DAVID DUNN

2018 is returning to the world of wizards, and what wizarding world is complete without Albus Dumbledore?

Warner Bros. announced earlier this week that they have cast Albus Dumbledore for the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. That role is going to English actor Jude Law, who surprisingly has not been previously featured in the Harry Potter universe.

A prequel to the critically-acclaimed Harry Potter film series, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them showcases the events leading up to Voldemort’s rise to power and the death of Harry’s parents. The second entry in a five parts series, the sequel to Fantastic Beasts is being scripted by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and also stars Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, and Johnny Depp.

Law’s casting as Dumbledore is exciting for numerous reasons. First of all, he physically looks the part. Bearing similar characteristics to his elder counterparts Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, Law naturally has a warm, inviting face, but can also be fierce and imposing if intimidated. As seen in previous roles, Law has a wide range in acting ability, and can adequately embody all of the emotions that Dumbledore characterizes.

Beyond that, just look at Law’s career. From Vasily Zaytsev in Enemy at the Gates to Giggolo Joe in A.I. Artificial Intelligence to John Watson in Sherlock Holmes, Law has demonstrated that he can take on a challenging role thrown at him and make it his own. I have no doubt he’ll do just that as Albus Dumbledore just like any other role he tackles, and that makes me even more excited for the future of Fantastic Beasts.

What do you guys think? Are you enchanted by Law’s casting, or do you want to perform expelliarmus on Law’s contract? Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: MovieWeb.com, Cinemablend

I’m done.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: MovieWeb.com, ComingSoon.net

Say hello to Diego Luna.

You might remember him from a few movies. The Terminal. Elysium. A small movie released back in December called Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. You know, just a few movies.

Well now, it looks like Luna is going to have to throw on his gangster’s vest, because he has reportedly been cast as Tony Montana in the remake to 1983’s Scarface. Originally portrayed by “The Godfather” himself Al Pacino, Scarface is loosely based on the life of notorious gangster Al Capone, adapted from the 1930 book of the same name. While not much is known about the production, we do know that Training Day filmmaker Atoine Fuqua was in talks to direct, while The Wolf of Wall Street scribe Terrence Winter will be writing the screenplay. And of course, Luna will be portraying the titular character.

Normally, I don’t like reporting on remakes, because they’re usually so stupidly unnecessary, like when Disney announced doing a live-action Lion King remake. However, I make exceptions when they’re new actors or new interpretations to the work that makes it unique to the original. The Departed was like that, as well as King Kong. And Beauty and the Beast looks like it’s heading that direction too.

But the sheer fact that it’s Diego Luna portraying the cocaine-selling criminal that makes me all the more excited for it. He was one of the standout performances in last year’s Rogue One, and his talents seem to be paying off well for him. If he’s lining up with the crew that I think he is, this is going to be a very exciting remake to watch, and it will especially be exciting to see how he performs in it.

Are you excited for Diego Luna’s Scarface remake? Or do you want him to say “hello” to his little friend? Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: The Independent, Screenrant.

Peter Parker isn’t the only one swinging around in the spider suit anymore.

Mystery has surrounded the Sony-produced animated Spider-Man film slated for a 2018 release. All we knew was that The Lego Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were producing, animator Bob Persichetti is directing, and that it was an animated Spidey film unrelated to Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man. Now, courtesy of Sony, we know a little bit more about the project. In a media presentation from yesterday, Sony showed some exclusive animated footage from the film that revealed something important.

The Spider-Man that would be featured would not be Peter Parker. It would be Miles Morales.

.@PhilipLord and @ChrizMillr are bringing the Miles Morales story to the big screen in all-new animated stand-alone SPIDER-MAN feature.

— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) January 18, 2017

For those of you that don’t know, Miles Morales is an alternate version of Spider-Man coming from the Ultimate imprint of Marvel comics. In this version, Peter died at the hands of his arch-nemesis, the Green Goblin, and Morales shortly takes on the Spider-Man mantle after gaining similar powers to Peter.

When Miles Morales was introduced into the comic-book realm, he took the world by storm. While not being the first African-American superhero to be featured in comics, he is the first ethnic Spider-Man to be introduced into mainstream media. The fact that a black latino Spider-Man could be published and get as popular as he did spoke volumes on the growth of diversity in America, and how it’s slowly spreading and influencing comic book culture as a whole.

There are no further details on who is voicing Morales or who exactly he will be going up against in the film. All we know is that the film is set for a release date of Dec. 21, 2018 and that this is the first time a black Spider-Man will be featured on film. Both possibilities are very exciting.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: Forbes, Sony.com

One small step for man, one giant leap for Ryan Gosling.

Hot off of the heels from the success of the musical La La Land, actor Ryan Gosling’s next collaboration with writer-director Damien Chazelle has already been announced. According to Variety, the duo will be working on a Neil Armstrong biopic titled First Man, with Gosling confirmed to star in the title role. Chazelle will be directing the film from a script written by Oscar-winning scribe Josh Singer for Spotlight.

This piece of news is exciting for a few reasons. For one thing, its another film from Damien Chazelle. Besides this year’s La La Land, he’s also wrote and directed last year’s Whiplash, which won J.K. Simmons his first Academy Award for best supporting actor. He has a recurring theme in his films which involves music, but First Man is going to be his first forray into a genre different from what he’s used to. It’s exciting to see what he will bring to Armstrong’s tale and how he approaches it differently from his other films.

And good Lord, is Ryan Gosling on fire or what? Besides being set to portray Neil Armstrong in First Man, he’s also set to star in Ridley Scott’s upcoming Blade Runner 2049, as well as Terrence Malick’s film Weightless. Couple that along with his recent success in La La Land, The Nice Guys, and The Big Short, and what we have is a string of successes that is setting Gosling on the fast track towards the awards circuit. If he keeps this up, there won’t be many more ways for him to go up from here, especially if his next film involves going to space.

What do you guys think? Are you excited that Chazelle and Gosling are teaming up again? Or do you not want this shuttle to lift off?

Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: Variety, Cinemablend

In a business as rapidly changing as the entertainment industry, casting news comes and goes spontaneously. Yet every now and then, you see an announcement so big that it can’t help but turn heads.

Take my reaction when I found out about the announced cast for the Murder on the Orient Express remake. For those of you that don’t know, Murder on the Orient Express is a mystery-thriller based on the novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. The plot follows detective Hercule Poirot, who is investigating the murder of a business tycoon aboard a train called the Orient Express. The book was originally adapted into a 1971 film by Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Network) and had an all-star cast including Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergmann, who won her third Academy Award from that film.

The remake looks to be another all-star. Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, Thor), this adaptation stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, Michael Pena, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens actress Daisy Ridley. The film is slated for a 2017 release date.

Normally, I’m not one to be enthusiastic for Hollywood remakes of classic films (as evidenced by my reaction to Jon Favreau’s Lion King remake). But I’m actually intrigued by this one. For one thing, I haven’t heard of The Orient Express before this casting announcement (which shows I need to brush up on my film history, darn it), so this remake isn’t affected by any preconceived notions I may have had towards it. Secondly, even if I had seen the previous film and were as passionate about it as I was about The Lion King, I still would have been excited about this movie.

I mean, look at the cast. It’s big enough that I’m willing to overlook the fact that it’s a remake.

Branagh, however, has a shifty track record when it comes to filmmaking. His adaptations for Henry V and Hamlet were met with critical acclaim, and audiences responded very well with his interpretations of Thor and Cinderella. On the other hand, Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein was weird, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit was boring, and Love’s Labour’s Lost was completely horrendous. For Branagh, his directing skills ranges from masterful to disastrous. If there’s anything to be concerned about with this film, it’s his involvement as director.

What do you guys think? Are you excited to board the Orient Express, or are you going to wait for the next stop? Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter

“The circle of life” should not apply to remakes.

Unfortunately, it does.

Walt Disney recently confirmed that they are doing a live-action remake of yet another Disney classic: The Lion King, to be directed by The Jungle Book director Jon Favreau.

No.

Just no.

No.

NO.

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS.

I am so distraught by this for many reasons. The Lion King is a masterpiece. Period. No criticisms, no complaints, no improvements, no areas that it’s lacking in. It is flawless by definition, trailing slightly behind other Disney masterpieces such as Pinocchio and Beauty and the Beast. There is zero purpose behind remaking it. Remaking The Lion King would be as ridiculous as rebooting Toy Story. There is no reason for it. None.

“It’s for the visual effects,” you might say. As visual as the original? Animated films has proven time and time again that they can compete with CGI-heavy blockbuster films. If the opening shots of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King has proven anything, it has shown that they can have as much depth and perplexion as a live shot. It just depends on the details you give them.

Yes, they can do a live-action remake of The Lion King, but what visual improvements can be made beyond the original? Literally all that would change would be making it two-dimensional to three-dimensional, which in itself is a silly goal to aspire to considering the original already had a few three-dimensional shots. I’m just utterly confused and disturbed by this development. I don’t see a shred of genuine reason why it needs to be remade. It all just seems like a cash cow reigning in on a classic.

I’ll play the devil’s advocate for two things: Walt Disney and Jon Favreau. The Lion King will be the fifth film to be remade for live action, joining a class including Cinderella, Pete’s Dragon, and of course, The Jungle Book. All of them have fared well with audiences so far with the exception of Beauty and the Beast, which stars Emma Watson and comes out next year. Jon Favreau, as well, is a great visual and experiential director. He has subverted expectations time and time again, including 2008’s Iron Man, 2011’s Cowboys and Aliens, and more recently The Jungle Book remake. I expect him to make a good film out of The Lion King. I just assert that it’s extremely unnecessary.

Details will come soon on The Lion King’s planned release date and cast. Until then, I’m going to be singing Hakuna MataNAH.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: The Walt Disney Company

Jared Leto ain’t joking around.

The Academy Award-winning actor’s next project has been revealed as an Andy Warhol biopic, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Along with starring as the lead, Leto is also slated to produce the currently-untitled biopic alongside producer Michael De Luca (The Social Network, Captain Phillips) from a screenplay by Terrence Winter (The Wolf of Wall Street).

For those of you that are unfamiliar, Andy Warhol is a notable artist from the 1960’s who pioneered the pop art movement. An innovator in areas of impressionistic and satirical craftsmanship, Warhol created art through all sorts of mediums, including illustrations, paintings, prints, photographs, silk screens, sculptures, music, and even films (although his short Mario Banana is one of the most mortifying things I’ve seen to date). Warhol was also one of the first men to openly express his homosexuality, despite it being sharply frowned upon back then.

I am nothing short of thrilled at hearing that Jared Leto is taking on the iconic artist. Leto has had a successful career portraying a different variety of characters up until this point. He’s played a suave, charming businessman (American Psycho), a psychotic killer (Chapter 27), a conflicted trans woman (Dallas Buyers Club), and more recently, a criminal madman (Suicide Squad). He’s performed all of these roles very well, and even more impressively, matched the physicality of each of them, gaining pounds of weight for Chapter 27 to going bone-skin thin in Dallas Buyers Club. He has both the talent and the physicality to match Warhol, and I’m very excited to see what he brings for the role.

We’ll have to wait until 2018 to see what Leto’s Warhol will look like. Until then, let’s just hope bananas aren’t involved.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone

Slade’s not playing games. And neither is Joe Manganiello.

You might remember a few weeks ago when Ben Affleck released a cryptic video on his twitter account. The footage showed an ominous image of the iconic DC comics character Deathstroke, a.k.a. Slade Wilson, standing on a dock in his signature orange-and-black costume.

There were two questions on everyone’s minds: Who is Deathstroke, and is this footage for Justice League or the upcoming Batman reboot?

Warner Bros. recently answered both questions in a report released Wednesday. Deathstroke is going to be portrayed by actor Joe Manganiello, most well known from “True Blood” and Magic Mike fame, and he will be portraying the assassin in the upcoming Batman film starring and directed by Ben Affleck.

Manganiello’s casting is both exciting and interesting. Exciting because, for the first time since CW’s TV series “Arrow”, we get to see a live-action Deathstroke duke it out on the big screen. Interesting because, prior to Ben Affleck being cast in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Manganiello was on the shortlist for considered actors alongside Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin. Him and Affleck might be able to bring in that sense of competition to their roles and make their characters have a more compelling dynamic in the film.

Overall, I’m very exciting for this casting news. Great actor? Check. Awesome villain? Check. More Batman? Double check.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: Heroic Hollywood, Cinemablend

A few on-set injuries can’t keep down the maze runner.

Earlier in March, production on the third entry in the Maze Runner series, The Death Cure, was postponed due to a serious on-set accident with actor Dylan O’Brien. After O’Brien was hospitalized and treated for his injuries, 20th Century Fox confirmed that they will resume filming next year, but only after O’Brien goes through a full recovery.

“We wish Dylan a speedy recovery and look forward to restarting production as soon as possible,” Fox said in a statement.

If all goes well with O’Brien’s recovery, Fox is looking to resume filming as soon as February 2017. Maze Runner: The Death Cure is currently scheduled to be released in January 2018.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: Deadline, Cinemablend