Underworld 5 has signed up Outlander‘s Tobias Menzies to play Lycan leader Marius, according to Deadline. Menzies’ character is expected to go up against returning franchise star Kate Beckinsale’s Selene in the feature film directorial debut of Anna Foerster.
Underworld 5 marks the reunion of Foerster and Menzies, who previously worked together on Outlander‘s “The Wedding,” “Both Sides Now,” “Wentworth Prison” and “To Ransom a Man’s Soul” (the season one finale) episodes.
The Divergent Series‘ Theo James is also reprising his role as David in Underworld‘s fifth film. Filming’s expected to begin later this year, with Screen Gems aiming for an October 21, 2016 theatrical release date.
Menzies’ credits also include Game of Thrones, The Night Manager, Getting On, and Rome.
During the 2015 D23 Expo, Lucasfilm announced Rogue One has begun filming with Godzilla‘s Gareth Edwards at the helm. Kathleen Kennedy is producing the movie which centers around resistance fighters as they attempt to steal the Death Star plans. Rogue One marks the first of the planned standalone Star Wars movies and will hit theaters on December 16, 2016.
“Rogue One takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe,” stated Kathleen Kennedy. “It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know. Gareth is such an innovative director, and I’m so excited to be working with him and the extraordinary ensemble cast he’s selected for Rogue One.”
The Star Wars standalone movie stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, and Riz Ahmed.
The film is executive produced by Allison Shearmur, John Knoll (the ILM visual effects supervisor who came up with the idea for Rogue One), Simon Emanuel, and Jason McGatlin. The director of photography is Greig Fraser with Neil Corbould on board as the special effects supervisor. The production designers are Doug Chiang and Neil Lamont, and Rob Inch is stunt coordinator. Neal Scanlan is the creature effects supervisor.
Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn confirmed the rumors that Colin Trevorrow will direct Star Wars: Episode IX. Trevorrow’s most recent film, Jurassic World, has brought in more than $636 million since opening in theaters on June 12, 2015. Jurassic World sits at 72% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics saying it’s visually striking and a fun summer film.
Trevorrow also directed 2012’s critically acclaimed indie film Safety Not Guaranteed.
Per the official announcement made at the D23 Expo, Trevorrow will start working with Lucasfilm artists as well as other Star Wars directors this year. Star Wars: Episode IX will open in theaters on 2019, completing the new trilogy of Star Wars films. “Colin is someone I’ve been interested in working with ever since I saw Safety Not Guaranteed,” stated Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. “The power of that film paired with the enormous success of Jurassic World speaks volumes about his abilities both as a storyteller and skilled filmmaker. We are thrilled to have such an incredible talent as Colin join our family and step into the Star Wars universe.”
“This is not a job or an assignment. It is a seat at a campfire, surrounded by an extraordinary group of storytellers, filmmakers, artists and craftspeople,” said Trevorrow. “We’ve been charged with telling new stories for a younger generation because they deserve what we all had—a mythology to call their own. We will do this by channeling something George Lucas instilled in all of us: boundless creativity, pure invention and hope.”
The most recent Jack and the Beanstalk film – Warner Bros’ Jack the Giant Killer – tanked at the box office, however Disney’s ready to take a shot at bringing the fairy tale to the big screen. At the D23 Expo Disney revealed a first photo from Gigantic, an animated film based on the classic story.
Gigantic will be directed by Tangled‘s Nathan Greno and will feature music by Frozen‘s Oscar-winning team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Disney will be releasing the animated comedy in theaters in 2018.
The Plot: “Set in Spain during the Age of Exploration, Disney’s Gigantic follows adventure-seeker Jack as he discovers a world of giants hidden within the clouds. He hatches a grand plan with Inma, a 60-foot-tall, 11-year-old girl, and agrees to help her find her way home. But he doesn’t account for her super-sized personality—and who knew giants were so down to earth?”
Zootopia has snagged Shakira to provide the voice of Gazelle. Disney revealed the casting at the 2015 D23 Expo, with Shakira breaking the news through a pre-recorded video.
Shakira joins a voice cast that includes Once Upon a Time‘s Ginnifer Goodwin as rookie rabbit officer Judy Hopps, and Jason Bateman as a con-artist fox named Nick Wilde. Byron Howard (Tangled) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph) are directing the animated film.
Goodwin was on hand at D23 with the directors and producer Clark Spencer to show off new scenes as well as preview “Try Everything” by Sia and Stargate, sung by Shakira.
Zootopia will open in theaters on March 4, 2016.
The Plot: “The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the mystery.”
Fifth Harmony’s contribution to Sony Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 2 soundtrack, “I’m In Love With A Monster,” has just been released ahead of the film’s September 25, 2015 premiere in theaters. The catchy song will be featured in the movie and follows on the heels of the group’s chart-topping double-platinum single “Worth It” [feat. Kid Ink]. “Worth It,” from the group’s debut album Reflection, hit #12 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Reflection reached the #5 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart.
Fifth Harmony (Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Lauren Jauregui, Camila Cabello, and Dinah Jane) was recently nominated for seven Teen Choice Awards and they’re currently traveling around North America on their Reflection: The Summer Tour.
Fifth Harmony Reflection: The Summer Tour Dates:
Tuesday, August 18 – Denver, CO at Paramount Theatre
Thursday, August 20 – Kansas City, MO at Uptown Theatre
Friday, August 21 – Milwaukee, WI at Riverside Theatre
Sunday, August 23 – Buffalo, NY at Shea’s Performing Arts Center
Monday, August 24 – Albany, NY at Palace Theatre
Wednesday, August 26 – Washington, DC at Warner Theatre
Thursday, August 27 – New York, NY at Beacon Theatre
Wednesday, September 9 – Maryland, MD at Maryland State Fair
Tuesday, September 15 – Seattle, WA at Washington State Fair
Listen to the song:
The Hotel Transylvania 2 Plot:
In Genndy Tartakovsky’s Hotel Transylvania 2 from Sony Pictures Animation, Drac’s pack is back for an all-new monster comedy adventure! Everything seems to be changing for the better at Hotel Transylvania… Dracula’s rigid monster-only hotel policy has finally relaxed, opening up its doors to human guests. But behind closed coffins, Drac is worried that his adorable half-human, half-vampire grandson, Dennis, isn’t showing signs of being a vampire. So while Mavis is busy visiting her human in-laws with Johnny – and in for a major cultural shock of her own – “Vampa” Drac enlists his friends Frank, Murray, Wayne and Griffin to put Dennis through a “monster-in-training” boot camp. But little do they know that Drac’s grumpy and very old, old, old school dad Vlad is about to pay a family visit to the hotel. And when Vlad finds out that his great-grandson is not a pure blood – and humans are now welcome at Hotel Transylvania – things are going to get batty!
Disney just kicked off its 2015 D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA, and even Disney fans who aren’t fortunate enough to be in So. California for the event can now check out two new teaser posters for Alice Through the Looking Glass. The two colorful, whimsical posters feature Alice Kingsleigh (played once again by Mia Wasikowska) and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). The Alice in Wonderland sequel will open in theaters on May 27, 2016 (confirmed on the posters) with James Bobin directing and Alice in Wonderland‘s director Tim Burton producing.
Returning Alice in Wonderland cast members include Anne Hathaway, Matt Lucas, Helena Bonham Carter, Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Paul Whitehouse, and Barbara Windsor. New cast members include Rhys Ifans, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ed Speelers, and Toby Jones. Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay.
Alice in Wonderland was released on March 5, 2010 and brought in $116 million domestically over its opening weekend. The fantasy film rang up an impressive $1,025,467,110 (according to BoxOfficeMojo) worldwide during its theatrical release.
The new trailer for the action thriller Sicario has just been released along with posters of the film’s stars: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin. Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners), the cast also includes Victor Garber (The Flash) and Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead).
Lionsgate’s releasing Sicario in limited theaters on September 18, 2015 before opening it nationwide on September 25th.
The Plot:
In Mexico, SICARIO means hitman.
In the lawless border area stretching between the U.S. and Mexico, an idealistic FBI agent (Blunt) is enlisted by an elite government task force official (Brolin) to aid in the escalating war against drugs.
Led by an enigmatic consultant with a questionable past Del Toro), the team sets out on a clandestine journey forcing Kate to question everything that she believes in order to survive.
The 2013 horror comedy This Is The End starring Seth Rogen and James Franco inspired a new maze at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. The 3D maze will open on September 18, 2015 and will run through November 1st, with guests entering “James Franco’s house before the Apocalypse strikes and they find themselves trapped in a life-and-death struggle against the demons of the underworld.”
Other attractions at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights include the Terror Tram, Guillermo del Toro Presents Crimson Peak: Maze of Madness, The Walking Dead: Wolves Not Far, Insidious: Return to the Further, and Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home. Dance crew Jabbawockeez will be taking the stage every night during the Halloween event.
“This is the End brings a new dimension of fear to Halloween Horror Nights by fusing the best of two extreme worlds — horror and comedy — to create a literal and figurative three-dimensional experiential version of the film,” said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights. “Our collaboration with James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill to transform this outrageous movie into a terrifying maze underscores the impact of ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ as one the most influential Halloween events around.”
Zachary Levi as Luke Collins in ‘Heroes Reborn’ (Photo by: Christos Kalohoridis / NBC)
NBC’s Heroes Reborn will have its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The series will debut as part of the new Primetime lineup at the 40th TIFF. Six television programs were selected overall: Heroes Reborn, Casual, CROMO, Keith Richards: Under the Influence, The Returned (Les Revenants), and Trapped (Ófærð). In addition to screening the TV shows, Q&As will be held with the series’ creators.
“The growing convergence and artistic equality between television and cinema has ushered in a new era of high-quality, small-screen programming,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “Primetime aims to spotlight the cross-pollination of these two moving image cultures, showcasing the bold and impressive work that’s being produced on an international scale.”
“Television has entered an artistic renaissance; we’re seeing, among other things, many filmmakers experimenting with that medium to broaden their forms of storytelling,” said Festival Programmer Michael Lerman. “The strongest storytellers are masters of change, and TV offers a narrative flexibility, a platform and a luxury for filmmakers to explore ways of telling longer stories that delve deeper into their characters.”
Details on the shows screening at TIFF, courtesy of NBC:
Casual created by Zander Lehmann and directed by Jason Reitman, USA – World Premiere
Festival favourite Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) directs this wonderfully endearing and quirky comedy from Hulu and Lionsgate that follows the story of young internet entrepreneur, Alex Cole, and his recently divorced therapist sister, Valerie. The creator of a popular dating website, Alex pledges to mentor Valerie as she attempts to embrace the craziness of single life. Meanwhile, he’s not above using his newfound success to supply himself with an endless string of beautiful but emotionally shallow women, none of whom will ever make him happy. Living under the same roof for the first time in years, brother and sister soon discover that while life can be both heartbreaking and hilarious, it’s anything but casual. Starring Tommy Dewey, Michaela Watkins and Tara Lynne Barr. The Festival presents the series premiere of Casual, episodes 1 and 2.
CROMO created by Lucía Puenzo and Nicolás Puenzo, Argentina – World Premiere
Directors Lucía Puenzo (XXY, Wakolda), Pablo Fendrik (Blood Appears, El Ardor) and Nicolás Puenzo team up for this timely eco-thriller, based on the real stories of a team of scientists that set out to expose environmental crimes in the dangerous and exotic wetlands of northern Argentina. Starring Germán Palacios, Guillermo Pfening, Emilia Attias, Alberto Ajaka and Malena Sanchez. The Festival presents the series premiere of CROMO, episodes 1, 2 and 8.
Heroes Reborn created by Tim Kring, USA – World Premiere
From creator/executive producer Tim Kring, who imagined NBC’s original critically-acclaimed 2006 Heroes series, comes Heroes Reborn, an epic 13-episode event series that chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. The series stars Jack Coleman, Zachary Levi, Robbie Kay, Kiki Sukezane, Ryan Guzman, Gatlin Green, Henry Zebrowski, Judith Shekoni, Danika Yarosh and Rya Kihlstedt. The Festival presents the series premiere of Heroes Reborn, episode 1: “Brave New World” and episode 2: “Odessa”.
Keith Richards: Under the Influence directed by Morgan Neville, USA – World Premiere
From Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet from Stardom), this beautifully documented portrait of Keith Richards takes audiences on the road to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer. This Netflix Original is rich with music and archival materials, drawing upon hours of new, intimate and reflective conversations with Keith. It charts the journey of his sound and influences, back to the music that inspired him then and now — electric blues, country honky-tonk, southern soul, and more — as he creates his first solo album in 23 years.
The Returned (Les Revenants) created by Fabrice Gobert, France – International Premiere
The recently deceased return to (some kind of) life in a small mountain village, in this International Emmy-winning supernatural drama series based on Robin Campillo’s 2004 film Les Revenants, from creator Fabrice Gobert (Simon Werner a disparu…). Starring Anne Consigny, Clotilde Hesme, Céline Sallette, Fédéric Pierrot, Laurent Lucas, Grégory Gadebois, Guillaume Gouix, Pierre Perrier, Ana Girardot, Yara Pilartz, Jenna Thiam, Swann Nambotin and Jean-François Sivadier. The Festival presents the season 2 premiere of The Returned, episodes 1 and 2.
Trapped (Ófærð) created by Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland – World Premiere
In this noir-ish thriller series from director Baltasar Kormákur (Everest, The Deep, 101 Reykjavik), an unidentified torso is found in a small town in Iceland. When a blizzard makes the road out of town impassable, order disintegrates into chaos as the residents realize they are all possible murder suspects or all possibly in danger. A ruthless and troubled cop risks his life, his family and the town’s safety, in order to solve this mystery in the hope of recovering his tarnished reputation. Starring Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ilmur Kristjánsdottir, Ingvar Sigurðsson, Nina Dögg Filipusdottir and Bjarne Henriksen. The Festival presents the series premiere of Trapped, episode 1.
