(Left) Michelle Williams as Molly in ‘Dying for Sex’. Photo: Sarah Shatz/FX. (Right) Director Damien Chazelle on the set of ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Michelle Williams is joining the cast of Damien Chazelle’s new movie.
The as-yet-untitled film is reportedly set in a prison.
Paramount is backing the project.
The last we heard of ‘La La Land’ and ‘Babylon’ filmmaker Damien Chazelle mysterious next project –– a big vote of confidence from Paramount after ‘Babylon’ didn’t perform at the box office –– he had Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy circling the lead roles.
That’s among the big questions for the new movie –– neither Chazelle nor studio backers Paramount Pictures have revealed anything official about the storyline.
There have been reports that it’s set within the walls of a prison (an ironic coincidence given that ‘Babylon’s performance nearly saw Chazelle thrown into director jail), that it’ll be more of a two-hander (so the new potential casting makes sense) and that it’ll have “action elements,” so read into that what you will.
More concretely, Chazelle will also produce the movie alongside Olivia Hamilton under their Wild Chickens Productions banner.
Where else can we see Michelle Williams?
Michelle Williams as Mitzi Fabelman in ‘The Fabelmans,’ co-written, produced and directed by Steven Spielberg.
Aside from ‘Dying for Sex,’ which has been making the awards rounds in recent months, with Williams receiving plenty of kudos and a new dramatic legal thriller movie called ‘A Place in Hell,’ she mostly has projects in development at this point.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, Williams has been attached to the other project that Chazelle has been considering, ‘Evel Knievel on Tour,’ which has Leonardo DiCaprio considering the lead role, but due to scheduling issues is still idling on the side of the production canyon. It might still rev up, but for now Chazelle is focused on the prison pic.
There are also movies including ‘This is Jane’ and ‘Fever,’ one about singer Peggy Lee, but they’re both still floating.
When will Damien Chazelle’s new movie arrive on screens?
With the casting starting to come together, Chazelle is looking to kick off filming later this year, so we can likely expect its release in 2027.
Writer/director Rian Johnson breathed fresh, sharply-written life into the mystery genre with 2019’s ‘Knives Out.’ And if ‘Glass Onion’ in 2022 was a seemingly lesser (if still entertaining) follow-up, it’s relief to report that third outing ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ has much more in common –– especially in terms of quality character work and central crime –– with the first movie.
Johnson had always intended to make more movies featuring quirky, charismatic sleuth Benoit Blanc and a healthy deal from Netflix means we now have the third.
‘Wake Up Dead Man’ is a considerable step up from the second film, rivalling the original for how it weaves and then unravels its mystery. Part of the advantage is keeping Craig’s Blanc out of the story initially to give the other characters time to breathe. He still gets plenty of superb moments, but the ensemble as a whole has the space it needs to work.
Johnson has also made a beautiful-looking film, using the gloomy upstate New York setting (albeit filmed in the UK) to really enhance the storytelling.
Craig is a natural as Blanc at this point, and the faith-wrangling storyline really gives him something to chew on. But praise also to Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin, Thomas Haden Church and Glenn Close in particular, who are all fantastic.
‘Wake Up Dead Man’ is certainly one of the best mystery movies to be released in the last couple of years, and happily stands alongside the first movie while nodding to its inspirations.
‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ receives 87 out of 100.
What’s the story of ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’?
When young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it’s clear that all is not well in the pews.
After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.
Who is in the cast of ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’?
Denis Villeneuve is directing the new James Bond movie, which doesn’t immediately sound like the perfect fit.
As a lifelong Bond fan, choosing Denis Villeneuve puts the future of the franchise in good hands.
If nothing else, Denis Villeneuve will make the most visually stunning James Bond movie.
It was recently announced that Denis Villeneuve is going to be directing the new James Bond film, after control was handed over to Amazon MGM. While the internet is debating on if he is right for the job or not, there are a lot of things that make him the perfect choice, but a couple concerns as well.
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Not a lot is known about the next film, including which actor will be portraying the title character. Denis Villeneuve is busy with the upcoming ‘Dune: Messiah‘ which releases in December 2026 meaning it might be a while until we hear more details about this movie. Chances are the new 007 movie will not start filming until ‘Dune: Messiah’ is in post-production, although the script and casting should be completed before then.
Fans are looking at a late 2026 or early 2027 release at the earliest. That definately feels like a long time after 2021’s ‘No Time To Die‘.
James Bond (Daniel Craig) prepares to shoot in ‘No Time To Die,’ a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film.
Probably the most exciting aspect of this decision is that Denis Villeneuve has admitted that he grew up watching the James Bond films. They hold a special place in his heart and he went so far as to call them sacred territory so he knows what he needs to accomplish. And if anyone can do it, it is him.
Often when a director is passionate about a franchise before they are welcomed into it, they want nothing more than to create a perfect addition to it. This is something that Denis Villeneuve has dreamed of, making it unlikely he would do anything that would anger the fans.
He knows what works and what doesn’t in a James Bond movie, and he is certainly willing to put in the work. No one has ever claimed that Denis Villeneuve doesn’t know what he is doing, so odds are he will put everything he has into making the next James Bond movie something special. Why take on the responsibility of something like this, especially a franchise you love, and phone it in?
This Could Be The Most Visually Stunning Bond Movie With Denis Villeneuve At The Helm
With Denis Villeneuve in the director’s chair for the new James Bond movie, there is a good chance this is going to be the most beautiful of the franchise. As exciting as this is, here is where one of the concerns comes in. No one is doubting that with Denis Villeneuve involved this movie is going to look beautiful, as we have seen him win multiple awards for visual effects and cinematography, but you need more than that for a successful film.
His visual style doesn’t exactly scream James Bond. At least not at first thought. Denis Villeneuve is known for sweeping landscapes, desaturated tones, and extremely well done special effects. These are all things that the new James Bond movie could thrive off of, but it might take long time fans a bit longer to get used to it.
‘Blade Runner 2049‘ is a great example. The film might have been a box office disappointment, but it is also applauded for its incredible visuals and world building. It found its audience at home after some were skeptical about Denis Villeneuve being at the helm and a need for another movie.
The new James Bond movie will not have this problem, however, as it is already a well established franchise. Odds are fans will be showing up in theaters no matter what, although that also depends slightly on who the next James Bond actor is.
Denis Villeneuve Is Widely Considered One Of Today’s Best Working Directors
Of course there were fans of ‘Dune‘ before Denis Villeneuve’s films, but he introduced it to so many people all around the world in a way that caused them to explore the world further: reading the books, seeing the previous film, and so on. His work drew people in and created new fans, which is something that he could do for the James Bond franchise as well, something Amazon MGM surely thought about.
Denis Villeneuve has a way of adapting and growing already established projects, like ‘Dune’ and ‘Blade Runner‘. He often remains faithful enough to the original, but still adds something new and exciting. He knows how to build tension and create worlds and characters that will leave viewers mesmerized.
James Bond already has a well established fan base, but it still needs the next movie to be good, well-respected, and an entertaining watch. Denis Villeneuve is going to bring his A-game because of his love for the character. He is well versed in the films so there is no need to think he will change what makes James Bond so beloved. Surely we are all in good hands.
Fans attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix.
Preview:
Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event took place on Saturday, May 30th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
Netflix debuted new footage and trailers for TV shows like ‘Squid Game’, ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Wednesday’.
They also showed footage and trailers from upcoming movies like ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘The RIP’ and ‘Happy Gilmore 2’.
Lady Gaga brought down the house with an incredible live performance.
Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event took place on Saturday, May 30th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles and was aired live on the streaming network at the same time.
The event featured the debut of new footage and trailers from popular TV shows like ‘Squid Game’ season 3, ‘Stranger Things’ season 5 and ‘Wednesday’ season 2, as well as a casting announcement for a fan favorite character joining ‘One Piece’.
Fans attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix.
(L to R) Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ae-shim, and Choi Seung-hyun speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
Hosted by Sofia Carson, the show began with Pink Guards from ‘Squid Game’ taking the stage during a performance by Hanumankind.
Hanumankind performs onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
After the performance, Lee Jung-Jae and Lee Byung-hun, who play Player 456 and Front Man, respectively, arrived to present the season 3 trailer for ‘Squid Game’. They were joined on stage by fellow cast members Park Hae-soo and Kang Ae-shim.
Lee Byung-hun teased the new season as he introduced the trailer:
“I will try not to spoil anything, but we can tell you a few things. Gi-hun vows to put an end to the game, while the Front Man makes his next big move.”
Lee Jung-Jae added:
“But every game must end … and ‘Squid Game will shock the world one last time. We know you are all counting down the moment.”
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‘Squid Game’ season 3 premieres on Netflix June 27th.
(L to R) Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Cailee Spaeny, Mila Kunis, Rian Johnson, Daniel Craig, Kerry Washington and Daryl McCormack speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
Director Rian Johnson appeared to tease the third of his ‘Knives Out’ series of mysteries and walked on to the stage accompanied by a “Who done it” type mystery theme.
“I love a good surprise. This is the third Benoit Blanc movie that we’ve made and one thing that we strove to do with each one of them is to keep the audience guessing. It’s important for us to figure out new ways every time so just when you think you have it figured out, a new twist comes a long that you were not expecting. That’s what makes these movies special.”
Then, each member of the cast including Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Kerry Washington and Jeremy Renner, came out one by one to one-up the previous co-star. Washington appeared with a T-shirt gun to entice the crowd, but not to be outdone, Renner then appeared with two T-shirt guns and received an extremely warn welcome from the fans.
(Left) Kerry Washington speaks onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix. (Right) Jeremy Renner speaks onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
Eight-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close sent a video from her car, and the actress dropped the F-word twice with her dog in the backseat. Finally, Daniel Craig made a surprise appearance and had this to say about the film.
“I have a bit of news to share with you all. We have an exclusive sneak peak of the movie. Would anybody like to see it?”
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With that, the teaser trailer for the new movie debut, which will premiere on Netflix December 12th.
(L to R) Jacob Romero, Mackenyu, IÒaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, and Taz Skylar speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
The cast of the popular series ‘One Piece’ including Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Gibson, and Taz Skylar appeared on stage to greet the fans. Based on the popular manga series, the first season has been watched by over a hundred million fans around the world.
Iñaki Godoy has this to say about the upcoming season.
“We just wrapped shooting season 2 in South Africa and let me tell you, things are only going to get bigger and better. We’re talking bigger worlds, bigger pirates, bigger adversaries, bigger food, bigger adventures, and bigger giants.”
Mikaela Hoover will voice Chopper in season 2 of ‘One Piece’. Photo: John Schnell/Netflix.
The cast also announced the addition of fan-favorite character Tony Tony Chopper, who will be voiced by actress Mikaela Hoover, and introduced first look footage of the character.
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The second season of ‘One Piece’ is set to premiere on Netflix in 2026.
(L to R) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
The presentation for director Joe Carnahan’s new police thriller ‘The Rip’, which stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, began with a pre-recorded video of the two actors as their cop characters arresting ‘Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster for eating too many cookies.
(L to R) Cookie Monster, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles on May 31, 2025. Photo: Adam Rose for Netflix.
“It’s great to be back together again on screen and we loved making this movie. It channels some of our all-time favorites like ‘Heat’ and ‘Training Day’.
In the film, Affleck and Damon play Miami cops who discover over 20 million dollars in cash hidden in a suspect’s house, which leads to distrust among their characters and the other police officers.
A new trailer for the film was shown to the audience at the Forum and during the broadcast but is not currently available online. Damon introduced the teaser trailer by saying:
“Netflix was not going to let us show you an exclusive first look at the film. In fact, the studio hasn’t even approved its release, so here is the first and I repeat only look at ‘The Rip’ coming to Netflix on January 16th, 2026.”
(L to R) Oscar Isaac, Guillermo del Toro, and Mia Goth speak onstage Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
Next up was visionary director Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ presentation, which began with a video message from actor Jacob Elordi who plays the monster.
“I recently had the great pleasure of playing the creature in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’. Guillermo is a real-life genius and I’m immensely grateful to be in the film. I’m proud of the work we all put into it.”
Guillermo del Toro himself, as well as actors Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth then took the stage to greet the fans and introduce the teaser trailer for the film.
“Thank you. I’m Guillermo del Toro. This is for me the culmination of a journey that has occupied most of my life. I first read Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ as a kid and saw Boris Karloff in what became for me an almost a religious state. Monsters have become my personal belief system. There are strands of Frankenstein throughout my films, ‘Cronos’, ‘Blade’, ‘Hellboy’, big time on ‘Pinocchio’, and a long, long, etc. Exploring the relationship between humanity and monsters, creator and creation, father and son, has consumed my stories again and again. I wanted to make this film even before I had a camera, and I have actively been pursuing it now for 25 years. It has grown so close to me that now it is my biography. Now, tonight here, finally, we can share it with you.”
(L to R) Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, and Rich Eisen speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
The highly anticipated ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ was up next, and the presentation began with a mock video including sports broadcasters and athletes like Dan Patrick, Rich Eisen, Bob Costas, Serena Williams, Travis Kelce, and John Cena talking about the legacy of Happy Gilmore as if he was a real person and golfer.
The stage was then set up like a sports broadcast with Rich Eisen interviewing Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, and of course, Adam Sandler. Several supporting cast members including Jon Lovitz and an actor dressed as Abraham Lincoln were in the audience and asked clearly scripted questions.
After that, Sandler had this to say before introducing the final trailer for the sequel.
“First of all, Mr. Lincoln, great job on everything. Netflix, thanks for everything. How about today? This was fun. I’m hoping we have a lot of these. Now I have a question for all you nice people out there. Would anyone like to see the trailer for our new film?”
(L to R) Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and Finn Wolfhard speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
One of the most popular TV series in the history of Netflix is coming to an end with the fifth and final season of ‘Stranger Things’. Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp appeared to discuss the experience of making the series and the upcoming final season.
They watched behind the scenes videos from the making of the first season and were joined by Gaten Matarazzo and Millie Bobby Brown via a prerecorded message.
Brown sad this to the audience:
“Hi TUDUM and ‘Stranger Things’ fans, its Millie Bobby Brown. Unfortunately, I can’t be there with you guys because I am filming ‘Enola Holmes 3’ right now in London. But I have so many memories. How could you possibly choose a favorite from four seasons?”
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The three actors on stage then introduced a teaser for season 5, and announced that Volume 1 will premiere on November 26th, with Volume to on Christmas day, and the finale on New Year’s Eve.
(L to R) Luis Guzm·n, Joanna Lumley, Fred Armisen, Isaac Ordonez and Jenna Ortega attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
“Hello TUDUM. We are so thrilled to be here with you tonight, and by thrilled, I mean quietly bracing for what ever fresh horror Netflix has planned. Truly though I want to thank you for the amazing reception to season one and embracing our world. It really means the most. Here is an exclusive sneak peek at season 2.”
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The footage revealed that Haley Joel Osment will appear in the new season, and it was also officially announced that Grammy winner and Oscar nominee Lady Gaga will have a guest starring role in season 2,
‘Wednesday’ season 2 is scheduled to be released in two parts on August 6th, and September 3rd.
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The big event ended with a three-song performance from Lady Gaga which included ‘Zombieboy’, ‘Abracadabra,’ and “Bloody Mary.’
Lady Gaga Is performing at Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event. Photo: Frank Lebon/Netflix.
List of Movies and TV Shows Presented at Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Big Event:
Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig may star in Damian Chazelle’s new movie.
The as-yet-untitled film is reportedly set in a prison.
Paramount is backing the project.
While his most recent movie, the star-studded dipped into early Hollywood territory that was ‘Babylon’ singularly failed to set the box office alight, writer/director Damien Chazelle clearly hasn’t lost too much of his pull.
The filmmaker, who also brought us the Oscar-winning likes of ‘Whiplash’ and ‘La La Land,’ is busy developing an untitled new project and he’s got his eye on two big name talents to star.
That’s among the big questions for the new movie –– neither Chazelle nor studio backers Paramount Pictures have revealed anything official about the storyline.
There have been reports that it’s set within the walls of a prison (an ironic coincidence given that ‘Babylon’s performance nearly saw Chazelle thrown into director jail), that it’ll be more of a two-hander (so the new potential casting makes sense) and that it’ll have “action elements,” so read into that what you will.
More concretely, Chazelle will also produce the movie alongside Olivia Hamilton under their Wild Chickens Productions banner.
What else is Damien Chazelle working on?
Leonardo DiCaprio at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
The untitled project appears to have leapfrogged ahead of another starry movie that the director had cooking up.
Until recently, Chazelle’s main focus was on an Evel Knievel biopic that was to star Leonardo DiCaprio. Yet despite the director and actor developing that film, the latter has decided to pivot instead to work again with Martin Scorsese on his Hawaii-set gangster movie.
In an interesting note, DiCaprio was also interested in the prison pic, and the pair worked towards that one before switching to focus on the Knievel movie, which is back to idling its creative engine now that the actor has headed elsewhere.
Still, that one might yet get its motor running again in future.
Chazelle is clearly looking to put ‘Babylon’ behind him and dive into something new. He admitted on the Talking Pictures podcast to some trepidation about whether he’d get to make something on that scale again:
“I’ve been head in the sand. I’ve been sort of busy writing. So I’ll get a real taste of how it’s changed or not once I get to finish this script and try to actually get it made. I’m in a sort of trepidatious state of mind, but I have no illusions. I won’t get a budget of ‘Babylon’ size any time soon, or at least not on this next one.”
And purely as a producer, Chazelle is attached to his ‘Babylon’ star Brad Pitt‘s new movie, action effort ‘Heart of the Beast,’ which has David Ayer in the director’s chair.
Murphy was an in-demand performer even before he won his Best Actor Oscar for ‘Oppenheimer.’
The movie marked just the latest collaboration with writer/director Christopher Nolan, though interestingly, the filmmaker’s latest movie, ‘The Odyssey’ doesn’t seem to feature the actor (at least, that we know of!) despite starring half of Hollywood.
It’s not like Murphy is hurting for work. He was most recently seen in indie title ‘Small Things Like These,’ which itself is drawing some awards attention.
By order of the Peaky Blinders… Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) is back. Production officially starts on the upcoming Netflix film.
He will be back on our screens in the ‘Peaky Blinders’ movie for Netflix, reprising the role of crime boss Tommy Shelby. The film has yet to confirm a launch date, but we do know it’s currently called ‘The Immortal Man.’
Then there’s comedy drama ‘Steve,’ in which he plays the titular headteacher who is battling for his reform college’s survival while managing his mental health.
Finally, Murphy’s attached to star in based-on-truth crime/mining drama ‘Blood Runs Coal.’
And on the behind-the-scenes side of things, Murphy is a producer on this year’s ‘28 Years Later,’ which makes sense, since 2002’s horror thriller ‘28 Days Later’ was one of his breakout early roles.
What has Daniel Craig worked on?
Daniel Craig as James Bond in 2012’s ‘Skyfall.’
Craig might be best known to a wider audience for his role as secret agent James Bond, a role he first played in 2006’s ‘Casino Royale.’
More recently, he appeared in Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’ and has so far made two movies as ace sleuth Benoit Blanc in the ‘Knives Out’ franchise written and directed by Rian Johnson, with a third, ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ due later this year via Netflix.
Finally, the actor is attached to Justin Lin’s action movie ‘Two for the Money’ and will be playing a role in Greta Gerwig’s planned first ‘Narnia’ adaptation.
When will Damien Chazelle’s new movie arrive on screens?
Assuming the casting comes together, Chazelle is looking to kick off filming this year, so the new movie could conceivably be in theaters in 2026.
Director Damien Chazelle on the set of ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.
From the sounds of it, Mulligan is close to signing on, and she’d be the latest high-profile piece of casting, which is hardly surprising given Gerwig’s post-‘Barbie’ clout.
2005’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
In case the various film and TV adaptations have passed you by (the TV series was largely on the BBC in the UK, but the movies were big fantasy productions by 20th Century Fox in an era when studios were looking to capitalize on the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’), the ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ is a series of seven books by British author C.S. Lewis.
Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals.
It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the Narnian world. Except in ‘The Horse and His Boy,’ the protagonists are all children from the real world who are magically transported to Narnia, where they are sometimes called upon by Aslan to protect Narnia from evil. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ to its eventual destruction in ‘The Last Battle.’
Possibly the most famous tome in the set (and the one more normally adapted) is ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’
Then there’s Jadis, she’s a nasty sort known for freezing Narnia in an endless winter (where Christmas never comes –– boo! hiss!) and turning her enemies into statues. She’s the main antagonist of both ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ and ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ And in ‘Nephew,’ the young central characters accidentally unleash the dangerous sorceress upon early 20th century London.
What’s the story of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie?
‘Barbie’ Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends a Photo Call at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Photo Credit: Caroline McCredie Photography.
Gerwig’s movie will adapt the sixth novel in the ‘Narnia’ series, the aforementioned ‘The Magician’s Nephew,’ which chronologically takes place first in the series. The novel tells the origin of Narnia and is centered on youngsters Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who discover the magical world through Digory’s uncle’s magic.
Daniel Craig has been in talks to play Uncle Andrew, while Charli XCX had been linked to potentially playing Jadis –– the role that Emma Mackey has since landed.
Mulligan will play the very sick mother of Digory, while Meryl Streep is on board to voice Aslan, the heroic, magical lion of the books.
If Gerwig’s first ‘Narnia’ movie is a success, she may end up adapting the others.
The biggest development for the movie before casting started was that Gerwig had managed to swing an exclusive two-week Imax global run in 90 countries across 1,000 auditoriums in advance of the movie’s drop on Netflix.
That’s pretty much unheard of in terms of Netflix releases, which has been loathed to give even its biggest talents more than a cursory theatrical release, mostly preferring to drive subscribers to its servers. So it’s a big vote of confidence in the writer/director (but then, again, when you’ve made a billion-dollar hit like ‘Barbie,’ you can make other things happen.)
Mulligan has enjoyed a successful career on screens big and small, following her one-two punch of a BBC series based on of Charles Dickens’ ‘Bleak House’ and Jane Austen movie adaptation of ‘Pride & Prejudice.’
Mulligan has also enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with filmmaker Emerald Fennell since starring in ‘Promising Young Woman,’ popping up in a memorable role in the director’s ‘Saltburn.’
Coming up, she has animated adventure ‘Wildwood’ and a key role in the second season of Netflix comedy drama series ‘Beef.’
And further ahead, in more of a developmental state, is war drama ‘On the Other Side’ and ‘An Uncivil War,’ in which Mulligan would play journalist and social activist Gloria Steinem.
When will Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie be on screens?
Narnia will release in Imax on Thanksgiving Day 2026, so November 26th and debut on Netflix on Christmas Day 2026.
(L to R) Tilda Swinton and Skandar Keynes in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ Franchise:
(Left) Emma Mackey in season 1 of ‘Sex Education’. Photo: Jon Hall/Netflix. (Right) Tilda Swinton as the White Witch in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Preview:
Emma Mackey will be Jadis, ‘Narnia’s White Witch.
Greta Gerwig is directing the movie.
The movie has scored a rare theatrical release from Netflix for 2026.
Like the titular kingdom itself, details on the ‘Narnia’ movie planned by Greta Gerwig are slowly starting to drip out, as the information freeze begins to thaw.
It’s the first properly confirmed –– if not officially announced yet –– piece of casting, but there have been plenty of rumors in the past; the likes of Natalie Portman, Daisy Ridley, Brie Larson, and Selena Gomez have all shown interest in Gerwig’s project, and the director talked to recent ‘Anora’ Oscar winner Mikey Madison about a role.
2005’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
In case the various film and TV adaptations have passed you by (the TV series was largely on the BBC in the UK, but the movies were big fantasy productions by 20th Century Fox in an era when studios were looking to capitalize on the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’), the ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ is a series of seven books by British author C.S. Lewis.
Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals.
It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the Narnian world. Except in ‘The Horse and His Boy,’ the protagonists are all children from the real world who are magically transported to Narnia, where they are sometimes called upon by Aslan to protect Narnia from evil. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ to its eventual destruction in ‘The Last Battle.’
Possibly the most famous tome in the set (and the one more normally adapted) is ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’
As for Jadis, she’s a nasty sort known for freezing Narnia in an endless winter (where Christmas never comes –– boo! hiss! etc.), and turning her enemies into statues. She’s the main antagonist of both ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ and ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.’
What’s the story of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie?
‘Barbie’ Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends a Photo Call at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Photo Credit: Caroline McCredie Photography.
Gerwig’s movie will adapt the sixth novel in the ‘Narnia’ series, the aforementioned ‘The Magician’s Nephew,’ which chronologically takes place first in the series. The novel tells the origin of Narnia and is centered on youngsters Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who discover the magical world through Digory’s uncle’s magic.
If Gerwig’s first ‘Narnia’ movie is a success, she may end up adapting the others.
The biggest development for the movie before casting started was that Gerwig had managed to swing an exclusive two-week Imax global run in 90 countries across 1,000 auditoriums in advance of the movie’s drop on Netflix.
That’s pretty much unheard of in terms of Netflix releases, which has been loathed to give even its biggest talents more than a cursory theatrical release, mostly preferring to drive subscribers to its servers. So it’s a big vote of confidence in the writer/director (but then, again, when you’ve made ‘Barbie,’ it buys you some clout.)
Where else have we seen Emma Mackey?
Emma Mackey in season 1 of ‘Sex Education’. Photo: Jon Hall/Netflix.
Mackey, as mentioned before, broke out big playing Maeve Wiley in ‘Sex Education,’ which was a big hit on Netflix and ran between 2019 and 2023.
Since then, she’s exploded into the movie sphere, with the likes of ‘Death on the Nile’ and Emily.
But perhaps most pertinent to this latest job is her role as one of the Barbies in Gerwig’s 2023 smash hit named for the doll.
Coming up, Mackey has indie dramas ‘Hot Milk’ and ‘Alpha’ and will also be seen in James L. Brooks’ new political comedy ‘Ella McCay,’ playing the title character.
(Left) Meryl Streep at the 90th Academy Awards. Photo: Ross Costanza Photography. (Right) Aslan from 2005’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
Preview:
Meryl Streep is reportedly in talks to voice Aslan for the new ‘Narnia’ movie.
Greta Gerwig is directing the first of potentially two movies.
Daniel Craig and singer Charli XCX have been rumored for the cast.
When you make ‘Barbie,’ a movie that is as financially successful, award-rewarded and zeitgeisty enough to both dominate the pop cultural consciousness and spawn a portmanteau name with a wildly different film (that would be “Barbenheimer, with fellow summer 2023 release ‘Oppenheimer’), you can, at least as far as the studio system allows, make what you want.
So it has proved with writer/director Greta Gerwig, who decided that she’d parlay her ‘Barbie’ triumph into pushing forward with the two ‘Narnia’ movies that she’d agreed to make for Netflix even before ‘Barbie’ was a thing, with the streaming service having announced plans in 2018 to adapt C.S. Lewis’ fantasy tomes ‘The Chronicles of Narnia.’
Her first (more details below) has now clearly reached the casting stage, and according to Nexus Point News (with confirmation arriving via Deadline) no lesser actor than Meryl Streep is in talks to play Aslan the Great.
Aslan is the lion character (usually male, but who wouldn’t want Streep to take it on?) who acts as a wise guide to the human characters, and famously at one point sacrifices their life for the good of Narnia (not least because the entire saga is a honking great Christian metaphor, with Aslan essentially a furry Jesus).
Deadline cautions that Streep’s negotiations have yet to reach the offer stage, so she may not end up in the role.
But she joins a list of rumored actors that grows more eclectic and interesting by the day. While the likes of Natalie Portman, Daisy Ridley, Brie Larson, and Selena Gomez have all shown interest in Gerwig’s project, and the director talked to recent ‘Anora’ Oscar winner Mikey Madison about a role, the closest pair discussed so far have been Daniel Craig and singer Charli XCX.
Nothing is set in stone (table –– little in-joke for the Narnimaniacs) yet, but it certainly appears to be moving along.
What are the ‘Narnia’ novels?
2005’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
In case the various film and TV adaptations have passed you by (the TV series was largely on the BBC in the UK, but the movies were big fantasy productions by 20th Century Fox in an era when studios were looking to capitalize on the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’), the ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ is a series of seven books by British author Lewis.
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Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals.
It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the Narnian world. Except in ‘The Horse and His Boy,’ the protagonists are all children from the real world who are magically transported to Narnia, where they are sometimes called upon by Aslan to protect Narnia from evil. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ to its eventual destruction in ‘The Last Battle.’
What’s the story of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie?
‘Barbie’ Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends a Photo Call at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Photo Credit: Caroline McCredie Photography.
According to Nexus Point News, Gerwig’s movie will adapt the sixth novel in the ‘Narnia’ series, the aforementioned ‘The Magician’s Nephew,’ which chronologically takes place first in the series. The novel tells the origin of Narnia and is centered on youngsters Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who discover the magical world through Digory’s uncle’s magic.
Craig, per Deadline, has been in talks to play Uncle Andrew, while Charli XCX has been linked to potentially playing antagonist Jadis, The White Witch.
The biggest development for the movie before casting started was that Gerwig had managed to swing an exclusive two-week Imax global run in 90 countries across 1,000 auditoriums in advance of the movie’s drop on Netflix.
That’s pretty much unheard of in terms of Netflix releases, which has been loathed to give even its biggest talents more than a cursory theatrical release, mostly preferring to drive subscribers to its servers. So it’s a big vote of confidence in the writer/director (but then, again, when you’ve made ‘Barbie,’ it buys you some clout.)
So, when will Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie be on screens?
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
Narnia will release in Imax on Thanksgiving Day 2026, so November 26th and debut on Netflix on Christmas Day 2026.
In its current slot, it’ll follow another popular book adaptation, this time the latest prequel to Suzanne Collins ‘Hunger Games’ series, ‘Sunshine on the Reaping,’ due on November 20th that year. Around the same time is an untitled Warner Bros. movie and the usual Thanksgiving release for a Disney animated title, which lands on November 25th.
Let the battle for screens commence!
(L to R) Tilda Swinton and Skandar Keynes in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ Franchise:
Colin Farrell is circling the lead in ‘Sgt. Rock.’
Luca Guadagnino is attached to direct the movie for DC Studios.
Daniel Craig was previously considering the idea.
It looks like it’s all change in the ranks for ‘Sgt. Rock,’ though depending on who you believe, not such a big change.
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While word arrived back in November that Daniel Craig was looking to reunite with his ‘Queer’ director Luca Guadagnino for a very different project –– the adaptation of the militaristic DC Comics title –– there have been conflicting reports of how far Craig got in the process.
DC Studios co-chief James Gunn, for example, shot down the idea that the actor was actively in consideration, merely that he was floated as a potential lead.
Here’s what Gunn and co-president Peter Safran said recently:
“You know, we never met with Daniel. We never really even announced ‘Sgt. Rock.’ ”
Still, it would appear that the process of finding a main man for the ‘Rock’ role has been ongoing no matter what the DC bosses say, and Deadline reports that Colin Farrell is now circling the part.
Farrell, of course, is fresh off of winning a clutch of awards for another DC-related project, the TV spin-off of ‘The Batman’ called ‘The Penguin,’ focused on the criminal character.
According to Deadline’s sources, he’s looking to board ‘Sgt. Rock’ but will first have to figure out his busy schedule (more on that below).
Created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert, the character first debuted in the 1959 DC issue ‘Our Army at War’ as a WWII soldier who served in the infantry. The character gained steam in 1977 when he received his own comic book series; it ran until July 1988.
Rock’s talent includes shooting down German fighter planes with a single submachine gun and tossing grenades with great accuracy. When he’s without a gun, he’s a great street fighter, and can survive gunshots. He’s a calm guy with heart, but also has a “combat antenna” able to detect an incoming enemy siege. There was also a toy series in the 1980s for Sgt. Rock around the time G.I. Joe was soaring in comic books and on TV.
Who else is working on ‘Sgt. Rock’?
Director Luca Guadagnino attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Challengers’ at Regency Village Theatre on April 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios.
Though Craig is not reuniting with Guadagnino for this new project, the director has recruited someone he’s worked with before: screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes. Which, given that he collaborated with the director on both tennis love triangle drama ‘Challengers’ and the Craig-starring William S. Boroughs ‘Queer’ suggests this is coming together quickly.
And the prolific director has been busy –– he already has Amazon MGM Studios’ Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield thriller ‘After the Hunt’ making its way through post-production release later this year on October 10th.
What else is Colin Farrell working on?
Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobb in Max’s ‘The Penguin.’ Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.
Farrell, is, of course, an actor in demand, and he has a few projects lined up in the coming months.
He’ll be filming the second season of twisty Apple TV+ drama ‘Sugar’ this year.
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Plus, assuming he’s ready to put himself back into the prosthetics for the character –– something he’s said he definitely needs time away from –– Farrell may well be preparing for a new season of ‘The Penguin.’ There’s also the chance he’ll be back in for ‘The Batman’ sequel.
The story for that one follows a high-stakes gambler who decides to lay low in Macau after his past and debts catch up with him. Along the way he encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.
Production Asia occurred last summer, with Rowan Joffe adapting the script based on the novel by Lawrence Osborne.
Beyond that, the picture is murkier despite a big confident announcement from Gunn and Safran. A movie based on Batman villain Clayface is in development and recently landed ‘Speak No Evil’ director James Watkins to call the shots.
Batman himself is likely to return in ‘The Brave and the Bold,’ but that has experienced some scripting and director delay issues.
On the small screen, things are healthier, with the likes of the animated ‘Creature Commandos’ already out and a new season of ‘Peacemaker’ on the way. We also know that ‘Green Lantern’-based series ‘Lanterns’ is now filming.
When will ‘Sgt. Rock’ be on screens?
With no official commitment to the movie yet, there is zero information about a release date for the movie at this time.
James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are ceding some control of the character.
Amazon MGM Studios will have more of a say on future plans.
The producers will still have some input going forward, but not what they had before.
In his decades-long cinematic career (and before that, in the pages of author Ian Fleming’s books), James Bond has battled powerful villains, saved the world and gotten out of many a sticky situation using a combination of charm, wits, weaponry, gadgetry, or some combination of them all.
But now it would appear that the world’s greatest secret agent –– even if he can’t seem to stop introducing himself by name to all and sundry –– has come across something even he can’t defeat: the ever-IP-hungry behemoth that is Amazon and, to some degree, the modern world, which makes his brand increasingly difficult to figure out.
In a shocking turn of events, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the longtime stalwart step-sibling powerhouse producers behind the last couple of decades of Bond films, are relinquishing control of the franchise and handing more creative decision-making to Amazon MGM studios.
It’s perhaps not as surprising as it might sound, though: In 2022, Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion, acquiring a vast catalog with more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows alongside the rights to distribute all of the James Bond films and to develop spin-offs (such as the frankly less-than thrilling reality competition show ‘007: Road to a Million,’ which saw Bond fans answering trivia questions –– posed by Brian Cox, no less –– in search of cash prizes).
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But a key part of that deal was that the producers kept creative control of the character, deciding on who would play the main role, hiring directors and other key choices, while stopping ideas they didn’t approve of.
Yet it has seemed as though the pair were in something of a creative downbeat following the departure of Daniel Craig as Bond, with the character killed off in 2021’s ‘No Time to Die’ and little sign of forward movement.
“I go back to ‘GoldenEye’ when everyone was saying ‘the cold war is over, the wall is over, Bond is dead, no need for Bond, the whole world’s at peace and now there’s no villains’ –– and boy was that wrong! Daniel gave us the ability to mine the emotional life of the character… and also the world was ready for it.”
And her comments on where they are with the next phase of the franchise from 2023:
“I think these movies reflect the time they are in, and there’s a big, big road ahead reinventing it for the next chapter, and we haven’t even begun with that. Our focus is making the feature films. When we get going on a Bond movie it takes our full attention for three or four years so that’s our focus. We make the Bond movies for the big theatrical screen and everything about the Bond movies is for audiences to see around the world on that format, so we’ve not wanted to do television.”
That seems likely to change going forward, as Amazon would clearly like to exploit new avenues.
As per details of the historic new agreement, Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights. The three parties will remain co-owners of the iconic franchise but Amazon MGM will have creative control.
Here’s Amazon MGM’s statement on the new deal from Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios:
“Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment. We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide. We are honored to continue this treasured heritage and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.”
This was Wilson’s comment:
“With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
And finally, most crucially, Barbara Broccoli:
“My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of ‘No Time to Die’ and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”
Broccoli and Wilson stepping back is perhaps less of a surprise these days since she in particular has expressed frustration with the Amazon deal. And this way, the duo will have some small say in the future, but also enjoy what is surely a healthy payday.
Bond: The Future?
James Bond (Daniel Craig) prepares to shoot in ‘No Time To Die,’ a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film.
While Amazon might say as much as possible about respecting the franchise (and certainly has a powerhouse team in place to spur development), fans will naturally worry that there will be a multitude of spin-offs to dilute the idea of Bond.
Bond, as a character, though, will always be compelling, especially as the Craig era proved you can evolve it to fit the changing times.
Still, can ‘M:I6 Babies’ be too far off?
(L to R) James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) drive through Matera, Italy in ‘No Time To Die,’
