Motion Picture: Danny Ramirez To Star In ‘Pursuit of Touch,’ Jordan E. Cooper Joins ‘Freaky Friday’ Sequel Cast
Danny Ramirez - Jerod Harris/GA
Action/Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi: Danny Ramirez (Winner/Top Gun: Maverick) will star in the film Pursuit of Touch. The human connection-focused feature follows a veteran who embarks to save a cam girl from a conspiracy. Ramirez also writes the film and produces it with Jeremy O. Harris (Daddy/Zola), Niv Gafny, Tom Culliver (Hurricanna/In the Summers), and Josh Godfrey (Manchester By The Sea/Suspiria). Currently, the project does not have a director attached.
Eiza González (3 Body Problem/The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare) is in negotiations to co-star in the buddy comedy/action film Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice. González would co-star with Vince Vaughn and James Marsden; the film comes from 20th Century. It is written and directed by BenDavid Grabinski and produced by Andrew Lazar; details regarding the film’s plot are currently unknown. Additional upcoming projects for González are the films In the Grey and Fountain of Youth and the series La Maquina.
It is rumored that Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts/The Land) is being considered to direct the sequel to 2007’s I Am Legend by Warner Bros. The Will Smith/Michael B. Jordan-starring film follows the alternate ending of the 2007 film, which features Smith’s character surviving that story’s conclusion. The sequel is being written by Akiva Goldsman, who also produces with Jordan, Smith, Elizabeth Raposo, Jon Mone, and Greg Lessans. Caple Jr. directing the feature would mark the second collaboration between the filmmaker and Jordan after the two’s work on Creed II.
Michael Rainey Jr. and Chloe Bailey will star in the horror film Goons. The film is directed by Gerard McMurray, written by McMurray and Hodge K. Johnson, and produced by Tommy Oliver. The feature is also produced by Confluential Films’ New Fear Unlocked Productions, the company’s genre label focused on creating elevated horror films from creators of color. According to McMurray, “Producing this film along with Confluential/New Fear Unlocked shows the power of Black storytellers with a collaborative spirit.” Additionally produced in association with Buppie Productions, the film is currently in production in New Orleans.
Tracy Letts (McVeigh/Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) and Moses Ingram (Lady in the Lake/Obi-Wan Kenobi) have joined the cast of Kathryn Bigelow’s upcoming Netflix thriller, rumored to be set at the White House during a national crisis. Directed by Bigelow, the film also stars Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Jared Harris, Gabriel Basso, and Greta Lee. Neither plot details nor the film’s title are currently known. Additional upcoming projects for Letts and Ingram include the series Mr. Throwback and the musical film The End, respectively.
It is rumored that Jenna Ortega (Wednesday/Scream VI) is in final talks to join J.J. Abrams’ next film. With the exception of it being known that the film will not be focused around time-travel, no plot details are known about Abrams’ next effort. Glen Powell (Twisters/Anyone But You) is also in final talks to star in the film, which comes from Warner Bros. and is being produced by Bad Robot. Abrams will write the currently-untitled project.
According to Justin Simien, the Star Wars series Lando will not be moving forward. A spin-off of the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story, which featured Donald Glover as a young Lando Calrissian (Glover would again play Lando in the series), the Lando series was decided to not be finalized; according to Simien, multiple items were made for the project, including scripts and concept art. Speaking on his grief for the project while promoting the MGM+ docuseries Hollywood Black, Simien mentioned that there are still elements of his experience working on the unrealized series that he can carry on to his next efforts.
Jordan E. Cooper - Cindy Ord
Comedy/Dramedy/Musical: The concert film Usher: Rendezvous in Paris will be released theatrically next month. Releasing in approximately 2,000 locations worldwide, the film showcases footage shot during Paris Fashion Week at La Seine Musicale. The film will be released by Trafalgar Releasing and AMC Theatres Distribution; recently, AMC’s distribution team expanded, with AMC chairman Adam Aron remarking that the company will potentially unveil a few concert films each year. Directed by Anthony Mandler, Usher: Rendezvous in Paris will begin its limited run on Sept. 12.
Jordan E. Cooper (Ain’t No Mo’/The Ms. Pat Show) has joined the cast of the upcoming sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday; Cooper will be playing the role of Jett. The film also stars, among others, cast members returning from the first film, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Chad Michael Murray, and Mark Harmon; that first film follows Curtis and Lohan’s mother-daughter duo swapping bodies and lives for a day. The sequel is directed by Nisha Ganatra (Late Night/The High Note) and produced by Andrew Gunn and Kristin Burr.
Among others, Saturday Night - the feature focusing on the creation of the first episode of Saturday Night Live - stars Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, and Kim Matula as Jane Curtin. The feature comes from co-writers Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan’s interviewing of those involved in the creation of the series’ Oct. 11, 1975 premiere. Reitman directs the Sony Pictures film.
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey Pictures is producing the Universal Pictures comedy Par for the Course, working with Quinta Brunson’s Fifth Chance. The film will star Brunson and Stephanie Hsu, and comes from an original idea by Brunson. Brunson and Justin Tan will write the feature, and Tan will direct in his feature directorial debut. Alex McAtee will produce Par for the Course for Point Grey Pictures.
Drama: The distribution rights to the drama Know Your Place have been acquired by Blue Harbor Entertainment. The feature follows a young Eritrean American (Joseph Smith) and his friend (Natnael Mebrahtu) on a Seattle-wide journey to deliver an important package to be given to a sick family member. The award-winning film will open regionally this summer and release in New York this fall; the feature has a Los Angeles release set for Aug. 16. It is written and directed by Zia Mohajerjasbi.
Among others, Ariana DeBose (Wish/West Side Story), Rachel Brosnahan (Superman/The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and LaKeith Stanfield (Haunted Mansion/The Changeling) will star in Lear Rex. An adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, the film follows the titular character and his daughters, and two of the king’s three daughters betraying him. DeBose, Brosnahan, and Stanfield will portray Cordelia, Regan, and Edmund, respectively. Lear Rex is written and directed by Bernard Rose and produced by Barry Navidi. Financing for the film, which begins filming on Aug. 12 in Los Angeles, also comes from Mattias Westman, Eco Entertainment, Dali Films, and World Vision.
Zachary Levi (Harold and the Purple Crayon/Not Without Hope) and Naya Desir-Johnson (The Equalizer/A Thousand and One) will star in the drama Sarah’s Oil. Inspired by the book Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America by Tonya Bolden, the feature’s true story follows Sarah Rector, who became one of the U.S.’s first female African American millionaires at age 11, and her attempts to keep control of her oil-rich land. Among others, the film also stars Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery), Bridget Regan (Jane the Virgin), and Kenric Green (The Walking Dead). The film is directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, written by Nowrasteh and Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh, and produced by, among others, John Shepherd, Derrick Williams, and Levi. From Amazon MGM Studios, it will be theatrically released on Dec. 25, 2025.
Wesley Snipes - P. Lehman
Industry Update: Cultural Agency has launched. The multicultural agency - which focuses on Latino, Black, LGBTQ+, faith, accessibility, and API audiences - aims to connect publicity, awards, and marketing campaigns with culture happenings. The agency comes from Linda Guerrero; the company’s executive vice president position will be filled by Shawn Finnie. Currently, Cultural Agency is engaged with streamers and theatrical companies, in addition to having an advisory council that includes Bing Chen, Sarah Kate Ellis, Nina Garcia, Dee Poku, and Jessica Sibley.
Teamsters have negotiated a tentative deal with studios. Initially, some of the union’s demands included wage minimum increases, staffing mandates, and limits on subcontracting. While the studios did not agree with the union’s staffing mandate, the union did achieve advance notices regarding subcontracting and assurance that autonomous vehicles will not be used, another item the union fought against. Additionally, Teamsters received above-pattern wage increases for certain classifications.
MindRiot Entertainment’s Hum-AI-ne ©ontent is producing a slate of “AI-ready animation films.” The projects come from a new text-to-video AI technology created by SJ4 and lawyer Philip Egger, who have partnered with MindRiot Entertainment. MindRiot Entertainment co-founder Jonathan Keasey mentioned that, while he was impressed by the visuals created by an AI-generated film shown to him by Egger and co., he felt that they needed “more heart,” which led to the company’s collaboration with Egger and SJ4 to create the projects. According to Scott Waugh, who is co-developing a possible project for the slate, the work of human creatives (such as writers, actors, and directors) will still be preserved.
The slate for the fifth annual ARRAY 360 series has been revealed. Among other events, the series will feature live “Scene on Screen” director commentaries with Patricia Cardoso and Ed Zwick on their films Real Women Have Curves and Glory, respectively. Additionally, this year’s series will feature a tribute to Bill Duke, featuring a discussion with the director moderated by Ava DuVernay and screenings of three of the filmmaker’s works on Aug. 17. Furthermore, the program will offer screenings of The Outsiders, Malcolm X, and Brokeback Mountain for Banned Book Week in September.
The Writers Guild of America West’s financial report for the fiscal year ending in March 2024 reports declines in writer employment and earnings, increases in some television residuals, and decreases in film residuals. Regarding writer earnings, screenwriter, television, and digital platform writer earnings declined; many forms of television residuals showcased increases, but domestic syndication residuals showcased a decrease. While new media residuals remained the highest-earning residual facet within feature residuals, there still existed a 14.9% decrease between 2022 and 2023.
The new logo for DC Studios has been revealed. The logo, revealed at San Diego Comic-Con, is an updated design of Milton Glaser’s “DC bullet” logo. According to an X post from DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, the creative and fellow co-CEO Peter Safran knew “immediately” what logo they wanted for the studio. DC Studios’ upcoming films include Superman, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and the Batman-focused The Brave and the Bold, among other projects, while its television slate includes the upcoming animated series Creature Commandos.
ScreenReleases, the domestic distribution and sales arm of The Screen Company, has launched. The role of Chief Operating Officer will be filled by Mike Rose, who will oversee daily operations and handle acquisitions, while the role of Head of Acquisitions will be filled by Ari Elan Lewis, who will handle international sales. Head of The Screen Company David Brown mentioned his belief that distributors should be a filmmakers’ partner, rather than a “higher-up.” Brown also mentioned that the company will never package films together to offset losses, and that the company is working to create a financial and reporting portal for filmmakers.
With his return as the character Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine, Wesley Snipes has broken two Guinness World Records. Snipes’ portrayal of the character in the 2024 Marvel Cinematic Universe film comes 19 years after his last performance as Blade in 2004’s Blade: Trinity, allowing Snipes to hold the record for the Longest Gap Between Character Appearances in Marvel Films. Snipes passes previous record holder Alfred Molina, who portrayed Marvel villain Doctor Octopus after a 17-year gap between appearances. Snipes now also holds the Longest Career as a Live-Action Marvel Character record (his 2024 appearance coming almost 26 years after his first outing as the character in 1998’s Blade), passing Deadpool & Wolverine co-star Hugh Jackman for the achievement.
