While Warner Bros. and DC are attempting to steal Marvel's title of Most Ambitious Cinematic Universe, lest we forget the burgeoning superpower that is 20th Century Fox. Wangling the rights to Marvel's X-Men and a slew of other supporting characters, their X-Universe has birthed an incredibly successful franchise. With the exception of one, solitary flick; X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Critically blasted, the flick did however introduce a TON of fan favourites from the inked panels, including The Blob, Deadpool (who's also got a stand-alone flick on the way) and... Gambit.
Right back at the beginning of his career, James Wan was earmarked as a director to keep an eye on. After charging out of the gate ten years ago with the release of torture porn yardstick, Saw, his innovative take on scares completely revitalised the horror genre. As he's continued to venture down that path with both Insidious and The Conjuring, it came as a surprise to many when news broke that he had signed on to direct Fast & Furious 7. But wait a second, the internet cried, a horror auteur helming an octane-laced car movie?
Can you believe it's been a decade since the first Saw movie landed in theatres? In order to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the torturous franchise, the original film is hitting select cinemas once again on Halloween for a limited one week engagement. After all, the success of the series is certainly something worth celebrating! Between 2004 and 2010 a whopping seven films were released. Their continued box office success came down to fan demand, as audiences returned to multiplexes every year to witness the depraved antics of violent social commentator, Jigsaw. The question is, will the madman come out of retirement for one more game?
Gal Gadot is not going to put her new Wonder Woman physique to waste. After she finishes up shooting Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, THR reports that the actress may hop aboard MGM's Ben-Hur remake. At this stage the actress is in early talks with the studio, who are keen to unleash their biblical sandal reboot on a new generation of filmgoers in the next eighteen months.
Paul Schrader's Dying Of The Light has gone through a whirlwind of interference. In fact, it's starting to look like this could be another case of a troubled production overshadowing the actual film itself. After Nicolas Winding Refn downshifted from director to executive producer, Schrader set about creating a corking actioner with Nicolas Cage as a CIA agent suffering from dementia. During post-production, the film's producers previewed an early version and decided it needed a re-edit; without Schrader's consent. Now we've the chance to judge for ourselves if they did a decent job, with the film's first trailer offering a glimpse at the remains of Schrader's masterpiece.
Today we've learned from Variety that The Dark Knight himself, Christian Bale, is currently in talks to play Steve Jobs in Sony's upcoming biopic of the Apple founder.
Don't worry, you've not stepped into an alternate universe wherein the Ashton Kutcher version no longer exists. It still does. However, this new feature intends to walk a different path and approach Jobs' life from a unique angle. With Danny Boyle directing and Aaron Sorkin on scripting duties, such a talented duo are undoubtedly gonna carve out something special. The pic will be adapted from Walter Isaacson's biography, entitled Jobs, which Sorkin has hinted will play around with the typical biopic structure. Split into three "acts", each 30 minute scene will focus on Jobs at the time of three major product launches - the Mac, the NeXT and the iPod.
Quit your grinnin' and drop your linen! No, your eyes are not deceiving you. According to the guys over at Badass Digest, there's a new name in the mix for the role of Doctor Strange, and it's none other than Scottish thesp, Ewan McGregor. Bear in mind, this is a rumour at the moment so until we hear official word, take it with a grain of salt.
Watching the new trailer for Katie Holmes' upcoming thriller, Miss Meadows, one question immediately springs to mind: why has it taken this long for Holmes to harness her inner badass? Harnessing a deadpan line delivery and keen familiarity with firearms, she looks like she's aiming for a new career trajectory altogether. And it's one that's very, very welcome.
Girls creator and star Lena Dunham has signed on to write an adaptation of Karen Cushman's award-winning YA novel, Catherine, Called Birdy. Known for her acerbic and brilliantly-realised insights into twenty-something women, Dunham is changing tack by addressing an altogether different demographic this time around. The news comes from Variety (via /Film), who say the actress revealed the news herself at the New Yorker festival. “I’m going to adapt Catherine, Called Birdy and hopefully direct it,” she told the crowd. “I just need to find someone who wants to fund a PG-13 medieval movie.”
Last year's magician thriller, Now You See Me, didn't exactly receive universal critical acclaim. While it was certainly an enjoyable romp with a couple of twists chucked in, it failed to revive the genre after the 2006 double-whammy of The Prestige and The Illusionist. Still, that's unimportant as it raked in a sufficient haul at the box office to warrant a sequel that we're not sure is entirely needed. It's been a while since we've heard official word on any new casting for the follow-up, and today's scoop from The Wrap has now transformed the second outing into a far more enticing affair.
