Month: May 2024

Godzilla x Kong, sequel, Dave Callaham

The Monsterverse will continue! THR reports that Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) has been tapped to pen the sequel to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has proven to be a big success. The film is still in theaters, but it’s already grossed $548 million worldwide, making it one of the more profitable movies in the Monsterverse franchise, as it reportedly had a budget of just $135 million. Dave Callaham is no stranger to the Monsterverse, as he wrote the early drafts of the film that started the franchise: Godzilla.

Although the studio would like Godzilla x Kong director Adam Wingard to return for the sequel, there is no deal for him to do so. Wingard is set to direct Onslaught later this fall, which is said to be in the same vein as his previous cult classic movies, The Guest and You’re Next. Wingard seems open to returning, previously saying, “There’s always the seduction of making a trilogy out of it, and I think that there’s some untapped areas to go into. There’s also ways to continue to innovate the stylized approach to the MonsterVerse, and what’s great about the MonsterVerse is that it’s allowed so many different directors to approach it with their unique style and color palette.

This latest entry follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own,” reads the official Godzilla x Kong synopsis. “The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.

Although Godzilla x Kong has received mixed reviews, it sounds like it’s a lot of pure fun bursting with monster mayhem. However, our own Chris Bumbray did have one complaint. “While the trailers made it look like it’s a non-stop brofest between Godzilla and Kong, the two are kept apart for close to ninety minutes, and this movie is just under two hours,” Bumbray wrote. “All of the scenes you’ve seen of them doing their thing together are from the last chunk of the film. While that’s a bummer, I must admit that I found myself surprisingly engaged by the build-up.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.

What do you hope to see from the Godzilla x Kong sequel?

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Mutiny, Jason Statham, Jean-Francois Richet, action, thriller

If there’s anything worse than a millionaire who fails to contribute anything meaningful to the world, it’s taking the fall for one who’s murdered and finding yourself in the crosshairs of thugs and criminals. Jason Statham (The Expendables franchise, The MegCrank) is back in business with Lionsgate to star in the upcoming action-thriller Mutiny with Plane and Blood Father director Jean-Francois Richet at the helm.

Lionsgate, MadRiver, and Punch Palace are teaming up to release the film in theaters. Lindsay Michel and J.P. Davis (PlaneThe Contractor) wrote the screenplay for Mutiny, with principal photography beginning in September in the UK. Statham produces through his newly-founded Punch Palace Productions, with Marc Butan via his MadRiver Pictures studio.

In Mutiny, after his billionaire industrialist boss is murdered in front of him, Cole Reed is set up to take the fall for the crime— leaving him on the run as he works to uncover an international conspiracy.

“Jason Statham is one of the most kinetic action stars in the world and we look forward to teaming him up with Jean-François and the MadRiver team who we previously worked with on Plane,” said Lauren Bixby, SVP of co-productions and Acquisitions for the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “We can’t wait to see that creative energy once again as we bring Mutiny to life,” she added.

Jason Statham had a hell of a year in 2023, with Operation Fortune, Fast X, Meg 2: The Trench and Expend4bles exploding onto screens. His latest action setpiece, The Beekeeper, is one of this year’s most talked-about action films, with critics and fans praising the pulse-pounding thrill ride from director David Ayer.

In The Beekeeper, one man’s brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as “Beekeepers.” Ayer directs from a script by Kurt Wimmer (EquilibriumLaw Abiding CitizenPoint Break). While Statham is the show’s star, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad, and Jeremy Irons complete the primary cast.

Are you excited to see Jason Statham uncover a conspiracy in Mutiny? Let us know in the comments section below.

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grendel

Tron: Ares may or may not feature an appearance by the series star, Jeff Bridges, but the actor will be starring in a new live-action adaption of the legendary monster at the heart of the poem of Beowulf. Deadline has revealed that Bridges will be the lead in Grendel for The Jim Henson Company. Studio Palisades Park Pictures will be launching its international sales of the monster film ahead of the sales event in Cannes.

Grendel will involve the monster of Beowulf telling his side of the story. This new interpretation will be helmed by Robert D. Krzykowski, known for The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot. Bridges will be joined by an impressive line-up of actors for an all-star cast, which will include Dave Bautista of Guardians of the Galaxy and Dune: Part Two as Beowulf, Bryan Cranston, who fans know from Breaking Bad, as King Hrothgar, Bridges’ Lebowski co-star Sam Elliott, who was also seen recently in A Star is Born, will play The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie, the rising star of Last Night in Soho and Old, will be playing Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner, whose credits includeThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, will portray Unferth. The Shaper will be played by famed recording artist and record producer T Bone Burnett, who will also be providing original songs for the film.

The director expressed his interest in adapting this story for the big screen,Grendel represents everything I love about the movies. John Gardner’s mad masterpiece cleverly tackles what it is to be human through the wild-eyed lens of a monster. It’s an honor to work with such a remarkable group of storytellers, all of whom seek to bring something wonderful and unexpected to audiences now.”

Tamara Birkemoe, the CEO of Stated Palisades Park Pictures, also added, “We are delighted to be introducing this elevated, high-concept story to our distributors around the world. With this brilliant cast, Bob’s vivid vision and the extraordinary creative track record of our friends at The Jim Henson Company, we cannot wait to see Grendel come to life.”

Krzykowski also gets writing credit as he adapts the screenplay from John Gardner’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name. The producers on the project include Brian Henson (The Muppet Christmas CarolFarscape) and Vince Raisa (The Happytime Murders) for The Jim Henson Company, Krzykowski and Jay Glazer (Body LanguageGet Luke Lowe). Glazer and Krzykowski had both acquired the rights to the novel back in 2020. Additional producers are set to include Dennis Berardi (Monster HunterFrankenstein), and Jon D. Wagner (Bone TomahawkHaunt).

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