Welcome back to another installment of PCR’s weekly film newsletter! Read on to find out all the latest developments in Hollywood in the second week of July (July 8th – 12th).
Trailer: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
In 2014 Disney’s Maleficent opened to a lukewarm reception both critically and from the average cinema-goer, however it went on to make a killing at the box office amassing a total gross of over $750M worldwide. Five years later Disney hopes for a repeat success at the global box office, as the sequel for Maleficent will be landing in theaters October. Take a look at the brand new trailer for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil below, starring the likes of Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, and Michelle Pfeiffer!
Casting News: Samuel L. Jackson Boards Saw Reboot
Samuel L. Jackson has joined the cast of Chris Rock’s upcoming reboot of the hit horror franchise Saw. Jackson will be playing the father of Chris Rock’s character, a police detective investigating a series of gory crimes. Other cast members currently include Max Minghella and Marisol Nichols. Production has officially begun on the film, which is directed by Saw veteran Darren Lynn Bousman.
Casting News: Ryan Reynolds Joins Red Notice
Last year Universal Pictures had won an intense bidding war for the rights to Red Notice, an action-thriller-comedy centering around an international chase for the world’s most wanted art thief. Now we’ve learned that Universal have sold the film to Netflix, marking this as the streaming service’s most expensive investment to date (sources over at Variety have this film’s budget set at around $150-200M).
Along with A-list actors Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot on board, Ryan Reynolds has also joined the cast of the film! Although Gadot and Reynolds’ roles are currently unknown, Johnson will be playing an Interpol agent tasked with the job of hunting down said art thief. Filmmaker Rawson Marshall Thurber (Skyscraper) who is a frequent collaborator with Johnson, is in the director’s seat and is expected to earn atleast $10M for the pic.
Trailer: Judy
The full trailer for Judy has officially been released. The biopic is based on American actress and singer Judy Garland (played by Renée Zellweger) in 1968 as she arrives in London to perform at her sold-out concerts. The film is already gaining Oscar-buzz for Zellweger’s portrayal of Judy Garland, which you can see snippets of for yourself below:
Casting News: Woody Harrelson Joins Kate
Oscar-nominee Woody Harrelson has stepped on to star in Netflix’s action thriller Kate. The film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the titular role, and focuses on a criminal operative who’s fatally poisoned and has less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her enemies. Harrelson will be playing the operative’s mentor.
Disney Pushes Woman in the Window Back to 2020
Amy Adams’ Woman in the Window which was originally scheduled to come out early October this year, has been pushed back to 2020 as Disney are “retooling” the film after test audiences reported feeling confused by it. The film is based on A.J. Finn’s 2018 novel of the same name, which focuses on an agoraphobic child psychologist who witnesses a crime. According to THR, reshoots will begin next month for the pic.
David Fincher to Direct Biopic for Netflix
Modern cinema icon David Fincher is set to make his return to feature films after a 5 year haitus. Titled Mank, the film is a biopic based on Screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz’s development of the script for Citizen Kane. Fincher will be directing from a script that his late father developed. Mank will be released via Netflix, with the film being shot entirely in black and white.
Sherlock Holmes Sequel Finds Director
Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman) has signed on to direct the upcoming Sherlock Holmes sequel. He takes over for Guy Ritchie who directed the two previous films, with both being huge financial successes for Warner Bros. Pictures. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are both expected to return for the third film which is slated to release in theaters on December 21, 2021.
Casting News: Storm Reid Joins The Suicide Squad
Rising Actress Storm Reid has booked her next role! She’ll be joining the cast of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad along with big name stars such as Margot Robbie, Idris Elba & David Dastmalchian. Although plot details are being kept very close to Gunn’s chest, we’ve learned that Reid will be playing the daughter of Idris Elba’s character. Filming is set to begin later on this year.
That’s all for this week! Make sure to follow us on Twitter at @PopCultureRevs, and turn on notifications for the latest in film and television news!
Missed out on the previous weeks? Click the links below to catch-up on all the film news: June 17-21, June 24-28, July 1-5.
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