Woods in the Amazon prequel tv series.

TRIVIA---in THE DIRTY DOZEN, a renegade Army officer leads 12 Army convicts on a suicide mission before D-Day with the survivors receiving a pardon. It was MGM's biggest hit and the fourth biggest hit movie of 1967. MGM originally wanted the World War II movie, known for its graphic violence, to be directed by George Seaton, best known for directing the classic Christmas movie MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, but Seaton dropped out due to a schedule problem and was replaced by Robert Aldrich.

In THE DIRTY DOZEN, a renegade Army officer leads 12 Army convicts on a suicide mission before D-Day with the survivors receiving a pardon.

MGM originally wanted the World War II movie, known for its graphic violence, to be directed by George Seaton, best known for directing the classic Christmas movie MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET.

Seaton dropped out due to a schedule problem and was replaced by Robert Aldrich.

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12

THE FRIEND---trailer released for the movie based on the novel starring Bill Murray and Naomi Watts.

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G20---trailer released for the Amazon Prime Presidential action movie starring Viola Davis.

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THE WHEEL OF TIME---trailer released for Season 3.

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THE ODYSSEY---the Christopher Nolan Greek mythology movie will reportedly rely on practical special effects instead of CGI in filming the Polyphemus Cyclops by using a 6 meter by 6 meter puppet at Nestor Cave and Voidokilia Beach in Greece.

CAPE FEAR---Javier Bardem and Amy Adams will star in the Apple TV+ miniseries based on the novel THE EXECUTIONER. Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese are the co-producers. The original movie starred Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Scorsese's remake starred Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte.

ROBIN HOOD---Jack Patten will play Robin Hood and Sean Bean will play the Sheriff of Nottingham in the MGM+ 10-part miniseries whose synopsis says, "The story follows 'Rob', a Saxon forester’s son, and Marian, the daughter of a Norman lord, who fall in love and work together to fight for justice and freedom. As Rob rises as the leader of a band of rebel outlaws, Marian infiltrates the power at court, as both work together to thwart royal corruption and bring peace to the land."

CONSTANTINE 2---director Francis Lawrence commented on the status of the sequel to the 2005 movie starring Keanu Reeves, "We have a great idea. We have gone through a bunch of the comics over the years and looked at things. I will say that there's probably grains from things that we're pulling, but in truth, most of it is just coming from the three of us, you know, loving the character, loving the world, having it sort of in the back of our minds for 20 years and just kind of percolating on ideas, and stories and characters we love, and ideas we love."

HITCH---Will Smith is developing a sequel to the 2005 movie. Director Andy Tennant said he is not returning because he clashed with Smith during the original movie, “We had our difficulties. The movie I wanted to make and the movie Will wanted to make, neither one of those movies is as good as the movie we made together. It was a battle. [Smith’s wife] Jada [Pinkett Smith] was a big help. She kind of seconded some of my instincts. There was a time during prep when I was pushing back on a lot of crazy sh-t that was happening.
There was a draft that Will brought in that I was not a fan of. I finally told the studio that I was more afraid of Will making that version of the movie than I was about them firing me. Because I knew they were right on the edge of firing me before we even began shooting. And to Will’s credit, we didn’t go with that draft. I don’t think I was ever in anyone’s favor.”

THE WILD ROBOT---producer Jeff Herman commented on a possible sequel, “There might be talks happening, but nothing I can officially say at this point.”

FEMALE FILM HEROES---the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University found that the number of female protagonists equaled the number of male protagonists in the top 100 grossing domestic films in 2024 for the first time at 42% each and ensembles at 16%. In 2023, the numbers were female protagonists-- 28%, male protagonists--62% and ensembles accounted for the remainder.

TRIVIA---after Gene Roddenberry created STAR TREK, he wrote the screenplay for the murder mystery movie PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW which starred Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson and Telly Savalas and directed by Roger Vadim. The plot involved a serial killer who is killing pretty female students at a California high school. The two actors who played the investigating homicide detectives, Telly Savalas and STAR TREK's James Doohan, both had missing fingers.
Savalas' partially missing left index finger has been attributed by his family to a hand grenade accident in World War II or it was bitten off by a rat when Savalas was a child.
Doohan's middle finger on his right hand was shot off by a fellow Canadian soldier after Doohan had killed two German snipers on D-Day. Historian Professor Peter Caddick-Adams stated, "It was a baptism of fire. After a breathless and nerve wracking D-Day, at around midnight, the Command Post officer of the 22nd Battery had been too slow with the password when challenged by a highly strung sentry armed with a Bren Gun.
Of the six bullets that hit Doohan, one struck a cigarette case rather than entering his chest, but four rounds passed into a leg and one severed a finger.
Evacuated to England, Doohan's war, for which he had trained since 1940, had lasted precisely twenty-four hours." Doohan's missing finger is seen in STAR TREK episodes. A stunt doubles' hand was used in closeups of Scotty operating the transporter controls.

In PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW, Telly Savalas, who is missing part of his left index finger, played a police homicide detective and James Doohan played his partner.

In KOJAK, Savalas played NYPD Lieutenant Theo Kojak.

In ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, Savalas played Bond Villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

In STAR TREK, Doohan's missing middle finger on his right hand, shot off by a fellow Canadian soldier on D-Day, is visible.

 

[dragon53]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13

THE ACCOUNTANT 2---trailer released for the sequel.

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UNTIL DAWN---trailer released for the horror movie based on the video game.

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THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER---Amazon Prime renewed the prequel series for Season 3 and released its synopsis, “Jumping forward several years from the events of Season 2, Season 3 takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war and conquer all Middle-earth at last.”

THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL---Jeremy Strong will star in the Netflix miniseries based on the Ira Levin novel about a Nazi hunter tracking down young clones of Adolf Hitler.
The original 1978 movie based on the novel starred Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck.

THE DOG STARS---Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce will co-star with Jacob Elordi in the Ridley Scott movie based on the novel. The movie's description says, “THE DOG STARS is set in a near future where an unnamed pandemic has decimated American society. A civilian pilot lives a lonely life on an abandoned Colorado airbase with his dog and a tough ex-marine. The two men couldn’t be more mismatched but depend on each other to fend off roaming invaders. When a random transmission beams through the radio of his 1956 Cessna, the voice ignites a hope deep inside the pilot that a better life exists outside their tightly controlled perimeter. Risking everything, he flies past his point of no return and follows its static-broken trail.”

JAMES BOND---director Martin Campbell (CASINO ROYALE) commented on if earlier candidates to play James Bond should be considered for the new 007, "No, they're all too old. They're all too old. You've got to realize that whoever plays Bond will be contracted for five movies, right? So I think you have to have somebody in their thirties, 35, 36, if they're going to see five films. I mean, look at Roger Moore, I think he was 56 or something by the time he finished his run. I didn't know how old Pierce was, but they're going to go on until their fifties, basically. So they always want to get somebody who will be able to do that many movies, and in order to do so, they have to get someone, I think, in their mid-thirties too."

THE WEIGHT---Russell Crowe and Ethan Hawke will star in the movie whose synopsis says, “The film follows Samuel Murphy who, after the death of his wife, is imprisoned in a labor camp run by Clancy, an unscrupulous overseer. Murphy only wants to escape and regain custody of his daughter, Penny, but becomes entangled in Clancy’s perilous gold smuggling scheme, facing threats from both the treacherous wilderness and potential betrayal within his own group.”

THE LIFE OF JESUS---Miles Teller commented on rumors he is a candidate to play Jesus in the Martin Scorsese biomovie, “No-o-o-o-o."

TAYLOR LAUTNER: WEREWOLF HUNTER---Taylor Lautner will play himself in the Amazon Prime tv series in which he is an actor by day and a werewolf hunter by night.

ONE NIGHT ONLY---Will Gluck (ANYONE BUT YOU) will direct the movie whose synopsis says, "ONE NIGHT ONLY tells of two strangers, a man and a woman, who scramble to find someone to sleep with on the one night of the year when premarital sex is legal in their society."

TRIVIA---in THE OUTER LIMITS episode "Soldier", written by Harlan Ellison, two rival soldiers from the future are accidentally sent back in time to 1964. One, Qarlo Clobregnny (Michael Ansara), materializes in a city alley and is taken in by a language expert and his family. The rival soldier then materializes in order to kill Qarlo. Qarlo sacrifices himself in order to save the language expert and his family.
After the success of James Cameron's THE TERMINATOR, Ellison filed a lawsuit against Orion Pictures and production company Hemdale claiming the movie stole the plot from "Soldier" because of many similarities between the tv episode and the movie. The lawsuit was settled out of court and the home video edition of THE TERMINATOR added "Acknowledgment to the Works of Harlan Ellison" to the credits.
James Cameron later commented on the lawsuit in the book THE FUTURIST: THE LIFE AND FILMS OF JAMES CAMERON, "It was a nuisance suit that could easily have been fought. I expected Hemdale and Orion to fight for my rights, but they abandoned me. The insurance company told me if I didn't agree to the settlement, they would come after me personally for the damages if they lost the suit. Having no money at the time, I had no choice but to agree to the settlement. Of course there was a gag order as well, so I couldn't tell this story, but now I frankly don't care. It's the truth. Harlan Ellison is a parasite who can kiss my ass."
One confirmed part of "Soldier" that really was used in a later hit sci fi project was Qarlo's helmet, worn by Ansara, was also worn by Robin Williams in MORK & MINDY.

Harlan Ellison, who wrote THE OUTER LIMITS episode "Soldier", filed a lawsuit claiming THE TERMINATOR was stolen from his tv screenplay and settled the lawsuit out of court.

One confirmed part of "Soldier" that really was used in a later hit sci fi project was Qarlo's helmet, worn by Ansara, was also worn by Robin Williams in MORK & MINDY.

 

[dragon53]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14

CLAYFACE---the top two candidates to direct the Warner Bros./DC Studios movie are Jeff Wadlow (KICK-ASS 2) and James Watkins (SPEAK NO EVIL).

THE GOONIES 2---Potsy Ponciroli (OLD HENRY) will write the screenplay for the sequel to the 1985 movie.

KILL JACKIE---Catherine Zeta-Jones will star in the Amazon Prime eight-part assassin miniseries based on the novel THE PRICE YOU PAY. The synopsis says, "Zeta-Jones plays Jackie Price who has been living a luxurious existence for the last twenty years – travelling the world, selling fine art using sophisticated tax loopholes, and, above all, trying to stay anonymous after escaping a dangerous past as an international cocaine dealer. But just as life starts to feel a little boring, it takes a sudden lethal turn when she discovers The Seven Demons, a squad of the world’s most terrifying hitmen, have been hired to kill her. Assuming someone from her past is behind it, Jackie unleashes her old instincts and embarks on a wild, dangerous game plan: to take down The Demons one by one before they kill her. However, she soon realizes her own demons are much more terrifying than the ruthless killers on her trail… and her buried secrets ultimately lead her much closer to home, with surprising consequences."

CAPE FEAR---Patrick Wilson is in negotiations to co-star with Javier Bardem and Amy Adams in the Apple TV+ miniseries whose synopsis says, “It is described as a tense, Hitchcockian thriller and an examination of America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century. In the series, a storm is coming for happily married attorneys Amanda and Steve Bowden when Max Cady, a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison."

GODZILLA MINUS ONE---writer/director Takashi Yamazaki updated the status on the sequel by saying he is working on the screenplay and storyboards and that Toho is giving him "more" than the reported under-$15 million for the original movie.

THE FIFTH ELEMENT---Milla Jojovich said she and Luc Besson may reunite for an animated tv series spinoff based on the 1997 sci fi movie, “I think Luc is making some sort of spinoff of a bunch of his biggest characters, and Leeloo might be one of them. An animated, cartoon version. I think back in those days, people weren’t thinking about sequels, it was just about making the best movie you could possibly make. For me, Leeloo was one of the most important characters of my young life at that point. It’s what really introduced me to what being a real actor was about.”

CRYSTAL LAKE---Linda Cardellini (SCOOBY-DOO) is reportedly the top candidate to play Jason Voorhee's mother, Pamela, in the Peacock prequel tv series.

THE FORGOTTEN REALM---Netflix is developing the live-action tv series set in the Dungeons & Dragon Universe.

ELLE---Lexi Minetree will play the young Elle Woods in the Amazon Prime LEGALLY BLONDE prequel tv series.

TRIVIA---Valentine's Day romantic movie trivia.
Jerry Zucker's Academy Award-winning romantic supernatural movie GHOST was the highest-grossing movie of 1990. Perhaps the movie's most remembered scene is the sexy pottery scene with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. Jerry's brother, David, parodied the pottery scene with Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley in THE NAKED GUN 2 1/2: THE SMELL OF FEAR.


GHOST LINK:

NAKED GUN LINK:

 

[dragon53]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17

SUPERMAN---tv spot for the DCU movie features Shaquille O'Neal, David Corenswet and James Gunn.

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SNOW WHITE---tv spot released for the Disney remake move.

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THE ODYSSEY---photo released of Matt Damon as Odysseus in the Christopher Nolan Greek mythology movie. Also, Mia Goth and Corey Hawkins have joined the cast of Damon, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o and Jon Bernthal.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD---the movie received a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 50% (5.4/10) and a CinemaScore of B-, which is the lowest ever for a Marvel movie. By comparison, ETERNALS and THE MARVELS both had a CinemaScore of B.

BLOOD ON SNOW---Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Benedict Cumberbatch and Eva Green will star in the Cary Fukunaga movie based on the Jo Nesbo novel. The movie's description says, “Taylor-Johnson is starring as hit man/fixer named Olav who is hired by his mob boss to kill the man’s cheating wife. After Olav convinces himself he’s fallen in love with the wife and doesn’t kill her, it sets off a chain of events with tragic consequences that threaten a bloody mob war.”

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE---photo from the film set in England shows Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man.

IS THIS THING ON?---Will Arnett and Laura Dern star in the movie with Bradley Cooper as the director/co-star. The synopsis says, “As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex seeks new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess confronts the sacrifices she made for their family — forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form,"

GOOD GUYS---Vince Gilligan (BREAKING BAD) said Hollywood should emphasize good guys, “All things being equal, I think I’d rather be celebrated for creating someone a bit more inspiring. In 2025, it’s time to say that out loud, because we are living in an era where bad guys, the real-life kind, are running amuck.
Bad guys who make their own rules, bad guys who no matter what they tell you, are only out for themselves. Who am I talking about? Well this is Hollywood, so guess.
But here’s the weird irony, in our profoundly divided country, everybody seems to agree on one thing: there are too many real-life bad guys, it’s just we’re living in different realities so we’ve all got different lists.”
He added, “I say we write more good guys. For decades we made the villains too sexy… viewers everywhere, all around the world, pay attention. They say here’s this badass, I want to be that cool. When that happens, fictional bad guys stop being the precautionary tales they were intended to be. God help us, they’ve become aspirational. Maybe what the world needs now are some good, old-fashioned, greatest generation types who give more than they take… Give this some thought."

DISNEY+---the streamer has softened its content warnings that began in 2019. The original warnings included, “...negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now.” The new version says, “This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions”.
The change is seen as Disney head Bob Iger's attempt to bring back viewers who have left due to viewer unhappiness with Disney's current movie and tv products.

TRIVIA---James Coburn and his friend, James Garner, appeared in three movies together: THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY and the movie MAVERICK based on Garner's Western tv series. In Coburn's long career, he only had one stint as a director when he reunited with Garner to direct THE ROCKFORD FILES episode "Irving the Explainer".

James Coburn and James Garner co-starred in the classic World War II movie THE GREAT ESCAPE.

Coburn and Garner reunited for the World War II comedy movie THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY.

Coburn and Garner reunited again to co-star in the MAVERICK movie based on Garner's Western tv series.

In Coburn's long career, he only had one stint as a director when he reunited with Garner to direct THE ROCKFORD FILES episode "Irving the Explainer".

 

[dragon53]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN---trailer released for the Marvel/Disney+ tv series.

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THE KING OF KINGS---trailer released for the animated movie about Jesus Christ starring Oscar Issac.

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DUNE---movie insider Daniel Richtman claims Warner Bros. has approached Gareth Edwards (ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH) to direct the fourth movie in the franchise. Speculation is the new movie would be based on CHILDREN OF DUNE.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN---the unofficial Disney news website The DisInsider claims Johnny Depp is returning for the next movie in the franchise, "Now, one source tells us that Walt Disney Studios is quietly gearing up to begin production on the next installment of the series at one Hollywood sound stage. Although there is no timeline for when production will officially begin, we have heard that this entry will feature the return of Depp!
Unfortunately we couldn’t get any other details about the production. And we could not get a second source to verify the info either."

DOCTOR WHO---a British tabloid claimed that the sci fi series will go on hiatus for five to ten years because of low ratings due to Ncuti Gatwa being cast as the new Doctor Who and that the role will be recast. The tabloid said Gatwi intended to move to Hollywood to advance his career. A spokesperson for the tv series denied the report, "This story is incorrect, DOCTOR WHO has not been shelved. As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after Season 2 airs.
The deal with Disney Plus was for 26 episodes – and exactly half of those still have to transmit. And as for the rest, we never comment on the Doctor and future storylines."

THE BRUTALIST---director Brady Corbet was asked how much money he has made from the movie starring Adrien Brody and has 10 Academy Award nominations, “Actually, zero. We had to just sort of live off of a paycheck from three years ago. Our film premiered in September. So I’ve been doing this for six months. And had zero income because I don’t have any time to go to work."
He added, “I’ve spoken to many filmmakers that have the films that are nominated this year that can’t pay their rent. I mean, that’s a real thing.”

THE DARK KNIGHT---director Uwe Boll said Warner Bros and DC asked him to change the title of his vigilante movie starring Armie Hammer, “DC and Warner already contacted and said I can’t use the title. I understand that but I told them “Guys, remember RAMPAGE, the Rock movie? You used my title. The fact that they did that, and called me for permission, they could show gratefulness and say, listen it’s not a Batman movie and you can use the title.”

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE---the 50th anniversary show drew 14.8 million viewers which is 202% more than a regular episode.

EUPHORIA---Sharon Stone is in negotiations to join the cast in Season 3 in an undisclosed role.

TRIVIA---on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, Tina Louise insisted that creator Sherwood Schwartz base her character, Ginger Grant, on Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. Ironically, the Ginger role was originally offered to Jayne Mansfield, but her actor husband, Matt Cimber, advised her to turn the role down. Mansfield, the former PLAYBOY Playmate of the Month who was tired of being typecast as a blonde bombshell, agreed and passed on playing a character that became a tv sitcom icon.
Had Mansfield accepted the role, she would have been in Hollywood filming GILLIGAN'S ISLAND's Season 3 in 1967, but instead she was near New Orleans on June 29 when she was killed when her car struck a tractor trailer.

On GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, Tina Louise insisted that creator Sherwood Schwartz base her character, Ginger Grant, on Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield.

Ironically, the Ginger role was originally offered to Jayne Mansfield, but she turned the role on her husband's advice and because she was tired of being typecast as a blonde bombshell.

Had Mansfield accepted the role, she would have been in Hollywood filming GILLIGAN'S ISLAND's Season 3 in 1967, but instead she was near New Orleans on June 29 when she was killed when her car struck a tractor trailer.

 

[dragon53]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19

F1---featurette released for the racing movie starring Brad Pitt.

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FREAKY TALES---trailer released for the anthology movie starring Pedro Pascal.

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UFO---the TOP GUN: MAVERICK team of director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are reuniting for an untitled UFO conspiracy movie. Former US Air Force officer David Grusch, who testified before Congress that the US government has recovered and studied crashed UFOs and alien bodies, is reportedly a consultant on the movie.
Studios bidding for the movie include Amazon, Apple, Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros.

THE ODYSSEY---photos released of the Morocco film set from the Christopher Nolan Greek mythology movie.

THE BATMAN 2---Robert Pattinson commented on the status of the sequel, “Matt [Reeves] is a very careful writer, but I finally know what it’s about. It’s very cool, and I’m very excited.”
He added the sequel will start filming “the end of the year.”

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL---Guy Pearce claimed co-star Kevin Spacey "targeted" him while filming the movie, “...I was young and susceptible, and he targeted me, no question.” Pearce discussed his reaction after #MeToo posted sexual allegations about Spacey in 2017, “I broke down and sobbed, and I couldn’t stop. I think it really dawned on me the impact that had occurred and how I sort of brushed it off and how I had either shelved it or blocked it out or whatever.”
Spacey replied to Pearce's comments, “I mean, did you tell the press that too, or does that not fit into the victim narrative you have going? I apologize that I didn’t get the message that you don’t like spending time with me. Maybe there was another reason, I don’t know, but that doesn’t make any sense. That you would have just been leading me on, right? But here you are now on a mission, some 28 years later, after I’ve been through hell and back. You want to have a conversation? I’m happy to do so, anytime, anyplace. We can even do it here, live on X, if you like. I’ve got nothing to hide. But Guy — you need to grow up. You are not a victim.”

NOWHERE FAST---Chris Pine will star in the Noah Hawley movie about a small-town Texas criminal who accidentally kill's his boss's nephew.

BOSTON BLUE---CBS spinoff of BLUE BLOODS is underway with Donnie Wahlberg returning as Danny Reagan, who leaves New York for Boston and his new partner, Detective Lena Peters, a member of a prominent law enforcement family.

NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK---Mindy Kaling/Hulu comedy tv series whose synopsis says, “centers around five work-obsessed twenty-somethings striving for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness in Manhattan’s most glamorous neighborhood, Murray Hill.”

BOOKIE---Max cancelled the series.

TRIVIA---the 1958 HERCULES Greek mythology movie launched the movie career of Steve Reeves, who became the highest-paid actor in Europe. In the scene where Jason and Hercules seek the Golden Fleece, the fleece is guarded by a sleeping dinosaur. The dinosaur's roar was really the roar from the original 1954 GODZILLA.

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[dragon53]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20

LONG BRIGHT RIVER---trailer released for the Peacock murder mystery miniseries starring Amanda Seyfried.

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GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY---trailer released for the Hulu true crime series starring Ellen Pompeo.

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SGT. ROCK---the QUEER team of Daniel Craig and director Luca Guadagnino will not reunite for the Warner Bros./DC Studios movie based on the World War II comic book character after Craig left the movie. Speculation is that Craig “soured on the role” because QUEER was a disappointment, but others think Craig left because of a schedule problem.
Movie insider Jeff Sneider said Jeremy Allen White (THE BEAR), “currently holds the offer for Sgt. Rock.”

JAMES BOND---Amazon MGM announced it signed a deal with producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli which gives Amazon MGM creative control of the 007 franchise. Broccoli said, “My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of NO TIME TO DIE and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”
Earlier, Broccoli told friends she thought Amazon MGM executives were "f*cking idiots". Amaazon MGM reportedly wants to turn the James Bond franchise into a MCU-like multimedia franchise involving movie/tv spinoffs, prequels and sequels.

MURDERBOT---photo released from the Apple TV+ sci fi tv series starring Alexander Skarsgard that is based on the novel series. The synopsis says the series is “about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. Played by Skarsgård, Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.”

HANCOCK 2---Will Smith commented on the status of the sequel, “There’s a really cool HANCOCK 2 idea, we haven’t even talked about it. I’m going to give you one little piece. Zendaya [is] being approached for a role in HANCOCK 2.”

SIEGFRIED & ROY---Andrew Garfield and Jude Law are in talks to star in the Apple TV+ miniseries based on the Apple podcast WILD THINGS: SIEGFRIED & ROY.

MCU---Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum commented on more Marvel/Netflix tv shows in the future, “I can’t say much, but I’ll tell you that it’s so exciting to be able to play in that sandbox. Obviously, we don’t have the unlimited storytelling resources like a comic book, [where] if you can draw it, you can do it.
We’re dealing with actors and time and the massive scale of production in order to build a cinematic universe, especially on television. But I can just say that all those variables taken into account, it is certainly something that is creatively extremely exciting and that we are very much exploring.”

THE SOAP MAKER---movie remake of the Italian movie GRAN BOLITO which is based on the true story of Italian serial killer/cannibal Leonarda Cianciulli who killed female neighbors and served them in cakes and in making soap. Claire Denis is the director.

TRIVIA---Walter Pidgeon starred in two hit sci fi movies in which his blonde female co-star later starred in her own tv series that premiered in September, 1965.
In FORBIDDEN PLANET, Pidgeon played Dr. Edward Morbius and Anne Francis played his daughter, Altaira. Francis starred in the private detective tv series HONEY WEST which premiered on September 17, 1965.
In VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, Pigeon played Admiral Harriman Nelson and Barbara Eden played Lieutenant (JG) Cathy Connors. Eden starred in I DREAM OF JEANNIE which premiered on September, 18.1965.

In FORBIDDEN PLANET, Pidgeon played Dr. Edward Morbius and Anne Francis played his daughter, Altaira. Francis starred in the private detective tv series HONEY WEST which premiered on September 17, 1965.

In VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, Pidgeon played Admiral Harriman Nelson and Barbara Eden played Lieutenant (JG) Cathy Connors. Eden starred in I DREAM OF JEANNIE which premiered on September, 18.1965.