TM Movie News: Ant-Mania, Hateful Eight, Spidey & more!

- by Steve Garcia, 27 January 2014

Happy Monday, Trash Muties! When’s Batman gonna fight Superman? How many Ant-Men will be in that Ant-Man movie? Did you know Mr. Freeze could sing? What’s up with Assassin’s Creed? Which beloved superhero just got an all-star cast for an upcoming film? Why are there so many questions?! Take my hand, Mutants: It’s Movie News time!

Annabelle:

• Because of the film’s huge financial success, the creepy doll from The Conjuring will be getting its own spinoff film, and production will officially begin in late January. The Conjuring director James Wan will produce the spin-off, and Annabelle Wallis (X-Men: First Class, The Tudors)and Ward Horton (The Wolf of Wall Street) are set to star. The Conjuring’s cinematographer, John Leonetti will direct. It should also be noted that a sequel is still in the works, and that the original’s stars, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will not be in the prequel. 

Ant-Man:

• We have our Ant-Man (again)! Alongside Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, Michael Douglas has officially signed on to play an older Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man first introduced in 1962. Here’s what Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had to say about the casting decision of the Academy Award winning actor:
  
• “With Hank Pym’s rich history in the Marvel Universe, we knew we needed an actor capable of bringing the weight and stature to the role that the character deserves. We felt incredibly relieved when Michael Douglas agreed to step into the part with the charm and fortitude he brings to every character he inhabits, and couldn’t be more excited to see what he will do to bring Hank Pym to life.”
  
• The minute the casting was announced, tons of speculation flooded the web (as it always does), as Pym’s age in the comics are close to that of Tony Stark or Bruce Banner. Back in 2006, when the Ant-Man script was in its early stages, Wright decided that he wanted both Ant-Men to be in the film, using Pym’s character as an early superhero from the 1960’s who will later mentor Scott Lang in the present-day. While the plot of the film is still under wraps, and scripts tend to change over time, it is unknown if that is the approach being taken, but if Ant-Man ends up being a Batman Beyond-esque take on the Ant-Man characters, I think it’s safe to say that this film just got exponentially more interesting!
  
• In other Ant-News, actor Michael Peña (American Hustle, Shooter) is apparently up for a supporting role. Being that this seems to be a completely different take on the Ant-Man mythos, speculations have been everywhere from various obscure comic book villains to a young Fidel Castro (yeah, I don’t get it either). An unspecified female lead has also yet to be cast, which will undoubtedly be for the Wasp, a founding Avengers member and Hank Pym’s second wife in the comic books. Rumors are still strong for actress Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) and Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help, 50/50). 
  
• But wait, there’s more! Because WB decided to move the Man of Steel sequel back a year, Marvel Studios seized the opportunity and claimed that date for Ant-Man! While we have to wait to see the World’s Finest punch each other even longer, at least Ant-Man will hold us over. Rejoice with me, fellow Ant-Fans! July 17, 2015 is ours!
  
  

Assassin's Creed:

• According to Twitch Film, director Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Easy Money) is in talks to spearhead the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed movie. Michael Fassbender is still attached to star in the project, filming is allegedly set to begin this August, and it’s slated for an August 7, 2015 release. 

Avatar Sequels:

• Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Stephen Lang are officially on board for not only Avatar 2, but 3 and 4 as well! According to Worthington, the plan is that the sequels will be filming back-to back-to back, so it appears that the next few years will be incredibly busy ones for the cast and crew. Avatar 2 is set to start filming this October, James Cameron is of course coming back to direct, and Avatar fans have never been happier. Rejoice!
  

Avengers: Age of Ultron:

• While Ultron will be the big baddie in the upcoming Avengers film, it appears that he’ll be getting help from actor Thomas Kretschmann (Wanted, The Pianist), who has just signed on for a villainous role. While there is no official word on who the actor will be playing, HYDRA’s Baron Von Strucker is the first name to pop up across the entire internet. He supposedly signed on for a seven-picture deal, so if he does end up playing Strucker, it appears that HYDRA will be a major thorn in the side of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for many years to come. How exciting!
  

Captain Underpants:

• In a world where Ant-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and all those other fantastic superheroes to grace the big screen, it was only a matter of time before the beloved Captain Underpants was thrown into the ring! A Dreamworks project, an all-star cast featuring Ed Helms, Kevin Hart, Jordan Peele, Nick Kroll, and David Middleditch has just been announced. And courtesy of The Wrap, we have our unofficial synopsis! Take a look:
  
• “Hart and Middleditch will voice scheming fourth graders George Beard and Harold Hutchins, who love playing pranks, hiding in their secret tree house and writing comic books. But when they accidentally bring their favorite comic book character, Captain Underpants, to life through a hypnosis accident involving their megalomaniacal principal Mr. Krupp (Helms), their elementary school life becomes anything but elementary.”
  
• Unmentioned in the passage, Nick Kroll will be playing Underpants’s arch nemesis: Professor Poopypants. It’s finally happening, folks!
  

Despicable Me 3, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Pets:

• The third installment of the Despicable Me franchise is in full swing, as Illumination Entertainment has officially slated its release date for June 30, 2017. Along with this news, the studio also set a release date for the upcoming animated adaptation for Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which will be November 17, 2017. The latest Grinch will be directed by Pete Candeland, an animator who has worked on films such as Balto and The Return of Jafar.
  
• But wait, there’s more! A third date, February 12, 2016 was also set aside for a Pets animated film to be directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me). Names attached to do voicework include Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, and Eric Stonestreet. Between original projects like Despicable Me and the Dr. Seuss adaptations, Universal is killing it in the animation department. Can’t wait to hear about this new Pets thing!
  

Dr. Strange:

• Along with Ant-Man, Dr. Strange has been another Marvel film that’s been in development for a while now. Apparently locked in for Marvel Studio’s “Phase Three,” casting rumors have officially begun, as the hit-or-miss Latino Review claims that Johnny Depp has been eyed for the role of the Sorcerer Supreme. While the film is still years and years away, nothing is set in stone, so don’t get your hopes up too high, Muties! Either way, the good doctor will be getting his time to shine soon enough!
  

Fantastic Four:

• Fox has been apparently hard at work to get a Fantastic Four reboot up and running, as the sudden script rewrite has been finished, and that actors can and will be auditioned by the end of the month. Actors Miles Teller (Project X), Richard Madden and Kit Harington (both on Game of Thrones) are up for the part of Reed Richards, the stretchingly brilliant Mr. Fantastic, and his wife the Invisible Woman, Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones) and Kate Mara (House of Cards) are apparently being looked at. We still have no official word on who the Human Torch or the Thing will be, but that Michael B. Jordan Human Torch rumor still stands strong. The film is slated for a June 19, 2015 release.

The Hateful Eight:

• After Quentin Tarantino’s latest script for The Hateful Eight was leaked online, the angry director has put the film on indefinite hold. His current plan is to now turn the would-be hit into a book, as he’s already begun writing an entirely new film altogether. His statement on the matter:
  
• “I’m very, very depressed. I finished a script, a first draft, and I didn't mean to shoot it until next winter, a year from now. I gave it to six people, and apparently it’s gotten out today. I do like the fact that everyone eventually posts it, gets it and reviews it on the net. Frankly, I wouldn't want it any other way. I like the fact that people like my shit, and that they go out of their way to find it and read it. But I gave it to six motherfucking people! I’m going to publish it, and that’s it for now. I give it out to six people and if I can’t trust them to that degree, then I have no desire to make it. I’ll publish it. I’m done. I’ll move on to the next thing. I’ve got ten more where that came from.”
  
• While there’s no official word from the man himself, Tarantino’s new film will apparently be a prison movie, specifically dealing with the Robert Blake Case. For those unaware, Blake is an actor who was tried and acquitted for the murder of his wife. If that is indeed the case, that will certainly be a film worth checking out. We’ll see!
  

Magic: The Gathering:

• Fox is developing a feature film based on the popular card game: Magic: The Gathering after gaining the rights from Hasbro. X-Men writer Simon Kinberg is set to produce and develop the film. Being that the game is more than twenty-years-old, it’s quite surprising that it has not had a film of its own by now, especially considering its popularity among the audiences that successful films like The Hobbit generally attract. Good news for fans regardless, though!
  

Man of Steel Sequel:

• Warner Bros. has officially pushed back the highly anticipated sequel to Man of Steel from July 17, 2015 to May 6, 2016. Here’s the official press release:
  

BURBANK, CA – January 17, 2014 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that the release of Zack Snyder’s untitled Superman/Batman film has been moved to May 6, 2016, allowing the filmmakers time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story. The decision was made following the shift of the start of production to second quarter of this year. The Studio has also set a July 17, 2015, worldwide release date for its as-yet-untitled all-new Peter Pan adventure. Joe Wright will direct the epic live-action film about the boy who would never grow up, created by J.M. Barrie. The dual date announcement was made by Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President, International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “We are happy to take advantage of these coveted summer dates, which are perfect for two of our biggest tent pole releases. We share the fans’ excitement to see DC Comics’ most popular figures, Superman and Batman, together on the big screen for the first time, which will now be arriving in theatres in May 2016. Peter Pan has delighted people of every generation for more than a century, so we are thrilled to bring him back to the screen next summer for today’s moviegoers.”

Kwan Vandenberg added, “We know that there is already great anticipation building for the next Super Hero film from Zack Snyder, and we are equally eager to see what he has in store for Superman and Batman as they share the big screen for the first time ever. The summer release corridor is also perfect for Joe Wright’s ambitious new Peter Pan adventure, reimagining the ageless story of the beloved and forever-young hero for audiences worldwide.”

Zack Snyder’s Superman/Batman film stars Henry Cavill, reprising his role as Superman/Clark Kent, and Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne. The film will also reunite “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane, and also stars Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince.

Snyder will direct the film from a screenplay written by David S. Goyer, from a story co-created by Goyer and Snyder. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan and Wesley Coller serving as executive producers.

The film is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, Batman characters created by Bob Kane, and Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, published by DC Entertainment.

• Of course it’s a huge bummer that audiences will have to wait nearly a year longer for Batman and Superman to show up on the big screen together, but this decision was ultimately made for the best. While the press release did not go into specifics as to what “realize fully their vision” actually means, the recent script rewrite involving Argo writer Chris Terrio may have influenced the sudden change of pace! But just because the release date has changed, doesn’t mean that production has come to a halt, ladies and gents! Filming is still set to start early this year, as Ben Affleck himself was forced to drop a directing gig for a Fox pilot in order to be the hero that Gotham needs (but not the one it deserves, according to that one movie)! Director Zack Snyder and Superman actor Henry Cavil have been spotted in Michigan recently, where filming is expected to take place, while Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot claimed that she will not be filming anything until at least this May. 2016 is so close, and yet so far away!
  

STUFF YOU SHOULD LOOK AT:


All Hail The King:

• Marvel released a clip from the upcoming short starring the guy who isn’t the Mandarin! Ben Kingsly! LOOK AT IT!
  

The Amazing Spider-Man 2:

• We have more pictures! Pictures of Spider-Man! LOOK AT THEM!
  

Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher:

• If there’s any character that needs to be in an Avengers-labeled animated movie, it’s the Punisher. Right? RIGHT?! LOOK AT IT!
  

Frozen:

• Frozen’s hit song “Let it Go” was nominated for an Academy Award! Soon after that, this beautiful thing hit the web! LOOK AT IT!
  

• That’s not enough? Fine! Here’s another rendition of the same lovely tune as sung by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s very own Mr. Freeze! LOOK AT IT!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay:

• The new poster for Monckingjay is out! This bird is on FIRE! LOOK AT IT!
  

Son of Batman:

• Batman’s back in an all-new direct to DVD animated feature! Based on the work of Grant Morrison! Deathstroke’s in it! LOOK AT IT!
  

X-Men: Days of Future Past:

• Bryan Singer, that tease! Look at what he posted on his X-Men Instagram! I spy an Uncanny X-Force member! LOOK AT IT!
  

And that’s the game! What do you think about all this Ant-Man news? Did WB make the right call to push back Man of Steel 2? What’d you think of that X-Men teaser? Is “Let it Go” on your iPod yet? It’s on mine! That’ll do it for this week, ladies and gentlemen! Be good to one another!

Tagged: TM Movie News.

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