DEVELOPMENT HELL
Say, did James Cameron ever make that Spider-Man movie?
He moves in mysterio ways! SPIDER-MAN 2
Marvel’s webslinger looks set to tangle with classic comic book foe Mysterio in the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming. And Jake Gyllenhaal is tipped to take on the unique thesping challenge of squeezing his head into a murky fishbowl to bring the character to the screen. Debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man #13 way back in 1964, Mysterio is really Quentin Beck, a special effects wiz at a major studio who uses his mastery of illusion to pull off audacious crimes (yes, this was before the rise of CGI, though we’re sure some diabolical mastermind could use the power of the ILM render farm to rob a downtown bank or two). Gyllenhaal’s been in Marvel’s sights before – he was a contender to play Doctor Strange before Benedict Cumberbatch picked up the All-Seeing Eye. Michael
Keaton will also reprise his turn as the Vulture in the Europe-set sequel, which is due to be released 5 July 2019.
P-P-Picking up a Penguin? THE BATMAN
So who’s the villain in the next Batman movie? Back when Ben Affleck was attached to direct he was all set to face off against Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke, hence that post-credits sting in
Justice League. But now writer/ director Matt Reeves is said to be eyeing none other than Oswald Cobblepot, alias “bold bird of banditry” ™ the Penguin as the main threat to Gotham City’s property values. But there’s a twist: if Reeves chooses not to use
Your monthly glimpse into Hollywood’s hoped-for future
the “fowl feathered fink” ™ then there’s a chance he may be the lead villain in Harley Quinn spin-off Birds Of Prey. Strap in, here’s a seamless segue into that movie… “I pitched the idea of an R-rated girl gang film including Harley, because I was like ‘Harley needs friends,’” Margot Robbie tells Collider. “I wasn’t seeing enough girl gangs on screen, especially in the action space… And then of course having a female director [Cathy Yan] to tell that story. And giving a female director the chance to do big-budget stuff. They always get ‘Here’s the tiny little film…’ I was like, ‘I love action films. I’m a girl. What, are we meant to only like a specific thing?’”
generation X-men!
BILL AND TED FACE THE MUSIC
File under bodacious: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter will reprise their roles as slacker time travellers Bill and Ted in a third excellent adventure. The screenplay’s by original creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon while the director is confirmed as Dean Parisot, the man who gave us Galaxy Quest. Steven Soderbergh’s onboard as executive producer. The belated threequel finds our heroes facing up to middle-age and still struggling to write a half-decent song, let alone the greatest song in history. Odious! Then a strange visitor from the future arrives, warning them that only their song can save all life as we know it. Egregious! Into the fourth dimension they go, searching for that crucial tune, assisted by their daughters, key figures from history and a smattering of music industry legends. Resplendent! And not remotely bogus.
3:10 to Jabba!
BOBA FETT: A STAR WARS STORY
Dust down the wookiee scalps and prime the concussion grenades. Lucasfilm confirms that everyone’s favourite Sarlacc snack is heading to the screen in a standalone adventure. It’s a project that’s been in development for a while, in fact. Fantastic Four’s Josh Trank was original choice of helmer before he parted ways with that galaxy far, far away in 2015. Now Logan’s James Mangold is signed to direct, potentially co-writing the screenplay with producer Simon Kinberg. Mangold also gave us The Wolverine and has solid credits beyond the adamantium-plated entries on his resume: he directed acclaimed Western remake 3:10 To Yuma as well as Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line. We’re already salivating at the prospect of Boba breaking into a throaty rendition of “Don’t Take Your Guns To Town”.
we’ve been eXPecting you! BOND 25
Turns out the signal intelligence was legitimate and not part of some fiendish SMERSH disinformation campaign. Danny Boyle is officially licenced to Bond: he’s signed to helm 007’s next big-screen mission, working from a script by longtime collaborator John Hodge. “It’s not normally my cup of tea,” Boyle confesses (deep-cut trivia: in Fleming’s Goldfinger Bond declares, “I don’t drink tea. I hate it. It’s mud.”). “I like watching big films but I don’t think I’m necessarily good at making them. Then I thought, ‘No, you shouldn’t think like that.’” Apparently there’s a killer concept at the heart of Boyle and Hodge’s take. “We have this idea about what we want to do with Bond and I felt we should have a go because of this idea. So we are trying to stay true to our principles.” Production begins 3 December at Bond’s ancestral home, Pinewood, aiming a Walther PPK at a 25 October 2019 release in the UK.
as tHe crow flies… THE CROW
Sony’s remake of The Crow just can’t catch a break, it seems. The eternally revolving carousel of talent associated with the project just lost another couple of high-profile names – not just the film’s star, Jason Momoa, but its director, Corin Hardy. As Oscar Wilde might have said, “To lose one talent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both… wait, dawg, what’s The Crow?” If we were to list everybody who’s bailed on this film since Stephen Norrington announced his reboot plans in 2008 we’d run perilously low on that lovely red ink we use to highlight the Really Important Names that make these pages pop with Hollywood magic. The edgy new take on 1994’s mascarasmeared revenge fantasy – Death Wish for goths, essentially – was set to open 11 October 2019 but it remains to be seen whether Eric Draven will ever be able to haul himself out of that grave.
Will Eric Draven be able to haul himself out of that grave?
release tHe krackle! THE ETERNALS
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is set for a serious injection of Kirby Kosmic. The studio has just hired Matthew and Ryan Firpo to pen The Eternals, set to be one of the cornerstones of Phase Four. Jack Kirby created the original comic book in the 1970s, mixing his trademark outsized superheroics with Erich Von Daniken’s ancient astronaut theory. It’s the tale of the godlike Celestials, whose genetic experiments on primitive humans create the superpowered, near-immortal Eternals and their monstrous rivals, the Deviants (who actually have all the best clubs, we’re assured). The two factions are locked in centuries of conflict that threaten the fate of the Earth itself. The MCU has already hinted at the existence of Kirby’s Kreations: Knowhere in Guardians Of The Galaxy is actually the severed head of a Celestial. It’s rumoured the movie will focus on Sersei, who can wield cosmic energy to reshape the molecules of objects or people. She’s great at parties.