Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
Sony’s ‘Mulan’ Lands ‘Game of Thrones’ Director Alex Graves
Well that didn’t take very long. Last week, a report revealed that not only is Disney seeking Chinese actors for their live-action remake of Mulan, but they’re also looking for an Asian filmmaker. That same report noted that Sony was also looking for an Asian filmmaker for their competing live-action Mulan project. While Disney’s search is ongoing, Sony has already landed on a director and — big fat not-surprise — it’s a white man.
‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ Review: Tim Burton’s Middling Days of Future Past
Tim Burton’s career has experienced wildly diminishing returns in recent years as he slides further into nauseatingly wacky computer-generated excess, with only the occasional glimmer of the gothic whimsy that made him a beloved household name. The good news is that Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is a much better and more restrained film than Dark Shadows or Alice in Wonderland; the bad news is that it’s a somewhat tedious YA adaptation with a half-baked-in metaphor about Burton’s career that might make you feel even more depressed about what it’s become.
Han Solo ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff Hires ‘Arrival’ Cinematographer Bradford Young
If nothing else, Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s upcoming Han Solo prequel / spinoff is going to look fantastic, as the duo have hired Bradford Young to serve as cinematographer. Okay, let’s be honest: With Lord and Miller on board and the incredibly charming Alden Ehrenreich in the lead role, it’s almost guaranteed that the next Star Wars anthology film will be pretty entertaining — but now we know it’s also going to look really, really, really good.
Shia LaBeouf Says Warner Bros. Vetoed His ‘Suicide Squad’ Role
In a really fascinating profile published by Variety today, actor and occasional performance artist Shia LaBeouf addresses a few of the more controversial aspects of his career (his arrest, drinking problems, etc.) and discusses working with some of the biggest directors in Hollywood (Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg). But one of the most intriguing revelations from the article is that LaBeouf almost starred in Suicide Squad — until the studio (and some script changes) got in the way.
Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Jumanji’ Sequel Adds Karen Gillan
Up until now, the cast of Dwayne Johnson’s new Jumanji movie (which he says is a sequel, not a reboot) has been dominated entirely by men, so today’s casting update is a fairly refreshing one. If you were concerned that Jumanji might just star a bunch of dudes (charming dudes, but still), you can stop worrying because Karen Gillan is officially the first woman to join the cast.
Yes, There Will Be an ‘Angry Birds Movie’ Sequel
Despite mixed reviews, The Angry Birds Movie was pretty successful at the box office, thanks to an early summer release date, a solid voice cast and an established franchise with a strong fan base. As you might have guessed, the animated adaptation of the hit video game series was successful enough to warrant a sequel, and if you’re rolling your eyes at the prospect, just remember that we’ve gotten sequels to movies that were far worse than this one, based on much less success.
New ‘Blair Witch’ TV Spots Take You Back Into the Woods
2016 has been the year of pop culture surprise releases — some, like Lemonade and 10 Cloverfield Lane, have been pretty great, which makes us even more hopeful for Blair Witch. Originally marketed as The Woods, the sneaky sequel to the found footage horror classic is set to hit theaters next month, taking audiences back to where it all began…but judging by these new TV spots, heading back into the woods of Burkittsville seems like a pretty terrible idea (in a good, spooky way, of course).
‘Charlie’s Angels’ Reboot Hires Pulitzer Prize-Winning Writer So Maybe Now You’ll Take This Thing Seriously
Elizabeth Banks may not be directing Pitch Perfect 3, but she is tackling another female-centric franchise with a big screen reboot of Charlie’s Angels. Unlike previous iterations of the iconic characters, Banks’ version has something a little extra: Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn, who has been tasked with making sure we take these women a little more seriously this time.
Nope, The Joker in ‘Suicide Squad’ Isn’t Jason Todd
A new fan theory has emerged in recent months suggesting that Jared Leto’s version of The Joker in Suicide Squad is actually Jason Todd — a hypothesis that gained a little traction when it was revealed that the Robin suit featured in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice belonged to Todd. If you subscribe to this particular theory, then David Ayer has some disappointing news for you.
‘Jurassic World 2’ Rumored to Begin Production in Hawaii in 2017
Despite lukewarm reviews, Jurassic World made more than enough bank at the box office to guarantee a sequel. Universal recently set a 2018 release date for Jurassic World 2, with The Impossible director Juan Antonio Bayona taking over for Colin Trevorrow, who will still work on the screenplay with co-writer Derek Connolly. With just under two years until the next installment in the franchise hits theaters, we’ve been wondering when Bayona & Co. might get to work, and according to a new rumor, it won’t be long from now.
New ‘Saw’ Sequel Reportedly Locks in Directors, Begins Filming This Year
There have been numerous rumors over the last few years about an eighth installment in the Saw franchise. Last we heard, Lionsgate tapped Piranha 3D scribes Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger to write the screenplay for the sequel, titled Saw: Legacy (gee, what could that title mean), and while the studio has yet to confirm anything, a new report makes the return of the franchise seem much more concrete — and imminent.
‘It’ Reveals First Look at Pennywise the Clown, Still Terrifying as Ever
Clowns are scary enough to most people, but Stephen King took that terror to a new level with It, his coming-of-age horror novel about a group of friends plagued by an evil entity that takes the form of a fearsome clown. It’s impossible to top Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise in the TV miniseries adaptation King’s story, but director Andy Muschietti appears to have done a fair job of delivering something almost as scary in his new film adaptation of It.