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HomeColumnsAccidental TuritzHump Day News Update 6/9/21: First Pics from Indiana Jones 5, Interesting...

Hump Day News Update 6/9/21: First Pics from Indiana Jones 5, Interesting Netflix Data and More News

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Happy Hump Day!  If Monday’s “Over the Weekend” seemed a bit slim, hang onto your hats, because news has definitely picked up since then.

Indiana Jones
Harrison Ford (Photo by David Leaper)

It’s just a few days away from the 40th Anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and as mentioned last week, Director James Mangold began shooting the still-untitled Indiana Jones 5 in the UK this week. As always, various pictures and other word came out from what was happening in the first couple days of the shoot. UK tabloid, The Daily Mail, released a full report on a night shoot on the North Yorkshire Moors, where they were filming some stuntwork in the same place where Tom Cruise shot some stunts for Mission: Impossible 7 (which might still be in production halt due to a positive COVID teest).

Still, it was easy enough for punters and passers-by to grab a photo of Harrison Ford in costume (and wearing a mask) while the production was shooting during the daytime. You can see a few of those pics below, but it’s good news for fans of Ford’s character who may have been disappointed by the 2008 Spielberg film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.


Shadow and Bone
Shadow and Bone (Netflix)

Before we get to the slew of new movie projects and casting announcements, some fans will be rather happy that Netflix has renewed the dark fantasy series, Shadow and Bone, for a second season. At the same time, HBO has renewed its own popular comedy, Hacks, for a second season.

For those wondering how these companies decide what to renew, a company called Reelgood, which has been creating streaming bundles, has also been tracking the streamer viewing trends of its 2 million users. The company has released a pair of interesting charts that might pinpoint why Shadow and Bone was renewed while Jupiter’s Legacy was not.  It’s interesting data because, for the most part, Netflix does not release much data of how much or little their series and movies are watched, but for people in the industry who work on these shows, they might actually want to know this information and what some of the streamer’s benchmarks might be for renewing shows.

Reelgood
Reelgood

JupitersLegacyGraph


The annual Cannes Film Festival hasn’t yet begun — it runs from July 6 through July 16 — but news is already leaking from the planned market of new projects that are in the works and looking for financiers and distributors.

Carey Mulligan
Carey Mulligan (Focus Features)

What’s likely to be one of the highest-profile projects announced this week is a new movie about the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal with none other than recent Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are in talks to play the real-life New York Times reporters that broke the story, Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, as reported by DeadlineShe Said is set to begin production this summer with Unorthodox director Maria Schrader at the helm, working from a script by Oscar-winner Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Ida), with Universal Pictures distributing. The film is based on the New York Times bestseller, She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement. (There is no word on whether Weinstein would appear in the film or which lucky actor might play him.)

Two star-studded rom-coms have been announced ahead of Cannes. Rebecca Miller‘s  She Came To Me for Protagonist Pictures  has been cast with Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominee Tahar Rahim, Oscar winner Marisa TomeiJoanna Kulig and Matthew Broderick. The movie is a “multi-generational story set against the iconic backdrop of New York: a composer suffering from writer’s block rediscovers his passion after an adventurous one-night stand, a couple of gifted teenagers fight to prove to the parents that their young love is something that can last forever, and for the woman who seemingly has it all – love arrives in the most unexpected places.” Miller has won Indie Spirit and Gotham Awards with movies such as Personal Velocity and The Ballad of Jack and Rose.

Furthermore, the rom-com A Week in Paradise  has been cast with Malin Åkerman, Connie Nielsen, Philip Winchester and Jack Donnelly. Produced and directed by MSR Media‘s Philippe Martinez (Father Christmas Is Back), the movie will start shooting this week on Nevis, as part of a multi-film production deal with the Nevis Island Administration in the Caribbean that was announced last week. Written by Kate Wood, the movie stars Åkerman as Maggie, a film star who flees to a hotel in Nevis when her film director husband (Donnelly) is outed by the paparazzi as having gotten his leading lady pregnant. Once there, she meets a new love interest (Winchester) until the real world comes crashing down on her. Martinez produces with Highfield Grange StudiosAlan Latham with MSR’s Lee Beasley and Karinne Behr exec. producing with Alastair Burlingham and Charlie Dombek of Sherborne Media, and Jacob Katsman. MSR Media International will handle worldwide sales.

God Country
God Country (Image Comics)

Fresh off the release of the Netflix series, Sweet Tooth, based on the Jeff Lemire comic book, the show’s co-creator, Jim Mickle, is taking on another comic book movie, directing a feature based on Donny Cates and Geoff  Shaw‘s God Country for Legendary and AfterShock Media. The story involves a family in the South and a legendary sword that gives the bearer great power.

There’s been another Stephen King revival with the Paramount+ mini-series, The Stand, and the currently-filming Firestarter, but it looks like King’s killer car book, Christine, is also revving itself up for a remake with Bryan Fuller (Star Trek: DiscoveryHannibal) signed on to direct the movie for Sony Pictures and Blumhouse.

King progeny, Joe Hill, also continues to have his own work adapted as his Dracula spin-off, Abraham’s Boys, will be adapted and directed by Natasha Kermani (Lucky) with 47 Meters Down production company, Tea Shop Productions.  The movie will follow Max and Rudy Van Helsing, who know nothing about their father Abraham’s past as he becomes more paranoid and violent. In the adaptation, the boys’ trauma is seen through the eyes of a young Asian woman.

Another film hitting the Cannes Virtual Market is a Philip Marlowe detective thriller scripted by Oscar-winner William Monahan (The Departed) that’s bringing together Liam Neeson and filmmaker Neil JordanStoryboard Media and CAA Media Finance are handling sales on that package that’s based on the Marlowe novel The Black-Eyed Blonde set in the ’50s with the private detective Marloe hired to find the ex-lover of an heiress.

The team that produced the 2011 spy-thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, based on John Le Carée‘s novel are reuniting for the Studiocanal series, Europa, based on Dave Hutchinson’s Fractured Europe Sequence spy novels.

Just when you thought Tyler Perry‘s popular character, Madea, was dead, he has brought her out of retirement for a new movie for Netflix as part of his deal with the streamer.


Madelyn Cline
Madelyn Cline (Netflix)

Let’s get into some more casting, and you can probably guess that John Wick 4 and Knives Out 2 will be in the mix, because they usually are. A few smaller roles have been filled as Shamier Anderson (RaceWynona Earpjoins John Wick: Chapter 4 at Lionsgate, while Knives Out 2, the sequel to the hit Lionsgate release, will be joined by Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks) when it moves over to Netflix.

Golden Globe, SAG and presumed Emmy winner Anya Taylor-Joy is riding the success of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit by headlining Searchlight Studios’ psychological thriller, The Menu with Ralph Fiennes. Taylor-Joy replaces Emma Stone, who was previously attached. Succession‘s Mark Mylod will direct with Adam McKay producing through his Hyperobject Industries banner, along with Betsy Koch.

Also for Searchlight, Zoey Deutch has been attached to star in Not Okay from filmmaker Quinn Shephard (Blame), being produced with Makeready. The satire will go into production in New York this summer for release exclusively on Hulu. In the movie, Deutch will play a young woman who fakes a trip to Paris in hopes of finding friends and fame through her social media presence, a plan marred by a “terrifying incident.”

Mike Myers‘ Netflix six-episode comedy series, The Pentaverate, has added five actors, including Ken Jeong, recent SNL host Keegan-Michael KeyRichard McCabeJennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous) and Lydia West, to its cast. If you hadn’t heard, Myers’ will play seven new characters himself, and production is already underway.

At the same time, Demi Lovato has cast up the pilot for her NBC comedy, Hungry, with Anna Akana (Jupiter’s Legacy) joining Executive Producer Lovato, who is leading a cast that will include Alex Brightman, Ashley D. Kelley, Jay Klaitz and Rory O’Malley. The pilot comes from Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner’s Hazy Mills, SB Projects and Universal Television.

Cameras have begun rolling in New York for the Disney+ comedy Better Nate Than Ever, based on Tim Federle‘s novel, and Lisa Kudrow is the first name released for the adaptation produced by Marc Platt (La La LandCruella). Federle himself is adapting and directing the family film about Pittsburgh teen Nate Foster, who sneaks off with his best friend Libby to a major musical audition in the Big Apple after not being cast in their school play. A chance encounter with Nate’s aunt Heidi (played by Kudrow) adds a new cog in their adventure. Although Nate and Libby have been cast, calling for two child actors that could sing, their names have not been revealed yet.

To keep track of all of these projects, subscribe to our Production Listings, which are updated daily.


Before we get to some trailers, conspiracy theorists have been saying for years that robots would replace us all. Who knew that they might start with those amazing stuntmen and women who have worked so hard and put themselves into such dangerous situations in order to make our beloved movie stars look like they can do crazy stunts and fight sequences? Apparently, Disney has been developing “stunt robots,” which I guess is good for the safety of these precious humans, but I doubt anyone in the stunt field will feel the same way.


Earlier this week, HBO Max released the first trailer for Stephen Soderbergh‘s next film, No Sudden Move, which will hit the streamer on July 1. Set in 1955 Detroit, it reunites Soderbergh with Don Cheadle from the Ocean’s 11 movies and Oscar-winner Benicio del Toro from Traffic. Also starring David Harbour, Ray Liotta, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, Kieran CulkinAmy Seimetz and Julia Fox, the movie is about a group of small-time criminals hired to steal emerging car technology with takes them through the rapidly-changing race-torn city.

Just this morning, Searchlight Studios released the first trailer for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, the new biopic starring an unrecognizable Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield as televangelists Tammy Baye and Jim Bakker, who were accused of defrauding thousands of religious zealots of money in the name of God. The movie, which will likely be in the Oscars make-up race, if nothing else, will hit theaters on September 17.

Earlier this week, 20th Century Studios released the first trailer for its animated film, Ron’s Gone Wrong, by debuting it on Good Morning America. The family comedy features the voices of Zach Galifianakis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Olivia Colman, Ed Helms, Justice Smith, Rob Delaney, Kylie Cantrall, Ricardo Hurtado, Marcus Scribner, and Thomas Barbusca, and it will be released in October.

Warner Bros. Pictures took a different approach to announce the title and voice cast for its own animated, DC League of Super-Pets, which will include Dwayne Johnson voicing Krypto the Super-Dog, Kevin Hart voicing Ace the Bat-Hound, as well as the voices of Kate McKinnonKeanu Reeves, Vanessa Bayer, John Krasinski, Diego Luna and Natasha Lyonne. It’s scheduled for release on May 20, 2022, and you can watch the teaser trailer below.

Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas has written about movies for print and the internet for over 20 years, specializing in box office analysis, reviews, and interviews. Currently, he writes features for Below the Line and Above the Line, acting as Associate Editor for the former and Interim Editor for the latter.
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