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Dwayne Johnson-Led Red Notice to Resume Production Next Month

Dwayne Johnson-Led Red Notice to Resume Production Next Month

Dwayne Johnson-led Red Notice to resume production next month

Nearly four months after production had been temporarily suspended on Netflix’s star-studded heist thriller Red Notice last March, Dwayne Johnson took to Instagram to announce that production is officially scheduled to resume its filming in mid-September.

In his 5-minute video post which you can check out below, Johnson has also shared Netflix and the producers’ careful decision on how to strictly implement safety protocols on the set including seeking for advice from the NBA about their current strategies or approach on how to efficiently make their work environment safe and healthy.

 

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Like so many of us here in the US and around the world – getting back can be a tough decision that work requires real consideration and strategic planning around best health practices and safety measures. I’m happy to announce our RED NOTICE production will resume shooting next month in mid September. Thank you to our tremendous partners at NETFLIX who’ve joined us shoulder to shoulder to provide the safest and most aggressive “quarantined bubble” for our production crew as possible. I’m confident in our safety strategy and execution, but we’ll also be fluid and amenable to best practice changes on the fly. Stay healthy and stay disciplined, my friends as you all get back to work. Good luck! And to my RED NOTICE crew – the hardest workers in the room, mount up – because we’re going back to work. See you on set. DJ @sevenbucksprod @flynnpictureco @netflix

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RELATED: Netflix Acquires Dwayne Johnson & Emily Blunt-Starring Ball and Chain

Red Notice is described as a as a globe-trotting, action-comedy heist thriller designed as a three-hander between Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds. In the film, Johnson plays an Interpol agent tasked with capturing the most wanted art thief in the world. “Red Notice” refers to the highest and most serious of Interpol notices (there are eight) and concerns the arrest of wanted criminals. Meanwhile, Gal Gadot is to portray role of the world’s greatest art thief with Ryan Reynolds playing the world’s greatest con-man.

The film will be written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, who have worked with Johnson in Central Intelligence and Skyscraper. Last year, Netflix won the distributing rights to the film in a competitive bidding war after Universal Pictures reportedly didn’t committed with all of filmmakers’ deal.

RELATED: Young Rock: Dwayne Johnson Sitcom Gets Series Order at NBC

Red Notice will be produced by the returning Skyscraper team, including Beau Flynn (Rampage, San Andreas) for his Flynn Picture Co.; Johnson, Dany Garcia (Jumanji, Ballers) and Hiram Garcia (San Andreas, Central Intelligence) for their Seven Bucks Productions; and Thurber for his Bad Version, Inc. Wendy Jacobson (Rampage, San Andreas) executive produces.

The post Dwayne Johnson-Led Red Notice to Resume Production Next Month appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Exclusive Paydirt Clip Starring Luke Goss & Val Kilmer

Exclusive Paydirt Clip Starring Luke Goss & Val Kilmer

Exclusive Paydirt clip starring Luke Goss & Val Kilmer

Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment has shared an exclusive clip with ComingSoon.net for the upcoming action crime thriller Paydirt starring Luke Goss (Traffik) and Val Kilmer (Top Gun: Maverick). The exclusive clip can be viewed in the player below!

RELATED: Exclusive The Shadow of Violence Clip With Barry Keoghan

The film is written and directed by Christian Sesma (Vigilante Diaries, The Night Crew) and centers on a parolee as he teams up with his old crew feeling determined to find a buried bag of cast stolen five years ago from a DEA bust gone bad, while also being tracked by a retired sheriff.

Alongside Goss (Hellboy II: The Golden Army) and Kilmer (The Doors), the cast for the crime thriller features Mike Hatton (Green Book, Vigilante Diaries) and Val’s daughter Mercedes Kilmer in her feature film acting debut.

RELATED: Exclusive Deep Blue Sea 3 Clip From Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Paydirt is set to hit select theaters, digital platforms and VOD on Friday!

The post Exclusive Paydirt Clip Starring Luke Goss & Val Kilmer appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Detective Pikachu’s Rob Letterman to Helm Beyond Good & Evil

Detective Pikachu's Rob Letterman to Helm Beyond Good & Evil

Detective Pikachu’s Rob Letterman to helm Beyond Good & Evil

After bringing to life the world of Nintendo’s Pokémon on the big screen with the box office smash Detective Pikachu, Rob Letterman is returning to the world of video games by signing on to helm the adaptation of Ubisoft’s Beyond Good & Evil at Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

RELATED: John Wick’s Derek Kolstad Developing Splinter Cell Anime at Netflix

Originally released in November 2003, Beyond Good & Evil was set in the 25th century on a remote mining planet currently under alien attack, while the military rulers that were sworn to defend the population are possibly in bed with the invaders, and photojournalist Jade must partner up with an underground resistance movement to reveal the conspiracy and save the planet.

No writers are currently attached to the project, with Letterman and the streaming platform currently searching for the creative talent to bring the cult game to life, but sources report the film will be a hybrid live-action/animated feature, nothing new for the 49-year-old filmmaker as he used a similar approach to bring the Ryan Reynolds and Justice Smith-starring mystery adventure to life.

Jason Altman and and Margaret Boykin are currently attached to produce the project for Ubisoft Film & Television, becoming the sixth film title currently in the works from the video game publisher’s subsidiary. Other titles include the long-in-development adaptation of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon from Michael Bay at Warner Bros., Tom Clancy’s The Division helmed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2) and starring Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-Man: Far From Home) and Jessica Chastain (Molly’s Game) also at Netflix, Rabbids from Todd Strauss-Schulson (Isn’t It Romantic) and Matt Senreich (Robot Chicken) at Lionsgate, Just Dance at Screen Gems and Werewolves Within with Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story), Sam Richardson (Detroiters) and Michaela Watkins (Sword of Trust) starring and Mishna Wolff writing and Josh Ruben directing.

RELATED: Stuber Director Michael Dowse to Helm Just Cause Movie Adaptation

The original game was considered a massive critical success upon release, earning rave reviews for its animation, setting, story and design while receiving some criticism for its combat and technical issues and was even nominated for Game of the Year at the 2004 Game Developers Choice Awards, but unfortunately it was a financial disappointment, with blame being aimed at everything from an oversaturated market and reliance on established franchises to it being too odd a title for consumers at the time.

It would go on to garner a major cult following, leading to a full HD remaster in 2011 that proved popular enough with consumers that the publisher is now working on a prequel.

(Photo Credit: John Lamparski/WireImage)

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Rebuilding Paradise Review: Finding Hope in Tragedy

Score:

8.5/10

Directed by Ron Howard

Synopsis:

Residents of Paradise, Calif., come together to heal their community after a devastating wildfire.

Rebuilding Paradise Review

Ron Howard’s Rebuilding Paradise tells the harrowing true story of a community ravaged by tragedy that ultimately came together in an effort to rebuild their town.

As most probably know, in 2018, a fire engulfed the quaint town of Paradise, California and claimed 85 lives, destroyed homes, families; and left a town angry, confused and desolate. To compound matters, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), after an initial investigation, was found guilty of causing the fire (as a result of faulty equipment built in 1921) and was ordered to pay over $13 billion in settlements — an ongoing issue that has yet to fully resolve itself. There’s an awkward moment in the documentary where one of PG&E’s representatives must present the company’s five-year strategy to re-power Paradise in front of the angry townsfolk. The room is quiet at first as the man makes apologies on behalf of the company, but then the pent-up emotions burst followed by cries for compensation.

We hear about these kinds of situations all the time: big name company wants to shave costs, ends up causing a disaster that destroys lives, fights against accusations in court, and years later finally produces a check just large enough to placate the victims.

But Howard, ever the consummate filmmaker, spends a great deal of time focusing on the human element of the story. Rebuilding Paradise points its camera at the people of this once proud town, quirks and all, and allows us, the audience, to appreciate their current plight on an emotional level. We learn about Woody Culleton, the town drunk-turned-Mayor, Michelle John, the superintendent of the local schools, and local cop Matt Gates, who helps coordinate a tree-lighting ceremony centered around the somehow-still-standing ice-skating rink.

In an early scene, we witness a young man standing in foliage talking about the home that used to reside next to a handful of cherry blossoms. “My property was pure serenity,” he says before proclaiming he will rebuild his home just like it was before the fire. Later, a woman discusses how the tragedy actually brought her closer to a relative she had dismissed some years earlier. And, in perhaps the most profound scene in the film, two young girls collect aid to help the citizens of Alabama who stand in need after being ravaged by a tornado. “Before I’d see the news and say, ‘Oh, that’s sad’ … now I think I need to help them,” one of the girls says.

Tragedy has a strange way of uniting individuals who would otherwise pay one another little attention. Unfortunately, grief for others is short lived, Howard seems to say. Events such as the Paradise fire don’t resolve themselves and instead create calamitous ripple effects that aren’t easily fixed.

After the fire, for example, the town’s water supply became saturated with the cancer-causing chemical benzene, which made it impossible to drink. In fact, a woman is advised not to get pregnant due to her exposure with the contaminated water. Where should she go? Most of the people in the film built their lives in Paradise and now must decide between abandoning the locale and starting anew elsewhere or waiting for all the lawsuits and settlements to finalize so they can rebuild.

Naturally, there are debates involving whether or not the community should be rebuilt considering the danger inherit in the location, to which Culleton retorts, “Is it wrong to build a house in a hurricane zone on Miami beach? This is where I want to be.”

Rebuilding Paradise lays on the emotional beats a little thick — as is Howard’s tendency as a filmmaker — and  meanders in its middle act where it bounces from town hall meetings to history lessons detailing the reasons the fire spread so quickly. And yet, there are also truly astonishing moments that demonstrate just how remarkable people can be when united for a single cause. And the early sequences involving the fire itself, which transforms a quiet morning into something out of a horror film, are downright terrifying to behold.

The film concludes on a decidedly bittersweet note with footage of other catastrophes happening across the world. The fight never ends. And we should never stop fighting.

The post Rebuilding Paradise Review: Finding Hope in Tragedy appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

CS Recommends: Criterion Collection Sale, Plus TV Shows & More!

CS Recommends: Criterion Collection Sale, Plus TV Shows & More!

CS Recommends: Criterion Collection Sale, Plus TV Shows & More!

Stuck inside? Don’t know what to watch/read/play/listen to? ComingSoon.net has got you covered. In this week’s CS Recommends our staff gives you solid tips on the best media to consume during your downtime, including The Criterion Collection and more! Check out our picks below!

RELATED: July 28 Blu-ray, Digital and DVD Releases

CS Recommends: Criterion Collection Sale, Plus TV Shows & More!

MAX EVRY’S RECOMMEND: The Criterion Collection 50% Off Sale

Click here to browse the discounted selection!

Are you a nut for Criterion DVD and Blu-ray like me? Well then it’s that time of year again where Barnes & Noble throws most of the available titles in the beloved film lovers’ label up for half price! With some single titles retailing for over $40, that’s a great way to stock up and save. Even though I have a great relationship with Criterion through my weekly Blu-ray column I don’t always get sent every title, so this time I stocked up on the classic Preston Sturges comedy The Lady Eve (which I’ve never seen, despite being a big fan of Sullivan’s Travels) and the classic POW flick The Great Escape. If you’ve never seen Great Escape then you are missing out on truly one of the most riveting and undeniably enjoyable World War II films ever made, with an awe-inspiring cast including Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence and James Coburn.

CS Recommends: Criterion Collection Sale, Plus TV Shows & More!

KYLIE HEMMERT’S RECOMMEND: Teen Wolf The Complete Series

Click here to purchase the complete series!

MTV’s Teen Wolf was a largely underrated series outside of the fanbase the teen supernatural comedy/drama show garnered over its six seasons. Sure, sometimes the CGI didn’t always hit the mark, and there may have been a time or two too many of cheesiness that didn’t always mesh quite right with the show’s specific style of humor. The series never lost its heart, though, and it featured some of the best characters, performers, heroes, and villains you could ask for. Led by Tyler Posey, Teen Wolf is equal parts fun, scary, goofy, heartbreaking, romantic, violent, hilarious, and smart, all while staying completely grounded in themes of friendship and family. Bonus: Dylan O’Brien’s Stiles Stilinski is one of the most memorable characters on TV and watching him grow up over the course of six seasons (and getting to go dark during a certain fan-favorite arc where he played arguably Teen Wolf‘s best villain ever) is just icing on the cake.

CS Recommends: Criterion Collection Sale, Plus TV Shows & More!

GRANT HERMANNS’ RECOMMEND: Thir13en Ghosts

Click here to purchase!

While there are plenty of more elevated horror films from the past decade I would quicker recommend than this, sometimes a good old-fashioned and schlocky haunted house ride is what’s needed for a fun movie night and with 2001’s Thir13en Ghosts having just received a special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Shout! Factory, now is as good a time as any to revisit this underrated gem. A remake of the 1960 William Castle classic, the story centers on a widowed and impoverished college professor and his family who inherit a mansion from his adventurer uncle, only to learn his uncle was a ghost hunter and the mansion is full of violent spirits and must find a way to get his family out in time. Its story is a simple setup and a fairly faithful recreation of the original film and though it plays out pretty formulaic, its production design and visual effects are hyper kinetic and haunting and its pacing is nice and quick, making for an absolute thrill ride. If those don’t float your boat, it also has an unhinged and R-rated Matthew Lillard as a psychic who’s trapped inside the mansion with the family and helped the uncle capture the ghosts, and that alone should be your selling point to check this film out in glorious Blu-ray quality.

MAGGIE DELA PAZ’S RECOMMEND: Hotel Del Luna (South Korean Drama Series)

Click here to purchase!

Directed by Oh Choong-hwan from a script written by acclaimed South Korean writing duo The Hong Sisters, Hotel Del Luna revolves around a mystical and supernatural hotel which only accepts wandering ghosts as guests with the staffs catering to their every need and helping them with their unfinished business before they can truly pass on the afterlife. The titular hotel is headed by long-time owner named Jang Man-wol, who is neither a ghost nor a human and was bound to the hotel by the deity Mago due to her mysterious past. When the time has finally come to hire a new general manager, who will handle the human affairs needed for the hotel, Man-wol has decided to collect a debt she made years ago with a man who mistakenly stole something from her. In exchange for his life and wealth, his only son must work for her after 20 years. That’s why, the smart and capable Gu Chan-sung has no other choice but to become the new general manager while trying to face his fear of ghosts.

Hotel Del Luna is a 16-episode fantasy drama series which was one of last year’s highest rated Korean dramas. I highly-recommend this series because it offers a unique and charming storyline that will definitely get viewers hooked through every scene. In addition to its intriguing main storyline, each episode also features a side story centering on a different spirit which covers many different topics concerning societal problems.

What I like the most about this series is its visually stunning cinematography and high-quality sets. K-Pop superstar Lee Ji-eun, better known as IU, has yet again proven her acting prowess and has successfully led another beloved drama with Hotel Del Luna. Through her character’s fierce personality and iconic wardrobe, IU will no doubt captivate viewers with her strong and memorable performance as Jang Man-wol.

CS Recommends: Criterion Collection Sale, Plus TV Shows & More!

JEFF AMES’ RECOMMEND: Zodiac

Click here to purchase!

David Fincher’s Zodiac is a perfect film. Released in 2007, the crime drama about the search for the Zodiac killer arrived and left theaters without much fanfare and was completely ignored by the Academy in truly baffling fashion. Which means wonderful performances by Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. (exactly one year before he became Iron Man) were overlooked, as were the astonishing visual FX of the film and Fincher’s fabulous direction. And while the crime drama lacks the visceral intensity of, say, Seven, or Gone Girl, it works as a hypnotic police procedural thriller and a fascinating character study about the nature of fear and obsession. If anything, Zodiac serves as a quasi-prequel to Fincher’s own Mindhunters Netflix series in that the purpose of the story is not to shock the audience with silly theatrics, but, rather, dazzle them with real-life drama involving living, breathing monsters.

ComingSoon.net recommends all readers comply with CDC guidelines and remain as isolated as possible during this urgent time.

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Beauty and the Beast Prequel Series Title Possibly Revealed

Beauty and the Beast Prequel Series Title Possibly Revealed

Beauty and the Beast prequel series title possibly revealed

We may still be a ways away from seeing the Beauty and the Beast prequel series centered on Luke Evans’ Gaston and Josh Gad’s LeFou but now, thanks to legendary composer Alan Menken, it appears we may know the title of the Disney+ project. (Via Collider)

RELATED: Luke Evans Gives Update on Beauty and the Beast Prequel Series

In an interview with Variety, in which the recently crowned EGOT winner confirmed he’s still working on the long-in-development Enchanted sequel, Menken stated he was currently working on the music for the Beast prequel project, which he called “The Little Town.” Whether this ends up being the official title or not, it proves to be a nice ode to the opening number in all musical adaptations of the story, “Belle,” in which the heroine sings about her home village, the song having been penned by Oscar winner Howard Ashman, who passed away just prior to the release of the original film and is the subject of a new Disney+ documentary set to premiere next week.

The series, which is being penned by Once Upon a Time creators Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, will be a six-episode limited series musical event with composer Alan Menken also in talks to return to craft music for the series. The project is currently in early development, with no other stars currently attached, but sources are reporting that there is a possibility they could appear in guest spots.

Click here to purchase the 2017 film!

Horowitz and Kitsis are going to partner with Gad to serve as showrunners on the series, with the trio writing all six scripts and executive producing alongside Evans, while ABC Signature Studios is funding the project.

This prequel series will mark the second extension from a live-action Disney remake for the streaming service as a spin-off film focusing on Billy Magnussen’s Prince Anders from last year’s Aladdin is currently in development, while reboots of The Mighty Ducks and Tucker and Hooch are also in development.

Beauty and the Beast starred Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscar winner Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s eccentric, but lovable father; and Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp. The film also featured Ewan McGregor as Lumière, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Stanley Tucci as Cadenza, Audra McDonald as Garderobe and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts.

RELATED: Ewan McGregor Voicing Jiminy Cricket in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast hit theaters in March 2017 to generally positive reviews from critics and audiences, who praised the visual effects and faithfulness to the original while also receiving some criticisms for its lack of doing anything new with the material. It went on to be a major box office success, grossing over $1.25 billion worldwide on a production budget estimated between $160-255 million.

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LEGO Unveils New LEGO Art Line With Marvel Studios’ Iron Man

LEGO Unveils New LEGO Art Line With Marvel Studios' Iron Man

LEGO unveils new LEGO Art line with Marvel Studios’ Iron Man

The LEGO Group is launching a new canvas for creative expression alongside a series of much-loved partners, designed for adults who pride themselves on their love of pop culture, four new LEGO Art sets give creative adults a different way to transform their passion into art, beginning with Marvel Studios’ Iron Man! Check out LEGO Designer Chris Stamps’ interview on the set in the player below!

RELATED: LEGO Group Unveils LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System!

Those who love Warhol or Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles or iconic characters from the Marvel Universe and Star Wars galaxy can pay homage to their idols by creating their very own LEGO artwork portrait to proudly display in their homes, offices or wherever they enjoy their music, film or art.

The LEGO Art sets offer adults a new creative experience to help them relax and recharge as they transform a blank canvas (or in this case, small interlinking base plates) using LEGO tiles. Each set can be reimagined in a number of different ways to express the personality of each different builder, and to make it easy and simple for pop culture lovers to refresh the LEGO Art piece on display in their house. All four new sets come with a signature tile unique to the set that is worthy of any true work of art, and a new hanging element to make them easy to hang up and switch around.

With new research from the LEGO Group finding that 73 percent of adults often research new ways to help them relax, each LEGO Art set comes with a bespoke soundtrack that makes the perfect building companion. Featuring fascinating anecdotes from the creators of Iron Man and Star Wars, or those closest to the stories of Andy Warhol and the Beatles, the soundtracks  dive deep into the inspiration behind each design to help adults fully immerse themselves in the building experience and unwind while they explore their love of music, art or film in a new way.

The LEGO Marvel Studios Iron Man set will be available exclusively from LEGO Retail Stores and official LEGO website while the other three sets will be available from retailers beginning August 1 or from September 1 in the US.

  • LEGO Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe – Pop art admirers can now recreate Andy Warhol’s famous bright pink screenprint of Marilyn Monroe from 1967, or reimagine it in three different colours using LEGO tiles. As art and design lovers tailor the tone of their piece to suit their artistic temperament, they can tune in to new insights and details about Warhol from those that know him best.
  • LEGO The Beatles – Music lovers can bring Beatle-fandom into the home with a LEGO portrait of their favorite band member, whether it’s John Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison or Sir Ringo Starr. Each set can be used to create four unique portraits or collect four and display the full band side-by-side. Fans can get by with a little help from friends of the Beatles as they switch their headphones over to accompanying soundtrack to listen to music and stories about the band as they build.
  • LEGO Marvel Studios Iron Man – Super Hero fans can decide between powering their hero up with the MARK III, the HULKBUSTER MARK I or the MARK LXXXV with this 3-in-1 set. After the tough decision is made, builders can recharge by listening to cool details about the set and stories from Marvel Experts as part of the accompanying soundtrack. Fans who want to channel Tony Stark and ‘run before you walk’ can combine three of the same sets into one to create the ultimate Iron Man artwork.
  • LEGO Star Wars The Sith – Celebrate iconic villains from a galaxy far, far away with this 3-in-1 portrait set. Choose between portraits that pay tribute to the Sith, with Darth Vader, Darth Maul or Kylo Ren, or take the artwork to the next level by combining three sets into an ultimate Darth Vader wall piece. The soundtrack means the Force will be with fans as they create their very own piece of wall art while listing to music from the films and fun stories from Star Wars creators.

RELATED: Nintendo & LEGO Reveal LEGO Super Mario Product Line!

“We know adults are always trying to destress after a day at work, and we thought, what better way to help them switch off than by encouraging them to explore their favourite passion in a new creative way?” Louise Elizabeth Bontoft, Senior Design Director at the Lego Group, said in a statement. “With these wider ranging designs, we believe that we can inspire film fans, music lovers and art and design aficionados to immerse themselves in a world of art and creativity linked to their idols. Through this new experience, we believe adults can unwind, engage in a mindful building activity and ultimately create a beautiful piece of wall art that perfectly reflects their personality.”

These new wall art sets are the second 2D tile creative concept to be announced by the LEGO Group this year, following the launch of LEGO® DOTS, a new theme that offers children a new way to express themselves inspired by arts and crafts.

The post LEGO Unveils New LEGO Art Line With Marvel Studios’ Iron Man appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

New Details on X-Men’s Rough Development Revealed

New Details on X-Men's Rough Development Revealed

New details on X-Men’s rough development revealed

The first film in Fox’s X-Men franchise proved to be one of the most revolutionary in helping launch the comic book genre on the big screen. However, some may not realize the troublesome development its script went through but now it’s all been brought to light on its 20th anniversary in a new oral history from The Hollywood Reporter.

RELATED: Josh Boone on How X-Men: Apocalypse’s Failure Changed New Mutants

Development on an X-Men film adaptation first began in 1984 at Orion Pictures an languished in development hell for over 15 years, with various writers and directors attached including James Cameron (Titanic), Katheryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) and Andrew Kevin Walker (Sleepy Hollow) before finally landing at 20th Century Fox a decade later. After three more years of searching for the right writer, with such names attached as Ed Solomon (Men in Black), John Logan (Gladiator) and James Schamus (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), the studio finally landed on Bryan Singer to helm after the release of The Usual Suspects and brought in the neo-noire’s screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie to conduct a three-week rewrite.

But despite reuniting the two, the drama in the writers room only continued as by October of 1998, a few months after his being hired, McQuarrie had yet to turn in a draft and Fox pulled the greenlight from the project until Tom DeSanto and Singer began working on a script together just before Christmas to put the project back on track. Sometime later, still hoping to perfect the script, Joss Whedon (who was taking off at Fox with the hit teen supernatural series Buffy the Vampire Slayer) was brought in for a rewrite, which producer Lauren Shuler Donner called “so good,” praising its humorous nature while also noting that it was exactly that jokey sensibility that Singer rejected, as he was searching for a “much more serious and more dramatic” film, with just two lines of Whedon’s dialogue making it into the final cut.

Sources also report that despite having access to a number of A-list writing talent, Singer brought in unknown names, most notably David Hayter, who at the time was acting as a voiceover artist, re-dubbing anime for English audiences while also portraying of Solid Snake in 1998’s Metal Gear Solid. Hayter had previously been Singer’s assistant, and the director turned to him thanks to his extensive comic book knowledge, having him sit in on script meetings with Peter Rice and Tom Rothman and secretly write new scenes for the script.

Ralph Winter knew and he asked me to highlight everything I’d done in the script at that point, and it was about 55 percent of the script,” Hayter said. “Ralph went to Peter Rice and said, ‘Look, here’s the deal. David, the phone guy, has been writing the script. You have to make a deal with him or we are in serious legal jeopardy. Peter called me into his office and offered me $35,000 and said, ‘That’s all you’ll ever get. Be happy with that.’

RELATED: X-Men Cast Reunion Crashed by Origins Star Ryan Reynolds

Some sources report that the final shooting script was mostly comprised of Solomon and McQuarrie’s materials with some contributions from Hayter, but that due to the turmoil and secretive planning on Singer’s behalf, the future Mission: Impossible writer/director was angry with the studio and persuaded Solomon to remove his name from the film along with his own, leading to Hayter getting sole credit and Singer and DeSanto receiving story credits.

At the time, I no longer wanted my name on a movie if it wasn’t entirely my work,” Solomon said. “It came more out of immature self-righteousness than anything else, and, in hindsight, it was a stupid move.

“Chris gave up at least $1 million the first year in residuals and credit bonuses,” Hayter added. “Same with Ed. It’s unheard-of.”

Despite other on-set troubles, the film would finally hit theaters in 2000 to rave reviews from critics and audiences and was a box office smash, grossing nearly $300 million on its $75 million budget and spawning a 20-plus-year franchise that is set to conclude with the long-awaited New Mutants from Josh Boone.

Singer and Hayter would return for the second film in the franchise, X2: X-Men United, which saw Hayter and Zak Penn (Ready Player One) write separate scripts and combine them with rewrites from Michael Dougherty (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) and Dan Harris. Penn’s credit would be shifted only to a “Story By” with Hayter and Singer, while Hayter retained a “Screenplay By” credit with Dougherty and Harris, both of whom would reunite with Singer for Superman Returns.

For more details on X-Men‘s tortured history, including how a young Kevin Feige was tasked to help contain Bryan Singer’s erratic behavior on set, read the full article here!

The post New Details on X-Men’s Rough Development Revealed appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Exclusive The Shadow of Violence Clip With Barry Keoghan

Exclusive The Shadow of Violence Clip With Barry Keoghan

Exclusive The Shadow of Violence clip with Barry Keoghan

Saban Films has provided ComingSoon.net with an exclusive clip from this weekend’s crime drama The Shadow of Violence, starring Barry Keoghan (DunkirkThe Killing of a Sacred Deer, American Animals) and Cosmo Jarvis (Hunter KillerLady MacbethPeaky Blinders). You can check out the clip in the player below!

RELATED: The Shadow of Violence Trailer & Poster Starring Cosmo Jarvis

In the dark underbelly of rural Ireland, ex-boxer Douglas “Arm” Armstrong (Jarvis) has become a feared enforcer for the drug-dealing Devers family. When his ruthless employers order him to kill for the first time, his loyalties are tested in this powerful thriller costarring Ned Dennehy (Peaky Blinders, Good Omens, Outlander).

The movie also stars Niamh Algar (The VirtuesPureMotherFatherSon) and was directed by BAFTA nominee Nick Rowland (Slap, Dancing in the Ashes, Group B) from a script by Joe Murtagh (American Animals, Group B, Gangs of London).

RELATED: Exclusive Villain Trailer & Poster Starring Craig Fairbrass & George Russo

The Shadow of Violence is now playing only in theaters starting today!

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Jason Bateman In Talks for Netflix’s Here Comes the Flood

Jason Bateman In Talks for Netflix's Here Comes the Flood

Jason Bateman in talks for Netflix’s Here Comes the Flood

It’s been five years since Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jason Bateman stepped behind the camera for a feature-length project and now Deadline has brought word that the Ozark star is currently in talks to helm the Netflix heist thriller Here Comes the Flood.

RELATED: Netflix, Brown & Bateman Team for The Girls I’ve Been Adaptation

The film, written by Simon Kinberg (Dark Phoenix), is being described as an “elevated, character-driven love story” with the heist element of the story “playing out in increments.” The project was the focus of a heated bidding war amongst studios, with the streaming service beating the competition with a mid-seven-figure deal and is reportedly considering it a top priority, with Bateman topping the list of other top directors out for the job.

Sources do report that the negotiations are still in the early stages for the 51-year-old filmmaker/actor/producer to helm the project and that talks are currently focused on only having him direct, but are keeping the option open for him to star in one of the many roles already written in the script. Should he take the position, it would give him more than enough time to finish production on the highly-anticipated final season of the acclaimed Netflix crime drama Ozark before heading into production on the film.

The project would mark Bateman’s third time helming a feature film after the well-received dark comedy Bad Words and the acclaimed indie dramedy The Family Fang, having starred in both, and would continue his work behind the camera on a handful of Ozark episodes and the first two episodes of HBO’s limited series adaptation of Stephen King’s The Outsider, which he also starred in. He was set to reunite with The Change-Up star Ryan Reynolds on the upcoming Clue remake as co-star and director, but dropped out of the latter position due to scheduling conflicts with Ozark.

RELATED: Jason Bateman Explains Clue Departure

It will also mark another continuation in his partnership with Netflix, having signed on to produce the film adaptation of The Girls I’ve Been, which Stranger Things‘ Millie Bobby Brown set to star and produce as well, after already being set to return for Ozark‘s final season and in the streaming service’s revival of the former Fox sitcom Arrested Development.

(Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

The post Jason Bateman In Talks for Netflix’s Here Comes the Flood appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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