NEWS
NEWS ON ALL YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIES AND TV SHOWS
ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE NETFLIX MOVIE FEATURES A CHARACTER COMING OUT AS TRANSGENDER
Netflix’s new animated special, Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, features the significant appearance of a character coming out as transgender. It’s revealed that the character of Ralph from the ‘90s series, the offspring of Rocko’s neighbor and nemesis Ed Bighead and his wife Bev, is transgender and now going by Rachel. When Rocko becomes convinced the direction of The Flatheads revival will ruin it, he tracks down Rachel, who originally created it, and convinces her to return to save it, and in doing so save O-Town from bankruptcy. The story features Rachel’s father refusing to acknowledge her identity, playing into the episode’s themes of people sometimes being slow to accept that things can’t stay the way they might want them to or remain how they initially perceived them to be. The storyline also reflects how many young people’s parents react when faced with the same revelation about their children.
TOLKIEN ESTATE REVEALS WHAT AMAZON CAN AND CAN'T CHANGE IN LOTR SERIES
Amazon's The Lord of the Rings TV show that is being developed by the streamer will need to follow guidelines laid down by the Tolkien estate, as there are rules regarding what parts of the established lore from the books can be changed. Tom Shippey, who is a world-renowned Tolkien scholar and was hired to work on the original The Lord of the Rings film trilogy said: Amazon has a relatively free hand when it comes to adding something, since, as I said, very few details are known about this time span. The Tolkien Estate will insist that the main shape of the Second Age is not altered. Sauron invades Eriador, is forced back by a Númenorean expedition, returns to Númenor. There he corrupts the Númenoreans and seduces them to break the ban of the Valar. All this, the course of history, must remain the same. But you can add new characters and ask a lot of questions, like: What has Sauron done in the meantime? Where was he after Morgoth was defeated? Theoretically, Amazon can answer these questions by inventing the answers, since Tolkien did not describe it. But it must not contradict anything that Tolkien did say. That’s what Amazon has to watch out for. It must be canonical, it is impossible to change the boundaries which Tolkien has created, it is necessary to remain “Tolkienian."
THE BOYS IS AMAZONS MOST WATCHED SHOW IN 2019
Amazon's new superhero satire series The Boys is one of the platform's most-watched shows of the year. Executive produced by Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg, The Boys is already in production on season two, and Kripke shared his enthusiasm for the response and hopes to make season two even better. He said: "I’m so beyond thrilled with the response to Season 1. And mainly, it’s made me get my ass in gear and work even harder on Season 2. I don’t want Season 2 to go bigger, I want it to go deeper. A more intense, more insane, more wrenching, more character-driven season. It’s my one and only goal to make Season 2 even better than Season 1."
LION KING IS DISNEY'S HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIE EVER
Disney's photorealistic retelling of The Lion King is officially their highest-grossing release that is not Marvel or Star Wars related. The Lion King remained in the top three films at the box office this weekend, trailing behind Hobbs and Shaw and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Jon Favreau's film added, "$20 million during its fourth outing," and, "has amassed $1.33 billion globally," officially surpassing Beauty and the Beast to become, "the studio's biggest film in history." Not only that, but The Lion King has become, "the second-highest grossing movie of the year domestically."
KARL URBAN WANTS QUENTIN TARANTINOS STAR TREK MOVIE TO HAPPEN
Karl Urban has vocalized his support for a Quentin Tarantino directed Star Trek movie. Urban was asked about the project and he explained that he really has, "no information," about it and that he hasn't, "read a script for it," but understands the "basic concept of it." He also referred to the idea of it as, "bananas," but went on to add that, "Quentin Tarantino doing that film would be phenomenal." He concluded that Tarantino is one of the, "most exciting filmmakers that are currently working," and that the studio, "would be insane not to let him do [the movie]."
UNIVERSAL CANCELS ACTION-HORROR FILM THE HUNT
Universal has chosen to cancel the release of their upcoming Blumhouse action-horror film, The Hunt, following the recent mass shootings in the U.S. The news comes just weeks before The Hunt was set to release in late September, with the studio's decision reflecting a wider conversation taking place about depictions of violence - and gun violence in particular - in popular media. "While Universal Pictures had already paused the marketing campaign for The Hunt, after thoughtful consideration, the studio has decided to cancel our plans to release the film. We stand by our filmmakers and will continue to distribute films in partnership with bold and visionary creators, like those associated with this satirical social thriller, but we understand that now is not the right time to release this film."
NEW G.I. JOE SPINOFF MOVIE IN THE WORKS
Paramount and Hasbro are developing a new G.I. Joe live-action movie spinoff. At the moment, the studios are pushing forward with a Snake Eyes solo film that has Robert Schwentke attached to direct and a tentative October 16, 2020 release date. According to a new report, however, they're also developing a spinoff film that will feature a G.I. Joe character who has yet to make the leap to live-action. Paramount and Hasbro have set writers Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec to work on an as-yet-untitled G.I. Joe spinoff movie. The film will reportedly include Chuckles, a character who was introduced in the G.I. Joe action figures toyline and Marvel Comics in 1987, and is known for being an expert at infiltration and going undercover.
AMANDA SEYFRIED TURNED DOWN PLAYING GAMORA IN THE MCU
Amanda Seyfried reveals she turned down the chance to play Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with Guardians of the Galaxy. "I turned down [a superhero movie] once and they haven’t called back since. And it was a big’un. I don’t regret it because I didn’t want to be green for six months out of every year. They tell beautiful stories through superheroes, and my daughter’s now really obsessed with superheroes now, and part of me wishes I’d done it, but the other part of me is like ‘I had a life to live’ and I don’t think I would’ve been happy."
WARNER BROS. PRIORITIZING BATGIRL MOVIE
Warner Bros. is reportedly now stepping up their search for a new Batgirl director. Warner Bros. is now more actively seeking a director for the film, indicating that a worthy script has been turned in. For a time, it appeared that a big-screen outing for Supergirl was at the top of the studio's list for the next film to put into motion, despite a small-screen version of the popular hero already existing. Based on the new report, however, Batgirlhas now become their top priority. It's also expected that Warner Bros. will continue with their previous intention of centering their search on female directors.
GUILLERMO DEL TORO SAYS HE'S FINISHED WITH COMIC BOOK MOVIES
In his recent Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony Del Toro said he is finished with comic book movies because, in his words, he's more into monsters: "I wanted to do Justice League Dark [with] DC very, very much, but it didn't happen. When I was doing the Hellboy movies or Blade, you know, they were counter to [how] everything was being done. And so it was fun to break the rules there, you know, and I try not to do them the way they would've been done by anyone else. I think that Justice League Dark was attractive …because they're all monsters... But I was never a superhero guy. I like monsters."
MICHELLE WILLIAMS RETURNING FOR VENOM 2, HOPING FOR MORE SHE-VENOM
Michelle Williams is officially set to return for Venom 2. Williams confirmed that she'll be reprising her role in Venom 2. Williams' then went on to praise Andy Serkis, who was recently hired to direct, saying, "I’m such a fan of Andy’s, and I’m so inspired by what he’s been able to accomplish. He’s so gifted in such a specific way, and I’m very excited to learn from him and be around him". Williams also hopes to see the return of She-Venom, mentioning, "I hope I get equal time that way — I can say that!".
JOEL FRY CAST AS JASPER IN DISNEY'S LIVE-ACTION CRUELLA MOVIE
Joel Fry has joined the cast of Disney's upcoming live-action film, Cruella. Fry is set to play Jasper in Cruella, with Paul Walter Hauser costarring as Horace. It was previously reported that Hauser is playing Roger from 101 Dalmatians, but it makes more sense for him to be portraying Jasper's companion. Either way, the pair are set to join Stone and Thompson when the film begins production this fall for a December 2020 release date.
AMERICAN CRIME STORY SEASON 3 COVERING BILL CLINTON AND MONICA LEWINSKY SCANDAL
The third season of American Crime Story will focus on the scandal of president Bill Clinton's impeachment and his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Beanie Feldstein will play Monica Lewinsky. In addition to Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky, the third season will feature Sarah Paulson and Annaleigh Ashford. Paulson, a regular in Ryan Murphy’s projects, will play Linda Tripp. Tripp is the civil servant who recorded private conversations in which Lewinsky discussed her affair with Clinton. Ashford will portray Paula Jones, who accused the former president of sexually harassing her when he was the governor of Arkansas and sued him for damages. With a premiere set for September 2020, the third season will draw from A Vast Conspiracy.
DISNEY+ WILL REBOOT FOUR FOX MOVIE FRANCHISES
Disney has confirmed reboots of four previous Fox franchises that will land on Disney+. As part of Disney's earnings call for the third quarter of 2019, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that four Fox franchises will be rebooted on Disney+. He revealed that Home Alone, Cheaper by the Dozen, Night at the Museum, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be among the first batch of reimaginings. No timetable for when any of the projects will arrive was announced. Each of these titles represents varying degrees of success for Fox, but it's easy to see why Disney would want to reboot them all. These four Fox titles are all movies that clearly fit under the Disney brand, with family-friendly premises, but avenues for new interpretations to be had. This reboot, remake, reimagining strategy is something that Disney is doing a lot of as of late. The difference here is that unlike most of Disney's past reboots, these will go to streaming, similar to their live-action Lady and the Tramp film.
ABC IN TALKS WITH MARVEL FOR A NEW FEMALE SUPERHERO SERIES
ABC is in talks with Marvel for a new TV series to join their lineup. ABC and Marvel are in "active talks" on a new female-led TV series. It's not yet known when the series will debut or even what the status of it is at the moment, but it's not any of the previously reported on projects. ABC President of Entertainment Karey Burke didn't reveal many details about the possible new series other than teasing that it's "something brand new, mostly.” Whatever this new series is, it joins a long line of Marvel shows that ABC has developed or expressed interest in. One of the most recent was an all-female series developed by Wonder Woman writer Allan Heinberg, but it was reported at the beginning of this year that it was dead. They've also developed Damage Control, Marvel's Most Wanted, a promising New Warriors lineup, the mysterious John Ridley project, and one described as Jessica Jones-esque.
TIFFANY HADDISH, CARMEN EJOGO AND MORE JOIN OCTAVIA SPENCER FOR NETFLIX'S MADAM CJ WALKER
Netflix's Madam CJ Walker limited series is assembling its impressive cast. Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo, Blair Underwood, Garrett Morris and Kevin Carroll have joined Octavia Spencer in the four-part drama. The series tells the story of black hair-care pioneer and mogul Madam CJ Walker and how she overcame hostile turn-of-the-century America, epic rivalries, tumultuous marriages and family challenges to become America’s first black, self-made female millionaire. Spencer exec produces the series and stars as Sarah Breedlove, aka Madam CJ Walker. The series is inspired by the book On Her Own Ground, by A'Lelia Bundles, Walker's great-great-granddaughter. LeBron James' Spring Hill Entertainment and Zero Gravity exec produce the series from Warner Bros. TV. Madam CJ Walker will debut on Netflix in 2020. Janine Sherman Barrios (Claws) and Elle Johnson (Bosch) are set as showrunners, writers and exec producers. Kasi Lemmons will direct the pilot and exec produce alongside Spencer, Christine Holder, Mark Holder, James, Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson. Nicole Jefferson Asher created the series and will also serve as a writer.
NETFLIX CANCELS THE OA
The OA is ending after two seasons on Netflix . The series premiered on December 2016 with eight “chapters” that veered pretty far from traditional TV storytelling — the opening credits didn’t roll until nearly the end of the first episode, and episode length varied from 30 minutes to one hour and 10 minutes. Then, after that first season, fans had to wait two-plus years for the show to return in March 2019. Creator of the show Brit Marling said, “While we cannot finish this story, I can promise you we will tell others.” “We are incredibly proud of the 16 mesmerizing chapters of The OA, and are grateful to Brit and Zal for sharing their audacious vision and for realizing it through their incredible artistry,” said Netflix head of originals Cindy Holland in a statement. “We look forward to working with them again in the future, in this and perhaps many other dimensions.”
BLACK LIGHTNING WILL BE ON CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS CROSSOVER
Black Lightning star, Cress Williams has confirmed that his hero will appear in the upcoming Arrowverse crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Black Lightning's role in Crisis on Infinite Earths will be a small part, similar to how Ruby Rose's Batwoman was implemented in Elseworlds. That crossover is how Batwoman was introduced to the Arrowverse, so it makes sense for Crisis on Infinite Earths to do the same for Black Lightning. The crossover begins with Arrowverse's parallel universes being destroyed. With that being the case, it's possible Black Lightning's universe is one that doesn't make it, and with his universe destroyed, the characters from Black Lightning may need to flee to the Arrowverse's main universe in order to survive.
IT CHILDREN BEING DEAGED FOR IT CHAPTER TWO
Director Andy Muschietti reveals the horror sequel reserved some of its VFX budget to de-age the child actors who appeared in the 2017 first installment. The young actors Jaeden Martell (Bill), Wyatt Oleff (Stanley), Jack Dylan Grazer (Eddie), Finn Wolfhard (Richie), Sophia Lillis (Beverly), Chosen Jacobs (Mike), and Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ben) reprise their “It” roles in the sequel via flashback sequences. “Well, it’s better to shoot it two years later than five years later. But in those two years, they grew up quite a bit,” Muschietti said of his original cast. “Not all of them. Sophia looks exactly the same. Jaeden looks pretty much the same. Finn grew up quite a bit, and he’s a tall guy. But from the beginning, we knew that that would be part of the budget, the visual effects to address that. So we’re going to de-age the kids.”
CHACE CRAWFORD ON NOT BEING ALLOWED TO TEST SCREEN FOR CAPTAIN AMERICA
Although he plays a horrible person who masquerades as a commercial hero on Amazon's hit series The Boys, actor Chace Crawford almost had a shot at playing the most upstanding and moral hero we've ever had on screen. Like many other young actors around 2010, Crawford was considered for the role of Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He even got an offer for a screen test but wasn't actually allowed to go through with it, leaving him wondering what could have been. "I did have a screen test for that back in the day but they actually didn't let me do it because they realized I was on a show in New York for nine months of the year," Crawford said. "I got a screen test deal. A buddy of mine told me he went in there and they had a suit made with my name on it, the whole thing. Yeah after nine films I'm thinking, 'Man, I would've loved a shot at that.'"
