News Briefs: Netflix’s END OF THE ROAD; Stahelski’s LUSH; Pratt To Don THE BLACK BELT; SPIDER-MAN 3 Casting; GREEN HORNET Writer; Ford Is Back As INDY
Queen Latifah will star in End Of The Road, a new thriller being set up at Netflix. Latifah stars in the role of Brenda, jobless and widowed and on the road with her family to New Mexico for a new life, only to be cornered into facing a mysterious killer when they find themselves trapped in the New Mexico desert and cut off from help. Millicent Shelton (P-Valley, Insecure, Black-ish, Hunters, The Walking Dead) is directing from a script by David Loughery (The Intruder, Obsessed), updated from original scribe Christopher Moore. Tracey Edmonds is producing for Edmonds Entertainment (Soul Food, Jumping the Broom) with Mark Burg for Twisted Pictures (Saw, John Q, Spiral) and Brad Kaplan (The Intruder), with Latifah exec producing with Shakim Compere for Flavor Unit Entertainment.
Among his surmounting workload, Chad Stahelski is set to produce a feature film production for Lush. Duane Swierczynski wrote the original short story and will adapt it into a feature comedic spy thriller for Lionsgate, with further backing from Winterlight Pictures and Stahelski’s 87Eleven Entertainment; [spacing size=””]Stahelski said, “When I read Lush, I saw what a great film could be made from Duane’s short story. I’m excited to see the world-building we can come up with for this fresh new spy film.” (Anthony D’Alessandro/DEADLINE)
Monarch Media is backing Chris Pratt’s next action comedy endeavor with The Black Belt, an indie Karate comedy that sees him in the role of an unorthodox uncle guiding his unassuming teen nephew who is on a quest for expertise in the Japanese martial arts style. Pratt is producing the film with Indivisible Productions partner Jon Schumacher, and Monarch Media’s Steve Barnett and Alan Powell. Monarch’s Vicky Patel will exec produce. Randall Green wrote the spec script and UTA Independent Film Group will oversee film sales and distribution. (Dave McNary/VARIETY)
In a superb nod to Marvel fans everywhere, the next Spider-Man movie is reviving Sam Raimi’s rendition of Doctor Octopus with actor Alfred Molina reprising his role from Raimi’s pre-MCU production, Spider-Man 2. Casting was later joined by word of the rumored addition of Charlie Cox once more as Daredevil for what is being reported as more of an Into The Spider-Verse treatment for Jon Watts’s new threequel that has Tom Holland back in costume (that remains to be seen as far as rumors go). Watt’s untitled Spider-Man 3 film opens December 17, 2021. (Rebecca Rubin/VARIETY, Matt Webb Mitovich/TV LINE)
David Koepp (You Should Have Left, Mission: Impossible) will pen the script for the relaunch of The Green Hornet. The hire is the latest development for the project since Universal landed the IP with Amasia’s Michael Helfant and Bradley Gallo on board to produce. George W. Trendle and Fran Striker first launched the character on radio in 1936 with actor Van Williams transitioning the character on screen by the 1960s; A playboy/media mogul and owner of The Daily Sentinel, Britt Reid was a wanted fugitive, donning a trenchcoat and green mask as the gun-toting crimefighting alterego alongside his valet-turned-partner, Kato, debuted by then-burgeoning martial arts star, actor Bruce Lee. (Justin Kroll/DEADLINE)
A round of stories fresh from the bustling wheelhouse of Lucasfilm on Thursday also included news of Harrison Ford’s reprisal in the next Indiana Jones film: “Lucasfilm is currently in pre-production on the next installment of the Indiana Jones franchise. At the helm is James Mangold, director of the Academy Award-winning Ford v Ferrari, and Indy himself, Harrison Ford, will be back to continue his iconic character’s journey. Indy will begin shooting late spring of 2021 and will arrive July 2022.”
Native New Yorker. Lover of all things pizza, chocolate, pets, and good friends. Karaoke hero. Left of center. Survivor. Fond supporter of cult, obscure and independent cinema - especially fond of Asian movies and global action cinema. Author of the bi-weekly Hit List. Founder and editor of Film Combat Syndicate. Still, very much, only human.
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