Rose Byrne Confirmed For 'X-MEN APOCALYPSE'; Will Reprise CIA Agent Moira MacTaggert

Entertainment Weekly has word from writer-producer Simon Kinberg that we'll be seeing a familiar face from X-Men First Class in Bryan Singer's X-Men Apocalypse.

Simon confirms that Aussie actress Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids, Neighbors) will indeed reprise the role of CIA agent Moria MacTaggert in the sequel. Affirming that Moira is a "a significant character in the movie". Kingberg expands on what else we should expect to see in the film.

“We ended First Class with Charles having wiped portions of her memory of her experience with the X-Men. They are, essentially, strangers to her when she meets them.”

“It’s certainly a rich relationship that we started to dig into in First Class, and would like to mine more in this one,”

“This movie is the completion of the first arcs of Charles, Eric, Raven, and Hank, who are essentially our main characters,” he explains. “They’re such young actors and young characters, so there’s a lot more story to tell. But as a first phase of their lives, there is this feeling of closure by the end of the movie.”

He also talks about the film's setting in the 1980's which has been confirmed ages back and even teases a possible cameo from Dazzler.

“That’s the era that I grew up in,” he says. “The music, the fashion, the videogames: We really want to integrate all of that in the movie, and have it infuse the movie with a different vibe.” Does this mean they’ll finally find some room for disco clubkid Dazzler? “Could happen,” laughs Kinberg. “We’re certainly looking at mutants that would fit into the period.”

Production will begin in Montreal this April with new cast members added to the franchise including Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Sophie Turner as Jean Grey and Alexandra Shipp as Storm. Returning in their roles will be Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Nicholas Hoult.

We haven't had official confirmation that Hugh Jackman's Wolverine will be in the film but he's expected to be apart of it, Channing Tatum's Gambit could show-up as well.


It's release date is set for May 27th, 2016 which will be months after the release of Ryan Reynolds' X-Men spin-off Deadpool next February.


SOURCE: EW

Bryan Singer Confirms Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan And Alexandra Shipp For X-MEN APOCALYPSE

It's looking like Bryan Singer will indeed be the source for casting confirmations for X-Men Apocalypse. The director has released casting news via Twitter in the past and is now doing the same for Apocalypse he recently announce Oscar Isaac as the titular villain.

Meet our new and brilliant young mutants: @Alexshipppp as #Storm @SophieT as #JeanGrey and @TyeSheridan as #Cyclops. #XmenApocalypse
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) January 23, 2015

Now he's confirmed Latino Review's casting scoops naming Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Mud's Tye Sheridan as Scott Summers and newcomer Alexandra Shipp as Storm.

Let's just remember the film is set in 1983 and the recasting with younger actors was going to happen. There was confirmation from Patrick Steward that neither he or Sir Ian McKellen would be reprising their roles in the film which makes perfect sense for it's setting.

The returning cast includes Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Hoult and Even Peters.

Shooting begins sometime in April with production returning to Montreal.

SOURCE: BRYAN SINGER

Saoirse Ronan And Taron Ederton Linked For Roles In X-MEN APOCALYPSE

LatinoReview is reporting new names linked for the roles of younger versions of Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey and Ororo Munroe (Storm) in Bryan Singer's X-Men Apocalypse. Oscar Isaac is set to play the titular villain of the film, but we haven't really heard a recent update from trades.

Apparently, my top contender Taron Edgerton from Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman The Secret Service and my Spider-Man hopeful Tye Sheridan (Mud, Tree of Life, Dark Places) are up for the role of Cyclops. British actor Jamie Blackley is also in the mix. Considering the buzz coming from Kingsman, I expect Fox will move on offering the role to Taron. I had him pegged weeks back and I really hope he lands it.

Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) and Saoirse Ronan (Hanna) are being named as new candidates for the role of Jean Grey. Both actresses had been linked for the Star Wars role and Ronan had been wanted for the Sue Storm role in Fantastic Four. There had even been talk Saoirse was the blue-print for Marvel's Scarlet Witch and could end-up playing Fox's version if she doesn't land the Jean role. Speculation on my part, but she would easily be convincing as being the sister of Evan Peter's Quicksilver.

TheWrap previously named Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass, Let Me In, Hugo, Equalizer, Dark Shadows, 500 Days of Summer), Elle Fanning (Maleficent, We Bought A Zoo, Super 8, Benjamin Button) and Oscar nominated actress Hailee Steinfeld (Ender's Game, Pitch Perfect 2, True Grit) as contenders for the role.

Lesser known actresses are being sought for the role of Storm with Alexandra Shipp and Zendaya Coleman mentioned.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

Iko Uwais And Two Other Badasses From THE RAID Films Join STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS

TwitchFilm has reported that three actors from the Raid franchise have joined Star Wars The Force Awakens. They include breakout star Iko Uwais along with fellow badasses Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman. All three are heavily trained in martial arts and acrobatics, perfect for a franchise like Star Wars.

I'll be interested to know if they're playing sith, jedi or something completely different. There is also the chance they could be doing the actual fight-work for the characters in the film, but I feel like that would be a waste of their on-screen talents. We've been hearing for ages the film will do it's best to reduce the use of CGI, and we could see Abrams hiring fighters instead of digital artists.

The franchise hasn't had really any noteworthy Asian cast members, so it would be nice to see a bit more diversity as well. Trade Federation, the villains of the prequels were said to be influenced by the Japanese of WWII (Empire/Storm Troopers in the original trilogy were inspired by the Nazis), while the prequel villains came-off racist as fuck. Among other aspects of the prequels being extremely insensitive to other cultures.

Lucas being known for this type of shit which we saw in Temple of Doom when exploring Indian culture and most notably cuisine. Eating snakes, bugs, eyeballs and monkey brains in a country mostly known for being vegetarian.



SOURCE: TWITCH

FORCE AWAKEN's Oscar Isaac Will Play The Titular Role In X-MEN APOCALYPSE

TheWrap is finally reporting the three actors in the running for the villain role of Apocalypse in Bryan Singer's X-Men Apocalypse. Jeff confirms our previous suspicions of Idris Elba being involved, along with Oscar Isaac (Drive, Bourne Legacy) and Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones).

Apparently, Oscar is the one who is actually making a deal with Fox and is about to close one. He'll be seen with a role in Star Wars The Force Awakens next December. Oscar is an excellent actors and has played his share of villains in the past.

#OscarIsaac is bringing on the Apocalypse and I couldn't be more excited! #XMenApocalypse
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) November 24, 2014

UPDATE: Bryan Singer has confirmed via Twitter that Oscar Isaac has indeed joined the cast.

SOURCE: THEWRAP

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

Lucasfilm Confirms And Reveals STAR WARS EPISODE VII Cast, Release Date Set For December 2015

Lucasfilm has officially announced the cast of J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII. We have confirmation that original actors such as Mark Hamill, Carrie FIsher, Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker will be returning in their respected roles.

They've also revealed that new additions include Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Domhnall Gleeson, Adam Driver and Max von Sydow, have also joined the Star Wars universe. We weren't expecting this reveal to include this many cast members, but it's a pleasant surprise. Their roles haven't been explained, and likely won't be for a long time. The studio did however snap a photo of the cast doing a table-read of the new script.

Andy Serkis (Tintin, King Kong, Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, Dawn of The Planet of The Apes, Rise of The Planet of The Apes) is also mentioned in the press release. I have to assume he'll be playing a motion capture character, due to his extensive background with it. Yet, he's just a great actor so they could use him anyway they want to.

A release date has also been confirmed for December 18th, 2015.

The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.

Director J.J. Abrams says, "We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud."

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

SOURCE: LUCASFILM

Oscar Isaac And Domhnall Gleeson In Talks For Alex Garland's EX MACHINA Along With Felicity Jones And Alicia Vikander In The Mix

TheWrap reports that two actors are in talks for lead roles in Alex Garland's (28 Days Later, Dredd, Sunshine) directorial debut Ex Machina. Oscar Isaac (Drive, Borne Legacy) and Domhnall Gleeson (Dredd, Harry Potter, Never Let Me Go) could end up playing the two male leads.While actresses Felicity Jones (Amazing Spider-Man 2, Like Crazy) and Alicia Vikander are being linked for the role of the female robot.

"A billionaire programmer (Isaac) who handpicks a young employee (Gleeson) to spend a week at his remote estate and participate in a test involving his latest invention – an artificially intelligent female robot."

Oscar Isaac And Jason Clarke Join William Monahan's MOJAVE

Variety reports that rising stars Oscar Isaac (Drive) and Jason Clarke (Lawless, Zero Dark Thirty) have joined William Monahan's next directorial effort titled Mojave. The original thriller also written by Monahan focuses on a man who escapes into the desert only to encounter a doppelganger-like antagonist and subsequently enter a vortex of criminality and violence. I'm sure the supporting cast will be equally as talented.

Monahan is best known as an Oscar winning screenwriter. Taking on all sorts of genres writing screenplays for films such as Kingdom of Heaven, The Departed and Sin City A Dame To Kill For. He went behind the camera in the messy British crime thriller London Boulevard which didn't do well with critics. It will be interesting if this second outing will be more successful for Monahan.

Bourne Legacy Teaser Poster

Oscar Isaac Joins Jeremy Renner In Bourne Legacy

Deadline reports that Oscar Isaac (Robin Hood, Drive) has joined the cast of Bourne Legacy which stars Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker, The Town, Avengers, MI4). Oscar had been one of the many candidates to take on the lead role which eventually went to Renner.

Sucker Punch Review

"Sucker PUNCHED"

“Sucker Punch” is a fantasy telling of a tormented girl’s quest for freedom from an insane asylum. Cast includes Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm and Scott Glenn.

My “Sucker Punch” experience can be best described as a bad trip to an amusement park. A Zack Snyder movie like a theme park; holds high expectations by principal alone. “Sucker Punch” is overflowing with large attractions (action sequences), big flashing lights (explosions) and cotton candy (major sex appeal). But instead of limitless enjoyment audiences are plagued with huge lines (shallow and ineffective exposition), broken rides (disconnected plot) and clown gimmicks (too much special effects and corny one-liners).

“Sucker Punch’s” monster viral campaign lead by ridiculously enticing trailers, propelled worthy hype and basically acquired pre-conceived approval. So, despite its many flaws I tired really hard to like this movie; but by the end I was frustrated and overall let down with only a hand full of exciting moments (sexy cast, badass rocket, snow samurai and germen trenches scenes).

“Sucker Punch” misses its target on several occasions. Despite the lengthy music paced exposition, there's never a real connection made between the audience and the main character. I understood the intent and direction of the film but I don't believe that the average viewer or non-Snyder fan will fully grasp and/or enjoy the films overall concept. I think this film would have benefited greatly from a R rating, lighter special effects budget and about 2 months more pre-production work on the script. Personally, I thought that the fluidity of the film was sporadic, lazy and disconnected.

Random speculation could suggest that the problem is related to the fact that Snyder's recent films were visual marvels (300 & Watchmen) having neither film presenting extensive storytelling obstacles. “The Watchmen” being an acclaimed graphic novel offered the best storyboards ever and “300” was just a fantasy embellished retelling of ancient Greco-Roman mythology with a few additions: doggy style scene, ugly deformed traitor, and an amped, greasy man beast named Gerald Butler. (Also a graphic novel from renowned author Frank Miller) I think the film suffered greatly from Snyder's lack of storytelling practice. He hasn't really faced difficulties in this area, since his directorial debut with the great remake of “Dawn of the Dead”.

If you had high expectations for this film you indeed will be "unprepared" for what you are about to see. “Sucker Punch” is a visually stunning, sometimes self-indulgent, original epic; lead by a variety of sexy subtle talents, through a fragmented, frustrating and pointless plot.

Despite my semi-professional and deeply analytical criticism, I still found enjoyment within the film and will most likely buy it on Blu-ray. A couple insanely visionary action sequences, a few surprisingly well-acted scenes and a strip club atmosphere save this film from total devastation; and round a potential epic, into an average 2 hours. “Sucker Punch” has everything movie goers could dream of, but unfortunately it was all disgustingly mishandled.

C