The ‘Very Young Frankenstein’ series is going to pilot.
Zach Galifianakis, Cary Elwes, Kumail Nanjiani and more are in the cast.
It’ll be a prequel to Mel Brooks’ ‘Young Frankenstein’.
We learned back in July that, following the ‘Spaceballs’ sequel movie news, another Mel Brooks movie was getting the follow-up treatment. Or in this case, a TV prequel. ‘Young Frankenstein’ is the Brooks project in question and the new show is ‘Very Young Frankenstein.’
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While we already knew that Taika Waititi is involved (to direct the pilot) alongside two writers from the ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ TV spin-off, Stefani Robinson and Garrett Basch, the cast has also been revealed.
(L to R) Teri Garr, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, and Marty Feldman in ‘Young Frankenstein’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.
Brooks’ 1974 horror-comedy starred Gene Wilder (who co-wrote the screenplay with the director) as Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of mad scientist Victor Frankenstein –– the younger Frankenstein pronounces the family name as “Fronkensteen,” to distinguish himself from his ancestor, whose unorthodox experiments have brought the American scientist shame.
When Frederick inherits his grandfather’s Transylvania castle, he wants to prove Victor was not insane. Alongside Igor (pronounced as “Eye-gore”), whose grandfather assisted Victor in the lab, the pair attempts to save the muddied Frankenstein name by creating their own monster. What could go wrong?
Gene Wilder in ‘Young Frankenstein’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.
There are no details as to how the new show will spin off from the movie, but the title suggests turning the clock back to the earlier days of Frederick. Perhaps a college comedy?
None of the freshly–announced cast have character descriptions, so we’ll have to wait for further details –– but Elwes is listed as the star of this one.
When will ‘Very Young Frankenstein’ be on our screens?
The show right now is just a pilot for FX and Hulu, so it’ll need to score a pickup if it’s to go to series. Audiences (and Brooks’ accountant) are no doubt crossing their fingers.
(L to R) Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Gene Wilder, and Teri Garr in ‘Young Frankenstein’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.
It’s fair to say that the Marvel movies, specifically the Marvel Cinematic Universe releases, have reached “cultural event” status. And there’s a strong case to be made that the MCU is a currently a pop culture juggernaut, the likes of which we haven’t since the original ‘Star Wars‘ trilogy hit theaters for the first time.
It is a great time to watch the Marvel movies in order now and you can watch them all on Disney Plus in 4K format. You can even plan virtual Marvel movie nights with your friends using Disney+ GroupWatch feature.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
During World War II, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a sickly man from Brooklyn who’s transformed into super-soldier Captain America to aid in the war effort. Rogers must stop the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) – Adolf Hitler’s ruthless head of weaponry, and the leader of an organization that intends to use a mysterious device of untold powers for world domination.
The story follows Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) scours the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him: the Hulk. But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civilization, he finds himself coming face to face with a new, deadly foe.
With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances – and confront powerful enemies.
Against his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) will, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
When an unexpected enemy emerges and threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins!
When Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos… but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
After the cataclysmic events in New York with ‘The Avengers’, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), aka Captain America is living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon (Anthony Mackie). However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron (James Spader) emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Doctor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Following the events of ‘Age of Ultron’, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Captain America (Chris Evans), which causes an epic battle between former allies.
Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Following the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War’, Peter Parker (Tom Holland), with the help of his mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture (Michael Keaton), emerges.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther in 2018’s ‘Black Panther.’
King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne by factions within his own country as well as without. Using powers reserved to Wakandan kings, T’Challa assumes the Black Panther mantle to join with ex-girlfriend Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), the queen-mother, his princess-kid sister, members of the Dora Milaje (the Wakandan ‘special forces’) and an American secret agent, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under her wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett).
Just when his time under house arrest is about to end, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) once again puts his freedom at risk to help Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) dive into the quantum realm and try to accomplish, against time and any chance of success, a very dangerous rescue mission.
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization and his father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung).
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends go on a summer trip to Europe. However, they will hardly be able to rest – Peter will have to agree to help Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) uncover the mystery of creatures that cause natural disasters and destruction throughout the continent.
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. Teaming with other Multiverse Spider-Men (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield), they must now work together to take out the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and other Spider-Man villains from around the multiverse.
The Eternals are a team of ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. When an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows, they are forced to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants.
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.
Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
On a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), the Guardians head to Earth in search of the perfect present. The special follows Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) as they set out to give Quill the best Christmas ever, after discovering that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined the holiday for him as a child.
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), along with with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) , and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible and pits them against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam (Anthony Mackie) finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
Bringing the new show to life is a team that knows a little something about creating a successful small screen spin-off from a comedy film –– ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ co-writer/director/actor Taika Waititi is involved alongside Stefani Robinson and Garrett Basch, who served as writer/producers on the show that followed the 2015 movie.
(L to R) Teri Garr, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, and Marty Feldman in ‘Young Frankenstein’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.
Brooks’ 1974 horror-comedy starred Gene Wilder (who co-wrote the screenplay with the director) as Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of mad scientist Victor Frankenstein –– the younger Frankenstein pronounces the family name as “Fronkensteen,” to distinguish himself from his ancestor, whose unorthodox experiments have brought the American scientist shame.
When Frederick inherits his grandfather’s Transylvania castle, he wants to prove Victor was not insane. Alongside Igor (pronounced as “Eye-gore”), whose grandfather assisted Victor in the lab, the pair attempts to save the muddied Frankenstein name by creating their own monster. What could go wrong?
Gene Wilder in ‘Young Frankenstein’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.
There are no details as to how the new show will spin off from the movie, but the title suggests turning the clock back to the earlier days of Frederick. Perhaps a college comedy?
Waititi, of course, worked with movie co-creator Jemaine Clement bring ‘What We Do in the Shadows,’ the story of vampire roommates in New Zealand to the US with the FX spin-off that ran between 2019 and 2024, scoring acclaim and plenty of award nominations.
‘Shadows’ veteran Robinson will be showrunner and head writer on the ‘Frankenstein’ show with Basch as an executive producer. And right now, it only has a pilot order, so we’ll see if this one makes it to series.
(L to R) Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Gene Wilder, and Teri Garr in ‘Young Frankenstein’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.
(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.
A scene from in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’ Photo: Lucasfilm.
Preview:
Patty Jenkins has offered an update on the status of ‘Star Wars: Rogue Squadron’.
The ‘Wonder Woman’ director says that her movie is back in development.
‘Rogue Squadron’ was announced in 2020 but has been in limbo ever since.
One of the more exciting ‘Star Wars’ related projects announced a long time ago has seemed to be far, far away in terms of development and release date. ‘Rogue Squadron’ was touted as the next big, non-‘Wonder Woman’ movie from director Patty Jenkins, who at the time was riding high on the success of the Gal Gadot-starring superhero film and had the eagerly-anticipated follow-up, ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ on the way.
What a difference four years makes. Since then, we’ve seen ‘1984’ land to mixed critical response and with its box office hit by the pandemic and the simultaneous release on what was then called HBO Max. ‘Rogue Squadron’ has been seemingly stuck in development limbo with re-writes, and Disney unceremoniously yanked the movie from its release schedule in 2022. Add to that the fact that diminishing returns from the big screen ‘Star Wars’ movies led to the company switching focus to the more successful TV.
Meanwhile, part of the ‘Rogue Squadron’ delay was Jenkins pivoting to a third ‘Wonder Woman’ movie with Gadot expressing excitement to return, a desire that has since been scuppered by a change in regime at DC Studios, the Warner Bros. comic book arm handed to James Gunn and Peter Safran to oversee.
But it appears there is some potentially promising news on the ‘Star Wars’ front…
What has Patty Jenkins said about ‘Star Wars: Rogue Squadron’?
‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins at Comic Con International in San Diego, California.
“When I left ‘Star Wars’ to do ‘Wonder Woman 3’, and I started working on that, we talked about, ‘Well, maybe I’ll come back to ‘Star Wars’ after ‘Wonder Woman 3’,’ so we started a deal for that to happen. When ‘Wonder Woman 3’ then went away, Lucasfilm and I were like ‘Oh, we’ve got to finish this deal.’ We finished the deal right as the strike was beginning, so I now owe a draft of ‘Star Wars’.”
She also commented on the potential for the new movie, given that the development schedule for ‘Star Wars’ movies has begun to ramp up again:
“They have a hard job in front of them of, ‘What’s the first movie they’re going to do? They have other directors who have been working, but I am now back on doing ‘Rogue Squadron’. We’ll see what happens. We need to get it to where we’re both super happy with it.”
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What’s happening with the other ‘Star Wars’ movies?
(L to R) Dave Filoni, Daisy Ridley and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
The leader in terms of forward movement right now is ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’, which Jon Favreau is gearing up to direct based on the sprawling TV universe he’s created alongside Dave Filoni.
Then there is a new story for Daisy Ridley’s sequel trilogy character Rey –– rumored to be titled ‘New Jedi Order’ –– directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, which is inching towards pre-production.
Before you go setting your S-foils to ticket buying position, cool your thrusters: the movie is still at the development stage. The next likely release from the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy is ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’, which looks to be targeting a 2026 slot alongside ‘New Jedi Order’.
Amy Adams in ‘American Hustle.’ Photo: Sony Pictures.
Preview:
Amy Adams is in negotiations for Taika Waititi’s new movie.
Jenna Ortega is already aboard.
The movie adapts Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel of the same name.
Taika Waititi last brought us the based-on-truth story ‘Next Goal Wins’, but for his next film, he’s going in an altogether more fantastical direction.
The director, who has worked on the likes of ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ and ‘Jojo Rabbit’ is preparing to direct science fiction story ‘Klara and the Sun’.
‘Klara and the Sun’ charts the story of Klara (Ortega), an Artificial Friend designed to prevent loneliness. Klara is purchased by a mother (Adams) and a bright teen named Josie who adores her new robot companion but suffers from a mysterious illness.
Klara’s quest is to save Josie and those who love her from heartbreak and how in the process Klara learns the power of human love.
The original novel was published in 2021, written by ‘Living’ writer Kazuo Ishiguro, debuting on the New York Times’ Best Sellers Hardcover Fiction List at No. 3 and the Indie Best Sellers Hardcover Fiction List at No. 1.
Dahvi Waller, who has written on TV shows such as ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Halt and Catch Fire’, crafted the adaptation, and Sony 3000 Pictures secured Waititi to direct last year, though the writers and actors’ strikes curtailed any chance to get it filmed in 2023.
But with Adams now closing in on a deal, the aim is to have the cameras rolling in the coming weeks.
And if that wasn’t enough positivity for you, the movie is produced by ‘Harry Potter’ veteran David Heyman, who also worked on both ‘Paddington’ movies and ‘Wonka’.
What’s next for Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega?
Jenna Ortega attends the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ on November 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Netflix.
Adams’ next film is the intriguingly titled ‘Nightbitch’, which was directed by Marielle Heller and is a horror comedy about an artist whose maternal instincts start to manifest as a dog.
As for Ortega, she recently finished work on Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel (which now has a title: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ and will be out on September 6th this year). The actor will next film the second season of hit Netflix series ‘Wednesday’, which also has Burton involved.
The show is gearing up to shoot the new series in the spring.
Landing on Disney+ daily across the next nine days, the second season of Marvel’s Disney+ animated series ‘What If…?’ has plenty of treats to deliver, including a smart, clever festive episode that is the highlight of the early run.
At a time when Marvel and Disney are feeling the pinch of superhero fatigue (witness the box office collapse of ‘The Marvels’ and complaints about the sheer amount of movies and shows one must have seen to keep up with the storyline), the return of ‘What If…?’ is a pleasant one, by design untethered from the complicated continuity (albeit often rewarding fans of the various movies).
Does ‘What If…?’ Season 2 work to keep expanding the MCU?
Whether the implications of this season will tie directly into any future live-action stories is not really worth worrying at this point (and not something we could talk about anyway given the embargoes in place): ‘What If…?’s second run is more about enjoying the parallel universe take on some familiar stories.
Once more, the peek at different versions of characters and encounters works well as wish-fulfilment entertainment, including a chance for supporting characters to get the spotlight.
And Marvel/Disney+ are certainly experimenting with the release schedule for this one, dropping one episode a day across the festive season between December 22 and 30. The best example? Putting the ‘Die Hard’-spoofing ‘What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?’ on Christmas Eve.
With direction and writing from Bryan Andrews, Stephan Franck (directors), AC Bradley, Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little (writer/producers), ‘What If…?’s new run will feel familiar to those who watched the first season. It’s a similar mix of different looks at characters and situations.
Disney provided press with all the episodes, but there are strict embargoes in place. What can we tell you? There is some stylish, witty writing to be found here –– if you ever wanted to see Karen Gillan’s Nebula as a member of the Nova Corps investigating a situation on Xandar that comes across as a Clint Eastwood cop story meets a hard-bitten private eye future noir that has some serious ‘Blade Runner’ overtones, you’ve come to the right place.
Is every story a winner? They’re not all to the quality of, say, the Happy Hogan festive episode, but there is a high watermark for Marvel fun here. And the various little references and touches (a cuddly raccoon toy here, a nod to Hawkeye there) are welcome color rather than overloaded easter eggs.
The animation style of the show will still get mixed responses from those who believe it’s not up to the levels of big-screen output, but it works well for the stories and has seen a slight upgrade from the first season, which itself was a perfectly solid style.
Employing the same mix of original MCU voice actors (it’s fun to hear the likes of Jon Favreau, Kat Dennings, Karen Gillan, Chris Hemsworth, Michael Douglas and more lend their vocal skills to versions of their characters) and replacements for those who chose not to return (or were perhaps too pricey), the show keeps the feel of Marvel’s sprawling universe intact.
This will be something of a repeating motif in the review, but the Happy Hogan episode is certainly among the highlights, though there’s certainly something to be said for hearing Douglas, Annette Bening, Kurt Russell and Sebastian Stan playing earlier versions of their characters in a story that pits a powered Peter Quill (as a child, rather than the grown-up Chris Pratt we know) against a version of the Avengers that hews closer to the comics than movie screens.
The vocal replacements are once again a mixed bag –– that’s certainly not Glenn Close in the Nebula episode –– but the likes of Mick Wingert and Lake Bell once again prove to be reasonable stand-ins for Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson without causing too much whiplash when their voices share the air with Mark Ruffalo and more.
‘What If…?’s second run is certainly worth checking out even if you are starting to feel the creep of superhero fatigue. It’s a fun, enjoyable dip into the MCU that doesn’t worry too much about the tapestry of everything weaving together –– it’s more a diverting dive into some fresh takes.
Comics fans will certainly appreciate the episodes that dive into versions of the characters more directly drawn from them as opposed to the adaptations (Douglas’ Hank Pym as Ant-Man, say), and of course the animated medium means that it can once more put on spectacles that even the healthily budgeted Marvel movies can only dream of.
Yet it doesn’t sacrifice character moments simply to blow stuff up or show off superpowers. While not every story works, there are enough winners (such as the big ‘Die Hard’ spoof) to make this a worthwhile watch.
‘What If…?’ Season 2 receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Season 2 continues the journey as The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) guides viewers through the vast Multiverse, introducing brand-new and familiar faces from the MCU.
The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic Universe moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles.
This new season features fan-favorite characters this season like Nebula, Hela and Happy Hogan.
Opening in theaters on November17th, ‘Next Goal Wins’ is the latest movie from New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi and sees him deploying a familiar blend of sweet and silly.
In the past few years, Waititi has spent his time flip-flopping between the giant likes of Marvel movies (he directed 2017’s ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, which was a resounding success and last year’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, generally seen as less of a hit) and the territory at which he has excelled, the low-key comedy.
This new effort, which Waititi actually shot before ‘Love and Thunder’, got caught up in the bizarre Armie Hammer sex text scandal, which resulted in the actor being replaced in the film by Will Arnett, with scenes re-shot to accommodate the change.
Yet with extra time to noodle on the movie, has the usually reliable (and Oscar-winning) filmmaker scored a winner? The answer is yes and no.
‘Next Goal Wins’ was always going to be tricky proposition given its soccer content (a sport that, while it has vastly grown in popularity in the States, in large part to the efforts of its women’s national team is still sometimes niche entertainment.
Yet the focus here is on the personalities and the underdog spirit of the natives of American Samoa, who for years had the reputation of the worst national soccer team in the world (well earned, since they could seemingly not score a goal –– and lost 31-0 to Australia in a world cup qualifier back in 2001.
What could have been seen as mocking of small-town (or island mentality) is instead a warm embrace –– not that anyone would have expected that of the director with some Māori in his family background and who makes strides in representation.
Because the movie is based on the 2014 documentary and references real-life events, there are only so many paths he could have taken with this one, but the road he chooses to travel is genuinely funny and moving places, even if it can feel familiar at times.
Waititi wrote the script with Iain Morris, an English writer who created British sitcom ‘The Inbetweeners’ and collaborated with the director on HBO’s ‘Flight of the Conchords’. The combination works here; it all feels very much in the Waititi style and comedy patter, featuring lots of undercutting of moments and confounding expectations. It chugs along at a fair pace, though at an hour and 45 minutes, there are moments that could still have been trimmed.
Sometimes, though, like Rongen’s habit of cribbing from other speeches to power his own motivational locker room talks, Waititi and Morris do end up borrowing from other, better movies from the genre and the style to find meaning and heart in the movie.
There are some very expected steps here, and not every plotline hits its mark. The interaction between Rongen and transgender player (Kaimana) turns nasty at one point, fueled by Rongen’s frustration with the team’s lack of ability, and he calls her by her old, “registered” name. The incident is soon glossed over and is never really addressed again. Though the two do have a touching/inspirational moment later in the film, it feels like an untied thread.
In terms of the directing style, Waititi largely lets the story lead the flow of the film and has the benefit of some beautiful locations (albeit in Hawaii, not American Samoa).
Michael Fassbender is the driving force of the film, showing off some solid comic chops and making you believe in Rongen’s arc as he evolves from frustrated former pro to happy coach.
But the various players all have a moment or two to shine, with newcomer Kaimana proving more than up to the challenge of the conflicted Jaiyah, who is struggling with her own gender identity and confidence issues. There’s also great work from the likes of Oscar Kightley as the endlessly positive Tavita, president of the local island’s football association (not to mention also restauranter and cameraman for the local TV show that interviews notable people arriving at the airport).
And, of course, Waititi regular Rachel House makes an impact as Tavita’s wife, Ruth, the power behind the throne.
The more famous actors, such as Elisabeth Moss and Will Arnett, largely take a backseat (Moss’s character in particular is mostly thankless), but another Waititi repeat collaborator, Rhys Darby has a fun moment near the start.
There is plenty of gentle joy to be found here. ‘Next Goal Wins’ definitely won’t be accused of being startlingly original or game-changing in any way, but it fits perfectly into the director’s canon of movies such as ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ and ‘What we Do in the Shadows’. It can’t compare to either or those (or his award-winning ‘Jojo Rabbit’), but it’ll certainly be the cause of a few smiles and one or two tears.
If this is the result of Waititi taking more time away from the MCU, then the audience is the real winner.
‘Next Goal Wins’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Next Goal Wins’?
Loosely based on a true story (first chronicled in a 2014 documentary of the same name), ‘Next Goal Wins’ looks to tell a heartwarming underdog tale.
The American Samoa soccer team suffered the worst loss in World Cup history, crashing out to Australia 31-0 in 2001. With the 2014 World Cup approaching, the team recruits down on his luck, maverick coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) to help turn their fate around.
Who else is in ‘Next Goal Wins’?
The ‘Next Goal Wins’ ensemble also includes Oscar Kightley, David Fane, Rachel House, Will Arnett, Elisabeth Moss, Chris Alosio, Rhys Darby, Kaitlyn Dever and Waititi (who pops up a couple of times as a local priest).
1977’s ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.’ Credit: Lucasfilm.
Cast your mind back a long time ago, to a galaxy far, far, awa…. Well, actually just a couple of days ago. That was when we brought two ‘Star Wars’ updates: one, that ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert were explaining their decision to direct an episode of incoming Disney+ series ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ and two, that Damon Lindelof (along with co-writer Justin Britt-Gibson) was no longer attached to the untitled, under wraps new ‘Star Wars’ movie that Lucasfilm has in development.
We mentioned at the time that Above The Line, which broke the story, hadn’t heard who might replace the pair on the script, but Variety scooped the news that ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight, who has also worked extensively on the movie front, including writing ‘Eastern Promises’, ‘Locke’ and the Oscar-nominated ‘Spencer’, will be taking over.
Steven Knight at the 2018 British Academy Television Awards. Photo: BBC YouTube channel and the British Academy Television Awards.
What is this new ‘Star Wars’ movie about?
As of right now, Lucasfilm has been able to keep the details of this film behind rigorous blast shields, meaning we don’t know the plot of this one at all yet, or indeed when it’s set in the ‘Star Wars’ timeline.
There’s some (New) hope that it might represent a move away from the established characters, i.e. zero mentions of the Skywalker family or their associated heroes and villains.
And given that it was started by Lindelof and Britt-Gibson and will be continued (or re-drafted) by Knight, it certainly sounds like there’s an interesting angle to be found.
Who else is involved in this new ‘Star Wars’ movie?
Despite the change in writers, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a documentarian who has also worked on animated movies and shot episodes of ‘Ms. Marvel’ for Disney+, is still on board to call the shots. But again, she’s said nothing about what the movie might be, nor has Lucasfilm officially confirmed any of this.
We’re expecting news about this (assuming it’s at a point where the company feels confident in announcing it) at Star Wars Celebration, which will run between April 7-10th in London.
‘The Mandalorian’ season 3 starring Pedro Pascal premieres March 1st on Disney+.
What else is going on with ‘Star Wars’
Outside of the ever-expanding TV shows (‘The Mandalorian’ is back on our screens now and we can expect ‘Skeleton Crew’ and ‘Ahsoka’ for definite this year, plus the return of animated series ‘Star Wars Visions’ and the launch of fellow animation ‘Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures’), the forward momentum of the franchise has been lacking.
On cinema screens, we haven’t seen a movie since ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ in 2019 as Disney and Lucasfilm pumped the brakes on their schedule.
(Left) President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, and (Right) ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins.
Even as ‘The Mandalorian’ has returned to our screens and a variety of other ‘Star Wars’ TV series get set to roll out in the coming months, it would seem as though the development on big screen adventures set in that galaxy far, far away is moving about as fast as a Jawa sandcrawler.
And now Variety brings word that there have been movements on a few of the movies –– and not in a positive direction.
According to the trade magazine, the ‘Star Wars’ movies being shepherded by ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige are no longer in active development at Lucasfilm.
That’s a blow, particularly as Disney had saved a release date slot in 2025 for a new ‘Star Wars’ title, but we’ll have to wait and see which of the potentials –– if any –– fills it.
Oscar Isaac in Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’
What’s the story of Patty Jenkins’ film?
Though Patty Jenkins movie, ‘Rogue Squadron’, about Rebel X-Wing pilots, was announced with much fanfare at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, it has suffered from a lack of real news updates in the time since.
While leaving the ‘Squadron’ on the development backburner, Jenkins had switched to focus her efforts on a third ‘Wonder Woman’ movie. But when DC bosses shut that down in favor of the new DC Universe, she appeared to return to the ‘Star Wars’ fold. “I am still on it and that project has been in active development ever since,” she said last December. “I don’t know if it will happen or not. We never do until the development process is complete, but I look forward to its potential ahead.”
There’s potentially better news for the ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ director’s in-development movie, as he’s still at work on a script. And according to Variety’s report, he may also star in it in some capacity (and no, we doubt it’ll focus on his ‘Mandalorian’ droid IG-11).
Elsewhere, Rian Johnson still says he wants to make more movies in the ‘Star Wars’ universe, but his focus for now is split between another movie featuring Daniel Craig’s mystery-solving Benoit Blanc and the second season of TV series ‘Poker Face’.
And while neither Lucasfilm nor Disney has refused to confirm anything, a film is still in development from ‘Ms. Marvel’ director and documentarian Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, with a script from Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson.
The Star Wars Celebration event happens in London the weekend of April 7th, and we can expect announcements about any chosen new film then –– along with updates on the various shows.
The cast of Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ which was directed by J.J. Abrams.
