It’s been another busy week for films.
Prequels and reboots are becoming all the buzz over numerous streaming services. Original films by top-tier directors are readying for awards season. And, as always, there’s plenty of superhero content on the way. Here’s what happened this week in the film industry.
Sony’s Future Plans For Marvel
While Marvel Studios continues to work on their own superhero movies, Sony is working within their own universe as well. While their Spider-Man movies tie directly into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, films like “Venom” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” exist within universes all their own.
This weekend will see the release of “Morbius”, an addition to the Venom universe with the titular anti-hero being a doctor turned vampire. Without giving too much away about the major mid-credit spoiler, the big suggestion on the tale seems to be that Sony’s next big Marvel project outside of Spider-Man is a Spider-Man villain movie, referencing the Sinister Six ensemble from the comic books.
A number of barriers are being broken to make this happen after the whole multiverse splintering that went down in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. However, shooting plans are not firmly in place at this time. Sony had attempted production on a Sinister Six movie many years ago but this was very much dependent on how well “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” performed.
With a lackluster debut, Sony’s future Spider-Man plans changed incredibly, considering they were made just two years before Spider-Man would join the MCU in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War”. It remains to be seen what Sony’s future plans will be considering how coordinated everything has come between Sony and Disney concerning Marvel productions.
An IT Prequel Series Coming To HBO Max
Considering that Warner Bros made quite a box office draw with their two-part adaptation of Stephen King’s “IT”, the studio is considering returning to the horror story. A prequel series to the movies is being planned to address the history of the being Pennywise, a sinister alien force that appears as a clown to terrorize the residence of Derry.
The series is being called Welcome to Derry and there’s not too much known about this series at this time. What we do know is that it is being directed by the “IT” film director Andy Muschietti and takes place in the 1960s. There’s no word yet on whether or not Bill Skarsgard will return to the role of Pennywise as casting details have yet to be revealed. As such, there’s no word yet on when shooting will begin or when the series will debut on HBO Max.
Spy Kids Reboot Coming To Netflix
The Spy Kids series will once more be returning but more for the smaller streaming screen than the big theatrical experience. Robert Rodriguez, the creator of the film series, will once more return to direct, write, and produce a Spy Kids reboot for Netflix.
This project was just recently announced so there’s no word on whether familiar cast members will be returning for this reboot or if the entire cast will be new. Given that Robert Rodriguez usually likes to have some familiar cameos in his movies, it’s likely that we may see Antonio Banderas or the anti-hero Machete pop box into this Spy Kids production.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Finished Filming
Disney is keeping up with their Star Wars productions by making sure their flagship series of their streaming service Disney+ has new episodes on the way. A third season will likely debut on Disney+ this year as filming has just been completed. Carl Weathers, a regular actor on the series, confirmed over Twitter that production has indeed wrapped on the third season.
The production of the series comes after a number of other Star Wars series that have debuted on the streaming service during this time. These series included the spin-offs of “The Book of Boba Fett” (based on the minor bounty hunter character of “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return on the Jedi”), The Bad Batch (following a group of rogue stormtroopers following the events of “Revenge of the Sith”), and Visions (an anime anthology series).
Kathryn Bigelow Adapting Aurora For Netflix
Kathryn Bigelow, the award-winning director of “The Hurt Locker”, has a new project she’s working on with Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She’ll be directing an adaptation of Aurora, the novel that follows the story of Aubrey Wheeler trying to handle her criminal husband and uncontrollable teenage son. If you haven’t heard of this book, that’s because it hasn’t been released yet. It’s written by David Koepp, whose screenwriting credits extend to Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, and his most recent production being HBO Max’s “Kimi”.
David Koepp will also serve as screenwriter for the Netflix production. While the book has a release date set for June of this year, there’s no word yet on when this movie will be premiering on Netflix as production has yet to have been announced.
David Fincher’s The Killer Finishes Filming
With David Fincher having directed ten films of varying qualities, there’s been some anticipation for his next film. His last production was 2020’s “Mank”, a biographical drama set around the screenwriter of “Citizen Kane”. His next film, however, will be much more in line with his usual genre of thrillers.
“The Killer” is based on the French comic book of the same name and will follow the profession of an assassin who slowly loses his mind. Filming for the production has taken place in New Orleans, Paris, the Dominican Republic, Chicago, and most recently in Los Angeles. It was confirmed over Twitter via Sabya that filming has completed.
While no official release date has been confirmed for Netflix, it’s likely they’ll try to have the film ready by the end of the year if they intend to have the film compete in the awards season. Considering Fincher’s previous film had a chance at the Academy Award for Best Picture, Netflix may place this film firmly in the spotlight when it comes time for their For Your Consideration campaigns.
