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A 'monkey selfie' movie might be on the way
Proving that Hollywood will try anything once (and 17 times if enough people watch it), there might be a movie on based on the infamous "monkey selfie" headed our way. Conde Nast Entertainment has bought the life rights for David Slater, the photographer who found himself in a legal battle over a selfie a macaque took in 2011, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Conde Nast usually develops movies based on articles from its publishing arm's magazines like The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, so this is a slightly different step for the company.
'Sense8' finale will debut on Netflix June 8th
We're still wondering what happened to Wolfgang on head-scratcher sci-fi series Sense8, and it sounds like our answers might arrive sooner than expected. Netflix today announced that the wrap-up movie for the Wachowskis-created show will premiere on June 8th. If you'll remember, the series was unceremoniously cancelled last June.
The next 'Doom' movie won't play in theaters
Do you remember the original Doom movie from 2005? You'd be forgiven if you didn't -- while it had recognizable stars (most notably Dwayne Johnson), it was a critical and commercial flop that only really found life after it left the big screen. However, that isn't stopping Hollywood from giving it another shot. After years of rumors, NBCUniversal has confirmed to Variety that a new Doom movie is in the works, no doubt meant to capitalize on the game series' revival. Actress Nina Bergman has already revealed that she'll play a role in the movie, which reportedly has a "super cool director."
Amazon Prime lands futuristic love story ‘Zoe’
Sundance film festival darling Drake Doremus' futuristic love story, Zoe, is one of the more anticipated titles of the year. The director of Like Crazy, Douchebag and Breathe In will premier his eighth film on Saturday as the Tribeca Film Festival's headlining title. According to Deadline, Amazon has acquired the exclusive rights to the movie, and will bring it to Prime Video this summer.
Thiel-Hogan vs. Gawker saga to get the TV and movie treatment
Two production outfits are planning to make films tackling the Peter Thiel-backed Hulk Hogan case that brought down the once-thriving online media company Gawker. And one of them is exploring the idea of creating a miniseries instead. Modern Family director Jason Winer has just signed on to direct the one being by produced by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan (Chicago, Hairspray, Footloose). It's currently entitled Gawker v. Thiel, and will focus on players behind the scenes, including Gawker owner Nick Denton, the editor who published the Hulk Hogan sex tape that started it all (A.J. Daulerio) and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, who financed Hogan's legal battle against the website that outed him years ago.
YouTube to follow Amazon by screening its movies inside theaters
Following YouTube's announcement last month that it intends to spend "hundreds of millions" on original content for Red, it's just unveiled plans for a YouTube-made movie that'll also be released in theaters. And unlike its previous effort, 2016's widely-regarded flop Lazer Team, this project has a serious name attached to it: Susan Sarandon.
Skywalker Sound and the challenges of making audio for VR films
Lauded Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, best known for his work on movies such as Birdman and The Revenant, last year nabbed a "special" Oscar award for his VR exhibition Carne y Arena. The virtual reality project, dubbed Flesh and Sand in English, takes viewers into a world where they can experience what it's like to be an immigrant trying to cross a border. As much as visuals were important to tell this story, one of Iñárritu's focus was to also to create the most immersive sounds -- which can be complicated when going from traditional film to a completely new medium like VR.
Netflix lands sci-fi movie from 'Planet of the Apes' director
Netflix's sci-fi adaptations are about to expand beyond the likes of Altered Carbon and Lost in Space. Deadline has learned that Netflix has secured the rights to Life Sentence, a movie take on a Matthew Baker short story about a future where authorities wipe the memories of criminals instead of sending them to prison. Matt Reeves, the director of the two most recent Planet of the Apes movies, is producing the title. It's not known when the movie would premiere, but apparently that's not the big story -- there was reportedly a fierce bidding war.
Amazon secures movie rights for Alafair Burke’s thriller ‘The Wife’
Amazon Studios is ramping up its efforts in the streaming space lately in a push to focus on bigger movies and television shows. The company hired NBC's Jennifer Salke as its new head executive to take the place of the disgraced Roy Price, and has picked up some high-profile content, like Ian M. Banks' well-regarded Culture novels for a television series. Now Amazon won the rights to Alafair Burke's novel The Wife, which is heavily influenced by the current #MeToo zeitgeist.
Schwarzenegger joins the sequel for internet cult classic 'Kung Fury'
David Sandberg's instant cult classic, Kung Fury is not only getting a full-length sequel, it's attracting big-name stars to the action comedy set in 1980's Miami. Today, the former Terminator and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the upcoming film.
Netflix rescues sci-fi movie 'Extinction' from oblivion
The Cloverfield Paradox isn't the only sci-fi movie Netflix has saved from Hollywood purgatory. Variety has discovered that Netflix bought the worldwide rights to Extinction, a sci-fi thriller from Universal starring Lizzy Caplan and Michael Pena. The studio was originally slated to have released the alien invasion flick on January 26th, but took it off its release schedule just two months prior -- not exactly a resounding vote of confidence. The title is expected to premiere on Netflix sometime later in 2018.
'Solo: A Star Wars Story' trailer reveals Han's roots
Wondering how Lucasfilm and Disney would handle that long-in-the-making Han Solo movie? You now have an idea of what to expect. They've released the full teaser trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story... and it's definitely Han. Alden Ehrenreich may not sound that much like Harrison Ford, but the clip otherwise gives a good feel for how the iconic smuggler got started -- yes, he was always an overconfident troublemaker saved by his talent, luck and good intentions.
Shigeru Miyamoto will co-produce a 'Mario' animated movie
Nintendo's third big announcement of the evening (after Switch Online and Mario Kart Tour) comes right back to its main star, Mario, and the news that he will star in an animated movie. Confirming earlier rumors, Shigeru Miyamoto is listed as co-producer along with Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me, Minions, Ice Age) head Chris Meledandri, but the announcement didn't mention other details like a title or release date. The press release notes that Universal Pictures is co-financing the project and will handle worldwide distribution, and it seems ripe for a tie-in with theme park plans both companies are working on. The big question now is if it will live up/down (depending on how you feel about it) to the reputation of 1993's Super Mario Bros. movie.
Get a glimpse of Netflix's latest sci-fi movie, 'Mute'
February will hopefully be rewarding for sci-fi fans who subscribe to Netflix. In addition to Altered Carbon's debut this week, later in the month we'll finally get a peek at director Duncan Jones' Mute. The movie has been floating around for about as long as Jones has been a filmmaker (he previously directed Moon, Source Code and Warcraft), and now we finally have a look at it. The movie follows a mute bartender caught up in a jam, and features as much neon, mustachioed Paul Rudd and as many flying cars as you'd hope. If this was enough to stoke your curiosity, the movie premieres February 23rd.
Duncan Jones' sci-fi movie 'Mute' debuts on Netflix February 23rd
Duncan Jones' next movie won't be coming to theaters -- it's going straight to streaming. The Moon and Warcraft director has revealed that his long-in-the-making sci-fi film noire, Mute, will premiere on Netflix February 23rd. The movie is set in a future Berlin where a mute bartender (played by Alexander Skarsgård) has to trust a pair of American surgeons (led by Paul Rudd) as he tracks down a disappeared woman. Justin Theroux also stars. There's no trailer yet, but in many ways the effort taken to release the movie is the hook -- Netflix is giving Jones a chance that might not have come up through conventional formats.
'Science Fair' shows the challenges teens face in Intel's competition
Intel's science fairs are pressure cookers: imagine pitting some of the world's brightest students against each other while they're already grappling with teenage anxiety. And now, there's a documentary that illustrates just how rough it can be. Muck Media has released the first trailer for Science Fair, a doc that follows nine high schoolers as they strive for glory at Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair. The students aren't just worrying about their technical accomplishments, although those are notable by themselves (such as calculator that generates Shakespearean insults) -- they also have to deal with their confidence, socio-economic hardships, rivalries and raging hormones.
Amazon will focus on 'bigger' movies to lure people to Prime
Having made its name buying smaller, niche independent projects to build its TV and movie division into a multi-award-winning studio, Amazon plans ramp things up a little moving forward, Reuters reports. According to sources, the company will increase its spending on new films, dedicating as much as $50 million to more commercial projects. Amazon will reportedly reduce the number of art-house movies it buys, which it typically acquires at events like the Sundance Film Festival for figures in the low millions, in its bid to lure more people to Prime and onto its expanding streaming service.
Netflix confirms the expected 'Bright' sequel is on its way
Netflix's Bright might not be a critical success, but it is a commercial success -- and that's all the streaming service needs to hear. After reports that a sequel was in the works, company has confirmed that Bright 2 is in development through a brief teaser clip (below). There's no mention of a release date, plot or even casting, but there's a good chance that Will Smith and Joel Edgerton will pick up their roles. David Ayer is expected to return as a director and writer.
Ryan Reynolds is Detective Pikachu
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that the upcoming live-action Pokémon movie has found an actor for its title role: Ryan Reynolds. In a performance that its sources say is "motion-capture in nature" (think Jar Jar Binks or Gollum) Reynolds will embody Detective Pikachu alongside Justice Smith (The Get Down, Jurassic Park: The Lost Kingdom) as the teen searches for his missing father. Other details are scarce, but now the movie (which got its greenlight just as Pokémon Go fever exploded last year) is said to start shooting in January, and will include Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies) in the cast. Just something to think about while you're watching Deadpool 2 in June.
Netflix tries out a Christmas movie with Kurt Russell as Santa
Netflix is handing Kurt Russell the role he was born to play: Santa Claus. The streaming giant is about to start rolling cameras on a festive flick, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with filmmaker Chris Columbus (of Harry Potter and Home Alone fame) producing. Child actors Judah Lewis (last seen on Netflix's The Babysitter) and Big Little Lies' resident DJ Darby Camp will round out the cast of the as-yet untitled project.
