SPECULATION: Idris Elba In The Running For Title Role In X-MEN APOCALYPSE?

Jeff from TheWrap recently broke casting news concerning Bryan Singer's X-Men Apocalypse. Revealing possible contenders for new Jean Grey and Scott Summers in the film. He went on the MeetTheMoviePress podcast to tease and upcoming story concerning Apocalypse casting. Mentioning three actors are in the running for the villainous role, pointing-out previously linked Tom Hardy is not one of the three. Hinting that one of them could be very familiar to us.

"We heard him say the word apocalypse a lot last year".

I have to assume Jeff is referring to Idris Elba's iconic line from the Pacific Rim trailer. We know that Elba has been reaching-out for future comic book roles. Being turned-down by Marvel for others roles in the MCU and possibly talking with Warner Bros. about a role in the DC cinematic universe. Idris had been teasing a desire to play Green Lantern which had fans foam from the mouth. We know he's disgruntled with Marvel and is begrudgingly returning (like a majority of that cast) for Thor: Ragnarok, which won't be shooting until 2016. Elba recently spoiled an appearance in an upcoming Marvel film, and seeming didn't give two-shits out the fallout with the studio. Let's just say he isn't happy with his Marvel contract restrictions and the soul-crushing work they're forcing him to do.

The Fox-Marvel relationship is probably the more heated of the bunch. We've actually seen Marvel starting to cancel the comic book properties that Fox has the rights to. They'll be cancelling Fantastic Four (oddly just before the release of the reboot) soon and have hinted to the end of the X-Men books as well (recently killing-off Wolverine). Whatever new characters they create for those comics become fair-game for Fox to use in the films. There is also been chatter that Marvel was furious with Fox for even considering making an R-rated version of Deadpool, which could have led to them trying to block it's development. Marvel has been avoiding R-rated material like the plague, likely due to keeping their brand family friendly.

I think the biggest fuck-you to Marvel from Elba before leaving the studio could be playing the title role in a competing comic book film. They themselves have little control over the X-Men films and this could be a way for Elba to branch-out even more than he already has. Since he's not really known for playing villains.

SOURCE: MEETTHEMOVIEPRESS

If Offered, Idris Elba Would "Absolutely" Take The BOND Role!

Looks like British actor Idris Elba is confirming his desire to pick-up where Daniel Craig leaves-off, when Craig exits the Bond franchise after Bond 25. During his Reddit interview he answered a couple of questions, and the the subject of James Bond came-up. He mentions that he would "absolutely" take the role if offered. We've been hearing for ages that Elba is a fan favorite for the role, along with Michael Fassbender and others.

I'm sure producers are already considering what to do with Bond 26. As months (maybe even years) of planning would be needed to make sure it's a strong first entry into a new era. Bond 26 is years away from now, but with Elba being this vocal and his latest starring vehicle debuting #1 in North America, he seems like a strong contender for the role. We've come to expect the producers of the franchise to be progressive and think outside the box. Elba has all the charm needed for the role, not to mention lengthly action career filled with awards worthy performances along the way as well.

We know that Elba is desperately looking for the right franchise. Marvel met with him about Blade, Luke Cage and Black Panther. Elba confirmed in the Reddit posts, that Marvel has hired someone else for the Cage role. It's also unlikely with him possible return for Thor 3, that Marvel Studios would cast him other roles. There's still a bit of hope that Idris could land a role with the DCU, the roles are quickly getting gobbled-up by other actors.

SOURCE: REDDIT

Astrid Berges-Frisbey Will Play Guinevere In Guy Ritchie's KNIGHTS OF THE ROUNDTABLE: KING ARTHUR

Deadline reports that French-Spanish actress Astrid Berges-Frisbey (Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) has been tapped for the female lead in Guy Ritchie's Knights of The Roundtable: King Arthur. Astrid will play the key role of Guinevere, and will likely be expected to be apart of the purposed six-part fantasy epic. The film already has Charlie Hunnam possibly playing Arthur, with Idris Elba circling a mentor role similar to Merlin.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Elizabeth Oslen Circling Lead In Guy Ritchie's KNIGHTS OF THE ROUNDTABLE: KING ARTHUR

Yesterday we learned that Guy Ritchie's Camelot pic with the working-title Knights of The Roundtable: King Arthur (thanks to ThePlaylist) had Charlie Hunnam (Crimson Peak, Pacific Rim, Sons of Anarchy) in final talks to take the title role of Arthur. Idris Elba was also in the mix with a possible mentor role that is Merlin-like.

Another role is being revealed thanks to Variety. They say that Elizabeth Olsen (Godzilla, Avengers: Age of Ultron) is circling the female lead of the film. Her role isn't mentioned, but I have to assume it's Arthur's sorceress sister Morgana or his Queen-to-be Guinevere. ThePlaylist believes it's latter role Olsen is up for.

A competing version was originally titled Arthur And Lancelot, and had Kit Harington and Joel Kinnaman attached in the leads. It's budget was too much for Warner Bros. and it would eventually get the axe. A second-take resurrected the project from writer-producer Joby Harold (produced Edge of Tomorrow), his original pitch included a six-part epic. Each film would focus on a different knight of the roundtable, it's unknown if Warner Bros. has agreed to this Avengers-like for their budding fantasy franchise. Considering the studio's Middle Earth saga is coming to a close, it's likely they wanted a genre replacement. I'm curious to see how far the fantasy elements will be explored in the film.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Charlie Hunnam Will Likely Lead Guy Ritchie's KING ARTHUR Movie For Warner Bros.

Deadline has word that Sons of Anarchy actor Charlie Hunnam is in final talks to take-on the lead role in Guy Ritchie's next film. A remaining of the classic tale of King Arthur, has been long in-develop at Warner Bros. So, much so that two competing projects were developed until Ritchie's vision won over the studio. This epic was originally envisioned as a six-part story, but it's unknown if Richie or Warner Bros. will pursue sequels. An official title has yet to be given to the project.

Hunnam has slowly developed into a budding blockbuster actor, taking-on the lead in Guillermo del Toro's mostly successful kaiju/giant robot homage Pacific Rim, which has spawned an untitled sequel set to release on April 7th, 2017. He also recently wrapped production on del Toro's haunted house horror flick Crimson Peak, it's due-out on October 16th, 2015.

Deadline adds that, actor Idris Elba who previously worked with both Guy on RockNRolla and Charlie in Pacific Rim, is currently circling the role of Arthur's wizard mentor/protector Merlin. If you ask me, give Elba whatever role you want knocked-out of the park.

Guy Ritchie's next film The Man From U.N.C.L.E. A period spy action flick based on the popular television series stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer, and is set for release on August 14th, 2015.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Gemma Arterton Reunites With Idris Elba For ONE SQUARE MILE

TheDailyMail is reporting that British actress Gemma Arterton (Alice Creed) is joining Idris Elba in the English film One Square Mile. The film is said to have action, romance and include London's west-side gangsters, not unlike Guy Ritchie's RockNRolla, which the pair had roles in previously. A film which also focused on the seedy-side of London.


SOURCE: DAILYMAIL

Marvel Screen Testing BLACK PANTHER And Wakanda In AGE OF ULTRON?

LatinoReview is picking up on a rumor that Marvel Studios could be screen testing for Black Panther. It should be noted that they aren't 100% sure about it, but it's very plausible. As we've been hearing Marvel beating-the-drum that a Black Panther movie is on the way (script written by Mark Bailey). There was even talk that he might be apart of Avengers: Age of Ultron. At one point the last Phase Two spot was a head-to-head between Panther and Guardians of The Galaxy.

A bunch of actors have been linked, wanted or campaigned for the title role. Those names include John Boyega (Attack The Block, Star Wars: Episode VII), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave, Children of Men, Serenity), Chadwick Boseman (Get On Up, 42), Idris Elba (Pacific Rim, Thor 1-2, Luther) and others. We have no idea if any of these people are indeed in the mix for the role.

Drew from HitFix has replied to the rumor by confirming that T'Challa's home country Wakanda will indeed appear in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The fictional Marvel African nation, which is self-sufficient and has the most advanced technology on the planet. It's currently unknown if Panther himself will show-up in the sequel, but Marvel has apparently "left the door open" for that to happen. I'm beyond excited to see Wakanda, it will be interesting to see how "sci-fi" the country becomes.

@elmayimbe Wakanda's in the film, but as of the start of production, Black Panther wasn't. They left the door open, though.
— Drew McWeeny (@DrewAtHitFix) May 5, 2014

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

Idris Elba And Jake Johnson Also Confirmed For JURASSIC WORLD?

A while back there was chatter in the trades that both Idris Elba (Pacific Rim, Thor: The Dark World) and Jake Johnson (New Girl, Safety Not Guaranteed) were in the mix for roles in Jurassic World. It seems like THR has confirmed their involvement, or have just made a simple mistake listing the cast.

I have a feeling it's the former, since those are two names we've been hearing for a while now, and the size of their roles hasn't actually been revealed. Elba is gathering-steam as name in Hollywood, but a role in a Jurassic Park film would be hard to turn down. As the British actor has a tendency to take-on genre projects, not to mention is a workaholic. Jake has worked with Colin previously, and could end up the comedic-relief of the film (a role also linked to Jason Schwartzman).

A recent string of additions to the cast includes Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Men In Black) and Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire, Amazing Spider-Man). Colin Trevorrow also confirmed that BD Wong would be reprising his role of Dr. Henry Wu from the original film. Wong's character seemingly could be the only link to Jurassic Park.

SOURCE: THR

Gareth Evans Is Open To Making Marvel Film In The Future, Let's Hope It's HEROES FOR HIRE

Indonesian director Gareth Evans is clearly making a name for himself in the action world. His debut feature The Raid captured everyone in love with both action and martial arts films. He's currently filming it's sequel and was recently asked by FlicksAndTheCity if he'd consider making a superhero film. More specifically a Marvel one and his answer is interesting.

"It's tough. The thing is right now, where I am, the kind of things that I'm doing, I don't know if I fit the superhero mold yet. It's something I need to learn at some point but I don't know if I can deliver a PG-13 movie. I don't know how to do that yet. I should learn but yeah, I'm not sure. Maybe a darker, superhero [film] from Marvel."

The one Marvel project that comes to mind that would be perfect for Evans would be Heroes For Hire. A while back Marvel's Joseph Loeb let slip they were developing a Heroes For Hire film. Likely, setting up a ground level Marvel team that would include Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Two characters that have had their own solo films in development for ages. Combining them into one movie would solve issues of their crowded release rollout.

"Just like we just announced Guardians of the Galaxy, we are certainly looking at the Heroes for Hire franchise which is Luke Cage and Iron Fist."

The film should also include characters such as Moon Knight and The Punisher. Which could finally solve the problem of how to make a movie with Frank Castle that people will actually pay to see. Along with the possibility of throwing rebooted versions of Blade and Daredevil into the mix as well. All of them street level heroes based in New York City and since the rights are back at Marvel they might as well use them.

While they could be decent solo features a bigger team-up adventure would be a great way to introduce a great deal of Marvel heroes leading up the rumored Civil War/Thanos battle in Avengers 3. We have some idea of what the Phase Three lineup will look like. Ant-Man, Doctor Strange and possibly features such as Black Panther, Inhumans and a new Hulk film. A Heroes For Hire film would seemingly grab the attention of the action driven audiences who fork all of their money to see films like Fast And The Furious. Imagine setting a Marvel team film in the world crime and throwing in actual superheroes and super villains in there, it could be something very unique. Gareth brings a lot of style and validity to the table. Similar to when Marvel hired Game of Thrones' Alan Taylor to make Thor: The Dark World. So having him involved could also help gain a little more attention to the project.

Irdis Elba has been meeting with Marvel for a while now about playing a second role in the MCU. His wish-list of roles includes Black Panther, Blade and Luke Cage. Considering Marvel's interest in Legendary Pictures' Godzilla main cast Aaron Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen for Avengers: Age of Ultron. It wouldn't be a stretch to see them also looking at cast members in Legendary international smash Pacific Rim as well. Elba as Luke Cage makes a whole lot of sense with his gritty roles on shows such as The Wire and Luther. Charlie Hunnam has equally as much background in street level themes with his series Sons of Anarchy. Plus, he showed off some impressive fighting abilities in Pacific Rim. Which could be amped up ten-fold by Gareth's stunt team and fight trainers. Hunnam was actually in the mix for Thor and Captain America at one point. So having him play Danny Rand could be just as exciting.

New THOR THE DARK WORLD Poster

Morris Chestnut In The Mix For BLACK PANTHER And Could He Join AVENGERS 2?

We've seen a couple of actors tease fans about upcoming roles on Facebook and Twitter. Frank Grillo eventually confirmed he landed the role of villain Crossbones in Captain America 2 on Twitter. So when Morris Chestnut (Boyz N The Hood, Identity Thief, American Horror Story, G.I. Jane, Last Boy Scout) said this on his twitter page "It's time to get familiar with the Black Panther character !" . It gave a lot of people the idea he might be talking to Marvel. He also linked to a picture of Black Panther surrounded by fellow Avengers. Could it be possible that Morris is in the mix for the Black Panther role in Avengers 2 (leading up to his own solo film)? The original tweet has been deleted so it could have caught the attention of his agent or Marvel.

A string of other actors have been previously linked for being considered for the part including Wesley Snipes, Idris Elba, Aldis Hodge and others. Marvel's Kevin Feige recently stated he hoped that Avengers 2 would include another superhero. We have impression that this new hero wouldn't be either Ant-Man or Doctor Strange. Since the Phase Three films would be released post-Avengers 2 and will focus on their origins. Kevin has also been talking up a Panther film for years and has a solid script from from Mark Bailey. Morris will be next seen in Kick-Ass 2 (based on a comic that was published by Marvel but not owned) alongside Jim Carrey who had been linked for a role in Guardians of The Galaxy.

"I would love to also see a new superhero in the ranks of the Avengers. We shall see!"


The Black Panther of Wakanda seems like a solid addition to the Avengers lineup in the sequel. Since he's been a staple in the cartoon series and is one of most popular non-classic member. T'Challa is a character that could be thrown into the fray without his origin explained at that moment. The advanced technology/tribal elements of Wakanda could be a great visual combination if the Guardians end up in the film as well. It would also be a smart way to get audiences behind the Panther film which seems to have been having problems getting made. Black Panther would have the first visible male minority becoming the starring lead of a Marvel Studios' franchise. Something lacking in the comic book film genre along with a lack of superheroines. Hopefully changing with the casting of Zoe Saldana as Gamora (the most dangerous women in the universe) in Guardians of The Galaxy.

Interesting PACIFIC RIM Concept Art From Total Film

New Image From PACIFIC RIM

Tarantino's KILLER CROW To Focus On Black WWII Soldiers' Warpath To Switzerland

While Quentin Tarantino is relishing in the current commercial and critical success of both Inglorious Basterds and the newly released Django Unchained. There had been talk of these films being apart of an unofficial trilogy. It had been thought that Christoph Waltz would be the key factor in all three films. The third film has been given a working title by Quentin according to an interview with TheRoot (via ThePlaylist). Tarantino envisions Killer Crow as a film that could include a lot of excluded material from Inglorious Basterds. There had been a sub-plot that included black soldiers that didn't end up making the film. Talk of a Basterds-prequel also hinted to this story of black WWII soldiers story being explored. He confirms that half a the Killer Crow script is already finished. While this sounds promising, recent talk from Tarantino suggests his 30's era gangster film could be closer to production.

"There's something about this that would suggest a trilogy. My original idea for 'Inglourious Basterds' way back when was that this [would be] a huge story that included the [smaller] story that you saw in the film, but also followed a bunch of black troops, and they had been f--ked over by the American military and kind of go apes--t. They basically -- the way Lt. Aldo Raines and the Basterds are having an "Apache resistance" -- [the] black troops go on an Apache warpath and kill a bunch of white soldiers and white officers on a military base and are just making a warpath to Switzerland... I was going to do it as a miniseries, and that was going to be one of the big storylines. When I decided to try to turn it into a movie, that was a section I had to take out to help tame my material. I have most of that written. It's ready to go; I just have to write the second half of it... That would be the third of the trilogy. It would be [connected to] 'Inglourious Basterds,' too, because Inglourious Basterds are in it, but it is about the soldiers. It would be called 'Killer Crow' or something like that."

It's more than likely Killer Crow will end up starring Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson along with actors that previously were trying out for the role of Django. They included Anthony Mackie, Idris Elba, Will Smith, Michael Kenneth Williams, Terrence Howard, Larenz Tate and Chris Trucker. The Swiss setting could also allow a new crop of talented European actors to be considered as well.

The Basterds will be back and it's expected that Brad Pitt's Lt. Aldo Raine will be returning. Depending on the film's timeline we could also see Eli Roth's Donny Donowitz as well.

Guillermo Del Toro's PACIFIC RIM Trailer Finally Unleashed

Legendary Moving Forward With PACIFIC RIM 2, Travis Beacham And Guillermo Del Toro Working On Script

HeatVision reports that Legendary Pictures smells a hit with Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim. The studio is so confident they've already begun work on the sequel as Travis Beacham and Guillermo will start developing a script on Pacific Rim 2. No word on if the director or cast will be returning but barring the film doesn't bomb or the main characters aren't killed off expect a lot of them returning. Del Toro recently committed to making the haunted house pic Crimson Peak so expect a bit of a wait or a new director to come in to handle the sequel.

PACIFIC RIM Viral Clip Features Kaiju Attack

Could Idris Elba Play 007 In BOND 26?

The Daniel Craig era of Bond will have to end sometime and seems like producers are looking to the future. Craig has already signed up for two more installments Bond 24 and Bond 25. However, according to Skyfall co-star Naomie Harris who talked to TheHuffingtonPost Idris Elba is a strong candidate to replace him. She confirms that Elba (Prometheus, The Wire, Luther) has met with producers about the role. It's likely that Bond 26 is the film that Craig would end up passing on.

"I didn’t realize that there was this talk and then I did a film with Idris [Elba] and he said that he met Barbara Broccoli [James Bond producer] and that it does seem like there is a possibility in the future that there could very well be a black James Bond. And I would have to vote for Idris because I just finished working with him and he’s a great guy."

There had been a strong push for the actor to be considered for iconic role from his fans and film bloggers (like myself). Elba the ever modest, commented on the pros and cons earlier in the year. My belief is that if someone like Christopher Nolan (who wants to reinvent the franchise) gets involved it would be the perfect chance to place him in the part. Idris has proved himself over and over as an excellent action/dramatic actor, a perfect combo for Bond. Names such as Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender have also been linked for the part.

FIRST LOOK: Idris Elba In Guillermo del Toro's 'PACIFIC RIM'

'BLACK PANTHER' Next For Marvel Studios

While Kevin Feige has mentioned that the next Marvel film will feature a character outside of the Avengers world. He might have been talking about the phase one Avengers. As LatinoReview is reporting that Marvel Studios next feature will take audiences to the fictional tech-advanced African nation of Wakanda and introduce us to The Black Panther. If you follow the comics or even the Avengers cartoon T'challa ends up joining the Avengers team as a longtime member. They also claim that Mark Bailey's script is "fantastic" which is promising news in itself. There hasn't been news of a director but I wouldn't be shocked if some of the names connected to Captain America 2 are also being looked at for Panther.

THE BLACK PANTHER is going to headline his own film! How do I know? Let’s say I got it from FOUR different trusted sources. Marvel is going BIG TIME after the urban film audience and I applaud them for that. Last year, it was reported that Marvel hired Mark Bailey to pen the script and I hear the script is fantastic.The clues were always there. They showed Wakanda on the map in Iron Man 2 and Captain America’s shield is made from Vibranium which also hails from Wakanda.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje had been campaigning for the role but knowing Marvel they'll go the route of Cap and Thor hiring a younger actor to keep a franchising going for years to come. My bet is that since they cast Derek Luke in Captain America they could be looking at similar projects like Red Tails to find a promising lead. I'm just proud to see Marvel going all-in with this next adventure and I'll be first in line to see when it hits theaters.