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James Bond 25 Starring Daniel Craig Officially Titled NO TIME TO DIE

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Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 has finally been named with the appropriately titled No Time to Die. The title announcement came with a short video teaser that showed Craig’s dapper Bond taking a short stroll, and then the title reveal. The 1970s styled font of that title feels appropriately nostalgic and perhaps suggests that director Cary Fukunaga’s film will depart from some of the more modern trappings, and plodding broodiness of the last entry, Spectre (2015), and harken back to the Bond eras defined by Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

It’s rumored that the film’s previous director, Danny Boyle, left the project because he wanted to kill off James Bond in the end, a decision that Eon wouldn’t stand for. No Time to Die fittingly feels like a politely passive aggressive rebuttal to Boyle, and a promise that just because this is Craig’s last outing it doesn’t mean that the character will die. This also isn’t the first time the word “die” has appeared in a Bond film. Roger Moore confronted death of the voodoo variety in his first appearance as Bond in Live and Let Die (1973), and Pierce Brosnan double-dipped on death Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Die Another Day (2002). As far as titles go, No Time to Die is about as Bond as you can get without sticking “gold” somewhere in there.

The re-released plot synopsis, attached to the press announcement for the title, hints at a more retro approach with the retired Bond, living in Jamaica, being drawn back into active service by Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) in order to rescue a kidnapped scientist who leads them to a “mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.” Though he isn’t mentioned in the press release, Christoph Waltz was confirmed to return as Bond’s nemesis, Blofeld, just last month.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/no-time-die-end-daniel-craigs-james-bond-1233452
Lame! They shoulda called it:

Ain't nobody got time for death!

 
SPIDER-MAN Standoff: Why Sony Thinks It Doesn't Need "Kevin's Playbook" Anymore

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Sony’s Tom Rothman and Marvel’s Kevin Feige had plenty of smiles at the Hollywood premiere of Spider-Man: Far From Home in late June, but the pearly whites belied an inner turmoil. While the executives hit the red carpet, talks to extend the unique partnership between Sony and Disney, which owns Marvel Studios, were breaking down over the future use of the character of Spider-Man.

Disney had been seeking a co-financing arrangement on upcoming movies, looking for at least a 30 percent stake. Sony, which counts Spider-Man as one of its only reliable moneymaking franchises, said no. Before both sides walked away, talks had gone to the top level, with Rothman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra on Sony’s side and Disney Studios' co-chairmen Alan Horn and Alan Bergman involved. In the next month and a half, Far From Home would go on to catch $1.109 billion in the box office web, becoming Sony’s biggest movie of all time. The figure reinforced both sides’ thinking. Sony executives believed they didn’t need Disney anymore, and Disney was in no way leaving money, and Peter Parker, behind, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

The divorce spilled out in public on August 20, with Sony laying the blame at Disney’s feet, saying the Burbank-based studio now had Feige too busy to work on future movies. "We hope this might change in the future, but understand that the many new responsibilities that Disney has given him — including all their newly added Marvel properties — do not allow time for him to work on IP they do not own," Sony Pictures said. The feud marked a rare display of inter-studio conflict. Even Avengers: Endgamestar Jeremy Renner joined the fray, making an Instagram plea, "Hey @sonypictures we want Spider-Man back to @therealstanlee and @marvel please, thank you."

Disney and Sony were in different places when the idea of a co-operation was broached in 2014. Sony was coming off of two successful but widely derided Amazing Spider-Man movies and was seen as squandering the most popular Marvel hero. Marvel, while successful, was still finding its footing in its “phase two” of movies, jumping from a nadir with Thor: Dark World to a zenith with Guardians of the Galaxy.

It was in this environment that then Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairperson Amy Pascal reached out to Feige and over lunch made a proposal. What ensued was a very simple arrangement. So simple, say insiders, that the deal was only a four to five page document. Sony would loan Spider-Man out for one movie, Captain America: Civil War, and in return, Sony would get Feige’s producing service for two movies. The deal was later revised to include both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. “You have to remember, Marvel wasn’t in the same place as it was now. There was a still a question of how far could this ‘superhero thing’ go,” says one insider familiar with the deal.

Disney did not get a producing fee nor did Feige for the initial deal, say multiple insiders. “Just getting Spider-Man in even one of their movies at the time, that was a stem cell infusion for Marvel,” notes a source regarding the company’s willingness to make a deal at the time.

There was also the unique merchandising arrangement. Sony had earlier relinquished the merchandising rights to Disney for a one-time payment of $175 million. Also in the deal, insiders note, was a provision that saw Disney making a yearly royalty payment to Sony that was amounting to around $30 million a year. Sources say that Disney tied the royalty to the performance of the Feige-produced movies; the better the movies performed, the lower the royalty. (It is unclear whether this will change going forward.)

Regardless, the arrangement was groundbreaking. Here was a major studio loaning out one of its top lieutenants to a rival that owned the movie rights of a character it owned in all other respects. And Feige was given carte blanche to run Spider-Man the way he wanted, even as Sony held the purse.

And both reaped in the rewards of the arrangement. Civil War, with key support from the web-slinger, grossed $1.15 billion. Homecoming, the first Feige-made movie, made $880.1 million, even as it featured Marvel’s Iron Man and deepened the intertwining story threads of the two companies’ movies. And Spider-Man was also an emotional foil and fan favorite in the two-part Avengers movies, both of which grossed over $2 billion. In the case of Avengers: Endgame, the movie became the top-money earner of all time. Marvel took a victory lap at Comic-Con, driving fans into a frenzy by teasing new movies. The MCU, with its next phase set, appears nearly unstoppable.

Sony, meanwhile, also forged ahead with renewed commitment to its Spider-Man spinoff. At a retreat, Rothman, who took over from Pascal when the latter was fired amid the Sony email hack, was convinced by two executives to see superhero films as not a fad but as genres within a larger genre, sources say. The result was Venom, a critically scorned movie that nevertheless grossed $856 million. A sequel is now in the works. Also in post-production is Morbius with Jared Leto.

And then there was Phil Lord and Chris Miller's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the animated movie that became one of 2018’s critical darlings and won the best animated movie Oscar. The feeling from Sony was that they bounced back to a place where they could strike on their own. “Tom is thinking ‘Okay, we’ve learned everything we need to from Kevin’s playbook. We did Venom on our own and we did Spider-Verse,'” comments a Sony insider.

Now, insiders at both studios are pointing fingers at one another about counter offers that never happened or offers that were supposedly mighty generous. "The economic terms for that [Spider-Man] franchise seem to have gotten more complicated – partly reflecting Disney’s shifting priorities since the Fox acquisition," says Wall Street analyst Tuna Amobi, of CFRA Research, who isn't surprised by the impasse. "From an economic and creative standpoint, I would think the development probably has more implications either way for Sony."

Rothman will need to deliver Marvel-less fare that lives up to hype of the character's MCU appearances. "If the two sides don’t come to a compromise, it’s a lose-lose for everybody," argues Shawn Robbins, chief analyst for industry website Box Office. "Marvel won’t be able to resolve the cliffhanger in future movies, which is saying something when it’s their most popular hero. And for Sony, who has had success, Far From Homedoesn’t get to a billion dollars without Feige and Marvel’s involvement."

Robbins adds, "The other big question is, 'How are fans are going to react to a Tom Holland Spider-Man movie that not set in the MCU?' That is a roll of the dice that no studio should take."

Because there's so much money to be made, the parties could also eventually come back to the table. “It is in the best interests of both sides to have come to an agreement,” notes analyst Steven Birenberg of Northlake Capital Management, which owns shares of Disney. “Spidey is an important part of what Marvel has been doing in the MCU and seemed to be for what they plan to do. Perhaps for the first time sinceIron Man and the first few films after there is some uncertainty as to the success of future Marvel films, defining success as the ridiculously high bar that the Avengers has set.”

Feige, meanwhile, does have plenty on his plate, including the sizzle of sequels to Thor and Black Panther and Captain Marvel as well as new chef’s concoctions such as The Eternals and Blade, not to mention a pantry filled with mutants, meaning Fox's X-Men.

Sony’s slate is less diverse and while it is moving ahead with spinoffs and a sequel to Venom, the future of Spider-Man is unclear. Holland, sources say, has an option for one more movie while director Jon Watts is done with his two-picture deal and is free to pursue other projects. "The big test will be two years or so from now, when an eventual Spider-Man movie is made," says the Sony insider.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h...t-doesnt-need-kevins-playbook-anymore-1233644
 
Warrior Actor Andrew Koji to Play Storm Shadow in SNAKE EYES

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“Warrior” headliner Andrew Koji has been cast as Storm Shadow in the “G.I. Joe” movie spinoff “Snake Eyes,” multiple individuals with knowledge of the project tell TheWrap exclusively.

“Crazy Rich Asians” breakout Henry Golding is set to play Snake Eyes.

“Snake Eyes,” the third live-action film based on the “G.I. Joe” toy line, will focus on the origins of the fan-favorite character known for his masked face, black commando uniform and ninja training. Robert Schwentke, the director of “Red” and “R.I.P.D.,” is set to direct “Snake Eyes” for Paramount and Allspark Pictures, in association with Skydance. The film will be released on Oct. 16, 2020.

Storm Shadow, like Snake Eyes, was created by Marvel Comics writer-editor Larry Hama. He debuted in 1984 on the pages of Marvel’s “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” comic series, before appearing that same year in the second “G.I. Joe” animated miniseries produced by Sunbow Entertainment. As depicted in the comics, Storm Shadow is a Japanese-American special forces soldier and member of the fictional Arashikage ninja clan, who was once friends with Snake Eyes before becoming his bitter enemy. The two eventually end up on opposite sides of the conflict between G.I. Joe and the terrorist organization COBRA.

“Beauty and The Beast” screenwriter Evan Spiliotopoulos wrote the screenplay. The story centers on Snake Eyes’ origins where he tries to become a member of the Arashikage Clan, a ninja clan based in Japan. According to “G.I. Joe vs. Cobra: The Essential Guide,” the Arashikage worked as shadowy assassins for generations, using deception to earn their keep as ninjas, as well as developing a reputation for being able to perform impossible tasks. Known as the Young Master, Storm Shadow studied under his uncles, clan leaders Hard Master and Soft Master. Storm Shadow was poised to continue the family business and inherit stewardship of the clan, but Snake Eyes proved to be an amazingly quick study.

Andrew Koji is a British actor of mixed Japanese and English heritage and is known for his TV roles in “The Wrong Mans,” “Call the Midwife,” “The Innocents.” Koji plays the lead role of Ah Sahm in HBO/Cinemax action crime series “Warrior.”

https://www.thewrap.com/andrew-koji-storm-shadow-gi-joe-snake-eyes/
 
BREAKING BAD Movie Title Revealed; Announcement Trailer and Poster Released



Breaking Bad's feature-length movie is headed to Netflix this fall. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie will debut on the streamer Friday, Oct. 11 and later air on AMC, with Aaron Paul returning as meth cook Jesse Pinkman, according to a release from Netflix.

The official synopsis from Netflix read, "In the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity, Jesse must come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future."

Last we saw Paul's Pinkman, he was driving off from a Nazi compound to an unknown location.

The streamer confirmed that the thriller film will be written and directed by Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad.

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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/breaking-bad-movie-headed-netflix-fall-1234318
 
Kit Harington Joins Marvel's ETERNALS as the Black Knight; Gemma Chan to Play Sersi

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Marvel Studios kicked off its D23 presentation with some news. After some playful banter in which Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige tried to cajole Black Panther filmmaker Ryan Coogler into revealing the title or the first act for Black Panther II (working title), the writer-director revealed the sequel will open May 6, 2022.

Feige also revealed that Kit Harington, who played Jon Snow for eight seasons on Game of Thrones, has joined The Eternals. Harington will play Dane Whitman, who in the comics is the superhero Black Knight. Harington is nominated for outstanding lead actor Emmy for the final season of Thrones, which wrapped in May, and his former Thrones co-star Richard Madden is among the cast Eternals.

Feige brought out the cast of Eternals, with Angelina Jolie, who is playing Thena, getting a standing ovation. Feige confirmed Gemma Chan was joining the cast as Sersi. Chan appeared in the MCU earlier this year in Captain Marvel as the Kree warrior Minn-Erva.

The trio join an ensemble that will also feature Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead) as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta) as Phastos, Salma Hayek (The Hitman's Bodyguard) as Ajak, Lia McHugh (American Women) as Sprite and Don Lee (Train to Busan) as Gilgamesh.

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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h...it-haringtons-role-eternals-confirmed-1233149
 
First Look at Emma Stone as a Young Cruella de Vil in Disney's CRUELLA

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At the D23 Expo in Anaheim on Saturday, Disney revealed a first look at Emma Stone in character as Cruella de Vil in Cruella, a live-action interpretation of the villain from 1961's 101 Dalmations.

The film, helmed by I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie, also stars Emma Thompson. In Disney's tweet sharing the photo, Stone appears with Cruella's signature two-shade hair color, accompanied by several Dalmation dogs. Her henchmen stand in the background.

The film is billed as an origin story set in the 1980s, following a young, punk-ish Cruella de Vil. The character, known for kidnapping puppies to use their fur to make luxury coats, was last portrayed on the big screen by Glenn Close in the 1996 adaptation of 101 Dalmations. Disney confirmed that Cruella is set for release on May 28, 2021.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...look-pic-emma-stone-as-cruella-de-vil-1234323
 
Nathan Fillion to Join the Cast of James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD

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Deadline reports that Nathan Fillion will be starring in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad at Warner Bros.

The actor’s role is being kept under wraps. Fillion has a long history of working with Gunn: He played the voice of a monstrous inmate in Guardians of the Galaxy, Bill Pardy in Gunn’s 2006 horror comedy Slither, and the Holy Avenger in the filmmaker’s 2010 pic Super.

Fillion stars in ABC’s The Rookie, which starts its second season on Sept. 29. Prior to that, Fillion starred for eight seasons as mystery novelist Richard “Rick” Castle on ABC’s Castle. His credits include a number of series, such as Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Fillion is renowned for his turn as Captain Malcolm ‘Mal’ Reynolds on Joss Whedon’s cult sci-fi series, Firefly, which also spawned the feature movie Serenity.

The actor is no stranger to DC, fare playing the voice of the Green Lantern in a number of DC animated features, including Reign of the Superman and Justice League: Doom. Fillion received a SAG ensemble nomination for Desperate Housewives, and a Daytime Emmy acting nom for his work on One Life to Live.

Cast to date for The Suicide Squad includes Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flag) as well as new castmembers Idris Elba, David Dastmalchian (Polka-Dot Man), Daniela Melchior (Ratcatcher), Flula Borg and Steve Agee (King Shark, reported exclusively by us yesterday).

Gunn wrote the script to The Suicide Squad. Chuck Roven and Peter Safran are producing. EP is Nik Korda. Pic opens on August 6, 2021. Production starts on September 23, 2019.

https://deadline.com/2019/08/suicid...-star-joins-cast-james-gunn-movie-1202702610/
 
Official D23 Trailer for STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

 
Lewis Tan (Scorpion?), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade) and Josh Lawson (Kano) Join the Cast of MORTAL KOMBAT

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New Line's Mortal Kombat movie has found two of its heaviest hitters. The Meg actress Jessica McNamee is in final negotiations to play Sonya Blade, while Aussie actor Josh Lawson has closed a deal to play Kano. Also in final negotiations to play an undisclosed lead character is Wu Assassins and Deadpool 2 actor Lewis Tan.

While the plot of the film remains unknown, the video game centers on a massive roster of character fighters from different realms in a fictional universe battling for supremacy. Greg Russo penned the current version of the screenplay.

Blade, general of Earthrealm Special Forces, was the first female character introduced in video game franchise, and has a long-standing feud with Kano, a member of the Black Dragon clan.

McNamee, Lawson and Tan will join previously announced stars Joe Taslim, who is on board as Sub-Zero; Mehcad Brooks, playing Jackson ‘\"Jax" Briggs; and Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, among others.

Mortal Kombat, which is set to shoot later this year in southern Australia, is set for a March 5, 2021 release.

McNamee is also known for her role in Battle of the Sexes and the Australian series Packed to the Rafters. Lawson will next be seen playing James Murdoch in Jay Roach's Bombshell, and has been seen on such series as Superstore and House of Lies. He received an Oscar nomination in 2018 for the short film The Eleven O'Clock, which he co-wrote and starred in. Tan is also known for his role on AMC's Into the Badlands and Netflix's Marvel series Iron Fist.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/mortal-kombat-movie-finds-sonya-blade-kano-1234513
 
First Trailer for Noah Hawley's LUCY IN THE SKY Starring Natalie Portman

In Lucy in the Sky, Natalie Portman plays Lucy Cola, a strong woman whose determination and drive as an astronaut take her to space, where she’s deeply moved by the transcendent experience of seeing her life from afar. Back home as Lucy’s world suddenly feels too small, her connection with reality slowly unravels.

 

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