CHRIS PRATT Could Star Opposite JENNIFER LAWRENCE In Sony's 'PASSENGERS'

Just a moment ago Variety reported that Sony was in early talks with Jennifer Lawrence to play the female lead in Passengers. Only for The Wrap to chime-in with their own scoop that Chris Pratt is also in the mix for the male lead.

Set in the future aboard a spacecraft, “Passengers” follows a man who awakens early from a cryogenic slumber and to spare himself from being lonely, decides to wake up a female passenger, which is the role Lawrence is circling.

Two high-profiled actors that were recently titled the biggest box office earners of 2014 in one film screams heat,  something to consider during it's early casting days.

Pratt has been linked to a bunch of different films including a possible reboot of Indiana Jones. Lawrence was also mentioned as a desired addition for Sony's Ghostbusters reboot, so they've previously talked to the actress about projects.

Keanu Reeves was previously mentioned for the male lead a while back but Pratt seems a bit more age appropriate for lead like Lawrence.


SOURCE: THE WRAP

JENNIFER LAWRENCE In Talks For Sony's 'PASSENGERS' From INTIMIDATION GAME Director

Variety is reporting that Jennifer Lawrence is early talks with Sony to star as the lead in their sci-fi romance drama Passengers. The film is a from a spec-script penned by Prometheus and Doctor Strange screenwriter Jon Spahits with Oscar nominated director Morten Tyldum (Intimidation Game, Headhunters) attached.

Set on a spacecraft in the future with thousands of passengers making an interstellar voyage to a distant new planet. One passenger awakens from cryogenic sleep 90 years before anyone else and decides to wake up a female passenger, sparking the beginning of a love story.

This would be a huge deal for both Sony and Lawrence, as it's possible the film could end-up being the next Gravity if handled properly. Jennifer is known for a balance of high-profile and indie project, it's possible Passengers could become a nice mix of both.

Actresses Reese Witherspoon and Rachel McAdams were previously linked for the project before Sony got involved.



SOURCE: VARIETY

'IMITATION GAME' Director In Talks For 'PASSENGERS'; Script From 'PROMETHEUS' Writer

Variety reports that Sony is currently in negotiations with Imitation Game director Morten Tyldum to helm their sci-fi flick Passengers. He's best known for the Oscar nominated film which earned him a Best Director nomination, studios will likely be knocking his door with many projects.

Another one of his films is a slick thriller Headhunters which is totally worth watching if you get the chance.

Passengers is based on a spec-script from screenwriter Jon Spahits that Sony bought on the spot.

Set on a spacecraft in the future with thousands of passengers making an interstellar voyage to a distant new planet. One passenger awakens from cryogenic sleep 90 years before anyone else and decides to wake up a female passenger, sparking the beginning of a love story.

Jon is best known for having his original Prometheus script rewritten by Damon Lindelof, I urge you to seek out his original draft and compare it to the film it's actually pretty damn good.

This new project is seeming taking cues from David's creepy spying on Shaw during her hyper-sleep.

He's also landed high profile screenwriting gigs with Marvel Studios penning Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange along with writing a draft of Universal's Mummy reboot.

Casting hasn't begun but a couple of names have been attached to the project in the past and they include Reese Witherspoon (Wild, Inherent Vice), Keanu Reeves (John Wick, Speed, Point Break) and Rachel McAdams (True Detective, Notebook). The actors have since moved on from the film but could be lured to return with Morten Tyldum's involvement.

The genre is hot again thanks to films like Gravity and Guardians of The Galaxy making huge box office.

I'm sure he'll be getting a bunch of offers but Sony has managed to allow some creative freedom to their sci-fi directors in the past with Neill Blomkamp being able to make wildly different movies like Elysium and the upcoming Chappie.

Other big sci-fi projects with sprawling casts coming soon include Ridley Scott's The Martian and Ben Wheatley's High-Rise.





SOURCE: VARIETY

Chiwetel Eijofor Conjuring Role In Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE

The Hollywood Reporter is hearing that Marvel is currently courting Oscar nominee Chiwetel Eijofor (12 Years A Slave, Serenity, Children of Men) for an unnamed role in Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange.

The Wrap is suggesting the role isn't villainous, which might be going to Civil War's Daniel Brunhl said to be playing baddies in both films.

Which means it could be one of three roles The Ancient One, Wong or Brother Voodoo.

Kevin Feige has confirmed that Strange would be opening a whole new world within the Marvel cinematic universe. Like Guardians opened the cosmic side, Strange would open the mystical side of the universe. This could mean the film might be acting as a launching film for other big characters.

Brother Voodoo seems like a character that would be on equal footing with Stephen Strange and could even eventually land his own film. Remember, Voodoo did fight evil alongside Strange and did take the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme from Stephen.

Chiwetel was a fan-favorite for both Black Panther and Doctor Strange roles, but obviously didn't land those parts. Perhaps, Marvel is making it up to fans by trying to land him for another part in the MCU.

You might remember that Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel shared some scenes together in 12 Years A Slave. He also has connections with Joss Whedon playing the villain in his Firefly film Serenity.



SOURCE: THR

Ken Watanabe, Morgan Freeman And Bill Nighy Wanted For DOCTOR STRANGE's Mentor The Ancient One

LatinoReview has word that Marvel is moving forward with the rest of casting for Doctor Strange. It was confirmed recently that Benedict Cumberbatch is our titular hero. Another major role in the film is Sorcerer Supreme and Strange's mentor The Ancient One. The three actors in the mix according to LR are Ken Watanabe (Godzilla, Inception, Batman Begins, Last Samurai), Morgan Freeman (Dark Knight Trilogy, Wanted, Lucy) and Bill Nighy (Underworld, Shaun of The Dead, Pirates Of The Caribbean).

The Ancient One teaches both Stephen Strange and villain Baron Mordo the ways of mystical arts. A leading role that allows for some diverse casting which makes both Watanabe and Freeman a preference. While Freeman's voice could be amazing for the role, I'd prefer to see Watanabe. It's not shocking that Ken is in the mix, as the training scenes in Batman Begins sort of parallels the origin of Doctor Strange.

Daniel Bruhl's (Inglorious Basterds, Rush) role in Captain America: Civil War is said to crossover to Strange as well. This has us believing he could be playing Karl Mordo, or combination with Captain America villain Baron Zemo.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

Marvel Confirms Benedict Cumberbatch For DOCTOR STRANGE

Marvel Studios has finally put everything to rest and are announcing Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, Hobbit, Sherlock, War Horse) as Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange. The film starting production next year will be directed by Scott Derrickson with a script from Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, The Mummy). The film will be apart of the Phase Three lineup and is set for release on November 4th, 2016. There is no word on other cast members, but this means the rest of the cast can now be put together. Below is the entire press release from Marvel on the announcement.

Benedict Cumberbatch has entered the world of the mystic arts.

The actor will star in Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” scheduled to hit theaters November 4, 2016. The film, directed by Scott Derrickson with Jon Spaihts writing the screenplay, will follow the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.

“Stephen Strange’s story requires an actor capable of great depth and sincerity,” said Producer Kevin Feige. “In 2016, Benedict will show audiences what makes Doctor Strange such a unique and compelling character.”

Cumberbatch rose to international prominence with his critically acclaimed turn as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation in “Sherlock,” currently preparing its fourth season. The series’ most recent season earned Cumberbatch the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2014, after winning the BAFTA/LA Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year in 2013.

Cumberbatch most recently starred in “The Imitation Game,” playing famed mathematician and logician Alan Turing, and will soon be seen in “The Hobbit: The Army of the Five Armies” as Smaug and the Necromancer. For the role of Smaug, Cumberbatch stepped into the world of motion capture to bring the dragon to life. He will next be seen in Scott Cooper’s film “Black Mass,” the story of Whitey Bulger coming to theaters next September, where he stars opposite Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton.

The star’s other credits include the Academy Award-winning “12 Years a Slave,” “War Horse,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “August: Osage County,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “The Fifth Estate,” and “Parade’s End.” Benedict will be returning to the stage this summer in Hamlet at the Barbican with Lyndsey Turner directing. His last stage performance in Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein opposite Jonny Lee Miller awarded him the Olivier.

With “Doctor Strange,” Cumberbatch is just the latest actor to join the bold Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introducing new heroes and continuing the adventures of fan favorites across multiple films.

SOURCE: MARVEL 

Writers Ed Solomon And Noah Hawley Hired For Unnamed Universal Monster Movies

Universal is moving forward world-building their horror universe with their iconic Universal Monsters. Dracula, The Mummy and The Wolfman are already set for the franchise. Dracula played by Luke Evans has already come and gone with Dracula Untold, and will be seen in other films in the future. The Mummy directed by Alex Kurtzman is about to head into production, and The Wolfman has a writer with Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners).

THR has even more news concerning more writers joining the universe. As Ed Solomon and Noah Hawley have been tasked to write for unnamed projects for the studio. Solomon is best known for his work on Men In Black and Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure. Ed also recently worked on Now You See Me and was planning on doing rewrites on Alex Kurtzman's Venom movie at Sony. It's possible that Ed is working on The Mummy because of working with Alex previously, or it's something else entirely. Fargo writer Noah Hawely is also in the mix and seems like a good fit for these films.

The other films in the works include The Invisible Man, Van Helsing, Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. We know that Guillermo del Toro has sort of reserved Frankenstein for himself, I would also assume he would want more control over the script as well. Since it's passion project for the filmmaker, I assume it'll be next for him after he completes production of Pacific Rim 2.

The Invisible Man seems like the next logical project to move forward with. Since, the studio will likely wait for del Toro to direct Frankenstein and you need that go first before Bride happens. I feel like with Noah Hawely's background on Bones and Fargo, it might be a dark character that he can write for extremely well.

Oddly enough, Guillermo was also interested in making a new Val Helsing film with Tom Cruise in the lead role. That seemed to be a bit more interesting, and I wouldn't be too shocked if this how we get our modern Dracula film. I don't doubt that this could be good stomping grounds for Solomon, interchanging hunting aliens for monsters wouldn't be too hard for him.

Luke Evans is indeed set to return for more films as tortured vampire, and it was confirmed via a button scene at the end of Dracula Untold with Evans in modern London. He could also bleed over to The Mummy and The Wolfman as well, becoming the monster that connects all the films.


SOURCE: THR

Marvel Echoes Fan Demand..Benedict Cumberbatch In Final Talks For DOCTOR STRANGE

It's looks like Marvel's exhausting search is over. Variety is confirming that Benedict Cumberbatch is in final talks for the role of Doctor Strange. While his commitments to the next series of Sherlock and a play in London seemingly put him out of the running. The studio apparently is trying to work something out with him. Benedict had always been in the running, ever since the first group of candidates was reported on by trades. Having connections to both Star Trek and Hobbit franchises greatly helped his chances with awareness to international audiences. Not to mention the current awards buzz for his performance in The Intimidation Game, as legendary computer pioneer/code breaker Alan Turing. Fans have been asking for Cumberbatch to be consider way before the casting process even started. So, I'm sure that had some impact on who Marvel went after.

Production was expected to begin in the spring, around the same time as Captain America 3. However, since Cap 3 is shooting stateside Strange would be heading to the UK. The official date for Strange hasn't been announced, but it's expected to be July 2016. Marvel is setting up some sort of event for Tuesday, it's possible this will be the announcement made there. Scott Derrickson is directing with a new script from Jon Spaihts (Prometheus).

Strange is expected to be a huge role for the Marvel universe, chatter suggests that Stephen Strange will eventually replace Tony Stark as the face of the franchise.

SOURCE: VARIETY 

Kevin Feige Shows-Up To Watch DOCTOR STRANGE Frontrunner Keanu Reeve Kick-Ass In JOHN WICK

We've seen a huge list of names attributed to Marvel's massive casting search for Doctor Strange. Names such as Ewan McGregor, Joaquin Phoenix, Jared Leto, Oscar Isaac, Keanu Reeves, Ethan Hawke, and the heat-magnet Matthew McConaughey (True Detective, Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar). While this might seem like an overload of actors circling for one role, this was the same case for Marvel finding an actor to play both Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Peter Quill (Star-Lord).

They are being extremely tough with their casting, and are likely trying to find someone good enough to take on the the important role. It's been said that Stephen Strange will eventually replace Tony Stark as the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A huge feat and Marvel needs to make this casting choice perfect, or this concept might not work as they planned.

TheWrap is now stating the search might be two three frontrunners with a couple still in the race for the lead role. Colin Farrell fresh-off landing the lead in HBO's True Detective is the newest name added to the mix. Previously linked actor Benedict Cumberbatch makes comeback and newly resurrected action star Keanu Reeves is apart the group as well. However, it might seem like one of these gentleman is wooing Marvel a bit more.




Marvel's Kevin Feige actually showed-up to a screening of Keanu's latest flick John Wick, with the actor and director in attendance. Which is being strongly compared to the action-level of the original Matrix, earning a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from early reviews. While it says a lot that Kevin would make such a public appearance to the film of an active casting candidate. It should be noted that Adrianne Palicki is also in the film, who takes the role of Avenger Mockingbird in the Agents of SHIELD series.

Palicki has confirmed there are plans for Bobbi to make the leap to films, which could mean she's already filmed scenes. It could be just the case of Kevin sporting one of his Marvel alumni. Another theory is that Keanu is actually the main frontrunner, and Feige wanted to see audience reaction to the film first-hand. Ever since it's screening at SXSW the buzz has been huge, and it continues to impress critics and moviegoers alike. This new life given to Reeve's recent foggy action career, could be the final bit of heat needed for him to land the role.

I've already suggested that Marvel work fast to get Wick director Chad Stahelski on a project, before other studios try to lock him into a franchise. This could also be the case of Feige trying to figure out if Chad would be a good fit at Marvel as well. Chad has gone from stuntman to second-unit director to feature director in such a small span of time, this kind of talent will be noticed by a major studio very soon. It's said that excellent word-of-mouth could see Wick earning a lot more than originally projected for it's opening weekend.



Keanu Reeves is actually one of the only actors candid about the process. Talking with Collider it actually sounded like this was the first time he had heard about being a fan-favorite for the role. This could have led to him getting his agent to talk to Marvel about the idea. Reeves is famously known for being against sequels, and a Marvel contract could scare him away. However, he recently mentioned on the Jimmy Kimmel Show that his favorite film experience was making the Matrix trilogy. Could this mean he's a bit more open to a franchise role, if he's sort of clued-in to the overall plan?

Let's not forget that Keanu Reeves has worked with Doctor Strange's director Scott Derrickson on The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Ryan Gosling Another Candidate For Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE

THR also mentions that Ryan Gosling (Drive, Only God Forgives, Blue Valentine, Place Beyond The Pines) is another name in the mix for Marvel's Doctor Strange. Placing him alongside other possible candidates such as Matthew McConaughey (True Detective, Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club) Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, The Island, The Impossible, Trainspotting), Oscar Isaac (Bourne Legacy, Drive, A Most Violent Year), Keanu Reeves, Jared Leto, Ethan Hawke and Jake Gyllenhaal. Production is expected to begin soon with a spring start date and a release date of July 8th, 2016.










SOURCE: THR

Matthew McConaughey, Oscar Isaac And Jake Gyllenhaal Also In The Mix For DOCTOR STRANGE

It looks like Ewan McGregor isn't the only name Marvel is considering for Doctor Strange. Variety has released a studio shortlist of other candidates. The new names include Matthew McConaughey, Oscar Isaac and Jake Gyllenhaal, along with previously mentioned Jared Leto, Ewan, and they are confirming Ethan Hawke was indeed in the mix. There's zero mentions of Tom Hardy or Benedict Cumberbatch, so I assume they're out.

Matthew is obviously a hot-property since True Detective and his Oscar win for Dallas Buyers Club. It's assume his next film Christopher Nolan's Interstellar will be massive. The trade is smart to point-out the actor is extremely busy. It's great to see him on this list, as he was many of my early suggestions when it was revealed Strange was next for Marvel. An actor with an upswing in his career and giving solid performances.



Oscar Isaac (Drive, Robin Hood, Inside Llewyn Davis) is another fan-favorite. Even Devin from BadassDigest has been quietly campaigning for him to take the role. He's already apart of the Disney family with a role in Star Wars Episode VII, and showed-up to the Guardians of the Galaxy red carpet over the summer. He's been trying to land his own franchise for a while now, originally competing with Jeremy Renner for the lead in Bourne Legacy. He'll also be seen co-starring with Jessica Chastain (Marvel has been pursing her for years) in A Most Violent Year. If they can't land Matthew, he's my second favorite of these new names.



Another Disney alumni is mentioned for the running as well. Jake Gyllenhaal has been focusing on his indie career since Prince of Persia bombed. Taking-on roles in thrillers like End of Watch and Nightcrawler might help launch him back into a leading man. Jake almost replaced Tobey McGuire in Spider-Man 2.




SOURCE: VARIETY

RUMOR: Marvel Looking At Ewan McGregor For DOCTOR STRANGE Role?

Marvel might have their ducks-in-a-row for Captain America 3's spring production. However, the same can't be said for Doctor Strange which is expected to be shooting in spring as well. Joaquin Phoenix recently exited talks to play Stephen Strange, and Marvel had to go back to searching for an actor. While it seems like director Scott Derrickson (Sinister) is ready to begin shooting the new script from Jon Spaihts (Prometheus).

Names like Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy and Jared Leto had been linked by trades previously. ThisIsInfamous has been trying to link actors like Ethan Hawke, Jon Hamm, and Jack Huston as "sure-bets" for the role, but are obviously making stories up. Considering none of these names have ever been brought-up by any of the usual scoopers. Interviewers are trying to get Keanu Reeves cast in the role, that isn't going to happen either.

Trusted/reputable site BadassDigest is giving us a real name to get behind. They are suggesting a rumor that Scottish actor Ewan McGregor (Star Wars Prequels, Trainspotting, Haywire, The Island) is preparing for the role and the studio is looking at him. Ewan was actually a fan-favorite for the Hank Pym role, which went to Michael Douglas. McGregor has international awareness thanks to Star Wars, he also has had a varied amount of action, comedic, dramatic and dark roles throughout his career.

He's previously worked with plenty of Marvel alumni. Those names include Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Gwenth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Bill Paxton, Josh Brolin, Djimon Hounsou, Stanley Tucci and Christopher Eccleston. Marvel likes to cast actors familiar to them, and that have connections to existing cast members. He also has the same amount of "heat" Chris Pratt and Paul Rudd had when they were tapped to play Marvel leads. It wouldn't be entirely out of place for Marvel to consider Ewan for the part.











SOURCE: BADASSDIGEST

Keanu Reeves Talks DOCTOR STRANGE..Would This Casting Help Marvel's Diversity Problem?

While speaking with Collider's Frosty, actor Keanu Reeves was asked if he was interested in Marvel or DC roles. Bringing-up the fan demand to see him take-on the Doctor Strange role, now vacated by Joaquin Phoenix. His statements are genuinely interesting, but as we well know Keanu isn't a champion of sequels. You can see his reaction in the video, when Frosty explains how many Marvel films are involved with their contract.



"From a practical standpoint the idea of a longtime contract is sort of “errr” because you want to make sure the material is up to a certain level. Like the good or great level. I like the idea. I go to those kinds of movies. I grew up on them and comics and graphic novels. [But] I didn’t know Doctor Strange as a character, I didn’t read that as a kid. I’m gonna have to read it. I remember reading something… who’s going to play Doctor Strange? Would I be good for the role?"

Reeves' new film John Wick is apparently a beast and will be making quite the impact later this month. As we've heard many times Marvel chases heat, and Keanu might be on fire again with this action flick. It doesn't hurt that movies like Point Break, The Matrix and Speed have proven that in the right action film, he can shine pretty damn brightly.

After hearing this suggestion, I don't actual mind the idea of Keanu Reeves in the role. We've supported him in even odder pictures with The Matrix sequels and Constantine. I also think having an actor with an asian and polynesian background might actually change things up a bit in the Marvel lineup. There are actually a lot of asian elements to Strange's origins, so it would make sense to at least consider hiring an Asian actor. I

I've ranted about the need for Black Panther and Captain Marvel movies getting made to help diversify the Marvel cinematic universe lineup. Perhaps, hiring actors with different backgrounds might also be the key here. Marvel was piss-scared of hiring an Asian actor even for The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. You'd think with China, Japan and other Asian countries being huge box office markets they'd want to represent that demographic a bit more. It's actually disturbing the amount of white-guys leading these films. When we live in a very diverse world, the Western world is a giant melting-pot of different cultures. Sad these films ignore that point of reality, even in fantasy films. Casting Keanu Reeves won't change the problem, but at least it would be the start of it.

Doctor Strange includes two major Asian characters Doc's pal Wong and his teacher The Ancient One. There could be sensitivity issues brought-up here as Wong might be seen as an outdated stereotype. I'm hopeful they'll reinvent the role to a modern standard, making him more of a partner to Stephen. Seeing him fighting alongside Strange, during mystical/occult battles. It would actually be easy to mess-up the Ancient One as well, but it's unknown if he'll even be in the film. There's chatter that he might only show-up in flashbacks, as Strange might be already setup as the Sorcerer Supreme in the opening of the film.

We've actually seen this done well with Fox's X-Men franchise (The Wolverine, Days of Future Past), which for the most part has respected the cultures and actors. I know to some that Iron Fist is the property that might best suit Asian casting, but this goes back to stereotyping and racist thinking (only roles Asian can get are martial arts experts or villains). Then again, Fist is a television property and not film.

Marvel was smart enough to give us a Japanese-American Howling Commando with Jim Morita in Captain America: The First Avenger. Representing the many Japanese-American soldiers who bravely served during the war. Even though there was mistreatment of the Japanese population with those awful internment camps back home. It was actually one of the few times Marvel got the casting right everywhere, even Peggy Carter had some great scenes. Her fan support was so great she's getting her own series on ABC with Agent Carter. We might actually be seeing the return of Kenneth Choi in that series, but that remains to be seen.

Marvel has switched-up perceived ideals of what actors should play what roles, based on background. It might be nice to see the studio considering this moving forward with their future plans, that include Doctor Strange and other major lead heroes. Not just supporting roles. Women and visible minorities deserve a place at the Marvel table.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

Joaquin Phoenix Finalizing Deal To Lead Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE?

Collider reports that Marvel Studio is currently in final talks with Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix (Her, The Master, Gladiator, Inherent Vice) to take the lead role in Doctor Strange. I guess we'll hear actually confirmation soon, since pre-production is expected to begin this fall/winter. There are a few skeptics in the community that believe that Phoenix could still turn-down the role. LatinoReview has word that deal isn't quite finalized, but still in-the-works.

I'm curious if we'll see any of the other "linked" actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Jack Huston, Tom Hardy and Jared Leto join the project in villainous/supporting roles.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

RUMOR ALERT! Jack Huston In The Mix For Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE?

Boardwalk Empire's breakout actor Jack Huston (American Hustle) is now rumored to be in consideration for the lead role in Doctor Strange, according to ThisIsInfamous. We keep hearing news like this on a regular basis, new names are claimed to be front-runners, until new ones are added. I have a feeling he's on a list, like many of the others previously mentioned in trade reports. Actors such as Johnny Depp, Jon Hamm (apparently denies involvement), Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy and Joaquin Phoenix have all been linked to the next Marvel franchise.

The studio has a tendency to hedge-their-bets, by looking at multiple actors for their new lead roles (similar thing happened with auditions for Steve Rogers and Peter Quill). Jack was actually a candidate for the Star-Lord role in Guardians, before Chris Pratt was ultimately hired. I don't doubt that Marvel would want to keep that short-list in consideration for other roles down-the-line.

He has a young-Johnny Depp (originally wanted for the role, years back) look to him, and is a bit younger than most of the other names previously linked. might be willing to take-on a lengthly Marvel contract. Jack could also be another diamond-in-the-rough story for Marvel. Considering the actor isn't entirely well known for his film work and could become a breakout star. Similar to Thor's Chris Hemsworth or Guardians of The Galaxy's Chris Pratt. We were a bit shocked when Paul Rudd was named as playing Scott Lang in Ant-Man, so anything could happen with Strange's casting. Let's just remember that Marvel meets with a bunch of actors, and this could be just another name among many.

Scott Derrickson (Sinister) is directing with a script from Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), production is expected to begin in the spring with a release date of July 8th, 2016.

SOURCE: THISISINFAMOUS

Stephen Strange Already Established As Sorcerer Supreme In Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE?

A few comic book movie tropes are starting to fade-away, cheesy one-liners, horrible costumes and poorly done special effects. When it comes to revealing new heroes, we tend to see the classic "origin story" used. The main hero is normal (usually the first act or 20-30s of the film), but undergoes a massive transformation that finally gives us the hero in-action.

Marvel has been known to overlook this recent origin trope, by using exposition and flashbacks. We first saw this with the interesting flashbacks used in the opening sequence for The Incredible Hulk. Instead of rehashing Bruce Banner's origin in the reboot, we see him already on-the-run and hiding-out in Brazil. We kind of also saw this with Thor, as the god of thunder had previous adventures and is already wielding mjolnir. Again, this was done extremely well with Guardians as the trouble-makers were are already causing problems in the galaxy, just not as a group. Leaving a little mystery to the origins of our characters isn't always a bad thing, either.

According to Devin of BadassDigest, Marvel is finished with origin stories. This will likely effect Ant-Man as well, which will have the established hero (Pym) played by Michael Douglas hand-over the mantle to Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). A great way to skip a bulk of the movie just setting-up sequels (where we see the hero in full-form) and the final action piece.

He goes on to mention that we'll see Stephen Strange already the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange and that we won't have to spend a large portion of the film without him playing the hero. Along with screenwriter Jon Spaihts' (Prometheus) extensive page-one rewrite of the entire script. Meaning, that the original draft that was circling a while back, is getting completely scrapped from the project.

We still haven't had Marvel announce who will actually play our Stephen Strange. The actors who are reportedly in the mix include Benedict Cumberbatch (seemingly out of the running because of a play in London), Tom Hardy (Mad Max Fury Road, Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Bronson, Warrior, The Drop), Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Fight Club, Lord of War, Requiem For A Dream, American Psycho) and more recently three-time Oscar nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Her, The Immigrant, The Master, Inherent Vice, Walk The Line). I'm personally rooting for Hardy and Phoenix to get the role, since they have an extremely strong body of work.

The production start of Doctor Strange will begin in Spring 2015, with a release date of July 8th, 2016. Casting announcements are bound to begin very soon, as pre-production starts ramping-up.


SOURCE: BADASSDIGEST

RUMOR: Joaquin Phoenix Also In The Mix For Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE

TheWrap reports another big name in the running for the role of Stephen Strange in Marvel's next franchise Doctor Strange. Three-time Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Her, The Immigrant, Walk The Line, is being linked for talks. You might remember Phoenix was linked for the role of Bruce Banner, just before Comic-Con 2011. Only, to have Mark Ruffalo announced as the new Banner on stage with his Avengers co-stars. This could be a giant misdirection, or we might actually see Joaquin join the MCU. Other actors linked for the role recently included Jared Leto, Tom Hardy and fan-favorite Benedict Cumberbatch. The latter has stated his engagement for Hamlet on the London stage, might be a giant conflict.

Jeff also believes that Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy won't be taking the gig. This sort of makes sense, since the pair are extremely busy with a steady stream of other fruitful projects. Nothing says they can't take other roles though, or even villainous ones down the line.

Last we heard, before the script rewrites from Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), villains Baron Mordo and Dormammu would be featured in the film. Considering Dormmannu will likely be another CGI motion capture hybrid character, either Hardy or Cumberbatch could end-up voicing the flame-headed baddie during the film's post-production process.

It's expected that Marvel will announce more information concerning Doctor Strange at Comic-Con, including it's release date and possibly it's lead actor as well. Since it's expected to begin shooting next spring, most likely in the UK.

SOURCE: THEWRAP

DOCTOR STRANGE Starts Filming Next Spring And Releasing July 2016?

TotalFilm was to speak with Marvel's Kevin Feige about the upcoming production of Doctor Strange. Firstly, Kevin confirmed that Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil) is indeed directing the film and revealed casting will be underway in the next month or two. An actor will be announced soon, we've been expecting said lead to be unveiled during Comic-Con. We've been hearing names like Benedict Cumberbatch, Jared Leto and Tom Hardy linked for the role.

"Scott Derrickson has been announced as the director. Doctor Strange is a character that I've been interested in for many, many years and that I've talked about in interviews for probably 14 years, because I believe it's very, very important for us to explore every nook and cranny of the comic-book universe and we've done the street-level heroes, and we've done the billionaire superheroes [on Earth]. We've now done the cosmic side with Thor and Avengers and most obviously with Guardians, but there's a whole other side of the Marvel comics, which is that supernatural side - the interdimensional side of the Marvel universe, and Doctor Strange is, I believe, our entry point into that other realm, which has dozens of characters and storylines all of its own.

So Strange is very, very important, not just because it's an amazing character study, and a journey of a man who's gone from this very arrogant surgeon to somebody who is quite zen and literally keeps all of reality together on a daily basis, but it also is going to open up a whole other side of storytelling for our movies. So we're about to hire a writer to redo a draft, and we think we'll be casting probably in the next month or two, and announcing an actor, and then we get into production in the spring of next year."


Feige also went on to confirm that production is set to begin in the spring of next year, I assume this will happen when Captain America 3 wraps. The assumption is that Strange will take the second 2016 spot on July 8th. Other sources say that the release date could be set later in the year. Currently, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Black Hole) is doing rewrites to the original script.

SOURCE: TOTALFILM

PROMETHEUS And BLACK HOLE Screenwriter Jon Spaihts Could Rewrite DOCTOR STRANGE Script

Deadline is reporting that Prometheus screenwriter Jon Spaihts is in talks to write Marvel's Doctor Strange, which will be directed by Scott Derrickson (The Day The Earth Stood Still, Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil). Jon was recently tasked to write Disney's Black Hole remake and Universal's Mummy reboot. I have to assume that Disney is very happy with his work on Black Hole and was suggested to Marvel. Jon and Scott are a perfect match as both have a horror background, a strong element of the world of Strange.

Jon confirmed the news himself via his Twitter account.

Doctor Strange was always my favorite Marvel hero. It's a good day. http://t.co/1hInjPWnbQ
— Jon Spaihts (@jonspaihts) June 18, 2014

The words rewrite aren't mentioned as the original script was penned by Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, the pair are best known for writing the Conan The Barbarian reboot. I doubt it will be a page-one rewrite, but I'm sure they're hiring Jon to overhaul the entire thing. When I first heard Marvel's requirements for directors from my source, they specifically mentioned writer-directors for Strange. The studio wanted extensive rewrites, mainly because of industry leaks and the early script review from LatinoReview.

Casting is still going-on, as recent names such as Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy have been mentioned for being on Marvel's radar/lists.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

MAMA Director Andres Muschietti Wanted For THE MUMMY Reboot

Universal caught a bit of a break when Underworld/Total Recall director Len Wiseman dropped out of the directing job for their Mummy reboot. THR reports the studio is now looking at Andres Muschietti to direct the film. Which makes a lot of sense since he gave the studio the surprise hit Mama earlier this year and have been begging him to make a sequel. An actual horror director is what the film always needed and it looks like it will at least have some legitimate scares.

The project has Jon Spaihts (Prometheus) handling the film's script which will be set in present day. I'm guessing we'll have to wait and see if Guillermo del Toro puts his name to the project as an executive producer. No word if Legendary Pictures will be handling the production, like they will be on the studios' Dracula reboot.