Moviefone Editorial

Tag: mark l. smith

  • Jacob Elordi in Talks For ‘The Dog Stars’

    Jacob Elordi stars in director Sofia Coppola's 'Priscilla.'
    Jacob Elordi stars in director Sofia Coppola’s ‘Priscilla.’

    Preview:

    • Jacob Elordi’s in talks for ‘The Dog Stars’
    • If he signs on, he’d replace Paul Mescal in the lead.
    • Ridley Scott is on board to direct.

    What Ridley Scott utters, so it shall come to pass. Okay, so the last time he was asked about the subject, the venerable director didn’t exactly confirm that Paul Mescal, the star of his most recent film, ‘Gladiator II’ might be about to drop out of one of his next planned projects, but he didn’t not confirm it either.

    Still, that has apparently come to pass as Variety brings word that Jacob Elordi, the Australian rising star who appeared in ‘Saltburn,’ is now in talks to lead Scott’s potential next movie, ‘The Dog Stars.’

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    The issue here appears to be Mescal’s schedule. While he’s previously said he’d happily reunite with Ridley for any movie, it would seem that the Irish actor has instead signed on for Sam Mendes’ ambitious plan to make a biopic of the Beatles.

    More specifically, four biopics, one for each band member, and crossing the stories between the films. Though no official casting information has emerged, Mescal is hotly tipped to be playing Paul McCartney.

    Here’s what Scott said about Mescal acting in his next project when asked by Christopher Nolan in a conversational Q&A held before the holidays at the Director’s Guild of America:

    “Yes. Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”

    Looks like he’s letting him go and moving on to another young actor whose career is skyrocketing. Mescal need not worry too much, though –– Denzel Washington worked with Scott in 2007’s ‘American Gangster’ and it only took 16 years for them to reunite on ‘Gladiator II…’

    What’s the story of The Dog Stars’?

    Director Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal on the set of 'Gladiator II' from Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Director Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal on the set of ‘Gladiator II’ from Paramount Pictures.

    Based on a 2012 novel by Peter Heller, the ‘Dog Stars’ screenplay comes from ‘The Revenant’s Mark L. Smith and ‘Ali’s Christopher Wilkinson.

    Set in a post-apocalyptic world in which a virus has wiped out most of humanity, the protagonist is Hig (Elordi, assuming his deal closes), a pilot who survived the flu that killed everyone he knew, his wife included.

    He lives in the hangar of a small, abandoned airport with his dog, his only neighbor a gun-toting ex-Marine. Hig sometimes heads off in his 1956 Cessna, where he can fish, and pretend things are how they used to be.

    When a random transmission somehow beams through his radio, the voice ignites a hope deep inside him that a better life might exist if he flies a bit further. He risks it all to chase a possible haven in Grand Junction.

    Where else have I seen Jacob Elordi?

    Jacob Elordi as Felix Catton in 'Saltburn.' Photo: Amazon MGM Studios. Amazon MGM Studios.
    Jacob Elordi as Felix Catton in ‘Saltburn.’ Photo: Amazon MGM Studios. Amazon MGM Studios.

    Elordi got his big break in Netflix rom-com ‘The Kissing Booth,’ and went on to appear in three films in the franchise.

    On the big screen, he’s been seen in the likes of ‘2 Hearts,’ ‘Deep Water,’ ‘The Sweet East’ and ‘Priscilla,’ in which he played Elvis Presley. And in ‘Saltburn,’ he was the privileged scion of a wealthy British family whose decision to bring home a less fortunate student from his university proved to be a very bad idea.

    Elordi also scored attention playing Nate Jacobs in TV sensation ‘Euphoria,’ though his packed film schedule likely means he may not return for Season 3 (though he could well find time, given how delayed the shooting schedule for the third season of the show has been).

    Next up for the actor most likely is a reunion with ‘Saltburn’ director Emerald Fennell, who has been busy working on an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights.’ Elordi would play Heathcliff alongside Margot Robbie as doomed love Catherine Earnshaw.

    Then there’s another sci-fi project, ‘Parallel,’ which posits a world where parallel dimensions are accessible, but only known to a select group of people –– and travelling between worlds is highly illegal.

    What else is Ridley Scott working on?

    (L to R) Pedro Pascal, Director Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal on the set of 'Gladiator II' from Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Pedro Pascal, Director Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal on the set of ‘Gladiator II’ from Paramount Pictures.

    With Elordi in the midst of a deal, that points to ‘The Dog Stars’ ramping up as the next movie that Scott will shoot (and it’s also listed as in pre-production on the IMDb.).

    Yet Variety’s story also mentions the director’s plan to make a Bee Gees biopic, something he has had sitting on his To Do list for a while now. And there’s every chance the biopic could leapfrog ‘The Dog Stars.’

    The Bee Gees film would re-team Scott with one of his collaborators on the original ‘Gladiator,’ writer John Logan.

    And it’s far from the only movie the busy director has on his potential projects list –– there is a wealth of others, before we even mention the long batch of TV series on which he’s listed as producer. It’s a wonder the man ever sleeps.

    Related Article: Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi Talk director Sofia Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’

    When will ‘The Dog Stars’ land in theaters?

    That’s a big question at this point. Since Scott has yet to fully start on either ‘The Dog Stars’ or his Bee Gees project, there is no telling when either might be released.

    Still, given the prolific nature of the (checks notes) 87-year-old director, we wouldn’t be too shocked if at least one was ready for some point in 2026. Let’s not forget: this is the same filmmaker who has brought us three movies across the last four years.

    Jacob Elordi as Felix Catton in 'Saltburn.' Photo: Amazon MGM Studios. Amazon MGM Studios.
    Jacob Elordi as Felix Catton in ‘Saltburn.’ Photo: Amazon MGM Studios. Amazon MGM Studios.

    List of Jacob Elordi Movies and TV Shows:

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  • Ridley Scott Re-Teaming with Paul Mescal for ‘The Dog Stars’

    Director Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal on the set of 'Gladiator II' from Paramount Pictures.
    Director Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal on the set of ‘Gladiator II’ from Paramount Pictures.

    Preview:

    • ‘Gladiator II’ director Ridley Scott is re-teaming with that film’s star Paul Mescal for a new movie.
    • Mescal will star in ‘The Dog Stars.’
    • It’s the story of a man on a mission in a dangerous near-future world.

    Ridley Scott and his ‘Gladiator II’ star Paul Mescal clearly enjoyed a solid collaboration on the incoming Roman epic sequel.

    How else to explain the fact that they’re both clearing space in busy calendars to re-team on a new movie called ‘The Dog Stars’?

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    With both Scott and Mescal out stumping for the ‘Gladiator’ sequel, Deadline reports that Scott has decided to next make the adaptation of Peter Heller’s 2012 post-apocalyptic novel.

    Related Article: Director Ridley Scott Says He has Ideas For a Third ‘Gladiator’ Movie

    What’s the story of ‘The Dog Stars’?

    Paul Mescal plays Lucius in 'Gladiator II' from Paramount Pictures.
    Paul Mescal plays Lucius in ‘Gladiator II’ from Paramount Pictures.

    Adapted by ‘The Revenant’s Mark L. Smith, ‘The Dog Stars’ is set in a near future where an unnamed pandemic has decimated American society.

    A civilian pilot lives a lonely life on an abandoned Colorado airbase with his dog and a tough ex-marine. The two men couldn’t be more mismatched but depend on each other to fend off roaming invaders.

    When a random transmission beams through the radio of his 1956 Cessna, the voice ignites a hope deep inside the pilot that a better life exists outside their tightly controlled perimeter. Risking everything, he flies past his point of no return and follows its static-broken trail.

    The new movie will squeeze into a potential spring filming spot for the director, who as always has been juggling a number of potential projects. It appears this will leapfrog ahead of his planned Bee Gees biopic.

    Mescal, meanwhile, will be taking to the Broadway stage this winter, in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’ Mescal is reprising his turn as Stanley Kowalski from the praised London production.

    Scott has also expressed an interest in reuniting with Mescal for another project, one even more closely linked to their new release –– a third ‘Gladiator’ outing, as reported recently.

    What has happened with ‘Gladiator III’ so far?

    Paul Mescal plays Lucius in 'Gladiator II' from Paramount Pictures.
    Paul Mescal plays Lucius in ‘Gladiator II’ from Paramount Pictures.

    While a third ‘Gladiator’ movie is strictly at the discussion stage right now, Scott told France’s Premiere magazine that he’s considering ideas for it.

    Here’s what Scott had to say:

    “I’m already playing with the idea of ‘Gladiator III’ “No, seriously! I lit the fuse… The ending of ‘Gladiator II’ evokes that of ‘The Godfather,’ with Michael Corleone finding himself with a job he didn’t want and wondering, ‘And now, Father, What am I doing?’ So, the next film will be about a man who doesn’t want to be where he is.”

    That concept points to a return for Paul Mescal, who plays main character Lucius.

    In a follow-up interview with the magazine, the actor admitted that he’d spoken to Scott about a potential next outing.

    This is what Mescal had to say:

    “Yes, Ridley spoke to me about it, but only yesterday! So I’m waiting to see what will happen, but it interests me, of course. But we must not rush anything: the story must hold together.”

    Whether it interests Mescal or not is only part of the issue here; ‘Gladiator II’ is a big, expensive bet by Paramount (to the tune of, according to different reports, of between $200 and $300 million), so it will need to make some serious profit to trigger spending on another sequel.

    But let’s be honest here, if any director can wrangle studios to his will, it’s Scott.

    ‘Gladiator II’ battles its way into theaters on November 22nd.

    Director Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal on the set of 'Gladiator II' from Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Director Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal on the set of ‘Gladiator II’ from Paramount Pictures.

    Other Movies and TV Shows Similar to ‘Gladiator II’:

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  • New ‘Star Trek’ Prequel Movie in the Works

    1979's 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture.'
    1979’s ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Preview:

    • ‘Andor’ director Toby Haynes is aboard a new ‘Star Trek’ movie.
    • Seth Grahame-Smith will write the script for the new film.
    • It’s just one of the ‘Trek’ movies in development.

    Since ‘Star Trek Beyond’ premiered in 2016, things have been awfully quiet on the big screen Trek front. While the TV side of things has gone from strength to strength with the likes of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’, ‘Star Trek: Picard’, ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ and other series expanding the universe to success on streaming, it has felt like Paramount didn’t really have a solid direction for the movies.

    Different ideas have been mooted, but nothing has come to fruition. So we’re understandably skeptical –– albeit enthused –– at news of another.

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    What’s the latest ‘Star Trek’ movie in development?

    1979's 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture.'
    1979’s ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    As reported by Deadline, the new movie will be set years before Captain Kirk (Chris Pine, at least assuming its set within the “Kelvin” alternate timeline established in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 ‘Star Trek’.

    Toby Haynes, who did excellent work as one of the main directors on recent ‘Star Wars’ series ‘Andor’, will be overseeing this one, while Seth Grahame-Smith (no stranger to genre himself after writing the likes of ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ and producing the ‘It’ movies and many more, will be on script duty. Abrams is on board to produce.

    Related Article: Rebecca Romijn and Anson Mount Talk ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2

    Does this replace the mooted fourth main ‘Star Trek’ movie?

    (L to R) Anton Yelchin, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho and Zoe Saldana in 'Star Trek' (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Anton Yelchin, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho and Zoe Saldana in ‘Star Trek’ (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

    As of right now, it appears the studio is still going full (warp) speed ahead on the next ‘Trek’ movie featuring Pine and the rest. Or at least is still developing it. Little is known about the movie, which at different times has had Matt Shakman –– who has since departed to focus on Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four’ –– and previously, SJ Clarkson attached to direct.

    It would seem that Paramount’s film arm is looking to take a page out of its TV side and have multiple projects in play.

    Which brings us to…

    What about Quentin Tarantino’s Trek movie?

    Quentin Tarantino accepts the Oscar® for original screenplay for “Django Unchained” during the live ABC Telecast of The Oscars® from the Dolby® Theatre, in Hollywood, CA, Sunday, February 24, 2013.
    Quentin Tarantino accepts the Oscar® for original screenplay for “Django Unchained” during the live ABC Telecast of The Oscars® from the Dolby® Theatre, in Hollywood, CA, Sunday, February 24, 2013.

    There was, for a while, much excitement about the idea that Quentin Tarantino would direct a ‘Star Trek’ movie.

    There was a concept pitched –– a spin on a gangster-filled planet inspired by a classic ‘Trek’ episode called ‘A Piece of the Action’ –– and a script written by ‘The Revenant’s Mark L. Smith. The plan was to deliver something that would be very different from the usual ‘Trek’ style (though ‘Discovery’ and co. have long since introduced swearing into the universe), with a hard R-rating.

    But with Tarantino having long since said he was planning to retire after another one more movie, it seems he didn’t want that film to be a ‘Star Trek’ outing.

    Here’s what Smith told Variety on the matter:

    “Quentin and I went back and forth, he was gonna do some stuff on it, and then he started worrying about the number, his kind of unofficial number of films. I remember we were talking, and he goes, ‘If I can just wrap my head around the idea that ‘Star Trek’ could be my last movie, the last thing I ever do. Is this how I want to end it?’ And I think that was the bump he could never get across, so the script is still sitting there on his desk.”

    Less “to boldly go” than “to boldly hang around”, then. Here’s hoping the Haynes film has more luck.

    1979's 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture.'
    1979’s ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

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  • ‘Twister’ Sequel in the Works

    Helen Hunt as Dr. Joanne "Jo" Harding and Bill Paxton as Dr. William "Bill/The Extreme" Harding in 1996's 'Twister.'
    (L to R) Helen Hunt as Dr. Joanne “Jo” Harding and Bill Paxton as Dr. William “Bill/The Extreme” Harding in 1996’s ‘Twister.’

    If you’re seeing the sky change around you and hearing the distant rush of a wind vortex, that could be because the long-in-development follow-up to 1996’s ‘Twister’ is once more moving forward at Universal. We’ll let you guess what it’s called. Find out at the end of the story!

    According to Deadline, Universal is working with Warner Bros. (though the latter is only providing financing and will get a cut of any profits) to crank up the wind machines again, 26 years since Jan de Bont had Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton leading a team of storm chasers into the path of giant, swirly twisters, all in the name of science.

    The original movie, which also featured the likes of Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck and Todd Field (yes, the director of new Cate Blanchett drama ‘TAR’) in the story of the Hardings (Hunt and Paxton) who must deal with their collapsing marriage even as they reunite to create an advanced weather warning system.

    ‘Twister’ was a success, earning $494 million worldwide, and lauded for its state-of-the-art effects. Yet no sequel was developed until much more recently.

    Mark L. Smith, who wrote ‘The Revenant’ and George Clooney’s ‘The Midnight Sky’, has crafted a script that reportedly focus on the now-grown daughter of Jo and Bill Harding, who is a chip off the old storm-chasing block.

    Helen Hunt as Dr. Joanne "Jo" Harding and Bill Paxton as Dr. William "Bill/The Extreme" Harding in 1996's 'Twister.'
    (L to R) Helen Hunt as Dr. Joanne “Jo” Harding and Bill Paxton as Dr. William “Bill/The Extreme” Harding in 1996’s ‘Twister.’

    Steven Spielberg (who was a producer on the 1996 movie) is said to be thrilled by the new screenplay and eager for the movie to be made. And all involved are hoping that they can tempt Hunt back in some capacity, even if just for a cameo. Paxton, of course, sadly died in 2017.

    Despite early work kicking off on this one back in 2020, you can certainly point to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ being a spur for fresh development on this front. And in fact, that movie’s director Joseph Kosinski was attached to what was then being described as a reboot.

    Though Kosinski ended up leaving to focus on the Formula One racing movie he has in development at Apple with Brad Pitt starring, the behind-the-scenes team is still being led by producer Frank Marshall (his wife and fellow powerhouse producer Kathleen Kennedy worked on the original with Spielberg).

    Universal and Kennedy are looking for the right director, and names mentioned so far include ‘Free Solo’ duo Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi, ‘Prey’s Dan Trachtenberg and Laika animation boss Travis Knight, who in addition to the stop-motion likes of ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’, found success with live-action ‘Transformers’ prequel ‘Bumblebee’.

    Other candidates are apparently in the mix, but the studio is hoping that the right person or team can be locked in quickly enough to start shooting in the spring. And that proposed title we teased at the start? ‘Twisters’. Yup, bet you’re glad you waited to read that. Will it change? That answer is blowin’ in the wind.

    Bill Paxton as Dr. William "Bill/The Extreme" Harding in 1996's 'Twister.'
    Bill Paxton as Dr. William “Bill/The Extreme” Harding in 1996’s ‘Twister.’
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  • George Clooney to Direct, Star in ‘Good Morning, Midnight’ for Netflix

    George Clooney to Direct, Star in ‘Good Morning, Midnight’ for Netflix

    Netflix

    George Clooney hasn’t been in the spotlight much in recent years, thanks to his leading role as dad to twins. But his next project will put the Oscar winner back in his familiar director-and-star chair.

    Following in the footsteps of his recent acting/directing/producing gig on Hulu miniseries “Catch-22,” Clooney will once again team up with a streaming service. This time, the actor is working with Netflix, for which he will star in and direct a feature adaptation of the 2017 Lily Brooks-Dalton novel “Good Morning, Midnight.”

    Here’s the film’s synopsis, per Variety:

    “The post-apocalyptic tale follows the parallel stories of Augustine (Clooney), a lonely scientist in the Arctic, and an astronaut on board the Aether spacecraft, which is trying to return home to Earth, as Augustine races to make contact with the spaceship.”

    In addition to starring and directing, Clooney will also produce, through his Smokehouse Pictures banner with partner Grant Heslov. The adaptation was penned by Mark L. Smith (“The Revenant”).

    “Grant and I couldn’t be more excited to be involved with this incredible project,” Clooney said in a statement. “Mark is a writer we’ve long admired and his script is haunting. We’re thrilled to be working with our friends at Netflix as well.”

    Production on the film — whose title has not yet been finalized, Variety reports — is expected to begin in October.

    [via: Variety]