ben wheatley

NORMAL Casts ‘Nobody’ Star Bob Odenkirk For Ben Wheatley Actioner

Bob Odenkirk will star in Normal, from Free Fire and The Meg 2 director, Ben Wheatley. The movie reteams Odenkirk with Nobody producer Marc Provissiero, and its screenwriter scribe Derek Kolstad who is also producing. As Andrea Wiseman’s report at Deadline notes, Normal “follows the story of Ulysses (Odenkirk) who is thrust into the temporary role of the sheriff for the small sleepy town Normal after the previous one’s untimely death. When the town’s bank is robbed by an out-of-town couple, Ulysses arrives on scene to find that the town is hiding much more sinister deep-seated secrets under its surface and everyone – from the bartender to the priest – is in on it. And now Ulysses, who’s up-till-now focused only on running away from the demons of his past, must uncover the full extent of this criminal conspiracy.” Best known as a comedic and drama fixture, Odenkirk grew popularity […]

THE MEG 2: THE TRENCH: The Apex Predator Is Back And More Terrible Than Ever!

Lee B. Golden III

The excitement of fans watching Jason Statham ideally chin-check a shark hasn’t waned since Jon Turteltaub 2018’s summer spectacle, The Meg. The sequel, directed by Ben Wheatley and nodding to Steve Alten’s 1999 novel, is now in toe and with an August 4 release from Warner Bros. Pictures announced following an electric day of social media hype, the official trailer has finally arrived for The Meg 2: The Trench, and it is out to show us its teeth! Dive into uncharted waters with Jason Statham and global action icon Wu Jing as they lead a daring research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal Megs and relentless environmental plunderers, our heroes must outrun, outsmart, and outswim their merciless predators in […]

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TOMB RAIDER 2 Moving Forward At MGM, Ben Wheatley To Direct Sequel Based On Hit Game Franchise

Lee B. Golden III

Ben Wheatley will switch seats with Roar Uthaug to direct a sequel to Tomb Raider according to Deadline‘s Mike Fleming Jr. Cameras are expected to roll in early 2020 and will have actress Alicia Vikander reprising the title role based on the longstanding game centered on the heroic treasure hunter and survivalist, Lara Croft. Wheatley will direct from a script by Amy Jump, marking a continuing film partnership listing shared credits like Kill List (2011), Sightseers (2012), A Field In England (2013), High-Rise (2016) and Free Fire (2017). The two also have sci-fi actioner, Freak Shift, coming from Wheatley’s Rook Films banner which also stars Vikander, as well as Armie Hammer and Sasha Lane. Uthaug’s handling of Tomb Raider for its release last year drew $275 million dollars. MGM has stamped a March 19, 2021 release, gladly leaving a little wiggle room for New Line’s own forthcoming live-action based-on-a-video-game thriller, […]

Sci-Fi Thriller FREAK SHIFT Lines Up Its Cast

Lee B. Golden III

IMR will reportedly be taking upcoming sci-fi action thriller, Freak Shift, long in development with news of its development stirring for the last several years, to Cannes for buyers. Its cast has already lined-up a batch of faithfuls in American Honey actress Sasha Lane, forthcoming Tomb Raider reboot star Alicia Vikander and actor Armie Hammer set to star. The film reunites Hammer with Free Fire helmer Ben Wheatley who will direct the pic centered on squads of lawbreakers and misfits assigned to take out nocturnal creatures and monsters. Wheatley wrote the script with Amy Jump and will have Andrew Starke producing under their Rook Films banner with Riverstone and Film4 financing. (THR)

HARD BOILED: Warner Bros. Mingles With Dark Horse Property For ‘High Rise’ Star And Director

Lee B. Golden III

Did you ever catch director Ben Wheatley’s 2015 thriller, High Rise or notably the latest trailer for rousing crime flick, Free Fire? If not, take a gander at either and you might understand why it appears both Wheatley and High Rise star Tom Hiddleston are the current frontrunners for a new property at Warner Bros. As Deadline reported on Monday, the studio is in talks to acquire, the Dark Horse Comics publication, Hard Boiled, with the hopes of launching a co-production with Solipsist Films and Hollywood Gang. Created by Frank Miller and Geoff Darrow in 1990, the graphic novel miniseries focused on Carl Seltz, an insurance investigator who discovers he is a homicidal cyborg tax collector and ultimately robotkind’s last hope against programmed oppresion. Stephen L’Heureux, Bernie Goldmann and Gianni Nunnari are the named producers on the project should things follow suit. Details remain pending as nothing is finalized […]

A24's FREE FIRE Trailer Shows What Happens In A Room Full Of Bad Guys (And A Girl) With Guns

Lee B. Golden III

High Rise helmer Ben Wheatley is already coming out strong from the Toronto premiere of his latest rousing, action-packed crime thriller, Free Fire. Bree Larson, off the heels of her newfound position as Captain Marvel for 2018, takes the lead next to actors Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, and a crapton of 70’s mustaches, and the obligatory bulletfare that naturally occurs in a room full of criminals…and guns! SYNOPSIS: Free Fire centers around an arms deal that goes spectacularly and explosively wrong. Justine (Larson) has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen and a gang led by Vernon (Copley) and Ord (Hammer), who are selling them a stash of guns. But when shots are fired during the handover, complete pandemonium ensues, with everyone at the scene suddenly thrust into a heart-stopping game of survival. Now poised for screenings at Mayhem and October and following its […]

Evans, Hammer Board Wheatley’s 70’s Action Thriller, FREE FIRE In 2015

Lee B. Golden III

Kill List helmer Ben Wheatley‘s knack for vintage classic noir thrillers and hard-boiled action flicks may suit perfectly for his latest feature film, Free Fire. The film is setting up to be his first North American set project with producer Andy Starke under their Rook Films banner with financing from Film4 while they prepare to introduce the film at the American Film Market next month. So what’s in store? Well, for starters, a gritty crime thriller set in 1978 revolving around the story of a woman named Justine who brokers a deal at an empty warehouse between two Irish gangsters and a gang looking to sell them some guns. What could possibly go wrong? Well, with a lot of guns in a room full of criminals, what do you think? The stellar ensemble cast includes actress Olivia Wilde, and actors Cillian Murphy, Michael Smiley, Luke Evans and Armie Hammer. StudioCanal […]