Remakes, reboots, soft reboots, semi-sequels, semi-prequels, or soft stools. Call them what you will, but Hollywood will never stop producing them. As long as there was once an audience for a property and the nostalgia can still be tapped, studios will resurrect properties.
Not even the candyman is safe. Seriously. Candyman got a reboot. Now Willy Wonka is too.
Over at Variety, we learned that the Willy Wonka prequel ‘Wonka’ has its lead actor. Timothee Chalamet of 2021’s Dune and Call Me by Your Name has been cast as the conjuror of sweets and the teacher of strict lessons to children.
The 26-year-old actor will be playing a younger version of Willy Wonka, possibly before gaining fame and fortune. The plot details are scarce, but there’s some information that will help us speculate.
The big question is, where will the story sit in the world of Wonka films? Will it be standalone? Will it be set before the Mel Stuart movie or Tim Burton’s? Will the Oompa Loompas be in it, and will they be orange little child-tormenting jerks?
Whether this film will be a new take on the character based more on Roald Dahl’s books than the classic 1971 adaptation is unknown. It will, however, be a musical. So, I’m leaning towards this being a loose prequel. This would allow Warner Bros. to cash in on nostalgia and republish the blu-ray.
On the other hand, trying to recreate a young version of Gene Wilder would be unfair to Chalamet. It’d be unfair to anyone who took the role, honestly. We’ve seen how these things have turned out before … like Solo.
Wonka ’71 is a family favorite, but I would like to see the studio try something new or closer to Dahl’s original works than copying Mel Stuart’s film. Just don’t make WW out to be a creepy Michael Jackson clone like Tim Burton did. Ugh.
Paul King, the director of the two live-action Paddington films, is slated to direct Wonka. Paddington was very charming and inoffensively heartwarming at times. It may not have been my cup of tea as a cynical journo, but I’ll admit that the films do have a Wonka-ish feel to them.
Do you think the origin story of a young Willy Wonka needs to be told? Is the journey of the confection creator an interesting story to tell? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
[Source: Variety]
Dune’s Timothee Chalamet Cast As A Young Willy Wonka
Dwayne Johnson Teases Dark Turn For ‘Black Adam’
The DC Extended Universe film franchise has been in a state of flux since the release of Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’ and the recent merger between Warner Media with Discovery after AT&T spun the company off.
Despite this, several projects are in production including ‘The Batman,’ ‘Shazam: Wrath of the Gods,’ as well as ‘Black Adam,’ starring Dwayne Johnson as the DC Comics villain.
The ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ actor took to Instagram where he elaborated more on Black Adam and how he will impact the DCEU.
“If you know the comic book mythology, then you know where his pain comes from,” he wrote. “His rage. His wife and children killed. His people brutally enslaved. He is not a superhero, but rather a champion. Champion of the poor and beaten down. Champion of the people. And he is the most unstoppable force in the DC UNIVERSE.”
Johnson added that he “wanted to give you guys a little (Black Adam) update and share this image with you from set. Production is coming along GREAT and I’m very pleased with the movie we’re making. Black Adam’s mythology, ethics and actions no doubt will create a new paradigm in the world of superheroes, villains & antiheroes. The power will shift.
The line will blur. From a slave to a God.”
As previously reported by D-Rezzed, Dwayne Johnson announced the release date of the film on Instagram.
“A disruptive and unstoppable global force of a message from the man in black himself,” the caption reads. “BLACK ADAM is coming July 29, 2022. The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change.”
Besides Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the movie will also feature James Bond star Pierce Brosnan as Kent Nelson aka Dr. Fate, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Adrianna Tomaz as Isis, and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone.
‘The Commuter’ director Jaume Collet-Serra will helm the movie.
Alleged ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ Movie Plot Leaked
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ is one of the most anticipated upcoming movie sequels. Based on the SEGA video game, speculation has run wild on what the plot of the film will be and what nefarious plot Dr. Robotnik has planned.
According to GeekVibes Nations, one leak may have the answer. A Twitter user going by the screen name of “Rocks the Squirrel” posted a screenshot from a copyright website which he claims is the plot to ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2.’
The text explains, “After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is ready for more freedom, and Tom and Maddie agree to leave him home while they go on vacation. But, no sooner are they gone, when Dr. Robotnik comes back, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to both build and destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands. Being directed by Jeff Fowler, and starring Jim Carrey, James Marsden, and Ben Schwartz.”
While this is an exciting development, it must be taken as a rumor as it has not been independently confirmed.
It has not been announced who will portray Knuckles in the sequel or whether his homeland of Angel Island will appear on screen.
As D-Rezzed previously reported, leaked images from the set of the film did show props resembling Sonic’s longtime flying fox sidekick Tails and his “friendly nemesis” Knuckles the Echidna.
It has been confirmed that Tim Folwer is returning to direct with Ben Schwartz returning to voice Sonic. ‘Horton Hears a Who’ actress Colleen O’Shaughnessey will voice Tails for the Paramount Pictures production.
The two-tailed fox made his first appearance in the 1992 SEGA Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and has been Sonic’s consistent sidekick throughout the game series. Knuckles made his debut in the third entry to the original Sonic franchise.
Gnaw, Slug, and Wreck-Gar Join The Transformer: The Movie Toyline!
Dare! Dare to collect all the Transformers: The Movie figures if you can! Yes, this has been a right pain. Empty pegs have been a common occurrence since the pandemic started. Stores like Target and Walmart get either one of each figure or none at all, but the pegs stay up for months, never getting stocked.
How do we solve this? Just preorder through Entertainment Earth. I love supporting businesses in my town, but if I go in every week and the shelves are bare, it’s time to go elsewhere.
Aside from the Masters of the Universe: Origins line, the 1986 Transformers figures have been almost impossible to come upon in the wild. For a time, you could find 20+ Blurs on the shelf, but never anyone else. Then suddenly, you’d spot one Hotrod, then a dry spell before another dozen Blurs would magically show up.
I get it. The character was somewhat cool because of John Moschitta Jr.’s cameo, but come on!
When I saw that one of my favorite transformers from the film was going to come out, I pre-ordered to save myself the headache.
This August, we’ll be getting the junk planet transformer Wreck-Gar, the Sharkticon Gnaw, and the Dinobot Slug. Slug comes with a tiny Daniel Witwicky in his transforming suit.
Don’t dare to be stupid, and pre-order now!
What I’ve liked about this line is that they’re still toys and not delicate display pieces. I was six when the film came out. So, I remember the amount of play my Transformers got. This doesn’t mean they don’t look great on a shelf. They do. Part of the fun of having the toys was that they weren’t fragile works of art that would break into a million pieces upon hitting the floor, or wall, or whatever was at the end of the playground slide.
Live-Action Rurouni Kenshin Movie Series Arrives to Netflix
Netflix continues to show that it remains top dog in the streaming wars, when it seems as though they are always either making, or hosting, new content for their customers. Love them or not, Netflix has been consistent with bringing more things to the table for people to watch.
In recent days, the Facebook page for Rurouni Kenshin The Movie had announced that Rurouni Kenshin Saishusho: The Final, will be coming to Netflix in the following places:
Latin America: Brazil, Chile, Peru, Mexico and applicable regions
Asia: Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Philippines
As well as in UK, Turkey, Italy, Canada, US, Australia, and Germany
Netflix will also be making the other three live action adaptions available on their streaming platform. Currently, only The Final has a Netflix page. All four movies will be available on June 18th. In Japan, the last movie, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, will be in theaters on June 4th, so we will likely have to wait a bit longer for that one to be made available worldwide.
The Rurouni Kenshin Facebook page shared a screenshot of each Kenshin movie Netflix page, for all to look forward to seeing next month.
Movie 1 – Rurouni Kenshin: Origins
Movie 2 – Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno
See trailer here:
Movie 3 – Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends
See the trailer here:
Movie 4 – Rurouni Kenshin: The Final
On Netflix, the summary says: In 1879, Kenshin and his allies face their strongest enemy yet: his former brother-in-law Enishi Yukishiro and his minions, who’ve vowed their revenge.
See trailer here:
Lately, the Rurouni Kenshin team have been promoting the fifth and final movie in the live action movie adaption series. Here is one promo photo they’ve shared:
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning is about how Kenshin Himura came to be known throughout Japan as the legendary Battousai the Manslayer, and the mystery behind the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.
Watch the trailer here:
Although it is bit disappointing the last two movies will not be getting a theatrical release, outside of Japan, like the first three did, it will still be fun to finally get to see the conclusion to a well-beloved story. The original story was written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki, which was serialized from 1994-1999 at 28 volumes. It was followed by a 94 episode anime series from 1996-1998, as well as several animated movies.
So what do you think? Are you looking forward to seeing these movies on Netflix?
Credit Photos: Rurouni Kenshin & Netflix
Three New Animated Netflix Titles With a Focus on Asian American Storytelling Announced
Netflix is aiming to highlight Asian-American creatives that will feature three different parts of Asian cultures.
Jane Lee, Manager, Original Animation at Netflix, says, “These films and series join our incredible slate of animation from world class Asian American creators with different styles, unique voices, and a broad range of stories to tell including Academy Award-nominated film Over the Moon from Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou; City of Ghosts from Elizabeth Ito; and upcoming series and films like Centaurworld from Megan Nicole Dong; Oni from Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi; Ghee Happy from Sanjay Patel; Witch Boy from Minkyu Lee; and Steps from Alyce Tzue.”
I love the power of animation because it unlocks imagination and potential, empowering us to build new realities and see ourselves as the heroes. With each colorful frame and character we get to create together, we are defining our own world for kids around the world who don’t have to wait to see someone like them in the end credits.
Jane Lee
Here are 3 titles that have been confirmed to be coming to Netflix:
THE MONKEY KING (2023) is an animated action-comedy film executive produced by legendary filmmaker Stephen Chow (Mermaid), produced by Academy Award-nominated Peilin Chou (Over the Moon) and Kendra Haaland (co-producer of How to Train Your Dragon 2), and directed by Academy Award-nominated Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls).
Inspired by China’s famous legend Journey to the West, the film tells the story of a very special Monkey, and his magical fighting Stick, who team up to fight against gods, demons, dragons, and the greatest enemy of all, Monkey’s own hubris!
The movie will feature all-Asian voice talents of Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Pang, Andrew Kishino, Jodi Long, James Sie and BD Wong.
“The Monkey King has endured for generations with his unique character and spirit. I’m so excited to be collaborating with Tony, Peilin, and everyone at Netflix to bring this joyful tale to audiences worldwide!” says Stephen Chow.
BOONS AND CURSES (2023) is a comedy-action animated series hailing from creator and executive producer Jaydeep Hasrajani and series co-executive producer Jake Goldman.
In the magical land of Maya, a cosmic war is on the horizon. The Raj and his monstrous army threaten to destroy any who stand against them! The universe itself hangs in the balance and our only hope is… 3 feet tall and made of butter. Claiming to be a cursed warrior from another time, Baan may have been transformed into solid ghee but he won’t let that stop him! Teaming up with Rani, a young thief with delusions of grandeur, Baan must use every arrow in his quiver if he wants to defeat the Raj. Heavily inspired by ancient South Asia, Boons and Curses is an adventure-comedy highlighting the myths and legends that have enraptured generations.
“Growing up, I used to think of the hyphen in “Indian-American” as a separator between two parts of myself,” says Hasrajani. “With Boons and Curses I want to turn that hyphen from a wall into a bridge, not just for me, but for anybody who has ever felt that they were caught between two worlds. Using the beauty of South Asian mythology, folktales, and culture, our talented and passionate crew is so eager to share an exciting and hilarious adventure that can resonate with everyone the world over.”
MECH CADETS (2023) is an animated series based on the Boom! Studios comic series Mech Cadet Yu by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa. The series is executive produced by Boom! Studios, Japanese studio Polygon Pictures Inc. and Aaron Lam who serves as the writer and an executive producer of the series.
Fifty years in the future, after a terrifying alien species attacked our planet, teenager Stanford Yu works as a janitor at the Sky Corps Military Academy. But he’s only dreamed of one thing his entire life — to pilot a Robo Mech, giant robots from outer-space who came to our aid. When he finally gets his shot, Stanford and his classmates must put aside all personal differences and work together as a team in order to defend humanity against a new invasion of aliens.
“It is important for us to create stories that exemplify our teams’ diverse voices and art as a studio based in Tokyo, Japan,” says Jack Liang, Executive Producer, Polygon Pictures, Inc. “As part of our mission ‘to do what no other has done, in unparalleled quality, for all the world to see and enjoy’ we are ecstatic to have alongside with us, our supervising director, Tohru Patrick Awa, writer and executive producer, Aaron Lam and our talented diverse team of writers, to visualize the wonderful story created by Greg Pak, Takeshi Miyazawa and Boom! Studios. We all are honored to work with Netflix, and to tell a story that we hope will inspire future storytellers around the world.”
What do you think about these new releases coming up? Do any of them look interesting?
Sources: Netflix
A Pint-Sized Predator Is On Its Way From Mezco
Ya know what my favorite thing was about Predator 2? Teri Weigel. You know what I’m talking about. Yeah. That scene. It had all the fine elements that summed up the late 1980s.
My second favorite thing? Bill Paxton and Gary Busey. Director Stephen Hopkins created an almost idyllic version of LA compared to today. With those characters running around, I’d move there without a second thought. If you’ve ever lived in modern LA, you’re aware of the struggle.
My third favorite thing was the concrete jungle Predator. He got to swear! He also got some cool new weapons to add to the Predator mythos.
Now a pint-sized version of him is coming to our homes.
Predator, the City Hunter, joins the Mezco Designer Series!
Predator is in town with a few days to kill! Outfitted in his look from Predator 2, the Yautja sports a removable Bio-Helmet and is loaded with accessories from the film.
Predator features a removable Plasmacaster that attaches to his shoulder, a hunting trophy, an interchangeable wristblade hand, a Combistick, and a Smart Disc. All accessories can be held in his interchangeable hands for an abundance of display options.
Silent, invisible, and invincible, Predator returns to Earth during a sweltering summer heat wave to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.
MDS Predator 2: Deluxe City Hunter stands 6″ tall and features 10 points of articulation. He comes packaged in a window box, perfect for display.
This pocket-sized Predator will debut sometime between October and December 2021. To make sure this guy doesn’t cloak and getaway, head over to Mezco and pre-order now!
What other characters from the Predator franchise should make it into Mezco’s Designer Series? Post battle Lieutenant Mike Harrigan? Subway shootout Jerry Lambert? How about an entire series dedicated to Bill Paxton’s various characters? Let us know in the comments.
Funko ‘Goonies Never Say Die’ Game Coming This Summer
There’s a new tabletop strategy game coming this summer from Funko and it’s taking on one of the most popular cult classic films of the 1980’s–‘The Goonies.’
This new game will be a Target exclusive and will be releasing on June 20th.
The game if for ages 12+, has eight mini figures and allows 2-5 players at a time.
Here’s the write-up:
“The Goonies Never Say Die Game. “It’s Our Time, Down Here” Embark on a perilous adventure full of dangerous booby traps and treacherous treasure-filled caverns! One player is the Goondocks Master, controlling fearsome foes, from the outlaw family, the Fratellis, to the legendary pirate, On-Eyed Willie. The other players take on the role of the Goonies- Mikey, Mouth, Chunk, Data, and Sloth – overcoming cryptic puzzles and deadly challenges with teamwork, strategy, and Data’s clever contraptions! Will the Goonies discover the legendary riches that will save their homes, or will they follow the fate of Chester Copperpot.. and never see the light of day?”
The game looks pretty cool.
I admit I’m biased though because I grew up with ‘The Goonies’ film.
The price on this set is $34.99.
What do you think? Comment and let us know!
Netflix Picks Up Arnold Schwarzenegger’s New Spy Show
Arnold Schwarzenegger has given us some iconic characters during his lucrative career as a Hollywood action star. From playing the Terminator to Conan the Barbarian and even more recently Gunner from ‘The Expendables’ franchise, he has epitomized his legendary catchphrase, “I’ll be back.”
The seventy-three year old former California governor is making a comeback with his first major foray into scripted television with Skydance Television and Netflix for an eight-episode untitled spy series from Nick Santora, former executive producer of ‘Scorpion.’ The ‘Predator’ actor will executive produce and star in the series along with Monica Barbaro (‘Top Gun: Maverick’).
According to a press release obtained by Deadline, the plot picks up “when a father (Schwarzenegger) and daughter (Barbaro) learn that they’ve each secretly been working as CIA Operatives for years, they realize their entire relationship has been a lie and they truly don’t know one another at all. Forced to team up as partners, our series tackles universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, fantastic action and humor.”
“Fans from all over the world have been asking me for a wild ride like this for years, and now they’re finally going to get it because of our great partners at Skydance and Netflix,” Schwarzenegger said. “I am beyond pumped to start work on the show with Nick and Monica and the whole team.”
Santora developed the idea as part of a deal he inked with Skydance, his latest since becoming the showrunner for ‘Reacher,’ a television series based on the Jack Reacher novels.
“It’s been an honor to step into the world Lee Child created with Jack Reacher and I’m thrilled to expand my partnership with Skydance,” Santora told Deadline at the time. “(Skydance execs) share my desire to tell larger than life stories with remarkable characters and I look forward to working together with the entire Skydance creative team to create compelling television series.”
Creator of Berserk Passes Away at 54
Kentaro Miura passed away on May 6th at 2:28pm, from acute aortic dissection, a condition that affects blood supply to the internal organs.
Miura is best known for creating the manga series Berserk, which is a fantasy story about a former mercenary named Guts, now known as the “Black Swordsman,” who is out for revenge after being betrayed by someone he most respected and trusted. The manga started serialization in 1989 followed by several anime adaptions.
On May 20th Japan time, Hakusensha, the Tokyo-based publisher that’s currently serializing Berserk in its Young Animal anthology magazine, first reported the news on its official website.
【三浦建太郎先生 ご逝去の報】
『ベルセルク』の作者である三浦建太郎先生が、2021年5月6日、急性大動脈解離のため、ご逝去されました。三浦先生の画業に最大の敬意と感謝を表しますとともに、心よりご冥福をお祈りいたします。
2021年5月20日 株式会社白泉社 ヤングアニマル編集部 pic.twitter.com/baBBo4J2kL— ベルセルク公式ツイッター (@berserk_project) May 20, 2021
Translation of tweet:
Mr. Kentaro Miura passed away.
Mr. Kentaro Miura, the creator of “Berserk”, passed away on May 6, 2021 due to acute aortic dissection. We would like to express our utmost respect and gratitude to Mr. Miura for his art work, and we sincerely pray for his soul rest in peace.
May 20, 2021 Young Animal Editorial Department, Hakusensha Co.
They also added that “the farewell ceremony was held privately by the family.”
Kentaro Miura’s workspace at Studio Gaga, separate from the assistants.
The editorial staff of Young Animal offered their condolences, along with their memories of Miura:
“This is a difficult reality to accept, and we are not sure how to process it. Honestly, it’s hard to put our feelings into words. When we remember our time with Miura, whenever we would meet with him, he was cheerful and happy to talk about manga, anime, and movies that he’d enjoyed, and he always had a smile on his face. We never once saw him look angry or upset. He always looked like a happy person who was a kid at heart.”
Kentaro Miura’s childlike happiness is a stark contrast to his dark fantasy story full of betrayal, battles, revenge and incredible artwork. His dedication to a story he cherished for over 30 years since he started in 1989, will always be remembered by those who knew him personally, and the fans who followed his journey.
The opening from the classic Berserk anime from 1997:
Source: SoraNews24, Oricon
