Before receiving a digital release last week, Dune: Part Two racked up nearly $700 million at the worldwide box office, paving the way for the third Dune film that writer/director Denis Villeneuve and stars Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya all expressed interest in making during the build-up to the second movie’s release. While the first two Dune movies were both based on the story told in Frank Herbert’s novel Dune, the third movie would move on to different source material: Dune Messiah, the second book in Herbert’s series. During an interview with The New York Times, Villeneuve confirmed that he’s writing Dune Messiah right now!
Villeneuve said, “That anger (felt by Zendaya’s character at the end of Part Two) is tremendous. I don’t want to reveal what I’m going to do with the third movie. I know exactly what to do. I’m writing it right now. But there’s a lot of firepower there, and I’m very excited about that decision.“
The novel Dune Messiah has the following description: Dune Messiah continues the story of Paul Atreides, better known-and feared-as the man christened Muad’Dib. As Emperor of the Known Universe, he possesses more power than a single man was ever meant to wield. Worshipped as a religious icon by the fanatical Fremens, Paul faces the enmity of the political houses he displaced when he assumed the throne-and a conspiracy conducted within his own sphere of influence. And even as House Atreides begins to crumble around him from the machinations of his enemies, the true threat to Paul comes to his lover, Chani, and the unborn heir to his family’s dynasty.
Chalamet and Zendaya play Paul Atreides and Chani in these movies.
Villeneuve has previously said that he won’t make Dune Messiah unless he can make sure that it will be even better than Dune: Part Two. He’ll have a little while to work on the script, because he’s expected to direct the film Nuclear War: A Scenario for the Dune producers at Legendary before he returns to the world of Paul Atreides.
Are you glad to hear that Dune Messiah is already being written? Share your thoughts on this franchise by leaving a comment below.
Also in the works is a TV series spin-off called Dune Prophecy.
Capcom’s high-fantasy RPG Dragon’s Dogma 2 will get a new update on all platforms this month that makes some much-needed changes, including one that makes Pawns more reliable, less dumb, and less talkative. We love Pawns that do their job silently, but one of the most notable changes in this upcoming patch makes the…
Capcom’s high-fantasy RPG Dragon’s Dogma 2 will get a new update on all platforms this month that makes some much-needed changes, including one that makes Pawns more reliable, less dumb, and less talkative. We love Pawns that do their job silently, but one of the most notable changes in this upcoming patch makes the…
Keanu Reeves is making headlines again after joining the cast of Paramount‘s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog by engaging in talks to star in Triangle of Sadness director Ruben Östlund’s next feature, The Entertainment System Is Down.
Variety broke the news on Friday. Still, details about the plot remain a mystery. Östlund says The Entertainment System Is Down is a social satire set on a long-haul flight with a faulty entertainment system. As boredom spreads throughout the cabin, rage starts to overwhelm the passengers. Chaos ensues. The idea for Östlund’s next feature is something he’s been building for years. The filmmaker says he’s been collecting anecdotes to use as inspiration for The Entertainment System Is Down, with several years of material at his disposal. Though it likely involves dark comedy and sharp humor, Reeves’s role remains a mystery.
Discussing the film with Variety last year, Östlund said The Entertainment System Is Down is “a study of how human beings interact in this little laboratory that is a plane” and “will look at how modern human beings are wrecked under these circumstances.” Additionally, as part of a hilarious goal and bizarre flex, he hopes the film inspired the biggest walkout in Cannes Film Festival history.
Beyond playing Shadow for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Keanu Reeves has two films in post-production, including the John Wick spinoff Ballerina and Good Fortune, directed and written by Aziz Ansari. While the plot of Good Fortune remains under wraps, the film boasts a stellar cast, including Reeves, Seth Rogen, Sandra Oh, and Keke Palmer, among others. Meanwhile, Constantine 2, a sequel to the 2005 supernatural action film, is in production with Francis Lawrence at the helm. Peter Stormare returns for Constantine 2 as Lucifer. Finally, Reeves is gearing up for an adaptation of his BRZRKR comic book series, with Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Mattson Tomlin writing the script.
Here’s a synopsis for BRZRKR Vol. 1 courtesy of Amazon:
A WAR WITH NO END. The man known only as B. is half-mortal and half-God, cursed and compelled to violence…even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the world for centuries, the Berzerker may have finally found a refuge – working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, B. will be granted the one thing he desires – the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence…and how to end it. Keanu Reeves makes his comic book writing debut alongside New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt (Folklords, Grass Kings) and legendary artist Ron Garney (Wolverine) in a brutally violent new series about one immortal warrior’s fight through the ages.
Are you excited about Keanu Reeves teaming up with Ruben Östlund for The Entertainment System Is Down? They could make a great pair. We’ll bring you more details as they come.
Synopsis: As an intimate portrait of William Shatner’s personal journey across nine decades of a boldly lived and fully realized life, William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill strips away all the masks he has worn during his storied career to reveal the man behind it all.
Review: William Shatner is a legendary actor better known for his iconic performance as Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trektelevision series and films. He holds a unique place in Hollywood history. A fan favorite for over sixty years with a career on stage and screen as a writer and singer, and having traveled to space, Shatner’s legacy has built him a dedicated fanbase worldwide. Having written memoirs and shared his life story in many forms of media, You Can Call Me Bill is a unique documentary that does not follow the conventional format we have come to expect from a film chronicling the life of a famous person. More of a long-form meditation on his beliefs about life and our impact on the world, You Can Call Me Bill feels a bit self-fulfilling and maybe even a little vainglorious. Still, it is also an interesting perspective on Shatner by Shatner that looks back on his almost century of life and what he hopes to leave behind.
You Can Call Me Bill follows a loose timeline that follows Wiliam Shatner as he reflects on his life from childhood until today but weaves back and forth as it follows the actor’s stream of consciousness as the unseen director interviews him. Shatner is an eloquent speaker and opens with a prologue in which he talks about the interconnected nature of our planet and his desire to become a tree. It is a thought tied to Shatner’s mortality as the ninety-three-year-old bluntly tells the camera that he knows he is going to die “soon” and has come to terms with his impending death. It is not a sad comment but rather a realistic one. Shatner then shares that he does not feel he is an important figure in the grand scheme of things but strives to live a full life of happiness that he spends with his family and friends while doing what he loves. That love includes acting but spreads into his extracurricular love of animals, including dogs and horseback riding.
Segmented into six chapters, along with a prologue and epilogue, You Can Call Me Bill has Shatner talk about his parents, his Jewish upbringing in Montreal, and his foray into outer space aboard Jeff Bezos’ maiden voyage. As he talks about each milestone in his life, Shatner veers into tangents about influences on his life, memories of idols like Laurence Olivier and Edward G. Robinson, and his perception of the world at large. This can sometimes feel disjointed, as when Shatner thinks about his childhood dog and how the passing of his pet altered his view of his parents before changing modes and talking about his first dog when he got married before returning to thoughts of his mother and father. Because You Can Call Me Bill is multiple days of interviews connected into a feature-length film, the only connective tissue is the flow in which the thoughts enter Shatner’s mind. Each section is prefaced with a theme, likely an off-camera question posed to the actor as he is the sole speaker, but then we heard an off-camera voice prompt him a couple of times. The consistency of the format of the film is lacking, which detracts a bit from the overall experience of watching the film.
While I wanted to know more about Shatner’s experience making the Esperanto-language horror film Incubus, his thoughts on the face mold from The Devil’s Rain that became the iconic Michael Myers mask, his experience making Star Trek films, or more about his TekWar novels, much of his reflection in the film is high level. He does discuss his role as James Kirk as compared to Christopher Pike in the original Star Trek pilot as well as his desire to have changed his final scene as Kirk in Star Trek Generations, his catchphrase as Denny Crane in Boston Legal, and a bit on his role as TJ Hooker, but these are fleeting. He talks about his musical career but not at any depth. There is an intriguing section where he discusses the numerous impressions of his cadence but only fleetingly. These stories would have made for entire sections worth exploring but are just asides in Shatner’s overall thematic journey of his life.
Directed and written by Alexandre O. Phillipe, You Can Call Me Bill is the latest documentary from the helmer of The People vs. George Lucas, Memory: The Origins of Alien, Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist, and Lynch/Oz. Phillipe has a distinct approach, and his films have varied subject matter, but all take a distinct tone from traditional documentaries. While each of the aforementioned films has focused on a specific film or subject, You Can Call Me Bill connects the concept of a biographical documentary with an extended interview approach interspersed with clips. The challenge I found connecting with the footage shared here is that the vast majority of it is shown out of context and often just used to shift away from Shatner in the studio. When the footage directly connects to the conversation, it enhances the film; otherwise, it comes across as filler.
William Shatner’s most devoted fans will love spending ninety minutes with him as he talks at length about his personal beliefs and feelings. The casual fan will likely feel confused by the lack of a direct, linear approach to revisiting Shatner’s life, but You Can Call Me Bill is not meant to be a retrospective chronicle. I had hoped the film would have dug deeper into certain aspects of Shatner’s life as it does not examine his career’s famous moments while giving some unique insight into others. Without interviews or outside sources, You Can Call Me Bill is more of a conversation than a documentary but one that still sheds some unique views on life and our place in the universe. I enjoyed it once I got accustomed to what the filmmaker intended for it to be. If you go into it with an open mind, you may learn something about a fellow human being, even if you don’t gain new insight into an iconic actor’s career.
After launching the first Transformers One trailer in space yesterday, Paramount is ready for the robots in disguise to roll out for new character posters. The posters feature the young Autobots (and one eventual Decepticon) standing tall against tranquil cosmic backgrounds. The prints feature Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth), Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry), Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson), and Bumblebee (Keegan Michael-Key). Looking closely, you’ll notice Optimus, Elita-1, and Bumblebee have blue energy in the eye sockets, while Megatron has a corrupted yellow swirl. Additionally, the three Autobots are smiling while Megatron is scowling.
Transformers One is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once, they were friends who bonded like brothers and forever changed the fate of Cybertron. In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, Transformers One features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm.
Regarding the upcoming film, franchise producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura shared details about the epic animated prequel, saying, “I could tell you really important parts of this story, which is more than a tease. This is something we were trying to do; we debated a lot about it in live action, and it just was financially impossible to do, which is, the origin story of young Megatron and young Optimus. If you know the origin, they started as friends, and over time things devolved for them and they ended up on two sides. So we’re telling the young Optimus and the young Megatron story. We really are telling the origin story of all Transformers, both what they were at the beginning of it, to how they grow, to how they grow apart.”
Lorenzo also teases that the events of Transformers One will prime a “natural trilogy” for fans to enjoy, provided the series continues. He’s already planned the other films, hoping to tell an emotional tale about brothers-in-arms divided and fighting for the world’s fate.
“We’re hoping that there is enough emotional construct to that, that would lead to a trilogy of it because, personally, I think there’s a natural trilogy. I’m not always looking to do multiple movies, but there’s a natural trilogy around their relationship. So, you’re going to see Cybertron in a way you’ve never seen it, that no one’s ever seen it before. Because we’re doing an animation, we’re allowed to really go all out. If you tried to make this live-action, it would probably be a billion-dollar movie or something.”
Do you like the new Transformers One character posters? Are you digging the movie’s comedic tone? Let us know in the comments section below.
Transformers One rolls into theaters on September 20, 2024.
This next sentence might make you feel very old and I’m sorry: Earlier this week, Cartoon Network’s first original show, Space Ghost Coast To Coast, turned 30 years old. And while many have spent the week celebrating the strange series, its best bits, and funniest episodes, I want to take a moment to remember a…
This next sentence might make you feel very old and I’m sorry: Earlier this week, Cartoon Network’s first original show, Space Ghost Coast To Coast, turned 30 years old. And while many have spent the week celebrating the strange series, its best bits, and funniest episodes, I want to take a moment to remember a…
Fallout 76, the online multiplayer game set in the long-running post-apocalyptic series, has seen a surge of players due to Amazon Prime’s hit TV adaptation. And if you’re thinking about giving it a shot, you may be wondering if you can easily hop into games with your friends on other platforms. So before you pick up…
Fallout 76, the online multiplayer game set in the long-running post-apocalyptic series, has seen a surge of players due to Amazon Prime’s hit TV adaptation. And if you’re thinking about giving it a shot, you may be wondering if you can easily hop into games with your friends on other platforms. So before you pick up…
