Welcome back to another weekly installment of PCR’s film newsletter! This week comes filled with a variety of film news – from potential Oscar winners, to YA-films, to comic book adaptations! Read on to find out all the latest news from the third week of June (June 17th – 21st).
Lionsgate to Adapt Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Prequel Novel
Suzanne Collins announced on Monday that she’ll be writing a prequel novel to her uber popular Hunger Games series. The prequel is set in the world of Panem sixty-four years prior to the events of the original Hunger Games trilogy, on the morning of the reaping of the 10th Hunger Games. Of course Lionsgate practically leaped at the chance to adapt the (as of yet unwritten) novel, as they’re currently in talks to turn it into a live-action feature.
The Jennifer Lawrence-led Hunger Games films were massively popular, grossing a combined total of almost $3B worldwide, and (for better or worse) essentially kick-started the movement of adapting YA (young adult) novels into feature-length films. With Collins currently writing the prequel, we should expect to see an adaptation sometime in the next five years.
Trailer: Ready or Not
Fox Searchlight has debuted the first official trailer for upcoming horror-comedy Ready or Not. The film, which is directed by duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, revolves around a young bride (Samara Weaving) who unintentionally finds herself involved in a violent and deadly game of hide and seek, with none other than her new husband’s (Mark O’Brien) family. Watch the trailer below, along with a look at the stylish poster:
Dee Rees Sets New Film with Musical The Kyd’s Exquisite Follies
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Dee Rees (Mudbound) has announced that her next film will be a fantasy musical titled The Kyd’s Exquisite Follies. Rees will be directing from her own screenplay, in which a young musician, who aspires to launch herself into the limelight, makes the move from her hometown of Same Ol’, Same Ol’, to It City.
Rees’ previous film Mudbound earned her recognition from the Academy Awards, as the film received four nominations. Her upcoming film The Last Thing He Wanted, which stars Anne Hathaway, Willem Dafoe, and Ben Affleck, has just completed filming and is likely to be released on Netflix sometime this year.
Casting News: Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates & Ian Gomez Join Richard Jewell
Last week we reported that Paul Walter Hauser and Sam Rockwell had joined the cast of Clint Eastwood’s drama The Ballad of Richard Jewell, which is based on the real events of a security guard whose life is flipped upside down after an incident involving the police, a news reporter, and the pipe-bombing at Centennial Park during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
This week we can happily report that casting is still continuing on this star-studded film as Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates, and Ian Gomez have all boarded the project. Wilde will be playing real-life reporter Kathy Scruggs, who covered the events live, Hamm will be playing an FBI agent investigating the bombing, Bates will be playing the mother of Richard Jewell, whereas Gomez’s role is currently unknown.
Joker Director Shares New Look at Film
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Todd Phillips (War Dogs) took to Instagram on Monday to share a new look at his highly anticipated comic book film based on the immensely popular DC comics villain The Joker (above). Along with the photo, Phillips also engaged in a mini-Q&A with fans under the comments section in which he confirmed that Joker, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character, will indeed be an R-Rated film. Joker is slated to release early October this year.
Disney Unveils Title of Kingsman Prequel Film
Disney/20th Century Fox confirmed via Twitter that the third Kingsman film, which is expertly titled The King’s Man, will officially be releasing on February 14, 2020. The prequel film boasts an insanely star-studded cast comprised of: Aaron Taylor Johnson, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Daniel Brühl, Stanley Tucci, and many more!
During their CineEurope presentation on Wednesday, Disney also revealed the official synopsis for the film which reads:
As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King’s Man…
Pixar Announces Next Original Feature Soul
Pixar has announced that the iconic animation studio’s next original feature (after next year’s Onward), is titled Soul. The studio also revealed that the film, which is due to hit theaters on June 19, 2020, hails from director Pete Docter – the man behind Up and Inside Out *sniffles*. Although not much is known about the film as of yet, Pixar revealed that Soul “will take you on a journey from the streets of New York City to the cosmic realms to discover the answers to life’s most important questions.”.
Netflix to Adapt August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Netflix announced that it’ll be adapting August Wilson’s 1982-play “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” into a feature-length film with Tony-winning Director George C. Wolfe at the helm. Viola Davis (who won an Oscar for her performance in the adaptation of Wilson’s “Fences”) is starring in the film alongside Chadwick Boseman. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom follows titular character Ma Rainey, a blues singer in 1920s Chicago who tries to make a record in a studio whilst also managing tensions between her white agent, producer, and bandmates.
Halloween Sequel Aiming for 2020 October Release
A sequel to 2018’s Halloween is officially on the way according to Collider, with the cast and crew aiming to begin shooting in the fall. David Gordon Green is likely to return to direct and write the film, along with lead star Jamie Lee Curtis who plays iconic horror character Laurie Strode. The film is targeting a release date of October 16, 2020.
Trailer: Pain & Glory
The trailer for Pedro Almodóvar’s 21st film Pain & Glory has officially landed online! The film made a huge splash at Cannes late last month earning high praise from Cannes-goers, and even landing six nominations in various categories including the Palme d’Or. The film, which stars Antonio Banderas, is centered around a film director reflecting on choices he’s made in his life as the past and present come crashing down around him.
Sony Pictures Classics has picked the film up for release in the US on October 4, 2019, with the UK receiving a release date of August 23, 2019. Watch the trailer below, along with a look at the poster:
Paramount to Release Scorsese’s DiCaprio-led Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese is returning to theatrical distribution after his stint at Netflix with The Irishman, and Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese. He’ll be teaming up again with Paramount to release the Leonardo DiCaprio-led feature Killers of the Flower Moon. The film is based on a book by David Grann and is set in 1920s Oklahoma, in which the newly created FBI set out to investigate the murders of members of a Native American tribe after the tribe members became rich off of the oil found underneath their land. The film is aiming to start production later this year.
Casting News: Ray Winstone Joins Black Widow
Ray Winstone has joined the cast of Marvel Studios’ Black Widow. He joins a cast comprised of Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, O.T. Fagbenle, Rachel Weisz, and David K. Harbour. The comic book flick is currently shooting, with a release date heavily rumoured for 2020.
That’s all for week three of June! Make sure to follow us on Twitter at @PopCultureRevs, and turn on post notifications for the latest in film and television news!
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