In-Development

News Briefs: Nesson’s EL DESCONOCIDO Remake; PANAMA Adds Two; Sanada Boards BULLET TRAIN; Universal Sets VAN HELSING Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

This month, efforts toward Liam Neeson actioner, Retribution have taken years to formulate but the project has officially attached Predators helmer Nimrod Antal to direct. A remake of Dani de la Torre’s El Desconocido (2015), Retribution centers on a bank executive forced to complete a series of tasks whilst trapped in his car with his children, lest the captor holding them hostage via phone detonates the bomb in his car. Jaume Collet-Serra and Juan Sola at Ombra Films and Andrew Rona and Alex Heinemann at The Picture Company are producing the pic which rolls cameras from next March through June. Studiocanal reportedly sold the film in a raft of territories worldwide following AFM. Actor Cole Hauser is starring alongside Mel Gibson and Kate Katzman for action thriller, Panama, which will shoot in Puerto Rico. The Mark Neveldine-directed pic has added Charlie Weber and Victor Turpin to star from a script […]

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THE OGUN: Netflix Action Thriller In The Works, Anthony Mackie To Star And Produce

Lee B. Golden III

Former stuntman-turned-action screenwriter Madison Turner is now the latest subject of Netflix’s latest formal feature film announcement, The Ogun. The streamer signaled on Monday the addition of actor Anthony Mackie (Marvel Cinematic Universe) as star and producer on the new action thriller which also has Jason Michael Berman producing for Mandalay Pictures. The Ogun centers on Mackie in the role of Xavier Rhodes, who brings his teenage daughter to Nigeria to find a cure for the rare genetic condition that he passed on to her. When his daughter is kidnapped, Rhodes goes on a rampage through the criminal underworld to find her before it’s too late, testing his powers to the limit. The Hollywood Reporter‘s Borys Kit notes in his exclusive that the film is being tonally likened “in the vein of John Wick crossed with Dante’s Inferno”. A search for a director is already underway. The film marks the […]

PREDATOR Back In Play At 20th Century Studios

Lee B. Golden III

Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) is being tapped to direct the next installment of the Predator franchise. News hints the new film will take a different trajectory than the previous 2018 thriller, The Predator, which Shane Black directed. The franchise has been a cult hit for fans ever since John McTiernan directed the 1987 inaugural starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played the leader of a merc unit that find themselves way in over their heads as they’re pitted in the jungles against a supernatural killer on the hunt. Developments are pending. More at Deadline.

Deadpool 2

DEADPOOL 3 Taps ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Writers

Lee B. Golden III

Deadpool 3 is still in its nascency following its confirmation of development with Marvel by Ryan Reynolds late last year. Nevertheless, Justin Kroll’s latest exclusive at Deadline is nothing short of a sparkling reminder that the film is insofar definitely happening, with word that sibling scribe duo Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin and Wendy Molyneux (Bob’s Burgers, animated comedy “The Great North,”) have been tapped to write the next installment. The franchise has been a major box office success up to this point with Tim Miller and David Leitch directing the 2016 and 2018 films, respectively, with Ryan Reynolds staking his claim as the titular merc-with-a-mouth based on Rob Liefield’s longstanding hit comic book creation. Reynolds is also a producer on the pic, and though a director still yet to be attached, the Molyneuxes’ involvement ought to serve as a nice little stocking stuffer going into the Holiday season for Deadpool fans. It also […]

THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE Film Adaptation Of Image Comics Runaway Action Horror Hit In The Works

Lee B. Golden III

Fans of Image Comics’s The Strange Talent Of Luther Strode can now set the clock as development of a feature film adaptation commences starting this week. Pic hails from Allnighter’s Dinesh Shamdasani, Hunter Gorinson, and Amanda Kruse. The trio are producing the pic alongside co-creators Tradd Moore, and with Justin Jordan who is adapting the comic and penning the script. The Strange Talent Of Luther Strode is described as a tale that “deftly splices together the common DNA of the superhero and slasher archetypes for a brash and bloody adventure that is equal parts comic-book escapism and action-horror hybrid”, much like Venom and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The story centers on a meek, soft-spoken and less-than-average high school student who discovers The Method, an improbably old text hidden between the comic books and ragged paperbacks at his favorite used bookstore. The Method proves far more than it seems, unlocking him […]

ASSASSIN’S CREED: Netflix Moves Forward With Live-Action Series Adaptation Of The Hit Game

Lee B. Golden III

With Justin Kurzel’s own attempt in 2016 long since past, the honor is now in the hands of Netflix as of Tuesday’s announcement for a live-action treatment, in an agreement with Ubisoft for Assassin’s Creed. Billed as “an epic, genre-bending live action adaptation”, Ubisoft Film & Television’s Jason Altman and Danielle Kreinik will serve as executive producers on the project. The search has already begun for a showrunner that can help “tap into the iconic video game’s trove of dynamic stories with global mass appeal for adaptations of live action, animated, and anime series.” Michael Fassbender led the charge for Kurzel’s own adaptation, inspired by the hit game franchise which first launched to fruition in 2007, selling 155 million games worldwide. Ubisoft quote: “For more than 10 years, millions of fans around the world have helped shape the Assassin’s Creed brand into an iconic franchise,” said Jason Altman, Head of […]

THE ADDAMS FAMILY TV Revamp From Tim Burton In The Works!

Christina Ortega

Your television programming could be getting creepy, spooky, mysterious, and did I mention ooky? The master of the dark and gothic type films, Tim Burton, is looking at developing a new series focusing on The Addams Family. So what will his new take on the family who is already familiar to most look like? It has not been confirmed, but Deadline has reported that “the new live-action series would be set in present times and be from the perspective of Wednesday Addams and what the world would look like to her in 2020.” Netflix is also rumored to be at the top of the list for potential buyers. If you aren’t already familiar with the Addams family (you should be!), they first came into households via a cartoon in 1938 created by Charles Addams. There has also been a TV show, two movies, and the recent animated film which has […]

POWER RANGERS On Track To Feature Film And TV Treatments, Jonathan Entwistle To Direct Both

Lee B. Golden III

Three years later, Lionsgate’s efforts toward rebooting Ameritoku franchise IP, Power Rangers, remains with just Dave Green’s 2017 adaptation. The film did well at the box office, though the earnings weren’t enough to motivate a sequel going forward. Nonetheless, efforts to keep Power Rangers alive for the big screen haven’t waned in the least, with Hasbro taking the mantle with rights from Saban Films in 2018. Now, hopes remain steadfast as of Tuesday with word that Hasbro’s Entertainment One (eOne) will begin working toward feature film and television projects, with Jonathan Entwistle (I Am Not Okay With This co-creator, Netflix’s The End Of The F***ing World creator) directing on all ends. “Jonathan has an incredible creative vision for this iconic and hugely successful franchise, and is hands down the right architect to join us as we reimagine the television and film worlds of this property,” said Nick Meyer, President, Film, […]

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FURIOSA: Anya Taylor-Joy, More Cast For ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Spin-Off

Lee B. Golden III

George Miller’s return to the dystopian outback desert wasteland in 2015 with Mad Max: Fury Road drew praise and potential by its release. Now, the word is developments are officially underway to bring back to life the character of Furiosa for Warner Bros. Pictures, as reported by the trades on Tuesday. The film has cast Anya Taylor-Joy (Split, Glass) for the title role, succeeding actress Charlize Theron who debuted the character in Fury Road. Joining in are Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman, upcoming Matrix 4) and Chris Hemsworth (Marvel MCU’s Thor), with Miller directing from a script he will additionally co-write and produce with longtime Oscar-nominated producing partner Doug Mitchell. Per Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro, Miller’s Furiosa origin pic will track her genesis prior to teaming up with Max Rockatansky in the most recent film; Actor Tom Hardy took the mantle for the action adventure franchise, once birthed into fruition with Mel […]

BLACK: Warner Bros. Pictures Boards Superpowered Graphic Novel Adaptation With Studio 8

Lee B. Golden III

It was back in 2017 when Deadline first reported efforts by Studio 8 to advance Black, an independent comic book birthed into fruition and crowdfunded a year prior from creators Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3 of Black Mask Studios, with Black Mask Studio’s Matteo Pizzolo also joining as producer. The word now, according to Deadline’s Amanda N’Duka, is that Warner Bros. will be taking the reigns for a feature film adaptation. DC’s Titans producer Bryan Edward Hill will pen the script which “centers on one young man who survives a violent event and realizes that he is part of these extraordinary people, but a secret consortium wants to control these abilities and those who possess them, and he soon finds himself at the center of a war over the future of mankind itself.” Studio 8’s Jeff Robinov, Guy Danella, and John Graham will produce with Pizzolo, and with Black […]

VINAMAN: Veronica Ngo Teases Vietnam’s Latest Superhero Movie Now In The Works

Lee B. Golden III

While Hollywood has the Marvel Cinematic Universe with others studios doling out their own comic book movie repetoire, we’ve also seen Russia, and places throughout Asia emerge with their own attempts of late, to launch a superhero franchise IP on the big screen. That includes Indonesia and the Philippines, just to name a few, and for now, with actress and entrepreneur and Studio68 founder Van Veronica Ngo (Furie, Da 5 Bloods) coming out of the woodwork for Vietnam’s own stake in the genre. Enter Vinaman, with Ngo taking to social media for a first look at a new preliminary poster this week, teasing a glimpse at the costume and title logo. There aren’t any trade reports on this just yet, so there’s no information on casting and crewing or production start, but from the looks of it, Ngo has every intent on making this happen. “The world has Iron Man, […]

Like a Dragon

Sega’s YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON Video Game Franchise Is Making A Comeback To The Big Screen

Lee B. Golden III

Fifteen years since launching into video game franchise fruition prior to a 2007 live-action take from Takashi Miike, fans of the Ryu Ga Gotoku (Like A Dragon) franchise are officially on deck to a new feature film offering, according to Variety’s Dave McNary. Per the report, Sega is partnering with 1212 Entertainment (Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark) and Wild Sheep to develop the action crime thriller based on the hit game, which follows the exploits of gangster Kiryu Kazuma, fresh out from a ten-year stint in prison and ultimately forced back into the Yakuza underworld to take care of business. Erik Barmack (Sacred Games, The Rain), Roberto Grande and Joshua Long are producing the film while the search commences for writers. “Yakuza offers us a new playground in which to set compelling stories with complex characters in a unique environment that audiences have rarely seen before,” 1212 said. […]

David Leitch

THE FALL GUY: Classic ABC Series Makes The Jump To The Big Screen, David Leitch And Ryan Gosling Attached

Lee B. Golden III

Deadpool 2 director David Leitch is still plotting Bullet Train for Sony, but thanks to Universal, the 87Eleven stunt multi-hyphenate who’s spent since 2014 leaving an impression in the director’s chair will soon bring to life a feature adaptation based on the 1981 ABC series, The Fall Guy. Deadline’s Justin Kroll was the first to break the news, while THR has more insider info on the project’s title; The latter cites a $125 million dollar bid for the project in a heated auction for Universal against MGM, Lionsgate and Sony, with no streamers involved, as a theatrical release was part of the package. Glen A. Larson created the hit series which lasted five years, casting Lee Majors in the role of Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stuntman who plied his trade both for the screen, and for his side hustle as a bounty hunter with the help of his cousin and […]

OH F*CK, IT’S PEACEMAKER!: James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ Tie-In Is Coming To HBO Max

Lee B. Golden III

HBO Max is in active development with a straight-to-series order for Oh f*ck, it’s Peacemaker!, as announced by WarnerMedia on Wednesday. The new series will explore the origins of the Peacemaker character, the master of weapons, tying in to the highly anticipated upcoming DC adaptation, The Suicide Squad film, directed by James Gunn and currently aiming for an August 6, 2021 release. John Cena will reprise his role from the film to star in the series, with Gunn tapped to pen all eight episodes, as well as direct the first among multiple episodes as the company plans to shoot next year. Gunn will also serve as exec producer along with The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran, with Cena co-exec producing. Gunn’s Troll Court Entertainment and The Safran Company are producing in association with Warner Bros. Television. Exact plot details are nil, although WarnerMedia describes Cena’s forthcoming incarnation of Peacemaker as […]

THE KAIJU SCORE November Comic Book Series Lands At Sony For Feature Film Development

Lee B. Golden III

The word from Mike Fleming Jr. at Deadline is that Sony Pictures has acquired rights to AfterShock Comics’s forthcoming comic book series, The Kaiju Score, publishing November 25. The series hails from writer James Patrick and creator/illustrator Rem Broo and centers on a group of four individuals – each with personal stories of their own – who must find a way out of the worst situation possible: carrying out a meticulous heist in the midst of a devastating kaiju attack. AfterShock blogger Afteradminez elucidates in statements from Patrick that describe the upcoming comic series as “…a Quentin Tarantino film taking place in some corner of a Godzilla movie,” He adds: “It started with Donald Westlake books like the Parker series. I wanted to do something contemporary like those, “But when Rem [Broo, co-creator and artist] came aboard, I knew it felt more Oceans 11 and I adjusted.” As Fleming Jr. […]

Z-Team Films Extends THE HUNT: SAVAGE WITHIN Indiegogo Deadline Through Mid-September

Lee B. Golden III

The team behind the current Indiegogo campaign for female-fronted sci-fi action thriller, The Hunt: Savage Within, is announcing a thirty-day extension as of Wednesday. Initial crowdfunding for the project launched on July 21 before hitting a $4,000 milestone – less than half of the current goal which is $10,000, but still stipulates a considerable threshold for the project according to writer/director Fabien Garcia. “As we’ve stated in our earlier messaging, every dollar counts, as does every share of our campaign to each of your circles and networks of friends and acquiantances.” he says. “This is progress, especially considering it has only been only a month, and so we invite you to take this amazing opportunity and share in the momentum, and help keep spreading the word until we reach our finish line.” Garcia marks his hopeful sophomore debut at the helm with The Hunt: Savage Within, in an effort to […]

Chad Stahelski

ARCANA: ‘Predators’ Writers Set ‘Gritty Urban Fantasy’ At Lionsgate, Chad Stahelski To Direct

Lee B. Golden III

Chad Stahelski has a great thing going with Lionsgate following the success of the John Wick franchise thusfar. He’s got television AND feature spin-off in the works, on top of two more back-to-back movies to culminate the hitman pentalogy, in addition to a new incarnation of Highlander, AND he’s producing a new take on CJ’s The Man From Nowhere for New Line. His prospects continue to grow this week and Mike Fleming Jr. at Deadline reveals one such property in Arcana, described as “a gritty urban fantasy set in the hidden world of magical clans”. Predators writing duo Michael Finch and Alex Litvak wrote the spec script which is now in the hands of the studio, and will exec produce; Stahelski will produce out of 87Eleven Entertainment with Jason Spitz and Alex Young will produce. More at Deadline. Photo: Anna Hanks/Wikimedia Commons

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KNIGHT RIDER Movie On The Way With James Wan And Spyglass Media Producing

Lee B. Golden III

As of this week, James Wan is reportedly in the mix to join Spyglass Media Group’s latest developmental efforts to finally bring the hit action series, Knight Rider, to the big screen. The report cites that Wan will produce the new film with Atomic Monster partner Michael Clear, from a script by Ratchet & Clank video game franchise writer T.J. Fixman. Judson Scott will exec produce. Featuring actor and 80s hunk David Hasselhoff, the original Knight Rider series aired in 1982 and ran for four seasons, centered on Michael Long, an ex-soldier and former cop. Rescued by a billionaire philanthropist, Long is given facial reconstructive surgery, a new set of hi-tech wheels known as KITT, and a new lease on life as Michael Knight, an agent for the secret crime-fighting organization, the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG). Other incarnations of the series arose in the years that followed, including […]

JOHN WICK: Lionsgate Adds A Fifth Chapter To The Hitman Saga

Lee B. Golden III

The trades are all reporting and confirming that Keanu Reeves will shoot the next two installments of the John Wick franchise next year, thus adding a fifth to the hit action franchise that launched in 2014. The fourth was announced last May after an impressive first weekend in theaters, initially slated for a May 21, 2021 date which has since been moved to May 27, 2022. Production details remain pending, while presumably, Chad Staheski will return to the director’s chair. The news comes following Wednesday’s festive headlines iterating Stahelski’s involvement as a producer through 87Eleven Entertainment with CJ E&M for New Line’s upcoming revisal of hit Korean action classic, The Man From Nowhere. Derek Kolstad wrote the project, as he’s done for the entire John Wick trilogy thusfar, in addition to his current involvment with the development of spin-off series, The Continental. Reeves is now shooting a fourth installment of […]

THE MAN FROM NOWHERE: Chad Stahelski Boards Remake To Produce For New Line, CJ

Lee B. Golden III

Stunt honcho and filmmaker Chad Stahelski, and screenwriter Derek Kolstad, have had eyes on a number of film projects ever since the current trilogy success of Lionsgate’s hitman film franchise, John Wick. For this, it was back in November 2018 when Kolstad was tapped to pen a remake of Lee Jeong-beom’s 2010 Korean blockbuster, The Man From Nowhere, for New Line Cinema. This was a few years after New Line acquired the rights long after the rights lapsed from Dimension who snagged it in 2012 with Shawn Christensen (Curfew) announced to write. Fast forward to 2020 and with a fourth installment of the John Wick franchise currently on hiatus and Stahelski tentatively progressing with developments a revisal for Highlander, the word now from Justin Kroll at Deadline is that Stahelski is now on board in a producer capacity. Stahelski and Jason Spitz will produce for 87Eleven Entertainment next to CJ […]