The latest geek movie roundup has Hellboy, monster hunters, basketball, and much more.
The Hellboy reboot has been pushed back four months according to The Hollywood Reporter. The David Harbour-starring film was originally slated to open January 11, 2019. It will now take a bow on April 12, 2019. Milla Jovovich, Daniel Dae Kim, Ian McShane, Penelope Mitchell, Sophie Okonedo, Brian Gleeson, and Alistair Petrie also star in the film, which is directed by Neil Marshall and written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola (see “'Deathstroke,' 'Polar,' 'Godzilla: Monster Planet,' Live-Action 'Dora,' 'Hellboy'”). The new date puts the debut just one week after Shazam! hits theaters (see “Best in Shows--Q2 2019”). Martial arts superstar Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak; xXx: Return of Xander Cage) will star alongside Milla Jovovich in Monster Hunter, a live-action adaptation of the Capcom video game. The film also stars Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and T.I. Harris (Ant-Man). Resident Evil helmer Paul W.S. Anderson is directing the film, which is set to begin shooting in October. Jovovich is playing Artemis, while Jaa is most likely playing The Hunter reports THR. VIZ Media publishes manga inspired by the game, which involves players who track and kill monsters (see “'Black Clover,' 'Monster Hunter,' 'Koroko's Basketball,' More”). Udon Entertainment releases art books for the game (see “Capcom Art Books”).Joker director Todd Phillips took to Instagram to share a photo of star Joaquin Phoenix in full regalia -- clown regalia, that is. Phillips has been using the social media platform to tease the film, including sharing pics of Phoenix sans clown makeup (see “Todd Phillips' 'Joker' Begins Principal Photography”) and a teaser video of Phoenix’s transition to the Batman villain (see “Joaquin Phoenix's Joker With His Face On”). The film opens on October 4, 2019.
The live-action take on Jack Kirby’s The Eternals has a director reports Deadline. Chloe Zhao, who previously directed the acclaimed indies Songs My Brothers Taught Me and The Rider, will helm the adaptation about the superpowered Eternals and their enemies, the Deviants. Zhao will be the second woman to direct a Marvel film and the first to do so solo (Anna Boden is co-directing Captain Marvel). Matthew and Ryan Firpo, whose spec script Ruin made the 2017 Black List, are writing the film (see “'The Eternals' in Development for Live Action Film”).
Black Panther director Ryan Coogler has signed on to produce Space Jam 2 (via THR). The sequel to the mash up of Looney Toons and professional basketball stars LeBron James and is directed by Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, Random Acts of Flyness). James’s SpringHill Entertainment is behind the resurrection of the franchise. The original film, which was released in 1996, starred Michael Jordan and eventually became the highest-grossing basketball film of all time.The Birds of Prey film has cast the roles of Black Canary and Huntress reports Variety. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo, 10 Cloverfield Lane) will play Huntress / Helena Bertinelli, and Jurnee Smollett-Bell (True Blood, Underground) is playing Balck Canary / Dinah Lance. Margot Robbie is reprising the role of Harley Quinn for the film, which will be directed by Cathy Yan (see “Harley Quinn Movie Courts Female Director”). Birds of Prey opens February 7, 2020 (see “'Birds of Prey,' 'James Bond' 25, 'Terminator' 6, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Shift Release Dates”).