Lucky McKee has been one of the largely unsung heroes of horror cinema, for around 2 decades now. From his debut feature, “May” to his more recent work, “Old Man”, McKee has proven himself time and time again as one of the best filmmakers today at making truly interesting character pieces.
Fans following actor Johnny Yong Bosch’s social media posts in recent weeks probably took notice of some set photos from a film production that just wrapped. News as of Monday confirms just that, with details on Hellfire, reuniting Bosch with seasoned Power Rangers franchise vet, Undisputed franchise director Isaac Florentine and starring Stephen Lang (Avatar, V.F.W.) in the lead role.
Stephen Lang (Twentieth Century Fox’s Avatar franchise, “Into The Badlands”), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off) and Diego Tinoco (MTV’s “Teen Wolf”) are set to join Aaron Eckhart in Crypto helmer John Stalberg Jr.’s new action thriller Muzzle. Stalberg Jr. will direct from a script he storied with screenwriter Carlyle Eubank (The Signal).
Director Joe Begos had a hit on his hands this year with the release his illustrious and vampiric horror noir, Bliss. He’s since been on the trail and keeping busy with one other peculiar looking thriller in V.F.W., which casts a hard-edged roster of actors including Stephen Lang (Don’t Breathe), Martin Kove (YouTube’s Cobra Kai), Fred Williamson (From Dusk Til Dawn) and William Sadler (Die Hard 2: Die Harder) among others for its line-up.
Close to thirty years in his professional stunt career with just a few directing notches on his belt, it was last year that stunt coordinator Mike Gunther set out to shepherd Rogue Warfare in what is expected to be the first in a series of films.
Into the Badlands Season 2 finds Sunny (Daniel Wu) and M.K. (Aramis Knight) separated and scattered to the wind, each imprisoned in unlikely places. While M.K. struggles to control his powers, Sunny is determined to fight his way back into the Badlands to find his family or die trying. On their journey, Clipper and Colt are assisted by mysterious, new allies whose motivations may be anything but pure. Meanwhile, The Widow (Emily Beecham) continues to consolidate power against the other Barons, while a dark and mysterious threat prepares to exact revenge on them all. Alliances are struck, friendships betrayed, and by season’s end, Sunny and M.K.’s lives will be forever altered with devastating consequences.
Critics at SXSW were unanimous in their praise for the film. Perri Nemiroff at Collider.com called it “a masterful combination of suspense and violence that’ll have you squirming in your seat and enjoying every minute of it,” while Eric Vespe at Ain’t It Cool News said it was “a tense Hitchockian thriller.”
It’s been ten years since award-winning director James Cameron began his journey into the world of Pandora for the production of his 2009 milestone success story, Avatar. With time on his side and the technological advancements in film pending, it was only a matter of time the filmmaker would soon reap the benefits of such filmmaking and entertainment innovations, from motion capture and 3D technology, to the implementation of 4D entertainment in select theaters worldwide.
Evidently, the film was a record-breaking box-office victory for Cameron and the distributors at 20th Century Fox, earning well-over $2.7 billion dollars between 2009, and its re-release in 2010, and ultimately becoming the highest grossing film to date. Moreover, on top of its Academy Award, Golden Globe, Saturn Awards and BAFTA accolades, the film drew mostly positive reviews for its environmentally-centric and anti-war message on top of its emotionally-charged delivery, packed with explosive visual spectacle and epic storytelling.
Well, beginning next year, Cameron will commense maintaining that upward trend with the production of Avatar 2 in Manhattan Beach in California, and in New Zealand. As such, he and his Los Angeles-based production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, are issuing a heads-up this week for actors and extras ahead of the film’s principal shoot next year for Native American supporting roles and extras. The official website, Acting Auditions has all the details on the requirements listed, so if you’re an actor, feel free to CLICK HERE and get all the information while you can.
Avatar 2 will follow the immediate events of the first film with actor Sam Worthington reprising his role as paraplegic soldier and former-human-turned Na’vi, Jake Sully, whose conscience was transferred to his new body to begins his new life on the mystical and rich alien planet, Pandora, among the Na’vi with warrioress and love interest, Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana. Also slated to return are actress Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine and actor Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch, both who are said to have more integral roles following the events of the first film. Cameron is also producing the film with Jon Landau & Ray Santini with a scripts for all three upcoming sequels by the director, along with Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Shane Salerno.
The remaining three films of the Avatar saga are slated for releases on each December between 2016 and 2018. Stay tuned for more info!
H/T: Examiner
Mixed martial arts sensation and action actress Gina Carano (Fast And Furious 6, In The Blood) is still up for a possible role in the new sci-fi actioner, The Opium War, as per an announcement earlier this year. This week however, production for the film which was once slated sometime between July and September has been pushed back to November according to a new report from Syracuse.
The film is being directed by Justin Steele from a script by Jeremy J. Levy and would join Carano with actor Stephen Lang in a story about a female astronaut who crash-lands and is offered a smuggling job that will pay for repairs to her ship. The film is part of a new job creation initiative stated back in March this year for the installation of a new nanohub on the campus of SUNY College Of Nanoscale Science And Engineering, to be occupied by Film House L.L.C. for the production of several films between now and next year.
Further announcements await regarding official info on the film and its other cast as pre-production is expected to kick off in October with filming to resume in November and December. Stay tuned for more info!
Former mixed martial arts fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano has had a pretty steady career elevation in the world of action movies with a string of appearances in films such as Blood And Bone (2009), Haywire (2012), Fast And Furious 6 (2013) and her recent solo performance in John Stockwell’s In The Blood with actors Cam Cigandet and Danny Trejo.
With a superheroine movie also in the works from comic book creator Rob Liefield’s for Avengelyne, we still have tons to look forward to. But in the meantime, it appears that Carano is preparing to put her focus in a new film with production company, The Film House, set to commense at the end of July for The Opium War, following a press release in March posted by SUNY College Of Nanoscale Science And Engineering.
The film is being directed by Justin Steele from a script by Jeremy J. Levy and would join Carano with actor Stephen Lang in a story about a female astronaut who crash-lands and is offered a smuggling job that will pay for repairs to her ship. The new film is also part of an intricate new job-creating initiative announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney earlier this year with The Film House getting first use of SUNY CNSE’s Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries, the country’s first nano film school to provide training facilities and education for Upstate New York’s film industry workforce; In addition to the The Opium War, the move would also create an estimate of up to 500 permanent and temporary jobs.
“We are excited to announce our first of many major projects to be filmed and produced in New York State,” said Ryan Johnson, CEO of The Film House back in March. “We were drawn to the region because of the industry friendly environment and unique academic-private sector partnership model that Governor Cuomo has used to make New York recognized across the world as a go to destination for business. In New York, we will have access to a skilled and creative workforce, innovative new technologies, and the scenery we need to make quality films. We are eager to begin working with all our partners, particularly Onondaga County and SUNY CNSE, to make movies, create jobs for our new neighbors and communities, and do our part to enhance the quality of life in the area while we grow our business.”.
Carano is reportedly finalizing her end of the deal to star in the film. Meanwhile, Lang, who recently appeared in Steele‘s new crime flick, Gutshot Straight, will also return to epic intergalactic villany in the forthcoming production of the next three films of the Avatar saga with actor Sam Worthington and actresses Zoë Saldana and Sigourney Weaver.
Production on The Opium War is expected to last up to eight weeks with at least six months of post production ahead of its 2015 release.
Stay tuned for more info.
H/T: Syracuse
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