Henry Cavill Superman Update, New MCU Releases, New Star Trek Director, Joker 2, More

Posted on by Joseph Wade

This week, conflicting reports were released regarding the possibility of a sequel to the $1billion box office hit Joker, with The Hollywood Reporter releasing an article about how DC/Warner Bros were negotiating with screenwriter-director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix to make a Joker 2, while Deadline released an article claiming insiders told them that no such deal was on the table, nor had there been a discussion regarding the release of rights to other DC characters that the original report suggested would be handed to Phillips with an eye to beginning a universe.

THR | Deadline – 20th Nov 2019

Henry Cavill has told Men’s Health that while “the outfit is in the closet”, he is still very much the DC/Warner Bros Superman.

Men’s Health – 19th Nov 2019

The Mission: Impossible franchise has added Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 star Pom Klementieff to its cast for the upcoming 7th and 8th instalments. The director of the upcoming films, Christopher McQuarrie, announced the talent acquisition via Twitter on Tuesday.

Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle and Sebastian Stan are in talks to join new Steven Soderbergh project Kill Switch. If hired, the trio will play criminals in 1950s Detroit who are hired to carry out a home invasion. The story was written by Men in Black and Bill & Ted scribe Ed Solomon.

Collider – 19th Nov 2019

Noah Hawley, the creator of the ‘Fargo’ and ‘Legion’ TV series and the director of 2019 sci-fi film Lucy in the Sky starring Natalie Portman, will write and direct the next Star Trek movie for Paramount. The film is set to feature returns for all central cast members and will retain the involvement of JJ Abrams as an executive producer via his Bad Robot label.

Deadline – 19th Nov 2019

The cast of The Batman continues to grow, with director Matt Reeves tweeting to confirm reports that The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Transformers actor John Turturro will be playing the role of Gotham crime lord Carmine Falcone.

Idris Elba is set to star in an upcoming Western from They Die By Dawn director Jeymes Samuel (also known as The Bullitts in music circles) for Netflix; a role that will see Elba play a man fresh out of jail following a murder from over 2 decades ago. The Last Black Man in San Francisco star Jonathan Majors will star as the grown child of the murder victims. Jay-Z is set to produce.

Deadline – 18th Nov 2019

Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers star Zoe Saldana is set to play the lead in a new fact-based thriller about the American pursuit of intel on ISIS from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and I Think We’re Alone Now director Reed Morano.

Deadline – 19th Nov 2019

Game Night and The Irishman actor Jesse Plemons has joined Benedict Cumberbatch in the upcoming Jane Campion film The Power of the Dog. The film, an adaptation of the 1967 novel of the same name by Thomas Savage, will be distributed for theatrical and streaming release by Netflix. Plemons replaces Paul Dano who had to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts with The Batman.

THR – 21st Nov 2019

Graham King, the producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, has secured the rights to make a Michael Jackson biopic from the deceased singer’s estate, with a deal reportedly giving the producer the right to use all of Jackson’s music in an upcoming film.

Deadline – 22nd Nov 2019

Ben Affleck is set to direct King Leopold’s Ghost, a fact-based drama about the plunder of the Congo by Belgian royal King Leopold II in the late 1800s. The director, whose next on-screen project will be in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel (which Affleck co-wrote), will be working with Apocalypto screenwriter Farhad Safinia on a script for the project.

Deadline – 21st Nov 2019

A director for a new Star Wars film, set for release in 2022, will be announced in January following the release of the final Skywalker-saga franchise entry The Rise of Skywalker this Christmas. This news comes despite uncertainty surrounding Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy’s future as head of the studio under the Disney banner.

THR – 20th Nov 2019



Little Monsters director Abe Forsythe is replacing District 9 and Chappie director Neill Blomkamp as the director of the upcoming RoboCop sequel RoboCop Returns. Blomkamp had to exit the project reportedly due to “scheduling issues”.

THR – 20th Nov 2019

Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher is set to direct a film about Dracula’s servant Renfield set in the modern day. The film was an idea pitched to Universal by “The Walking Dead” comics creator Robert Kirkman and is being written by ‘Rick and Morty’ writer Ryan Ridley.

Variety – 20th Nov 2019

Marvel Studios have revealed release dates for five yet-to-be-revealed Marvel Cinematic Universe cinematic releases: 7th Oct 2022; 17th Feb 2023; 5th May 2023; 28th July 2023 and 3rd November 2023. With 2023 being particularly busy, rumours are rife over the possibility of the next Avengers film being released that year.

Empire – 18th Nov 2019

Directors UK, the professional association for screen directors, has set the UK’s first guidelines for directing nudity and simulated sex just a day removed from Last Christmas star Emilia Clarke publicly stating her discomfort at filming a number of early ‘Game of Thrones’ sex scenes.

THR – 21st Nov 2019

New Clint Eastwood movie Richard Jewell has come under criticism from the editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for suggesting that its former reporter Kathy Scruggs offered to trade sex for information about the 1996 Olympics bombing in Atlanta.

Yahoo! – 22nd Nov 2019

CW: Sexual Assault/Molestation:

Apple are delaying their theatrical and streaming releases of drama The Banker starring Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie and Nicholas Hoult because following allegations of sexual molestation made against the film’s co-producer Bernard Garrett Jr.

THR – 22nd Nov 2019

New Roman Polanski film An Officer and A Gentleman this week topped the French Box Office despite calls for a boycott following fresh rape accusations agains the director, this time from actress Valentine Monnier.

THR – 21st Nov 2019

And finally… 

Oscar-winning actor Michael J. Pollard, known for his roles in Dick Tracy, Roxanne and Scrooged, has passed away aged 80. The actor, nominated for his supporting role in Bonnie & Clyde, was the inspiration behind Michael J. Fox including the initial in his name.

THR – 22nd Nov 2019

Uncut Gems and The Farewell led the list of nominees for the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards as announced on Thursday 21st November.

 

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