1979’s ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are developing a new ‘Star Trek’ Movie.
They’ve come up with a new idea not connected to previous movies or shows.
They’re also writing the script.
While the TV side of the franchise has been ticking along nicely, big-screen ‘Star Trek’ fell into something of a black hole, with little progress towards theaters.
At least, they’re aboard to develop a new movie (more on that below), with the hopes of kickstarting the franchise back to life. Will they succeed? Others have tried and failed (again, see below), but we’re certainly hoping to see them give it a shot.
What has been happening with big-screen ‘Star Trek’?
(L to R) Karl Urban and Zachary Quinto in ‘Star Trek Beyond’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The movies have been mired in development limbo since ‘Star Trek Beyond’ opened to less-than-thrilling box office in 2016.
There have been various films announced or reported upon, including a return for Chris Pine’s Kirk and co. from J.J. Abrams’ “Kelvin” timeline movies, a one-off by Quentin Tarantino (which always seemed less likely to happen) and the more recent word of a prequel/origin story to be directed by ‘Andor’s Toby Haynes with a script by Seth Grahame-Smith.
The latter may still happen (with Paramount going on a “try anything” spree), but there was more recent word of ‘X-Men’ veteran Simon Kinberg being hired as the producer overseeing the whole thing. There’s no mention of him in Deadline’s story about Daley and Goldstein’s deal, but perhaps he will be around to help out?
What’s the story for this latest ‘Trek’ development?
Chris Pine in 2009’s ‘Star Trek’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Little is known about what Daley and Goldstein have planned for ‘Star Trek’, though new Paramount overseer David Ellison said on a recent earnings call that it would not be a sequel in the Pine-led series but something different with new actors.
Which is almost a shame, since Pine clearly enjoyed working with the directors on ‘Dungeons & Dragons’…
When will this new ‘Star Trek’ movie head to screens?
If you’ll pardon us, given recent history we won’t hold our breath just yet until this thing actually has a trailer.
(L to R) Directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley and Chris Pine on the set of ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
(Left) Denzel Washington plays Macrinus in ‘Gladiator II’ from Paramount Pictures. (Center) Robert Pattinson in ‘Mickey 17’. Photo: Warner Bros. (Right) Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate in ‘Twisters’, directed by Lee Isaac Chung.
Preview:
Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson and Daisy Edgar-Jones are starring in ‘Here Comes the Flood.’
Fernando Meirelles will direct the heist thriller.
Netflix is backing the movie.
Netflix is certainly not shy about splashing the cash when it comes to securing big name talent for its movies.
And for new heist pic ‘Here Comes the Flood,’ it has certainly landed some recognizable actors.
And that’s not the only exciting person attached to this one, as Fernando Meirelles, who directed classic ‘City of God’ and more recently tackled Netflix’s papal drama ‘The Two Popes’ is aboard to direct.
Most of the details for this one are locked in a bank vault for now, but there is a basic description: an unconventional heist flick about a bank guard, a teller, and a master thief in a deadly game of cons and double crosses.
Kinberg also worked as a producer and writer on several of the Fox ‘X-Men’ movies, and stepped up to direct ‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix.’
More recently, he’s been involved in Apple TV+ series such as ‘Invasion’ and ‘Sugar,’ and has a variety of projects in the works via his Genre Films company –– a list that also now includes ‘Here Comes the Flood.’
Where else can we see Denzel Washington?
Denzel Washington plays Macrinus in ‘Gladiator II’ from Paramount Pictures.
Washington needs little introduction as he’s still one of the biggest stars around.
The actor will next be seen leading Spike Lee’s crime thriller ‘Highest 2 Lowest,’ based on Akira Kurosawa’s classic ‘High and Low,’ which A24 releases in August, ahead of the film’s Apple TV+ streaming date of September 5th.
Though he has been making statements about retiring, at least from acting, he’s still keeping busy.
This is what he said about potentially stepping back from being on screen:
“There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker. The things that are going on for me professionally behind the camera are as important to me now as in front of the camera. I think there’s less and less time I’ll be spending in front of the camera.”
In addition to ‘Here Comes the Flood,’ he’s talked up a potential role in the planned third ‘Black Panther’ movie though that has yet to be officially confirmed) and has other possible roles coming up, including a project about the historical warrior Hannibal.
And even if he does decide that his days as an actor are numbered, he’ll likely to continue to produce and direct movies.
What else is Robert Pattinson working on?
Robert Pattinson in ‘Tenet’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Pattinson was most recently on screens in Bong Joon Ho’s new sci-fi satire ‘Mickey 17’ about a man who serves on a spaceship who is replaced with a clone of himself every time he dies on board. The film was not a success at the box office.
Right now, the actor is at work on Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ for Universal, and has also filmed new crime thriller ‘Primetime.’
And, of course, there is lead role in Matt Reeves’ long-gestating ‘The Batman’ sequel, which should kick off filming at the end of this year, though it has been through several delays already while Reeves works on the script.
The most recent rumor has Pattinson potentially scoring a role in the third ‘Dune’ movie from Denis Villeneuve, but as with Washington and ‘Black Panther,’ there doesn’t appear to be a deal in place yet.
What is Daisy Edgar-Jones working on?
(from left) Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Glen Powell) in ‘Twisters’, directed by Lee Isaac Chung.
Daisy Edgar-Jones broke out big with Irish drama series ‘Normal People,’ and since built herself a healthy movie career.
Netflix has not yet announced when ‘Here Comes the Flood’ will arrive; nor do we know whether it’ll get a theatrical release ahead of it arriving on the company’s servers.
Denzel Washington attends Netflix’s ‘The Piano Lesson’ LA premiere at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on November 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images for Netflix.
(Left) The cast of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’. Photo: Lucasfilm. (Right) ‘Invasion’ series creator Simon Kinberg.
Preview:
Simon Kinberg is reportedly developing a ‘Star Wars’ movie trilogy.
He’d write the movies and produce them with Kathleen Kennedy.
This trilogy is apparently about new characters.
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before.
A respected name in filmmaking (and particularly in this case, genre producing) has been hired by Lucasfilm to come up with new ‘Star Wars’ movies. Yes, it’s a story we’ve heard multiple times in the past –– more on that below –– with little to show for it so far.
Still, shoving cynicism aside for a moment, we’re certainly intrigued to learn via Deadline that Simon Kinberg is reportedly making a deal with Disney and Lucasfilm to develop, write and produce a new trilogy set in that galaxy far, far away.
And it’s not like Kinberg –– who has worked on a variety of projects in the past, including 20th Century Fox’s ‘X-Men’ movies, the ‘Deadpool’ films and a host of others more as a writer/producer –– doesn’t also already boast ‘Star Wars’ bona fides.
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He co-created animated series ‘Star Wars Rebels’ with Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck, with the show running for four seasons from 2014-2018, and certainly influencing the direction of the current live-action ‘Star Wars’ shows.
And talking of the companies, we must still take all of this with enough salt to sate a Sarlacc, since neither Disney nor Lucasfilm is officially commenting just yet. Deadline mentions that Kinberg’s deal has closed, but these things usually have to wait for more solid confirmation, often at an event such as Star Wars Celebration, a Comic-Con or Disney’s D23.
What would the Simon Kinberg ‘Star Wars’ movies focus on?
1977’s ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.’ Credit: Lucasfilm.
That question is, for now at least, largely a mystery.
While Deadline initially heard that it would continue the “Skywalker Saga” (AKA Episodes I through IX, which kicked off back in 1977 with the original ‘Star Wars’ before spawning the prequel and then sequel trilogies), that has since been shot down like a TIE Fighter by the Falcon, with focus now apparently on a new story with different characters (but with the door open for familiar faces to potentially appear).
A bigger issue is whether this actually comes to fruition. After all, as recently as this May, Kinberg was reported as being involved with driving the ‘Star Trek’ movie franchise for Paramount, who we’re sure aren’t looking to repeat the situation with J.J. Abrams, who oversaw the first two movies of the studio’s rebooted ‘Trek’ movie universe before jumping ship to ‘Star Wars.’
And the future of ‘Star Wars’ on the big screen has seemed a little shaky of late, with famous genre names announced (or rumored) as working on new ‘Wars’ projects, only for nothing to come to screen.
Which brings us to…
Who else has been reported as involved with new ‘Star Wars’ movies?
(L to R) Director James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
The list for this is fairly long, with little to show for it thus far.
Right now, we have current co-overlord of the ‘Star Wars’ TV universe, Jon Favreau, in post-production on a ‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ movie, which is scheduled to be on screens in May 2026.
Still in development are projects from Favreau’s main collaborator, Dave Filoni (who, like his colleague, would likely draw from their TV universe), James Mangold (who has been working on a film chronicling the birth of the Jedi order) and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who is aboard to direct a movie featuring Daisy Ridley’s Rey as she continues her own quest.
(L to R) Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daisy Ridley at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
That latter movie has been having some issues getting its script together, with ‘Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight the latest writer to depart.
Then we have Taika Waititi, who keeps talking about how he wants to move forward with his idea, while Donald Glover continues work on a story about Lando Calrissian, which was being touted as a Disney+ series but currently appears to be a movie.
As for those who have been reported as developing ‘Star Wars’ output that has yet to see much forward movement? They include ‘The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson (who was apparently going to make a trilogy but is currently busy with his big Netflix deal for the Benoit Blanc mystery movies and crime series ‘Poker Face,’ Patty Jenkins (whose ‘Rogue Squadron’ movie flits between active development and being grounded in a hangar) and ‘Game of Thrones’ duo David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who likewise were going to produce a new trilogy but are instead adapting beloved sci-fi novel ‘The Three Body Problem.’
What can we actually expect coming up from ‘Star Wars’?
‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ will be premiering on Disney+ in 2023.
Besides Favreau’s ‘Mando’ movie, the next confirmed ‘Star Wars’ releases will be on the small screen, with ‘Skeleton Crew’ a ‘Goonies’–inspired adventure launching on Disney+ on December 3rd, and Season 2 of ‘Andor,’ due next year.
We also know that Filoni is at work on a second season of ‘Ahsoka,’ though that has yet to land a date.
(L to R) Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley in ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.’ Photo: Lucasfilm.
Sofia Boutella in an exclusive photo from ‘The Killer’s Game’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Preview:
Take an exclusive first look at Sofia Boutella in ‘The Killer’s Game’.
She stars alongside Dave Bautista in the action comedy thriller.
J.J. Perry directed the movie.
If you were wondering when you might get an exclusive look at the new action comedy thriller starring Dave Bautista and Sofia Boutella, your wait is over.
Moviefone is excited to debut a new image from the film, featuring Boutella as Maize, a key character in the story (see above).
With a cast brimming with action icons and character favorites, it promises plenty of crazy set-pieces and entertaining performances as it answers the question “what would happen if a hitman learned they’re dying and put a hit out on themselves. But… Oops! Turns out the diagnosis is wrong, but now they still have to deal with everyone trying to kill them.”
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What’s the story of ‘The Killer’s Game’?
Dave Bautista in ‘The Killer’s Game’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The new action comedy kicks off when top hitman Joe Flood (Bautista) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and he decides to take matters into his own hands –– by taking a hit out on himself.
But when he both learns he was misdiagnosed and the very hitmen he hired also target his ex–girlfriend (Boutella), he must fend off an army of assassin colleagues and win back the love of his life before it’s too late.
Pom Klementieff in ‘The Killer’s Game’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The new movie has been in development for a long time. But it has finally found like thanks to Lionsgate, which acquired the script in 2023 and hired ‘Day Shift’ director J.J. Perry to oversee it.
Dave Bautista talks ‘The Killer’s Game’ and his co-star
(L to R) Dave Bautista and Sofia Boutella in ‘The Killer’s Game’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Bautista was recently asked about the choice of Boutella as Maize by The Hollywood Reporter.
This is what he had to say:
“They brought forth other actresses, and I just kept turning them down, saying, ‘No, I just can’t wrap my head around anybody else other than Sofia,’ ”So then I said, ‘Let’s not look for another actress. Let’s just try to move schedules around so we can make Sofia work.’ It took a lot of doing from producers and agents and managers, and Sofia being willing to fly back and forth from Budapest to London while she was on two projects.”
When will ‘The Killer’s Game’ be in theaters?
You’ll be able to catch all the action when ‘The Killer’s Game’ arrives in theaters on Friday, September 13th.
Dave Bautista in ‘The Killer’s Game’. Photo: Lionsgate.
(Left) ‘Invasion’ series creator Simon Kinberg. (Right) Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, and Karl Urban in ‘Star Trek’ (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Simon Kinberg is reportedly boarding the ‘Star Trek’ movie franchise.
He’s going to be producing future entries.
Holly Hunter is the first person cast in series ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’.
While Paramount itself remains in something of a flux state –– with different buyers circling to make offers to buy the venerable studio and its associated TV network, streaming service and other properties –– it appears to be making moves on both the movie and TV front when it comes to hugely successful sci-fi franchise ‘Star Trek’.
First up, we have news on the ‘Trek’ movies and a notable new (potential) hire.
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What is happening with the new ‘Star Trek’ movie?
Chris Pine in 2009’s ‘Star Trek’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Paramount has seemingly had real trouble landing on a direction for its ‘Trek’ movie franchise. The TV side of things (more on that below) has been humming along nicely, but on the big screen, the movies have been mired in development limbo since ‘Star Trek Beyond’ opened to less-than-thrilling box office in 2016.
There have been various films announced or reported upon, including a return for Chris Pine’s Kirk and co. from J.J. Abrams’ “Kelvin” timeline movies, a one-off by Quentin Tarantino (which seems less likely to happen) and the more recent word of a prequel/origin story to be directed by ‘Andor’s Toby Haynes with a script by Seth Grahame-Smith.
Now, according to Puck’s ‘What I’m Hearing…’ newsletter, Simon Kinberg, a veteran producer of movies such as ‘The Martian’, some of the ‘X-Men‘ movies and the first two ‘Deadpool’ efforts (not to mention the likes of ‘Invasion’ on Apple TV+) is in talks to produce that new ‘Trek’ effort.
And if it all works out, the plan is apparently for Kinberg to take over the stewardship of the movie side of Trek, helping to shepherd future outings and presumably help to correct the course.
Following that, we have word that Holly Hunter will star as the Captain and Chancellor of Starfleet Academy set in the titular educational facility that trains crew and officers for the fleet.
Hunter’s Chancellor will be presiding over the faculty and the latest class of students to arrive at the academy.
This is what co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau said about casting Hunter to Variety:
“It feels like we’ve spent our entire lives watching Holly Hunter be a stone-cold genius. To have her extraordinary authenticity, fearlessness, sense of humor, and across the board brilliance leading the charge on ‘Starfleet Academy’ is a gift to all of us, and to the enduring legacy of ‘Star Trek.’”
What’s the story of ‘Starfleet Academy’?
1979’s ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
While most of the other character and story details are being kept behind a forcefield, we do know something of the show’s tone thanks to a previous comment by Landau:
“These are kids who’ve never had a red alert before. They never had to operate a transporter or be in a phaser fight.”
So, yes, lots of coming-of-age with high tech equipment appears likely with this one.
The sets being built for the new series apparently include featuring the largest contiguous one ever constructed for a ‘Star Trek’ series, a central academic atrium that will span two stories and include an amphitheater, classrooms, a mess hall, and an idyllic walkway lined with trees.
Production on the show is scheduled for later this summer in Toronto.
(L to R) Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in ‘Star Trek’ (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Olivia Wilde is aboard to direct an adaptation of Rob Liefeld’s ‘Avengelyne’.
‘Barbie’s Margot Robbie is producing via her LuckyChap company.
The movie will be shopped to studios and screeners.
Here’s a compelling package that will soon be looking to find some support. Olivia Wilde, the director of ‘Booksmart’ and ‘Don’t Worry Darling’, is aiming to hop on the superhero genre train, signing on –– at least per The Hollywood Reporter –– to direct an adaptation of Rob Liefeld’s ‘Avengelyne’ character.
And if that wasn’t enough, Wilde has the backing of Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap company, which, let’s not forget, most recently brought us the mega-hit and Oscar-winning ‘Barbie’. While Robbie isn’t currently attached to star (she already has her iconic comic book role in Harley Quinn, don’t forget) she may end up taking a role.
Avengelyne as a character debuted in 1995 and was co-created by ‘Deadpool’s Rob Liefeld alongside Cathy Christian and Tony Lobito.
She’s an angel who fights the forces of evil and often finds herself face-to-face with demons and monsters. She was the most feared warrior in Heaven’s Warhost, having single-handedly broken into Pandemonium, the outer fortress of Hell, to confront the Devil himself.
But now, she finds herself a fallen angel, banished from Heaven by God after being tricked into questioning his love for humans. Stripped of all her angelic abilities other than her great strength and her blood, which, once extracted from her body, could be used as a weapon or a miracle once empowered by quoting verses from the Bible, Avengelyne uses her powers to fight demons on Earth and is being groomed to be humankind’s last hope in a coming Armageddon.
Here’s what Liefeld has said about her in the past:
“Avengelyne resonated so powerfully with the audience because her story of redemption is one that is so relatable. A fallen angel, sentenced to redeem herself by serving humanity, Earth is a foreign environment to her, she must adapt in order to save herself as well as mankind. Her dilemma provides humor amidst the larger plot engine driving her journey.”
Who else is involved with ‘Avengelyne’?
‘Invasion’ series creator Simon Kinberg.
Alongside Robbie, the project has Simon Kinberg, no stranger to superhero movies himself, attached as a producer via his Genre Films company.
And there is reportedly a well-known writer making a deal to crank out the script, though their identity is unknown right now.
What’s next for ‘Avengelyne’?
Rob Liefeld’s ‘Avengelyne’. Photo: Image Comics.
According to the Reporter’s story, the project will be taken out soon to gauge interest from studios and streamers. Given the talent involved (especially the ‘Barbie’ connection), we’d expect this to find a home relatively quickly.
The only issue might be the creeping feel of superhero fatigue, and female-focused genre titles such as ‘Madame Web’ underperforming at the box office.
Steven Spielberg and Simon Kinberg are producing a short story adaptation.
Colin Barron’s ‘Long Lost’ will now be developed as a movie.
The story follows a wife who was thought dead coming back.
When you hear that Steven Spielberg is attached to a potential movie project, your mind automatically leaps to the idea that he’s found a new film to direct. But hold your horses there –– according to Deadline, his latest acquisition is one he’s only aboard to produce for now.
Spielberg and fellow filmmaker Simon Kinberg have partnered with Universal to grab the rights to Colin Barron’s short story ‘Long Lost’.
What’s the story of ‘Long Lost’?
(L to R) Gabriel LaBelle and co-writer/producer/director Steven Spielberg on the set of ‘The Fabelmans.’
The 50-page short story, which Deadline has heard is in the vein of ‘What Lies Beneath’ and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’, tells the story of a recently married woman whose life is upended when her husband’s long lost wife shockingly returns after she was believed to be dead, sparking fears that she’s hatching a sinister plan to reclaim what was once hers.
Barron is also aboard to write the script for the film version, which certainly something that happens in deals such as this from time to time.
But while it is more normal for studios to attach a writer once they have bought the project, in this case Barron is also a working screenwriter whose scripts have landed on the Black List (the industry accounting of popular unproduced screenplays) a record seven times, and has sold the specs ‘Ultra‘ to Tri-Star Pictures and ‘First Ascent’ to Netflix.
Bannon’s psychological thriller ‘Holdout’ is also at Netflix, with Elizabeth Moss attached to star and direct.
Since it’s at such an early stage of development, even if Spielberg did like the resulting script and decide to direct, ‘Long Lost’ would not be his next movie.
Instead, it appears he’s closest to making a new take on classic crime thriller ‘Bullitt’ (the 1968 original starred Steve McQueen and features iconic car chases). Spielberg has a script in hand from Josh Singer, and Bradley Cooper is aboard to star.
As for Kinberg, who last directed 2022 spy action pic ‘The 355’, he’s been busier as a producer of late, working on the likes of ‘A Haunting in Venice’ and the upcoming ‘Deadpool 3’. He also wrote the script for action comedy ‘The Killer’s Game’, which should be in theaters this year, directed by J.J. Perry.
And he has also been spending time working on small screen projects including ‘Invasion’ for Apple TV+, which launched its second season in October and is waiting to see if a third will be ordered.
As for ‘Long Lost’, Spielberg will produce via Amblin, while Kinberg is aboard through his Genre Pictures company.
(L to R) Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds attend ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
Preview:
Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy are developing an untitled heist movie.
‘Cruella’ writer Dana Fox came up with the concept.
Netflix has nabbed the rights to the potential movie.
Right now, Levy is aboard to direct and Reynolds to produce, but it’s a fair bet that if they end up happy with the script, the ‘Deadpool’ actor will end up starring.
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What’s the new project that has Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy attached?
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy at a Netflix event. Photo by Noam Galai.
The exact story details for this one are under wraps, but The Hollywood Reporter has learned that it’s a high-concept globally set caper flick a la ‘Ocean’s Eleven’. We’re sure it’ll open up opportunities for Reynolds to deploy his trademark wit and quips, but again, it’ll depend on the script as to whether he commits to star, even with Levy serving as director.
Dana Fox, who has written movies such as ‘Cruella’ and ‘The Lost City’, came up with the basic idea and has developed it with ‘X-Men’ veteran Simon Kinberg, who will also produce via his Genre Films company.
It’ll be a while before this one is ready to shoot, let alone find a release date, as Fox has yet to write the script.
And both Reynolds and Levy have busy schedules –– beyond the third ‘Deadpool’, Levy has to work on the final season of ‘Stranger Things’ and a variety of other potential shows/movies as both producer and director.
Reynolds, meanwhile, has a second ‘Red Notice’ movie, new action comedy ‘Calamity Hustle’ (which will co-star Channing Tatum and has been grabbed by Amazon Studios) and various other projects, including the next season of TV soccer doc ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ on his to do list.
Shawn Levy attends ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
Netflix –– which of course produced ‘The Adam Project’ and already has the aforementioned Reynolds-starring ‘Red Notice’ movies, was quick to snap this one up after a competitive bidding situation that included studios and other streamers.
It’s hardly surprising that the company wants to stay in business with Levy and Reynolds given that they’ve both worked on plenty of projects there. But it’ll certainly have to be patient waiting for this new one.
‘Deadpool 3’, meanwhile, is currently on track to hit theaters on July 26th. Before that, we’ll see Reynolds in John Krasinski’s live-action/CG family fantasy comedy ‘IF’, which is out on May 17th and has a trailer online.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds Instagram account.
Premiering its final episode of its second season on Apple TV+ October 25th is the popular sci-fi series ‘Invasion,’ which was created by Simon Kinberg (‘Dark Phoenix’), who also wrote the episode, and David Well (‘Hunters’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with series creator Simon Kinberg about the season 2 finale of ‘Invasion,’ telling a different alien invasion story, the scope of the series, working with the new season 2 directors, and as a producer on ‘Deadpool’ and ‘Logan,’ how he feels about Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine opposite Ryan Reynolds in the MCU’s ‘Deadpool 3.’
Shioli Kutsuna in ‘Invasion’ season 2, now streaming on Apple TV+.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to fans of the show to tease them about the season 2 finale, and will it act as a satisfying ending to the overall story or will there be a cliffhanger for a possible season 3?
Simon Kinberg: I think what people can expect from the last episode is certainly bigger action than they’ve seen so far in season two. There’s been a lot of action in season two, obviously a lot more than there was in season one. But really it culminates in episode 9 and gets massive in episode 10. The other thing I would say about the last episode is, in many ways, the first two seasons have been obviously about these different characters from all over the world, but they’ve been slowly coming together in terms of their storylines over now 19 episodes and going into 20. The last episode brings them together in some surprising ways, and you see in some ways why we chose these particular stories to tell. It wasn’t completely random. I hope that the end of episode 10 is satisfying to people because it’s got a big battle and it has a measure of closure to it. But like all of my favorite television and certainly my favorite science fiction and mystery television, there’s still whole worlds to unfold beyond this season.
Azhy Robertson and Golshifteh Farahani in ‘Invasion’ season 2, now streaming on Apple TV+.
MF: Can you talk about developing the series and what you wanted to do differently with the alien invasion concept?
SK: In general, from the beginning, what I felt was missing from the alien invasion genre was a truly global perspective, that it was often or always told from the perspective of one character and that character was usually American. If it was an ensemble, they were all Americans, like in ‘Independence Day.’ So if the whole planet came under attack, America’s not the only place that’s dealing with the problem, everywhere is and I wanted to see what the different reactions from different types of characters in different types of societies would be. That was the thing that was the spark of inspiration for me, and if you were to do a mashup of ‘War of the Worlds’ with a movie like ‘Babel,’ that was the North Star from the beginning.
Shioli Kutsuna in ‘Invasion’ season 2, now streaming on Apple TV+.
MF: Can you talk about the scope of the series and the challenges of telling an international story about an alien invasion?
SK: It’s an incredibly ambitious television show, and I have to applaud and just get on my knees with gratitude to Apple. They really believed in the show from the very beginning, despite the fact that it’s not based on a huge piece of IP. It doesn’t have huge stars in it. They just believed in the concept and quality of the show, and they backed it in a way that was really extraordinary. The first season was incredibly challenging because we were filming in Tokyo, London, Morocco, New York, and other places I think I’m forgetting, but those were our main hubs, in the middle of the pandemic. So that was really a challenge unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my career, having made some really big movies all over the world. The second season had different challenges, and I would say the biggest challenge was less about the physical production, though the production is really big, and more about the visual effects. We really amped up the aliens, the action and the world building in season two. I wanted the visual effects to feel like it was the same level quality as you’d see in big budget movies I’ve worked on in the past, like the ‘Star Wars’ movies, the ‘X-Men’ movies, those kinds of films. So designing all of that with a lot of the geniuses I’ve worked with in my feature film life, designing all of those worlds was a whole lot of fun. And trying to find new designs for aliens, motherships and things we’ve seen in lots of movies done extremely well, trying to find new versions of that. So there was a conceptual challenge and then there was the execution challenge of those visual effects.
Shamier Anderson in ‘Invasion’ season 2, now streaming on Apple TV+.
MF: As a director yourself, what has it been like for you to collaborate with other directors on this series?
SK: It’s really fun working in television with directors. It’s so different than features. With features, you’re working with one director and you’re living for years with that director telling that story. I’ve had some amazing relationships with filmmakers on films. In TV, you’re working with a director and they’re in and out, if they’re doing one episode. We had incredible filmmakers in season two. I mean, from really seasoned people, like Alik Sakharov who directed episodes of ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘Ozark’ and I mean he is truly one of the greatest television directors. No exaggeration, obviously, because those are among the greatest shows of all time. He was the DP on the pilot of ‘The Sopranos.’ I mean, the guy has seen and done everything you could possibly do in TV. I learned an immense amount from him actually about TV storytelling and production. Then we had people that were less experienced come in for an episode. So it was really fun just working with such a diverse group of people, diverse in terms of their personal experience and their professional experience.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds Instagram account.
MF: Finally, since you were a producer on both ‘Deadpool’ and ‘Logan,’ I have to ask how you feel about Hugh Jackman returning to the role of Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3’ and having those characters now exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
SK: I love Hugh so much. I mean, he’s somebody who’s really been a huge part of my life. I’ve made six or seven movies with him, even a movie outside the ‘X-Men’ universe. He’s one of the kindest, just sweetest humans, let alone movie stars, I’ve ever met. I love him as Wolverine, and it’s really hard for me to imagine another actor playing Wolverine. That’s not true for every comic book character, but I can’t imagine anyone else playing that part. So as much as I really love what we did with ‘Logan’ and really feel like we gave that character and Hugh’s journey as that character a fitting goodbye, I’m really excited to see him do it again. I’m really excited to see him do it in a different toned story. I adore Ryan and I adore what Ryan does with Deadpool, so I’m just really excited to see those two guys together.
‘Invasion’ series creator Simon Kinberg.
‘Invasion’ Season 1 Recap
An alien invasion is seen through the different perspectives of various people on different continents across the world.
What is the plot of ‘Invasion’ season 2?
Season 2 picks up just months after the events of season 1, with the aliens escalating their attacks in an all-out war against the humans. As the aliens continue their land grab, pockets of resistance across the world join the World Defense Coalition searching for ways to destroy the enemy, including the grassroots vigilante alien hunters, The Movement, and the experiments being done at the Alien Research Facility.
Premiering on Apple TV+ on August 23rd is the second season of the popular sci-fi series ‘Invasion,’ which was created by Simon Kinberg (‘Dark Phoenix’) and David Well (‘Hunters’).
‘Invasion’ Season 1 Recap
An alien invasion is seen through the different perspectives of various people on different continents across the world.
What is the plot of ‘Invasion’ season 2?
Season 2 picks up just months after the events of season 1, with the aliens escalating their attacks in an all-out war against the humans. As the aliens continue their land grab, pockets of resistance across the world join the World Defense Coalition searching for ways to destroy the enemy, including the grassroots vigilante alien hunters, The Movement, and the experiments being done at the Alien Research Facility.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure speaking with director Alik Sakharov (‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The Witcher’) about his work on season 2 of ‘Invasion,’ where he directed the first three episode as well as episode five. Sakharov discussed the pressure of joining a series in the second season, how his previous work as a cinematographer informs his work as a director, the most challenging aspect of directing ‘Invasion,’ and bringing something fresh to the genre.
Shioli Kutsuna in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, as a director, when you join a series that is already in progress, do you feel pressure to continue the success of the show, or is that something that you’ve gotten use to at this point in your career?
Alik Sakharov: I don’t think I had the pressure, to be honest with you. I mean, as a seasoned pro, I didn’t feel pressure. I just felt responsibility of delivering good product. I had a very wonderful set of meetings with Simon Kinberg, and (executive producer) Audrey Chon, and with Apple executives. I felt, it was a wonderful dynamic, if you will, it was very friendly atmosphere, and very encouraging. Obviously, I read the scripts beforehand. So, we started talking about concept, about this and that, and the design, and it all felt very natural. The reason why it felt natural to me is because, although it’s sci-fi, it’s based on character and based on drama. It’s based on very important universal things that virtually everyone can relate to. We’re talking about, if Anisha is on the run with her kids, trying to protect them and save them, then we understand what that is. So the universality of it is very palatable and very palpable. So, relating to it wasn’t very complicated. For me personally, it was great to have this drama against the sweeping backdrop of this huge canvas of aliens invading.
Golshifteh Farahani in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
MF: You began your career as a cinematographer, how does that experience inform your work as a director?
AS: To answer your question, as a director of photography, coming to directing, is really, for me, a crucial thing, because you understand the language, you understand how to tell the story, by way of where the camera is going to be. It’s not to say that every director has to do that, not at all. But, most accomplished directors that I really respect, Stanley Kubrick, David Fincher, the CoenBrothers, Christopher Nolan, they understand what lenses can do. They understand what photography can do. So, you don’t usually want to give way for someone to set up the shot. You either bring them on board, the director of photography, the camera operators, and discuss what needs to get accomplished, as opposed to just farming it all out, because then, you’re immediately losing a bit of the language that you’ve been designing to tell the story. So, very important to engage everybody, to bring everybody together, and to set shots up, such that, everyone’s happy. So usually, I know exactly what the lens is going to be. I know exactly what the camera angle is going to be. I don’t try to be fascistic about it, but I would suggest where it would be, and then I’d say to my crew, “Guys, go crazy. Enhance it. Make it great.” So, everyone participates in it, and finds their own, and they’re all fulfilled. That’s, to me, key to a great collaboration on set. So, if I communicate my ideas to the director of photography and he communicates his ideas to his lighting crew, and grip department, and his camera operator, and then we’re all discussing how it’s going to resolve itself on the screen, then the resulting image, or images, or set of storylines through visuals can invoke some reaction from you as a viewer. So if the camera is too high, you go, “Guys, the camera is too high.” If the verticals are not correct, you go, “Verticals are not correct.” If the camera is too low, “It’s too expressive. Let’s bring it up to the human perspective.” You have to choose all those things. You have to, not dictate it, but propose it, such that, it’s much more humanized.
(L to R) Cache Vanderpuye, India Brown and Louis Toghill in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
MF: ‘Invasion’ is a series that is very large in scope and told from several different perspectives. How did your work on shows like ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Rome’ prepare you to direct this series?
AS: Well, because of the scope, I could see why you are comparing it to ‘Game of Thrones.’ But, I mean, I was involved in big scope shows like ‘Rome’ for instance, and ‘Marco Polo’ for instance. Those are very scopey shows. I mean, the dictate of this particular show, of this particular parameters is grand scale. So, you need to approach it in grand scale. It’s not so much a TV mentality. You have to approach it like a cinematic event, because of the cinematic event, it could be compared to these shows that you’re proposing.
(L to R) Azhy Robertson, Tara Moayedi and Golshifteh Farahani in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
MF: You directed the first three episodes of season 2, what was the most challenging scene to shoot in those first couple of episodes?
AS: The most challenging was, believe it or not, was the very first scene of episode one, where we’re just thrown into the invasion. The challenge of it was basically that we needed to shoot it fast. I mean, it’s a huge scene. Initially, we planned to shoot it over the course of five days. We needed to find a location which would be able to guide us through, basically the timeline of the scene. In order for us to do that, we needed to find a particular set of streets that one street would lead into the other, into the other, and into the other. So, it’s all making sense, because it was not a backlight. We found a little section in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, where it was basically one and two-story buildings with tin roofs. From a bird’s eye view, it felt like the right way of approaching the scene. So, our production designer, Simon Rogers, was basically instrumental in dressing the streets. Then, I started discussing with my crew how are we going to approach it, and how we’re going to break down the scene, such that, we would have absolutely everything, broken down into, not only just shots, but also into little segments that would segue from one to the other because there’s a very propulsive energy throughout that scene. So, the challenge was to accomplish everything in set time and the allotted time to rehearse everything. It was involving 200 extras. We had six cameras. We had to deal with the weather. We had to deal with a helicopter landing. We had to deal with so many elements. It became like a feature film, yet, we needed to do it as a television schedule. I think we actually did tremendously well. We shot the whole thing that was designed to be shot in five days, in four days, and we were able to accomplish everything.
Shamier Anderson in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
MF: Finally, can you talk about finding a way to bring something fresh to a genre that has seen a lot of entries? How did you go about finding something fresh, even for season two compared to season one?
AS: I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think about that. What I think about is the human perspective, the drama. Look, if I sit in my chair, and I react to the acting, and it works, and it feels right, then your audience is going to react that way too. If you feel that it’s false, you go for another take. Because, if you’re going to move on and you have a false take, your audience is not going to buy it. So, I always come from a perspective of it’s not to design the most fresh, the most interesting, the most this, and that, look, we’re not going to be reinventing the wheel. It’s been invented. So, what you’re going to go for is the performance. What you’re going to go for is for the trueness. The value of whether or not it is good. It has a capability to hook you, to appeal to you, to convince you that this is what’s happening, and this is the right thing, and it’s the honesty.
‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
