Thursday, April 30, 2015

Asa Butterfield Leads Spidey Race?

Latino Review posts that "Ender's Game" and "Hugo" star Asa Butterfield is the frontrunner to play Spider-Man as a result of the deal between Sony Pictures and Marvel to have him integrate as a part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.

 Butterfield's reps had "no comment" about the report.


 We were told last week that the potential candidates to play the role is down to 5 names--including Butterfield--former Spidey Andrew Garfield is out.

The other contenders are Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars), Tom Holland (In the Heart of the Sea),Timothee Chalamet ("Interstellar," "The Adderall Diaries") and Liam James (The Way Way Back). There were reports that Lab Rats star Billy Unger had been added to the list--Unger has since denied the chatter on Instagram.

The suits are expected to make test offers next week for the coveted role, with a decision expected in the next 2-3 weeks and a deal to then be hammered out. None of the five actors have received test offers yet, but all are said to be strong contenders who are definitely in the mix as of right now.

When the deal first came down two names were quickly mentioned as potentials to take over the role- Teen Wolf series co-star and NJ native Dylan O'Brien and  Fury co-star Logan Lerman. Both are 23 years old, both have scored good notices for their work and both could still play high school age. Bad Ass Digest reported in March that 16 -year-old actor Mateus Ward ("Murder in the First") auditioned for the role.

The plan is to stick with Peter Parker rather than introduce the more recent 13-year-old, half black, half Hispanic Miles Morales who became Spider-Man in the "Ultimate Spider-Man" storyline. It would also confirm rumors that the studio is going much younger than previous incarnations, and looking at true teenagers for the role.

Sony and Marvel had no comment regarding the list of potentials.  Whomever lands the role is expected to shoot his scenes for "Captain America: Civil War" this year

 Drew Goddard, who was originally slated to write and direct the Spidey spin-off "The Sinister Six," remains the frontrunner to direct the new film set for a July 28th 2017 release.

El Mayimbe says that the title for the Untitled Reboot of the film series may be "Spider-Man: The New Avenger". This would certainly clue audiences in on the direction the series is now headed.

Batman v Superman-DOJ: Joker Cameo? [SPOILERS]

Will Oscar winner Jared Leto's Joker from the film version of DC Entertainment's "Suicide Squad" comic book appear in Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"?   

DOJ will see the return of Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck will play Bruce Wayne/Batman amid lots of fallout--while Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane are set to reprise their roles as Lois Lane, Perry White and Martha Kent. "Fast Five" star Gal Gadot's playing Wonder Woman. Jason Momoa has been cast as Aquaman,

POTENTIAL MINOR SPOILER AHEAD

Latino Review reports that a flashback scene was recently added to Batman v Superman which will see Leto's Joker beating Batman's sidekick Jason Todd (the second Robin) to death.


The recent DOJ Trailer included a Robin memorial display case which would suggest those events depicted in the comics storyline A Death in the Family already happened and would add credence to the rumors that the studio wants to see the Red Hood villain on screen sometime in the near future.

The sequence is being shot as "Suicide Squad" goes into production in Toronto.

END SPOILERS

Speaking of The Joker, JoBlo reports that The Joker's actual look in the film will be slightly different from the photo released the other day:

"He's missing scars (which we reported on a while back as mementos from his history with Batman) and the grill/teeth are a kind of WTF addition to the image. Our source elaborates that he's scarred on his back and arms and his skin is definitely whiter than what we see below. The tattoos are brand new if even real, and may have been added to cover up the areas where his scars will be."


Meantime Cavill and Armie Hammer attended CinemaCon last week to promote "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.". Speaking with MTV, Cavill was asked if he'd seen any of BvS:

"I've only seen a little bit of ADR stuff, but that's it, and that wasn't even in color… I'm hoping to see it some time this year, for a friends and family screening or something. But I really know nothing about what the finished product looks like. I wouldn't call this a Superman sequel. This is Batman vs. Superman, so it's a separate entity altogether. It's introducing the Batman character, and expanding upon this universe, which was kicked off by Man of Steel. It's an introduction to the character, and ultimately an introduction to Justice League."

The death of Thomas and Martha Wayne will be part of the narrative with "Watchmen" actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan said to be playing Thomas.

 Ray Fisher is playing the role of Cyborg in the film. Jeremy Irons has been cast as Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth. Jesse Eisenberg is playing Lex Luthor

There were reports that suggested that the chatter about former "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston was playing Lex in the upcoming movie were true were denied by the actor. In fact he and fellow early frontrunner Mark Strong were never offered the role. Tom Hanks was internally discussed but an offer was never made.

Instead, they stuck with a next generation' mandate. We were told that Joaquin Phoenix came up as a contender for Lex. The trade says that he passed.

Latino Review reports that four secondary villains are making an appearance in DOJ: Victor Zsasz Morgan Edge Amanda Waller and David Cain.

According to their sources, the serial killer Zsasz will fight with Affleck's Batman in an early Gotham City-set scene. Edge will be the slimy public relations head of LexCorp who goes toe to toe with Lois Lane on a TV talk show. Cain will meet with Luthor's bodyguard Mercy to set up an assassination. There's also another baddie  that is yet to be cast . In this incarnation Waller's a stern, intimidating senator who sees Superman as a threat and comes up with a counter measure to stop him.

Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey and Tao Okamoto ("The Wolverine") have joined the cast. Specifics about their new characters are being kept under wraps. Australian actor Mulvey (Zero Dark Thirty ," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier") has  been rumored for the role of an (unnamed) villain in the film for quite some time now....TMZ said that he is playing Batman's greatest foe --The Joker.....Scoot McNairy ("Argo," "The Rover") has joined the film. Nobody at the studio will confirm the news or reveal what the role is.

 Spanish site El Multicine which claims that "Looper"and "Edge Of Tomorrow" actress Emily Blunt inked a deal for an unspecified role.

Batman on Film also suggests that the character of Commissioner Jim Gordon is in the film, however there's no word on potential casting or confirmation at this time. The character is front and center in Fox Broadcasting's fantastic new Fall TV Series prequel Gotham starring  , , and

More rumors ran that Girls co-star Adam Driver was the frontrunner to play the character of Dick Grayson, the post-Robin Nightwing incarnation in the film. The original story mentioned that two other actors are in the mix for the role. Less than 24 hours later "Gossip Girl" and "Easy A" star Penn Badgley and "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" and "We Need To Talk About Kevin" star Ezra Miller were said to be in mix for the part. Driver denied any such talk...With good reason since he was really up for Lex. He turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. Denzel Washington was also among a list potentials for Lex generated by Thinkmcflythink as were Idris Elba and.

Last August Superhero Report posted a photo of actress Jena Malone meeting her "Sucker Punch" director on the set. This led to speculation that she may make a cameo in the film. At the time Malone denied that talk, saying her set visit was just a visit. Channel 10 WILX in Michigan claims to have an anonymous film extra as a source who says that Malone is in the film and she's playing a female Robin aka Carrie Kelley.

Singer Justin Bieber uploaded a photo on his Instagram account showing him holding up what appeared to be a personalized script for the film with the hashtag "#Robin" but it turned out to be a prop for a Funny or Die skit.

The speedster The Flash is said to be in the script.

Meantime: The star of The CW's popular Arrow TV series Stephen Amell posted a "Justice League" comic image on his official Facebook page.  We already know that Flash (Grant Gustin) showed up there for a few eps before getting his own show (Watch an extended trailer). Could more of DC Entertainment's "Justice League" be coming to "Arrow"? The answer is yes...For now the DC Cinematic Universe will NOT co-exist with the TV heroics...There are rumors about where the films might go as well as the  TV side of things...

"Man Of Steel" writer David S. Goyer was back on the keyboard but now--THR reports that  Chris Terrio, who won an Oscar for writing Affleck's “Argo,” has been hired to write the latest draft of the MOS 2 script. 

Goyer is in the midst of developing several projects including an adaptation of author Neil Gaiman's  popular comic book series Sandman, which he’ll produce with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven return to executive produce the multi-hero film. 

Sources say the new movie is going for the tone of the relationship and fight seen in Frank Miller’s 1980s ground-breaking mini-series The Dark Knight Returns.

The DOJ release was delayed a full 10 months for a number of reasons. As a result, the original release date of July 17th 2015 was no longer. The studio then targeted a May 6th 2016 release. They quickly inserted the fantasy Pan into that original slot. The sequel was to go head to head with "Captain America 3" ...Nobody thought that the comic book pics would ultimately share the date--Sure enough DOJ blinked--and will now open on March 25th 2016.

Once DOJ is completed  Snyder will helm DC Entertainment's long planned Justice League movie The Justice League Part One--penned by "Argo" scribe Terrio

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

"Suicide Squad" Nabs Meraz & Affleck, Beefy Joker

Variety reports that Alex Meraz has joined Fury and "End of Watch" director David Ayer's film version of DC Entertainment's "Suicide Squad" comic book over at Warner Bros.


Specifics about the role are unknown.

The comic created by John Ostrander centers on incarcerated villains from the DC universe being recruited as deniable assets by the Government to go on high-risk black ops missions in exchange for more lenient or even commuted sentences. Amanda Waller ("The Help" and "How to Get Away with Murder" star Viola Davis) a prison warden and government agent is in charge of the program.

Davis beat out both Oprah Winfrey and Octavia Spencer for the Waller role.

Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) is playing the role of The Joker--Ryan Gosling was originally up for the role, but he was "unwilling to sign a deal with options for multiple movies" Joker was last portrayed by the late Heath Ledger who gave an Academy Award-winning performance in The Dark Knight. Leto was also in the running to play the lead in Marvel's long gestating Doctor Strange movie--a role that Sherlock and "Star Trek Into Darkness" star Benedict Cumberbatch now has.

 "The Wolf of Wall Street" actress Margot Robbie will play Harley Quinn  In the DC mythology Quinn is sidekick to The Clown Prince Of Crime.Robbie has been on the radar to take a role in the film shortly after the project was announced. The Quinn character was not in the early drafts of the script.

British model and actress Cara Delevingne was circling the role as well--but instead she will play
a sorceress named Enchantress.

Will Smith is tipped to play Floyd Lawton, aka. the assassin Deadshot. Australian actor Jai Courtney ("A Good Day To Die Hard," "Divergent") lands the role of Digger Harkness a.k.a. Captain Boomerang.

Joel Kinnaman ("Robocop," "The Killing") is set to replace Tom Hardy as Rick Flag. Hardy vacated the role due to scheduling issues with "The Revenant" and press commitments for "Mad Max: Fury Road". Hardy and Kinnaman star in this Spring's thriller "Child 44"

Karl Urban, former "The Walking Dead" co-star Jon Bernthal and Joel Edgerton ("The Great Gatsby") were in the running to play the role after Jake Gyllenhaal passed on replacing Hardy as team leader Flagg. Bernthal previously worked with Ayer on "Fury" and was originally suggested for the role last year before Hardy was cast.

Jay Hernandez ("Gang Related," "Hostel") has an unspecified and mysterious role in the pic-- El Mayimbe says he has some fresh news Hernandez's role in the film--it sounds as if he'll make a small cameo as Chato Santana, a.k.a. El Diablo. The character is said to be a prisoner held in the super powered criminal part of the prison alongside other DC villains

 Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje will play the bad guy Killer Croc--while Scott Eastwood, Jim Parrack, Adam Beach and Ike Barinholtz.co-star. The Hollywood Reporter added that rapper-actor Common is in the pic as well
 
Sources had Ed Harris and Max Martini ("Pacific Rim") under consideration to play the father of Rick Flag,

There was noise that The Thinker would also be in the film and Geoffrey Rush has already apparently passed on the role. On top of that, Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) joins  Joe Manganiello (“True Blood,” Magic Mike Xxl) as a potential candidate for the role of Deathstroke- a hired assassin competing with the Suicide Squad in the movie.

 Ayer performed  re-writes of an initial script by Justin Marks.

Dan Lin is producing the pic with Charles Roven.

Production takes place at Pinewood Toronto Studios from now through September of this year. The film has an August 5th 2016 release date planned

New photos from the set have Ben Affleck looking similar to that way hr did on the set of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"-- suggesting that Bruce Wayne will make an appearance in the film, though there is no confirmation...



Leto has posted an   photo of himself wearing a Superboy shirt showing off his buffed look in the film.
A photo posted by JARED LETO (@jaredleto) on

X-Men: Apocalypse: Singer Speaks And More

Production on  Bryan Singer's "X-Men: Apocalypse" has started...

Kodi Smit-McPhee As Nightcrawler

The younger actors introduced in "X-Men: First Class James McAvoy (Professor X), Michael Fassbender (Magneto) Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Nicholas Hoult (Beast) and Lucas Till (Alex “Havok” Summers), etc. are contracted for three films and are locked in to return. Rose Byrne will reprise her role of Moira MacTaggert here.

This time the mutants will take on Apocalypse, aka. En Sabah Nur (Oscar Isaac). In the comics, En Sabah Nur is the world's first mutant who was born in Egypt around 3,000 BC and had access to advanced technology. The events of the film take place in the 80's. We were told that the studio originally wanted "Inception" and "The Dark Knight Rises" actor Tom Hardy to play the bad guy in the film. The character was teased in the post-credits scene of "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (Played by Brendan Pedder).

Ben Hardy's playing Angel/Archangel Ben Foster previously appeared as Angel in X-Men: The Last Stand. In the comics, Angel loses his wings before earning them back by agreeing to join the evil Apocalypse, leading to the creation of Archangel. Speculation had pointed to him as a potential young Colossus, with his average height at 5'10"  His only other screen credit is his regular role as Peter Beale on long-running British soap "EastEnders"--his character left the show.

 Lana Condor will portray the mutant Jubilee In the comics, the character has the mutant ability to project "energy plasmoids" from her fingertips. She became a popular character due to her having a key role in the 1990s "X-Men" animated series.  Katrina Florece and Kea Wong played the role in the first three "X-Men" movies, though it was a very minimized role with no dialogue. Condor will be making her screen debut with 'Apocalypse'.

"Magic Mike," "The Newsroom" and "Mortdecai" actress Olivia Munn has won the role of Betsy Braddock, a.k.a. Psylocke. In the comics, Psylocke is a precognitive with telepathic powers, the ability to project her astral self, and the ability to project directed psionic energy.

Alexandra Shipp will play the young Storm. Tye Sheridan will play Cyclops Kodi Smit-McPhee has been cast as a young Nightcrawler and Sophie Turner will play Jean Grey.

Chloe Moretz, Hailee Steinfeld, Elle Fanning, Ben Hardy, Charlie Rowe Taron Egerton ("Kingsman: The Secret Service), Jamie Blackley ("If I Stay") Alexandra Shipp Zendaya Coleman, Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet were each the mix to play a young mutant before the final choices were made.

The adult incarnations of the characters were played by Halle Berry, Famke Janssen and James Marsden in various chapters of the film series. Alan Cumming played Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United.

It is likely that Channing Tatum will debut as the mutant Gambit here before getting a solo film

"X2: X-Men United" and "Superman Returns" screenwriters Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris as well as Simon Kinberg are writing the script for "Apocalypse" .

The film will hit theaters on May 27, 2016 opposite Alice in Wonderland 2.

Singer talked with Empire about the scale of the latest sequel:

"It's a big monster of a movie. The stakes are so high and global and the villain is so mythic. It's definitely an X-Men movie, but it really feels different."

He also talked about the new young X-Men who will appear in the pic--including Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm:

"They're as much a part of the movie as our main cast. Scott is not yet the squeaky-clean leader. Storm is a troubled character who is going down the wrong path in life. And Jean is complex, interesting and not fully mature. It's fun to see someone struggling with their powers when you know one day they'll become the most powerful person in the world."

There are set pics galore courtesy of  X-Men: News and video via Universo X-Men






Meantime El Mayimbe has posted a report suggesting that both 'Apocalypse' and the upcoming as yet Untitled Wolverine Sequel will essentially serve as the end of the "X-Men film series that began in  2000. Singer has not confirmed this report.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Talking "Captain America: Civil War" & "Avengers: Infinity War"

With Joss Whedon's superhero team up sequel "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" set to hit the US on Friday--attention is turning to next year's "Captain America: Civil War" which begins production today.

The 3rd Cap film will be an adaptation of the Captain America: Civil War storyline that sees Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) at odds with Captain America (Chris Evans) over the Superhero Registration Act - a law that forces anyone with superhuman abilities to reveal their identities to the U.S. government and agree to act as a police force for the authorities. Stark supports the program, Rogers does not because it threatens civil liberties. As a result Rogers and various others go on the run to avoid arrest. The life of Cap's girlfriend, Agent 13  (Revenge star Emily VanCamp), is torn apart as her superiors use her divided loyalties against her. Elsewhere, a new villain emerges; the Red Skull begins to make himself known; and The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) again comes face-to-face with Cap....


Evans explains to the The Washington Post how the fallout of 'Ultron' impacts Tony and leads to his decision:

"Morality hits Tony, humanity hits Tony. All of a sudden he feels responsible. Neither one of them are blindly convicted. It's blurry and that's what makes it great. No one's right, no one's wrong... It's like a marriage: We love each other but it's explosive. You're working toward the same goal but you have very different approaches to it."

RDJ adds: "It's going to make it even harder for them to come to an agreement, which I'm really excited about... I'm really stoked to see when we have more stuff to actually do together besides like act like we're about to have a fight one day."

He also spoke about it a bit more about the film during an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman last week, saying: "Well, it's called Civil War, and there was a strain of comics where Captain America and Iron Man, they went on different sides, and they fought each other. I wouldn't call either of them evil, [but they want control.]"

Downey was also asked about Spider-Man's potential appearance in the film: "He may well be... Yeah, I hear that they're looking to cast a new Spider-Man."

Badass Digest says that despite the presence of RDJ's in the film Stan's Winter Soldier is still a central figure in the action.

Chadwick Boseman will also be playing Black Panther in the film before getting that solo flick all to himself. Anthony Mackie is poised to reprise the role Harlem crime fighter Falcon.Frank Grillo is set to reprise his role as S.H.I.E.L.D; operative Brock Rumlow, who becomes the villain Crossbones. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow are also due to return. The casting of Daniel Brühl in a villain role has led to speculation that he has taken over the role of Red Skull.

There was a leak of a casting call sheet for "Cap Civil War" at MovieCastingCall.org that suggested that Bruhl will instead play iconic Marvel villain Baron Zemo in the film-- Speaking with The Independent, Bruhl confirmed he'll be playing Zemo and added: "I think I can tell you that without being thrown into Marvel prison. For the first few days I'll walk around like a little boy, just amazed by the megalomania of it. It's such a huge project. We could do 20 films with the budget."

The adapted script comes from Cap vets Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely from which Captain America: The Winter Soldier directors Anthony and Joe Russo call action.

A few weeks ago, actor Evans sat down for an interview with Esquire magazine that has just gone online where he talks about the timetable of his Marvel Cinematic Universe filming commitments:

"We start [Civil War] in a couple weeks, and then that shoots until August or something like that. August or September. Then I've got some downtime and I can do with it as I please. I don't know if I want to take time off or go pursue another directing job or find a movie to act in or, you know, do whatever I'm creatively inclined to pursue or wait, relax, enjoy my life. And then we start the Infinity War, I think, some time in the third quarter. Fall or winter of 2016. That's going to be like nine months to shoot both movies back to back."

Anthony and Joe will also helm both Avengers: Infinity War - Part I / Avengers: Infinity War - Part II. which Markus and McFeely are writing . The films hit screens in May 2018 and May 2019.

Monday, April 27, 2015

A New Cotender For Spidey, Solo Film Title?

Rumors continue about Spider-Man as a result of the deal between Sony Pictures and Marvel to have him integrate as a part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.


There were reports that Lab Rats star Billy Unger had been added to the list of potential candidates to play the new Peter Parker--Unger has since denied the chatter on Instagram.

 We were told last week that the potential candidates to play the role is down to 5 names--former Spidey Andrew Garfield is out.

The contenders are Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars), Asa Butterfield (Ender's Game, Hugo), Tom Holland (In the Heart of the Sea),Timothee Chalamet ("Interstellar," "The Adderall Diaries") and Liam James (The Way Way Back).

The suits are expected to make test offers next week for the coveted role, with a decision expected in the next 2-3 weeks and a deal to then be hammered out. None of the five actors have received test offers yet, but all are said to be strong contenders who are definitely in the mix as of right now.

When the deal first came down two names were quickly mentioned as potentials to take over the role- Teen Wolf series co-star and NJ native Dylan O'Brien and  Fury co-star Logan Lerman. Both are 23 years old, both have scored good notices for their work and both could still play high school age. Bad Ass Digest reported in March that 16 -year-old actor Mateus Ward ("Murder in the First") auditioned for the role.

The plan is to stick with Peter Parker rather than introduce the more recent 13-year-old, half black, half Hispanic Miles Morales who became Spider-Man in the "Ultimate Spider-Man" storyline. It would also confirm rumors that the studio is going much younger than previous incarnations, and looking at true teenagers for the role.

Sony and Marvel had no comment regarding the list of potentials.  Whomever lands the role is expected to shoot his scenes for "Captain America: Civil War" this year

 Drew Goddard, who was originally slated to write and direct the Spidey spin-off "The Sinister Six," remains the frontrunner to direct the new film set for a July 28th 2017 release.

El Mayimbe says that the title for the Untitled Reboot of the film series may be "Spider-Man: The New Avenger". This would certainly clue audiences in on the direction the series is now headed.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

First Photo: Leto As Joker In "Suicide Squad"

Fury and "End of Watch" director David Ayer took to Twitter for the big reveal in his film version of DC Entertainment's "Suicide Squad" comic book over at Warner Bros.


The comic created by John Ostrander centers on incarcerated villains from the DC universe being recruited as deniable assets by the Government to go on high-risk black ops missions in exchange for more lenient or even commuted sentences. Amanda Waller ("The Help" and "How to Get Away with Murder" star Viola Davis) a prison warden and government agent is in charge of the program.

Davis beat out both Oprah Winfrey and Octavia Spencer for the Waller role.

Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) is playing the role of The Joker--Ryan Gosling was originally up for the role, but he was "unwilling to sign a deal with options for multiple movies" Joker was last portrayed by the late Heath Ledger who gave an Academy Award-winning performance in The Dark Knight. Leto was also in the running to play the lead in Marvel's long gestating Doctor Strange movie--a role that Sherlock and "Star Trek Into Darkness" star Benedict Cumberbatch now has.

 "The Wolf of Wall Street" actress Margot Robbie will play Harley Quinn  In the DC mythology Quinn is sidekick to The Clown Prince Of Crime.Robbie has been on the radar to take a role in the film shortly after the project was announced. The Quinn character was not in the early drafts of the script.

British model and actress Cara Delevingne was circling the role as well--but instead she will play
a sorceress named Enchantress.

Will Smith is tipped to play Floyd Lawton, aka. the assassin Deadshot. Australian actor Jai Courtney ("A Good Day To Die Hard," "Divergent") lands the role of Digger Harkness a.k.a. Captain Boomerang.

Joel Kinnaman ("Robocop," "The Killing") is set to replace Tom Hardy as Rick Flag. Hardy vacated the role due to scheduling issues with "The Revenant" and press commitments for "Mad Max: Fury Road". Hardy and Kinnaman star in this Spring's thriller "Child 44"

Karl Urban, former "The Walking Dead" co-star Jon Bernthal and Joel Edgerton ("The Great Gatsby") were in the running to play the role after Jake Gyllenhaal passed on replacing Hardy as team leader Flagg. Bernthal previously worked with Ayer on "Fury" and was originally suggested for the role last year before Hardy was cast.

Jay Hernandez ("Gang Related," "Hostel") is in talks for an unspecified and mysterious role in the pic-- El Mayimbe says he has some fresh news Hernandez's role in the film--it sounds as if he'll make a small cameo as Chato Santana, a.k.a. El Diablo. The character is said to be a prisoner held in the super powered criminal part of the prison alongside other DC villains

 Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje will play the bad guy Killer Croc--while Scott Eastwood, Jim Parrack, Adam Beach and Ike Barinholtz.co-star. The Hollywood Reporter added that rapper-actor Common
is in the pic as well
 
Sources had Ed Harris and Max Martini ("Pacific Rim") under consideration to play the father of Rick Flag,

There was noise that The Thinker would also be in the film and Geoffrey Rush has already apparently passed on the role. On top of that, Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) joins  Joe Manganiello (“True Blood,” Magic Mike Xxl) as a potential candidate for the role of Deathstroke- a hired assassin competing with the Suicide Squad in the movie.

 Ayer performed  re-writes of an initial script by Justin Marks.

Dan Lin is producing the pic with Charles Roven.

Production will take place at Pinewood Toronto Studios from now through September of this year. The film has an August 5th 2016 release date planned


I like it...Fits Ayer's film sensibilities... 

Friday, April 24, 2015

Sam Claflin Tipped For Role In "Star Wars-Rogue One"

The Wrap reports that Sam Claflin ("The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides") is being eyed for a role in Godzilla helmer Gareth Edwards "Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One" film.


Claflin has played supporting roles in blockbusters, but the part he is being eyed for here is said to be much more substantial. 

Riz Ahmed ("Four Lions," "Nightcrawler") is in talks to join the cast as well.

British tabloid The Sun (via io9) suggested in February that the breakout star of "Kingsman: The Secret Service," Taron Egerton might play a young Han Solo in the film.

Edgar Ramirez was one of two potential candidates for the male lead in the pic. Former Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul is the other. Paul was rumored to star in the film back in December. His role in the film was not specified. The actor used Twitter to deny the rumor at the time.

 In January we learned that Rooney Mara, Felicity Jones and Tatiana Maslany were testing for the female lead in the film--along with  Mara's sister and "House of Cards" co-star Kate Mara.
 Variety reported that Oscar-nominated and "The Theory of Everything" co-star Jones has begun official talks for the role. Ben Mendelsohn.may also star.

We now know that Gary Whitta is no longer writing the script for the film. At the time Slashfilm suggested that Simon Kinberg ("X-Men: Days of Future Past," "Sherlock Holmes," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith") would take on the job--but his schedule prevents that. Instead Heat Vision said that Chris Weitz ("About A Boy," "Cinderella") will pen the next draft.

A while back chatter suggested the film will feature a team of bounty hunters and include a young Han Solo and his wookie co-pilot Chewbacca.Then more noise came that suggested the spinoff will focus on a team of bounty hunters hired by the Rebels to steal the plans of the first Death Star, as a result viewers would see the Millennium Falcon in action during the movie.

Sources for Bad Ass Digest said that the film "is about a group of 'pirates' as opposed to 'bounty hunters,' which could easily include young Mr. Solo." So rather than focusing on a group of characters like those we saw in "The Empire Strikes Back," we'd follow a team of likable rogues akin to James Gunn's film adaptation of Marvel 's Guardians of the Galaxy"

Latino Review reports that according to their sources, both Boba Fett and Solo will be featured in this untitled spinoff. Said film will NOT revolve around stealing the plans for the first Death Star as had been previously indicated, but rather is reportedly set before that event. .

They say the story will deal with the relationships between Han, Boba and other criminals - specifically The Hutts which could "kick off a new series of Star Wars movies."

Meantime, Making Star Wars reports that the film will be shot in Mexico, and that "bounty hunters are important to the film." Crew members are also expected to redress some of the sets from J J. Abrams' "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" for use in the spinoff which will reportedly shoot under the code name "Los Alamos."

There is speculation that said Mexico location may be used to stand in for the planet Geonosis, the planet we saw in 'Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" where the plans for the Death Star were created and where Jango Fett's body is.
 
Production on the project is expected to get underway at Pinewood Studio sometime in 2015, likely after the currently shooting James Bond film "Spectre"
wraps, The spin off is currently targeting a December 16th 2016 release.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

5 Actors Circle Spidey Role

The potential candidates to play the role of Spider-Man as a result of the deal between Sony Pictures and Marvel is down to 5 names reports The Wrap--former Spidey Andrew Garfield is out.

The contenders are Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars), Asa Butterfield (Ender's Game, Hugo), Tom Holland (In the Heart of the Sea),Timothee Chalamet ("Interstellar," "The Adderall Diaries") and Liam James (The Way Way Back).


The suits are expected to make test offers next week for the coveted role, with a decision expected in the next 2-3 weeks and a deal to then be hammered out. None of the five actors have received test offers yet, but all are said to be strong contenders who are definitely in the mix as of right now.

When the deal came down two names were quickly mentioned as potentials to take over the role- Teen Wolf series co-star and NJ native Dylan O'Brien and  Fury co-star Logan Lerman. Both are 23 years old, both have scored good notices for their work and both could still play high school age. Bad Ass Digest reported in March that 16 -year-old actor Mateus Ward ("Murder in the First") auditioned for the role.

The plan is to stick with Peter Parker rather than introduce the more recent 13-year-old, half black, half Hispanic Miles Morales who became Spider-Man in the "Ultimate Spider-Man" storyline. It would also confirm rumors that the studio is going much younger than previous incarnations, and looking at true teenagers for the role.

Sony and Marvel had no comment regarding the list of potentials.  Whomever lands the role is expected to shoot his scenes for "Captain America: Civil War" this year

 Drew Goddard, who was originally slated to write and direct the Spidey spin-off "The Sinister Six," remains the frontrunner to direct the new film set for a July 28th 2017 release.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

First Snapshots: "Point Break" Redux

The first photos for Alcon Entertainment's remake of the 1991 action thriller "Point Break" have dropped.


Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow's original flick remains one of the best guilty pleasure action flicks. Keanu Reeves played FBI agent Johnny Utah who goes undercover investigating a group of bank robbers called the Ex-Presidents who happen to be surfers -wanting to ride the ultimate wave. Patrick Swayze co-starred as Bohdi.

This new version though trades surfing and skydiving for "the world of international extreme sports" but we don't yet know which of those sports are going to be used as the pic's hook.

"300" and "Olympus Has Fallen" star 'Gerard Butler exited the lead role of  Bohdi in the redux last year over both creative differences and a scheduling conflict. Butler is committed to filming the "Olympus" sequel "London Has Fallen" this Fall. Edgar Ramirez now takes over the lead role.

Australian actor Luke Bracey will play the Utah role that really put Reeves on the map. Both Garrett Hedlund and Nicholas Hoult were considered for the part--the studio also tested Luke Grimes, and Christian Cooke for the coveted role, while Sam Claflin was also in the mix. Bracey came out on top.

Delroy Lindo ("Ransom," "Gone in 60 Seconds") will plays an FBI instructor who tries to motivate Utah to pass training. Theresa Palmer ("Warm Bodies") will play Bracey's love interest, matching the -Reeves romance dynamic of the previous film.Ray Winstone has joined the cast as Pappas, the role played by Gary Busey in the original flick. Clemens Schick is set to play one of the main henchmen.

The new version has been penned by Salt's Kurt Wimmer who promises the new script "infuses the story and characters with new twists and settings".

Cinematographer turned filmmaker Ericson Core ("Invincible") is set to helm

 Michael De Luca, John Baldecchi, Chris Taylor Broderick Johnson Andrew Kosove and Wimmer will produce.

Production took place in ten countries across the globe to meet an December 25th 2015 release date.


Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Batman v Superman-DOJ: Ben's Bat-Threads


Following the debut of the first trailer for Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and an IMAX event last night the helmer tweeted out a look at the full batsuit from the film...





DOJ will see the return of Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck will play Bruce Wayne/Batman amid lots of fallout--while Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane are set to reprise their roles as Lois Lane, Perry White and Martha Kent. "Fast Five" star Gal Gadot's playing Wonder Woman. Jason Momoa has been cast as Aquaman,

The death of Thomas and Martha Wayne will be part of the narrative with "Watchmen" actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan said to be playing Thomas.

 Ray Fisher is playing the role of Cyborg in the film. Jeremy Irons has been cast as Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth. Jesse Eisenberg is playing Lex Luthor

There were reports that suggested that the chatter about former "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston was playing Lex in the upcoming movie were true were denied by the actor. In fact he and fellow early frontrunner Mark Strong were never offered the role. Tom Hanks was internally discussed but an offer was never made.

Instead, they stuck with a next generation' mandate. We were told that Joaquin Phoenix came up as a contender for Lex. The trade says that he passed.

Latino Review reports that four secondary villains are making an appearance in DOJ: Victor Zsasz Morgan Edge Amanda Waller and David Cain.

According to their sources, the serial killer Zsasz will fight with Affleck's Batman in an early Gotham City-set scene. Edge will be the slimy public relations head of LexCorp who goes toe to toe with Lois Lane on a TV talk show. Cain will meet with Luthor's bodyguard Mercy to set up an assassination. There's also another baddie  that is yet to be cast . In this incarnation Waller's a stern, intimidating senator who sees Superman as a threat and comes up with a counter measure to stop him.

Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey and Tao Okamoto ("The Wolverine") have joined the cast. Specifics about their new characters are being kept under wraps. Australian actor Mulvey (Zero Dark Thirty ," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier") has  been rumored for the role of an (unnamed) villain in the film for quite some time now....TMZ said that he is playing Batman's greatest foe --The Joker.....Scoot McNairy ("Argo," "The Rover") has joined the film. Nobody at the studio will confirm the news or reveal what the role is.

 Spanish site El Multicine which claims that "Looper"and "Edge Of Tomorrow" actress Emily Blunt inked a deal for an unspecified role.

Batman on Film also suggests that the character of Commissioner Jim Gordon is in the film, however there's no word on potential casting or confirmation at this time. The character is front and center in Fox Broadcasting's fantastic new Fall TV Series prequel Gotham starring  , , and

More rumors ran that Girls co-star Adam Driver was the frontrunner to play the character of Dick Grayson, the post-Robin Nightwing incarnation in the film. The original story mentioned that two other actors are in the mix for the role. Less than 24 hours later "Gossip Girl" and "Easy A" star Penn Badgley and "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" and "We Need To Talk About Kevin" star Ezra Miller were said to be in mix for the part. Driver denied any such talk...With good reason since he was really up for Lex. He turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. Denzel Washington was also among a list potentials for Lex generated by Thinkmcflythink as were Idris Elba and.

Last August Superhero Report posted a photo of actress Jena Malone meeting her "Sucker Punch" director on the set. This led to speculation that she may make a cameo in the film. At the time Malone denied that talk, saying her set visit was just a visit. Channel 10 WILX in Michigan claims to have an anonymous film extra as a source who says that Malone is in the film and she's playing a female Robin aka Carrie Kelley.

Singer Justin Bieber uploaded a photo on his Instagram account showing him holding up what appeared to be a personalized script for the film with the hashtag "#Robin" but it turned out to be a prop for a Funny or Die skit.

The speedster The Flash is said to be in the script.

Meantime: The star of The CW's popular Arrow TV series Stephen Amell posted a "Justice League" comic image on his official Facebook page.  We already know that Flash (Grant Gustin) showed up there for a few eps before getting his own show (Watch an extended trailer). Could more of DC Entertainment's "Justice League" be coming to "Arrow"? The answer is yes...For now the DC Cinematic Universe will NOT co-exist with the TV heroics...There are rumors about where the films might go as well as the  TV side of things...

"Man Of Steel" writer David S. Goyer was back on the keyboard but now--THR reports that  Chris Terrio, who won an Oscar for writing Affleck's “Argo,” has been hired to write the latest draft of the MOS 2 script. 

Goyer is in the midst of developing several projects including an adaptation of author Neil Gaiman's  popular comic book series Sandman, which he’ll produce with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven return to executive produce the multi-hero film. 

Sources say the new movie is going for the tone of the relationship and fight seen in Frank Miller’s 1980s ground-breaking mini-series The Dark Knight Returns.

The DOJ release was delayed a full 10 months for a number of reasons. As a result, the original release date of July 17th 2015 was no longer. The studio then targeted a May 6th 2016 release. They quickly inserted the fantasy Pan into that original slot. The sequel was to go head to head with "Captain America 3" ...Nobody thought that the comic book pics would ultimately share the date--Sure enough DOJ blinked--and will now open on March 25th 2016.

Once DOJ is completed  Snyder will helm DC Entertainment's long planned Justice League movie The Justice League Part One--penned by "Argo" scribe Terrio