The next X-Men movie could tackle a huge storyline from the comics. Tim Miller wants an R-Rated X-Force. Plus, a ton of new footage from Civil War, Game of Thrones, Agents of SHIELD and The Flash; and Iron Fist casts a few more key characters. Spoilers now!
Avatars 2-5
James Cameron has revealed to Famous Monsters of Filmland that he is filming all four sequels at once, rather than back-to-back, in one huge production cycle of green-screened blue people:
It’s not back-to-back. It’s really all one big production. It’s more the way you would shoot a miniseries. So we’ll be shooting across all [Avatar scripts] simultaneously. So Monday I might be doing a scene from Movie Four, and Tuesday I’m doing a scene from Movie One. … We’re working across, essentially, eight hours of story. It’s going to be a big challenge to keep it all fixed in our minds, exactly where we are, across that story arc at any given point. It’s going to be probably the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. I’m sure the actors will be challenged by that as well. It’s like, ‘No, no, no, no, this person hasn’t died yet, so you’re still in this phase of your life.’ It’s a saga. It’s like doing all three Godfather films at the same time.
X-Men
Heroic Hollywood claims that the next movie in the saga could build off Apocalypse into the legendary ‘Dark Phoenix’ saga from the comics, in which Jean Grey is possessed by a powerful cosmic entity and almost destroys the world in the process. The storyline was previously touched on in X3, but with a reboot of the timeline in Days of Future Past, the series is free to return to the well.
Han Solo Anthology
Dave Franco discusses his audition for the lead role in this film:
I’m not good with impressions. I think that’s the reason it’s so hard to cast this role, too. It’s like, do they want to like perfectly embody who Harrison Ford is, or do they want to go a completely different route? Do they want someone to look really similar [to] him? So, I don’t know, I think they’re struggling with that, maybe.
[MTV]
X-Force
Tim Miller wants the film to be R-Rated:
I’ll just say I’d like it to be an R-rated movie, but I’ve always been very realistic. We’re not making fine art here. This is commerce. So if for some reason there was a story that needed to be bigger and needed to be at a certain budget, and it didn’t warrant an R-rated budget, although it’s harder to make that argument now after Deadpool, but let’s say we were saying it before Deadpool came out; I understand that. I’m not one of those directors who goes ‘I want it because I want it!’ and ‘It should be because I think it should be!’ There’s economics at work here, and I would like it to be R-rated.
[Collider]
Equals
Director Drake Doremus discusses his first foray into science fiction:
That’s the key for sure. Trying things that feel like a challenge so you can stretch is something that gets my blood going. This was a huge challenge, and I learned a lot about VFX and creating a world so different from our own. Although I’m still very much in a place where I’m asking questions about love and relationships, I’d like to continue to tackle those things in new and interesting ways going forward.
Avengers: Infinity War
Jon Favreau has confirmed to Digital Spy that he is involved in the film:
I’m going to be executive producing the Avengers films with the Russo brothers, which I’m very excited about. I talk to them about it all the time. I’ve worked both in front of and behind the camera with Marvel, and I really love what they’re doing now.
Captain America: Civil War
Here’s a litany of new clips and snippets from the film. First, a brief snatch of new footage from the car chase sequence in this Audi promo:
The teams get a roll call in two new TV spots:
And here’s a gallery of new international posters — head to the link to see more. [CBR]
Iron Fist
Jessica Stroup and Tom Pelphrey have joined the series, playing Joy and Ward Meachum, the sibling children of David Wenham’s Harold Meachum. Joy and Ward have been running Rand Enterprises in the wake of Danny’s parents’ death, leading to an upset when Danny returns to claim what is rightfully his. [Variety]
12 Monkeys
Executive Producer Terry Matalas discusses the show’s themes in its second season:
We definitely explore the nature of sanity in some people who the world looks at as insane. People who hear voices in certain ways, and we really dig into how crazy are they? Last year was really about fatherhood and fathers and their children with Jennifer and Ramse (Kirk Acevedo), and this season is more about motherhood and mothers. That permeates from the first episode to the season finale and just how connected we are to our makers. Evolution is another one; the nature of man and time and how it’s symbiotic is another thing that we explore.
[EW]
Z Nation
TV Line reports that Keith Allan’s main character of Murphy may be recast in the third season, due to contract disputes. Syfy and The Asylum are hoping to iron them out before filming begins to avoid that outcome, however.
The Flash
Here’s a brief synopsis for “Back to Normal”:
WELLS IS ATTACKED BY DC COMICS’ CHARACTER GRIFFIN GREY — A meta-human with super strength named Griffin Grey (guest star Haig Sutherland) mistakes Harry (Tom Cavanagh) for Earth-1 Harrison Wells and kidnaps him, demanding that Wells cure him from his current condition. Realising another brilliant Wells could help track Griffin’s location, Barry asks Jesse (guest star Violett Beane) to help. Meanwhile, Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale) corners Joe (Jesse L. Martin) about The Flash.
Wells begs Joe to ask Barry to open new breaches to Earth-2 in a new clip from “Versus Zoom”.
Game of Thrones
The Waif tries to acclimatise Arya to her blindness in a new clip.
Agents of SHIELD
And finally, in two new clips from the upcoming episode, the Secret Warriors assemble and launch their attack on Malick’s base.
Additional reporting by Gordon Jackson and Charlie Jane Anders. Banner Art by Jim Cooke.
Image: X-Men: Apocalypse.