M. Night Shyamalan’s next mysterious movie taps a suitably mysterious cast. Bryce Dallas Howard discusses filming Jurassic World: Dominion during covid-19. Go behind the scenes of making Bill & Ted Face the Music. Plus, Henry Cavill gets dirty for The Witcher season 2, and what’s to come on Lovecraft Country. Spoilers get!
Kraven the Hunter
Deadline reports J.C. Chandor (Triple Frontier) has been hired to direct a solo Kraven the Hunter movie at Sony as part of their burgeoning roster of Spider-Man-related films. Nothing more is known about the film at the moment, beyond that Sony’s desire to spin off the character has been something the studio has planned for a while.
M. Night Shyamalan
Embeth Davidtz, Rufus Sewell, and Emun Elliot have joined the cast of M. Night Shyamalan’s mysterious new movie at Universal in undisclosed roles. [Deadline]
American Reaper/Reaper Files
Ciarán Foy will direct and co-write a film adaptation of Pat Mills’ and Clint Langley’s sci-fi-noir comic, American Reaper/Reaper Files for Amblin Partners. Set in the near future, the story concerns elderly members of the ruling class hijacking the bodies of young people in order to prolong their lives. Because the crime has become so rampant in the United States, law enforcement has been forced to create a new division the public nicknames “Reapers.” [Bloody-Disgusting]
Songbird
According to Deadline, STX Films has acquired the distribution rights to Michael Bay’s covid-19 thriller set two years in the future.
Jurassic World: Dominion
Bryce Dallas Howard discussed what it’s like to film during a global pandemic in a new Instagram post.
Going back to work I’m reminded that when people work together, pretty much anything is possible. The intersection of a global pandemic and a revolution has emphasised (in every industry) how flawed current systems are. Even more, it’s shown how as a collective we have an opportunity to transform the infrastructure of the entertainment industry in its entirety and for the better.
Though the changes on sets are a product of a COVID world, I and so many others believe many of the protocols will last far beyond the current visible crisis. Protocols around effective communication, collaborative decision-making, and consent and touch are examples of a system that above all prioritises equity. We are rebuilding set dynamics and creating an environment in which all parties feel safe, heard, and supported. That’s a space we will strive for, pandemic or not. The only way for any of us to remain safe is having access to support and information and the power to speak up. It’s time that we all step into that power.
While there are unforeseen challenges ahead (because who knows what else 2020 has in store for us), our Jurassic family is an adaptable group. I am so unbelievably fortunate to be able to go back to work with this group of guinea pigs — read the full @nytimes article in my bio! ????
Love & Monsters/Monster Problems
Paramount’s’ Monster Problems has officially changed its title to Love & Monsters and will now reach at-home PVOD on October 17. The story follows a young man (Dylan O’Brien) braving a monster apocalypse to find his high school sweetheart (Jessica Henwick). “Along his dangerous journey, he makes unlikely friends including a heroic dog and a pair of survivalists (Michael Rooker, Ariana Greenblatt) who help him survive.” [Bloody-Disgusting]
The Northman
Deadline confirms production has officially begun on Robert Eggers’ Viking film starring Björk, Bill Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård, Claes Bang and Willem Dafoe.
Bill & Ted Face the Music
A featurette with the cast of Bill & Ted Face the Music includes new footage of Queen Elizabeth in the Sahara Desert.
The New Mutants
Another new TV spot hypes the theatrical release of New Mutants on September 3.
Antebellum
We also have a new clip from Antebellum.
Moonbase 8
Showtime has ordered Moonbase 8, a new half-hour sci-fi/comedy starring Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker, and John C. Reilly to series. The story is said to follow “three subpar astronauts living at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator with high hopes of being chosen to travel to the moon.” [Spoiler TV]
The Witcher
Henry Cavill shared a new behind-the-scenes photo from the second season of The Witcher.
Lovecraft Country
The gang search for missing pages in the synopsis for “A History of Violence,” the September 7 episode of Lovecraft Country.
After Christina mysteriously shows up at her doorstep, Leti confronts Atticus about his plan to surreptitiously return to Florida. Later, in search of missing pages to a crucial text, Leti, Tic, and Montrose head to Boston, with Hippolyta and Diana (Jada Harris) along for the ride. Back in Chicago, a handsome stranger nurses Ruby’s disappointment over a squandered job opportunity.
Teleplay by Misha Green; Story by Wes Taylor; directed by Victoria Mahoney.
The Right Stuff
Patrick J. Adams, Jake McDorman, Colin O’Donoghue, James Lafferty, Aaron Staton, Michael Trotter, and Micah Stock play America’s first astronauts in Disney+’s adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s book. The press release says, “with a two-episode premiere on Friday, October 9… the eight-episode season is an inspirational look at the early days of the U.S. Space Program and the iconic story of America’s first astronauts, the Mercury 7.”
Madagascar: A Little Wild
Hulu released a teaser for a new animated prequel series set to be streamed on both Hulu and Peacock on September 8. No Australian release date is confirmed.
Hausen
Finally, a haunted house feeds on the anger of its occupants — in this case, a single father and his sixteen-year-old son — in the trailer for Hausen, a new series from Sky Germany premiering next year.
Banner art by Jim Cooke.