For much of this week, the attention was mostly centered around the release of Avengers: Endgame. Though there were still a few big announcements coming from some notable directors leading some big name projects. Get the scoop on what’s coming up in the movie world in the link below:
Armando Iannucci Series ‘Avenue 5’ Starring Hugh Laurie Comes to HBO
Veep creator Armando Iannucci is returning to television with a new series called Avenue 5, a sci-fi series that will be released on HBO. Iannucci, also known for creating the TV series The Thick of It and its spinoff film In the Loop, left Veep after season 4 and turned his attention towards his next feature film, The Death of Stalin, which was released last year. While many of Iannucci’s works have been politically themed, Avenue 5 is something a little different for the director. HBO’s tagline reads that it’s a “space tourism comedy set 40 years in the future when the solar system is everyone’s oyster.” The series will star Hugh Laurie as the captain of a space cruise ship, along with Zach Woods and Josh Gad. Considering Iannucci’s track record and the fact that Veep was a smash hit for HBO, there should be little doubt that lightning will strike twice for the channel.
Angela Bassett Joins Female Assassin Film ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’
The title alone should make this at the very least, mildly intriguing. A female-centric assassin film that spans multiple generations, little else is known about Gunpowder Milkshake’s plot, though when it was announced back in January, Karen Gillan and Lena Headey were set to be the stars of the film. And last week it was announced that Angela Bassett has now signed on to the project as well, playing a leader of a massive armory. The film will be directed by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, who also co-wrote the screenplay, along with Ehud Lavski. It’s said that the film will focus heavily on stylized action, with Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver being some of the film’s biggest influences. Only time will tell if this will even remotely close to joining the ranks of the former two.
Ben Affleck Starring and Directing in World War II Caper ‘Ghost Army’
Ben Affleck is gearing up for his next outing behind the camera in a film titled Ghost Army. Based on the book The Ghost Army of World War II, the film will tell the true story of a squadron of recruits who have to fool the Nazis into thinking the U.S. had larger troop numbers than they actually did. Affleck is set to star in the film, and is also expected to rewrite the screenplay, originally written by Nic Pizzolatto. While Affleck’s first three films were all critical successes - with his third film, Argo, winning Best Picture - his latest directorial effort, Live By Night, was a box office bomb and received mixed reviews from critics. Meanwhile, many of his latest outings in front of the camera - including Triple Frontier, The Accountant, and his multiple appearances as Batman in the DCEU - all received mixed-to-negative reviews. So this can either be a return to form for Affleck or can continue a downward spiral for the actor-director. Either way, this is certainly a film of intrigue as of now.
James Wan to Produce ‘Salem’s Lot’ Adaptation
One of the more famous Stephen King adaptations to have not been adapted into a film was his vampire tale Salem’s Lot. The novel, published in 1975, has been adapted multiple times for the small screen, with both a 1979 miniseries as well as a 2004 miniseries having been made. This will be the first adaptation for the big screen, and will be produced by James Wan, along with Gary Dauberman, who collaborates with Wan on producing most of the Conjuring movies and spinoffs. While no director has been announced, one would hope that Wan himself will sign on, as he made his career directing notable horror movies such as Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring. While Wan’s latest was a little out of his comfort zone, being DC’s Aquaman, it looks like he’s not straying too far from his horror roots, and this will hopefully be another film to add to his growing solid filmography.
Leonardo DiCaprio in Talks to Join Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’ Remake
Guillermo del Toro has a follow-up to his Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water, and that’s a remake of the 1947 noir film Nightmare Alley. Based on the novel of the same name by William Linday Gresham, the original film focused on an ambitious con man who joins forces with a corrupt female psychiatrist to manipulate people with their mentalist act, only for her to eventually turn on him. It’s now been announced that Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to take on the lead role in the film, which will see the actor collaborate for the first time with del Toro. DiCaprio has been fairly quiet the last few years, and hasn’t been seen in a movie since 2015’s The Revenant. He’ll return to the big screen later this year in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Del Toro is expected to start filming the project in the fall once all the roles have been filled.
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