Shortly after getting spicy at the box office with Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, Rebecca Ferguson is ready to use her voice for another high-profile film project with Mercy, a detective thriller starring Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Garfield Movie, The Terminal List). Amazon MGM Studios is developing the Timur Bekmambetov-directed (Wanted, Ben-Hur, Night Watch) feature for a theatrical release.
According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, Mercy occurs “in the near future when capital crime has increased. Mercy follows a detective (Chris Pratt) who is accused of a violent crime and forced to prove his innocence.” Charles Roven joins the project as a producer alongside Atlas Entertainment SVP Robert Amidon, Bekmambetov’s BEL studio, and film producer Majd Nassif. Cameras intend to roll this spring.
After starring in films like The Greatest Showman, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Rebecca Ferguson returns to Arrakis for the second chapter of Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction epic Dune: Part Two. The sequel to Villeneuve’s 2021 blockbuster is in theaters now and smoking the competition. The film earned $82.5 million at the domestic box office, leading to a more significant weekend than Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Dune: Part Two could cross the $300 million mark once positive word of mouth spreads like wildfire, but we’ll need to wait for more details.
Rebecca Ferguson plays Jessica in the latest iteration of the Dune franchise. According to the Dune Wiki, Jessica was the concubine of Duke Leto Atreides I, the mother of his son, Emperor Paul Atreides, and daughter, Alia Atreides. She was also a Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. As a formidable warrior and tactician, Jessica uses her “voice” and influence to manipulate players in an ongoing war to control land and spice, a precious resource that powers technology across the planets.
What do you think about Ferguson and Pratt teaming up with Timur Bekmambetov for a detective thriller set in the near future? Bekmambetov’s signature style could be perfect for this type of project, and Ferguson’s star power only adds to the excitement. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one as it develops.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is finally here and it’s pretty great! It’s a deep and vibrant action-RPG which rewarded me with beautiful sights, touching character developments, and moments of tactical genius across the several dozen hours I invested in it. But for all of its strengths and weaknesses, the greatest thing…
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is finally here and it’s pretty great! It’s a deep and vibrant action-RPG which rewarded me with beautiful sights, touching character developments, and moments of tactical genius across the several dozen hours I invested in it. But for all of its strengths and weaknesses, the greatest thing…
Two months of horror releases down, ten to go! With our 2024 Horror Preview, we’re looking ahead at some of the other horror movies we can’t wait to check out this year. For now, we’re only including movies that have a known release date, so films like the X and Pearl sequel MaXXXine and the remakes/reboots of The Toxic Avenger and Witchboard are currently absent because they don’t have a release date yet, even though they’re likely to show up at some point in 2024. Here we go:
IMAGINARY – Theatrical, March 8
Director Jeff Wadlow and Blumhouse Productions have previously worked together on the 2018 film Truth or Dare and the 2020 horror version of Fantasy Island, and now their latest collaboration stars DeWanda Wise of Jurassic World: Dominion as a woman whose stepdaughter develops “an eerie attachment” to a stuffed bear named Chauncey… who is more than he appears to be. The previous Wadlow/Blumhouse movies weren’t exactly mind-blowing, but Imaginary could be an entertaining time killer.
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL – Theatrical, March 22
The great David Dastmalchian stars in this supernatural chiller from the duo of Colin and Cameron Cairnes (100 BloodyAcres), playing a ’70s late-night talk show who accidentally unleashes evil into the nation’s living rooms. With Dastmalchian, a ’70s setting, and supernatural horror, Late Night With the Devil sounds like it’s going to be a great time. Following the March theatrical release, this one is set to start streaming on Shudder as of April 19th.
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE – Theatrical, March 22
Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman passes the helm over to his co-writer Gil Kenan (Monster House) for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which stars returning Afterlife leads Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, and Paul Rudd, as well as returning original Ghostbusters Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson. When an evil force known as The Death Chill hits New York, who you gonna call to fix the problem? Afterlife revived the franchise in a great way, so hopefully Frozen Empire won’t fumble the follow-up.
IMMACULATE – Theatrical, March 22
Madame Web may have been a bomb, but Euphoria‘s Sydney Sweeney is on a roll otherwise. For Immaculate, she re-teams with Michael Mohan, who directed her in the erotic thriller The Voyeurs, for a story of strange happenings at an Italian convent. Whatever happens there, it has resulted in the film earning an R rating for “strong and bloody violent content, grisly images, nudity and some language.”
GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE – Theatrical, March 29
There can never be enough Godzilla (or Kong) in the world, so close on the heels of Toho’s Godzilla Minus One and the Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters we’re getting director Adam Wingard’s follow-up to his 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong. This time around, Godzilla and Kong are going to have to team up to take on a monstrous villain known as the Skar King. You can always count on these guys to provide some fun.
THE FIRST OMEN – Theatrical, April 5
I never saw any horror fans asking for a prequel to the 1976 classic The Omen, but some executives at 20th Century Studios thought it would be a great idea, so we’re getting The First Omen in 2024. Directed by Arkasha Stevenson, the film stars Nell Tiger Free of the Apple TV+ series Servant as a young American woman who is sent to Rome to serve the church and instead ends up uncovering a terrifying conspiracy.
ABIGAIL – Theatrical, April 19
Scream (2022) and Scream VI directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett reteam with their Scream star Melissa Barrera for an update of Universal’s Dracula’s Daughter. Barrera plays a member of a team of kidnappers who abduct a child named Abigail. Played by Alisha Weir (Matilda: The Musical), this kid turns out to be Dracula’s daughter. The cast also includes Dan Stevens (The Guest), Kathryn Newton (Freaky), Angus Cloud (Euphoria), William Catlett (A Thousand and One), Kevin Durand (The Strain), and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad). It’s not clear why they’re not using the title Dracula’s Daughter anymore, but it sounds like this one is going to be fun no matter what it’s called.
CUCKOO – Theatrical, May 3
Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), Dan Stevens (The Guest), Jessica Henwick (Love and Monsters), Marton Csókás (Freelance), Greta Fernández (Santo), and Jan Bluthardt (Tatort) star in the new horror film from writer/director Tilman Singer (Luz). The story follows a 17-year-old American girl who reluctantly moves with her father to a resort in the German Alps… but there’s something strange going in at this resort, leading to an encounter with “a bird-like monster.”
I SAW THE TV GLOW – Theatrical, May 3
JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray wasn’t a fan of I Saw the TV Glow (which is coming our way from A24 and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair director Jane Schoenbrun) when he saw it at the Sundance Film Festival, giving it a 5/10 review (you can read it at THIS LINK) where he said the movie is “so experimental that it feels like a half-baked attempt at a genre version of Inland Empire-era David Lynch.” But maybe it will work better for some genre fans when they get the chance to see it later this year.
TAROT – Theatrical, May 10
Formerly known as Horrorscope, this horror film is based on a 1992 novel by Nicholas Adams (pick up a copy HERE). Jacob Batalon, who is best known for playing Peter Parker’s best friend Ned in the recent Spider-Man movies, plays a character who is part of a group of college friends who get their horoscopes read, then start dying in ways connected to their fortunes. Seems sort of like a Final Destination set-up, but with the supernatural aspects pumped way up.
THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 – Theatrical, May 17
Director Renny Harlin has shot an entire trilogy inspired by the 2008 film The Strangers, and we’ve heard that Lionsgate intends to release all three of the movies – said to be titled The Strangers: Chapter 1, The Strangers: Chapter 2, and The Strangers: Chapter 3 – over the course of 2024. Chapter 1 is the only one we know a release date for so far. Madelaine Petsch of Riverdale plays a young woman on a road trip who crosses paths with the title characters when her car breaks down in Oregon.
THE CROW – Theatrical, June 7
The first images of Bill Skarsgard as Eric Draven in director Rupert Sanders’ remake of The Crow didn’t go over very well (and Alex Proyas, the director of the original film, let it be known that he wasn’t a fan), but James O’Barr came up with such an interesting, emotional concept when he created the Crow comic book series, there’s a chance the new movie could still work even for viewers who think the new Eric Draven looks ridiculous.
We’ve seen a lot of thrillers from director M. Night Shyamalan – and in 2024, we’re going to see one from his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan. The younger Shyamalan makes her feature directorial debut with the story of a group of strangers (including Barbarian‘s Georgina Campbell) being stalked by mysterious creatures in the wilderness of western Ireland. Will Ishana be able to match or exceed the thrills her father has provided? We’ll find out soon.
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE – Theatrical, June 28
A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II director John Krasinski helped craft the story for this spin-off/prequel directed by Michael Sarnoski, director of the Nicolas Cage drama Pig. Although the release date is just five months away, we still don’t know much about this one beyond the fact that it stars 12 Years a Slave Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn – better known as Eddie Munson from the most recent season of Stranger Things – and Alex Wolff (Hereditary), and is set in New York City. The story doesn’t involve the Abbott family, the characters we followed through the first two movies, but it should be interesting to see the alien creatures stalking people in NYC.
LONGLEGS – Theatrical, July 12
The marketing for Longlegs, a psychological horror thriller from director Osgood Perkins – who, yes, is the son of actor Anthony Perkins – has been so awesome and creepy, the actual film might struggle to live up to it. Still, it sounds very promising, with genre regular Maika Monroe taking on the role of an FBI agent who is tracking an elusive serial killer played by Nicolas Cage. Cage has described his character as being like “a possessed Geppetto.”
TRAP – Theatrical, August 2
Two months after his daughter Ishana’s film The Watchers reaches theatres, we’ll be getting another thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan – and this one stars another of his three daughters, Saleka. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but we know that the story plays out at a concert and Saleka, who is an R&B singer/songwriter, plays the popstar on stage. Josh Hartnett, fresh off playing a role in Oppenheimer, plays a father who takes his child to the concert. Shyamalan has had hits and misses, and it’s always interesting to see how his latest film is going to turn out.
ALIEN: ROMULUS – Theatrical, August 16
Evil Dead (2013) and Don’t Breathe director Fede Alvarez has set the story of Alien: Romulus between the events of the original Alien and Aliens. It involves a group of young people – played by the likes of Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), David Jonsson (Industry), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Spike Fearn (The Batman), Aileen Wu (Away from Home), and Isabela Merced (Rosaline) – who find themselves in a fight for their lives with the titular alien on a distant colony. All we really needed to know to be sold on this one was “Fede Alvarez directing an Alien movie”.
BEETLEJUICE 2 – Theatrical, September 6
Thirty-six years after the classic Beetlejuice was released, we’re finally getting a sequel. Director Tim Burton is back at the helm, Michael Keaton is reprising the role of the title character, and Winona Ryder is back as Lydia Deetz, with Catherine O’Hara returning as her stepmother Delia. Joining the party are Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife, Willem Dafoe as a law enforcement officer in the afterlife, Justin Theroux in an unspecified role, and Burton’s Wednesday star Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter. Depending on whether or not Burton and his cast were able to recapture some of the original magic, Beetlejuice 2 could be a blast.
SAW XI – Theatrical, September 27
Against all odds, the tenth film in the Saw franchise managed to not only be a huge financial success, but also somehow one of the best entries in the franchise (you can read our review HERE). So of course Lionsgate and the producers are working to make sure we get another sequel as quickly as possible. We don’t know who’s writing or directing Saw XI at this point, but we know it’s going to be in theatres this September.
SMILE 2 – Theatrical, October 18
Writer/director Parker Finn’s sequel to his 2022 horror film Smile is another project we don’t know much about yet, but Finn has said that if he were to make a Smile 2 he would want to make sure it’s “new, exciting, fresh” rather than just a retread of its predecessor. The freshness begins with the casting of Naomi Scott – who was not in Smile – as the lead character in Smile 2. The release date and the involvement of Finn and Scott are the only pieces of information that have been provided so far.
TERRIFIER 3 – Theatrical, October 25
Terrifier 3 may be reaching theatres in time for Halloween, but unlike its predecessors this one is not set on Halloween. Instead, the setting is moving a couple months, over to Christmastime. Writer/director Damien Leone had a budget of around $55,000 to work with on the first Terrifier movie, and a budget of “a little over” $250,000 for Terrifier 2 – which was so successful, a “couple million” is going into the budget of Terrifier 3. Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) will be spilling more blood and facing off against heroine Sienna (Lauren LaVera) again, and Leone said he’s aiming to make this one shorter and less mystical than the second film.
WOLF MAN – Theatrical, October 25
Having successfully revived Universal’s The Invisible Man a few years ago, director Leigh Whannell and Blumhouse Productions are now attempting to do the same for the studio’s Wolf Man. Based on a pitch from executive producer Ryan Gosling (who was, for a while, attached to star in the film), this take on the Wolf Man has Christopher Abbott (Possessor) on board to play a man whose family is being terrorized by a lethal predator, while Ozark‘s Julia Garner plays his wife. Whannell’s version of The Invisible Man worked so well, we’re hyped to see his Wolf Man.
NOSFERATU – Theatrical, December 25
Nine years have gone by since it was first announced that The Witch director Robert Eggers was going to be writing and directing a remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu. At the end of this year, we’re finally going to be able to see what Eggers – who made The Lighthouse and The Northman in the interim – has done with the concept. Bill Skarsgard (It) plays the title character and is joined in the cast by Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol), Nicholas Hoult (Renfield), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train), Emma Corrin (The Crown), Ralph Ineson (The Witch), Simon McBurney (The Conjuring 2), and the legendary Willem Dafoe, who plays a crazy vampire hunter. Focus Features wanted to give this film “a prime holiday season release”, so they clearly believe Eggers has turned in something special.
Long before I sat down in a theater to watch it, I knew I was going to love Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve’s second film in his take on the epic 1965 sci-fi novel from Frank Herbert. I’ve read the first book several times, finished the subsequent sequels, caught several viewings of David Lynch’s Dune, and even…
Long before I sat down in a theater to watch it, I knew I was going to love Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve’s second film in his take on the epic 1965 sci-fi novel from Frank Herbert. I’ve read the first book several times, finished the subsequent sequels, caught several viewings of David Lynch’s Dune, and even…
Famous and celebrated French footballer Hugo Lloris left the Tottenham Hotspurs after eleven years and is now a member of the Los Angeles Football Club. It’s believed he passed on higher-paying offers from other teams to instead live in LA and play for the much-less-prestigious American professional league. And…
Famous and celebrated French footballer Hugo Lloris left the Tottenham Hotspurs after eleven years and is now a member of the Los Angeles Football Club. It’s believed he passed on higher-paying offers from other teams to instead live in LA and play for the much-less-prestigious American professional league. And…
