In-Development

Chloé Zhao Primed For A Futuristic Sci-Fi Western Take On DRACULA At Universal

Lee B. Golden III

Chloé Zhao will take on Universal’s monster library with her own incarnation of Dracula, according to THR‘s exclusive on Thursday. Borys Kit writes, in part: Details are being kept in the coffin, but Zhao’s version is described as an original, futuristic, sci-fi Western. Themes of being on society’s fringes, something Zhao has tackled in her previous work, will course through the project’s veins. Zhao is best known for her recent work on Nomadland which earned four Golden Globe nominations, as well as Venice’s Golden Lion and the People’s Choice Award in Toronto last year – firsts, at that, and just a few among other awards in the past year. The move comes as part of Universal’s strive to boost its monster franchises having since recovered with Upgrade director Leigh Whannell’s pulsating horror revisal, The Invisible Man, which is currently streaming on HBO Max. “Chloé’s singular lens shines a light on […]

PLANET PRINCE 2021: Minoru Kawasaki To Reboot Toei’s 1958 Tokusatsu Classic

Lee B. Golden III

Classic alien superhero IP Planet Prince is getting a feature film reboot according to Sci-Fi Japan. Planet Prince 2021 is the current title for which Minoru Kawasaki, who is no stranger to out-of-this-world creature lore and zany monster spectacle with films like The World Sinks Except Japan, The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit, Monster Seafood Wars and Daikaiju Mono, has been tapped to direct. Kawasaki is also penning the script with Akihiko Kikawa, based on an original screenplay by late auteur Masaru Igami whose DNA with the franchise stretches as far back as the Planet Prince films, in addition to working on the Ultraman and Kamen Rider franchises to name a few. The film is billed as a revisal of Toei company’s classic black-and-white Showa-era Nippon Gendai and Senkosha-produced tokusatsu series which lasted 49 episodes for its run from 1958 and onward; The show was created fittingly […]

LEGEND OF DARK RIDER Pitch Trailer Rides Online, Sword In Hand And Ready For Battle

Lee B. Golden III

For almost twenty years at present, filmmaker Titus Paar (The Perfect Weapon) has been minding the production of what he billed back in a 2017 interview with The Movie Elite as “a Barbarian, Dark, Fantasy in Swedish snow-landscape”. A piece of that vision finally began taking shape around 2012 when Paar took initiative to craft what would become his multi-award winning 2016 shortfilm, Legend Of Dark Rider: The Beginning. At twenty minutes, the short is currently available on YouTube as of this report, and since then, Paar has been using the momentum to try and acquire funding for Legend Of Dark Rider, a process that likely had its stops and starts with at least one webpage revealing a 2018 release. Thankfully this hasn’t at all deterred Paar from moving forward, just as he did last year putting together a pitch trailer which is now online as of Wednesday, with a […]

Ryoo Seung-Wan To Shoot SMUGGLING In Summer 2021

Lee B. Golden III

When Ryoo Seung-wan isn’t acting, he’s purely in his element where the director’s chair is, as he will be reportedly come this summer. Plot details are super thin as of late as reports arise for Smuggling, the current title of director Ryoo Seung-wan’s newest thriller set to roll cameras in June of 2021, according to a Star News exclusive. The film is now circling actresses Kim Hye-soo (The Day I Died: Unclosed Case) and Yum Jung-ah (Another Child) to star, a move that signals what will be Ryoo’s first film with a female-fronted cast since the 2002 pic, No Blood, No Tears. Ryoo, best known for helming martial arts romp, Arahan, period thriller Battleship Island, and crime actioners City Of Violence and Veteran, is currently in post-production with ripped-from-the-headlines diplomacy thriller, Escape From Mogadishu starring Kim Yoon-seok (1987: When The Day Comes), Zo In-sung (The Great Battle) and Huh Joon-ho […]

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BARBARIC: ‘Exiled: The Chosen Ones’ Director Segues Into Psych Horror Thriller For Early 2021 Shoot [EXCLUSIVE]

Lee B. Golden III

Pre-production will officially begin next week when Ranjeet S. Marwa and Djonny Chen reteam for psychological horror thriller, Barbaric. Marwa has written and will direct, in addition to producing via his Rocket Sky High Motion Pictures Ltd banner next to Chen’s Silent D Pictures. Here’s the official logline: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. When an innocent young woman is drugged and violently raped at a party, the accused believe they have gotten away with their sins. What they fail to realize is that when a person is completely broken, absolutely torn down to the core, they are incapable of being the same person ever again. The accused soon find out what it means to be accused and pay for their sins. Not even God can help them when the young woman disguises herself to be raped once more, this time she appears as a young innocent girl, […]

YU YU HAKUSHO Is In The Works For A Live-Action Series, And I Am Feeling Cathartic AF

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix Japan and production house, ROBOT, are reportedly teamimg up to bring Yu Yu Hakusho to life in a live-action format, according to several reports running online. Kazutaka Sakamoto (Aggretsuko, Devilman Crybaby) and Teru Morii are serving as exec producer and producer, respectively, on the series. Mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi birthed the Shueisha publication in 1990 for Weekly Shonen Jump’s Jump Comics before landing an anime series launch in 1992 from Pierrot. It centers on Yusuke Urameshi, a tough high school delinqent whose life culminates into a world of dark adventure, action and self-discovery when he’s resurrected from a fatal accident and revived to become a spirit detective following a series of introspective trials. Over the course of the story, Urameshi will band together with school rival Kawamura, humanoid Fox Demon and former thief, and dark, demonic warrior and Evil Eye-bearer Hieh, to take on numerous trials to save the world, […]

WOLVES: Hannah Al-Rashid And Julie Estelle In The Running For Female-Fronted Revenge Thriller In Early 2021 [EXCLUSIVE]

Lee B. Golden III

There’s certainly been a build-up of things in the works for filmmaker Ranjeet S. Marwa, and with as the new year approaches. Following up from last week’s mention of Wolves, we can officially report further on the project’s development with Marwa penning the script to direct, as well as produce. The film is billed as a female-fronted revenge thriller in the vein of John Wick, and is currently circling a shortlist of actresses including Hannah Al-Rashid (Buffalo Boys) and Julie Estelle (Foxtrot Six) for the lead role. The film’s official logline reads as follows: “Old ghosts may prove hard to kill for Tora, a beautiful and deadly assassin who’s since traded in her former life of violence and bloodshed for that of marriage, and motherhood to their young son. On one fateful day, Tora’s world comes crashing down when her family is summarily executed, pulling her back into the fray […]

News Briefs: Gadot Boards HEART OF STONE; THE TOXIC AVENGER Casting; Statham Circles SMALL DARK LOOK; Pettyfer For PHANTOM OF BELGRADE

Lee B. Golden III

Gal Gadot (upcomimg Red Notice) is readying Heart Of Stone, billed as an original spy endeavor in the vein of the 007 and Mission Impossible franchise. Currently in the works at Skydance Media, Greg Rucka (The Old Guard) and Oscar-nominated Allison Schroeder (Hidden Figures) are penning the script with film will be produced by Skydance Media’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger producing along with Gadot and her Pilot Wave producing partner Jaron Varsano, Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn. Gadot will bow this Christmas Day in select theaters and IMAX, and for HBO Max’s first 4K outing for Wonder Woman 1984. Nearly two years after Legendary acquired the rights to Troma IP, The Toxic Avenger, the studio has since moved forward, casting Peter Dinklage (Game Of Thrones), according to Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr.. Blue Ruin and Green Room actor Macon Blair, who made his directing debut on 2017’s I […]

The Wandering Earth

THE WANDERING EARTH Sequel Sets CNY 2023 Release Date, Hints At Wu Jing’s Return

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been close to a year since director Frant Gwo signaled a sequel to his 2019 blockbuster hit, The Wandering Earth, based on a classic sci-fi novella by Liu Cixin about the global coalition to engineer Earth to travel to a new solar system away from the deteriorating sun. With prelim teaser art already making the rounds, reports are now confirming with an official release date stamped for Chinese New Years Day on Sunday, January 22, 2023, and with statementsfrom Gwo himself, and producer Gong Ge’er, who are both returning in the same capacity. “After two years of pre-production and thinking about the script, we’ve decided to initiate our shooting plan for ‘The Wandering Earth 2,’ and at the same time have set our release date for New Year’s Day 2023,” said Gwo at this year’s Golden Rooster Film Festival. “Next, we will try to begin new production processes, and […]

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, […]