The latest geek movie news roundup has pocket monsters, the MCU, cat and mouse, and much more.
Tom Holland revealed Spidey’s new suit for Spider-Man: Far From Home during a segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live! When Jimmy inquired about how the film fits in with the continuity of Avengers: Infinity War, Holland declared that he had to run because “I think Thanos is robbing a bank… or something.” Spider-Man, Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, and Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill will be far from home (and presumably less dusty) when the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming hits screens on July 5, 2019 (see “'Star Trek 4' Stars Balk at Pay Cuts, Casting for 'Sonic,' and 'Bloodshot'”).
The starting gun for the Flash standalone film from Warner Bros. won’t be firing in March as originally planned. The studio is pushing back filming while the script is being tweaked reports Variety. Due to scheduling conflicts with the third installment of Fantastic Beasts, the Harry Potter spinoff in which Flash star Ezra Miller has a significant supporting role, that likely means won’t get rolling again until late 2019, and the film will have a 2021 release date. This is the latest delay for the project, which has twice seen the replacement of the director (see “Raimi on 'Kingkiller,' Kirkman and Universal Adapt 'Birthright,' 'Detective Pikachu' Adds Watanabe”).
Two of Warner Bros.’s animation projects are in talks with top-flight talent. Ride Along and Shaft reboot director Tim Story is in negotiations for a hybrid live-action / animated take on Tom and Jerry, and Chris Columbus has been signed as creative producer for the new Scooby-Doo animated movie (via Variety). Tom and Jerry is expected to go into production in 2019, with animated versions of the titular cat and mouse being added to real-world shots. Further, sources indicate that Tom and Jerry will maintain the non-verbal characteristics of the cartoons. Scooby-Doo is expected to hit screens in the first quarter of 2020, with Columbus working alongside director Tony Cervone (see “Dazzler in 'Dark Phoenix,' 'Jurassic World 2' Set, 'Spider-Man' Trilogy, More”).
The Russo Brothers announced the wrap of filming on the fourth Avengers film with a cryptic photo on Twitter. The image shows a glowing blue object, and given that a good portion of the MCU didn’t survive Avengers: Infinity War -- including several characters who have solo sequels on the calendar -- conjecture is rampant, with many concluding it might be a Cosmic Cube. We’ll find out when Avengers 4 opens on May 3 (see “Best in Shows--Q2 2019”).
The Black Panther sequel is officially a go with the news that director Ryan Coogler has signed on to write and direct the return to Wakanda. Sources indicate that production will start in late 2019 or 2020, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The first film debuted in February to universal praise from both critics and audiences. Widely considered an Oscar contender, Black Panther became only the third film in history to take in more than $700 million domestically (see “'Mission: Impossible-Fallout' Flashes Some 'Legs'”), and it won the Harvey for best adaptation (see “Harvey Awards Go To 'Monstress,' 'Black Panther' Movie”). The film take on the king of Wakanda also put a spotlight on various supporting characters, with the Dora Milaje (see “The Dora Milaje Break Out in 'Wakanda Forever'”), scientific genius Shuri (see “All Hail Shuri”, and conflicted villain Killmonger (see “New Tale Illuminates Killmonger's Dark Road”) all getting comic book miniseries in the wake of the success of the movie.
