Motion Picture: 'Moana 2’ Teaser Trailer Released, Kerry Washington and Daryl McCormack Join ‘Wake Up Dead Man’
Action/Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi: The fourth Bad Boys film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, will theatrically release in mainland China on June 22. The feature follows the series’ cop protagonists (Will Smith and Martin Lawrence) on the run, trying to solve their boss’ accused connection to a mafia. Bad Boys: Ride or Die is directed by Adil and Bilall, produced by Smith, Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman, and Doug Belgrad, and written by Chris Bremner and Will Beall. Lawrence also executive produces the film.
Giancarlo Esposito (Megalopolis/Breaking Bad) has joined the cast of Captain America: Brave New World. Other than his role being an antagonistic one, no specifics are known about Esposito’s character. News of his involvement comes after the actor implied his appearing in a Marvel project at CCXP in May. Captain America: Brave New World, the fourth film in the Captain America film series, is currently undergoing additional photography. Directed by Julius Onah, it will be theatrically released on Feb. 14, 2025.
Luna Blaise (Deltopia/Manifest) will star in the next Jurassic World film; Mahershala Ali (Leave the World Behind/Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) is also in talks to star. The plot of the film is unknown, but it is said that the feature will begin a new story in the Jurassic franchise, with neither the leads of the Jurassic World nor Jurassic Park films appearing. The upcoming feature is directed by Gareth Edwards, written by David Koepp, and produced by Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley. It will be released on July 2, 2025.
Andy Cheng will direct a feature adaptation of Sifu Kurtis Fujita’s comic book Shadow Ghost. The comic’s story follows a young man embarking on a journey to investigate a martial arts hero, in the process fulfilling an ancient destiny. The feature is being made for Atchity Productions, which recently produced the Meg duology of films. Some of Cheng’s past work includes working in stunt and/or action coordination on Olympus Has Fallen and The Amazing Spider-Man, and directing films such as Redline and Yìlei zhi Liang sheng yao.
Xochitl Gomez (The Cat in the Hat/Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) is starring in Hive, a horror short film. The short follows a babysitter (Gomez) losing a child at a playground and facing an entity amongst the children there. Hive is written and directed by Felipe Vargas (Rosario/Milk Teeth) and produced by Nick Scully, Nicole Crespo, and Bijan Kazerooni. It is currently beginning post-production.
The action film Monkey Man will be available to stream on Peacock on June 14. Marking the directorial debut of Dev Patel, Monkey Man follows a man (Patel) confronting his city’s elite, including the person responsible for his mother’s murder. Patel devised the film’s story and co-wrote the feature with Paul Angunawela and John Collee; he also produced the film with Jordan Peele, Jomon Thomas, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Erica Lee, Basil Iwanyk, Anjay Nagpal, and Christine Haebler. Monkey Man will release digitally on June 11 and on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD on June 25.
Comedy/Dramedy/Musical: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers/The Lost City) has joined the cast of Eternity. The feature, a romantic comedy, follows characters having to determine who they want to spend eternity with; specifics of the plot are currently unknown. Eternity is directed by David Freyne and written by Patrick Cunnane (Designated Survivor), with financing coming from A24. Eternity is Randolph’s first feature with A24; it is set to begin production this summer.
The teaser trailer for Moana 2 was released. The sequel follows the titular character embarking on a journey after receiving calls from her ancestors. The trailer teased the demigod Maui, the chicken Hei Hei, and the pig Pua as returning characters; Dwayne Johnson will return to voice Maui, while Auli’i Cravalho is returning to voice the titular protagonist. At CinemaCon, Johnson described the importance of portraying Maui to him, citing that the franchise showcases his culture. Moana 2 is directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, with new songs from Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow. The feature will be theatrically released on Nov. 27.
The short film Too Good is in post-production. Starring Lil Rel Howery (Get Out) and Jean Smart (Hacks), the short follows a man (Howery) being interviewed by God (Smart) at the Gates of Heaven. Too Good is written and directed by Meron Alon and produced by Arjun Yadav. After it premieres at festivals, the short is hoped to be made into a feature or series. Alon spoke on both actor’s strengths, citing Smart’s ability to be both warm and authoritative, and Howery’s charm and comedic instincts.
Josette Simon, Nico Parker, Leila Farzad, and Isla Fisher have joined the cast of the fourth Bridget Jones film, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. The feature is an adaptation of Helen Fielding’s 2013 novel, which follows Jones re-entering the dating scene as a single mother. Multiple actors are returning to the feature after appearing in previous installments in the Bridget Jones series, such as Gemma Chan, Jim Broadbent, and Renée Zellweger in the title role, while others are joining the series for the first time, such as Emma Thompson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Leo Woodall. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is directed by Michael Morris, produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Jo Wallett, and written by Fielding with contributions by Abi Morgan and Dan Mazer. It will theatrically release and be made available for streaming on Peacock in the U.S. on Feb. 14, 2025.
Kerry Washington - Victoria Sirakova
Drama: The feature Trip is coming from Numa Perrier (Unprisoned/Jezebel) and Keith Powers (The New Edition Story/Door Mouse), who will direct and star in the project, respectively. Trip follows a pre-med student investigating experimental healing treatments for his mother, who is terminally ill. In doing so, their family is forced to confront unearthed secrets and truths. The feature is written by David E. Baugnon; Perrier and Powers produce the project with Adonis Tountas, Joshua Parham, and Kristopher MacNeil. Trip is the latest project from Perrier and Powers, who previously collaborated on The Perfect Find. It is set to begin production in New Orleans in 2024.
Jamal Trulove will, in his directorial debut, direct the short film I Thought You’d Never Ask. The short follows the lead-up to, and occurrence of, a marriage proposal. According to Trulove, he wanted to “reflect on the complexities of modern relationships” and reflect on marital relationship sentiments in urban black culture. Trulove also writes the short, which is produced by Kealani Kitaura and Priscilla Lam. I Thought You’d Never Ask stars Terri J Vaughn (The Steve Harvey Show), Tia Nomore (Earth Momma), Titus VanHook, and Keren Southall.
Kerry Washington (Little Fires Everywhere/Scandal) has joined the cast of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery; Daryl McCormack (The Woman in the Wall/Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) has also joined. All that is known about the film’s plot is that it is detective and franchise protagonist Benoit Blanc’s “most dangerous case yet.” The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson, and produced by Johnson and Ram Bergman. Production is set to begin soon; the third feature in the Knives Out series is set to premiere in 2025. Its rights are owned by Netflix.
Shirley Chen (Dìdi/Quiz Lady), Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever), Vivian Wu (The Afterparty), Fang Du (The Haves and the Have Nots), McKenna Grace (The Handmaid’s Tale), and Amelie Zilber (Grown-ish) will star in Slanted. The feature follows a Chinese-American teenager undergoing trans-racial surgery to become white and be named her school’s Prom Queen. It is written, produced, and directed by Amy Wang (Crazy Rich Asians 2/Unnatural); additional producers include Mark Ankner and Trevor Wall (Ponyboi). Slanted comes from Tideline and Mountain Top Pictures, and is set to begin production in Atlanta this month.
Caroline Chikezie (Power Book II: Ghost/The Governor) and Princess Adenike (Nanny/Survival of the Thickest) will star in the short film A Beauty Supply In Queens. Based on a true story, the short follows the Nigerian family who opened one of the first Black-owned beauty supply stores in Jamaica, Queens. The short is directed by Oluseyi Olatujoye, written by Adenike, and produced by Chikezie and Shalom C. Obiago; Chikezie produces under her production company, Spark of the Divine Entertainment. The short is hoped to be turned into a series or feature after being showcased at festivals.
The North American rights to Rob Peace have been acquired by Republic Pictures. The second feature to be helmed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who writes, directs, and stars, Rob Peace is based on Jeff Hobbs’ non-fiction work, and follows Peace, who graduated from Yale and led a life split between academics and selling marijuana to support his father, who he believes was unjustly imprisoned. The film is produced by Antoine Fuqua, Rebecca Hobbs, Kat Samick, Jeffrey Soros, Andrea Calderwood, Jenny Lumet, Alex Kurtzman, and Simon Horsman. Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Rob Peace will theatrically release in 500 theaters on Aug. 2.
The feature Mountains has been acquired by Music Box Films. Set in a gentrifying Miami, the feature follows intergenerational conflicts between a Haitian-American family. It was directed by Monica Sorelle, produced by Robert Colom, and written by Sorelle and Colom. Mountains premiered at the Tribeca Festival and received a Special Jury Mention for Best Narrative Film, in addition to winning an audience award at BlackStar and one of the film’s leads, Atibon Nazaire, receiving an Independent Spirit nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance. According to Sorelle, the film was made not just out of a love for Miami and Little Haiti, but for worldwide communities experiencing struggles to maintain memory and autonomy. Before wider releases, Mountains will premiere in Miami on Aug. 16 and New York on Aug. 23.
Documentary: The documentary Woman I Phu Nu follows the experiences of some women during the time of the Vietnam War. The documentary is executive produced by Le Ly Hayslip (Heaven & Earth) and her son Thomas Hayslip (Ferrari/Oppenheimer). Woman I Phu Nu is directed by Lihn Dan Nguyen and Lacie Mackey, and produced by Barrett J. Leigh, Kyle Trafton, and Mai Huyen Chi. Le Ly Hayslip feels that the stories of those in the documentary are finally being heard with its creation, while Mackey stated that the documentary was fought for so that those in it could tell their own stories.
Rudy Reyes - Rachel Luna / Stringer
Industry Update: CAA has signed Rudy Reyes (SAS: Who Dares Wins/Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test) and the production company he co-founded, New War Productions, for representation. Reyes, an Iraq War veteran, founded the production company with fellow Post-9/11 war veterans John Yohe and Chase Millsap. Past projects for Reyes include the miniseries Generation Kill and his contributions to the documentary series Once Upon a Time in Iraq. An upcoming project for Reyes is The Proof Is Out There: Military Mysteries, while an upcoming project for New War Productions is The Jump: Currahee to Normandy.
Roberto Clemente’s sons are being sued by producers Jonah Hirsch and Angel Munoz, who say that Clemente’s life story rights were sold twice. The producers intended to adapt the biography Clemente: The True Legacy of an Undying Hero, but found that Legendary Pictures was already planning to adapt David Maraniss’ biography Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero. The suit argues that Clemente’s family claimed that Legendary did not make a payment, causing Clemente’s life rights to revert to the family; this turned out to be untrue. The suit does claim that Clemente’s family was dissatisfied with Legendary, and while it was agreed that Hirsch and Munoz would be refunded their $60,000 option price, they argue that they are still owed $5 million in damages.
The Visionary Fellowship, a program designed for disabled filmmakers to produce a short film and gain insight into turning it into a feature, is being launched by Inevitable Foundation with support from Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity. As part of the program, fellows will be given $55,000; this includes, among other uses, a production grant, health insurance, and marketing support for their project. Through the fellowship, fellows will be offered mentorship from industry members and on-set collaboration opportunities, among other offerings. Applications for the program are open until July 31; fellows will be chosen in the fall, and the program will conclude with a showcasing of the fellows’ shorts in 2025.
Some of the executives and creatives involved with MoviePass and a documentary about it, titled MoviePass, MovieCrash, spoke on the documentary. The company was founded in 2011 by Hamet Watt and Stacy Spikes. However, in 2017, the co-founders were ousted from their company. The documentary’s director, Muta’Ali, noticed that the company’s two Black founders had been ousted with white company heads then taking the idea of MoviePass for themselves. He wanted to ask MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe about racial bias, and interviewed him with a white interviewer: Archie Gips of Unrealistic Ideas, a production company which helped create MoviePass, MovieCrash. Gips conducted the interview as Muta’Ali was cautious about Lowe providing biased answers if he, a Black man, was interviewing him. After Lowe and Farnsworth were indicted on security fraud charges, Spikes bought and relaunched MoviePass.
Developments in executive positions at Skydance Media have occurred. Jean Chi has become the company’s President of Global Business & Legal Affairs, while Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon has become its Co-President of Business Operations. Chi will oversee the company’s global content divisions’ business and legal affairs, while Kyoko McKinnon will oversee Skydance’s HR, facilities, and information technology. Previously, Kyoko McKinnon worked as General Counsel at the company.
As IATSE works to develop a deal regarding the Area Standards Agreement, the union’s international president, Matt Loeb, said he is “hopeful” that one comes to fruition. It is expected that negotiations will continue later this month. Among other subjects, IATSE is negotiating on wage increases, rest periods and meal penalties, and subcontracting rules. The Area Standards Agreement contract will expire on July 31, as will contracts for the Basic Agreement, another agreement IATSE is negotiating on, and contracts for Basic Crafts unions, who will begin negotiations on June 10.
Multiple developments amongst executive positions have occurred within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy Museum’s new director, succeeding Jacqueline Stewart, will be Amy Homma, who will also serve as the museum’s president. Other developments under the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences include Jennifer Davidson becoming its chief marketing and communications officer, Jenny Galante becoming its chief revenue officer, whose duties include leading the outreach and diversification initiative Academy100, and Matt Severson becoming the executive vice president of academy collection and preservation on July 1. Executive vice president of library, archive, and SciTech Randy Haberkamp will retire on Aug. 2, but will act as a consultant until the spring of 2025.
Studio Galazio and Christopher André Marks are launching a production banner focused on telling internationally-distributed stories with Greek themes. Upcoming projects under the banner include a limited drama series, a biopic focused on a Greek figure, and a heist comedy film set in Greece that will be produced by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Marks said, “We are excited to shine additional light and join the wave of momentum Greek cinema has generated internationally, not only as a high-value shooting location for domestic and foreign productions, but also as a fertile ground for original storytelling that transcends well beyond its borders.”
The Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and P3 Media are partnering to promote Dr. King’s legacy in film and television. P3 Media will collaborate with the estate’s licensing and management arm, Intellectual Properties Management, Inc. (IPM), to do so. According to King Jr.’s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King, the partnership is an opportunity for her father’s messages to be shared with new audiences and to ensure that her father’s legacy is portrayed accurately.
