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DISTRICT 9's Neill Blomkamp to Direct ROBOCOP RETURNS for MGM

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RoboCop, the cyborg police officer who patrols the streets of Detroit, is returning to the big screen.

Neill Blomkamp, who directed such tech-heavy movies such as District 9 and Chappie, has been set by MGM to direct what is being titled RoboCop Returns, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Justin Rhodes, who co-wrote the Terminator reboot that Tim Miller is directing, is rewriting a script that was written by Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner, the duo who wrote the original 1987 movie, considered a sci-fi and action classic.

The original movie, directed by Paul Verhoeven, told of a police officer who, on death’s doorstep, is used as an experiment to create new type of patrolman, one that is half man, half machine (but all cop! as the poster said). The new creation then struggled with resurfacing memories and corrupt city officials.

The movie struck chords viscerally – the action elements went deep R – as well as thematically, with the movie serving up satirical commentary on Reaganomics, the GoGo 80s and media.

Two sequels followed, one even co-written by Frank Miller, but they are largely forgotten.

MGM already tried to resuscitate the franchise with a remake in 2014. That movie was directed by Jose Padilha, the director of Brazil’s acclaimed crime movies Elite Squad, and starred Joel Kinnaman. The movie was met with tepid response and shows how hard it can be to manage and update classic titles.

Neumeier and Miner wrote the script for the sequel years ago with Rhodes now rewriting it. Neumeier will act as a producer on RoboCop Returns with Miner acting as an exec producer.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/neill-blomkamp-direct-robocop-returns-1126289
 
Michael Peña Fights an Alien Invasion in the Trailer for EXTINCTION

A father has a recurring dream of losing his family. His nightmare turns into reality when the planet is invaded by a force bent on destruction. Now, fighting for their lives, he comes to realize an unknown strength to keep them safe from harm. Starring Michael Peña, Lizzy Caplan and Mike Colter. Extinction premieres July 27, only on Netflix

 
Cate Shortland to Direct BLACK WIDOW Standalone Movie Starring Scarlett Johansson

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Marvel Studios’ Black Widow standalone movie has its director. Cate Shortland, the Australian director perhaps best known for the Nazi drama Lore, has signed on to direct Black Widow, Marvel’s action-adventure project that will star Scarlett Johansson.

The move caps off a search that lasted over half-year as the studio met with over 70 directors in order to find its ideal candidate. A female filmmaker was the priority even as the search stalled at one point and the studio looked at male directors.

The hunt narrowed in June with Amma Asante (Belle, A United Kingdom) and Maggie Betts (Novitiate) being the finalists alongside Shortland. Melanie Laurent (Galveston) and Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) were also in the next-to-final mix.

Shortland, who does not have agency representation, had a fan in Johansson, who pushed for the helmer. The actress admired Shortland’s handling of the female lead in Lore, a critically acclaimed 2012 drama that tells of a young woman who leads her siblings through Germany as the Allied army rolls in. Her most recent film is Berlin Syndrome, a 2017 thriller that stars Teresa Palmer.

Jac Schaeffer wrote the most recent draft for Widow. She also wrote the upcoming femalecentric remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Nasty Women.

Johansson’s Widow is reportedly set before the events of the first Avengers movie and sees the actress reprise the Russian spy turned super heroine. The movie will be Marvel’s second female-focused film after Captain Marvel, which is due to open March 8.

Marvel Studios' 'Black Widow' Standalone Movie Finds Director in Cate Shortland (Exclusive)
 
Godzilla Unleashes His Atomic Breath in the First Images from GODZILLA: KING OF MONSTERS

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About five years have passed in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (out May 31, 2019) since the events depicted in 2014’s Godzilla. Which isn’t nearly enough time for people to stop freaking out about the discovery that they share the planet with a gargantuan lizard.

“The world is reacting to Godzilla in the same way we would react to any other terrifying incident, in that we are overreacting,” says director Michael Dougherty, whose previous credits include the horror movie Krampus. Godzilla hasn’t been seen since that destructive finale, “but there’s paranoia and endless speculation about whether he is the only one out there or whether we’re threatened by others like his kind.”

King of the Monsters makes it enormously clear that there are other big beasts, notably the three-headed King Ghidorah, the giant insect Mothra, and another flying monster, Rodan, who in the original Japanese movies could create hurricane-force winds.

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“Rodan’s been kind of a sidekick character, but I’ve always had a soft spot for him” says Dougherty. “In a lot of ways he’s more powerful than Godzilla. He’s like this winged A-bomb. I think we’ve done him justice.” But let’s not forget Godzilla himself, who reveals he has the ability to exhale “atomic breath.” Can Dougherty expand on that description? “Not without giving away too much,” he laughs. “But it takes place at a very key moment and it’s a sort of call to arms.”

The 2019 film’s human characters include Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga), a scientist working for the beastie-hunting organization Monarch, and her daughter Madison, who is portrayed by Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown. The pair are kidnapped by what Dougherty describes as “a mysterious organization, with their own plans for the creatures.”

The director cast Kyle Chandler as Mark Russell, Emma’s ex-husband and Madison’s father, who embarks on a rescue mission in cahoots with two more Monarch members, played by Godzilla veterans Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins. Given that Chandler also costarred in Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake of King Kong, perhaps he may stick around for the next installment in Legendary Entertainment’s “MonsterVerse”: 2020’s Godzilla vs. Kong. Speaking of which, does Dougherty set up that face-off in his film? “It’s not like we’re bending over backwards to introduce Kong, but there’s definitely some bread crumbs,” says the director. Bread crumbs the size of boulders, we assume.

http://ew.com/movies/2018/07/12/godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-first-look/
 
THE WALKING DEAD Star Danai Gurira Joins the Cast of GODZILLA VS. KONG

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The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira is used to fighting zombies, but she is about to face new kinds of monsters.

The actress is in early talks to star in Godzilla vs. Kong, according to sources. Details of her character are being kept under lock and key, but she will play one of the film's leading roles.

Deadpool 2's Julian Dennison is also set to star in the pic.

Legendary Entertainment's Godzilla vs. Kong will be a crossover event putting together two of the most popular movie monsters of all time. It is being directed by Death Note filmmaker Adam Wingard. The film will follow Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017) and the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which is set to open May 31, 2019. Godzilla vs. Kong is slated to bow May 22, 2020.

In addition to her breakout role as Michonne on AMC's Walking Dead, Gurira has starred in the two highest-grossing films of the year to date as the Wakandan general Okoye, the role that debuted in February's Black Panther and was played again in April's Avengers: Infinity War.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/godzilla-kong-casts-danai-gurira-1126783
 
First Look at Djimon Hounsou as the Fisherman King (Who?) in AQUAMAN

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Above is an exclusive new photo from director James Wan’s upcoming Aquaman movie. This is the royal palace of the Fisherman King, one of the seven kingdoms of Atlantis depicted in the upcoming live-action DC movie starring Jason Momoa

In this scene, King Orm (Patrick Wilson, not shown) has gone to the Fisherman King (played by Djimon Hounsou, that guy with the trident — and more on that in a minute) to enlist his help to declare war on the ocean-polluting surface world. There’s also the Fisherman Queen (Natalia Safran) and Princess (Sophia Forrest) on the left, and a royal guard on the right. Though you can’t tell in this shot, all of them have tails instead of legs.

“After the fall of Atlantis, some of the kingdoms evolved and some devolved,” explains producer Peter Safran. “This is one that evolved. This is a kingdom that’s primarily artistic and cerebral, with poets and philosophers.” (Perhaps, but they still look like they’d be yummy with lemon and tartar sauce!).

(Fun fact on Hounsou: EW recently broke that he’s also playing the Wizard in DC’s upcoming Shazam! film, plus he also plays the Kree mercenary Korath the Pursuer in Guardians of the Galaxy).

http://ew.com/movies/2018/07/13/aqu...ekly&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
 
ZOMBIELAND 2 Officially a Go with Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin Returning

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It may have taken almost 10 years, but Zombieland is ready to open its doors again. After fits and starts, Sony Pictures has reunited the cast of its 2009 surprise hit — including Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin — for Zombieland 2.

Ruben Fleischer, who helmed the original and is behind the studio’s Spider-Man-centric fall tentpole, Venom, is returning to the director’s chair.

Original Zombieland writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, who have, in the intervening years, found success as the writers of the irreverent and successful Deadpool franchise, are also back, having penned the script for the new project. Additionally, Gavin Polone is returning as producer.

While rumors of the sequel have risen from the dead several times over the years, this time Sony really means it. The film is set to begin production in January 2019 and will be released in October 2019, in time for the 10th anniversary of the original movie.

Zombieland was a horror comedy road movie that followed four strangers who meet and eventually bond during a post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak. Eisenberg played a geeky survivor named Columbus, Harrelson was the violent Tallahassee, and Stone and Breslin were sneaky sisters Wichita and Little Rock, respectively. (In the movie, the monikers were a means to prevent others getting too close to someone who could die anytime, while the town itself meant something personal to the character who chose his or her name.)

The original movie grossed only $75 million domestically and racked up a worldwide total of $102.3 million. Not only did it win over critics, but it also became a cult hit in its post-theatrical life and gained a strong following while also acting as a major launching pad for all involved.

It helped that the budget for the movie was just under $24 million.

While Sony wouldn’t comment on the budget for the sequel, it certainly is more. In the years since, all the actors became Academy Award nominees, with Stone winning for her performance in 2016’s La La Land.

“This is one of those projects that fans have wanted to see happen for a long time — and no one wanted to see it happen more than Emma, Woody, Jesse and Abigail,” said Columbia Pictures president Sanford Panitch in a statement. “These are some of the most in-demand actors, and I think they are making this movie because they love these characters. We are thrilled Ruben was willing to come back to direct the sequel, as his work on Venom has been truly amazing.”

The new movie will once again put the focus on comic mayhem, taking the quartet from the White House to the American heartland as they face off against new kinds of zombies that have evolved since the first movie, as well as some new human survivors. But, most of all, according to the studio, they have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family.

'Zombieland' Sequel a Go With Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin (Exclusive)
 
First Look at Decepticons Shatter and Dropkick in BUMBLEBEE Movie

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Bumblebee is no longer disguising its bad guys. Set in the yesteryear of 1987, the new Transformers film (out Dec. 21) finds the wounded yellow Autobot taking shelter with a teenager mechanic (Hailee Steinfeld) while trying to avoid two Decepticon trackers.

As the film prepares for its Comic-Con showcase in San Diego next week, EW has the exclusive reveal.

One of the Decepticons is Shatter, who takes the form of a cherry-red Plymouth Satellite. She will be voiced by Angela Bassett. Dropkick, whose vehicle form is a blue AMC Javelin, will be voiced by Justin Theroux.

Bumblebee is very much a throwback to the original 1980s cartoon, with the hero returning to his Volkswagen Beetle form instead of a Camaro. But the film is breaking tradition by giving the Decepticons wheels instead of wings.

“The two main villains are Decepticon muscle cars,” says director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings).

There is one flying villain, whose identity and voice actor are still under wraps, but otherwise, these bad guys will be prowling the roads rather than the skies while pursuing their prey.

Although the film focuses only on this trio of Decepticons, the filmmaker promises these two will have more personality than usual.

“When the cast is too big, and you have a finite amount of time, there’s only so much you can do to create an investment in them,” Knight says. “This is a more personal, intimate, and character-driven story, so it felt right to keep the villain plot relatively simple and contained. If you keep things lean, you can add a lot of other stuff on top of it that makes it more enjoyable.”

http://ew.com/movies/2018/07/13/bum...ampaign=entertainmentweekly&utm_medium=social
 
Whatever happened to that Warcraft franchise? Was it a one movie thing, or are there more coming?I kinda liked the first one, and since it was called Warcraft: The Beginning, I was hoping that there at least be a :The End
 
Whatever happened to that Warcraft franchise? Was it a one movie thing, or are there more coming?I kinda liked the first one, and since it was called Warcraft: The Beginning, I was hoping that there at least be a :The End
As much as i love warcraft, i thought it was below average, maybe awful.

Starcraft > Warcraft too. But if War wont sell, i doubt theyll green light Star.
 
As much as i love warcraft, i thought it was below average, maybe awful.

Starcraft > Warcraft too. But if War wont sell, i doubt theyll green light Star.
You sound Orc
but I get your point
 
Whatever happened to that Warcraft franchise? Was it a one movie thing, or are there more coming?I kinda liked the first one, and since it was called Warcraft: The Beginning, I was hoping that there at least be a :The End

I think they wanted to do more but it didn't do well enough. I watched it, there was makings of a good movie but it didn't happen. Fairly average.
 
Home is Calling ('Cuz You're Drunk) in the First Official Poster for AQUAMAN

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CALL ME BY YOUR NAME's Timothee Chalamet in Talks to Star in DUNE

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Timothee Chalamet, who was nominated for an Oscar for his breakout performance in Call Me by Your Name, is in negotiations to star in Dune, Legendary’s adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel being directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Villeneuve, the filmmaker behind Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival, is producing the feature adaptation along with Mary Parent and Cale Boyter.

The novel, initially published in the 1960s, tackles political, religious and environmental themes through a sci-fi lens, telling the complex story of a fallen noble family’s attempt to control a desert planet named Arrakis and its export, a rare spice drug, while being betrayed by a galactic emperor.

Paul Atreides is the lead character, the son of the ruler of the family, who is forced to escape into the desert wastelands and partner with its nomadic tribes. Using enhanced mental abilities, he eventually rises to become their ruler, the nomads believing he is their messiah, and leads an army to overthrow the empire.

The book, which launched a novel series that lasted beyond Herbert’s death, was first adapted into a 1984 bomb directed by David Lynch with Kyle MacLachlan as the lead. Legendary is eyeing an early 2019 start of production.

'Call Me By Your Name' Actor Timothee Chalamet in Talks to Star in Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune'
 
Mark Millar's JUPITER LEGACY and AMERICAN JESUS TV Series and EMPRESS and HUCK Movies in the Works at Netflix

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Nearly a year after snapping up Mark Millar's comic book imprint, the Kingsman and Kick-Ass author has set his first slate at Netflix.

The streamer has gone straight to series on two TV shows based on Millar's works — Jupiter's Legacy and American Jesus. On the feature side, Netflix announced Empress and Huck — both based on Millar titles — as well as Sharkey the Bounty Hunter, which will be published as a Millarworld/Netflix comic next year.

"My wife Lucy and I are 11 months into our jobs at Netflix and it’s everything we hoped for to the power of 10," Millar said in a statement.

All told, the five projects are the first slate in what sources estimate is a deal worth between $30 million and $50 million.

Jupiter's Legacy, which will span eight episodes, hails from Steven S. DeKnight (who launched Netflix's first Marvel drama, Daredevil) will serve as showrunner after recently inking an overall deal with the streamer. Lorenzo diBonaventura and Dan McDermott exec produce, with DeKnight directing the first episode. The drama is based on Millar's ongoing comic of the same name, which was first published in 2013. The series is a multigenerational drama that follows the world's first generation of superheroes, who received their powers in the 1930s. In the present day, they're they revered elder guard, but their super-powered children struggle to live up to the legendary feats of their parents. Jupiter's Legacy is considered the crown jewel of Millar's Millarworld banner as the title, about the world's first superheroes, could lend itself to become its own suite of series akin to Netflix's Marvel TV universe.

American Jesus, set for six episodes, is a multilingual series in Spanish and English. Everardo Gout (Netflix's Marvel drama Luke Cage) and his brother, Leopoldo Gout (Molly's Game, Instinct) will serve as co-showrunners and exec producers, with the former directing. The series follows a 12-year-old boy who suddenly discovers he has returned as Jesus Christ and can turn water into wine and perhaps even raise the dead. The drama explores how he will deal with the destiny to lead the world in a conflict thousands of years in the making. The series is based on the comic, initially published as Chosen in 2004, and retitled American Jesus for its trade paperback collection.

On the film side, Ted Melfi, who directed and co-wrote the Oscar-nominated hit, Hidden Figures, is adapting Huck, Millar's 2016 riff on Superman featuring a small-town man who secretly does good deeds with his super-powers. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe are set to produce.

Lindsey Beer, a rising geek writer who has worked up Chaos Walking and Godzilla vs Kong, has been tapped to pen Empress, about the wife of a galactic dictator who dares to escape her husband with her children in tow. An interplanetary chase ensues. Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum (Maleficent) are producing.

Rounding out the list is Sharkey the Bounty Hunter, which is set in a new sci-fi universe and revolves around a blue-collar bounty hunter who tracks criminals across his galaxy in his converted, rocket-powered ice cream truck. Aided by his 10-year-old partner, he's out for the biggest bounty of his career. Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 21 Jump Street) will pen the screenplay. As opposed to the other titles being adapted, Sharkey is not yet a published Millar property. It will be published as a Netflix/Millarworld comic next year.

"To see a movie based on your work every couple of years is incredibly exciting, but to see them all happening at once like this and with talent this high-end is just off the scale," Millar said. "These are writers and directors I’ve privately been sending fan-mail to over the last 18 months so to be working with them all is just enormously exciting. This really is the greatest creative environment I’ve ever worked in. I can’t wait to switch on my computer every morning."

Since inking the rich Netflix deal, Millar has already launched his first comic title for Netflix, The Magic Order. He plans to create 20 comic book titles as part of the multiple-year pact, with new series appearing regularly alongside existing properties.

'Jupiter's Legacy,' 'American Jesus,' 'Empress' and 'Huck Among Mark Millar's First Netflix Slate
 
Full Trailer for BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury

 
Numan Acar Joins SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME, Possibly Playing Chameleon

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Turkish-born actor Numan Acar has come aboard Spider-Man: Far From Home, Sony/Marvel's Spider-Man sequel, that has Tom Holland reprising his role as the teenage webslinger. Not much is known about Acar’s role, other than his character’s name is Dimitri. Sony isn’t commenting, but in the comics there is a Dmitri Smerdyakov, aka Chameleon, a supervillain depicted in early Spider-Man issues.

He joins new castmember J.B. Smoove and potentially Jake Gyllenhaal, who is in talks to play the big baddie Mysterio.

Michael Keaton, Zendaya and Marisa Tomei also are expected to return. Jon Watts is directing again, from a script by Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna. Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal are producing the pic, which is set for release on July 5, 2019.

This is the second big-budget feature that Acar has landed after being cast in Disney’s live-action Aladdin adaptation, also due out next year. He recently appeared in Nicolai Fuglsig’s 12 Strong, Terry George’s The Promise and with Diane Kruger in the Golden Globe-winning film In the Fade.

https://deadline.com/2018/07/spider-man-far-from-home-numan-acar-sony-1202428003/
 
Trailer for SHOCK AND AWE Starring Woody Harrelson and Milla Jovovich

A group of journalists covering George Bush's planned invasion of Iraq in 2003 are skeptical of the presidents claim that Saddam Hussein has "weapons of mass destruction." Directed by Rob Reiner, the film stars Woody Harrelson, James Marsden, Milla Jovovich.

 

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