Matt Bomer And Margaret Qualley Join Shane Black's THE NICE GUYS

Deadline reports that Matt Bomer (White Collar, Magic Mike) is on board Shane Black's Nice Guys. The 70's era thriller features Ryan Gosling as a private detective hired by a gangster played Russell Crowe to find a missing girl. Bomer is said to be possibly playing the villain of the film, while newcomer Margaret Qualley (Leftovers) will play the female lead. Black's wheelhouse has been noir-like subject matter, getting his start creating the Lethal Weapon franchise. I just want this film to exclude Black's usual Christmas setting for once.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

RUMOR! ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK Lead Down To Charlie Hunnam, Dan Stevens & Jon Bernthal?

One of the John Carpenter's most celebrated cult-film Escape From New York is getting a remake from producer Joel Silver. The dystopian sci-fi action flick follows a fallen hero who has become the most famous outlaw in a crumbling fascist America, where entire cities are setup as guard-less prisons. Propaganda and the police-state rule the country, with most freedoms becoming outlawed. Snake is forced into saving the day on suicide-missions, usually with threat of death/execution.

Starlog reports that the three new names being in the mix for Snake include  Charlie Hunnam, Dan Stevens (The Guest, Downton Abbey) and Jon Bernthal (Wolf of Wall Street, Walking Dead, Fury). Stating that Hunnam is the top-choice for the role, but cautious considering his recent involvement in top-lining Guy Ritchie's Knights of The Roundtable: King Arthur, taking the Arthur role.

Out of the three names, the one that stands-out as solid potential lead is Dan Stevens. The trailer for his well received action thriller The Guest, has gotten my attention and I expect big things for the British actor. If he decides to pursue a career in action film. I also have nominated Stevens to play Daniel Rand in Marvel's Netflix series Iron Fist. Here's hoping he lands the Plissken role first.



There has been talk the reboot will actually be a slight prequel to the events of the original movie, exploring a bit of the origins of Snake in the first film, what gave him his hero status. Before being thrown into the meat-grinder of the prison city of New York. The site mentions that it's going to be more of a team-based film than we've know the films to be. Claiming that actors being looked-at for the lead, will likely take supporting parts in the reboot. Which is said to be the first in a new trilogy (that's if this even get's made, and is even welcomed by audiences).

Producer Joel Silver talked to Collider and revealed a majority of these details back in February. Silver also confirmed they didn't have a completed script, we haven't heard names of who is actually writing or directing the film (directors have come and gone). Starlog states the studio is also looking for investment partners and will be shopping the film at The American Film Market. This could mean the remake will be made outside of the studio system, which tends to lead to more interesting films. Dredd being an excellent example of a solid indie remake.

“There was a videogame that came out a few years ago called 'Arkham City,' which shows how Gotham became this kind of walled prison and how it became a walled prison. And they never deal with that in the story of 'Escape from New York,' so part of our idea was to kind of see how the city became this walled prison and how the Snake Plissken character was a hero and how he became not looked at as a hero. And then, in the middle of the story, would be the movie that we, you know, previously saw about the President’s daughter goes down, he has to go in and get her. And then, you know, they did a sequel, 'Escape from L.A.,' but I would like to then kind of find a way to have New York go back to a place that we’d like to see what it is today.”

These aren't the first names to be linked for the Snake Plissken role, during the reboot's many years of development. Names such as Gerard Bulter, Jason Statham, Tom Hardy and Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Dead Wood) have been mentioned in trade reports concerning the recasting the Snake role. It's unknown if any of these past candidates would be willing to appear in the film.

SOURCE: STARLOG

Legendary Director Takashi Miike Making English Film Debut With WWII Era Yakuza Thriller THE OUTSIDER Starring Tom Hardy

Deadline reports a serious update for the cool Yakuza flick The Outsider. The film centered on an former American G.I.  who ends up working for the Japanese Yakuza. They say that legendary director Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Audition, Ichi The Killer, Straw Shield) will make his first English film which will have Tom Hardy attached for the lead role.

Tom Hardy And Jason Statham In The Mix To Play Snake Plissken In ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK Reboot?

NYDailyNews is reporting that actors Tom Hardy (Max Mad, Dark Knight Rises) and Jason Statham (Hummingbird, Expendables) are currently in the mix for the role of Snake in Escape From New York. A reboot of the classic cult film which is being produced Joel Silver and is expected to reveal the origins of Snake.

Hardy is currently shooting Animal Rescue and is expected to shoot the thriller Child 44 next. He also recently wrapped on Mad Max: Fury Road and lined up a starring role in Splinter Cell. Jason Statham may have a role in Fast And Furious 7 and is expected to reprise a supporting role in Expendables 3. Tom is easily the go to actor since he was previously in the mix for the film when it was still with producer Neal Mortiz. Considering he's already been apart of the reboot of Mad Max the studio could believe he could do the same for Snake. Statham hasn't really had a franchise role since The Transporter and Crank.

Remake Of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK Back On Track With Producer Joel Silver, Will Gerard Butler Reconsider Taking The Lead?

Looks like the remake of John Carpenter's Escape From New York is getting new life thanks to producer Joel Silver (Lethal Weapon, Predator, The Matrix, Die Hard, 48 Hours, Commando, ) and his Silver Pictures (who are teaming up with Studio Canal) according to Deadline. Joel is no stranger to the action genre and has a solid track record. New Line Cinema had been trying to put together a reboot with producer Neal Moritz (Total Recall 2012) and Breck Eisner (The Crazies) attached to direct. Actors such as Tom Hardy (Inception, Mad Max Fury Road, Dark Knight Rises), Jeremy Renner (The Town, Avengers, Hurt Locker) and Gerard Butler (300, Olympus Has Fallen) had been in the mix for Snake Plissken but the project ultimtely went into limbo. New Line lost the rights which allowed Silver Pictures to pickup the film's rights. Joel is looking to reboot the entire franchise, starting with an origin story for Snake which will lead to a trilogy. This gives the impression we might see a fresh take on the material along with learning how Plissken went from war hero to the most notorious convict. They are currently on a search for writers and a director will likely soon follow that announcement.

It won't be hard to imagine Joel trying to wrangle the linked actors back into talks. Hardy has attached himself to a number of projects (Splinter Cell, Child 44, Animal Rescue) and already has his budding Mad Max franchise which get a fasted-tracked sequel, it's unlikely he'll be considered this round. Renner might also have issues as sequels to Avengers, Bourne Legacy, Mission Impossible and Witch Hunters are in the works. Out of the original three I see Butler ending up with the role. His upcoming film Olympus Has Fallen is in the same ballpark and could prove he's ready to carry an action franchise on his shoulders. Silver produced RockNRolla which starred Gerard and was directed by Guy Ritchie (Joel also produces Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes franchise).

Liam Neeson's name has been mentioned for the role (Silver has produced Neeson's Unknown and the upcoming Non-Stop). However, if the trilogy talk is true they might looking for a younger actor that will be able to commit to three films. I could see others such as Chris Hemsworth and Jai Courtney in the mix for the role as well.

Japanese Set WWII Yakuza Thriller THE OUTSIDER Moves To Universal, Daniel Espinosa Still Wants To Direct

Variety reports that The Outsider has been picked up Silver Pictures for Universal. The WWII era film focuses on an American P.O.W. released from a prison camp by the Yakuza for him to work for the criminal organization. It was originally setup at Warner Bros. with Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Snabba Cash) and they say Daniel is still keen on sticking with the project. Michael Fassbender and Tom Hardy had been in talks for the lead but their involvement is unknown.

Sean Penn To Star In Action Thriller PRONE GUNMAN

HeatVision reports that Sean Penn (Gangster Squad, Mystic River) is set to star in the action film Prone Gunman. It centers on an international operative named Martin Terrier (Penn) who is betrayed by the organization he works for and must go on the run in a relentless game of cat-and-mouse across Europe. Penn isn't really known for this genre so it could be an interesting change of pace.

Dwayne Johnson Confirms 'LOBO' Rumors

Lobo is finally moving forward with Brad Peyton set to direct replacing Guy Ritchie. Not too soon after that news it was rumored that Dwayne Johnson had been linked for the lead. Johnson himself answered a fan's question via Twitter which confirms he's at least in talks with producer Joel Silver and the studio.

“Rumors of me possibly playing LOBO are true. Joel Silver and Brad Peyton working on it now. That could be fun..”

SPECULATION: Barry Sonnenfeld Directing 'SGT. ROCK'?

CBM got a quote from MIB3 director Barry Sonnenfeld stating he's in early talks with Warner Bros. to possibly direct another comic book franchise. He doesn't name the project or even if it's a DC Comics property. Warner Bros. is looking to amp up their productions of superhero films with the hopes to complete with the sheer volume of Marvel projects. There is a project Barry could be referring to in his vague statement.

"You know, I'm talking to Warner Bros. about doing a franchise based on a comic that hasn't been around since the 60s. But it's too early to talk about it. But possibly, yes."

If he intends this to be an adaptation of comic from the 60's it's possible he could talking about Sgt. Rock. Originally, producer Joel Silver had tapped Arnold Schwarzenegger to star with scripts from David Webb Peoples (Blade Runner, Unforgiven, Twelve Monkeys), John Milius (Dirty Harry, Jaws, Apocalypse Now, Red Dawn, Conan The Barbarian), Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River, Man On Fire, Bourne Supremacy) all making the rounds. Guy Ritchie would also get involved as a possible director with John Cox handling a new screenplay. Ritchie would exit to focus on the Sherlock Holmes films. A recent update from Silver suggested that they were going to re-tool the project changing the WWII setting to a futuristic sci-fi actioner. It's likely the Nazis would be replaced with villainous aliens which seems right up Sonnenfeld's alley.

Jaume Collet-Serra Could Replace Jeff Wadlow As Director Of 'NON-STOP' Starring Liam Neeson

Yesterday we learned that Jeff Wadlow will be writing and directing Kick-Ass 2 which called into question his involvement the director of Non-Stop. The new Liam Neeson actioner has him playing another grizzled badass forced to bring the noise during a threat on an international flight. ShowBlitz reports that Jaume Collet-Serra is now in talks with Dark Castle to take over directing duties. Jaume has previously worked with Neeson on the action film The Unknown.

'LOBO' Gets A New Director

Deadline reports that Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver have tasked Brad Peyton to direct and rewrite their adaptation of Lobo. An odd choice considering he's best known for filming movies for children. Lobo being a rough talking and gritty bounty hunting biker doesn't seem to fit with Peyton's previous experiences. I should take it easy since they haven't really even released a new synopsis. Until then I'll be quietly concerned on the direction of this film.

Before the stellar success of Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie had been attached to the project. That apparently went pretty far into development as actors like Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) were testing for the title role. One of the biggest issues fans and critics had with the original draft was that the interstellar bounty hunter happened to be stuck on Earth. Along with a apparent PG-13 rating which seemed out of place for the villain turned anti-hero. An odd choice also to set it on Earth considering the amazing Star Wars meets Riddick possibilities this potential franchise holds. Hopefully these new rewrites include more than just the inclusion of a 3D gimmick. I also hope the terrible handling of Green Lantern doesn't scare off the studio from using the Star Wars-like aliens and worlds.

Liam Neeson To Star In Action Thriller 'NON-STOP'

Variety repots that Liam Neeson (The Grey, Taken 2) is set to continue his legacy as a grizzled badass with the action thriller Non-Stop. The film centers on a worn-out air marshall who has to tackle a threat on an international flight. It will be directed by Jeff Wadlow (Cry Wolf, Never Back Down) with Joel Silver producing with his production company Dark Castle which also made Neeson's Unknown.

Guy Ritchie Gives A Real RockNRolla Update

Guy Ritchie is become a staple director at Warner Bros. handling their Sherlock Holmes franchise and is in talks for their 60's era spy blockbuster The Man From UNCLE. Ritchie talked to MovieLine and revealed the status of his sequel to RockNRolla that had the working title of The Real RockNRolla. The sequel had been teased at the end of the first film and fans have actively waiting for Guy to finally get around to making it.

"You know, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it! I’ve written a script, I think it’s a great script, and Joel [Silver] wants to pay for me to do it. But up until now we haven’t had the time to do it," Ritchie said. "It’s sitting there and we’d all like to do it, it’s just a question of when we’re going to fit it in. So we’ll wait and see."

Luckily, RockNRolla had been a Warner Bros. film with studio producer Joel Silver also involved. Silver is also working with Ritchie on his Sherlock Holmes franchise. It seems like RDJ is keen on taking a bit of break from Holmes even if the studio is currently writing a third film. So like I've said previously he could end up making two films between Sherlock Holmes 2 and 3. The only thing that could derail The Real RockNRolla is possibly The Man From UNCLE and it's sequels. Also, the cast of the original seems to be blowing up on their own. It might be hard to lock in Gerard Butler, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and Toby Kebbell for the sequel.

Sean Penn Could Join Christian Bale In The Last Photograph

Deadline reports that Sean Penn is circling the lead role in The Last Photograph which will also star Christian Bale. The film is based on a concept that was developed by Zack Snyder and screenwriter Kurt Johnstad (300, Xerxes) which will be directed by Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo). Zack and his wife Deborah will produce along with Joel Silver moving from Warner Bros. to Dark Castle.

"Bale plays a war correspondent who witnesses and is the only survivor of an attack on a group of Americans. Penn is circling the role of a retired ex-special ops soldier who comes to the scene determined to free a family member who has been kidnapped. The journalist agrees to help identify the kidnappers and travel the rough terrain to find them, in exchange for the story. The road brings them in confrontation with tribal regions of Afghanistan, and none of the diplomats will help."

The Wachowskis' Next Film Is Hood, Will Smith Offered Lead Role?

HeatVision reports Warner Bros., producer Joel Silver and the Wachowskis will re-team for Hood. The film is an modern urban take on the Robin Hood tale. It will be written and directed by the pair who haven't made a film since the underrated/visually stunning Speed Racer. Knowing the Wachowskis it will have epic action scenes and could be a franchise in the making. They've reached out to Will Smith, who originally passed on the role of Neo but his wife Jada starred in the sequels. Their other project CN-9 is currently having funding issues so it seems like this one could go into production first.