Last week saw the development of two new major announcements from Marvel, as well as numerous other announcements involving cast and crew members from the various Marvel movies. Check out what’s new below:
Alan Tudyk Voicing Iago in Live-Action ‘Aladdin’
Alan Tudyk has become a Disney regular these last few years. The actor has voiced a character in every Disney animated movie since 2012, most notably the Duke of Weselton in Frozen and King Candy in Wreck-It Ralph. Now, Tudyk will have a hand in Disney’s live-action remakes. Two months ahead of its release, it’s finally been announced that Tudyk will voice Iago in the upcoming Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie. Two trailers have been released thus far and Iago has not been seen talking in either of them, so no one knows just yet what Tudyk’s take on the character will be. Though considering not only Tudyk’s solid track record of voice work, but his hilarious live-action performances as well - including work in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil and Dodgeball - he’s sure to easily fill the shoes once filled by Gilbert Gottfried in the original animated movie.
‘Sesame Street’ Live-Action Movie Coming in 2021
While Sesame Street’s been around for decades and this doesn’t sound like something immediately appealing for those who have long since outgrown the kids’ educational series, there is a slight level of intrigue considering who’s involved in this one. Warner Bros. have announced that Portlandia director and co-creator Jonathan Krisel will helm a live-action musical based on the series, which has been airing on HBO for the last few years. Portlandia has a hilariously quirky, off-beat sense of humor and while I’m sure Krisel won’t exactly be able to get too “out there” with something as beloved as Sesame Street, surely he’ll be able to inject at least a little bit of Portlandia’s clever sense of humor into the film, which may make this a little bit of fun for all ages.
Taika Waititi Aboard ‘Time Bandits’ TV Series
Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has announced his next project, and it'll be co-writing and directing a pilot for a potential new series, based on Terry Gilliam’s 1981 film Time Bandits. Gilliam's original film focused on a young boy joining a group of time-traveling dwarves who would jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal. The film was a critical and box-office success that established the former Monty Python cast member as a respected director in the United States. If the series is picked up, it will be produced by Apple, with Gilliam and Waititi serving as executive producers. Considering how Thor: Ragnarok was light years better than its two predecessors, as well as Waititi’s success in other projects such as Flight of the Conchords and What We Do in the Shadows, this series will definitely be one of intrigue.
Stephen King’s ‘The Talisman’ Getting Film Adaptation
A new Stephen King film adaptation has been announced, with a film based on his 1984 novel The Talisman now in the works. The novel focused on 12 year-old Jack Sawyer, a young boy whose mother is dying and is looking to save her by traveling through both our world and a parallel world in search of a mystic object known as the Talisman, which he believes will save her. The film is set to be directed by The Handmaid’s Tale director Mike Barker, with a screenplay being written by Buried director Chris Sparling. Considering The Handmaid’s Tale is a massive success for Hulu, while Buried was also an engaging thriller that only had one actor on-screen for the entire time, this one is sure to be another solid entry into the King-adaptation filmography.
Frank Oz to Appear in Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out’
Frank Oz is most known for his voice-acting and puppet work, bringing to life beloved Muppets Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Bert, and Grover, as well as the beloved Yoda in the Star Wars films. He recently got to voice the latter once more in 2017’s The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson. The director loved working with Oz so much that he’s bringing him back to work on his next project, Knives Out, which will see release at the end of the year. This time, Oz will be present in a rare live-action role, marking one of the few times he’ll be present on camera himself, having previously been seen in older comedies such as The Blues Brothers and Trading Places. Johnson’s film will be a murder mystery whose plot is otherwise under wraps. It’s unknown how large of a role Oz will play, but considering how memorable is other live-action appearances are, this is sure to be another fun role for the puppeteer.
‘L.A. Confidential' Writer to Direct New Movie for Netflix
The Oscar-winning writer of the hit L.A. Confidential, Brian Helgeland, will direct his first movie in four years, as he’s working on an adaptation of the graphic novel Button Man. The film will be produced by Matt Reeves and will see release on Netflix. The film will tell the story of an ex-military contractor Harry Exton, who is paid to fight to the death in gladiator-style combat. In a world controlled by the super rich, Exton looks to take the system created by the corrupt elite and turn it on them to bring their empire crashing down. In addition to L.A. Confidential, Helgeland’s other credits include A Knight’s Tale, Mystic River, and 42. While his filmography is not the most consistently well-received critically, the fact that he still has quite a few hits under his belt will still make this adaptation one of interest.
Anthony and Joe Russo Announce Their First Post-‘Avengers’ Project
The Russo Brothers - the duo behind Marvel projects The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame - have announced their first directorial effort after next month’s Endgame, and they’re re-teaming with a familiar face. Tom Holland, who has recently starred as Spider Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, will star in an adaptation of Nico Walker’s Cherry. The book tells the author’s true story as a former Army medic who returned from Iraq with PTSD, fell into opioid addiction, and began robbing banks. While the duo have worked on non-Marvel projects before, they haven’t worked on something that wasn’t related to the franchise since they directed Winter Soldier in 2014. Considering they’ve mostly stuck to comedy beforehand, it’ll be interesting to see what the duo can bring to the table now that they’re no longer tied up in the Marvel universe (for now).
Marvel’s First Asian-American Superhero Movie Finds Director
One project Marvel announced back in December is a film about Shang-Chi, a character known as a kung-gu master in the comic book world and has the power to duplicate himself. Hot off the success of Captain Marvel, the company has announced they plan on fast-tracking their Shang-Chi film, which will be their first Asian-American led superhero film. While they have yet to find a star, they have announced they found their director, which will be Destin Daniel Cretton, best known for his 2013 film Short Term 12, which received critical acclaim and also starred Captain Marvel lead Brie Larson. The film will be written by Chinese-American screenwriter Dave Callahan, who co-wrote the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984 for DC. With the cancellation of the MCU-set Netflix series Iron Fist, Marvel is looking to keep the kung-fu spirit alive in their film universe with Shang-Chi, and while it’s unknown when exactly this film will be released, this is certainly high on the radar.
James Gunn Reinstated as 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' Director
One of the biggest controversies of 2018 was the firing of James Gunn on the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy 3, due to some controversial tweets he made early on in his career. The decision was met with a huge backlash from both audiences and the Guardians cast, with Dave Bautista in particular being the most outspoken of the bunch. Gunn apologized for the tweets long before he was hired by Marvel to direct the first Guardians film and he handled his firing with grace, never once lashing out at Marvel and respecting their decision, which is said to have played a big part in the director getting re-hired for the project, using a screenplay he had already written. Since his firing, Gunn signed on to write and direct a new Suicide Squad film for DC, which won’t be a continuation of the first film directed by David Ayer. Gunn still plans on working on both films, with Guardians to begin filming once he’s wrapped up with Suicide Squad. Fans are ecstatic to say the least, and Gunn took to Twitter for the first time in months to thank everyone for their support.
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