In keeping with much of the other new casting (more on that below), we don’t yet know what role Tillman will be playing –– whether it’ll be a Marvel character, someone new, or the usual MCU spin on someone from the comics.
Destin Daniel Cretton (director, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
Given that ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ changed things in a huge way for Holland’s Peter–– as you’ll likely recall, it ended with a spell that wiped everyone’s memory of him so as to protect the people he loves –– the storyline going forward is naturally something of a mystery.
We do at least know that Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who contributed to or wrote the previous three Spider-outings, are back on board for this one.
Who else will appear in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’?
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Netflix.
Even with Peter’s changed situation, the likes of MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) are still likely to return.
Yet with ‘Stranger Things’Sadie Sink’s casting earlier this year, that throws an interesting wrinkle in –– what if the plan is for MJ and Ned to have smaller roles while a new supporting cast rises to importance in Peter’s life?
Sink’s role being kept under wraps, and the studio will look to have it that way as long as possible.
Elsewhere, ‘The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas has also scored a role in the movie, but her character is also a mystery for now.
(Left) Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Smart Hulk in Disney+’s ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.’ (Right) Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
Mark Ruffalo is aboard ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’.
Destin Daniel Cretton is directing.
Tom Holland is returning to star as the titular web-crawler.
Looks like Peter Parker has another patriarchal figure headed his way.
How the Hulk fits into the story remains to be seen –– with the likes of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher around, Peter will likely need some help. And who knows whether there will be some conflict between Peter and Bruce themselves before everything is resolved?
Destin Daniel Cretton (director, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
Given that ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ changed things in a huge way for Peter Parker –– as you’ll likely recall, it ended with a spell that wiped everyone’s memory of him so as to protect the people he loves –– the storyline going forward is naturally something of a mystery.
We do at least know that Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who contributed to or wrote the previous three Spider-outings, are back on board for this one.
Who else will appear in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’?
Even with the spell affecting Peter, MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) are still likely to return.
Yet with ‘Stranger Things’Sadie Sink’s casting earlier this year, that throws an interesting wrinkle in –– what if the plan is for MJ and Ned to have smaller roles while a new supporting cast rises to importance in Peter’s life?
Sink’s role being kept under wraps, and the studios will look to have it that way as long as possible.
Elsewhere, ‘The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas has also scored a role in the movie, but her character is also a mystery for now.
And thanks to the Reporter’s story, we also know that Michael Mando, the ‘Better Call Saul’ actor who cropped up in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ as Mac Gargan, the civilian version of Spidey villain Scorpion, so he’ll also be causing problems.
Finally, we got our first proper look at Holland in his new Spidey suit –– obligatory joke here about it being an official studio video and not a leak from the actor himself…
When will ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ be in theaters?
With cameras now rolling. ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ will swing into theaters on July 31st, 2026.
Thanks to some recent release date shuffles, the movie will be the next MCU entry, ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, which is now scheduled for December 19th, 2026.
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Movies and TV Shows Featuring Spider-Man Characters:
(Left) Scott Caan as Jackie Powers in the action/thriller, ‘One Day as a Lion,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate. (Right) Mia Goth and Elizabeth Debicki in ‘Maxxxine’. Photo: Starmaker Studios LLC.
Preview:
Scott Caan and Elizabeth Debicki have joined the ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ follow-up.
Brad Pitt’s confirmed to return.
David Fincher is directing.
We’re still trying to pick our jaws up off the floor at the news back in April that not only was a new movie following Brad Pitt’s stuntman character Cliff Booth from Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ in the works, but A) David Fincher was directing it (with QT’s approval and at the behest of old friend Pitt) and B) Tarantino had written the script for it.
No confirmed details have emerged about who they might play, though a source for the Reporter does mention that the story called for two key female roles, one who runs a bar and mud wrestling establishment and one a trophy wife. It is unknown yet if Debicki will play one of those or another role altogether.
And as for Caan? We know nothing at this point. Security at this point is right around the level of your average ‘Star Wars’ movie.
What do we know about the ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ follow-up?
Brad Pitt in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
We know that this riff on ‘Once’s Booth character –– the movie isn’t strictly a sequel, more of a Booth spin-off ––is something that Tarantino was noodling with and could potentially have been born from his scrapped script ‘The Movie Critic,’ which supposedly included Pitt.
Now QT has turned it into a new script, and with both Fincher and Pitt aboard, Netflix has put together the deal, which will probably end up being around a $200 million budget (the streamer reportedly paid a cool $20 million for the script) to shoot in California this July. We’re talking real fast track here.
But what of Sony, which released ‘Once?’ A couple of things… it has a deal to send much of its output to Netflix and ‘Once’ was a special case anyway; Tarantino’s deal for the original included him hanging on to certain rights. Presumably, he could take Cliff where he wanted.
Handing it to Fincher is no bad compromise if we’re not to get another slice of that character from his creator alone.
There’s more! Reporter Jeff Sneider is adding to the story, bringing word that Leonardo DiCaprio is in the middle of hashing out a deal to also appear in the movie. It’s not yet closed and he may not even end up in the movie, but surely the appeal of A) another Tarantino script, B) working with Fincher and reuniting with Pitt is strong.
What was the story of ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’?
(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’
Tarantino’s original movie is set during the summer of 1969, as Hollywood’s Golden Age is winding down.
Television actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his stunt double Booth endeavor to achieve lasting success in Hollywood while meeting several colorful characters along the way.
Not the least is Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who in this alternate version of history ends up saved from death by the members of the Manson family.
As for the follow-up, it certainly shoves everything else on Fincher’s To Do list down a notch or two. Apologies to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, you just got pushed deeper down.
Where else have we seen Scott Caan?
Scott Caan as Jackie Powers in the action/thriller, ‘One Day as a Lion,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Caan, son of the late, great James Caan, has forged his own path in the acting world.
The ‘Once’ casting would mark a reunion for Pitt and the actor since Caan appeared in all three of the Steven Soderbergh-directed ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ trilogy of movies.
Yet Caan has been spending much of the last decade or so starring in TV, heading up the long-running present-day take on ‘Hawaii Five-O’ and another procedural, ‘Alert: Missing Persons Unit.’
What has Elizabeth Debicki worked on?
Elizabeth Debicki in ‘The Crown’ season 6. Copyright: Netflix / LeftBank.
The Australian actor might be best known for portraying Princess Diana on Netflix series ‘The Crown,’ but she also appeared in spy thriller series ‘The Night Manager.’
When will the ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ follow-up be out?
Since The Playlist’s story indicates a fast track, we could potentially see this on screens as early as next year –– an exciting prospect for sure.
But will it be on a big or small screen? While Fincher and Pitt are certainly big names, the director didn’t warrant a theatrical release for his previous movie, ‘The Killer,’ despite his established professional relationship with the streaming service.
Still… a follow-up to a Tarantino movie? Starring Brad Pitt and potentially Leonardo DiCaprio? Surely a candidate for at least a limited theatrical push.
(Top row L to R) Destin Daniel Cretton (director, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’), Bob Persichetti (director,’ Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’), Phil Lord (producer, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’), Tyree Dillihay (director, ‘GOAT’), Zach Cregger (director, ‘Resident Evil’), (Bottom row L to R) Darren Aronofsky (director, ‘Caught Stealing’), Justin K. Thompson (director, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’), Nia DaCosta (director, ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’), Danny Boyle (director, ’28 Years Later’), and Kogonada (director, ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Eric Charbonneau / Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
Preview:
Sony has made its big presentation to the 2025 CinemaCon crowd.
‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ and ‘28 Years Later’ were among the major titles showcased.
The studio also showed footage from ‘Karate Kid: Legends.’
Theater owners are suffering right now, with takings down compared to last year, even with a solid start to 2025. So the cinema chain owners allied under what is now known as Cinema United –– formerly the National Association of Theater Owners –– will be looking for good news and plenty of potentially successful movies from the studios.
The mantra for the big cinema chains was “survive ‘till ’25,” and we’re here. Which is where CinemaCon comes in –– the big show in Vegas each year where the companies roll out stars and footage to tease what they have in the coming year.
First up was Sony, home of the ‘Spider-Verse‘ and the ‘Karate Kid‘, and we can expect both to show up somehow in the studio’s presentation.
With two and a half hours of show time to fill, the company kicked off like any student forced to give a verbal presentation –– talking about other things, including a sizzle reel of 2024 movies and lots of talk about HDR and distribution. Which is what you get when you’re at a show intended for theater owners.
But then the presentation proper began with Paul Rudd and Jack Black introducing their new comedic take on cult classic, ‘Anaconda,’ cracking a couple of jokes before segueing to welcome Sony movie boss Tom Rothman to the stage. Rothman began his opening remarks with a quip that Seth Rogen’s character in new Apple TV+ series ‘The Studio’ is based on him.
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According to Rothman, the focus of Sony’s presentation will be the filmmakers who have been laboring to produce their new output, and what better choice to start with than Danny Boyle?
Danny Boyle (director, ’28 Years Later’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
The long-anticipated third entry in the ‘28 Days Later’ franchise is also technically the launch of a new trilogy, with original duo Boyle and writer Alex Garland back behind the camera.
As the title suggests, it’s set years after the original movie set a virus that turns infected humans into rageful creatures upon London and the wider environs on England.
Boyle was there to introduce the premiere of the new trailer for the movie, which had a hard act to follow given the impressively impactful first teaser.
We’re introduced to a new world order for the country –– save havens are in place, where the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson‘s Jamie and his family live. But an ill-feted hunting trip strands him in the infected-infested outside world. We also see and hear Ralph Fiennes, a rugged survivor. We’re also told that Cillian Murphy will be back for the new movie.
Nia DaCosta (director, ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
Boyle mentions that DaCosta is in production now on that movie, and that they’re looking for financing for the third. So if anyone has some quarters they can spare…
The first movie seethes onto screens on June 20th.
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Unlikely to need more in the way of cash is a certain animated sequel…
Justin K. Thompson (director, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’) (L), Bob Persichetti (director, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’) and Phil Lord (producer, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
Phil Lord and directors Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson took the stage to announce that the third ‘Spider-Verse’ outing will be “bigger than the past two,” and a massive movie, in fact. So massive that it’ll be the first Sony animated pic to show on IMAX screens.
The movie, as you might have suspected from the cliffhanger ending of the second, picks up immediately, so no waiting to see what happens with Miles and co.
We also finally know when the next ‘Spider-Verse’ movie is landing… Prepare to wait until June 4th, 2027 to see this one. Yep, more than two years away!
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That’s followed by a newcomer to the CinemaCon stage…
Darren Aronofsky (director, ‘Caught Stealing’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
This is Darren Aronofsky’s first trip to CinemaCon, and he’s here to promote ‘Caught Stealing,’ his new crime thriller ‘Caught Stealing.’
Zach Cregger (director, ‘Resident Evil’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
The next adaptation of the hugely popular video game franchise comes from ‘Barbarian’ director Zach Cregger, who is in the early stages of putting this one together. He promised it’ll be nothing like the Paul W.S. Anderson/Milla Jovovich movies, but still call it a ‘Wild Ride.’
Here’s what he said:
“The movie I’m going to make is unlike any of the previous adaptations…It’s a story that follows one central protagonist from point A to point B as they descend into hell.”
Though only currently in pre-production, the movie has a September 18th, 2026 date on the books.
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And now the whistlestop tour of Sony’s slate continues with…
Stars Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie joined director Kogonada to talk up the fantastical romantic adventure, and debut the first trailer.
Expect that on September 19th.
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A change of pace to…
‘GOAT’
The animated animals-playing-basketball movie is produced by sporting icon Steph Curry, and he appeared via video to introduce the movie, which will be out on February 13th, 2026.
Following ‘GOAT,’ it was the turn of Sony distribution chief Adam Bergerman to discuss release windows, which if we’re honest, is catnip to the CinemaCon crowd.
He also mentioned the company’s continued investment in anime, spotlighted by a clip from…
From there back to more live-action matters, with word that a new ‘Insidious’ movie, co-produced by Blumhouse will be in theaters next year (August 21st, 2026, to be exact).
‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ opens in theaters on July 18th, 2025.
For this one, it’s a case of Classic Story, New Kids as a new group of teens will try to cover up a road accident only to be stalked by a hook-handed killer.
Ben Wang (L) and Ralph Macchio, from ‘Karate Kid: Legends’, at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
The next iteration of the ‘Karate Kid’ movie franchise blends the classic (Ralph Macchio as student-turned-sensei Daniel LaRusso) with the reboot (Jackie Chan’s Sifu Han) as the two teachers combine forces to tutor the new Karate Kid, Ben Wang’s Li Fong.
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A live karate demonstration gave way to Macchio and Wang on stage, who talked up the new movie, and showed a couple of clips and the first trailer.
Destin Daniel Cretton (director, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
The latest Spidey outing brings Tom Holland swinging back to our screens for Sony’s collaboration with Marvel and the MCU proper.
With Destin Daniel Cretton taking over directorial duties, he was on stage to hype the film.
Destin Daniel Cretton (director, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
But we also heard from star Holland, who appeared via video from the set of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ to extol how the new ‘Spider-Man’ will be a “fresh start” for the franchise.
And that’s seemingly confirmed by the title: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day.’ Which makes some sense given the world-memory-wiping antics of ‘No Way Home.’
It’ll land on July 31st, 2026.
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But wait! There’s more. Tom Rothman returns to the stage to talk about Sam Mendes’ four Beatles biopics, one each focused on John, Paul George and Ringo (kids, ask your grandparents).
It’s being touted as a four-movie cinematic event.
The bold idea for this one is four separate movies, each one focusing on a different band member’s perspective, all shot across one year and then released together in April 2028, to make, as Rothman touts, “the first bingeable theatrical experience.”
And here comes the confirmation of the official cast…
‘The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event’, directed by Sam Mendes. (L to R) Harris Dickinson (John Lennon), Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney), Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr), and Joseph Quinn (George Harrison). In theaters April 2028. Photo by: John Russo.
Thus ends the Sony presentation. Some hefty hitters there, and a good mix of horror and Spider-action. We’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.
(L to R) Bob Persichetti (director, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’), Justin K. Thompson (director, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’), Phil Lord (producer, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’), Nia DaCosta (director, ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’) and Tyree Dillihay (director, ‘GOAT’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Eric Charbonneau / Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
The fourth, untitled MCU ‘Spider-Man’ movie lands in July 2026.
Tom Holland is starring.
Destin Daniel Cretton is in the director’s chair.
With ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ gobbling up huge amounts of money back in 2021 (an even more impressive achievement given that audiences were still wary of movie theaters during the ongoing COVID pandemic), you knew that Sony and Marvel were not going to just give up on future installments of the web-slinging franchise, even if it represented the end of star Tom Holland’s then-current contact.
And now, per Sony, we have news that the fourth film –– whose title we have yet to learn –– will be in theaters on July 24th, 2026.
What’s the story of ‘Spider-Man 4’?
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Given that ‘No Way Home’ changed things in a huge way for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker –– as you’ll likely recall, it ended with a spell that wiped everyone’s memory of him so as to protect the people he loves –– the storyline going forward is naturally something of a mystery.
“The first few meetings were about, ‘Why would we do this again?’ And I think we found the reason why,” Holland told the Reporter previously about the fourth movie. But that actual reason has yet to be divulged (and with Holland not currently doing press, we’ll have to wait until he does before any details emerge accidentally).
We do at least know that Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who contributed to or wrote the previous three Spider-outings, are back on board for this one.
Holland also recently told Jimmy Fallon that the movie will be shooting next summer.
Here’s what he had to say:
“Next summer, we start shooting. Everything’s good to go. We’re nearly there. “The project is super exciting.”
That makes sense given the new release plan and will make it the second confirmed MCU release for 2026 after ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ in May.
Zendaya in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Though the game was changed considerably in ‘No Way Home’, we can’t imagine that the franchise would continue without Zendaya as MJ (Peter’s big love interest) and Jacob Batalon as Ned (his best friend). Surely a way will be found to have them remember him?
What movies will the new ‘Spider-Man’ film be up against?
While the latest Spidey outing has its release date to itself, Holland may face competition –– from himself. He’s reportedly aboard the next Christopher Nolan film, which is scheduled to land on July 17th, 2026, so one week before the fourth ‘Spider-Man’ entry.
Could we be looking at the next “Barbenheimer” with a Double Holland coincidence? Only time will tell…
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
(L to R) Director Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman from ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ has made more than $1 billion at the box office.
It joins ‘Joker’ as an R-Rated movie to have achieved that.
And the Blake Lively-starring ‘It Ends With Us’ has also had a successful launch.
As it launched to gigantic success at the US box office and beyond, all eyes turned to whether ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ would join the select club of R-Rated releases to cross the $1 billion mark, an achievement only reached so far by ‘Joker’.
And, as the movie continues its groundbreaking run, we all begin to realize that it would indeed cross that marker, the only question remaining being when.
Now we know: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ made $1.029 billion through Sunday this weekend, factoring in an international take of $535.2 million and domestic of $494.3 million.
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What milestones has ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and Disney now passed?
Among the many milestones that the movie has passed is reaching the billion mark faster than ‘Joker’ (though it has a China release to help with its income).
It’ll likely supersede ‘Joker’s total by the end of the week, which will make it the highest-grossing R-Rated movie of all time. And it’s the most successful movie for both its stars (that would be Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman) and director Shawn Levy.
It also continues the good news for Disney as a studio, which now marks as the only film distributor to have two $1 billion releases in one year.
In total, 55 industry titles have passed the $1 billion threshold with Disney home to 31 of them (including three Fox titles).
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has 11 (including two at Sony, thanks to Spider-Man). Marvel Studios is responsible for more $1 billion+ films than any studio outside of The Walt Disney Studios itself.
Blake Lively attends the “It Ends With Us” UK Gala Screening at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on August 08, 2024 in London, England. Photo: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Sony Pictures.
The adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller, which has been embraced by the online book crowd to an enormous degree, had plenty of anticipation (and some behind-the-scenes drama), Blake Lively as star and producer and a buzzy, if somewhat controversial combo of romantic drama and domestic violence in its storyline.
‘It Ends With Us’, directed by Justin Baldoni, tells the story of Lily Bloom (Lively), a florist who gets caught in a love triangle between a charming but abusive neurosurgeon, Ryle (Baldoni), and her first boyfriend, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar).
All that has turned the movie into a hit from the start, with the movie managing to earn more than ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ on its opening day (we’re sure there was much mirth in the Reynolds-Lively household over that), and ended up with $50 million domestically, and $80 million globally, a fine start for a movie that carried a $25 million budget.
So, yes… Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have effectively had a “Barbenheimer” weekend. A “Dead Ends” weekend? Yeah, we’ll workshop that one.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman attend the UK Fan Event of Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at Eventim Apollo, London on July 11th, 2024. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Other Movies and TV Shows Similar to ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’:
(L to R) Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua between takes while filming in the Amalfi Coast on the set of Columbia Pictures ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo by: Stefano Montesi.
Denzel Washington will shoot back to our screens next month as government assassin-turned-do-gooding crusader Robert McCall in ‘The Equalizer 3’.
And while it could end up being the final outing (though nothing has been said) for McCall in his present form, director Antoine Fuqua is already thinking of an idea for an ‘Equalizer’ prequel which would use de-aging technology so Washington can star as a younger version of the character.
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What has Fuqua said about an ‘Equalizer’ prequel?
Director Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington on the set of ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo by: Stefano Cristiiano Montesi.
“I definitely thought about it a lot. Especially now with the new technology and the AI and all of that kind of stuff… Is there a story to be told about how [McCall] became this person — the younger version. I’ve had that conversation with [‘Equalizer’ screenwriter] Richard Wenk quite a bit.”
But don’t go booking your tickets to ‘The Equalizer: Young McCall’ just yet. Right now, it’s still only in Fuqua’s mind and he has yet to sound out Washington on the concept, which has been most recently deployed in the opening sequence of ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’, winding back the clock to show Harrison Ford looking like he did circa ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’.
As he explains:
“I haven’t talked to Denzel about that yet. It’s all so fresh and new. I’m still watching [the technology]. I’ve watched Harrison Ford’s film and I know there’s other movies coming out. I think Sony has one coming out with Tom Hanks soon [Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Here’]. And I’m hearing the technology is getting better and better and better. So, I’m kind of watching it to see where it goes.”
The notion of using AI and CG to de-age actors has been a controversial one; beyond the wider argument about AI and its impact on performers (which is a key point in the current SAG-AFTRA strike, it has been seen as a hit-and-miss idea.
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What’s the story of ‘The Equalizer 3?
Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Montesi.
Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed.
Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.
“The first film was about [McCall] finding a purpose. And it’s very external, right? He’s helping people. The second one is more about making peace with his past. He’s betrayed by his friends and [his colleague] dies and his wife has passed away… And then this one is more of a moral dilemma because he’s a darker character… He’s struggling with the violence and brutality.”
‘The Equalizer 3’ is in theaters on September 1.
Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Montesi.
Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won him a series of Nissan-sponsored video game competitions to become an actual professional race car driver.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Neill Blomkamp about his work on ‘Gran Turismo,’ adapting the video game while telling Jann Mardenborough real life story, why Archie Madekwe was the right actor to play Mardenborough, the VFX he used to simulate the game, and shooting the race car driving scenes.
Neill Blomkamp director of ‘Gran Turismo.’
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Blomkamp, Archie Madekwe and Jann Mardenborough.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the idea of adapting the ‘Gran Turismo’ video game by telling Jan Mardenborough’s real life story. Was that the key for you in making this movie?
Neill Blomkamp: Yeah, totally. I mean, the thing about the movie that I thought was unique and a different way to approach video game films was this totally unusual approach of it being a biography. His life is very interesting and this combination of real world racing and the drama of the real world where we’re not in the narrative of a video game, but the video game is so integral to his journey and to the movie. I thought that was a really cool and unusual way of approaching a video game movie.
The real Jann Mardenborough on the set of Columbia Pictures ‘Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story.’ Photo: Gordon Timpen.
MF: Why was Archie Madekwe the right actor to play Jann Mardenborough and bring his real life story to the big screen?
NB: I mean, there’s a host of different factors that make Archie perfect. One of the things that we spoke about a lot was just that Jann is a very grounded and sort of warm person. He’s like a really good guy. There’s something in Archie that naturally seems grounded and similar to him. They’re very similar in terms of charisma, but they’re physically totally different. Archie’s 6’6, or some crazy height and he’s not optimal for being a race car jockey, that has to be squeezed into small, lightweight race cars. So physically, he’s cool in the movie, because he kind of lurches over everyone, but he’s very different to Jann in that respect. But I met so many actors for this role and even the first time that I had a Zoom with him, I could just tell that he was the right person. Then I went to London and I met him in person and I just totally loved him. I loved working with him as well. I loved his performance and I also loved the process of actually working with him.
Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough in ‘Gran Turismo.’
MF: Can you talk about the VFX you used to simulate the game within the movie?
NB: Yeah, I mean that idea came from this concept that in the PlayStation or any video game computational device, that it’s running some kind of game engine. It’s calculating in 3D space everything correctly. So when you’re driving it, it’s projecting an approximation onto a screen of roughly what the track looks like. But in reality, it’s genuinely computing like an eight-kilometer long track where the size of the car is correct, all of the mathematics are in fact correct. I wanted to just project that in 3D space and let the audience see what the PlayStation is actually computing. Visually, I thought it was interesting, but the real thing about it that’s cool is, it’s kind of how a real professional sim driver experiences and sees Gran Turismo. So it felt very personal to Jann, even though it’s a cool visual motif, it’s actually how he sees the world. So any place that I could put it that didn’t feel gratuitous or too much of a gimmick, I wanted to include it.
A race from Columbia Pictures ‘Gran Turismo.’ Photo: Gordon Timpen.
MF: Finally, can you talk about the challenges of shooting the race car driving sequences and making those seem as authentic as possible?
NB: I mean the goal with the race sequences was to make it as much of an experiential thing as I could. I wanted to put the cameras in positions that really let you feel like you were on the track, feeling it in a visceral way, almost like you were there as much as I could. A huge portion of that was sound design and also how the sound design would change depending on where the camera’s placed. Then also showing the internal mechanics of the car and the idea with that was, if this is how all the mechanics work, then there’s sort of a G-force or physical stress that’s applied to the driver. It all came back to this idea of trying to feel it through the screen. Then the other thing was for everything to just be real as opposed to using tricks or visual effects. I don’t really want to say visual effects, because we used visual effects, but we used visual effects to amplify what was real. So the basis for everything was always real. Anytime you see one of the actors in the cockpit, they’re really on the track doing that. None of that is fake. It’s a hundred percent real.
Director Neill Blomkamp (center) and the real Jann Mardenborough (right) with additional crew on the set of Columbia Pictures ‘Gran Turismo. Photo: Gordon Timpen.
‘Gran Turismo’ is produced by PlayStation Productions, 2.0 Entertainment, and Columbia Pictures. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on August 11th, 2023.
Marvel Comics character Silk. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Could Sony be looking to compete with Disney+ in terms of Marvel output? The studio certainly seems to be stepping up to the televisual plate, with word last year that it was developing a series based on the ‘Silk’ comic books.
That has now developed into a full-blown development slate, with plans for several series. But ‘Silk’ will still be first out of the gate, albeit with new producers.
‘Silk: Spider-Society’ will feature the character of Cindy Moon. A Korean American classmate of Peter Parker’s, she was first created by created by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos and introduced in the comic books in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man #1’ in 2014. Like Parker, she is bitten by a radioactive spider, which gives her the ability to move at incredible speed, shoot webs out of her fingertips, and possess an advanced Spider-Sense (known as Silk Sense). Tiffany Espensen played the character in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’, though not the superhero version.
When the show was first announced, Lauren Moon, a veteran of small screen titles such as ‘Good Trouble’ and Netflix’s ‘Atypical’ was reported as being in talks to run the series, but she’s no longer involved.
(L to R) Phil Lord and Chris Miller on the set of ’21 Jump Street.’
Instead, overseeing producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (who, of course, are closely connected to the Spider-universe thanks to, well, the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies) are working with Angela Kang, who has spent the last few years as the main showrunner for ‘The Walking Dead’. Though she’s still linked to the ‘Dead’ world thanks to executive producing a Daryl Dixon spin-off of the long-running zombie show, her focus will now be ‘Silk: Spider Society’.
Also involved is regular Spider-producer Amy Pascal, who once more team with Lord and Miller to build out the suite of shows that will follow different characters under Sony’s rights. There are plenty to choose from, as the studio controls 900 Marvel characters as part of an arrangement made before Disney bought Marvel and spawned their successful cinematic universe.
“Angela is a pro’s pro whose perspective and creativity we greatly respect and admire. She’s also a hell of a lot of fun. She loves these characters and we feel really lucky for the chance to work with her to bring Cindy Moon’s story to the world” said Lord and Miller in a statement.
“I’m beyond thrilled to be joining the Amazon Studios family for this next chapter of my career. I look forward to working with the executive team on diverse, character-forward, watercooler shows for a global audience and am so excited to dive in to my first challenge – bringing Korean American superhero Silk to life on screen, ” said Kang.
In a quirk of the deal, the show will actually debut domestically on MGM+’s (you might know it as Epix) linear channel followed by a global launch on Prime Video.
Marvel Comics character Silk. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
And in the case of at least the first (though possibly both), they will also boast the voice of ‘Get Out’, and ‘Nope’ actor Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Spider-Punk.
Kaluuya, of course, is already a veteran of the main MCU (to which Sony’s Spider-Verse movies don’t yet directly connect), having played W’Kabi in 2018’s ‘Black Panther’.
The new movies continue the adventures of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) as they combat threats from across the Spider-Verse.
Alongside the returning heroes, we’ll see more from Spider-Man 2099 (AKA Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac) and meet the likes of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman), played by Issa Rae.
Marvel Comics Spider-Punk. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com
Spider-Punk, AKA Hobart “Hobie” Brown, is a more recent Marvel Comics arrival, created by writer Dan Slott and artist Olivier Coipel in 2015 via ‘The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3’ #10.
He’s described as a homeless teenager who becomes a hero to the oppressed citizens of New York in his dimensional universe.
On the villainous side, there is a deep cut from within Spidey’s rogues’ gallery.
Voiced by Jason Schwartzman, The Dot will feature a character design meant to call to mind an unfinished sketch, featuring blue construction lines that evoke a comic book artist’s rough drawing before the work goes to an inker. The design itself will evolve over the course of the film as the character changes and grows, taking on a more fearsome shape as he learns to better apply his own powers.
There will also be an appearance from more familiar The Vulture; though not the Michael Keaton character from ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and other live-action movies. Instead, this will be a different dimension’s version, voiced by Jorma Taccone.
Aside from the knowledge that our heroes will have to face off against those villains (and, likely some characters yet to be revealed), the story for both of the sequel movies remains largely a mystery. But given the continued presence of Lord and Miller in particular, we’re anticipating an inventive, funny, emotional and visually wild ride across the two films.
We’ll have to wait for ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ as it won’t land in theaters until June 2nd next year. And ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ is even further away, arriving on March 29th, 2024.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’
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