Motion Picture: Jordan Peele Unveils New Terror ‘Nope’, Zhang Yimou’s ‘One Second’ Primed For North American Release

Michaela Cole - David M. Benett

Action: Pop R&B artist Chlöe Bailey will star alongside Riverdale actress Madelaine Pesch in the upcoming psychological thriller Jane. Produced and financed by new content studio Creator+ in their first feature film, Jane follows the downward spiral of an overwhelmed high school girl who uses social media to topple those she believes stand in the way of her future success. While Bailey’s role is currently undisclosed production is set for the end of July in Albuquerque.

Oscar-winner Jordan Peele (Get Out) has unveiled his “new terror,” Nope, starring Keke palmer, Steven Yeun, and Daniel Kaluuya. Aside from a poster depicting a strangely ominous cloud the film’s plot details are unavailable. Nope is produced by Peele as well as Ian Cooper for Monkeypaw Productions. The film is set for release by Universal Studios in theaters July 22, 2022.

I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel has joined the cast of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Filming of the sequel is operating under Atlanta’s Pinewood Studios and started production over a month ago. Character details are being kept under wraps.

Dwayne Johnson will not be returning to the Fast & Furious franchise. It is suspected that the ongoing (and rumored) clash between Johnson and co-star Vin Diesel since Fast 5 was the main contributing factor of the actor’s departure. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, The Hobbs & Shaw star stated that “I wish them well on Fast 9. And I wish them the best of luck on Fast 10 and Fast 11 and the rest of the Fast & Furious movies they do that will be without me.” With the exit of the fan-favorite character Luke Hobbs and his sparring relationship with Dom Toretto, the franchise could be reeling back from the more comedic tone first established in Fast 5.

Anthony Mackie, Tig Notaro, and David Harbour are the unlikely trio leading Netflix’s new family adventure We Have A Ghost, written and directed by Happy Death Day creator Chris Landon. Based on the Geoff Manaugh short story Ernest, the story follows a family who realize their new home harbors a ghost named – you guessed it, “Ernest” -  and turn their poltergeist into parasocial profit via social media. Featured co-stars include Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Isabella Russo, Niles Fitch, and Jennifer Coolidge, among others.

Zhang Yimou - VCG

Drama: Minari director Lee Isaac Chung has exited the live-action adaptation for the 2016 Japanese animated film Your Name, hosted between Toho, Paramount, and Bad Robot. Current sources report that the departure was the result of a scheduling conflict. The film is an intended reimagining of the Japanese smash hit romantic fantasy Your Name, which grossed $358.1M worldwide and is one of the highest-grossing films in Japan of all time. A replacement director for the live-action project is being sought as soon as possible.

Neon has acquired North American distribution rights for Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s latest feature One Second, recently awarded the honor of closing the Toronto International Film Festival this year for its North American premiere. Co-written by Yimou and Zou Jingzhi and based on the novel by Yan Geling, One Second follows the journey and blooming connection between a film projectionist and escape who bond over a shared love of movies. The film stars Zhang Yi, Fan Wei, and Liu Haocun.

Anthony Ramos - Jamie McCarthy

Comedy: In the Heights stars Anthony Ramos and Corey Hawkins are leading once again in the sci-fi comedy Distant from DreamWorks with release dates recently announced. Directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck along with a script from Spenser Cohen, Distant stars Ramos as a blue-collar space long-hauler whose ship crashes on an alien planet. With his escape pod’s air supply dwindling, Andy (Ramos) must make his way across the other side of the planet to retrieve the only other survivor. Distant is produced by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Fred Berger, and Anna Halberg, with a release date set for Mar 11, 2022.

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Industry Updates: Despite the economic downturn of the COVID-19 Pandemic and threats of boycotts due to the state’s restricted voter’s rights legislation, Georgia’s film industry grossed a record-breaking $4B in direct spending from this past fiscal year. Out of 366 productions, 21 were feature films and 45 were independent films, with television production making up the bulk with 222 projects. In a statement released earlier in the week, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp claimed, “because Georgia was the first state in the country to re-open our economy and worked with film productions across the state to ensure they could safely continue operations, the Peach State’s film industry is leading the nation.” This previous statement seems an apparent jab at Hollywood’s home state of California, with their own production constricted by proactive government mandates and lockdowns.