This week in movie news, we got word regarding Edgar Wright and Christopher Nolan’s latest, as well as the revival of a few classic characters whom we haven’t heard from in a while.
James Gandolfini’s Son to Play Young Tony Soprano in Prequel Movie
The prequel to The Sopranos - titled The Many Saints of Newark - is still early in the development stages. However, the fact that the young version of Tony Soprano will be played by the late James Gandolfini’s son, Michael, is enough to pique plenty of interest in the upcoming film. Set in 1960s Newark during the Newark riots, the film will show Christopher Moltisanti’s father Dickie showing a young Tony the ropes when it comes to the mob. While I am excited for what this movie does have to offer and that the younger Gandolfini will obviously resemble a young Tony Soprano, in a way this does feel a bit like stunt casting. But supposedly, Gandolfini’s son was chosen after an “extensive” process and it’s claimed he’s already mastered Tony’s mannerisms. Helmed by Sopranos creator David Chase, this also stars Corey Stoll, Vera Farmiga, and Jon Bernthal.
Nicolas Cage Reunites with 'Mandy' Producers for H.P. Lovecraft Adaptation
While I wasn’t exactly head over heels for Mandy, it certainly was a very unique experience that hit hard when it did hit. And it gave us one of the most delightfully unhinged Nicolas Cage performances to date. So, I’m at the very least intrigued that Cage is reuniting with the exact same team of producers from Mandy to give us The Color Out of Space, an adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft short story of the same name. While I haven’t read the original Lovecraft story, I do know how influential Lovecraft’s work was in the horror genre, so this, combined with both Cage and the Mandy producers’ involvement, has me excited for this one. Currently, Richard Stanley is signed on to direct this one.
Jason Bateman to Direct John Cena in Netflix Comedy
Hot off his latest role in the blockbuster Bumblebee, John Cena has signed on to star in an as-of-now untitled comedy for Netflix being directed by Jason Bateman. While details for this one are very scarce, we do know that Bateman will also appear in the film and that it will be written by Mark Perez, who wrote one of last year’s funniest films, Game Night. Bateman has only directed two other feature films so far, though his debut, 2013’s Bad Words, was severely underrated. And Cena, who also starred in another of last year’s funniest movies, Blockers, has already showcased he has a great screen presence and a knack for comedy. While we know very little as of now, this already has plenty of potential behind it.
'Jay and Silent Bob Reboot' Bought by Saban Films
Kevin Smith hasn't had the best luck both with critics and at the box office in the last ten years. His highest grossing film Cop Out, was torn apart critically, while his subsequent efforts - Red State, Tusk, and Yoga Hosers - all received either mixed or negative critical reviews and performed poorly at there box office. For his next effort, he's returning to arguably his two most famous and beloved characters, Jay and Silent Bob. Having just been acquired by Saban Films, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot - the direct sequel to 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back - finds the two heroes on a journey to Hollywood to stop a reboot of an old movie based on them. A return to Smith’s beloved View Askewniverse - which brought us beloved films like Clerks, Dogma, and Chasing Amy - this one is sure to be a fun return to what Smith knows best.
Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie Set for 2020 Release
Christopher Nolan’s movies - regardless of how good the final product actually is - are always an event. While I’m not madly in love with every film in his catalogue, his films always make for good discussion, especially given as he’s one of the few mainstream filmmakers to consistently turn out unique, original efforts in an age where mainstream filmmaking is made up mostly of sequels and reboots. So, when he announces a new movie is in the works, no matter how little the details, it’s immediately high on most people’s radars. The as-of-now untitled film is scheduled for a July 17, 2020 release, and that’s all we know, due to the filmmaker’s tendency to keep his projects secret for as long as possible. While Interstellar and The Dark Knight Rises - despite being solid efforts - didn’t exactly “wow” me, his latest film, Dunkirk, did. Hopefully if whatever this is ends up being half as good as Dunkirk, I’m sure we’re in for a real treat.
Edgar Wright Announces His Next Film, a Psychological Horror Film
While there’s very little details on this one, Edgar Wright has announced the next film he’s working on, an untitled psychological horror film set in London, containing a female lead. Wright has stated that two movies will be a major influence on this next effort - Roman Polanski’s Repulsion and Nicholas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now. This will be the first time Wright has tackled a straightforward horror movie, with his previous venture into the genre, Shaun of the Dead, being a horror-comedy mix. Wright’s previous film, Baby Driver - while still containing bits of his signature quirky humor - prove that he’s fully capable of handling darker material, and I’m definitely very interested in seeing what happens when he ventures into even darker territory with this next project.
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