Motion Picture: Guillermo Del Toro To Direct 'The Buried Giant'; Tyler Perry Casts Kelly Rowland In 'Mea Culpa'
Steven Yeun - Jon Kopaloff / Stringer
Action/Fantasy/Sci-Fi: Simu Liu has hinted that a Shang-Chi sequel might be in the works at Marvel. He teased in an interview that his character will be on screen with other Marvel heroes, saying,
“I’m such a big fan of both the characters and the performers that play them, so any collaboration is an opportunity for me to work alongside someone who, in their own way, is breaking barriers at the very top of their game. Who knows, they might see something sooner than you think. We’ll see.”
Although a sequel was already confirmed in December 2021, Liu’s comments suggest another project is in the works.
After his success with the Oscar-nominated Pinocchio, Guillermo del Toro has announced that another stop motion project with Netflix is in development. The Buried Giant, written, produced, and directed by del Toro, will be a collaboration with ShadowMachine, the animation studio behind Pinocchio. The film, based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s fantasy novel of the same name tells the story of Axl and Beatrice, an elderly couple, who live in a “fictional post-Arthurian England in which no one is able to retain long-term memories.” In a statement, del Toro comments that “It is a great honor and greater responsibility for me to direct this screenplay.” It is unclear when The Buried Giant will premiere.
The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun has joined the cast of Marvel’s Thunderbolts. Although his role in the film is currently unknown, we know that Thunderbolts follows Marvel’s anti-heroes, with a cast consisting of Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Ayo Edebiri. As of now, Thunderbolts has an expected release date of July 26th, 2024, and is directed by Jake Schreier.
Ken Chang - BERLINER / ABIMAGES
Comedy: Sumotherhood, Adam Deacon’s comeback film, has been acquired by Paramount Global Content Distribution and Paramount Pictures U.K. The film, an “urban action-comedy” will star Deacon, Jazzie Zonzolo, Jennifer Saunders, Danny Sapani, Ed Sheeran, Leomie Anderson, and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, among others. The film, with a release date set for later this year, will theatrically release in the U.K. and Ireland. Regarding his return to the industry, Deacon comments:
“Due to the stigma surrounding my mental health, it’s been hard to navigate my way back into the industry, but I’ve worked extremely hard and kept faith over for eight years, so to get to the point where I’m working alongside Paramount is such an honor and I’m extremely grateful to have their backing.”
Easter Sunday’s Ken Chang will reteam with Amblin Partners to create Prince, an original buddy-comedy deemed “cross-cultural.” Not much is known about the cast, plot, and release date; however, Chang will write the project alongside Amblin, which marks their second film together.
A sequel to Amazon’s action-comedy My Spy is in the works. My Spy: The Eternal City will see Dave Bautista reprise his role alongside new cast members Anna Faris, Craig Robinson, and Flula Borg, and returning cast members, Chloe Coleman, Kristen Schaal, and Ken Jeong. The film, directed by My Spy’s Peter Sengal, will follow JJ (Bautista) as he chaperones teenager Sophie (Coleman) on her school’s choir trip to Italy; however, the two find themselves in the midst of an international terrorist scheme. It is unclear when My Spy: The Eternal City will be released.
Kelly Rowland - Stefanie Keenan
Drama: Eli Roth’s upcoming horror-thriller Thanksgiving has cast Jalen Thomas Brooks and Nell Verlaque, who will join previously-cast Addison Rae. Although plot details are being kept under wraps, the film will likely tell the story of a slasher who visits a small Massachusetts town in order to “create a Thanksgiving carving board out of the town’s inhabitants.” Thanksgiving will begin production in Toronto, Canada in March 2023, but a release date is currently unknown.
Tyler Perry’s upcoming project with Netflix, Mea Culpa, has added Kelly Rowland to a cast already including Trevante Rhodes, Sean Sagar, Nick Sagar, and RonReaco Lee. Mea Culpa tells the story of an ambitious criminal defense attorney who takes on the case of an artist who might have murdered his girlfriend. Perry will write, direct, and produce the film alongside Rowland, Angi Bones, and Will Areu. It is unclear when Mea Culpa will hit the streaming platform.
Tracey Bing and Sabrina Pourmand - Leon Bennett / Stringer
Industry Updates: Rideback Rise has hired Tracey Bing and Sabrina Pourmand to join the nonprofit’s people-of-color-focused content acceleration team. Bing, a film producer, will act as the head of content, while Pourmand will step into the role of founding executive director. Dan Lin, Rise’s founder, states that “Tracey’s experience as a producer and executive and her eye for creative excellence make her the ideal leader to build the collaborative environment that will support our Rise filmmakers and creators and ensure the viability and saleability of their projects.” Concerning Pourmand, Lin comments that her “vast experience and relationships across the social impact world, coupled with her operational expertise, will ensure that Rise is on the path to becoming an enduring and meaningful system of change.” Bing will help the nonprofit identify creators of color, where she will select participants for networking events and opportunities in the Rise Circle community. Pourmand will strengthen Rise’s nonprofit foundation in order to support future projects.
