New Names Linked For SUICIDE SQUAD; Karl Urban And Jason Clarke In The Mix For Flagg And Deathstroke

A new crop of names are being linked for roles in David Ayer's Suicide Squad via JoBlo.

It looks like there is a fifth actor being looked at for the role of Rick Flagg, and it's Dredd himself Karl Urban. You might remember it was only a couple of days ago that Karl was being linked for the villain role in Aquaman. I'm sure we could be hearing even more actors but Karl is an interesting addition to the mix of names.

I have my own thoughts why so many actors are passing on this part.

The role of Flagg was originally alluring to Tom Hardy before the part was scaled back in Ayer's rewrites and the role could be a lot more minor than people are expecting it to be. Basically, they're looking at big names but the part doesn't seem to have enough bite to attract the level of actors they want for it.

Flagg could also be off-putting to a lot of these candidates mostly because it could kill their shot at a leading superhero franchise. Marvel usually avoids casting actors who have been apart of DC films and taking the role could nix franchise potential in the DC side as well.

Again, from what I've been hearing Flagg might not even be in sequels, the role is pretty minor compared to the comics and this could be a tough sell to rising actors like Jake Gyllenhaal (already passed), Jon Bernthal and even Joel Edgerton.

Tom, Jake and Joel had been linked for Marvel Studios franchise leads, so it's unlikely we'd see them taking DC scraps which Flagg is starting to look like.

JoBlo is affirming talk that Deathstroke is indeed in the film but won't be on the actual team.

Joe Manganiello is said to the Ayer's first choice as he previously worked with Ayer on Sabotage.

Aussie Jason Clarke is also being considered for the role.

It's not hard to see why the studio would want to have Clarke play the role having a huge breakout hit with Dawn of the Planet of The Apes last summer. He's also playing the new John Connor this year in Terminator: Genisys opposite Captain Boomerang's Jai Courtney. 

The role itself could end-up becoming one of the more important characters moving forward into the DCCU, as there is crossover potential with the Batman films along with a solo film which had been developed and produced by David Goyer (Blade, Batman Begins).

Other actors such as Ed Harris (The Rock, A History of Violence, Enemy At The Gates), Gary Sinise (Forest Gump) and Max Martini (Sabotage, Pacific Rim, The Unit) are linked for roles but those are considered spoilers, feel free to check out the link to have some of the film's plot ruined.

Production is expected to begin in April at Pinewood Studios, Toronto with a release date of August 5th, 2016.

SOURCE: JOBLO

DREDD VS AQUAMAN?; Karl Urban Rumored For Role In AQUAMAN

Another interesting piece of information in that report by Latino Review reveals that Karl Urban is being sought-out for a role in Aquaman. They aren't naming the character but it's possibly a villain.

WB is waiting patiently for Star Trek 3 to go into production and finish because they'd like to have Karl Urban step into Aquaman in an unspecified supporting role, possibly the villain. Urban and WB have had a good relationship in the past with Urban almost becoming a Batman, and for TV, WB producing Urban-starring Almost Human with Bad Robot for Fox.

I have to assume the role could be Aquaman's brother Ocean Master who eventually becomes a villain and a general pain in the ass.

We've all been rooting for Karl for years to breakout on his own and for the most part he's been able to land some great supporting roles.

Having his film debut in Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers and Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King. He would later take on villain roles in movies like The Bourne Supremacy and The Chronicles of Riddick. Karl struck big when he landed a role in the rebooted Star Trek franchise which has seen him apart of three films.

Although he hasn't always seen his hard work pay-off, an example of this is his well-beloved portrayal of the iconic comic book anti-hero Dredd. There's been a huge campaign to get a sequel to the film with a great deal of fans getting involved.

Another example was his wonderful sci-fi cop buddy series Almost Human on Fox, which was one of my favorite Fox shows in a very long time. It would eventually get cancelled and I lost a network show that I was actively supporting, a rare bird these days.

I think Karl would be a wonderful addition to the DC Comics cinematic universe and might be intimidating enough to be cast opposite a heroic Jason Momoa.



SOURCE: LATINO REVIEW

Joe Lynch Digs Suggestion To Direct Netflix PUNISHER Series And Has Approval Of Lexi Alexander

We have one more cool thing to add before heading-off for the holidays. While we've been seeing Marvel lining up actors for Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage (where is our Iron Fist?) for the eventual big team-up Netflix series The Defenders. We've been curious what wave two of the Marvel-Netflix series could look like.

Characters like Punisher, Moon Knight and Blade have been serious contenders, since film adaptations of these mostly R-rated characters seem unlikely to hit screens anytime soon. Marvel is going to focus on more family friendly material that would likely mean PG-13 content. The talk of Netflix series being more dark and taking a "PG-16" approach could help Marvel go all the way with the second wave. Drew Pearce has could be interested in a Punisher short, and the Russo Brothers jokingly hinted Castle was in Winter Soldier.

There was a cool suggestion recently of seeing writer-director Joe Lynch (Knights of Badassdom, Everly) handling a Punisher series for Netflix. What does Joe Lynch think about this suggestion? He responded via Twitter with a brief statement of interest. Let's hope we get a pitch from Mr. Lynch to Marvel down the road.

@_ChristopherM @Marvel @netflix that would be amazing. Hey I did VENOM right supposedly! I wanna storm The Castle!
— Joe Lynch (@TheJoeLynch) December 24, 2014

Joe could be a bit more vocal about this desire when he starts the press tour for his female-driven action flick Everly. The current go-to question in the press these days is if directors or actors are interested in comic book projects. A perfect platform for Joe to get his campaign out there.



UPDATE: Here is the badass  trailer for Everly and it gives-off the potential of what Joe could do with the Punisher material.

This would be Joe's first Marvel character he's tackled. He made the Venom short Truth In Journalism which was set in the bootleg Marvel universe. Funny enough, the bootleg universe also includes a Punisher short with Thomas Jane reprising the role. It's a cool short but obviously too dark for Sony, even though we've already suggested Joe to be considered as the director of Venom. Since we've seen directors Gary Ross, Josh Trank and Alex Kurtzman jump-ship.



You can tell he enjoys comic books and even waxed poetic about badass female characters at Comic-Con this summer, while promoting Everly. A new series could also give us Castle's protege Rachel Alves, and Joe would be great at adapting her story/motivation.

What does the last film's director think of this choice? Well Punisher: War Zone's Lexi Alexander also took to Twitter giving her support to Joe, stating she would be "ecstatic". Lexi is also actually curious what happened with Fox's Punisher pilot.

@_ChristopherM Most of all, I would be ecstatic if @TheJoeLynch would get is hands on any Punisher adaptation.
— Lexi Alexander (@Lexialex) December 24, 2014

@_ChristopherM @TheJoeLynch whatever happened to the Punisher pilot the showrunner of criminal minds was shooting?
— Lexi Alexander (@Lexialex) December 24, 2014

That seemingly happened around the same time Lionsgate gave the rights back to Marvel Studios. The relationship between Fox and Marvel have been heated lately. You might have missed this, but The Punisher actually kills the cast of Fox's Fantastic Four reboot in a recent comic book. Could this maybe explain why that Punisher pilot never saw the light of day?

It goes even further when there's talk that Fantastic Four and mutants are being phased-out of the comic books. A thumb into the eyes of Fox who rely on Marvel to promote their Marvel properties in the comics and other media. A major issue with Marvel  problem is whenever they create new characters for either Fantastic Four or X-Men comics, Fox automatically get's the rights to use them in movies. Phasing both comics out means Marvel is free to expand their film universes without helping Fox. Marvel's Inhumans are expected to be slowly replacing X-Men's mutants, and could be a way for Marvel to move forward without the X-Men. It's also another way to explain new characters entering the MCU as well without their bizarre backstories.

Oddly enough, Fox was also trying to make a series around Moon Knight as well but that didn't come together either.

What does this mean for the future live-action Punisher stuff? Talk has since gone around that Marvel Studios should consider taking a series to HBO, Showtime, AMC or FXX. While this could have excellent potential, Marvel is now working with Netflix as their production partner. Remember, original series like House of Cards and Orange Is The New Black are R-rated material, so they wouldn't be opposed to giving these R-rated Marvel shows a home. Considering Netflix and Marvel have already partnered for five shows, the next wave happening there as well seems like a no-brainer.

We've seen that Marvel finding creatives to head-up each show so far. Marvel hiring Spartacus' Steven D. Knight (with scripts from Lost's Drew Goddard) making Daredevil and Dexter's Melissa Rosenberg making Jessica Jones (along with giving us our first episodes with Luke Cage). The expectation is that a Punisher series would be in need of a writer-director with an action background. I have a feeling Joe Lynch would make an excellent choice to head-up a series like Punisher.

I wouldn't rule-out John Wick's Chad Stahelski getting involved with action work with Marvel in the future as well. Fingers crossed he get's a call as well.

I'm doubtful Marvel will want to see Ray Stevenson reprise the role, but since his Thor contract will be up soon he could stick around. Here are a couple of suggestions if Marvel does end-up recasting. Actors I'd like to see in the role include Karl Urban (Lord of The Rings, Star Trek, Dredd, Almost Human, Red, Bourne Supremacy), Clive Owen (Children of Men, Bourne Identity, Killer Elite, Shoot 'Em Up, The Knick, Inside Man, Sin City, The Driver) and Joe Manganiello (Spider-Man, Knight of Cups, Magic Mike, True Blood, Sabotage).

What do you think? Should Marvel make Punisher a priority for their second wave of Netflix shows? Also, should Joe Lynch be the guy to mastermind that series for Marvel?

Karl Ubran Talking To Filmmakers About DREDD 2 And DARK JUDGES Miniseries Coming This Month

TheWrap has word from Dredd producer Adi Shankar that an online miniseries titled Dark Judges is coming later this month. The free series will have seven-parts, the assumption is that Adi directed these. He's already made something similar with Punisher: Dirty Laundry, which had Thomas Jane reprise his role for the short. Details haven't been revealed, but I assume from the title it will focus on Judge Death and the other Dark Judges. A group of villains that fans have been demanded to see in a sequel.



Some cool videos pertaining to Dredd 2 have surfaced last week. Actress Olivia Thirlby voices her appreciation of the fan support for the film, for the Day of Dredd event on October 1st. This sounds like Olivia might be on board for returning, if Dredd 2 happens. The day was setup in-support of the film, and asks people to sign the official sequel petition along with buying/watching the film.

Fans helped the film reach #1 on Amazon UK's Blu-Ray bestsellers list, and #11 on the US list. Impressive considering the film was outselling films like Frozen, Captain America: The Winter Solider and Edge of Tomorrow. While the box office wasn't great, it's found a cult following with home viewers.



On that note, Karl Urban had an update during this weekend. He told British talk show host Jonathan Ross that while in London he was going to be meeting with Dredd filmmakers about the sequel. The event in question was Destination Stark Trek 3. This could be just a meeting, considering Adi has stated a script doesn't even exist. Perhaps, everyone was getting together to discuss what the sequel could look like and where the script should go. You can see the video (via ThePlayer) from the event above.

SOURCE: THEWRAP

Karl Urban Says DREDD Sequel Being Considered By Studio

We've been hearing for over a year that if fans demanded a sequel to Dredd it would happen. WhatCulture has a promising update from Karl Urban (via a Star Trek event in Germany), who confirms the studio is having "conversations" with director Pete Travis and writer Alex Garland. This is off the heels of the successful DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital sales. This is the first hint that the studio is considering making a second film.

It's disastrous box office numbers were likely due the terrible marketing, and distributors holding back 2D prints of the film in some markets. Instead of promoting the story or is amazingly colorful violent world, they focused on the 3D aspect which obviously didn't help ticket sales. Critics seemingly loved the film, as it earned a 78% fresh rating at RottenTomatoes. I loved it, and thought they made it in the vein of Paul Verhoeven's Total Recall and Robocop, which is how a character like this should be approached.

In 2012, at the London Comic-Con writer Alex Garland revealed trilogy plans for Dredd. Stating that, the second film would focus on the origins of Dredd and Mega-City One. The third movie would focus on Dredd's big baddie Judge Dredd and his Dark Judges. Garland's original script included Death, but would later be replaced with Ma-Ma. If the studio is smart, they'd film the two sequels back to back, saving a lot of money and securing this trilogy happens.

A Facebook group and petition to get a sequel made was eventually endorsed by 2000 AD comics, and in September 2012 earned over 80,000 signatures. The comic company released a direct sequel to the film in comic book form, titled Dredd: Underbelly which was set one year after the events of the film.

SOURCE: WHATCULTURE

Images From The New UK Trailer For STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, Peter Weller Finally Revealed

Pete Travis Talks DREDD Sequel And Alex Garland Has Ideas For A Trilogy

One of the most underrated films of 2012 will likely go down as being Dredd, among a few others. The hard boiled R-rated comic book film turned out to be one of the best genre films of the year. It ended up earning a lot of critical praise and in my opinion is this generation's Robocop. Dredd turned out more tense and unique action scenes than the over-hyped Expendables 2 or the disappointing Total Recall remake. Sadly, it did very poorly at the box office despite it's meager $50 million budget. A sequel has been in question because of the numbers but if BluRay/DVD/VOD sales a good enough it's possible. I feel like Dredd could find new life like most cult-films do with home viewing.

Director Pete Travis is currently promoting the BluRay release on January 8th and talked to MovieWeb about the future of Dredd. He likely won't be back as a director but is hopeful that a sequel could happen. Peter also mentions that writer/producer Alex Garland has outlined a trilogy. Details aren't dropped but it sounds like Garland and Urban could give us more exciting installments sometime in the futre.

"I don't think so. I really hope there is a second one. I just feel very lucky to have been involved in the first one. It has been a great experience for me. I read Alex Garland's script two years ago, and I feel in love with it then. I have enjoyed the whole process of working on that with him, and bringing it to the screen. It was extraordinary. I hope they get the chance to make another one. I think Dredd is an extraordinary character. I think Karl Urban captured him so perfectly. I think there is a real beautiful future there." 

"I think Alex Garland has a trilogy in his mind. I think there is a whole exciting journey in front of Dredd if Alex and Karl Urban get to take him on that journey. The future is really exciting for him. Especially in terms of going with some of the other characters from the comic book. Finding out more about where Dredd comes from. I also think its exciting, the possibilities. The first film does go all out as a visual feast. Whoever gets a chance to do the others willl take that, and make it even more exciting. I can't wait to see it. I don't really know how the sequel thing works, really. I hope they get another chance to make a second film. I think Karl Urban...He is Dredd. It would be really exciting for them to make another, and go further with that character. I sincerely hope so..."

Fan Made STAR WARS EPISODE VII Poster Has A Decent Cast Wish-List

FIRST LOOK: Karl Urban As Vaako In RIDDICK

CAST EM': Five Actors For DOCTOR STRANGE

Rumors of Marvel introducing audiences to Dr. Stephen Strange in Thor: The Dark World have been coming from a couple of different sources. Not to mention Orb of Agamotto showing up in Odin's vault has seemingly given enough evidence to believe this might be happening. The orb is scrying crystal ball used by Doctor Strange for clairvoyance. It has been known to open gateways between dimensions. It seems like an excellent way to raise the awareness of the character before moving forward with his solo adventure. Another reason why Guardians of The Galaxy was chosen over Strange and Black Panther. Considering that the Strange film also has a script completed and had been going out to directors last November. A couple of names that have been linked to play Strange include Johnny Depp and out of the running Aussie actor Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty).  I've put together a decent enough list of candidates that Marvel should at least consider.

JOHNNY DEPP: Depp has long been linked for the movie along with Guillermo del Toro as it's director. He has the fifth Pirates of The Caribbean film in development and a possible sequel to The Lone Ranger. It could be an easy payday for the actor but it wouldn't make sense to see Depp in the role as he might steal Thor's thunder.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH: Ben has been long rumored to be in talks with Marvel Studios for a role. That has been mentioned more than once and has since led him to visit the offices while promoting  Sherlock. A few things might hold him back from taking the gig which includes the third Sherlock series, work on The Hobbit/Stark Trek Into The Darkness and commitments to the George Smiley (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) sequels.

KARL URBAN: Best known for supporting roles in The Lord of The Rings and Stark Trek franchises. He's also taken on action roles in Bourne Supremecy and more recently with Dredd. The Kiwi actor seems like a perfect match if they're going to make the series more of an adventure thriller. While there have been positive reviews for Dredd, Karl hasn't found a franchise he could end up holding up himself. The only thing that could stop him is commitments to Star Trek 3 and a Dredd sequel.

KIT HARINGTON: If it does turn out to be true that Strange will be working alongside Jane Foster it could be interesting to see him develop a love interest with Darcy (Kat Dennings) during The Dark World. Kit Harington seems perfect if Marvel is aiming for a younger take on the character. He has a history with director Alan Taylor working with him on Game of Thrones. The only issue here is his commitments to the series and his other films' promotional tours. Marvel could have their next Chris Evans/Chris Hemsworth if they ended up going someone like Kit.

VIGGO MORTENSEN: It's rumored currently that Marvel is in talks with Viggo Mortensen (Lord of The Rings, History of Violence, Eastern Promises) for a Phase Two film. ScreenRant has already speculated it could be Dr. Strange for Thor: The Dark World. If this is true it would a triumphant casting choice since Viggo could be as big as landing Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Downey Jr. previously. Not to mention he has been turning down blockbusters left and right lately (Man of Steel, SWATH, Dark Tower), so wrangling him would be quite the feat. Mortensen is an actor who chooses projects based on their director. If they're able to actually sign-on Guillermo del Toro (was attached to direct at one point) or another high-profiled director, it could be enough to get him to sign on.

TRAILER: 'DREDD'

Teaser Poster For 'DREDD'

A Couple Of New 'DREDD' Stills

Benedict Cumberbatch Indeed Playing Khan In 'STAR TREK 2' And Klingons Rumored Again?

It's been finally confirmed by AICN that Benedict Cumberbatch's (Hobbit, Sherlock Holmes) role in Star Trek 2 is Khan Noonien Singh, best known as the villain in Wrath of Khan. It had been rumored even before Cumberbatch was announced for the role that Khan would be the main antagonist for the sequel.

New information from TrekMovie is confirming another previous rumor that Khan won't be the only baddie of the film. As the mighty Klingons are yet again being linked to the sequel. How they figure into the film along with Khan is still unknown. You might remember that Nero and his crew spent several years in a Klingon prison before escaping in the original movie. The Klingons are my favorite of the Trek aliens so any inclusion of them in the new franchise is greatly anticipated. These are arguably the two greatest villains in the Star Trek franchise so to have them both in one movie is mind-blowing.

'DREDD' Reboot Gets An R-Rating

Judge Dredd fans should be pleased that the new film Dredd has earned a R-rating for strong bloody violence, language, drug use and some sexual content. It's not surprising considering the gory stills that appeared online a few months back. Yet, it screams faithful compared to the Sly Stallone film from the 90's. The film has a September 21st 2012 release date so a trailer should be around the corner.

RED 2 Has A Director

Variety reports that the sequel to the action comedy hit RED could finally have it's director. Dean Parisot is in final talks to helm RED 2 with the production expected to start up after Willis wraps Die Hard 5. Currently a script is in place written by Erich and Jon Hoeber who originally adapted the comic book for the first movie. Willis is a given but it's unknown if Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Brian Cox, Karl Urban and Morgan Freeman will be signing on to reprise their roles.

The inclusion of Parisot gives me the impression we could end up seeing a Die Hard reunion of sorts. The Galaxy Quest director has previously worked with Alan Rickman who played villain Hans Gruber in the original Die Hard. I wouldn't be shocked to see Rickman take a role in the sequel as previous supporting roles have been filled by seasoned dramatic actors. Alan might be known for serious characters but has a history of amazing dry comedic performances which would suit the sequel. Of course this is only my opinion.

New Dredd Stills Featuring Karl Urban And Olivia Thirlby