Soon landing another with Kandahar, the star/director pair that brought you Angel Has Fallen is set to heat up the summer a little more in disaster actioner, Greenland. The official trailer is live as of Thursday, returning Gerard Butler, alongside actress Morena Baccarin, with Ric Roman Waugh back at the helm.
Remember last February when Jason Statham was set to star in D.J. Caruso’s adaptation of Jay Bonansinga’s 1997 novel, Killer’s Game? Well, that’s over and done, and as long as it takes for proper developments to cook with feature films, we now have word from Jeff Sneider at Collider that Dave Bautista (Hotel Artemis, Blade Runner 2049) is taking a stab at the pic.
Until today, at least one more Rush Hour film was said to be happening as it has been hyped with franchise stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker possibly slated to reunite on the big screen. It’s anyone’s guess at this point when that film will start, although thanks from a report over at That Hashtag Show on Tuesday, fans can now add not one, but a second iteration, this time from STX.
There’s not much to go on here but Anthony D’Alessandro’s exclusive at Deadline is up for an original project called Rogue from Phantom Four’s David S. Goyer and Keith Levine. T.J. Fixman, who penned up to six game installments of the Ratchet & Clank franchise as well as a 2016 animated movie, wrote the film which is described as in the spirt of Die Hard and “follows a deep-cover CIA operative on the longest night of her life.”
Byron Phillips and Reginald Hudlin brought the project to the studio and, as such, will produce the film with Diesel and his partner Samantha Vincent under their One Race Films banner.
Award-winning scribes Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger (Kung Fu Panda trilogy, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water, Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel) will pen the script based on the work of Erin Hunter – the author collective pseudonym comprised of U.K. writers Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, with Victoria Holmes serving as editor. The goal is to build the IP into a fully-fledged franchise that Heyman iterates with priority to first and foremost spawn a film worthy of the franchise potential being sought after.
While it’s still nice to know that actor Channing Tatum is still circling Gambit for 20th Century Fox, the word now from the online trades insist he’s partaking in a new producing venture at Free Association with fellows Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan.
According to a new announcement on Wednesday this week, Zombie Brother is now in the works in co-productions partnership with Robert Simonds’ STX Entertainment and Tencent’s film and TV shingle, Tencent Pictures. Cast and crew details remain pending while Deadline – by way of Variety, highlights Matt Lieberman was previously attached to pen the script for David Sandberg who is currently taking off with the Kung Fury feature sequel, Kung Fury 2: The Movie.
The film’s casting call and film description reads as follows: Zombie Brother is a genre-bender — a big adventure-comedy with a splash of sci-fi and a good dose of horror, all with the self-referential tones of “21 Jump Street” and “Deadpool.” Set 5 minutes in the future, the film follows a crew of tech-obsessed homebodies who become humanity’s unlikeliest saviors in the wake of a zombie apocalypse.
Zombie Brother is reportedly Tencent’s top title in digital comics and animation, garnering more than 17 billion views over 348 episodes since 2011, as well as 3.7 million views for its two-season animated series. Its franchise extends to a mobile game and a sellout hit stage play.
“Since its inception, STX Entertainment has been committed to producing, marketing and distributing universally resonant content across all platforms, with a particular focus on bridging the U.S. and Chinese markets,” said Adam Fogelson, Chairman of STXfilms, a division of STX Entertainment. “As an early investor in STX, Tencent has been a strong strategic partner and we’re honored to be collaborators in bringing its most valuable IP to new audiences around the world. With Tencent Pictures’ awesome ecosystem of entertainment channels and Free Association’s creative acumen, we think there is no end to the storytelling opportunities of this franchise.”
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with STX Entertainment on one of Tencent Animation and Comics’ excellent properties, ‘Zombie Brother.’ It has been an incredible pleasure to explore new possibilities with STX. Teamed alongside our gifted producers at Free Association, we look forward to bringing ‘Zombie Brother’ as a uniquely fun and fresh film for the enjoyment of audiences everywhere,” said Edward Cheng, Vice President of Tencent and CEO of Tencent Pictures.
“We’ve long been inspired by STX’s commitment to high quality storytelling that authentically speaks to audiences on both sides of the Pacific. We couldn’t imagine better partners as we continue to work with Edward, Howard and the wonderful Tencent team on this beloved property. It’s a pleasure to welcome them to the ‘Zombie Brother’ party,” said Peter Kiernan of Free Association.
STXfilms will distribute the film domestically and Tencent Pictures in China. Tatum, Carolin and Kiernan are joined by Michael Parets at Free Association, along with producers Edward Cheng, Howard Chen, and Conor Zorn at Tencent Pictures. STXfilms’ Chairman Adam Fogelson and head of production Sam Brown will oversee the film for the studio.
Actor Mark Wahlberg’s previously announced stake in producer Sue Kroll’s Six Billion Dollar Man remains pending. Until then, moviegoers can expect the star to appear in his latest pairing with Peter Berg, Mile 22, and a brand new still from the film has arrived for the STXfilms release which you can view below.
The exclusive from USA Today also notes a new release date set for August 3, signaling a rollback from the initial announcement in February for a July 20 upon officially wrapping in Bogota, Colombia. Walhberg leads Mile 22 along with international action star Iko Uwais and UFC-turned-WWE starlet Ronda Rousey for a story centered on an elite American intelligence officer on a mission to smuggle a cop with sensitive information out of a foreign country.
The film also stars John Malkovich and Lauren Cohan. Berg, who produces, is also spearheading efforts toward a film franchise, as well as a VR series for STXSurreal spinning off Mile 22 with The Kiev Exchange.
Click for more from USA Today.
*A correction was issued from a previous version of this article that reads the spin-off as “The Kiev Conspiracy”.
STX Entertainment has been stirring quite a bit behind the scenes in the last few years. As such, we can now list some of those prospects courtesy of a new press announcement detailing several new short form series projects for the company’s VR and immersive content channel, STXSurreal which will premiere later this year via apps or VR headsets.
The two of five projects listed include live-action comedy programs featuring Ed Helms, and comedy duo Jason Mewes and Kevin Smth, a.k.a. Jay and Silent Bob. The other three pertain to a different nature more to our liking if you’re a reader of this site and are fully aware of previous reports on Dave Bautista’s STX-related endeavors last October, as well as that of John Wick trilogy scribe Derek Kolstad earlier this year, and the franchise-to-be following the July 20 release of Peter Berg’s Wahlberg/Uwais/Rousey headliner, Mile 22.
UNTITLED DAVE BAUTISTA PROJECT: STX will expand its relationship with actor Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Blade Runner: 2049) through an original short-form action-comedy series. STXfilms is concurrently collaborating with Bautista on an action comedy feature film, which is also in the early stages of development.
THE KIEV EXCHANGE: A spinoff of STX’s MILE 22 film franchise, THE KIEV EXCHANGE is a short-form, live-action series from MILE 22 director Peter Berg. Written by Umair Aleem (Extraction, 2017 Blacklist for “Kate”), THE KIEV EXCHANGE is a gritty, pulse-pounding action-thriller following the CIA’s elusive paramilitary force, Ground Branch, as they negotiate a tense and complex hostage exchange in a public square. When all hell breaks loose they must come together to fight their way out of an ambush. Berg will produce for Film 44 and Film 45, along with Mark Wahlberg, Matt Goldberg and John Logan Pierson.
UNTITLED DEREK KOLSTAD PROJECT: From writer Derek Kolstad (The John Wick Trilogy), this original live-action short-form series, set in 1947, follows a mysterious government agent sent to investigate an aircraft crash in rural New Mexico. As he probes deeper, it becomes clear this is no ordinary incident. Kolstad is also writing STXfilms’ upcoming action-thriller Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk.
Ronda Rousey’s career with the WWE remains pending following recent headlines. In the meantime, she’s got goals set in cinema and with none other than director Peter Berg and a rousing list of heavy hitters for potential franchise vehicle, Mile 22.
ComingSoon.net reports that production on the new action thriller which also headlines Mark Wahlberg and international superstar Iko Uwais, has wrapped principal photography following shoots in Atlanta, GA and Bogota, Colombia. A newly announced theatrical rollout has been set for July 20, 2018 from STXfilms while the studio further preps for a multiplatform STX release via STXtv and STXsurreal VR, as well as a sequel.
Mile 22 marks the fourth collaboration between Berg and Wahlberg after Patriots Day, Deepwater Horizon and Lone Survivor. Written by Graham Roland and Lea Carpenter, the film centers on an elite American intelligence officer who, when aided by a top-secret tactical command unit, tries to smuggle a mysterious police officer with sensitive information out of a foreign country.
Also starring are John Malkovich and Lauren Cohan with Berg producing for Film 44 and Wahlberg for Closest to the Hole, and Stephen Levinson for Leverage. John Logan Pierson is executive producing.
Antia Busch over at Deadline is putting the word out that the wheels are officially turning for Den Of Thieves 2 with Christian Gudegast back to direct from his own script. Gerard Butler, who steered the action-packed L.A. set crime tale will return to star along with O’Shea Jackson Jr. with a story following the aftermath of the first film that now sees Jackson Jr.’s role embroiled with the Panther mafia in lieu of an ambitious diamond heist.
The news is the result of the first film’s reported overperformance at the box office having so far earned up to $57 million dollars, making it a worthy reward to reap for a 15-year effort from producers Mark Canton and Tucker Tooley. Pre-sales and tax incentives were also a factor in funding for the January thriller, along with news of growing audience appeal per polling of male moviegoers.
Butler is producing the sequel along with Alan Siegel via their G-BASE banner next to producers Canton and Tooley, as well as G-Unit Film & Television, Inc.’s Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson who also starred in the first film. Diamond Film Productions is financing the sequel with STX handling worldwide distribution.
Also stirring for Butler is Ric Roman Waugh’s Angel Has Fallen with Morgan Freeman, Holt McCallany and Piper Perabo.
Flagship Entertainment
Jon Turtletaub’s shark thriller, The Meg, is currently poised for an August 10 release. This leaves off any number of projects that lie in wait for action star Jason Statham whose latest comes across as one of the actor’s several career maneuvers toward the Chinese market.
Such is also what appears to be according to Tuesday’s exclusive over at The Hollywood Reporter citing a new deal between Statham, STX Entertainment and Tencent Pictures. Statham, who currently reigns in box office success next to his fellow headliners in Universal Pictures’s Fast saga, will reportedly star and produce the project which will be a Chinese co-production.
Further details about the movie itself remain unknown as we await further news on a director and other cast. This comes after a year since it was confirmed that the star’s recent pairing between Statham and partner Steven Chasman for Hong Kong action thriller, Straw, for which news also remains stagnant.
I’m probably not the only blogger to have affirmed and re-affirmed exactly how befitting actor Dave Bautista has grown toward acting since getting his start in wrestling. He’s certainly worked his way up well into the mainstream and having performed a number of roles to showcase his versatility, STX has evidently taken notice.
Thus, the independent studio has reportedly closed a deal to partner with the Marvel Cinematic Universe actor and co-star of Guardians Of The Galaxy and its 2017 sequel to develop an action comedy franchise in which he will star as well as produce. Jonathan Meisner will co-produce alongside the actor while Drew Simon will oversee for the studio.
The move marks just the latest foray for Meisner who shares multiple credits on projects attributed to Bautista. He has served in some producer capacity on up to five current titles in which Bautista stars, notably Kickboxer: Vengeance and Bushwick, and up-comers Cheung Tin-Chi and Escape Plan 3: Devil’s Station – both in which Max Zhang also stars, and Scott Mann’s Final Score.
Bautista also joins the MCU for Avengers: Infinity War next year.
The actor’s next big break arrives this weekend with Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner: 2049. (Deadline)
Development of STX Entertainment’s long-awaited Asian action thriller, Mile 22, has been on hold for sometime now. Call it a really slow brew – nearly two years, in fact. Thankfully though, the film is in play at the studio where the film has taken shape to some degree with a few changes since then.
Graham Roland’s script currently has Deepwater Horizon star/director pair Mark Wahlberg and producer Peter Berg attached with the actor cast for the role of Silva – last described as a “complex” character, “a salty intelligence hack who has shoveled shit on four continents”. His newest shot at redemption now sees him battling through corrupt cops, criminal overlords and heavily-armed locals in order to escort a compromised informant to an airport 22 miles away.
As of this week, Deadline and Variety have it on good terms from events at CinemaCon that they’re looking toward the film as a potential trilogy starter with the first tethered as an intelligent, adult action film. Given the cast roster thusfar, this could possibly mean more martial arts action with the exponents like Iko Uwais (Headshot) and former UFC Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey (Furious Seven), while hopfully things don’t linger too much for Wahlberg who says the film still needs tweaking to suit his needs. “I still don’t feel like I have the movie, the role, that defines me,” says the actor.
Nothing else specific has been mentioned yet about production but the best part of this is that the film is still stirring about. Rousey’s other film prospects (My Fight Your Fight, Road House) have remained quiet since her two consecutive UFC losses last year but with Uwais involved and given the setting, this could undoubtedly bring just the uptick she needs on the film front.
Uwais recently wrapped Timo Tjahjanto’s solo directorial debut, The Night Comes For Us with lead actor Joe Taslim and is on deck to appear with Frank Grillo in Liam O’Donnell’s Beyond Skyline with production on the ensemble actioner, Triple Threat, commencing in Thailand next month under helmer Jesse V. Johnson. Wahlberg will star in Michael Bay’s Transformers: The Last Knight, opening on June 23.
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