J.K. Simmons Has Joined Tom Hiddleston In KONG: SKULL ISLAND

Deadline reports that J.K. Simmons (Juno, Thank You For Smoking, Spider-Man Trilogy, Oz) hot off his widely praised performance in Whiplash has joined the cast of Legendary Picture's Kong: Skull Island. The prequel to the original events of King Kong would explore the origins of the map that was used to find the island. Tom "Loki" Hiddleston will star as the lead of the film, which we hope branches him out to more lead roles in the future.

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kings of Summer, Metal Gear Solid) the film will be released on March 10th, 2017.


SOURCE: DEADLINE

Why Paul Rudd And Evangeline Lilly Are Likely Joining The Cast Of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

It was revealed this week, it's possible the real reason between the split of Marvel and Edgar Wright on the Ant-Man production. The likelihood was due the connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Edgar's existing script. It's believed that Wright was keen on keeping his characters within his film, along keeping out references and characters from other films. Basically, he wanted to make a Marvel film set-apart from every single Marvel movie since Iron Man. I could see how that would cause massive tension between Edgar and the studio.

I'm unsure if the huge connection between Hank Pym and S.H.I.E.L.D., which is now a key plot point of the film was the main problem or only part of it. It's been confirmed that Agent Carter and Howard Stark will be appearing in the film, to connect Pym to the early days of S.H.I.E.L.D. It's possible he didn't want his film to be a cog in the Avengers machine, which is why they've been kept out of the Avengers films. There's only so long that Marvel could have played that game with Edgar.

We know that this could have been the main reason why both Ant-Man and Wasp were held-back in both Avengers (early storyboards confirm Widow replaced Wasp) and Age of Ultron. The tiny heroes being founding members of the team, along with Pym creating Ultron it all seemed fishy to exclude them from both films. I have a feeling the reason was Edgar wanted to tell the origins within his film, which kept getting delayed due to Wright's other projects and constant script revisions. Now, with Wright out of the picture it looks like at least one of the Ant-Man stories connected to the Avengers can be explored in Captain America: Civil War.

In the comics Hank Pym had a huge role within the Civil War storyline, training meta-human recruits at Camp Hammond. Something I believe was already teased with set photos from Age of Ultron. I wouldn't be overly shocked to see Scott Lang played by Paul Rudd, actually take over this persona along with Pym's daughter Hope played by Evangeline Lilly. Pym used both the personas of Yellow Jacket (will be seen in Ant-Man) and Giant-Man in the Ultimates, so it's possible these could show-up in the films too. We might finally have some heroic characters joining Team Stark.

It should be considered that we've come to expect crossovers with these films, and this Captain America sequel is our last chance for an Avengers-type story until the cosmic epic Infinity War. It's also odd that while we'll be seeing a Guardians sequel, Marvel didn't even mention an Ant-Man sequel as a possibility. Since the cast signed multiple-film contracts it's expected they will appear in a bunch of different movies, without a sequel announced we have to assume they'll show-up in other Marvel movies.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!! 

You might be saying to yourselves, hey we've already have plenty of people returning for this Captain America sequel. To tell you the truth, Civil War's story lends itself to a massive cast and we could end-up seeing something even bigger than we've seen previously with Avengers installments. It's also possible Black Panther might be the only new character getting his origin told in the film, leaving enough room for established characters to mingle.

That's unless Marvel does indeed feel the need to include Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel into the lineup. We've heard that Danvers could be a member of Team Cap at the end of Age of Ultron. Again, this film can handle a huge sprawling cast.

The only two that make sense at the moment are Maria Hill who is revealed to be working for Stark Industries at the end of Winter Soldier. Along with Stark's super-science buddy Bruce Banner, who will likely take the side of his best friend. If rumors are to believed via BadassDigest Cap's side will include pretty much everyone else from Age of Ultron. Such as Hawkeye, War Machine, The Vision, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and even possibly Captain Marvel.

I'm leaving-out both Thor and Black Widow, because we haven't heard how these two could be factoring into the film, it's possible the ending to Age of Ultron will actually explain their fates. I'm actually unsure if Widow survives this installment, due to exclusion in Civil War casting talk.

Not to mention possibly lining-up a starring role in Ghost In The Shell, which will likely keep her out of the production. Her death in Age of Ultron, might also explain why talk of a Black Widow film has been essentially erased lately from the spin-off table. Even when Feige talked about the Widow film recently, he referred to it as a prequel, a clue to Natasha's fate?

I'm sort of thinking Hulk or Ultron ends-up killing Black Widow in Age of Ultron, this shocking event might be enough to spark Civil War. Banner lost control on the helicarrier in Avengers and almost killed Widow once before. Let's not forget Natasha was killed by a team member in the Ultimates comics, and those comics have been influencing these films a lot. She's been revealed to the world and her death could see the government react with the Superhero Registration Act, headed-up by Tony Stark.

If by the hands of Hulk it could also lead to his Planet Hulk banishment that's been rumored for ages now. Pym (or Scott/Hope) might take the place of Dr. Reed Richards in the Illuminati lineup. Since, we'll likely have Doctor Strange, Black Panther and Black Bolt established around Infinity War's release.

In the case of Thor, Age of Ultron reshoots are said to include Idris Elba's Heimdall and Tom Hiddleston's Loki, will likely see Thor too busy with Asgardian affairs to worry about the conflict back on Midgard. I assume these scenes are being shot to setup the events of Thor: Ragnarok, which could be happening during Civil War. The assumption is that Guardians of The Galaxy 2 and Ragnarok, will be planting seeds if not entire plot points for Infinity War Part 1.

Basically, Scott and Hope could fill the void if both Natasha and Thor are being left on the sidelines for this movie. Leading up to the massive all-out galactic threat in Infinity War. It could also be revealed that either Pym, Scott or Hope are secretly Skrulls taking the form of the heroes to spy for Thanos. We've talked about his connection to the Skulls previously, and how Secret Invasion could have Thanos behind it.

SPECULATION: Joss Whedon Teasing Katee Sackhoff For Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Today, we saw a giant shake-up within the comic world of Marvel. We'll see an unnamed female character with connections to Thor, become the new Thor and picking-up his hammer (along with all of this powers). While some of the more moronic sides of fandom decided to spit their venom at this prospect, others rejoiced.

One of the people to send a message of support for this change-up was Avengers brain-child Joss Whedon. Who posted a message on twitter, which included an image of Battlestar Galactica's Starbuck played by Katee Sackhoff. The actress was the highlight of the series, even though the gender of her character was changed from the original. This could be just a quip on the part of Whedon to rally support for the progressive move by Marvel. Pointing-out an extremely successful gender-swap character from a beloved series.

Another idea, is that Joss could also be teasing to fans Katee's involvement in the MCU after-all. The actress confirmed months back to the SchmoesKnow podcast, she was having a meeting with Marvel Studios for future projects. A lot of people jumped on the idea (including myself), that Katee is a perfect casting candidate for Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel/Ms Marvel. A character that is heavily rumored to be apart of Whedon's Avengers: Age of Ultron.

We also know that Whedon has a thing for hiring television actresses for supporting roles in the franchise, just look at Cobie Smulders landing the Maria Hill role in the original. Placing Sackhoff in any sort of supporting role big or small, would be massive for the actress. Two of her Riddick co-stars (Vin Diesel and Dave Bautista) have already landed lead roles in next month's Guardians of The Galaxy, so piecing together these connections isn't off-base.

She could also be in the running for another role entirely. We have no idea what characters will show-up in the untitled Thor 3. There could be a direct link between this new Thor and what's to come with the next installment. I wouldn't doubt that this character makes a presence within the MCU sometime in the future. We've seen Joss get involved with the casting of Guardians, helping land Josh Brolin recently for the Thanos role.

I have my sneaking suspicions that this character could be in-fact be Angela, who has crossed-paths with The Guardians of The Galaxy and was revealed to be the sister of Loki/Thor in Original Sins. Who better to take-up the mantle of Thor, than his own sister? Marvel went out of their way to acquire this character from it's original series Spawn, which is odd as the company isn't in the business of buying other companies' characters. This character could very well help bridge the Avengers and Guardians, in a similar way Planet Hulk could. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to see more superheroines making their marks in the different franchises.


SOURCE: TWITTER

Lionsgate's POWER RANGERS Movie Lands THOR And X-MEN FIRST CLASS Writers

When it was first announced that a new Power Rangers movie was in the works, it sounded like a big joke. However, it sounds like Lionsgate isn't messing around and are hiring names known for delivering big noisy films. Roberto Orci will produce the film, and will work with writers to develop it's story. This on the heels of Orci exiting the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, and gearing-up to direct Star Trek 3 for Paramount. Lionsgate must want a franchise and not just a one-off to boost the ratings of the series and toy sales.

Orci seems like a decent choice since he's helped turn Transformers into a multi-billion dollar franchise. That piece of history cannot be ignored or left-out, in that arena he is successful. I'm not too sure he's the right voice for the project, but that's speaking as a fan of the original material growing-up.

The writers in question, are the screenwriting duo of Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz. The pair are known for writing credits on Marvel's Thor and Fox's X-Men First Class. They don't enstill too much hope for a great film, since most of their work get's rewritten. But, they ca

Power Rangers creator Haim Saban and Lionsgate's Allison Shearmur will also produce the film. Shearmur helped spearhead the direction of the studio's Hunger Games franchise, and is the most interesting name attached to the project. She could help push this into a more serious direction, than seen previously.

What kind of tone should we be expecting from this reboot? I have no clue, but if the studio puts-in the effort they did with Hunger Games, they could have a massive hit on their hands. Since the awareness for Power Rangers is huge worldwide, and with kaiju fever at it's modern peak (thanks to Godzilla and Pacific Rim). This is a perfect time to dust-off the zords. Not to mention the martial arts angle to likely get a shot-in-the-arm if Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is successful in August.

SOURCE: VARIETY 

Loki And Thor Grace Empire Covers Along With New THOR: THE DARK WORLD Posters

Ashley Miller And Zack Stentz In Talks To Write STAR TREK 3 For Paramount

BadassDigest reports that Paramount is currently in early talks with screenwriters Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz to write a draft for Star Trek 3. Apparently, the studio wants production to begin in 2014 and aren't willing to wait for the previous writers who are currently busy with other projects. Miller and Stentz are best known for contributing to Thor and X-Men First Class. Along with writing for J.J. Abrams' Fringe and Fox's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Tom Hiddleston In Early Talks To Play Eric Draven In THE CROW

We've heard names such as Mark Wahlberg, Bradley Cooper and James McAvoy linked for the role of Eric Draven in The Crow reboot. However, a new name has been revealed via The Wrap as Tom Hiddleston (Deep Blue See, War Horse) best known for playing Avengers and Thor villain Loki might take the lead part. The British actor is currently in early talks to play Draven.

Bella Heathcote And Richard Madden In The Mix For Kenneth Branagh's CINDERELLA

Deadline reports that Bella Heathcote (Dark Shadows) and Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) could end up with roles in Kenneth Branagh's (Thor, Jack Ryan) Cinderella. Bella could play Cinderella with actresses Lily James (Downton Abbey, Wrath of The Titans) and Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street) are also in the mix. However, it's possible two of these actresses could end up in the step-sister roles as well. Madden might end up in the Prince role but isn't the only actor they're looking at. Cate Blachette is already locked in for the evil step-mother.

Emma Watson In Talks For Disney's CINDERELLA

Variety reports that Disney and new director Kenneth Branagh (Jack Ryan, Thor) are looking to cast Emma Watson (Perks of Being A Wallflower, End of The World, Harry Potter) as the lead in Cinderella. Cate Blanchett is locked-in as the evil step-mother.

Colm Feore And Paul Giamatti (Rhino) Officially Join AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, Sinister Six Anyone?

It's official! Paul Giamatti, linked for the role of the Rhino (which he had campaigned for) is now confirmed as joining Amazing Spider-Man 2. Along with the official press release via Facebook is news of the addition of actor Colm Feore. The Canadian theater actor played villains in both Thor and Chronicles of Riddick.

The assumption is he's playing yet another villain. Vulture played by Ben Kingsley had been Sam Raimi's original villain choice for Spider-Man 4 before it was scrapped. It's not hard to assume they would take elements from that old script and incorporate into this sequel. Another option is the long rumored Norman Osborn who eventually becomes the Green Goblin. Oscorp plays a giant role in the trilogy and Norman is a strong possibility. The less likely parts could be J. Jonah or a new NYPD character. We might be one step closer to seeing the Sinister Six on screen which had been the rumored original plan for the reboot.

Kenneth Branagh In Talks To Direct CINDERELLA, Cate Blanchett Still Attached

Vulture reports that Kenneth Branagh (Thor, Jack Ryan) is in talks with Disney to replace recently exited Cinderella director Mark Romanek. Ken recently finished production on his new Jack Ryan film which stars Chris Pine and himself as the villain. They also say that Cate Blachett is still attached for a role. The title role hasn't been locked in but Saoirse Ronan had been in the mix. Ronan had been cast as the lead in Snow White inspired The Order of The Seven until it got the axe.

S.W.O.R.D. Showing Up In THOR: THE DARK WORLD Or GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY?

EW has posted a deleted/alternative ending to Thor which shows Erik Selvig (Skarsgard) speaking to S.H.I.E.L.D. agents/scientists to put together an experiment. He references the S.W.O.R.D. database which refers to the extraterrestrial arm of S.H.I.E.L.D. An organization created by Joss Whedon during his run of the X-Men comics. The group was oddly never mentioned during the events of Avengers so it could mean they are being saved for Phase Two films.

The two films that make the most sense is Thor: The Dark World and Guardians of The Galaxy. I assume (since Selvig mentions it) the group might be apart of The Dark World as S.H.I.E.L.D. which is obviously unable to handle aliens. Stellan Skarsgard role in the Thor sequel hasn't been named but having him apart of S.W.O.R.D. is an easy leap to make. Guardians of The Galaxy is another strong candidate considering Peter Quill's (Star Lord) origin very well could link him as a S.W.O.R.D. pilot. Abigail Brand could show up as well if the group does make it's cinematic presence.

J.J. Abrams And Edgar Wright Teaming For 'COLLIDER'

Deadline reports that J.J. Abrams (MI3, Star Trek 1-2) and Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim, Ant-Man) will be collaborating on a secret science fiction film titled Collider. Details are currently unknown but Abrams will produce with the film being developed from an idea by Wright. Paramount and Bad Robot are in the mix as per usual with Abrams' projects. They've hired screenwriter Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend, Mass Effect, Thor) to pen the script. A director hasn't been named but it's unlikely that Edgar will be given the task. He's about to start production on World's End and Ant-Man soon after.

Josh Dallas Won't Be Playing Fandral In 'THOR 2'

EW has word that Thor actor Josh Dallas won't be reprising the role of Fandral in the sequel. His commitments to his television series is being blamed for scheduling conflict. You never know Marvel could be looking for a seasoned actor to replace Dallas. Since there had been talk of a possible Warriors Three spin-off eventually.

FAN ART: 'THOR 2' Banner Artwork Featuring Villains And Asgardians

Chris Hemsworth Comments On Possible 'HUNTSMAN' Spin-Off

During an interview with Google+ Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth gave a brief statement on the rumors of him starring in his own Huntsman focused spin-off. It had been reported that Universal hired screenwriter David Koepp to write a treatment for a sequel to Snow White And The Huntsman with Rupert Sanders expected to return as director. The catch is that the film would center around Hemsworth's character likely without Steward and Theron being involved. It's not surprising since Universal currently doesn't have a string of franchises to rely on. Chris has two rather strong franchises already with Thor and Avengers. It would be smart for the studio to capitalize if Snow White is successful as well.

“Yeah, sure, if there’s an audience for it and people wanna see it and there’s a great script and room to do something different with it, absolutely. I’ve heard probably the same rumors you have about possible sequels to this or prequels as far as the Huntsman’s storyline [goes]. We’re pretty elusive for the most of it; he begins having suffered some sort of trauma in a whole life before this point, and then at the end it’s left open as well. We had endless discussions about ‘where does he come from and why does he do this and what’s this about?’ and it all of a sudden opened up all these ideas about his whole life prior to this. I said, at one stage, ‘Maybe he could sort of spin-off into Cinderella world and then Sleeping Beauty, and he’s a Huntsman through the fairy tales,’ but that got shot down pretty quick (laughs).”

SPOILER SPECULATION: Is Agent Coulson Vision?

*SPOILERS* 
After the death of Coulson in the Avengers it seemed like the end of the infamous SHIELD agent. However, MTV has put together a very convincing theory that Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) could be Vision. MTV makes some strong points and it could be awesome to see Coulson evolve from agent to superhero. Then again, having Coulson stay dead means that the Marvel universe becomes slightly more grounded.

The android known as Vision was originally built by robotic villain Ultron and becomes an enemy of the Avengers. He fights against his creator only to join the ranks of the Avengers and fall in love with fellow villain-turned hero Scarlet Witch. His powers included the ability to change his density to float/fly and become spectre-like. If true, a scientist like Hank Pym (Ant-Man) might be the person to put this android together.

Vison had his own film in development but nothing official had been announced and his inclusion into the franchise would be very difficult. Establishing an android character would be hard for audiences to care about. If Vision per say "looked" like Coulson and was played by Clark Gregg fans could get behind him. To re-introduce Coulson as Vision wouldn't make the Avengers sequel feel as bloated since he was around in the first installment. Phil has also been suspect as he's not a comic book cannon character but created for Iron Man, this has always given fans the idea there was more to him.

» Life Model Decoys
It's already been established that there are synthezoids and life model decoys in the Marvel movie universe. Life model decoys have been mentioned several times now, in both "Iron Man 2" and "The Avengers," while synthezoids were briefly discussed in "Captain America: The First Avenger." Since there are already fully functioning androids that exist, it seems only fair to assume that The Vision is just around the corner.

» Lack of Emotion
If there's one thing people remember about Phil Coulson, it's that he rarely showed any signs of emotion. Always appearing calm and collected, even after being stabbed through the chest by Loki, Coulson is already android-like in that regard. The fact that he had the foresight to advise Nick Fury to use his untimely death as a means of motivating the team only adds to Coulson's cool and calculated nature.

» Stark Tower Security
Towards the beginning of "The Avengers," Agent Coulson somehow manages to bypass all of the high tech security that Stark Tower has to offer. How is it that Coulson is able to waltz right in to the home of one of the richest and smartest men in the world? Well, perhaps he has the ability to manipulate his density. You know, making himself intangible and what not.

» One Good Eye
After the death of Coulson, Nick Fury states that he "lost his one good eye." While this is clearly a play on words, being as Nick Fury wears an eye-patch, it could also be a reference to Coulson's codename: Vision. In the field, Agent Coulson would act as Fury's eyes allowing him to see anything and everything that Coulson sees firsthand. Get it? Vision? Eyes?

» Jim Hammond
The only thing that Agent Coulson ever showed the slightest bit of enthusiasm for was Captain America. Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch android, fought alongside Captain America on several occasions back in the '40s, according to comic book lore. The body of Jim Hammond is also the original synthezoid on which The Vision was based. It's a stretch, but that could serve as yet another clue that Coulson will come back in android form.

Android Jim Hammond/Human Torch's cameo in Captain America: The First Avenger

Dwayne Johnson Hinting He's Joining A DC Comics Film?

Dwayne Johnson (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Fast Five, Pain And Gain) is aiming to move into the world of comic book films. He's previously stated that he'd love a shot at Namor the Sub-Mariner and Luke Cage both excellent roles for film. Johnson was also loosely attached to play the god-like villain Black Adam in a possible Shazam! film. A recent response on Twitter gives the impression he very well could be in talks to join a DC movie. Unlike Marvel, there don't seem to be many options currently for the DC films.

The projects that come to mind are Lobo and Suicide Squad. One option is that he could end up playing a member of the group of DC villains forced into suicide missions as The Suicide Squad. Lobo is the closest to going into production as Brad Peyton replaced Guy Ritchie as the director. Brad will also make rewrites to the script which Don Payne (Simpsons, Thor, Thor 2) had originally wrote. To avoid another Jonah Hex or Green Lantern the studio will have to set the entire film on alien worlds and push for an R-rating. Lobo is a faul-mouthed violent biker bounty hunter who gives Superman a run for his money in hand-to-hand combat. He's one of the greatest DC anti-heroes and has been considered their version of Wolverine/Judge Dredd/Venom. Both seem like perfect movies for the new action star.

Clark Gregg Joins 'LABOR DAY'

THR reports that funny man Clark Gregg (Avengers, 500 Days of Summer) has landed a supporting role in Jason Reitman's (Up In The Air, Young Adult, Juno, Thank You For Smoking) Labor Day which stars Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet.

'SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN' Sequel To Focus On The Huntsman

Snow White And The Huntsman won't be in theaters until June but it looks like Universal Pictures loves what they've seen. The trailers and TV spots have had a decent impact compared to the box office bomb Mirror Mirror. BleedingCool picked up on a small tidbit in a THR article that states if successful Universal will be looking at a sequel focusing on The Huntsman played by Chris Hemsworth. I assume this means that director Rupert Sanders will also be returning for more films.

It's not hard to understand why Universal would want to develop a franchise around the Aussie actor. Hemsworth has been front and center along with Charlize Theron in the promotions for the film. He's already a fixture with two franchises Thor and Avengers. Not to mention his horror thriller Cabin In The Woods hits theaters next week and has been praised by bloggers/reviewers. He also has the Red Dawn remake set for a release later in the year. As a bonus it looks like Kristen Stewart won't be in this sequel.