Year: 2021

Disney+’s Pinocchio Film Adds Luke Evans as The Coachman

Disney+'s Pinocchio Film Adds Luke Evans as The Coachman

Disney+’s Pinocchio film adds Luke Evans as The Coachman

After already helping bring the iconic Disney villain Gaston to life in the House of Mouse’s live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, Luke Evans is ready for another chilling antagonist as he’s joining Tom Hanks in the Robert Zemeckis-helmed Pinocchio as Pleasure Island owner and operator The Coachman, according to Deadline.

RELATED: Tom Hanks in Talks to Reunite With Robert Zemeckis for Pinocchio

Hanks had previously been in talks for the role of Geppetto two years prior when Paddington helmer Paul King was attached to co-write and direct the film, but once King left the deal with Hanks was abandoned. Sources previously report that the new deal with the Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood star are in very early negotiations but that after having read the script co-written by Zemeckis and Chris Weitz (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), he reached out to the director to express his interest in starring in the project.

Zemeckis and Hanks’ collaborative partnership goes back to the latter’s second-consecutive Oscar-winning turn in Forrest Gump and would later reunite on Cast Away, which netted Hanks another Oscar nom and a Golden Globe win, followed by the Christmas cult classic The Polar Express. The project is set to be produced by Weitz and Andrew Miano via their Depth of Field production banner.

Pinocchio will center on the wooden puppet who dreams of becoming a “real boy,” and the relationship between a father and son, the ramifications of lying and creating stories and living in a fantasy world.

The original Pinocchio, based on the 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, first debuted in theaters in 1940 and won two Academy Awards. In the 1940 Disney-animated film Pinocchio, the lead role was voiced by Dickie Jones, Jiminy Cricket by Cliff Edwards, and Master Geppetto by Christian Rubb.

RELATED: Disney Sets Live-Action Remakes of Pinocchio & Bambi

Zemeckis is currently in post-production on his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches for Warner Bros. starring Anne Hathaway, which was recently delayed from its October 2020 release to a currently undated 2021 debut as theaters still grapple with the ongoing global pandemic.

(Photo Credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

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Godzilla vs. Kong Delayed a Week, Plus James Wan’s Malignant Set for September

Godzilla vs. Kong Delayed a Week, Plus James Wan's Malignant Set for September

Godzilla vs. Kong Delayed a Week, Plus James Wan’s Malignant Set for September

Warner Bros.’ Godzilla vs. Kong domestic release has been delayed from March 26, 2021, to the following week, Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Additionally, James Wan’s upcoming horror movie Malignant has been dated for a September 10, 2021 release in theaters and IMAX from New Line Cinema, as well as on HBO Max. The movie will be available on the streamer for 31 days from its theatrical release.

 

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RELATED: POLL: Who Should Win in Godzilla vs. Kong?

The epic action-adventure Godzilla vs. Kong will pit two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against one another — the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong — with humanity caught in the balance.

The film stars Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little LiesThe Little Drummer Girl), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Rebecca Hall (Christine, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women), Brian Tyree Henry (AtlantaWidows), Shun Oguri (Gintama), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist), and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2). Also starring in the highly-anticipated movie are Kyle Chandler (The Wolf of Wall StreetManchester by the Sea) and Demián Bichir (The Nun, The Hateful Eight).

The fourth installment in Warner Bros.’ Pictures and Legendary’s Monsterverse is directed by Adam Wingard from a script written by Oscar nominee Terry Rossio (Pirates of the CaribbeanDeja VuShrek). The film is being produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod, and Brian Rogers, with Kenji Okuhira, Yoshimitsu Banno, Jon Jashni and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers. Jay Ashenfelter, Jen Conroy and Tamara Kent are co-producers.

The most recent film in Legendary’s MonsterVerseGodzilla: King of the Monsters, hit theaters in summer 2019. It ended with Godzilla taking his rightful place as the ruler of all Titans. Unfortunately, the movie was a financial disappointment, grossing only $385.9 million against a budget estimated to be as high as $200 million.

RELATED: Godzilla vs. Kong Trailer Pits Two Titans Against Each Other!

Godzilla vs. Kong is set to arrive in theaters and on HBO Max on March 31, 2021.

The post Godzilla vs. Kong Delayed a Week, Plus James Wan’s Malignant Set for September appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Robert Rodriguez Teaming With Skydance for Spy Kids Reimagining

Robert Rodriguez Teaming With Skydance for Spy Kids Reimagining

Robert Rodriguez teaming with Skydance for Spy Kids reimagining

It’s been a decade since Robert Rodriguez’s hit family adventure comedy franchise Spy Kids made it to the big screen with its fourth installment and now the writer/director is teaming up with Skydance Media and Spyglass Media Group to develop a reimagining of the series, according to Deadline.

RELATED: We Can Be Heroes Sequel in Development at Netflix with Robert Rodriguez

The new film, which will see Rodriguez return as both writer and director as he did with the original four films, will once again revolve around the activities of a multicultural family involved in the world of espionage, though it’s currently unclear if it will take a similar approach as the last installment, which saw a new family of spies, save from Jessica Alba’s Marissa, paternal aunt to original heroes Juni and Carmen Cortez.

Coming off the heels of more adult fare, including the first two installments in his El Mariachi trilogy, first collaboration with Quentin Tarantino in From Dusk Till Dawn and body-snatching teen horror The Faculty, the original Spy Kids proved to be a big hit for Rodriguez and Dimension Films, garnering rave reviews from critics and audiences and grossing over $147 million on its $35 million budget. It success spawned a franchise that would include three sequels, all of which were written and directed by Rodriguez and continued to bring in solid box office returns, though would lessen in critical favor, with only the first sequel receiving generally positive reviews from critics.

Click here to purchase the original box office hit adventure!

A new installment in the Spy Kids franchise would mark Rodriguez’ latest return to the family-friendly genre following his Netflix adventure We Can Be Heroes, itself a follow-up to his 2005 effort The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl. Following Heroes‘ critical and viewership success on the streaming platform, a sequel is currently in development with Rodriguez returning.

RELATED: Robert Rodriguez Says Alita: Battle Angel 2 Could Happen On Disney+

Skydance, who optioned the rights to the franchise from IP owner Spyglass, will serve as the lead studio on the project and oversee its development and production while Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre are attached to executive produce.

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Silk Road Trailer Features Nick Robinson as an Internet Drug Lord

Silk Road Trailer Features Nick Robinson as an Internet Drug Lord

Silk Road Trailer Features Nick Robinson as an Internet Drug Lord

Lionsgate Movies has released the official Silk Road trailer for their upcoming crime thriller film, featuring Nick Robinson as his character runs an Amazon-like drug-selling website while Jason Clarke’s character tries to hunt him down. The film will arrive in select theaters, on digital and on VOD on February 19, 2021. Check out the video in the player below!

RELATED: Shudder Unveils Trailer & Premiere Date for A Nightmare Wakes

Inspired by larger-than-life actual events, this riveting crime thriller follows the rise and fall of Silk Road, the infamous darknet site that sent a seismic shock through the World Wide Web. Young, idealistic, and driven to succeed, Ross Ulbricht creates the internet’s first unregulated marketplace: Silk Road. But when it becomes a multimillion-dollar pipeline for illicit drugs, Ross is set on a collision course with Rick Bowden, a disreputable and dangerously unpredictable DEA agent, who will use any means necessary to take him down.

The film stars Nick Robinson (Love Simon), Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty), Alexandra Shipp (Tragedy Girls), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Paul Walter-Hauser (Richard Jewell), Darrell Britt-Gibson (Power), Katie Aselton (Legion), Lexi Rabe and Daniel David Stewart.

RELATED: Netflix’s Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel Trailer Released

Silk Road is written and directed by Tiller Russell, based on the Rolling Stone article titled “Dead End on Silk Road” written by David Kushner. The film is produced by Stephen Gans, David Hyman, Duncan Montgomery, and Alex Orlovsky.

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POLL: Who Should Win in Godzilla vs. Kong?

POLL: Who Should Win in Godzilla vs. Kong?

POLL: Who Should Win in Godzilla vs. Kong?

With this weekend bringing the arrival of the long-awaited first trailer for the crossover installment of Legendary’s MonsterVerse, Godzilla vs. Kong, we are asking our readers which titular creature they’d like to see come out victorious in the action blockbuster. Let us know your thoughts in the poll and comments below!

RELATED: Godzilla vs. Kong Trailer Pits Two Titans Against Each Other!

Who Should Win in Godzilla vs. Kong?

Godzilla
Kong
Draw
They Both Die
They Team Up to Take Down a Bigger Bad

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The epic action-adventure Godzilla vs. Kong will pit two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against one another — the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong — with humanity caught in the balance.

The film stars Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little LiesThe Little Drummer Girl), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Rebecca Hall (Christine, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women), Brian Tyree Henry (AtlantaWidows), Shun Oguri (Gintama), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist), and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2). Also starring in the highly-anticipated movie are Kyle Chandler (The Wolf of Wall StreetManchester by the Sea) and Demián Bichir (The Nun, The Hateful Eight).

The fourth installment in Warner Bros.’ Pictures and Legendary’s Monsterverse is directed by Adam Wingard from a script written by Oscar nominee Terry Rossio (Pirates of the CaribbeanDeja VuShrek). The film is being produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod, and Brian Rogers, with Kenji Okuhira, Yoshimitsu Banno, Jon Jashni and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers. Jay Ashenfelter, Jen Conroy and Tamara Kent are co-producers.

The most recent film in Legendary’s MonsterVerseGodzilla: King of the Monsters, hit theaters in summer 2019. It ended with Godzilla taking his rightful place as the ruler of all Titans. Unfortunately, the movie was a financial disappointment, grossing only $385.9 million against a budget estimated to be as high as $200 million.

RELATED: An Exclusive Talk With Adam Wingard On Godzilla vs. Kong

Godzilla vs. Kong is set to arrive in theaters and on HBO Max on March 26, 2021.

What do you think of the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer? Let us know in the comments below!

The post POLL: Who Should Win in Godzilla vs. Kong? appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland Featurette Highlights Life on the Road

Chloé Zhao's Nomadland Featurette Highlights Life on the Road

Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland Featurette Highlights Life on the Road

Searchlight Pictures has released a new featurette for director Chloé Zhao’s forthcoming drama film Nomadland, featuring Zhao and Oscar-winning actress Frances McDormand as they talk about the process of creating the film’s main character. The acclaimed film will be arriving on Friday, February 19 on Hulu as well as in select theaters and drive-ins. Check out the video in the player below!

RELATED: Nomadland Trailer: Frances McDormand Stars in Chloe Zhao’s New Film

Based on Jessica Bruder’s 2017 non-fiction book of the same name, the story centers on Fern (McDormand), a woman who, after the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. 

Click here to purchase the original novel!

Alongside McDormand, Nomadland will feature appearances from real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West, while also co-starring Oscar nominee David Strathairn (Nightmare Alley).

Nomadland is written and directed by Chloe Zhao (The Rider, Eternals), her third feature film, who also edited the film herself. McDormand produces the film alongside Zhao, Peter Spears (Call Me By Your Name), Mollye Asher (The Rider), and Dan Janvey (Beasts of the Southern Wild).

RELATED: A24 Unveils First Trailer & Poster for Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari

The movie had its world premiere with simultaneous screenings on September 11 at the 77th Venice International Film Festival and the 45th Toronto International Film Festival, which both earned the film prestigious awards which are the Golden Lion and the People’s Choice Award, respectively. Due its critical success, the film is also currently a potential frontrunner for the upcoming 2021 Oscars.

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Borderlands: Kevin Hart Joins Eli Roth’s Video Game Adaptation

Borderlands: Kevin Hart Joins Eli Roth's Video Game Adaptation

Borderlands: Kevin Hart Joins Eli Roth’s Video Game Adaptation

TheWrap brings word that Emmy nominee Kevin Hart (Ride Along, Central Intelligence, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) has joined Cate Blanchett in filmmaker Eli Roth’s upcoming Borderlands video game adaptation feature for Lionsgate after months of negotiations.

RELATED: Spiral: Bousman Says David Fincher’s Seven Influenced the Saw Reboot

Hart will reportedly play Roland in the film that will be directed by Roth. The character is described as a skilled ex-soldier turned mercenary and will be a more “dramatic turn” for the actor.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Kevin,” Roth said. “Borderlands is a different kind of role for him, and we are excited to thrill audiences with a side of Kevin they’ve never seen before. He’s going to be an amazing Roland.” 

It was announced in May 2020 that Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett (CarolBlue JasmineThe Aviator) will lead the cast as Lilith, a siren and legendary thief equipped with magical skills.

Based on the bestselling PC and console gaming experience from developer Gearbox Software and publisher 2K, a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., Borderlands will be produced by Avi Arad and Ari Arad, who produce through their Arad Productions banner, and Erik Feig, through PICTURESTART, who have shepherded the project and overseen development, including the latest draft of the screenplay by the two-time Emmy-winning screenwriter Craig Mazin. The film’s executive producers are Randy Pitchford, executive producer of the Borderlands video game franchise and founder of the Gearbox Entertainment Company, and Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive.

RELATED: Eli Roth’s History of Horror Renewed for Season 3 at AMC

Borderlands is one of the world’s most successful video game franchises, with more than 57 million units sold-in worldwide, including over 22 million units of Borderlands 2, which is the highest-selling title in the history of 2K. The most recent installment, Borderlands 3, which launched in September 2019, already sold-in nearly 8 million units worldwide and was honored with the award for “Best Multiplayer Game” at Gamescom.

(Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

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CS Interview: Richard Kelly Talks Southland Tales’ Cannes 15th Anniversary

CS Interview: Richard Kelly Reflects on Southland Tales' Cannes 15th Anniversary

CS Interview: Richard Kelly talks Southland Tales’ Cannes 15th anniversary

As the film nears its 15th anniversary of debuting at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and in time for the new Blu-ray release featuring that infamous cut, ComingSoon.net got the opportunity to chat with Southland Tales writer/director Richard Kelly to discuss the latter and revisiting the polarizing cult classic sci-fi crime thriller.

RELATED: Exclusive: Richard Kelly Talks Donnie Darko Sequel & Rod Serling Biopic

ComingSoon.net: So Southland Tales, I mean, 15 years later, it still proves to be, for me, one of the most ambitious, creative, baffling, so many different and great emotions from it. What’s it like for you coming up on that anniversary all this time later?

Richard Kelly: Well, it’s all of those emotions, but I am grateful and I’m hopeful for the opportunity to kind of revisit Southland Tales and if there is a chance for us to do something much bigger with it, I’m very grateful for that because our intention in making it was always for it to be this therapeutic work of cinema for people to experience as a response to sort of the doomsday of the world that we’re living in. The doomsday of 2006 is now much different today. It’s much bigger and it’s much more all-encompassing in a lot of ways. But you know, we all live with the threat of the apocalypse every single day. And so, this film was always intended to be, again, a therapeutic remedy for people that want it or might desire to experience it. So I’m very grateful that people are still excited to engage with this film after all these years.

CS: So given that you wanted the cathartic nature of it, how did the story come to your mind? It’s such an interesting combination of the political elements and the sci-fi elements and so many different things. I mean, how did the actual elements sort of come to your mind?

RK: Well, the story actually started out as a kind of a Los Angeles crime caper. And you’ll see that architecture still very much at the epicenter of the story of the film with – so the original early draft of Southland Tales, it was a troop of frustrated actors in this beach, like a comedy troupe to decide they’re going to blackmail a movie star who’s doing a ride along research trip for his action film that he’s making. And so, it was like this troop of comedy actors teaming up with a porn star, and one of them is a cop and has a twin brother and they’re going to extort money from this actor. And it ended with a blimp exploding over Downtown Los Angeles, for some reason, you know? And so that was like the original architecture of the film. And then, I think as time wore on and then I got more kind of potential opportunities presented to actually make the film, I started layering in what I call like the Philip K. Dick layer to the story in terms of all of the politics and the religion and the science fiction and all of the layers sort of surrounding this crime story at the center of the movie.

Click here to purchase your copy of the special new Blu-ray edition!

CS: Obviously the Cannes cut, it was a little polarizing in its reception, and then in the years since you’ve talked about interest in possibly coming back for a proper home media release with it. I mean, what was it like for you going back to it and sort of making sure it was just right to give to audiences now on Blu-ray?

RK: Well, I want to be very clear to people that the Cannes version that you see on this Blu-ray is a work in progress version of the film. It’s kind of like going into a time machine back to 2006 and seeing pretty much exactly what we showed to the audience at Cannes and what we brought to Cannes was an unfinished work in progress. It had a lot of unfinished visual effects in it, it’s sort of like a time capsule. But when you watch the Cannes version and also watch the theatrical version, you can see how much more there is that we can hopefully do with Southland Tales and the potential for a real proper expanded version of it with today’s technology and today’s distribution ecosystems, the more we can hopefully do with it. I want to be clear to people that the Cannes version, we haven’t done any new visual effects work to the Cannes version. It’s presented as a restoration of what was shown in 2006.

CS: So what about the Cannes version do you think – I mean, obviously you say there was more in it, but what specifically about the additional stuff in the Cannes footage would you say resonates with you from the storytelling more so than the theatrical?

RK: Well, I think the Cannes version tells deeper into the individual characters. You get to spend more time with the individual characters, with the actors and their performances. There’s also more of a gigantic subplot that we never really got to fully explore that involves Janeane Garofalo’s character, Army General Teena MacArthur, her character, who is monitoring some sort of mysterious game experiment that is connected to the gigantic machine out in the ocean, the alternative fuel generator machine out in the ocean called Utopia 3. There’s some hints of some “Dungeons & Dragons” gameplay going on between her character and Simon Theory, the other Army General character played by Kevin Smith in the film. So there’s a lot more big science fiction stuff that we only got to scratch the surface with and you can see more of it in the Cannes version of the film. So, I’m grateful that people can at least see some of those scenes included in the film and how they kind of expand the world of Southland Tales in a way that is much, much bigger than has even been captured so far.

CS: So since you mention some of the various roster of cast that you had in the film, with Donnie Darko, you already proved that you could draw in a good ensemble and balance them all out. But with Southland, I felt like the ensemble was just even further elevated. What was that like building up that roster of talent for your such unique characters across the board?

RK: It was beautiful. It was so great to get to work with all of these amazing actors. I love all of these actors. I’ve always loved their work growing up. Kind of the shared DNA of every actor in this film is they have great comedic improv skills. They can all think on their feet and they can do comedy and they all kind of have this sort of foothold in pop culture in different ways in that they are from Saturday Night Live or pro wrestling or a sitcom or an ’80s action film or a cult film or all have this sort of foothold in pop culture in a way that I felt was – they were each like this wonderful new piece of candy to sort of put into this collage, this sort of big doomsday apocalyptic story, to have all these wonderful kind of candy colored personalities and these funny people popping up throughout the film.

CS: Who would you say was the most vital bit of casting for you since – I mean, obviously, you know, Dwayne Johnson and Seann William Scott and the main group are all important for the film, but who would you say was the most vital for you in getting to be a part of the film?

RK: Well, listen, I say everyone is vital across the board. Obviously Dwayne and Sean and Sarah were like the three anchors in terms of their characters anchoring the whole story. But I will say getting Justin Timberlake was really a gift because he became the narrator of the film, I decided as we were shooting his scenes, I immediately decided that he had to be the narrator because of the music video dream sequence at the center of the film, which is kind of the heartbeat of the whole film, where he’s lip syncing to The Killers and he breaks the fourth wall and he’s looking straight into the lens. That dictated to me that he must be the narrator because the narrator is also breaking the fourth wall. So, we did two versions of Justin’s voiceover, for the Cannes version of the movie, I had Justin do it in a very playful kind of a mischievous tone and I think after we were so scolded at Cannes and we were kind of traumatized after it, we had to recut the movie down and try to beg and plead for visual effects money and cut the movie down and stuff. I brought Justin back in and I had him re-record the voiceover like Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now in a much more somber kind of monotone and Justin did an amazing job in both voiceovers, but I will say after all these years have passed, I prefer his voiceover in the Cannes version and the sort of playful nature of it because just given everything that’s happened in the world, I think that’s more of a fitting kind of tone in hindsight. I think that’s part of the way that I look at things, from the Cannes version that I prefer.

RELATED: CS Interview: John Rhys-Davies Talks Grizzly II: Revenge

Written and directed by Kelly, the film is set during a three-day heat wave just before a huge 4th of July celebration in a then-near future twisted version of Los Angeles, an action star stricken with amnesia meets up with a porn star who is developing her own reality TV project and a policeman who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.

Much like Kelly’s debut effort, Donnie Darko, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Dwayne Johnson (Hobbs & Shaw), Seann William Scott (Lethal Weapon), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Mandy Moore (Midway), Justin Timberlake (Trolls World Tour), Miranda Richardson (Good Omens), Wallace Shawn (Toy Story 4), Bai Ling (Crank: High Voltage), Nora Dunn (The Boss Baby: Back in Business), John Laroquette (The Good Fight), Kevin Smith (Jay and Silent Bob Reboot), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Wood Harris (Creed II) and Janeane Garofolo (Wet Hot American Summer).

After receiving a polarized reception at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, Sony Pictures acquired the domestic and most of the international rights to the film from original distributor Universal Pictures and hit select theaters in November 2007, where it continued to receive a mixed reception from critics and audiences alike and flopped financially, only grossing an estimated $374K on its $17 million budget. Despite this, the film would later garner a cult following.

The post CS Interview: Richard Kelly Talks Southland Tales’ Cannes 15th Anniversary appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

RLJE Films Acquires Nicolas Cage-Led Prisoners of the Ghostland

RLJE Films Acquires Nicolas Cage-Led Prisoners of the Ghostland

RLJE Films acquires Nicolas Cage-led Prisoners of the Ghostland

Ahead of its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this week, AMC Networks’ RLJE Films has acquired the domestic rights to the Nicolas Cage (Wally’s Wonderland)-starring action/adventure Prisoners of the Ghostland.

RELATED: Willy’s Wonderland Trailer Released for Nicolas Cage-Led Horror Thriller

Prisoners of the Ghostland is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor (Moseley), whose adopted granddaughter Bernice (Boutella) has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within three days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman—and his own path to redemption.

Directed by the acclaimed Japanese filmmaker, Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland) and stars Cage, Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Franchise), Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Tribe) and Yuzuka Nakaya (The Forest of Love). Joseph Trapanese (Tron: Legacy, The Raid: Redemption, The Greatest Showman) composed the original score.

“We’re excited to once again work with Nicolas Cage on a highly-anticipated film directed by the celebrated Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono,” Mark Ward, Chief Acquisitions Officer of RLJE Films, said in a statement. “Following the success of Mandy and Color Out of SpacePrisoners of the Ghostland is already receiving great buzz and we cannot wait for audiences to see it at Sundance.”

RELATED: Amazon Acquires Joe Exotic Scripted Series Led by Nicolas Cage

The film was produced by Michael Mendelsohn (Lord of War) for Patriot Pictures, Laura Rister (Margin Call) for Untitled Entertainment, Ko Mori (Lords of Chaos) for Eleven Arts, Reza Sixo Safai (A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night) for Boos Boos Bang Bang and Nate Bolotin (Mandy) for XYZ Films.  It was executive produced by Natalie Perrotta (Running With The Devil), Nick Spicer (Brawl in Cell Block 99), Aram Tertzakian (Vivarium), and Yuji Sadai (A Man With Style). XYZ Films worked on previous hits Mandy and Color Out of Space starring Nicolas Cage and also released by RLJE.

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Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green Tapped to Write/Direct Tomb Raider Sequel

Lovecraft Country's Misha Green Tapped to Write/Direct Tomb Raider Sequel

Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green tapped to write/direct Tomb Raider sequel

After initially setting Rebecca‘s Ben Wheatley for the position, MGM’s Alicia Vikander-fronted Tomb Raider sequel is shifting gears as Lovecraft Country developer/showrunner Misha Green has been tapped to both write and direct the follow-up to the 2018 video game adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

RELATED: MGM Delays Releases of Respect & Tomb Raider Sequel


It was previously announced in September 2019 that Ben Wheatley (Free FireHigh-Rise) would direct the untitled sequel and that production on the MGM and Warner Bros. movie was initially planned for last year with a release date originally set for March 19, 2021, but was subsequently delayed due to the ongoing pandemic and WB exiting the project.

The sequel was to written by Amy Jump, who is a regular collaborator with Wheatley and previously worked on High-Rise, Free FireA Field in EnglandSightseers, and Kill List together. Jump was taking over writing duties for Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons, who co-wrote the first movie, only to be replaced by Green. Plot details on the sequel are being kept under wraps. Graham King will once again produce through his GK Films banner.

Based on the video game character, the 2018 Tomb Raider and earned $274.7 million at the worldwide box office. In the movie, Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death.

RELATED: Lovecraft Country’s Jonathan Majors Lands Major Role in Ant-Man 3

Tomb Raider also starred Dominic West (Money Monster300), Walton Goggins (The Hateful EightDjango Unchained) and Daniel Wu (Into the Badlands). Roar Uthaug (The Wave) directed the film, and Graham King (The Departed) served as a producer through GK Films.

(Photo Credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)

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