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Tag: justin-lin

CinemaCon 2026: Sony Pictures Presentation
(L to R) Kevin Hart, .Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black at the photo call for ‘Jumanji: Open World’ at CinemaCon 2026 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.

Preview
- Sony has made its big presentation to the 2026 CinemaCon crowd.
- ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ and ‘Resident Evil’ were among the big titles talked up.
- We also got a new look at ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ and ‘The Social Reckoning’.
While not exactly the first studio to present at this year’s CinemaCon event in Las Vegas (that honor went to a collection of smaller outfits such as StudioCanal and Angel), Sony was the first of the major legacy companies to tout its wears, including a new ‘Insidious’ entry and ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day.’
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Among the other movies to get new looks? Nate Bargatze’s family comedy ‘The Breadwinner’ and a mysterious new movie called Grandgear being developed by ‘Godzilla Minus One’ director Takashi Yamazaki, and produced by J.J. Abrams.

There was also an appearance by Justin Lin, who is about to head off to New Zealand to shoot an adaptation of video game title ‘Helldivers’ starring Jason Momoa, which will be out next year.

Related Article: Tom Holland Injury Forces Pause of the ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Shoot

Let’s run down the big hitters, shall we?

‘The Breadwinner’

(L to R) Mandy Moore and Nate Bargatze at a Presentation for ‘The Breadwinner’ at CinemaCon 2026 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.

Comedian Nate Bargatze kicked off the presentation proper with footage from his comedy movie, which sees a suburban couple switch parenting roles when the wife (played by Mandy Moore), scores a deal on ‘Shark Tank’. Bargatze was naturally funny introducing the film, but also promised to keep selling tickets to keep the exhibitors happy.
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‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

(L to R) Spider-Man and Boomerang in Columbia Pictures ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’. Copyright: ©2026 CTMG. All Rights Reserved. Photo By Sony Pictures.

The promotional push for the latest Spider-outing has been strangely muted given the success of ‘No Way Home’, and the CinemaCon presentation was much the same –– Tom Holland was there in video form and we got a look at a scene from the film, which the studio is describing as the most emotional and grown up of the franchise so far.
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‘Insidious: Out of the Further’

‘Insidious: Out of the Further’ trailer shot. Photo: Sony.

Directed by Jacob Chase, the latest ‘Insidious’ follows a young woman (played by Amelia Eve) who discovers that not only can she venture into the shadowy supernatural realm known as “the further”, she can also bring what lives there back to the real world. Yeah, that won’t lead to problems at all…
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‘Resident Evil’

Zach Cregger at a Presentation for ‘Resident Evil’ at CinemaCon 2026 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.

With ‘Weapons’ hitting big last year, there is naturally plenty of anticipation for Zach Cregger’s next movie. He’s been at work on a new take on video game franchise ‘Resident Evil’, and we got a quick look at it, which appears suitably atmospheric.
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‘The Social Reckoning’

Aaron Sorkin at a Presentation for ‘The Social Reckoning’ at CinemaCon 2026 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.

Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to Facebook-focused controversial origin chronicle ‘The Social Network’ sees him taking the director’s chair. We saw a scene from the movie, which explores a whistleblower putting the company’s secrets at risk.
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‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’

(L to R) Justin K. Thompson, Christopher Miller, Bob Persichetti and Phil Lord at a Presentation for ‘SPider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse’ at CinemaCon 2026 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.

Despite all the delays, anticipation remains high for the third entry in the animated Spidey movie series. Early footage was shown from the movie, which finds Miles Morales desperately trying to protect his family as he’s hunted across the farthest reaches of the multiverse. It looks amazing, but we’ll still have to wait until June next year to see it.

A scene from ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’. Photo: Sony Pictures.
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‘Jumanji: Open World’

(L to R) Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart at a Presentation for ‘Jumanji: Open World’ at CinemaCon 2026 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.

Sony wrapped up its CinemaCon 2026 show with a bang, bringing out Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Kevin Hart to talk up the new entry, with the game expanding into the real world (much like the 1990s original).

A sneak peek included some typically wild footage from what the team is calling “the biggest of the franchise so far.”
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‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ opens in theaters on July 31st.
April 13, 2026
Jason Momoa to star in ‘Helldivers’ for Sony
Jason Momoa arriving for the Amazon Upfront on May 13th, 2025. Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Amazon.

Preview:
- Jason Momoa will lead the cast of a ‘Helldivers’ adaptation.
- It’ll bring the PlayStation game series to screens.
- Justin Lin is on board to direct.
Having appeared in one of the biggest box office hits of 2025 thanks to ‘A Minecraft Movie’ –– which was adapted from a video game title –– Jason Momoa is hoping to repeat the trick with a new movie based on video gaming, this time PlayStation favorite ‘Helldivers.’
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Justin Lin, who knows a thing or two about action after working on several ‘Fast & Furious’ movies, is in the director’s chair.

Related Article: Jason Momoa, Noah Centineo & Andrew Koji in Talks For ‘Street Fighter’

What’s the story of ‘Helldivers’?

Jason Momoa star in ‘The Wrecking Crew’. Credit: Courtesy of Prime. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

While the movie’s storyline has yet to be confirmed, the basic story of the game (released in 2015 by Arrowhead Game Studios), sees an elite unit of soldiers — known as Helldivers — who battle alien creatures that are threatening to destroy the fictional planet of Super Earth.

A follow-up game landed in 2024.

When will the ‘Helldivers’ movie be on screens?

While backers Sony are clearly upbeat about this one, there is no release date on the books yet.

Jason Momoa as Garrett in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Movies Similar to ‘Helldivers’:
- ‘Super Mario Bros.’ (1993)
- ‘Resident Evil‘ (2002)
- ‘Doom‘ (2005)
- ‘Hitman‘ (2007)
- ‘Max Payne‘ (2008)
- ‘The Lego Movie‘ (2014)
- ‘Need for Speed‘ (2014)
- ‘Warcraft‘ (2016)
- ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part‘ (2019)
- ‘Sonic the Hedgehog‘ (2020)
- ‘Mortal Kombat‘ (2021)
- ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘ (2022)
- ‘Uncharted‘ (2022)
- ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves‘ (2023)
- ‘Tetris‘ (2023)
- ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘ (2023)
- ‘Gran Turismo‘ (2023)
- ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s‘ (2023)
- ‘A Minecraft Movie’ (2025)
Buy Jason Momoa Movies on Amazon
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February 20, 2026
Sydney Sweeney to Star in ‘That Man from Rio’
(Left) Sydney Sweeney at the 77TH EMMY® AWARDS, broadcasting live to both coasts from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, Sunday, Sept. 14, (8:00-11:00 PM, LIVE ET/5:00-8:00 PM, LIVE PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+.Photo: Francis Specker/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Right) Director Justin Lin on the set of ‘Fast Five.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

Preview:
- Sydney Sweeney is attached to ‘That Man from Rio.’
- It’ll remake a 1964 French movie.
- Justin Lin is aboard to direct.
Looks like Apple wants to stay in the Sydney Sweeney business following this year’s thriller ‘Echo Valley’.

The company’s Apple Original Films is hammering out a deal for Sweeney to star in a new take on 1964 French adventure comedy ‘That Man from Rio,’ which is now in development.
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And in addition to Sweeney, Deadline reports that ‘Fast & Furious 6’ director Justin Lin is in talks to call the shots on the new movie, which has a script from Chase Palmer (‘It’).

Related Article: First Images of Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried in ‘The Housemaid’

What was the story of ‘That Man from Rio’?

Sydney Sweeney stars in ‘Eden’. Photo: Vertical.

The original movie starred Jean-Paul Belmondo and Françoise Dorléac, and follows a young private on military leave who comes to the rescue of his girlfriend, who’s been abducted by thieves and brought to Rio de Janeiro.

An extravagant adventure ensues, and the movie plus its main character served as inspiration to many directors who grew up in the era including Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, who would later credit it as one of the inspirations for the Indiana Jones character.

What else is Sydney Sweeney working on?

Sydney Sweeney as Millie Calloway in ‘The Housemaid’. Photo: Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate.

Sweeney’s current schedule is as packed as anyone’s in Hollywood.

She has shot the Lionsgate adaptation of the novel ‘The Housemaid,’ which has Paul Feig in the director’s chair (due in December) and a biopic of real-life boxer Christy Martin, with Sweeney in the lead role (in theaters next month) .

Still to come is a starring role in Colman Domingo’s film ‘Scandalous!,’ which will see her playing Kim Novak in the story of the actor’s controversial relationship with Sammy Davis Jr. (played by ‘Alien: Romulus’ David Jonsson).

She’ll also be back on small screens when HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ finally returns next year.

And that’s not including all the potential projects, such as a ‘Gundam’ movie and adaptations of video games such as ‘Split Fiction’ and ‘OutRun.’

When will ‘That Man from Rio’ be on screens?

It’s still too early to predict when the remake might arrive, assuming it even makes it through the thorny wilds of development (and Sweeney has time for it on her busy schedule).

(L to R) Sydney Sweeney and director David Michôd in ‘Christy’. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.

Sydney Sweeney Movies and TV Shows:
- ‘ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction‘ (2010)
- ‘The Ward‘ (2011)
- ‘Angels in Stardust‘ (2014)
- ‘The Martial Arts Kid‘ (2015)
- ‘The Handmaid’s Tale‘ (2017 – 2022)
- ‘Along Came the Devil‘ (2018)
- ‘Everything Sucks!‘ (2018)
- ‘Sharp Objects‘ (2018)
- ‘Under the Silver Lake‘ (2019)
- ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood‘ (2019)
- ‘Euphoria‘ (2019 – 2022)
- ‘Big Time Adolescence‘ (2020)
- ‘Clementine‘ (2020)
- ‘Nocturne‘ (2020)
- ‘The Voyeurs‘ (2021)
- ‘Night Teeth‘ (2021)
- ‘The White Lotus‘ (2021 – 2022)
- ‘Reality‘ (2023)
- ‘Americana‘ (2023)
- ‘Anyone But You‘ (2023)
- ‘Madame Web‘ (2024)
- ‘Immaculate‘ (2024)
Buy Sydney Sweeney Movies on Amazon
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October 30, 2025
Justin Lin Directing Keanu Reeves in ‘BRZRKR’
(Left) Director Justin Lin on the set of ‘Fast Five.’ Photo: Universal Pictures. (Right) Keanu Reeves in the Roku Channel docuseries ‘Visionaries’. Photo: Roku Channel.

Preview:
- Justin Lin is aboard the ‘BRZRKR’ movie.
- Keanu Reeves is starring as a character from the comic he created.
- ‘Mother/Android’s Mattson Tomlin wrote the script.
Back in 2021, Keanu Reeves –– no stranger to action on screen thanks to the ‘Matrix’ and ‘John Wick’ movie series –– added another creative string to his bow via comic book title ‘BRZRKR,’ which debuted in 2021 via Boom! Studios.
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Partly funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign, the comic features an extremely powerful character –– who most certainly looks like his creator –– battling his way through enemies while also contemplating the end of his own immortal existence.

Reeves had always intended to adapt the comic book into movies and beyond, and the big screen version took a big step forward as The Hollywood Reporter brings word that ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise filmmaking veteran Justin Lin is on board to direct.

Related Article: Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger Talk Roku Docuseries ‘Visionaries’

What’s the story of ‘BRZRKR’?

BRZRKR comics. Photo: Boom! Studios.

The official synopsis of the Boom! title describes it as a “brutally epic saga about an immortal warrior’s 80,000 year fight through the ages. The man known only as ‘B’ is half-mortal and half-god, cursed and compelled to violence, even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the earth for centuries, B may have finally found a refuge — working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, B will be granted the one thing he desires — the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence… and how to end it.”

Reeves came up with the concept and the story, and developed it with artist Ron Garney and Eisner-nominated comics author Matt Kindt, who has previously written titles for Marvel, DC and Valiant and who was behind the creator-owned comic ‘Mind MGMT.’

The first issue remains one of the best-selling comics of the last decade, selling over 600,000 copies. The title itself has sold over 3.5 million worldwide, including all collected issues and specials.

In 2024, a spin-off novel titled ‘The Book of Elsewhere,’ written by China Miéville and Reeves, became a New York Times best-seller after being published by Del Rey, the imprint from Penguin Random House, the publisher that also owns Boom!

Here’s what Reeves told a San Diego Comic-Con crowd about his idea back in 2022:

“I had this idea — I wanted a character to punch people through their chest and rip their arms off. And the idea of someone who was cursed with violence and trying to figure out who they are and how they came to be and kind of reclaiming their humanity.

And he also talked up both his comics fandom and his elation at seeing his creation in print:

“I was that kid coming back with bags of comic books, and it was always a good day. I was like, ‘I’m kind of an adult, and this is the best f****** Christmas I’ve ever f****** had.’”

Mattson Tomlin, who wrote the likes of ‘Project Power’ and ‘Little Fish’ and both scripted and directed ‘Mother/Android,’ is aboard to handle the ‘BRZRKR’ screenplay.

He’s recently been busy co-writing ‘The Batman 2’ with Matt Reeves.

What else is happening with ‘BRZRKR’?

BRZRKR comics. Photo: Boom! Studios.

In addition to the movie, Tomlin has also been involved with an anime take on the title, which will expand and explore different elements of the title.

Reeves is naturally involved, and will voice the main character.

There will also be plenty of merchandise headed our way via IMG.

What else is Justin Lin working on?

(L to R) Karl Urban and Zachary Quinto in ‘Star Trek Beyond’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

News of Lin tackling the ‘BRZRKR’ movie comes as he’s just had some help from Reeves with his own latest project.

Having worked for a few years in the blockbuster sphere on several ‘Fast’ movies and ‘Star Trek Beyond,’ while also handling episodes of ‘True Detective’ and the pilot of the ‘Magnum P.I.’ reboot, Lin decided to return to his indie roots for a new film called ‘Last Days’ about the tragic story of missionary John Allen Chau, who was killed by a tribe living on an island in the Indian Ocean.

He was in pre-production on the movie when the financing fell through, but then the day was saved by a particular “angel investor” who offered their own money: one K. Reeves.

Here’s what Lin told Collider about the movie’s issues and Reeves stepping in to help:

“For a year, we thought we had our financing, and I met some people, and it turned out not to be true. It’s one of those darkest moments where I felt like, ‘I tried my best. We tried.’ I felt really bad because (actor) Sky Yang was already prepping, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I think that’s it…’ Then Keanu called out of the blue, and he’s like, ‘I heard you’re having some problems. I want to help.’ It was so inspirational.”

The movie premiered at Sundance this year, but has yet to confirm a release date.

Lin is also attached to direct ‘Two For the Money,’ a heist thriller that has Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig attached and that is set up at Apple.

When will the ‘BRZRKR’ movie hit our screens?

Netflix, which has the rights to both the movie and is backing the anime spin-off, has yet to formally announce a launch date.

But given the company, we’d likely expect to see this one hit its servers rather than having a big theatrical release. Don’t expect to see it much before 2026, either.

(L to R) Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reeves in the Roku Channel docuseries ‘Visionaries’. Photo: Roku Channel.

List of Keanu Reeves Movies and TV Shows:
- ‘River’s Edge‘ (1987)
- ‘Dangerous Liaisons‘ (1989)
- ‘Parenthood‘ (1989)
- ‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure‘ (1989)
- ‘Point Break‘ (1991)
- ‘Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey‘ (1991)
- ‘My Own Private Idaho‘ (1991)
- ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula‘ (1992)
- ‘Speed‘ (1994)
- ‘The Devil’s Advocate‘ (1997)
- ‘The Matrix‘ (1999)
- ‘The Replacements‘ (2000)
- ‘The Matrix Reloaded‘ (2003)
- ‘The Matrix Revolutions‘ (2003)
- ‘Something’s Gotta Give‘ (2003)
- ‘Constantine‘ (2005)
- ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still‘ (2008)
- ‘Man of Tai Chi‘ (2013)
- ‘47 Ronin‘ (2013)
- ‘John Wick‘ (2014)
- ‘Knock Knock‘ (2015)
- ‘The Neon Demon‘ (2016)
- ‘John Wick: Chapter 2‘ (2017)
- ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum‘ (2019)
- ‘Always Be My Maybe‘ (2019)
- ‘Toy Story 4‘ (2019)
- ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music‘ (2020)
- ‘The Matrix Resurrections‘ (2021)
- ‘DC League of Super-Pets‘ (2022)
- ‘John Wick: Chapter 4‘ (2023)
- ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘ (2024)
- ‘Visionaries‘ (2025)
Buy Keanu Reeves Movies On Amazon
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March 10, 2025
Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig to Star in ‘Two for the Money’
(Left) Charlize Theron in 2017’s ‘Atomic Blonde.’ (Right) Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc on the set of ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’ Photo: Courtesy of John Wilson/Netflix © 2022.

Preview:
- Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig are on for new heist pic ‘Two for the Money’.
- ‘Fast & Furious’ veteran director Justin Lin is making the movie.
- Apple has landed the rights to the new project.
It’s clearly the week for big star projects to start looking for homes. We already have Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale aboard a spy story, and now comes word that Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig are aboard heist thriller ‘Two for the Money’.

And the genesis for this one comes from an unlikely place: ‘Fast X’. Because it was an idea that writer/director Justin Lin hatched with his co-writer on the movie, Dan Mazeau.

Theron, who returned as the villainous Cipher for the film, liked the concept and pitched that Craig should co-star.

Lin, of course, left ‘Fast X’ after roughly a week’s shooting, citing creative differences. Which means he’s had time to focus on getting this one ready.

Related Article: Director Justin Lin Departs ‘Fast X’ Shortly After Filming Begins

What’s the story of ‘Two for the Money’?

(L to R) Vin Diesel and director Justin Lin on the set of ‘Fast Five.’

According to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news, the plot is being kept in a vault. But the story reportedly follows the evolution of a relationship between two career thieves, to be played by Theron and Craig, over the course of three big jobs.

Theron was apparently impressed by the snappy dialogue between the two main characters, which invoked feelings of classic romantic comedies such as ‘His Girl Friday’.

Which company has bought the new movie?

(L to R) Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.

Apple secured the rights for this one, representing the company continuing its mission to land big projects following the likes of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and ‘Napoleon’, which have both been in theaters and are in the awards race.

It’ll follow that with Matthew Vaughn’s new spy action thriller ‘Argylle’ and an untitled Formula 1 racing movie that is in production now starring Brad Pitt, with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski directing.

What’s next for the cast and crew?

Charlize Theron leads a band of seemingly immortal soldiers in the Netflix Original ‘The Old Guard.’

Theron will be back as her long-lived warrior character for ‘The Old Guard 2’, due out on Netflix in 2024, and has a variety of projects she’s working on as a producer.

Craig, last seen in Rian Johnson’s ‘Glass Onion’, is starring in Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ novel ‘Queer’ and will reunite with Johnson for his next mystery film, returning as quirky sleuth Benoit Blanc.

Mazeau, meanwhile, wrote upcoming Netflix fantasy adventure ‘Damsel’, which has Millie Bobby Brown starring as a princess who must battle a dragon.

When will ‘Two for the Money’ be on screens?

Apple has yet to decide on a release strategy for the new movie, which doesn’t yet have a date to kick off shooting.

James Bond (Daniel Craig) prepares to shoot in ‘No Time To Die,’ a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. Credit: Nicola Dove. © 2019 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Other Justin Lin Movies:
- ‘Shopping for Fangs‘ (1998)
- ‘Better Luck Tomorrow‘ (2002)
- ‘Annapolis‘ (2006)
- ‘The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift‘ (2006)
- ‘Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee‘ (2007)
- ‘Fast & Furious‘ (2009)
- ‘Fast Five‘ (2011)
- ‘Fast & Furious 6‘ (2013)
- ‘Star Trek Beyond‘ (2016)
- ‘F9‘ (2021)
Buy Charlize Theron Movies on Amazon

Buy Daniel Craig Movies on Amazon
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December 14, 2023
Simu Liu Starring in ‘Seven Wonders’

Simu Liu in Marvel Studios’ ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021.

Simu Liu has come a long way from his days as a model in stock photos. Since hitting a level of stardom in Canada and beyond in sitcom ‘Kim’s Convenience’, he then took his career to the next level by landing the lead role in Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’.

And he isn’t sitting idly by waiting for the call to go and work on another Marvel movie. He’s been landing roles left right and center and is now looking to get into producing with a new Prime Video series called ‘Seven Wonders’.

Ben Mezrich wrote the novel that the series will be based on, and ‘Seven Wonders’ follows Dr. Nate Grady (Liu), a brilliant botanist-adventurer who teams up with the slippery international fixer Sloane Seydoux on a breathless race to solve an ancient mystery tied to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

It all sounds a little like ‘Indiana Jones’ crossed with ‘The Da Vinci Code’ to us, which could be a fun combination.

Producer Beau Flynn, who has worked on movies such as ‘San Andreas’, ‘Rampage’ and this week’s ‘Black Adam’ (he regularly collaborates with Dwayne Johnson), helped develop the book into a series pitch that Amazon quickly snapped up for its Prime Video service. Flynn will produce the show through his Flynn Picture Company outfit.

Justin Lin, who for years made entries in the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise (until unexpectedly driving away from it during production of the latest outing this past April), is on board as another executive producer via his Perfect Storm Entertainment company. Lin is also going to direct the series, adding to a resume that also includes ‘Star Trek Beyond’ and ‘Better Luck Tomorrow’.

(L to R) Vin Diesel and director Justin Lin on the set of ‘Fast Five.’

He also has extensive experience in TV, having helped guide the likes of ‘S.W.A.T.’ and ‘Magnum PI’ to small screens, directing both shows’ pilots.

Adam Cozad, the screenwriter behind ‘The Legend of Tarzan’ and ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ is leading the writing team for the new series. He’s also recently had TV experience thanks to working on Jeff Bridges action drama show ‘The Old Man’.

As for Liu, he’ll be seen opposite Mark Wahlberg in adventure drama ‘Arthur the King’ and has a role in romantic comedy drama ‘One True Loves’.

In the higher profile category, he has an unknown role in the Margot Robbie-starring, Greta Gerwig-directed ‘Barbie’ (potentially as one of the versions of Ken, as the film appears to have the concept of multiple Barbies and Kens).

And on the Marvel front, ‘Shang-Chi’ director Destine Daniel Cretton is developing a sequel to that movie and recently landed the job of making ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ and we’d be surprised if Liu’s character didn’t turn up in at least that Avengers movie, and possibly ‘Secret Wars’, which will follow it a year later.

(L to R) Katy (Awkwafina) and Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) in Marvel Studios’ ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021.

October 20, 2022
Justin Lin Directing ‘One Punch Man’ Adaptation

(L to R) Vin Diesel and director Justin Lin on the set of ‘Fast Five.’

There was surprise and consternation back at the end of April when Justin Lin, who had steered many of the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise’s most successful entries, abruptly departed the latest, ‘Fast X’, weeks into production.

Citing creative differences between himself, the studio and star Vin Diesel (but saying that he remains a producer on the movie), Lin stepped away, to be replaced by Louis Leterrier.

Which frees Lin’s time up to focus on another franchise, this one still at the embryonic stage. Sony has been looking to adapt manga and anime sensation ‘One Punch Man’ for a couple of years now, with ‘Spider-Man’ veteran producers Avi and Ari Arad attached to oversee it. And Lin has jumped aboard to direct and produce.

The massively popular ‘One Punch Man’ is a comedic action series about a superhero named Saitama who, as the title suggests, can defeat literally any enemy with a single punch. The only person not impressed with Saitama’s ability is Saitama himself; he’s completely bored with fighting and only gets excited when it seems like he finally has a challenge. The manga was designed as an absurd universe – Saitama’s foes include a humanoid crab named Crablante, who mutated after eating too much shellfish.

Created in 2009 by Japanese artist ONE as a webcomic, the story quickly went viral. In 2012, it was then published on Shueisha’s Tonari no Young Jump Next company with illustrations by Yusuke Murata along with ONE. The series became huge with worldwide sales totaling more than 30 million copies.

One-Punch Man photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

When the English edition published by VIZ Media debuted in the U.S. in 2015, the first and second volumes made the New York Times Manga Bestsellers list and was nominated for an Eisner and a Harvey Award. Since then, the popularity of ‘One Punch Man’ has led to a critically-acclaimed anime series, plus games across different platforms.

Scott Rosenberg & Jeff Pinkner, who have teamed up to write movies such as ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’, ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ and the first ‘Venom’, are at work on the script for this one.

Their history includes the likes of ‘Fringe’ and ‘Lost’ on TV and other movies including ‘The Dark Tower’.

‘One Punch Man’ is still in development, and we don’t yet know who will be playing the main character. A big question will be getting the tone right – since the source material was designed as a spoof of big, portentous manga tales, finding the comedic balance here will be key. Still, Lin’s own past TV work on shows including ‘Community’ might help on that front.

And he has a solid track record even outside of the ‘Fast’ films. He’s handled big other projects such as ‘Star Trek Beyond’ and directed smaller movies including ‘Annapolis’ and ‘Better Luck Tomorrow’.

Sony, of course, would love for this to become a popular new movie series to add to its existing franchises including the ‘Spider-Man’ movies and ‘Uncharted’.
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June 14, 2022
‘Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Joins ‘Fast X’

Alan Ritchson in Prime Video’s ‘Jack Reacher.’

The ‘Fast & Furious’ continues to add people known for their physicality to its latest installment, ‘Fast X’.

Alan Ritchson, best known currently for embodying Lee Child’s tough nut creation Jack Reacher on Prime Video’s ‘Reacher’, is the latest recruit for the new movie, according to Deadline.

As with all the other casting announcements, we don’t yet know what Ritchson will be doing in the movie – whether he’ll be riding alongside Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and his team, or joining the side of the villains, which in this case are represented by a returning Charlize Theron as Cipher, joined by Jason Momoa’s mysterious character.

‘Fast X’ has the core cast in place – Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Sung Kang among them. New to the franchise this time are Momoa, Brie Larson and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior.

And given the post-credit scene on ‘F9: The Fast Saga’, we’d be surprised if Jason Statham wasn’t also back in the main series following spin-off ‘Hobbs & Shaw’.

Most of the news about the new movie has been mixed – director Justin Lin left after roughly two weeks’ worth of filming, citing the industry-standard “creative differences” which have reportedly included clashes with Diesel (who is a controlling producer on the movies and sees himself as their guardian as well as their star) and the studio on scripts.

Alan Ritchson in Prime Video’s ‘Jack Reacher.’

The differences are all the more surprising since Lin is A) a veteran shepherd of the movies, having directed several of them and B) one of the credited writers on the current film’s script alongside Dan Mazeau. He’s still involved as a producer.

‘Fast X’ briefly shut down its production in the wake of Lin leaving, and the studio has scrambled to find a replacement. It appears that Louis Leterrier is now in place to handle the giant vehicular set pieces that are a hallmark of this movie series.

Ritchson feels like he could fit into the movie without much hassle – he’s used to getting into fights on screen and there’s always some muscular rumbling to be found amidst the speedy action. Yet will he make his mark and stick around, or be reduced to a one-and-done (so far) like Scott Eastwood?

Aside from ‘Reacher’, Ritchson was previously known for playing Gloss in ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ and for donning performance capture gear to bring Raphael to life in the two recent live action/CGI ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ movies.

He’s also stepped behind the camera to write and direct last year’s ‘Dark Web: Cicada 3301’.

Ritchson has been at work on new, based-on-truth drama ‘Ordinary Angels’, in which he’ll appear opposite Hilary Swank. That movie doesn’t yet have a release date listed.

‘Fast X’, meanwhile, assuming the director swap hasn’t impacted its schedule too much, will be driving in theaters on May 19th next year.

‘Fast X’ Logo. Courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram account.
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May 16, 2022
Louis Leterrier the Top Pick to Replace Justin Lin on ‘Fast X’

2011’s ‘Fast Five.’ Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Following on from the shocking departure of Justin Lin from the director’s chair of latest ‘Fast & Furious’ movie, ‘Fast X’, studio Universal has been in something of an expensive holding pattern.

Since cast and crew were already in the UK filming, every day’s delay on the movie means costs continued to build and with no director in place, only second-unit work has gone ahead.

Now, though, it appears that the company has found someone to step in and direct the movie, as ‘The Transporter’, ‘Now You See Me’ and ‘Clash of the Titans’ Louis Leterrier is the studio’s top choice for the job.

According to reports, it’s all now a matter of working on the finer points of Leterrier’s deal and shifting his schedule around so he can fly out and start the movie machine cranking again.

Directing a ‘Fast’ movie is not a job for the fearful or inexperienced: these are gigantic productions, full of many moving parts (not just the cars) and come with even bigger expectations given the billions that the franchise has made so far.

There’s also the matter of working alongside star and self-appointed ‘Fast’ guiding light Vin Diesel, who, as a producer and lead actor on the series, has a say in everything that goes into these films.

Louis Letterier is set to direct ‘Fast X.’

The Hollywood Reporter has a story up that peeks behind the scenes of Lin’s exit, and a lot of the tension that led to his departure can be tied to Diesel’s endless input and the ever-shifting nature of the movies.

Despite the fact that Lin is widely regarded as one of the main creative forces on the ‘Fast’ franchise – he came aboard for ‘Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift’ and has directed five of the entries, including true franchise gear shift ‘Fast Five’, issues between the director and Diesel came to a head on the new movie.

Lin had been even more involved than usual this time, writing the script with Dan Mazeau. Yet Diesel’s demands for changes and the studio reportedly flying in at least one other writer to polish the dialogue left Lin feeling ignored and exhausted, especially as he jumped into working on the new movie shortly after finishing ‘F9: The Fast Saga’.

Sources reported that a meeting between Diesel, Lin and two others ended with Lin saying, “This movie is not worth my mental health,” before leaving. He then organized a way to diplomatically leave the movie entirely, sending out a statement through the franchise’s official channels.

‘Fast X’ had been shooting for just over a week when Lin departed, which means Leterrier will be stepping in to handle the usual giant stunt pieces, the sprawling story (no plot details have been revealed yet) and a cast that blends the returning likes of Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang and Nathalie Emmanuel and Charlize Theron plus new recruits Jason Momoa, Brie Larson and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior.

Leterrier at least has his action movie background and the ability to oversee big productions (he more recently worked on Netflix’s ‘Dark Crystal’ prequel series), but he’ll need all his experience, luck, and patience on this one.

‘Fast X’ is currently still scheduled to speed into theaters on May 19th next year, but we’ll see if this speed bump changes anything.
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May 3, 2022
Director Justin Lin Leaves ‘Fast X’

(L to R) Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson in ‘Fast Five,’ directed by Justin Lin.

As a franchise, the ‘Fast & Furious’ movies have sped through all manner of challenges: changing cast rosters, the clashing, outsized movie star and music egos of some of its actors and even a long delay for the last movie because of the pandemic.

Yet somehow, none of them have screamed, “the wheels are coming off!” quite like the departure of director Justin Lin 10 days into shooting the latest installment, ‘Fast X’.

While it is not unusual for directors to depart movies, especially big ones, the fact that one of the acknowledged architects of the ‘Fast’ series, one who has produced and directed five of the movies since kicking off his association with ‘The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift’ in 2006, has stepped away – in the middle of shooting, no less – is something of a shocker.

“With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of ‘Fast X’, while remaining with the project as a producer. Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases,” Lin says in a statement posted to the franchise’s official twitter feed. “On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history. I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the ‘Fast’ family.”

So far, so diplomatic. And according to sources who spoke to the likes of Deadline, the parting was amicable, if rooted in the age-old reason of “creative differences”. It’s a little more surprising, (though again, not unheard of), for those to emerge now, while the cameras are rolling, than in the months of scripting and pre-production that precede a giant movie such as this.

In the past few months there has been nothing but positivity from Camp Fast, albeit that’s because it’s primarily driven by star and producer Vin Diesel, who offers semi-regular updates on his Instagram page. It’s perhaps telling, though, that one recent example, shot to celebrate the end of the first week’s filming features a Lin who seems both tired and less than thrilled about participating.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcqfJkADqkW

At the time of writing, Diesel has made no comment on the matter, and Universal, which is about to present its upcoming slate to theater owners at this year’s CinemaCon, may be holding back until there is something to announced. Second Unit filming, also underway in London, is continuing.

‘Fast X’, which has kept its plot under wraps so far (though you can guess there will be outrageous car stunts, scheming villains to be thwarted and references to “family”), boasts the likes of Jason Momoa, Brie Larson and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior joining the more regular ensemble, which includes Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang and Nathalie Emmanuel, plus Charlize Theron, returning as the crafty Cipher.

Right now, the movie is still scheduled to race into theaters on May 19th next year.
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April 27, 2022