It’s no surprise, then, that the streaming service leapt at the chance to make the siblings’ next planned film, an adaptation of Simon Stålenhag’s illustrated novel ‘The Electric State’.
The pair has already cast Millie Bobbie Brown and Chris Pratt (because they seemingly refuse to make a film post-Avengers without one of the Marvel heroes in it) in the movie.
Stålenhag’s lushly illustrated novel is set in a post-apocalyptic 1997 and tells the story of a teenage girl (Brown) who realizes that a strange but sweet robot who comes to her has actually been sent by her missing brother. She and the robot set out to find the brother in an imaginative world of humans mixing with all manner of tech, uncovering a grand conspiracy in the process.
Stanley Tucci in 2017’s ‘Transformers: The Last Knight.’
Regular Russo writing collaborators Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wrote the script for the new movie after their company, AGBO, snapped up the rights and quickly sold a package including the writers, directors and Brown to Universal.
Yet it didn’t quite coalesce there, and, with the deal back up for grabs, Netflix locked it down. “This is a very human story about a teenage girl with all the powers of a teenage girl and nothing more,” Markus told Deadline around the time of the Universal deal. “Another thing we are really proud of when it comes to this story is all the major characters, barring one supporting character, are women which is super exciting to be involved in.”
There are no details of who the new arrivals might be playing, though Deadline’s report on the latest casting mentions that Cox and Slate will be lending their voices to CG characters.
And even though Netflix might love for the AGBO team to start work on the ‘Gray Man’ sequel and spin-off that was announced in the wake of its streaming success, this is certainly an intriguing prospect that is now crammed full of great actors.
Yeoh, of course, is a veteran enjoying current success with ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’. Cox is the foul-mouthed patriarch at the heart of HBO hit ‘Succession’. Tucci needs little introduction but was most recently seen on the big screen in a small role for ‘The King’s Man’. Alexander, most famous for ‘Seinfeld’ on TV, worked on comedy pic ‘Faith Based’. And Slate can be heard in ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’ (and has a quick role in ‘Everything Everywhere’, where she causes trouble for Yeoh’s Evelyn.
Set to kick off shooting this fall, there’s no word yet of a date for ‘The Electric State’.
(L to R) Zazie Beetz and Joaquin Phoenix in 2019’s ‘Joker.’
With an official release date now on the books, the details for the ‘Joker’ sequel are starting to fall into place.
And one of the best parts of the original movie seems set to return, as Zazie Beetz is in talks to reprise the role of Sophie Dumond in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux.’
When we meet her in Todd Phillips’ 2018 film, Sophie is a struggling single mother who lives in the same grungy Gotham City apartment block as Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) and his mom. The pair share a whirlwind romance but – spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen the original movie – it turns out that the relationship was all in Arthur’s head.
Regardless, we’re not sure that Sophie is really going to want to strike up a connection with an unstable man who sows chaos throughout Gotham City. And given that Lady Gaga is now aboard the sequel, playing someone who develops a close link to Arthur, that situation could be even more complicated.
Gaga recently posted a teaser video confirming her casting in the sequel, and while it offered no real clues, speculation is rampant that’s she’ll be playing at least some version of Harley Quinn, the psychotherapist-turned-psychopathic girlfriend of the Joker.
Harley, of course, exists across different stories in the DC Universe, between the current animated anarchist voiced by Kaley Cuoco and Margot Robbie’s movie version. Given that Phillips’ film is unconnected to the larger DCEU movie world, so he has free rein to create his own – if that’s what he’s truly doing.
(L to R) Joaquin Phoenix and Zazie Beetz in 2019’s ‘Joker.’
Of course, there’s every chance that the writer/director will surprise us, as he found new things to say about Arthur and his Joker personality.
Phillips had previously teased the new movie’s title by posting the cover for the script he wrote with ‘Joker’s Scott Silver. And the cameras should be cranking this December. No one knows what the plot is exactly yet, though Folie à Deux’ is a French reference for a medical term pertaining to a mental disorder which affects two or more people.
The other big element we’re promised for the sequel is a musical one, which is perhaps partly explains Gaga’s presence.
Beetz told The Hollywood Reporter that she firmly approves of the idea. “I actually think it makes wonderful sense. I wasn’t really surprised by that. Todd [Phillips] has always had a creative approach to the character. I love musicals, and I think of them as the characters are feeling and experiencing so much that they can only sing and dance about it, whether in sorrow or in joy,” she says.
“And I can actually see that within myself as well because singing and dancing is quite a cathartic experience for me. I was going through a really, really difficult time at one point in my life, and I just started dancing and crying by myself,” Beetz continues. “And that was an expression that matched where I was at that moment. And so I can see Arthur, who is feeling and experiencing so much, dancing and singing about it. He’s the Joker, so I think it makes sense to me.”
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ is scheduled for theaters on October 4th, 2024.
Zazie Beetz in 2019’s ‘Joker.’
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(L to R) Tome Cruise, director Christopher McQuarrie, and Rebecca Ferguson on the set of Paramount’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout.’
After spending the last couple of years hard at work on two ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies to continue the successful franchise, you’d think that Tom Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie might want to spend some time doing other things than putting their life at risk (Cruise) and worrying about the risk to Cruise’s life (McQuarrie).
Yet the pair – who have been creative partners since ‘Valkyrie’ – show no sign of stopping working together. In fact, they have plans for more movies once the next two ‘Missions’ are complete. And if Deadline’s new report is to be believed, it’ll see them heading off in new directions.
Flying high on the success of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (which Cruise starred in and produced and McQuarrie produced/script polished), the pair has been busy making the next Ethan Hunt adventures. But after that? There are some options.
Talk flew last week after McQuarrie appeared on the ‘Light The Fuse’ podcast and hinted at something new for the pair, though still in the action genre.
“It’s kind of under wraps,” McQuarrie said. “It has neither a fuse nor a fuselage. Oh that’s not true… It does have some fuselages. It’s something we’ve talked about for a really long time. It’s way outside of what you’re used to seeing Tom do. It’s the kind of stuff I really love. It’s a little bit more in my wheelhouse. And yet it takes everything we’ve learned on this journey, which is making movies more and more about emotion and real emotional experiences. That’s what you’re feeling when you’re watching ‘Top Gun’; it’s me and Tom squeezing your adrenals for every emotion. Now we’re applying that to something that is gnarlier.”
Tom Cruise in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout.’
It’s hard to imagine something gnarlier than the stuff Cruise gets up to on a ‘Mission’ movie these days, but we’re excited to see that.
Expanding on that, Deadline mentions that the pair is also looking to work on a movie musical, a song-and-dance affair that would allow Cruise to show off his performing chops (as seen, singing-wise, at least, in ‘Rock of Ages’).
And there’s also the sweary, brusque studio executive Les Grossman that Cruise played in ‘Tropic Thunder’. The duo are said to be fixated on bringing Grossman back somehow (sounds like Cruise enjoyed reviving one of his previous characters for ‘Maverick’ and might be up to do it for this one). And, lest (or Les) we forget? Grossman has some dance moves of his own.
Before any of that, though, the two have their eyes on space. Cruise is still planning to shoot a movie in low Earth orbit on a new addition to the International Space Station with the support of NASA and SpaceX. That has Doug Liman attached to direct, while McQuarrie would produce.
Batgirl herself, Leslie Grace, added her own statement, via Twitter.
Now today, El Arbi has gone one step further in an Instagram story, offering up a look at the movie, which may well end up being the only proper look we have at the movie.
The picture is particularly galling, as it shows Grace in costume standing on set with El Arbi and, most excitingly, Michael Keaton in his Batman suit.
On a more positive note, though, he also shared some of the messages of support that have come through, particularly from directors James Gunn and Edgar Wright.
The story also shows a message from Kevin Feige, for whom the duo directed several episodes of ‘Ms. Marvel’.
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
“My friends, I had to reach and let you know we are all thinking about you both,” Feige wrote in an email to Arbi and Fallah. “Because of the wonderful news about the wedding (congrats!) and the disappointing news about ‘Batgirl.’ Very proud of you guys and all the amazing work you do and particularly ‘Ms. Marvel’ of course! Can’t wait to see what is next for you. Hope to see you soon.”
In related ‘Batgirl’ news, the decision has also impacted those who make decisions about DC movies at Warner Bros. Discovery. Walter Hamada, the DC Films president, was reportedly told about the decision to shelve the movie while attending a test screening of another title, ‘Black Adam’.
Yet chances are he’ll be leaving anyway given the new broom approach that freshly arrived company CEO David Zaslav is taking to DC, looking to find a Feige-style figure to guide the movies going forward.
And following the shareholder earnings call yesterday (which was more eagerly watched than many previous examples), Zaslav repeated his commitment to future DC movies including ‘Adam’, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ and, yes, ‘The Flash’ even given more problematic news stories about star Ezra Miller’s behavior.
This is one that feels like it’ll just keep rolling. But for now, the most we can hope for on the ‘Batgirl’ front is that enough stills will be released that those who were excited about the movie can create a flipbook…
Leslie Grace in ‘Batgirl.’ Photo courtesy of Leslie Grace’s Instagram.
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That has now moved into the “official” column, as Gaga has taken to social media with a teaser video confirming her casting.
Set to an instrumental version of the Irving Berlin-written ‘Cheek to Cheek’ (a song that Gaga herself has performed a lot, often with Tony Bennett), the video shows silhouette versions of Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck and Gaga’s so far unknown character (though there is speculation on that – see further down the page) and unites them in a virtual version of a shadow puppet dance.
Featuring the actors’ names in bold and then confirming the title as ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, the twitter tease also mentions the release date for the film.
As discovered yesterday, the new ‘Joker’ film will head to theaters on October 4th, 2024 – five years to the day since the original. The studio will naturally be hoping for similar success at the box office and awards season.
Phillips had previously teased the new movie’s title by posting the cover for the script he wrote with ‘Joker’s Scott Silver. And the cameras should be cranking this December. No one knows what the plot is exactly yet, though Folie à Deux’ is a French reference for a medical term pertaining to a mental disorder which affects two or more people.
And this latest teaser also seems to point to more of a musical angle to the movie (which makes sense given Gaga’s casting).
Gaga, of course, is a big star these days, with an Oscar on her mantel and plenty of acclaim for ‘A Star is Born’ in particular (it’s perhaps little coincidence that Phillips co-produced that Bradley Cooper-directed movie).
And, if she does end up making a deal to appear, word is she’ll be playing iconic Joker character Harley Quinn, his psychiatrist at the mental institution known as Arkham Asylum who falls in love with him and becomes his sidekick and partner in crime.
This being Phillips’ own world, not connected to the DC Extended Universe, any potential Gaga Harley would be different from Margot Robbie’s Quinn, who has so far appeared in two ‘Suicide Squad’ movies and her own spin-off, ‘Birds of Prey’.
And it’s not like ‘Joker’ eschewed other Batman characters completely: we got a smattering of them in Phillips’ vision of Gotham, including a young Bruce Wayne and a corrupt version of his father, Thomas.
So while those eagerly anticipating more of Phoenix’s make-up-sporting troublemaker will have to wait a couple of years to see the next installment, at least we know that the movie is officially on its way.
Keanu Reeves speaks onstage at Comic-Con at San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2022 in San Diego, California. Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Lionsgate.
‘Little Children’s Todd Field is directing, while ‘Castle Rock’ veteran Sam Shaw will serve as writer, showrunner and exec producer.
Larson’s scrupulously researched and endlessly compelling tome covers a true story but does it in thrilling novelistic style.
It chronicles two men: Daniel H. Burnham, a brilliant and fastidious architect racing to mark his mark on the world, and serial killer Dr H. H. Holmes, who might not have gained the infamy of Jack the Ripper but is alleged to have killed a slew of people around the time of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.
That said, there is something definitely compelling about the idea of Reeves as a serial killer. It would be a real shift from his usual roles (though you could argue that John Wick has killed way more people than Holmes, even if it was out of necessity and his targets are all bad people as opposed to innocent victims).
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’
This is a project with a lengthy development history. Back in 2002, Leonardo DiCaprio learned of the book’s existence. He then discovered that Tom Cruise had already bought the movie rights and was working on an adaptation with the help of Kathryn Bigelow and her ‘K-19: The Widowmaker’ writer Christopher Kyle.
Not to be outdone, DiCaprio dug up all the public domain information he could about the case and started to put the pieces together for his own movie, looking to beat Cruise to theaters.
Yet years in limbo for both movies ended with little forward movement, and the rights eventually ended up back on the open market in 2010. Seeing his chance, DiCaprio snapped them up, intending to star in (as Holmes) and produce the project with his Appian Way business partner Jennifer Davisson Killoran. In a statement, they called the book “truly a one-of-its-kind American story about our nation’s first serial killer. We’re excited to bring it to the big screen.”
With the rights in hand, DiCaprio and his team set about working up their new version. And, in a move that should surprise exactly no one, DiCaprio planned to reunite with regular collaborator Martin Scorsese. Warner Bros. was quick to grab the package given that combo, and then had Graham Moore write at least one draft of the script.
Yet it didn’t quite gel, and then Paramount won the rights in a 2015 bidding war, sealing a new deal with DiCaprio and co, while Billy Ray wrote the latest version of the script.
Still, even that level of talent attachment is no guarantee of a greenlight and the movie version sat in limbo for a few more years. Cut to 2019, and the Hulu deal was announced, DiCaprio and Scorsese staying aboard, but only as executive producers.
This marks Reeves’ biggest TV role to date, but there’s no word yet on whether DiCaprio will be joining him on screen (his continued big screen work with Scorsese makes that unlikely). It’s just good to see some actual forward movement for this one, a killer concept if ever there was one.
Keanu Reeves onstage at Comic-Con at San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2022 in San Diego, California. Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Lionsgate.
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
There was shock and disbelief yesterday when reports began to emerge that Warner Bros. Discovery had decided to ditch the DC title ‘Batgirl’ – even though the movie had finished shooting and was in the middle of post-production.
That feeling of disbelief was shared by the directors of the movie, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The duo, who had previously worked on the likes of ‘Bad Boys for Life’ and the Disney+ series ‘Ms. Marvel,’ have been quick to respond.
El Arbi and Fallah (who had been taking a quick break from editing the movie for El Arbi’s wedding in Morocco) were informed of the studio’s decision a short time before the news began to emerge into the world. And now they have hit Instagram to express their stunned feelings over the move.
“We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it,” the directing duo wrote in the post. “As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will.”
They continue, “Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front and especially the great Leslie Grace, who portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedication and humanity.”
“In any case, as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honor to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment,” the statement ends. “‘Batgirl’ For Life.”
Though there had been talk of problematic test screenings or issues with the movie’s quality, the studio’s own statement refutes that.
“The decision to not release ‘Batgirl’ reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,” it read. “Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of ‘Batgirl’ and ‘Scoob! Holiday Haunt’ (the animated movie that was scrapped at the same time as the superhero adventure) and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”
Batgirl herself, Leslie Grace, added her own statement, via Twitter.
“I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!” she wrote. “To every Batgirl fan – THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, ‘my own damn hero!’” You can see her full stamen below…
Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie “Batgirl,” I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland. pic.twitter.com/jGACQHoMjm
Turns out the real reason for the change was something far more mundane – the incoming executive team is changing the direction of how Warner Bros. handles its DC titles (again) and ‘Batgirl’ fell through the cracks as a movie that wasn’t big enough to justify the budget to upgrade and market it for theatrical release, as it had been planned as a direct-to-HBO Max movie.
The corporate decision was made to write it off on taxes as a loss, as part of an accounting technique in the wake of the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery that allows for such moves.
It’s only available for a limited time, so other movies including ‘Blue Beetle’ seem safe for now.
Yet to our thinking, this is just another sign that Warner Bros. still appears to have very little idea how to plan for and execute a coherent strategy for its DC movie universe.
There are various strands, between the DCEU and the unconnected likes of ‘The Batman’, with different versions of characters floating around.
Merging Warner Bros. and DC has led to even more chaos, as a new executive team arrives and decides to change up the thinking once again. Plenty of other projects in development and existing shows are being cancelled as the corporate strategy shifts.
While at one point the studio was all about sharing content between theatrical and HBO Max (and, during the pandemic, releasing everything day-and-date), it now appears to be intent on keeping bigger theatrical titles in their lane and making fewer movies for the streaming service in order to cut costs.
We’re still not sure that this all sounds like a good idea, at least not until Warner/Discovery and DC has a workable policy for its movies and TV series. While not everyone has to look to Marvel, Disney’s approach to essentially letting Kevin Feige and his creative partners control every aspect of their output has paid dividends and (largely) delighted fans.
Warners is said to be on the hunt for someone who can offer similar guidance on the DC front, though picking from the comic book company’s ranks or the movie side hasn’t yet led to firm success.
DC has certainly had hits – ‘Aquaman’ made more than a billion dollars, while ‘Joker’ brought both big box office and Oscar-winning kudos.
But all this chopping and changing has not been good for the movies’ reputation, and while DC has ‘Black Adam’, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ and ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ on the way, they’ll all need to perform to stop the concern over output quality and the direction behind the films as a whole.
And while ‘The Flash’ – whose future remains in flux while star Ezra Miller continues to bring the wrong type of press – seems destined to still get the blockbuster treatment, it’s really not a great look to effectively flush a movie directed by and starring people of color down the corporate toilet to serve the needs of shareholders.
Plus, it’s hardly the best sign to creative people who might want to work with you in future and are now concerned that their hard work may end up on a shelf forever.
Leslie Grace in HBO Max’s ‘Batgirl.’
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It’s the story of a doctor (Dawson) and her 9-year-old son (Chase Dillon), looking to start a new life, who move into a strangely affordable mansion in New Orleans. They soon discover that the place is much more than they bargained for. Desperate for help, they contact a priest (Wilson), who, in turn, enlists the aid of a widowed scientist-turned failed-paranormal expert (Stanfield), a French Quarter psychic (Haddish) and a crotchety historian (DeVito).
Leto is reportedly playing the Hatbox ghost, who pops up occasionally during the ride, while One Take News has heard that Curtis is aboard as Madame Leota, the ghost of a psychic whose head is encased in her crystal ball. The character is an iconic element in the attraction, so it makes sense to have someone as respected as Curtis in the role.
Jamie Lee Curtis in 2018’s ‘Halloween.’
We don’t yet know whether either actor was on set for the movie itself, or whether they’ve simply been digitally scanned and will be providing their performances via a little post-production magic.
The original ‘Haunted Mansion’ attraction originally opened at Disneyland in California in 1969, a few years after it was initially dreamt up by Walt Disney as a walk-through attraction. It then evolved into a ride that takes guests through a supernaturally charged mansion in Louisiana.
Later versions at other parks have altered the theme and location, with both Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland’s editions featuring more show scenes, a longer ride time, and a Gothic aesthetic, while Disneyland Paris’ version, known as ‘Phantom Manor,’ is themed to a decimated house on the American frontier.
That adaptation didn’t exactly win over the critics and it was far from a smash at the box office either, though it did manage to scare up $180.2 million worldwide (though it cost $90 million to make before marketing costs).
‘Haunted Mansion’ will glide into theaters on March 10th, 2023.
Jared Leto in Columbia Pictures’ ‘Morbius.’
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Leslie Grace in Warner Bros. Discovery’s ‘Batgirl.’
Call it a Bat Cave-in.
In a surprising development, Warner Bros. Discovery and DC have apparently decided to shelve the ‘Batgirl’ movie, which was going through the post-production process and had been targeting a theatrical release or an HBO Max debut (depending on which report you read).
Now though, the movie, which had a reported budget that began in the $70 million range and ballooned to $90 million because of Covid protocols, is no longer going to be seen in any venue, not even a home entertainment release. There had been stories of disappointing test screenings and complaints about the lack of spectacle in the movie.
Which means that Warners – fresh off its acquisition by Discovery – is willing to cut its losses and abandon the film. It’s all part of a new strategy that will focus on the bigger budget theatrical DC Extended Universe movies. ““This is the end of DC as a hobby,” a source told the New York Post, which originally broke the story.
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
‘Bad Boys for Life’ and ‘Ms. Marvel’ directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah had been overseeing the new movie, which stars ‘In the Heights’ actress Leslie Grace starring as Barbara Gordon. The exact plot of the film hadn’t been released, but it’ll effectively follow Gordon (the daughter of J.K. Simmons’ Commissioner Jim Gordon) donning her version of a Bat-suit to fight crime in Gotham City.
In addition to Grace and Simmons, the movie stars Brendan Fraser as the villainous Firefly and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman.
It’s a confusing move since the company had been trying to put more of a plan in place for its DC output. There remain concerns over ‘The Flash’, given the negative press around star Ezra Miller’s unorthodox behavior and run-ins with the law off screen.
Then there are the other DC movies. While ‘Blue Beetle’ appears to still be on track (for now, and it has the relative security of being firmly aimed at a theatrical release), a third ‘Wonder Woman’ remains in limbo.
The studio still has ‘Black Adam’ due in theaters on October 21st, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ out on December 21st, then ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ March 17th and (assuming it sticks), ‘The Flash’ on June 23rd.
There were warning signs about ‘Batgirl’ last month when Warners/DC said nothing about the movie in its big Comic-Con presentation. But we’re not sure anybody had “completely shelved” on their bingo cards.
Selena Gomez as Mabel on Hulu’s ‘Only Murders In The Building.’ Photo: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu.
Remakes, particularly of respected, popular movies, don’t always face the best reception. But two high profile projects are hitting the news wires today – with ‘Working Girl’ following word that ‘Road House’ is going the remake route with Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead.
Selena Gomez, meanwhile, is attached to star in ‘Working Girl’, which is in development at 20th Century Studios. It’s not as far along as ‘Road House’ (which has Doug Liman directing and a shoot scheduled to kick off this month), but it does have ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ and ‘Diary Of a Future President’ TV veteran Ilana Peña writing the script.
The film was not only one of that year’s breakout hits bringing in more than $100 million at the domestic box office, but it also was critically hailed and earned six Oscar nominations including a Best Picture slot, Best Actress nomination for Griffith and Supporting nods for Cusack and Weaver.
Deadline’s story on the new movie has no details as to the plot for the new one, but chances are it’ll update the narrative to encompass the challenges that women still face in the workplace, including the lingering shadow of harassment and the changing gender balance in American offices. There’s also fertile material in how the face of work has changed in the wake of the pandemic, including the Great Resignation and working from home.
(L to R) Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford in 1988’s ‘Working Girl.’
The singer and actress has also been successful with her ‘Selena + Chef’ cooking series on HBO Max.
Looking to exploit a classic title with an update is nothing new in Hollywood terms, but the success of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (even though that’s both a direct sequel and a semi-remake) has certainly pushed some projects forward.
No director is on board for the new ‘Working Girl’, but if it does make it to the shooting stage, it’ll likely hit Hulu instead of cinemas. Which we can understand, since ‘Only Murders’ is one of that streaming service’s crown jewels. And having Gomez aboard is definitely a plus in the company’s eyes.
Of course, like ‘Road House’ (and possibly even more given its pop cultural and awards impact), any new ‘Working Girl’ will face comparisons with the original, and we don’t envy the new team their job.
(L to R) Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver in 1988’s ‘Working Girl.’
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