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Trailer For The Mountain Between Us

Based on the book by Charles Martin, The Mountain Between Us sees Idris Elba and Kate Winslet as two strangers forced into a battle for survival after a plane crash stands them atop a remote, snow covered mountain. A trailer for the movie, directed by the Oscar Nominate Hany Abu-Assad, has arrived, and while it may seem like survival movie 101, the two leads do at least make it an interesting prospect. There’s every chance this could be played as a two hander for the most part, and the pair do assume to have a good chemistry from what we can see here. Check it out for yourself below.

Released: October 20th

Godzilla vs. Kong Gets A Director

With Kong: Skull Island in the bag, and production currently taking place on Michael Dougherty’s (Trick r’ Treat, Krampus) Godzilla: King of Monsters, Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. are focusing on the next piece of their giant monster shared universe, namely the titanic smackdown that will be Godzilla vs. Kong. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that You’re Next, The Guest, and the recent Blair Witch reboot director Adam Wingard has been tapped to bring the two iconic monsters together in what will be his biggest film to date.

Clearly Warner and Legendary are following the Marvel Studios rule of picking directors, going for lesser known names to handle their big franchises. Wingard’s may seem like an odd choice, especially when this particular movie will be the culmination of three movies world of world building, but for those who have seen his previous efforts, you’ll know he the man has a way of subverting genres in endlessly entertaining ways and making them his own. All his movies have felt like he’s been leading to this, each one a step up in terms of budget and scope, and his next project, Netflix’s manga adaption Death Note, will be the best indication of what he can do with a sizeable budget. As a huge fan of his work, I can’t wait to see what he has in store for this universe.

Godzilla vs. Kong is set for release on May 22nd 2020.

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Wonder Woman

The DCEU marches on with Wonder Woman coming our way this Thursday, the iconic DC Comics heroine getting her first solo movie after making quite the impact in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. With a 75 plus year history under her belt, there’s a lot going on with the Mistress of Might you might not be aware of. So, here’s five things you didn’t know about Wonder Woman.

1. Wonder Woman was created in 1941 by psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston as new type of hero who would win the day through love and fists or firepower. The inspiration for the character came form Marston’s wife, Elizabeth, and Olive Byrne, the woman both were in a polyamorous relationship with. Marston also created an early version of the lie detector, which went onto inspire Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth.

2. Wonder Woman’s original origin was that she was sculpted from clay by her mother Hippolyta, and given life and her powers by the Greek goddess Aphrodite. In recent years, with DC Comics undergoing a line wide reboot, her origin was changed to make her the natural born daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta, her powers coming from the fact she was a demi-goddess.

3. Wonder Woman’s alter-ego of Diana Prince comes from her meeting an army nurse who was her doppelgänger. The nurse wanted to travel to South America to be with her fiancé, but had no money to do so. Because the two looked alike, Wonder Woman paid her the money in return for using her name as an alias so she could keep tabs on Steve Trevor, her on again/off again love interest.

4. The first attempt to bring Wonder Woman to t.v. happened in 1967. Given the success of the 1966 Batman t.v. show, this version would posses the same campy style and be more of a comedy, casting Diana as a plain young woman who kept her alter-ego secret form her overbearing mother.

5. The 1975 Wonder Woman t.v. show, with Lynda Carter in the lead role, was initially cancelled after it’s first season. Despite it being a success, television network ABC was unhappy with the show’s 1940’s setting. CBS soon picked the series up, changing the time period from the 40’s to the modern day. Carter and Lyle Waggoner were the only actors who returned, with Waggoner playing Steve Trevor in season one, and his own son, Steve Trevor Jr., in season’s two and three.

First Trailer For Paddington 2

2014’s Paddington was a witty, charming little romp, delighting families the world over with the modern adventures of everyone’s favourite marmalade loving bear. You’ll be happy to hear a sequel is on it’s way, and we have the first trailer, as lovable and charming as the first movie. Ben Whishaw is back as the voice of Paddington, alongside the returning High Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Peter Capaldi, Jim Broadbent, and Julie Walters, with newcomers Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson coming on board for the tale of thief running amok in Winsdor Gardens. Check out the trailer below.

Paddington 2 lands in cinemas this side of the pond on November 10th, before coming to the U.S. in early 2018.

Neill Blomkamp Teases Mysterious New Project

The last we heard of Neill Blomkamp, things weren’t going well for the South African director. His latest feature, Chappie, was the critical and financial hot people expected, and his proposed Alien 5 was canned as fast as it was green lit in favour of Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant. But you can’t keep a good director down, but his latest project is one I don’t think any one saw coming. Having made his name with short films like Alive in Joburg (the inspiration for District 9) and the Halo short Landfall, Blomkamp is heading back to that medium, but with a twist: this new series of experimental shorts, coming from the newly formed Oats Studios, will be going straight to online gaming platform Steam. Simply titled Oats: Volume 1, the first trailer for the project has come online, chock full of the usual fantastic visuals and unique concepts from the modern Sci-Fi master, with an appearance from Sigourney Weaver thrown in for good measure.

Several indie films and documentaries have already found their way on Steam in recent months, but this is the first time someone with serious mainstream clout will be working on the platform exclusively, and could lead to a new viable streaming service. Very little is known is know at this stage, but you better believe I’ll be watching Steam very closely over the next few months, waiting for these to arrive.

Warmachine, Baywatch, Top Gun 2 Podcast Episode 313

Can Netflix repeat it's TV series success with Warmachine? Is Baywatch any good and just what can happen with a Top Gun sequel?

All that and much more in episode 313 of THE podcast!

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This is our latest, epic, episode!

Baywatch Review

21 Jump Street has a lot to answer for. Now, I know big screen remakes of old t.v. shows are nothing new, but the success of Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s R-Rated, meta comedy, has given rise to a number of imitators who have grabbed the wrong end of the stick, thinking incredibly blue language and gross out humour is the way to go. The latest movie up to bat is Baywatch, a show that people only remember because of David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson, and that one joke from Friends. While you never call it a t.v. classic, the original show was cheesy, fun camp about lifeguards whose main skill was slow motion running, but director Seth Gordon (Identity Thief, Horrible Bosses) forgoes all that, upping the raunch and saddling it with generic R-Rated humour that never manages to hit the mark.

Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron share the spotlight as Mitch Buchannon, the overzealous chief of Baywatch, and Matt Brody, the team’s newest, cocksure recruit, and while they’ve both proven themselves incredibly charming and charismatic in the past, they are both having serious off days here, barely able to wring one single laugh from Damian Shannon and Mark Swift’s offensively dumb script. The whole thing just feels incredibly lazy, with a plot stolen from any number of 80’s cop movies involving an upmarket hotel acting as the front for a drug operation flooding the beach with a product that is like ‘Bath Salts on Meth’. But you quickly get the feeling that the main plot doesn’t matter as it moves forward with all the care of , plot points just dropping into our laps with no rhyme or reason, and when the villain’s (played limply by Priyanka Chopra) ultimate plan is revealed in a throwaway line, you know no one gives a crap about the narrative.

The movie instead focuses on the misjudged gross out humour and eye candy, obviously trying to emulate the success of 21 Jump Street, and missing the point completely. The reason that movie work was because it was in on the joke. It knew remaking the show was a ridiculous endeavour, especially since hardly anyone remembered it, so ripped it into itself at every turn. Baywatch isn’t that self aware, painfully so. Gordon and the cast approach the subject matter with a reverence that is almost commendable, if the finished product wasn’t so painful to endure. Each gross out joke, from dicks getting stuck in lounge chairs to Zac Efron forced to hold a flaccid penis in his hand (a lot of dick jokes in this movie. Not the body part you’d think they’d rely on, is it?), hits with the impact of a bone dry sponge, and the action that is peppered throughout doesn’t fare much better, not helped by the incredibly bad green screen subbing in for real locations.

Lazy and unfunny, Baywatch is the worst example of this new trend for R-Rated t.v. show remakes. Avoid at all costs.

Watch The Deadpool Blooper Reel

Just when you Deadpool has given us all the hilarity it can, along comes this hilarious blooper reel that shows just how much fun Ryan Reynolds and co. had bring the Merc with the Mouth onto the big screen, including T.J. Miller spitting out more inventive insults. And, of course, it is incredibly NSFW, so watch where you watch this.

Trailer For Logan Lucky

Featuring an impressive cast that includes Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Seth McFarlane, Hilary Swank, Katherine Waterson, and that new, raw talent Daniel Craig (wait till you watch the trailer to get that joke), Logan Lucky is pretty much Steven Soderbergh doing The Coen Brothers, and if this trailer is any indication, we’re in for quite the treat.

Sure, this is really just Soderbergh doing another heist movie, but the whole affair has an injection of a much more overt, absurd sense of humour than we’re used to from the uber-stylish director. And again, that cast is all kinds of awesome.

Released: August 18th

Synopsis: Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

How Netflix Has Changed Our TV Habits

Netflix may have broken the mould by releasing all episodes of House of Cards at once in 2013, but it's viewers who are changing the nature of TV. And it's more than just binging. From the characters we choose to wake up with to what we watch in bed, when viewers have the power to programme their own day, TV watching no longer looks the same.

“For years our lives had to fit around television, now it’s the other way around,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content. “We’ve given consumers control and it’s interesting to see the behaviours that emerge when viewers aren’t tied to a schedule. And even more so to see that these routines are replicated by millions the world over.”

Wake up with a smile with comedy for breakfast: Gone are the days of every household waking up to the same breakfast TV programming on their screens. While you might not expect popular parodies to stir laughs bright and early, around 6AM members are 34% more likely to watch comedy compared to the rest of the day with the new comedy wake-up block including the likes of Will Smith and Carlton (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air), The Tanners (Fuller House) and Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother), to name a few.

Avoid drama in the office and escape into another world at lunch: When viewing schedules are set by people and not programmers, lunchtime becomes no binging exception. Across the world, drama accounts for nearly half (47%) of viewing between noon and 2PM (an increase of 5% compared to the rest of the day). Who says shows like Bloodline, Mad Men and Orange is the New Black are strictly evening fare?

Opposite genres attract when we binge in bed: Our evenings used to revolve around the square and the street, making sure we were sat in front of the TV to get our fix. But now, we see thrillers like The OA, Stranger Things and Breaking Bad being enjoyed in the evening - globally the genre sees a 27% increase come 9PM. But viewers are kicking Prairie Johnson, the Upside Down and Walter White out of bed by 11PM and restoring balance with partners like Charlie Kelly (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Kimmy Schmidt (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Dev Shah (Master of None) and Bojack Horseman before they hit the hay - apparently members around the world choose to start and end their day with a laugh.

Late nights are for learning - watchers always enjoy a midnight snack: Globally, 15% of streaming happens between midnight and 6AM. And what these night owl members are watching is not what you think - documentaries see a 24% increase in viewing during this time, including titles like Chef’s Table, Making a Murderer and Planet Earth. The pursuit for quality entertainment (and knowledge) doesn’t dim when the lights go out.

Ultimately, Netflix-time is anytime: Viewers now fit TV watching around their daily lives, rather than the other way around.

When it comes to defining the new ‘rules’ of TV watching, Frank Underwood said it best: “If you don’t like how the table is set, turn over the table.”

Top Gun 2 Is Definitely Happening!!

Rumours of a sequel to Tony Scott’s 1986 hit Top Gun have been doing the rounds for a long while now, way back as far as 2010 with Scott and Tom Cruise set to re-team for the continuing adventures of Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell. These plans fell apart following the director’s death in 2012, but the last few years have seen talk of the project surface once more. Now, we have our first word of the movie actually moving forward, with Cruise himself confirming it while doing press for The Mummy during the week. When asked if the talk of Top Gun 2 was true, he replied with,“It’s true. I’m going to start filming it, probably in the next year.” Sure, it’s a pretty nonchalant way to announce the long awaited sequel to a bona fide classic, but confirmation is confirmation.

Now, further news about the project has come to light, with Variety reporting that Oblivion director Joseph Kosinski is in talks to direct the sequel, which the publication reveals will focus on drone warfare, fifth generation fighter pilots, and the end of the dog fighting era that was such an integral part of the original. No further details are available, but Val Kilmer has gone on record as saying he was asked to reprise the role of Iceman. I don’t know about you, but I’m fascinated by the prospect of the sequel dealing with drones and the reaction of an old school pilot to this new technology. And given Kosinski’s previous works dealing with advances in technology, specifically Oblivion and Tron: Legacy, you know the director will have fun with the concept.

New Trailer For Despicable Me 3

After a detour with The Minions and talking pets both having a lark in New York City and singing their hearts out, Illumination are going back to the well with Despicable Me 3, and a new trailer has come our way letting us know business as usual is the order of the day. More humour, more gadgets, and more Minions. Which will delight the kiddies, both young and old, no end.

Released: June 30th

Final Trailer For Valerian

It’s not long to go now until Luc Besson heads back to space for the first time since The Fifth Element, and to get us hyped for the frankly gorgeous looking passion project Valerian, one final trailer has come our way, treating our eyes once more to the striking visuals the movie seems to have an over abundance of.

Set to what seems like an epic reworking of Gangster’s Paradise (one that works incredibly well oddly enough), we don’t get much in the way of story. Which has been the way of all the trailers so far, relying on the visuals to do all the selling. Hopefully, the finished product has more of a narrative backbone and isn’t just style over substance.

Released: August 2nd

Synopsis: Rooted in the classic graphic novel series, Valerian and Laureline- visionary writer/director Luc Besson advances this iconic source material into a contemporary, unique and epic science fiction saga. Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Valerian has more in mind than a professional relationship with his partner- blatantly chasing after her with propositions of romance. But his extensive history with women, and her traditional values, drive Laureline to continuously rebuff him.

Under directive from their Commander (Clive Owen), Valerian and Laureline embark on a mission to the breathtaking intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all four corners of the universe. Alpha’s seventeen million inhabitants have converged over time- uniting their talents, technology and resources for the betterment of all. Unfortunately, not everyone on Alpha shares in these same objectives; in fact, unseen forces are at work, placing our race in great danger.

Go Behind The Scenes Of Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Yesterday brought us some really new shots from The Last Jedi, via four rather gorgeous Vanity Fair covers (courtesy of photographer Annie Leibovitz). Now, even more images (including a heartbreaking shot of Carrie Fisher with her daughter Billie Lourd) have come our way, as well as more details of what Rian Johnson has in store for us. The big take aways are our first looks at the new characters, specifically Benicio Del Toro as the shady DJ and Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, a prominent member of the Resistance.

Johnson has also revealed some of the new planets and cities he will be playing in, namely Anch-To, the planet Luke has been living alone on for all these years, and Canto Bight, a glittering casino city Finn and other newcomer Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) find themselves in as the story progresses. Skellig Michael is famously subbing for Anch-To, and Johnson has revealed that Luke isn’t alone on picturesque rock in the middle of the ocean, sharing his new home with an 'indigenous race of caretaker creatures’ that he assures us are ‘not Ewoks’, who live in bee hive huts similar to the ones that the monks on Skellig lived in hundreds of years ago.

Canto Bight is an interesting setting. Basically space Monte Carlo, and home to ‘rich *ssholes’, it’s really the first time glamour and wealth has been portrayed in the Star Wars universe. Being set during an intergalactic Civil War, there wasn’t much call for us to visit high society. Time will tell if Johnson will be able to pull this shift in setting off.

A video has also come online, which takes us further behind the scenes, with the cats and crew letting us know how this differs for The Force Awakens

Spider-Man: Homecoming Gets A New Trailer - UPDATED

UPDATE - Just when you thought one trailer was epic enough, a new international trailer has come on line, that puts more focus on Michael Keaton’s villainous The Vulture. But what makes the trailer is the found footage gag, set during the superhero showdown in Captain America: Civil War, that kick things off. Check it out below.

We’re over a month away from Spider-Mn swinging into the MCU where he rightfully belongs, and a new trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming has come our way, showcasing just how fun and bombastic this new take on ol’ webhead will be.

One of my major complaints of all of the big screen iterations of Spider-Man so far was that they never got was that Peter Parker was a kid with powers, and acted just like you would a kid would act when given amazing powers. He cracked wise, he messed around, he infuriated his enemies. Sure, The Amazing Spider-Man did this to a point, but barring the one battle with the Lizard on the Midtown High campus, it never really used this element of Spidey's character to its fullest. Not like here. Tom Holland really captures the sense of wonder that goes a long with being thrust into the world of superheroes. On top of that, this looks epic as heel, director Jon Watt’s striking the right balance between the humour and action.

Released: July 7th

Synopsis: A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

First Clip From The Mummy

Following the big reveal of their big classic monsters shared universe on Monday, Universal are going full tilt into hyping the first installment of Dark Universe, The Mummy, with the reveal of the first clip. Showcasing the movie’s dark atmosphere, humour, and the fact that Tom Cruise’s Nick Morton isn’t your typical action adventure lead, it does a good job of cluing us into what is in store for us.

That time Sofia Boutella threw Tom Cruise across a forest. Watch this exclusive #TheMummy clip. pic.twitter.com/VZX6vchpXq

— #TheMummy (@themummy) May 23, 2017

Released: June 9th

Synopsis: Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella of Kingsman: The Secret Service and Star Trek Beyond) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.

From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

JW Rinzler - All Up Odyssey of the Rocket Men

New York Times Best Selling Author, JW Rinzler and of course the author of those amazing Star Wars Making of Books, chats to Vic about his new book called All Up Odyssey of the Rocket Men.

He also chats about his incredible career working alongside George Lucas and the folks at Lucasfilm and you'll never guess what blew his mind about all things Star Wars!

This is our latest, epic, episode!

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Pirates Of The Caribbean

When Disney announced that they were making a multi-million dollar blockbuster based on a Disney land ride, the whole world rolled their eyes. Then Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was released, spawning a three billion dollar grossing franchise and giving the world Captain Jack Sparrow. While the series may have gone down in people’s assumptions with each installment, Johnny Depps fifth outing as the incorrigible captain, Salazar’s Revenge (or Dead Men Tell No Tales for our American friends) is expected to be a welcome return to form, being one of the front runners for top grossing movies in 2017. So, while we wait for that movie to set sail, here are five things you never knew about the pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

1. The iconic Captain Jack Sparrow could have been very, very different. When he was cast as the character, Johnny Depp had the idea of the character having lost his nose in a sword fight. It would have been sewn back on, and Jack’s biggest fear wouldn’t be dearth but Pepper and the common cold. Disney rightly balked at the idea. The character had so many quirks, he did’t need another one.

2.You wouldn’t think this, but the Pirates of the Caribbean is an Oscar nominated franchise. Johnny Depp received an Best Actor nom for The Curse of the Black Pearl, while that movie, Deadman’s Chest, and At World’s End have been nominated in the technical categories, including Best Visual effects and Best Makeup. On Stranger Tides is the only movie so far not to be considered for an Academy Award. No doubt, the filmmakers are hoping that will change with the fifth movie.

3. The second movie, Dead Man’s Chest, was denied a release in China due to ghosts, the supernatural, and the afterlife been a major part of the plot. The Chinese censorship authority is notoriously hard to get passed. Just recently, Deadpool was banned in the country, thanks to it’s R-Rating.

4. Orlando Bloom isn’t the only actor associated with The Lord of the rings in the franchise’s cast. Davy Jones himself, Bill Nighy, provided the voice of Samwise Gamgee in a BBC Radio adaption of the classic book series.

5. On Stranger Tides holds the record for most expensive movie ever made at $378 million. At World's End follows with $300 million, and Avengers: Age of Ultron keeps the top three spot at Disney, with a budget of $279 million.

The Last Jedi Takes Over Vanity Fair

The first trailer may have divided fans, but there’s no denying the hype is huge for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, due out this December. So much so that Vanity Fair have unveiled four new covers, focusing on different groups of characters. So we have have Rey and Luke chilling out on Skellig Michael, Team Dark Side (Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, General Hux) posing menacingly, Finn, Poe, BB8, and newcomer Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran, who will get the most screen time of all the new characters) standing tall together, and Princess Leia getting pride and place by herself.

While these are only covers for a magazine, separating the heroes could point a more Empire Strikes Back structure for The Last Jedi, something that has been hinted at for some time. Time will tell as it always does.

RIP Roger Moore

Some very sad news has come our way, with the announcement that Roger Moore has passed away at the age of 89. Moore needs no introduction, embedding himself into people’s memories as James Bond, taking up the mantle of the suave super-spy with 1973’s Live and Let Die and staying with the franchise for 12 years, becoming the longest running actor to play James Bond. And this was all after he made quite the impact on t.v. with The Saint and The Persuaders. On top of his success on the silver screen, Moore has been a good will ambassador for UNICEF for the last 25 years, receiving a knighthood in 2003 for his humanitarian work.

Moore’s family released this statement regarding his death on via social media. The thoughts of everyone here at The Movie Bit are with them at this time:

With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated. pic.twitter.com/6dhiA6dnVg

— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) May 23, 2017

Zack Snyder Steps Away From Justice League Due To Personal Tragedy

With the movie in post-production, and the mandatory reshoots every superhero movie undergoes set to begin in the coming weeks, word has come from the set of Justice League is stepping away from the movie to deal with a personal tragedy. Sadly, Snyder’s daughter committed suicide in March, and while the director initially thought the most cathartic thing to do was to jump right back into work, he has now decided to step back and spend time healing with his family. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. offered to push back the release date of the movie, but the director, and his wife Deborah who also serves as producer, declined, opting to let another filmmaker come in to bring the project home. That filmmaker is none other than The Avengers’ Joss Whedon, already part of the DCEU writing and directing the in development Batgirl movie. Whedon, who was previously brought in to rewrite scenes following the screening of a rough cut of the movie, won’t be making any changes to Snyder’s vision, instead working within the template set by the director.

This is a tragic situation that I don’t think anyone could have imagined, and major kudos to Warner Bros. and Whedon for helping the Snyder’s deal with this tragedy. The thoughts of everyone here at The Movie Bit are with them, their friends, and their family during this hard time.

Tom Holland Takes Lead In Uncharted

Spider-Man: Homecoming hasn’t even hit the cinemas yet, but Sony seem to have a lot of faith in young star Tom Holland that they are willing to thrust him to the fore of another big franchise, this time as the lead in the big screen adaption of the best selling Playstation vide game series, Uncharted, according to Deadline. This particular project has been doing the rounds in Hollywood for years with David O. Russell (Three Kings, Joy) and Joe Carnahan (Narc, The A-Team), amongst many others, attached at one point. In fact, Carnahan had written the most recent draft of the script for director Shawn Levy (Stranger Things, Real Steel), envisioning it as an R-Rated adventure flick. While Levy is still on board, this most recent draft is being rewritten to de-age the hero, roguish Indiana Jones-alike Nathan Drake, presenting an origin story as he grows into his role as a famed treasure hunter. So basically Uncharted will be the opening of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade stretched to two hours.

Taking it’s cue from a sequence in Uncharted 3, the movie will follow young thief Drake and his first encounter with professional rogue, and future mentor, Victor Sullivan. There’s no word on whether this new movie will lead to more movies that will see Holland age up with the character (or be replaced by an older actor altogether), but is this the right direction for the project? There’s every chance this approach will alienate fans of the video game series, especially since the uber charming Drake is a such a well known and beloved video game. There’s also the video game movie curse. This movie already has that going against it, is changing the concept so drastically the right route to take?

Universal Officially Announce Dark Universe

We’ve know for quite some time now that the upcoming The Mummy would be the kick-off of Universal Pictures ‘Dark Universe’, a shared universe that will bring together all their classic monsters under one umbrella. We’re talking The Mummy, Dracula (Dracula Untold was said to be the start of this universe, but after it’s lacklustre box office haul, expect that to get a reboot), Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll, Phantom of the Opera, The Invisible Man, and many more. With the Mummy just around the corner (June 9th to be specific), the studio has officially announced Dark Universe with a pretty nifty video that highlights the storied history of these monsters on the big screen.

On top of that, Universal has announced the creative team that will shape the shared universe going forward, made up of The Mummy director Alex Kurtzman, screen writer Chris Morgan (the Fast & Furious franchise), Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation director Christopher McQuarrie (also a frequent collaborator with Tom Cruise), and screen writer David Keopp, whose currently working on Bill Condon’s Bride of Frankenstein, the next instalment of the Dark Universe due out on February 14th 2019. While the Bride’s casting hasn’t been announced as of yet, other roles have already been filled out, with Javier Bardem on board as her beau, Frankenstein’s Monster, and Johnny Depp officially announced as The Invisible Man. And since they took the time out to pose all these stars in the photo below, it’s safe to say Sofia Boutella’s The Mummy, Russell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll (whose roster tracking organisation Pordigium seems to be the universe’s connecting tread), and Tom Cruise’s Nick Morton (I have a feeling The Mummy will reveal the hidden importance of this character) will be returning for future movies.

There are a lot more characters to come, including Van Helsing and The Creature from the Black Lagoon, but it seems Universal is taking their time with the Dark Universe, introducing everyone one at at time, instead of just throwing them at us all at once. Which can only be a good thing.

King Arthur, Netflix at Cannes, Terminator 6 Episode 312

Are Netflix produced movies, NOT movies if they're not shown in a cinema screen? King Arthur isn't as bad as you've heard and Tom Hardy is going to be Venom!

iPhone / iPad Users– Click here to open your iTunes podcast app and click Subscribe!

This is our latest, epic, episode!

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