Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 243

Chris Miller Debunks Rumors of SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE Starting from Scratch

When Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse came out in spring 2023, they promised a sequel just one year later. However, that didn’t quite work out. Sony took Beyond the Spider-Verse off the schedule for 2024 before indefinitely delaying it. Rumors then started to surface that Sony had scrapped almost everything so far for the third chapter. Furthermore, the film would not see the light of day until 2027. That’s a full four years since Across the Spider-Verse hit theaters and left a cliffhanger ending. But now, two creatives involved have debunked this rumor.

Nothing has been scrapped. The reels are coming along nicely.

— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) September 10, 2024

Don’t really ever want to weigh in on this sort of stuff BUT would you ever believe there could sometimes be stuff on the internet that might not always be particularly accurate? Hmmmm…

🤔 https://t.co/OfXXZKvled

— Daniel Pemberton (@DANIELPEMBERTON) September 10, 2024

Via The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve learned that Spider-Verse co-writer and producer Chris Miller has said the following via social media. “Nothing has been scrapped. The reels are coming along nicely.” Meanwhile, composer Daniel Pemberton said “Don’t really ever want to weigh in on this sort of stuff, BUT would you ever believe there could sometimes be stuff on the internet that might not always be particularly accurate? Hmmm.” Both creators are assuring the fans that they are not starting from scratch with the third part of this trilogy.

Sony Animation

Of course, Beyond is still not on any schedule. While it may be true that they’re not starting over as rumors suggest, there are clearly changes going on. When Across the Spider-Verse did significantly larger box office than Into the Spider-Verse, as well as getting similar critical praise, the pressure was on to stick the landing. So we might not be waiting to find out what happened to Miles Morales until 2027. Yet it might still be 2026. It would be quite a coincidence if the MCU’s Multiverse Saga and Sony Animation’s Spider-Verse saga both ended within months of each other. Hopefully soon, we’ll get concrete information from Sony Animation on when Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse officially hits theaters.

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG Suit and Tie Is a Speedy Way to Look Stylish

We’re currently in the middle of a full-on Sonicssaince. Everyone’s favorite Blue Blur now headlines a big screen live-action cinematic universe that shows no signs of slowing down. It’s a good time to know him. If you do and are lucky enough to get invited to his next red carpet premiere we know exactly what you should wear. OppoSuits latest pop culture creation is a speedy way to look stylish while also celebrating the Sega Genesis icon. The company’s Sonic the Hedgehog suit and tie combo is a colorful, wearable ode to the beloved speedster.

OppoSuits/Nordstrom

The Sonic the Hedgehog Two-Piece Suit & Tie set from OppSuits is a vibrant flash of color and characters. In addition to Sonic himself, the blue-hued suit and matching neckwear feature franchise favorites like Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Cheese the Chao, and more. Like Sonic himself, this is some seriously flashy attire.

The un-hemmed, 100% polyester suit comes with zip fly flat-front trousers. They have a button-tab closure, slant pockets, and back pockets. The lined jacket is also adorned with notched lapels, four-button cuffs, chest pocket, flap pockets, interior pockets, and side vents. All those many pockets will come in handy when you need some place to store all the gold rings you pick up while wearing it. (We also imagine some people will also give gold rings when they see you run down the street in these clothes.)

OppoSuits/Nordstrom

You can also some of those gold coins to actually pay for the suit. You can grab yours from Nordstrom’s online shop for $119.99. If you’re wondering how they…ahem…run, the company says its Sonic the Hedgehog Two-Piece Suit & Tie set is “true to size.”

It’s also true to something else: the Sonicssaince. We’re all living in Sonic the Hedgehog’s world these days. It’s only fitting we dress for it.

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Josh Brolin Will Not Star in DC’s LANTERNS HBO Series

In a real “didn’t we already know this?” piece of news, HBO has officially greenlit the DCU drama series Lanterns based on the Green Lantern comics. This was one of the titles James Gunn mentioned in his now infamous DCU slate video in early 2023. That certainly made it seem like it was a sure thing. However, given how fickle Warner Bros. is these days, I suppose it wasn’t. At any rate, HBO has given an eight-episode, direct-to-series order to Lanterns. Emmy-nominee Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country; Ozark) will serve as showrunner.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Josh Brolin will not star as Hal Jordan in Lanterns. He was eyed for the role but decided to pass on the role. It is not clear why at this time but perhaps he will speak on it in the near future.

DC Studios

The synopsis of the series says it follows “new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.” Pretty interesting concept for a Green Lantern series. Intergalactic cops solving an mystery on Earth. Definitely has True Detective vibes.

Joining Mundy in the writing of the show are none other than heavy hitters Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and comic writer Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow). James Gunn and Peter Safran said of the announcement: “We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.”

No word yet on when the series will debut. We will, of course, keep you up to date on any casting news as it develops.

Originally published on June 25, 2024.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Does This Marvel Comic Reveal How Robert Downey, Jr. Will Become Doctor Doom?

At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel fans were left reeling after Kevin Feige and the Russo Brothers revealed that Robert Downey, Jr. will be returning to the MCU to play the villainous Victor von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom. Questions were immediately raised about how Downey could possibly play Marvel’s next big baddie when he already played its top hero, the dearly departed Tony Stark/Iron Man. This chatter led to theories about multiverse variants.

If you want to understand Robert Downey Jr. as Doom, you MUST read Ultimates 4 on sept 4th. (or whenever it comes out) pic.twitter.com/oHVVeTdNwE

— Deniz Camp (@DenizCamp) July 28, 2024

Not long after, Marvel Comics writer Deniz Camp posted a cryptic tease about his upcoming comic series on X/Twitter, writing, “If you want to understand Robert Downey Jr. as Doom, you MUST read Ultimates 4 on sept 4th.” Now that Ultimates #4 is out in the wild, let’s dig into the issue and see what it reveals about the man in the iron mask who will terrorize Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the upcoming films Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Dike Ruan/Deniz Camp/Phil Noto/Marvel StudiosUltimates Is About a Twisted Version of the Marvel Universe

Ultimates is a new comic book series about Marvel’s rebooted Ultimate Universe. The Ultimate Universe was restored by a villain known as the Maker. This character is an evil version of Reed Richards from the original Ultimate Universe. In order to ensure his rule of this new world, the Maker used time travel to make it so Marvel’s greatest saviors never became superheroes.

Despite the Maker’s best efforts, some heroes slipped through the cracks. Howard Stark became Iron Man and passed on the mantle to his son, Tony Stark. Tony took on the name Iron Lad and scraped together a team of Avengers to oppose the Maker. One of Tony’s allies is Reed Richards, who in this twisted world became Doom instead of Mister Fantastic. Ultimates #4 pulls back the curtain to reveal how a hero like Reed Richards could wind up like his classic nemesis, Doctor Doom.

The Maker Corrupted the Ultimate Doom

Ultimates #4 unveils Ultimate Doom’s backstory and shows how one small change completely altered the fate of the Fantastic Four. As we watch Reed Richards preparing for the team’s first mission to space, the Maker uses time travel to pop into Reed’s lab and sneakily ruin one of his calculations on a whiteboard. The small sabotage has big consequences as it causes the space mission to end in tragedy. Instead of the group gaining wondrous super powers, they each meet a horrific end that aligns with their would-be powers.

Dike Ruan/Deniz Camp/Phil Noto

The cosmic rays bombarding the space shuttle set Johnny Storm on fire, which kills him. Ben is later found at the bottom of a rock quarry, seemingly dying by suicide. Sue’s health slowly “fades away” in the hospital as she succumbs to radiation poisoning. Reed is the lone survivor but the Maker kidnaps him. The Maker brings Reed to the Dome, his technologically advanced base of operations where he can manipulate the flow of time.

“I can squeeze centuries of pain into just a few thin moments,” he says. The Maker physically tortures Reed with electrocution, melting his face Palpatine-style. He then covers Reed’s face with a burning-hot metal mask. He also psychologically tortures Reed with his perceived failure that brought about the “doom” of his loved ones. Reed eventually snaps mentally and accepts the name Doom to complete the transformation.

How Ultimate Doom Could Explain RDJ Becoming Doctor Doom

The story of Ultimates #4 does indeed appear to offer valuable insight on Downey’s Doom. Even though the comic shows how Reed, not Tony, became Doom, it still demonstrates how a key change in a character’s origin story can drastically alter their life and send them down the path of doom. Perhaps the new character Downey is playing is from a different universe where Tony Stark’s origin story played out differently and he emerged from the cave as an armor-clad villain instead of a hero. Who’s to say he couldn’t reinvent himself by buying a castle in Eastern Europe and taking on the name Victor von Doom? 

Dike Ruan/Deniz Camp/Phil Noto

Most interestingly, the story of Ultimates #4 asks us to consider the idea that Downey’s character wasn’t supposed to become Doom. Instead, a nefarious force made him Doom. We could see the same thing happen in the MCU. It could be that an evil mastermind saw how Tony Stark became Marvel’s greatest hero in one universe, so they set out to make him its greatest villain in another. If Marvel does go this route for the story, it would mean there’s a secret villain above Doom who orchestrated his creation.

If Marvel wants to wrap up the unresolved Kang the Conqueror storyline, then Kang could take the role of the Maker in this story. He is known for time travel, after all. If Kang does create MCU Doom, then it wouldn’t surprise anybody for Doom to betray Kang and replace him as the next big threat the Avengers must face. Then again, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Marvel introduces the Maker himself who is an evil version of Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic. This could make sense, considering we will meet Mister Fantastic in next year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Will the MCU Really Get Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom Origin Story From the Ultimates Comic?

It is tantalizing to think that the secrets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next big bad Doctor Doom are within the comics pages of Ultimates #4. However, it’s hard to believe that Feige would allow his master plan for Downey’s Doom to be in a comic book before the next Avengers movies have even started production. With that in mind, Deniz Camp may have been implying that his story in Ultimates #4 is more of a thematic preview of Downey’s Doom rather than a literal one. The issue speaks to how the theme of loss is core to Doom’s character.

Ultimate Reed became Doom after losing his friends and family. The classic version of Victor von Doom became Doctor Doom after losing his parents. If there’s one thing Camp wants us to understand about Downey’s Doom, it appears to be that loss will be a key element of his character. One can imagine how Tony Stark would have been a very different person if the likes of Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan met a tragic demise. If they weren’t around to help him become the hero who would go on to form the Avengers and ultimately sacrifice himself to save the Marvel Universe from certain doom, then he could have certainly become Doctor Doom. We will see what actually happens in the future.

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Comic Book Artist John Cassaday, Known for X-MEN and STAR WARS, Dies at Age 52

The world of comic books has been shocked and saddened by the untimely passing of artist John Cassaday, at the age of 52. No cause of death has been revealed. A truly beloved figure in the comic book community, many creators are pouring out love for their friend and colleague on social media. Among those friends were DC’s Jim Lee, Marvel’s Bill Rosemann, Mitch Gerads, and many, many others.

Marvel Comics/Lucasfilm

Face of a Rock Star
Hands of an Artist
Heart of a Mensch
RIP John Cassaday pic.twitter.com/uVNsiC9CJB

— Bill Rosemann (@BillRosemann) September 10, 2024

We’re devastated by the loss of our dear friend, artist & comic book legend John Cassaday. His art was a master class in emotion, action, and storytelling, and he captured the essence of every character he drew. John was one of the best. He will always be part of our Marvel… pic.twitter.com/i0vf9qfyux

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) September 10, 2024

I’m more often than not that guy who gets to the end of a convention and realizes I barely left the table to greet others. Even friends.

John Cassaday ALWAYS came to my table to say hi, even if for a moment. I’m going to try and be better about this.

Thank you, John. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NwD73Hmvgy

— Mitch Gerads (@MitchGerads) September 10, 2024

A Texas native, Cassaday was known mainly for his work at Wildstorm and Marvel, where he drew a highly-praised run of Astonishing X-Men and relaunched their ongoing Star Wars series. After going to film school, Cassaday started working in comics in the early ’90s, on series like Negative Burn for Caliber Press and later Ghost for Dark Horse Comics. But it was in 1999 that Cassaday really broke through, working on the series Planetary for Wildstorm/DC Comics.

DC Comics

Written by Warren Ellis, Planetary was about a group of interdimensional archaeologists. It was Planetary that really put Cassaday on everyone’s radar. His detailed renderings and ability to convey facial expressions won him tons praise. Planetary came out on a random release schedule, which allowed him to pursue other projects. In total, it ran 27 issues and ten years. This included an acclaimed Batman crossover one-shot. In 2002, he began illustrating a new Captain America series, written by John Rey Neiber. The book was a hit and Cassaday’s illustrations of Cap in his WWII glory made Steve Rogers look more inspirational than he’d been in years.

Marvel Comics

In 2004, Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon chose Cassaday to illustrate his entry into comics with Astonishing X-Men. This relaunch of the iconic mutants saw massive critical acclaim and big sales, and Cassaday illustrated the entire 25-issue run. Astonishing X-Men remains one of the most critically acclaimed X-Men runs of all time, in large part thanks to his stellar art.

Marvel Comics

Cassaday’s redesign of Wolverine’s costume from Astonishing X-Men is the main inspiration for Hugh Jackman’s outfit in Deadpool & Wolverine. The series won John Cassaday two Eisner Awards for Best Penciler/Inker. After finishing X-Men, Marvel tasked him with launching Uncanny Avengers, an X-Men/Avengers hybrid series, with writer Rick Remender, in 2012.

Marvel Comics

In 2015, Marvel Comics got the Star Wars license as part of the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm. The company relaunched a brand new Star Wars series written by Jason Aaron, featuring the cast of the original trilogy. The first issue sold a million copies. After this point, Cassaday mostly just drew covers for various publishers, and no longer drew interior pages.

Marvel Comics/Lucasfilm

In 2018, publisher Humanoids hired John Cassaday to serve as its Chief Creative Officer. However, he continued to draw covers for other publishers, like Dynamite Comics. At Dynamite, he illustrated a series of covers for their Lone Ranger series. Having gone to film school, Cassaday did design work for Watchmen. He also directed an episode of Joss Whedon’s TV series Dollhouse. The world of narrative storytelling is a lesser one without him.

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Denis Villeneuve Updates Status of DUNE: PART THREE

Long live the writers! And I’m not saying that just because I write for a living. It’s because Denis Villeneuve revealed he is writing the script for a potential Dune: Part Three. At 2024’s Toronto International Film Festival, the director spoke to Variety who asked about the state of the script. Villeneuve replied “It’s in the works. It’s why I’m not staying here [at the festival] that long.

Villeneuve further clarified that if he makes the second Dune book into a third movie, it won’t be a “trilogy” in the traditional sense. “First, It’s important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych,” he said. “It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That’s done and that’s finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”

Warner Bros./Legendary

Back in April, Villeneuve spoke to The New York Times about Dune: Part Two and all things Muad’Dib-related. Fans of the box office smash will definitely want to hear his thoughts on Paul’s possible Messiah-complex, Lady Jessica’s face tattoos, Chani’s expanded role, and the rules of Fremen intimacy. But the most exciting part of the interview came when he casually mentioned the future. He’s working on the script for a possible third entry in the franchise.

While speaking about how Paul and Chani’s connected stories ended in Part Two, the director said, “[Paul] will try to find a way to save his soul in the third part.” Then, while discussing Chani’s feelings towards Paul at the end, Villeneuve said, “That anger is tremendous. I don’t want to reveal what I’m going to do with the third movie. I know exactly what to do. I’m writing it right now. But there’s a lot of firepower there and I’m very excited about that decision.”

Warner Bros./Legendary

These quotes come just a couple of weeks after Variety reported Legendary Pictures is already developing Dune: Part Three with the director. And it comes as Part Two is returning to IMAX theaters this month. That’s when it’s expected to cross the $700 million box office mark. Those are all great signs for fans hoping to see Villeneuve adapt Dune: Messiah, which he has said he wants to do. But there’s still a long way to travel from “writing” to “Arrakis.”

In the recent interview, he did keep to his promise that Dune: Messiah would be his final outing. “Listen, if Dune: Messiah happens, it will have been many years for me on Arrakis, and I would love to do something else,” Villeneuve said. “I think that it would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in Messiah, there are the seeds in the project if someone wants to do something else afterwards, because they are beautiful books. They are more difficult to adapt. They become more and more esoteric. It’s a bit more tricky to adapt, but I’m not closing the door. I will not do it myself, but it could happen with someone else.”

If he’s already working on the script—in any capacity—viewers can probably at least start at least thinking about what color stillsuit they’ll want to wear to the premiere.

Originally published April 22, 2024.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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Elizabeth Olsen Shares Marvel ‘Didn’t Know What to Do with’ Scarlet Witch, Don Cheadle Reacts to RDJ MCU Return, and Other News Odds & Ends

Check out the latest odds and ends of entertainment news.

MCU – Scarlet WitchMarvel Studios

Elizabeth Olsen recently gave voice to what some MCU fans of the character have themselves felt. She noted, “It’s a character that I love going back to when there’s a way to use her well, and I think I have been lucky that when I started I was used well. I think people didn’t know what to do with me for a second there… if there’s a good way to use her I’m always happy to come back.”

She seems to imply Marvel wasn’t super sure what to do with her character for a time, but the good news is Olsen is always happy to return as Scarlet Witch… If there’s a reason.

MCU – RDJ’s ReturnRobert Downey Jr.

We were shocked when it was announced Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. And we weren’t the only ones. MCU co-star Don Cheadle shared his reaction was about the same. He revealed, “I was like, ‘What the f*ck?’ I think that’s exactly what I said,” 

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomNintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom almost had a much more spoilery name. Producer Eiji Aonuma shared more about the title in Tears of the Kingdom‘s art book. In it, Aonuma notes, “One of the candidates for the title that made it to [the] end [of development] was ‘Tears of the Dragon,'”But it would be a bad idea to have the keyword ‘Dragon’ in the title, and we wanted to have dragon patterns in the logo, but decided otherwise. It’d emphasize the Light Dragon, after all.”

Nintendo

The game’s development team didn’t want to emphasize the Light Dragon too heavily in the title because it would have pointed to a huge game spoiler. The Light Dragon is, of course, Princess Zelda herself. To save her kingdom and restore the Master Sword to its full power, Zelda sacrifices her humanity and becomes the dragon. In this way, Tears of the Kingdom also makes perfect sense but doesn’t draw too much attention to The Light Dragon and her identity.

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Bad Bunny Joins HAPPY GILMORE 2 Cast with Adam Sandler, Two Other OG Actors Return

This news might turn some fans into Unhappy Gilmores or into Really Happy Gilmores, but regardless of how anyone feels about it, a Happy Gilmore sequel is heading to Netflix. According to Deadline, Netflix announced that a sequel to Happy Gilmore had been greenlit during its Upfront presentation. Netflix confirmed that Adam Sandler would return for Happy Gilmore 2, which we’re going to call Happier Gilmore for now. But no logline for the movie is available at present. However, we recently received a casting update. Bad Bunny will join Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2 and two original actors are also back on the golf course.

Universal Pictures

In addition to Bad Bunny and Sandler, The Hollywood Reporter shares that Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald are returning for Happy Gilmore 2. Bowen reprises her role as Virginia Venit, the love interest for Adam Sandler’s character, and McDonald is back as Shooter McGavin, the villain of the movie.

Happy Gilmore 2 is officially in production ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/IznOshH5Es

— Netflix (@netflix) September 9, 2024

For those who are somehow not in the know, Happy Gilmore is a golf movie and one of Sandler’s most famous. Its synopsis reads:

All Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) has ever wanted is to be a professional hockey player. But he soon discovers he may actually have a talent for playing an entirely different sport: golf. When his grandmother (Frances Bay) learns she is about to lose her home, Happy joins a golf tournament to try and win enough money to buy it for her. With his powerful driving skills and foulmouthed attitude, Happy becomes an unlikely golf hero — much to the chagrin of the well-mannered golf professionals.

Well, we did just see a tennis movie hit our screens, so why not bring back golf? We’ll just have to wait and see what the Happy Gilmore sequel is all about. Maybe it will bring back Sandler’s alien co-star from Spaceman. That would be fun. Happy Gilmore 2, it’s your swing.

Originally published on May 15, 2024.

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Ian McKellen Says THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM Is 2 Movies Long, Extending Our LORD OF THE RINGS Return

There and back again, as the famous saying goes. Bilbo Baggins felt that was the theme of his life in The Hobbit, and now life is reflecting art. We are all going there and back again to the world of The Lord of the Rings. In early 2023, we learned that new live-action The Lord of the Rings movies were in the works at Warner Bros. Discovery. And now, our most recent updates reveal that Peter Jackson will once again craft these fantasy films. Additionally, we will see these new live-action The Lord of the Rings movies sooner than we think. The first of the new The Lord of the Rings films will release in 2026. (Yes, that’s 2026, not 2006, we had to check too.) It will be titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and will focus on Andy Serkis’ Gollum.

Sir Ian McKellen recently shared more about his possible return as Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum. He notes he expects to see a script in 2025 and then he will decide if he should go back. But more interestingly indicates that this new The Lord of the Rings movie is actually two The Lord of the Rings movies. “I’m told it’s two films.” McKellen says.

Additionally, Orlando Bloom, who plays the elf Legolas in The Lord of the Rings movies, expressed interest in returning for the film. But his tease of what the future would look like had fans raising their eyebrows. Bloom shared, “Oh, man, those things are amazing. Yeah. I don’t know how they’d do it. I guess with AI you can do anything these days. But, if Pete [Peter Jackson] says jump, I say, ‘how high?’ I mean, he started my whole career.”

New Line Cinema

Bloom also noted, “I really don’t know what [they are planning]… I did speak to Andy [Serkis] and he did say they were thinking about how to do things. I was like, ‘How would that even work?’ And he was like, ‘Well, AI!’ and I was like, ‘Oh, OK!’ It was a pretty magical time in my life, and it’s one of those things where there’s not a downside to it.”

Personally, we’d prefer recasting these iconic roles and giving new actors a shot instead of using AI on actors who have already had their turn, depending on how heavily AI is applied in the scenario. Of course, Bloom was speaking casually, so it’s too soon to understand what level of AI might be involved. Even still though, we feel wary of the note. But we guess we’ll have to wait and see what Peter Jackson has in store.

Here’s what we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum movie so far.

What Will the New The Lord of the Rings Movie, The Hunt for Gollum, Be About?New Line Cinema

But what story will this new The Lord of the Rings movie tell? Well, Zaslav initially noted that it will “explore storylines yet to be told.” That could mean many things. But we certainly have a few ideas of what The Lord of the Rings tales we’d like to see on-screen. However, per Variety, the working title of the movie is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and it will star Andy Serkis’ Gollum. Andy Serkis will also direct the movie.

“Yesssss, Precious,” shared Serkis, “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa. With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our filmmaking family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”   

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy further noted, “For over two decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter [Jackson], Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens] have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision. We are honored they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy [Serkis] coming aboard to direct Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (working title), we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the Lord of the Rings cinematic history.”

Peter Jackson Will Be Involved in the New The Lord of the Rings MovieNew Line Cinema

Zaslav also revealed that the genius behind the first set of live-action The Lord of the Rings movies, Peter Jackson, will return for these new films. He notes that Peter Jackson and his writing partners, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens “will be involved every step of the way.” The trio is producing the Gollum movie. Walsh and Boyens will also be writing the script. They will be joined by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.

Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens noted of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, “It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker — Gollum! As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”

Recently, the movie’s creators shared a little bit more about why they chose to center Gollum in the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie.

Will We See Other The Lord of the Rings Characters or Familiar Actors in The Hunt for Gollum?New Line Cinema

Peter Jackson revealed a bit of insight into the decision and also noted that it’s too early to tell whether other The Lord of the Rings character will appear in The Hunt for Gollum. He said, “The Gollum/Sméagol character has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, whilst his Sméagol side is, arguably, quite sympathetic. I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there’s a little bit of both of them in all of us. We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films. It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.”

Serkis also teased a bit about whether other familiar characters and their original The Lord of the Rings actors could appear in The Hunt for Gollum, noting, “That’s a difficult question to answer right at this moment in time, because we’re really in the nascent stages of what it is exactly where we’re doing, and where the story’s going to take us. So I don’t want to commit anything right now. I mean, because it’s so raw and so raw and wriggling, and we are just literally having very early state script discussions and ideas of exactly where and how we’re going to drop anchor with the character and his journey and how he is or comes into contact with other characters, and the characters that we know and don’t know. So still, I would hate to say anything that’s going to commit us at this point, because it’s literally all up for grabs.”

Would Any of the Original Actors Return for the New The Lord of the Rings Movie?New Line Cinema

We haven’t yet heard from too many The Lord of the Rings actors, other than Serkis, about a return in the new The Lord of the Rings movie. But Viggo Mortensen did recently reveal that he would return as Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum if it was right for the character.

Ian McKellen also shared he would happily return as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings movie… as long as he’s alive. McKellen has also noted that production has indicated they would like him to return.

Why Gollum as the Star of this New The Lord of the Rings Movie?

Additionally, Boyens added of selecting Gollum’s story, “Gollum’s story is one of the most compelling to us in terms of a character that we couldn’t go as deeply into as we wanted to before, which sounds strange when you say that, given how familiar he is to everybody. Gollum’s life span takes place in such an interesting period of Middle-earth. When the question was first asked, this was the first story we thought of. Because I can tell you, and people might not believe this, but we had zero expectations of going back to this. It wasn’t something we were looking to do, particularly. So when the question was asked, it was, what would draw you back? And it was about working with the people we we’re working with. It was also about the chance to work with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy at the studio. Alan Horn is now back at the studio. It just felt right.”

Once the story of the movie settled on Gollum, Serkis was the natural choice for director if it wasn’t going to be Peter Jackson. Boyens adds, “We wanted him to tell the story of Gollum and the hunt for Gollum as soon as we decided, okay, that’s the story. And Pete knew he didn’t want to direct go back into the world of Middle-earth again. [Peter] really enjoyed working with Kenji Kamiyama, who directed War of the Rohirrim. As soon as Pete decided, okay, I’m not going to direct it myself, and it’s going to be Gollum’s story, I swear to God, there was no one else but Andy Serkis.”

Finally, Serkis revealed, “Gollum has always stuck with me throughout all of these years. I’ve read audio books of the trilogy and the Silmarillion and The Hobbit, so Tolkien’s world has never left me in all of that time since we did the first films. And the character particularly has remained such an enormous part of my life. So it’s absolutely thrilling to be able to go back and do a deep dive into his world again, and specifically into Gotham’s psychology. I know we’re all interested in investigating on a deeper level who that character is, and on top of that, to be able to direct and hopefully create a film which has its place within the canon, but also something that’s fresh and new and a different approach.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Is Coming in 2026, Other New Movies on the HorizonNew Line Cinema

During Warner Bros. Discovery’s first-quarter earnings conference call, which we first saw on Variety, CEO David Zaslav dropped the precious news. He shared that Warner Bros. Discovery is “now in the early stages of script development” for the first of the new The Lord of the Rings movies. And that the company “anticipates” that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will “release in 2026.”

Zaslav additionally noted, “Lord of the Rings’ is one of the most successful and revered franchises in history and presents a significant opportunity for theatrical business.” With a 2026 release date, we guess we’ll hear more about these The Lord of the Rings movies sooner rather than later. Of course, given the “opportunity” here, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear about more new The Lord of the Rings movies very soon.

Originally published on June 10, 2024.

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SHANG-CHI Director Destin Daniel Cretton to Helm SPIDER-MAN 4

For the first time in the history of the Spider-Man movies, a fourth official outing with a particular Peter is on the way. The Tom Holland version of the character is one of the standout characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All three of his solo movies, not to mention his appearances in three others, have made pooploads of money. A fourth movie solo film was inevitable. However, Jon Watts, the director of the previous three, had decided not to return leaving the director’s chair wide open. For whom? Why for Destin Daniel Cretton, it seems!

Sony Pictures

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cretton, who directed 2021’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is in talks to take over webslinging duties. Originally Cretton had been on tap to direct Avengers 5 when it was going to be Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. After Jonathan Majors’ lawbreaking, Marvel changed course, leaving Kang by the wayside in favor of Robert Downey Jr.’s Dr. Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Cretton stepped aside to give the Russo Bros. room to direct that film. Cretton went back to only working on the Wonder Man TV series and the Shang-Chi-quel.

This is a pretty nice vote of confidence for Cretton’s work on Wonder Man which is in post-production. Shang-Chi was a highlight of the post-Avengers: Endgame landscape of Marvel Studios features. However, the raging pandemic meant not as many people were able to go see it as they might. So if not an Avengers movie, a Spider-Man movie is a pretty great consolation prize.

Marvel Studios

Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Sony’s Amy Pascal will be back to produce Spider-Man 4, as will Home trilogy screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Everyone expects the movie to begin filming early next year. More info as it thwips in.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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