Marvel Teasing BLACK PANTHER Villain In AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Trailer?

The trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron, leaked yesterday and it only took a couple of hours for Marvel to release the HD version. A very smart move on their part, and we can get closer looks at all the footage that is being shown. One frame is getting fans excited that the studio could already be teasing future films. In this case it's  Black Panther, some are saying this link could be the character that Andy Serkis (Dawn of The Planet of The Apes, King Kong, Star Wars Episode VII, The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings) is playing. You can see the creepy and stunning trailer below.

Fans are speculating that this flash of Andy Serkis is enough to figure-out who he's playing in the film. Pointing-out his fantastic Lincoln beard is extremely similar to that of Ulysses Klaw, a major supervillain in the Black Panther comics. I can't say he doesn't look like him, but we've seen misdirections by Marvel and Whedon before. While we do know that Wakanda (home of The Black Panther) will be making appearance in the sequel. There hasn't been any sign that T'Chaka or T'Challa will be showing-up. It looks like he's in some sort of prison uniform or maybe a kaki HYDRA outfit. Perhaps, apart of their African branch? We know that movie will head to South Africa, where Hulk fights the Hulkbuster.

The prison aspect and Serkis' long standing work with motion capture makes me believe he could also be playing a rebooted version of Emil Blonsky (sorry, Tim Roth). Andy's mo-cap company worked on the film and with actor Mark Ruffalo for his Hulk performances. It wouldn't be hard to see Ultron create his own version of the Masters of Evil, we already see seeds of this with Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver seemingly working alongside Ultron. I'm sure it's possible Ultron could gather other meta-humans good or bad to join his cause, including the Hulk-level villain Abomination (who is a canon member of the Masters of Evil). There had been rumblings for a while now, that the Masters of Evil would somehow feature in the film.

I will also point-out that Klaw is a member of the Masters of Evil, along with the established Advanced Idea Mechanics which was introduced in Iron Man 3.  The A.I.M. link could lead him to be involved with HYDRA. Since we've seen Baron Strucker revealed to be heading experiments, a villain who actually created A.I.M. as a splinter group of HYDRA. I wouldn't be too shocked to see Klaw working with Strucker, or running his own division of the terrorist group (perhaps, trying to get ahold of Wakandian technology for weapons?). Setting-up a villain for a future film via this sequel would be a great play by Marvel. Considering that younger Marvel audiences would be aware of Black Panther, thanks to the cartoons and comics. However, not so much with mostly obscure villain Klaw.

This tidbit would also suggest that Marvel Studios has found an actor to play T'Challa, our favorite Wakandian Avenger. There have been plenty of names who have put themselves into the mix or were rumored including Michael K. Williams (12 Years A Slave, Boardwalk Empire, The Wire, The Road, Kill The Messenger), Idris Elba (Pacific Rim, Thor, Luther), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Serenity, Children of Men, 12 Years A Slave), Denzel Washington (Equalizer, Training Day, Man on Fire), and John Boyega (Attack The Block, Star Wars Episode VII). However, it seems like the casting rumors halted once Chadwick Boseman (42, Gods of Eygpt, Get On Up) was reportedly a front-runner.

Do you think Marvel is about to announce plans for Black Panther?

Toby Kebbell In Talks For BEN-HUR Villain Messala

Variety reports that Toby Kebbell is in talks to play villain Messala in Timur Bekmambetov's remake of Ben-Hur. Jack Huston is in the title role with Morgan Freeman in a supporting role as well. Production is about to begin in Europe next year. And it's casting at the moment is beyond impressive. Interesting enough the script was penned by Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years A Slave, Three Kings, Red Tails) and Keith Clarke (The Way Back).  The epic's release date is set for February 26th, 2016.

Toby played ape villain Koba played in the massive summer hit Dawn of The Planet of The Apes. Koba was actually one of my favorite blockbuster villains of the year, and it's mainly due to his motion capture performance. Director Matt Reeves has actually teased his return in the third film, which could mean Kebbell might be apart of that franchise for a while. This must have led to his casting as Dr. Doom in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot, and we're highly anticipating seeing some footage of Toby as the iconic Marvel baddie. He also recently wrapped production on Duncan Jones's Warcraft for Legendary.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Andy Serkis Joins AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON And Five Characters He'd Nail

Variety has word from actor Andy Serkis that along with consulting with Mark Ruffalo for his motion-capture scenes as The Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron. That he'll also have an unnamed role in the film as well. Considering his high-profile taking lead roles in films such as King Kong, Lord of The Rings, Rise/Dawn of Planet of The Apes and Star Wars: Episode VII, we should expect a big part for Andy.

"The Imaginarium is the performance capture consultant, and I’m playing a role,"

"I’m not at liberty to mention. But it’s all the same to me. I’ve never drawn a distinction when playing a role, whether it be live action or performance capture. Acting is acting. It’s just basically what you wear to the set that’s different."

I assume that this character could be more labor intensive, than say the voice work that Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel did for Guardians of The Galaxy. Considering he's basically the best performance capture actor working today (here's hoping the Academy eventually makes performance capture a category), I doubt this is the motion-capture work for Thanos or Ultron. I have a strong feeling he'll get his own character in the film, likely setting-up Avengers 3 or future Marvel films.

KANG: Another Marvel cosmic villain that could be teased at the end of Age of Ultron (similar to Thanos in Avengers) is Kang The Conqueror. Although Kang is from the future, placing him among the ranks of Thanos wouldn't be too difficult. Marvel has already placed cosmic villains such as Ronan The Accuser and The Collector into the service of Thanos, so it's possible other villains like Kang could become his pawns as well.

I'm not sure if Marvel is ready to throw the villain into the spotlight, but setting him up for Avengers 3 could make a lot of sense. Yet, we know that Marvel is changing the origins of Ultron, having him created by Kang, might also be a new angle for the villain. Having Serkis do a cameo as Kang would allow him plenty of time to make more Star Wars and Apes films, before taking a bigger role for Avengers 3, which is expected to be released in either 2018 or 2019. Kang would also make a great villain for future installments.

The time-travelling aspect is apart of the original Age of Ultron storyline, and if the film does end-up using that theme. Having a character like Kang, that possesses time-travelling abilities in the MCU could be a way to allow that to happen. Or, at the very least keep the time-travelling aspect in place, somewhat.

GORILLA MAN: Considering how much attention Rocket Raccoon is getting, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to see another animal mo-cap character join the MCU. Mainly, Gorilla Man one of the Agents of Atlas, the team also includes SHIELD agent Jimmy Woo and Namor's cousin Namora. The gun-wielding Gorilla Man is another heroic animal from the Marvel universe, and seems like an easy character to assume Serkis could play. Having played two iconic apes in the past already, with Caesar (Rise/Dawn of The Planet of The Apes) and King Kong. Of course, Gorilla is entirely different than those previous roles, which would mean a brand new ape character for Andy to play with. Plus, getting to do more action sequences as well.

ABOMINATION: There has been more than a few teases that we could see the return of The Abomination, and a massive battle between these two could result in major civilian causalities. Leading to the eventually plot points that start-off the Planet Hulk story. I actually liked Tim Roth's Blonksy, but hated the design of Abomination. Perhaps, another redesign is in order and possibly a recasting. Since Ruffalo is now Banner, we could see other Incredible Hulk characters recast with new actors. It would also be great to see Andy play a straight-up menacing villain.

RED HULK: We strangely haven't see William Hurt return as General Thunderbolt Ross. A possible sign that both Hurt and Liv Tyler might be getting recast for future films. I think that Serkis is able to age himself up enough to pull-off both the General and Red-Hulk versions of Ross. Apparently, Red-Hulk was expected to be a feature player on the axed ABC series. It's not hard to imagine Marvel wanting to use him in the films instead. Marvel has also been setting-up the "Hulks" with their animated series The Agents of SMASH. I'd actually love to see Andy play characters like this, ones with a mix of both live-action and CGI performances. Plus, Andy rocked a great moustache in King Kong.

SILVER SURFER: Currently, the rights to this cosmic hero are at Fox. However, at one point Marvel was trying to make a deal with 20th Century Fox to regain the rights to both Surfer and Galactus. The studio was trying to include the characters in the recent production of Guardians of The Galaxy. At the moment Fox isn't ready to move forward with old plans to make a Silver Surfer film. At best, he'll end-up another secondary character in the new Fantastic Four franchise. I'd personally love to see what someone like Serkis could bring to both Norrin Radd and The Surfer. It's extremely unlikely we'll see the Silver Surfer in Age of Ultron, but he's a character Serkis could really give dimension to.


SOURCE: VARIETY

Judy Greer Nabs Another Cool Role With JURASSIC WORLD

Jurassic World is quite finished casting roles, as TheWrap reports that funny lady Judy Greer has joined the production. Greer recently took a action-heavy part in Dawn of The Planet of The Apes, playing motion-capture ape Cornelia (an homage to Cornelius). It's possible she might not be on the sidelines, as it's expected a bunch of the human characters will be running for their lives by the second act (as per usual with Jurassic Park films).

The rest of the cast includes Chris Pratt (Her, Wanted, Guardians of The Galaxy), Bryce Dallas Howard (Terminator Salvation, Spider-Man 3, 50/50), Nick Robinson (Kings of Summer), Ty Simpkins (Insidious 1-2, Iron Man 3), Jake Johnson (New Girl) , Irrfan Khan (Amazing Spider-Man, Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi), B.D. Wong (Jurassic Park) and Vincent D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Men In Black). The production is already underway, taking place in Hawaii and Louisiana, with the release date set for June 12th, 2015.

SOURCE: THEWRAP

More Monkey Business For Matt Reeves, Will Direct And Co-Write PLANET OF THE APES 3

It's starting to sound like 20th Century Fox is thrilled with Matt Reeve's sequel to Rise of The Planet of The Apes. As Deadline reports that the studio is looking to bring him back to direct Planet of The Apes 3. The teaser trailer is beyond impressive and gives us a hint to the dystopian future depicted in the second film, after the outbreak. Which was setup at the end of Rise. Reeves will also co-write the film with screenwriter Mark Bomback. It's assumed that Andy Serkis will return, but it's unknown if human characters played by Jason Clarke and Gary Oldman could be back for the sequel.



Details have been scarce for Dawn of The Planet of The Apes but it seems like the human group led by Gary Oldman's character could somehow end up at-odds with the apes and Caesar, sparking an all out war between the groups. This war hasn't been revealed for Dawn, but in the teaser trailer the bleak reality of this group could lead to desperation and violence. Harking back to Battle For The Planet of The Apes which saw surviving humans militarized and attacking the ape/human colony on the outskirts of the city. The reboot has exchanged the nuclear threat with a more plausible (post-Cold War) viral outbreak which is immune to the apes, but almost wiped out the entire human race.

The Apes films are known for being serialized and we've come to assume that the studio will keep making more films until they're unsuccessful. I can't imagine how many films Andy Serkis has agreed to be involved with, as he's currently the Roddy McDowall of the reboot. This franchise as a whole is my second favorite science fiction series (first being the Alien saga), so I'm all for more films. Noticing the serious tone Reeves has brought to Dawn, I think his involvement is for the better.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Tobey Kebbell And Enrique Murciano Join DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Fox has announced a few new additions to the cast of Dawn of The Planet of The Apes which include Tobey Kebbell (RockNRolla, Dead Man Shoes) and Enrique Murciano (Traffic, Black Hawk Down).

Judy Greer Will Play Female Chimp Cornelia In DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Vulture reports that comedic actress Judy Greer (Arrested Development, The Descendants)  has joined the cast of Dawn of The Planet of The Apes. Judy will play female chimp Cornelia (a nudge to Cornelius obviously) via motion capture. Who might end up the love interest to Caesar (Andy Serkis), I assume both will be speaking in full sentences in the film.

RUMOR: Fox Burned After Damon Lindleof's Exit Of The PROMETHEUS Sequel, After Convincing The Studio To Make A Trilogy?

BloodyDisgusting is reporting that 20th Century Fox and director Ridley Scott are upset over the exit of screenwriter Damon Lindelof. The writer came in for rewrites and sold the studio on the idea of a trilogy before jumping ship after the release of Prometheus. Instead of Ridley's original two-part Alien prequel the film went into a massively different direction. The studio is looking to keep things moving and are looking for writers who can develop two more films. They are apparently taking pitches from potential writers. It's first time we've ever heard about Fox's plans for an actual Prometheus trilogy. Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender are seemingly locked in for future films.

Ridley is currently finishing up his drug crime thriller The Counselor and has a few other projects in development including a Blade Runner sequel. It's possible if they're able to come together with a new writer that is able to put together a script soon it could go into production. Jon Spaihts who wrote the original script isn't mentioned and seems like he's being kept from moving forward with the new films. BD points to an old interview with Jon via Empire that first revealed his plans for multiple films.

“I did have a plan for multiple films and the conversations I had with Ridley was about a new franchise, from the beginning. We talked about a possible trilogy, or a duology, but more often as a trilogy. And I did have pretty broad notions as to how we were going to get from this world to the original Alien – the baton pass, closing the circle, if you will. So yes, I did have plans for two other films. I came up with an even more twisted sequence than the Medpod, but I cannot tell you what happens… 

“My vision of the trilogy would have involved the arrival of the Yutani Company and a couple of other major plays around the Engineers themselves: the revelation of an additional grand Engineer design, and the possibility of seeking an Engineer homeworld. That shot of the ship flying at the end offers a lot of creative ways to play with this. But it feels like it brackets you into the search for the Engineer homeworld and home civilisation. That’s an interesting challenge.”

I have a couple of writers in mind that could tackle this franchise. One writer I could see jump into this world is Drew Goddard. He recently took on the role of director with Cabin In The Woods but like Damon has ties to the complex series Lost. Drew also wrote sci-fi films Cloverfield and adapted Robocaplyse or Steven Spielberg. Scott Z. Burns is another solid screenwriter who could develop a solid story. He's written sci-fi scripts for 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Dawn of The Planet of The Apes (another Fox production), Side Effects and Contagion. Not to mention spy flicks The Bourne Ultimatum and the original script for The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

JURASSIC PARK 4 Director Colin Trevorrow Promises No Feathered Dinos

While Jurassic Park 4 has finally landed it's director Colin Trevorrow and screenwriters with a release date set for June of next Summer. A few odds and ends have been yet to be announced including the cast. That news is likely around the corner but Colin has given equally positive update for fans of the original two films. He simply states via Twitter the dinosaurs won't have feathers in his film. Since the first installment in 1993 science started moving dinos and birds closer together. Which led to raptors with feathers in the third film. Instead of confusing audiences and keeingp the mythology canon they will keep the look more similar to the original film. Rather than what's been showing on The Discovery Channel for the last fifteen years. A smart move to win over original fans of the franchise early on during it's production.

No feathers. #JP4
— Colin Trevorrow (@colintrevorrow) March 20, 2013

Gary Oldman Takes Supporting Role In Daniel Espinosa's CHILD 44

THR reports that Gary Oldman has signed on to play a police officer investigating murders in Daniel Espinosa's (Safe House, Snabba Cash) Child 44. The Soviet-era crime thriller already stars Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Joel Kinnaman. Gary recently took roles in genre flicks Dawn of The Planet of The Apes and the Robocop remake.

Colin Trevorrow To Direct JURASSIC PARK 4 For Universal

Deadline reports that indie director Colin Trevorrow has been hired by producer Steven Spielberg and Universal to direct Jurassic Park 4. The project recently lost producer Kathy Kennedy to Star Wars but still kept it's June 13th 2014 release date. Based on the iconic material from the novels of Michael Crichton the script was written by screenwriting duo Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The pair are best known for writing Rise of The Planet of The Apes and Dawn of The Planet of The Apes.

There were recent talks that production was gearing up in Baton Rouge but a director had yet to be announced. Colin is best known for his time-travel comedy Safety Not Guaranteed he was recently tasked by Disney to remake the 80's classic The Flight of The Navigator. He was also linked and championed to take over the Star Wars franchise before J.J. Abrams' involvement was confirmed. No word on what direction they'll be going with but it's expected to be a reboot of sorts rather than another sequel.

Kerri Russell Joins DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Variety reports that Felicity actress Kerri Russell (MI3) has landed a role in Matt Reeve's Dawn of The Planet of The Apes. The rest of the growing cast includes Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Gary Oldman Joins The Cast Of DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

ComingSoon reports that Gary Oldman (Robocop, Dark Knight Rises) has joined the growing cast of Dawn of The Planet of The Apes. Oldman will play the leader of the human survivors. The rest of the cast includes Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke and Kodi Smit-McPee. Matt Reeves' sequel will be released on May 23rd 2014.

Kodi Smit-McPhee Joins DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Deadline reports another Australian actor has joined the cast of Dawn of The Planet of The Apes. As Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road, Let Me In, ParaNorman) will re-team with Let Me In director Matt Reeves, joining Andy Serkis and fellow Aussie Jason Clarke in the film.

Jason Clarke To Star In DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, Film Set 15 Years Later

THR reports that Australian actor Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty, Lawless, Public Enemies) has been cast the lead in Dawn of The Planet of The Apes which will be directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In). The film continues the events of Rise where a viral outbreak is posed to wipe-out a majority of the human population on Earth. This is a giant upgrade from James Franco leading the last installment. No word on the actual plot or Clarke's character but the film is set 15 years after the events of the first film. Andy Serkis has been confirmed to be reprising the iconic role of Caesar.

JURASSIC PARK 4 Coming June 2014, No Director But Has A Script

HeatVision is reporting some encouraging news for the Steven Spielberg produced Jurassic Park 4. Paramount has set it's release date for June 13th 2014 but the project doesn't have a director attached. A script is shaping up as well as screenwriting duo Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Dawn of The Planet of The Apes, Rise of The Planet of The Apes) have handed in a new draft. It's been mentioned the film could end up becoming more of remake than a continuation of the franchise.

While a director hasn't been named I have my own thoughts on who should be given a shot. Joe Johnston and Spielberg have been rumored but I'd rather see some new blood. I'd love to see a director such as J.J. Abrams or Rupert Wyatt give their own vision of the dinos. Abrams could have the time to make it while Star Trek 3 is still being scripted by writers. Not to mention how Abrams could be eyed by Paramount for the job after delivering the studio some major hits. Rupert reinvented The Planet of The Apes franchise with Rise and has since exited the sequel Dawn. He understands how to bring CGI created characters to life and seems like he could have that vision Paramount needs. Wyatt seems like the best bet since he currently isn't attached to a project.

Apes Wielding Guns In DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Andy Serkis' performance as Caesar was an excellent step in the right direction of the Planet of The Apes franchise one thing really bothered me about it. Mainly, my problem was that the apes didn't pick up and use guns which they have for most of the series. It seems like director Matt Reeves is going to be rectifying this. As an image was posted on the film's Facebook page via IGN featuring an ape holding a gun. This image of course is teasing the evolution of the apes and how they might become slightly more dangerous than the previous film. UPDATE: Apparently the image is fake.

Matt Reeves Will Direct DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Deadline confirms that director Matt Reeves (Let Me In, Cloverfield) will helm Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes for 20th Century Fox.

Matt Reeves And Others Wanted To Direct DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Now that director Rupert Wyatt has exited the Planet of The Apes franchise. Fox is now on the hunt for a new director to replace him with the 2014 release date looming. Deadline reports that Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) is on the top of their list along with other candidates that include Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim, Hellboy), Rian Johnson (Looper, Brick), J Blakeson (Alice Creed), Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter) and Juan Antonio Bayona (The Impossible).

Reeves has left the Twilight Zone film which was setup at Warner Bros., so there's a good chance he'll sign on. Guillermo is also a solid choice as he's a genre nut and could really amp up the action aspect for the sequel. Johnson's jump into science fiction with Looper could make him a decent candidate. Only problem is that Rian usually only directs projects he writes himself. I assume if he signs on he'll be making script rewrites which would only be a benefit to the project.

'DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES' Coming May 2014

20th Century Fox has announced the release date for the sequel to Rise of The Planet of The Apes titled Dawn of The Planet of The Apes. The film is set for a May 23rd 2014 release date with Andy Serkis returning as Caesar along with director Rupert Wyatt. Details on the sequel haven't been made official but  the film likely will focus on the new ape society becoming the dominate species while the human population is wiped out by a deadly virus.