Motion Picture: Timo Tjahjanto To Direct ‘Nobody’ Sequel, Ice Cube Speaks On Fourth ‘Friday’ Film
Action/Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi: The trailer for the Netflix action-comedy film The Union was released. In the film, a woman, Roxanne (Halle Berry), who works for an organization known as “The Union” recruits her high school ex-boyfriend, Mike (Mark Wahlberg), to retrieve a stolen list of every United States spy. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Wahlberg stated that he is an admirer of Berry’s work and that doing anything with her is easy and “an absolute joy.” The feature is directed by Julian Farino, written by Joe Barton and David Guggenheim, and also stars J.K. Simmons, Mike Colter, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, among others. The Union will be released on Aug. 16 on Netflix.
A teaser and first image for the thriller Someone’s at the Door have been released. Having had a special presentation at Cannes’ Fantastic Pavilion, the feature follows the sinister turn a reunion between high school classmates takes when Alicia (Alexis Cárdenas) suspects Marianela (Samantha Coronel) of having an affair with her husband (Mauro Sánchez Navarro). The film comes from Adrián García Bogliano (La Exorcista), who mentioned the challenges in crafting the film and that he put everything he learned from his previous 14 films into Someone’s at the Door. Previously, Bogliano contributed the project Family for the inaugural slate of The Latin House of Horror; the slate is meant to increase genre production, in terms of ambition, profile, and exports, in Latin America. It is expected that Someone’s at the Door will embark on festivals.
Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us/V/H/S/94) will direct the sequel to the 2021 action film Nobody. That film’s lead, Bob Odenkirk, will return for the sequel, while Connie Nielsen is also rumored to return from the first film. Details regarding the sequel’s story are not known; it will be written by Derek Kolstad (who wrote the original film), Aaron Rabin, Odenkirk, and Umair Aleem, and produced by Odenkirk, Marc Provissiero, Braden Aftergood, David Leitch, and Kelly McCormick. The film will begin production in August and premiere one year later on Aug. 15, 2025.
Letitia Wright spoke on returning as the Marvel Cinematic Universe character Shuri. Speaking on The View to promote Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot, Wright mentioned her love for the character when asked about Shuri’s return, calling her a blessing and one of her favorite characters. Wright said that she would like to play the character again, saying that she is grateful for her. On the topic of a third film in the Black Panther franchise coming to fruition, Wright responded with, “There’s a lot coming up.”
Brandon Scott (The Girls on the Bus/Dead to Me) will star in the horror film Big Baby. The feature follows a horror screenwriter, Adam (Scott), and his girlfriend, Kate (Krsy Fox). Adam becomes obsessed with a new script he is writing, but soon, its characters - including the murderous “Big Baby” killer - begin to come to life. The film comes from Spider One, who produces the film with Fox under their OneFox Productions banner. Speaking about the film, Spider One mentioned wanting to “turn the slasher genre inside out” and develop a meta script about creation.
Greta Lee (The Morning Show/Past Lives) has joined the cast of an upcoming film from Netflix to be directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Plot details, and the film’s title, are not known, but it is rumored that the film will be set at the White House during a national crisis. The film also features Idris Elba, Jared Harris, Rebecca Ferguson, and Gabriel Basso in its cast. Another upcoming project for Lee is the upcoming Tron film, Tron: Ares.
Eddie Martinez (Night Swim/Justified: City Primeval) and his daughter, Adriana Aluna Martinez (Duster), will star in the science-fiction drama film Star People. The film will be Adriana Aluna Martinez’s feature debut. Star People follows a photographer’s journey for answers regarding a childhood UFO sighting; the film is inspired by the largest mass UFO sighting in United States history, The Phoenix Lights of 1997. It comes from Adam Finberg (The Business of Recovery) and marks the creative’s narrative feature debut; additionally, it is produced by Josh Shader (Winter Spring Summer or Fall).
Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Prom Pact/Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.) will star in the Hulu Originals horror comedy film Carved. Based on the short film of the same name, the feature follows a Halloween night confrontation between a group of people trapped in a historical reenactment village and a living pumpkin. Justin Harding, who wrote and directed the short, will direct the feature, which he wrote with Cheryl Meyer (The Last Mark). The film, which also stars Carla Jimenez (The Mick) and Marc Sully Saint-Fleur (Curb Your Enthusiasm), among others, will be produced by David Brooks, Debbie Liebling, Arbi Pedrossian, and Jenna Cavelle; Lorne Raimi, Alex Hansen, and Nick Page will co-produce. Carved comes from WorthenBrooks, which has a first-look horror deal with Hulu Originals; the film will premiere on Hulu in 2024.
For the 20th anniversary of the film D.E.B.S., actors Meagan Good and Sara Foster and the film’s director Angela Robinson reunited for a screening of the film. The film, which was released in 2004 and is based on Robinson’s 2003 short, follows a recruit (Foster) at a women’s paramilitary academy developing an attraction to her enemy, the criminal Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster). At the screening, all three creatives mentioned their appreciation at seeing the impact the film left on audiences. While Robinson mentioned that she was initially angered that the film was not marketed around its LGBTQ focus, she mentioned that the film’s fanbase grew as more and more viewers watched the feature. While Brewster could not attend the screening, she, in a video message, mentioned her desire for the creation of a sequel.
Michelle Hurd (Star Trek: Picard/Anyone But You) has joined the cast of the romantic Western film Where the Wind Blows. The film follows the meeting of a young woman (Ashley Elaine) and a cowboy (Trevor Donovan), which changes the cowboy’s outlook on personal romance. It is based on the novel by Caroline Fyffe, who also co-writes the film. Where the Wind Blows is directed by John Schimke, who also produces with Elaine, Don Paul, Brandon Smith, and Eden Matson. Schimke also co-writes with Fyffe and Mike Maden. Where the Wind Blows will film in Montana this summer.
Gabrielle Maiden (Stranger Things/Under the Silver Lake) will have a supporting role in the thriller film Stone Cold Fox. The film follows a woman (Kiernan Shipka) who is forced to re-infiltrate an abusive commune she has recently escaped from; Maiden plays one of the commune’s members, who begins to question her compliance with its leader’s (Krysten Ritter) actions. In addition to Maiden, Shipka, and Ritter, Stone Cold Fox will feature Kiefer Sutherland, Lorenza Izzo, and Jamie Chung, among others, in its cast. The film is directed by Sophie Tabet, written by Tabet and Julia Roth, and produced by Tabet, Roth, Stephen Braun, Eric B. Fleischman, Chris Abernathy, and Jonathan Craven.
An adaptation of the Boom! Studios comic A Vicious Circle is coming. Described as a cross between John Wick and Rian Johnson’s Looper, the work follows time-traveling assassins from the future who are hunting each other. The adaptation will be written by Mattson Tomlin, who co-created the comic with Lee Bermejo. Ryan Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, and Stephen Christy will produce the adaptation; Mette Norkjaer will co-produce. It comes from Universal Pictures.
M. Night Shyamalan spoke about his upcoming feature Trap, which is set at a police-staged concert to capture “The Butcher,” a serial killer. Shyamalan compared the film to The Silence of the Lambs occurring at a Taylor Swift concert, and the filmmaker mentioned that Trap was partly inspired by 1985’s Operation Flagship, an initiative to - successfully - lure and capture fugitives by offering NFL tickets. Shyamalan mentioned filming an actual concert for Trap; the in-film concert features his daughter, Saleka Shyamalan, performing as the character Lady Raven. Additionally, the director mentioned a desire for the industry to shift towards original storytelling, saying that it is important for viewers to see things they have never seen before when going to see movies. Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, and Alison Pill, among others, and will be released theatrically on Aug. 2.
Ice Cube - Gilbert Flores
Comedy/Dramedy/Musical: Ice Cube spoke on the development of the fourth film in the Friday franchise, to be titled Last Friday. Speaking on Flavor Flav’s “Flavor of the Week” show on SiriusXM, Ice Cube mentioned that the film is finally gaining momentum and that Michael Gruber and Warner Bros. Pictures co-head Michael De Luca approached him about making the fourth film. Warner Bros. formerly acquired New Line (which developed the Friday trilogy), thus allowing it to obtain the rights to the series. Ice Cube has previously urged the studio to allow him to have the rights to the material back.
Speaking with Collider while promoting Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, Eddie Murphy revealed two upcoming projects centered around the Shrek franchise. According to Murphy, he has recorded vocals for the first act of a fifth Shrek film, which he said he believes will be released in 2025. It is unknown if Mike Myers, who voices the titular character, or Cameron Diaz, who voices Princess Fiona, will return for the fifth installment. Additionally, Murphy stated that his character in the franchise, Donkey, will be getting his own film. Murphy mentioned that he was open to both films last year.
Sophia Hammons and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan have joined the cast of the sequel to the 2003 film Freaky Friday; the sequel will be released theatrically. Hammons’ and Ramakrishnan’s roles in the film are not yet known. The sequel will again focus on the first film’s lead characters, mother and daughter Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan), respectively; Anna now has a daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter. Curtis and Lohan are both returning for the sequel; the two produce and executive produce the film, respectively. Lucille Soong, Christina Vidal Mitchell, and Rosalind Chao, among others, are also returning for the sequel, which will be released in 2025. It is directed by Nisha Ganatra, written by Jordan Weiss, and additionally produced by Andrew Gunn and Kristin Burr.
Blue Carbon - CNN
Documentary: The worldwide distribution rights to Blue Carbon have been acquired by Limonero Films. Having premiered on CNN, the documentary focuses on the titular carbon-carbon absorbed by masses of water, such as salt marshes and sea grasses. The documentary, directed by Nicolas Brown, features marine toxicologist, DJ, and music producer Jayda Guy, and a score from RZA and Seu Jorge. Blue Carbon is executive produced by Fernando Meirelles; the documentary is one in a slate of documentaries to come from the filmmaker that are environmentally focused. Limonero Films is launching sales of the documentary at Sunny Side of the Doc.
Bill Cobbs - Earl Gibson III
Industry Update: Bill Cobbs has passed away at the age of 90. The actor, who, among other jobs, served as an Air Force radar technician before pursuing the acting livelihood at age 36, has nearly 200 acting credits across film and television. His film career included roles in Brother From Another Planet, The Hudsucker Proxy, and The Muppets; his feature debut was in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in 1974. 1975’s Vegetable Soup marked the actor’s first television credit; among other television projects, he later appeared on The Sopranos, Good Times, The West Wing, and Dino Dana, for which he received a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program.
IATSE and the AMPTP have reached a tentative deal on the Hollywood Basic Agreement and Videotape Agreement. While the full terms of the deal are not known, it is known that the deal addresses the raising of minimums, protection against long working hours, protection against artificial intelligence, and a $670 million shortfall in pension and health plans; a measure to address the shortfall is that of streaming residuals. The new contract, which still has to be ratified by IATSE’s membership, will cover three years. A webinar to review the language in the Memorandum of Agreement with all of the locals affected by the contract will occur on July 13. The AMPTP is still in negotiations with IATSE on the Area Standards Agreement.
Dolores Huerta, Gloria Calderón Kellett, Xolo Maridueña, and Edward James Olmos, among others, were featured at the 25th Anniversary Media Summit of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. Activities at the two-day summit included panels, one-on-one sessions, and discussions with Latino creatives. Some of the discussions included “Catalyst for Change: Honoring Legacies, Empowering Futures,” which focused on the past and future of Latinos in Hollywood and which Huerta, Calderón Kellett, and Olmos participated in, and “Spotlight on Success: Young Latino Talent in Hollywood,” which Maridueña participated in. According to the organization’s Executive Director Diana Luna, the summit elevates the power of Latino voices in Hollywood.
Larissa Knapp will head the Motion Picture Association’s fight for content protection; Knapp will work as the executive VP and chief content protection officer. Knapp’s responsibilities will include expanding the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, the MPA’s anti-piracy organization. Knapp’s previous work includes a nearly three decades-long career with the FBI, where she, among other positions, led its National Security Branch. The MPA’s CEO and chairman Charles Rivkin spoke of his confidence in the organization’s efforts due to Knapp’s implementation, while Knapp herself mentioned her looking forward to using her experience to battle copyright infringement.
It is rumored that Paramount Global is considering selling its Paramount lot as part of an effort to streamline and pay down debt. Doing so would bring the company $2 billion; another asset that is considered to be sold is BET. Paramount’s co-CEOs have mentioned layoffs occurring as the company cuts costs by $500 million. It is rumored that layoffs, of which an exact number is not yet known, will occur in the company’s communication, finance and legal, and offshore cable channel offices. However, those in the company’s content department will not be affected.
Prem Akkaraju is the new CEO of Stability AI. The company recently closed a round of investing, which it asserts will be instrumental regarding its ability to deliver generative AI products for consumer and enterprise use. Akkaraju said he was drawn to the position because of the company’s team, models, and network. With his appointment, Stability AI’s interim co-CEOs, Shan Shan Wong and Christian Laforte, who have served since March 2024, will become the company’s COO and CTO, respectively.
At Frameline48 - the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival - films and filmmakers were awarded. Farah Jabir and Leaf Lieber were awarded the 2024 Colin Higgins Youth Foundation Grants, while the 2024 Out in the Silence Award was given to the film Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, which was directed by Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee. The Comcast Audience Awards for Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature were given to Ray Yeung’s All Shall Be Well and Alexis Spraic’s The World According to Allee Willis, respectively, while the Outstanding First Feature and Outstanding Documentary Feature awards were given to Luke Gilford’s National Anthem and Chloé Barreau’s Fragments of a Life Loved, respectively. Furthermore, Lena Waithe was presented with the Creative Conscience Award.
Equity has submitted demands regarding new film and television agreements to PACT. The British actors union’s demands focus on five subjects - pay (increasing minimum fees), secondary payment (changing compensation to be based on how long a piece is licensed on a platform), artificial intelligence (setting parameters around AI), casting (better regulating self-tape auditions), and fair contracts (addressing “special stipulations” and ensuring contracts contain key terms regarding adequate hair and makeup provisions). “Special stipulations” refers to American buyers offering actors higher rates than UK broadcasters but with attached demands; Equity is hoping to address these additional demands. According to Equity General Secretary Paul Fleming, it is hoped that a deal will be finalized by the end of September.
