- X-Men: Days Of Future Past writer/producer, Simon Kinberg talked of 20th Century Fox’ intentions for it’s comic book movie universe, namely the X-Men films, it’s spinoffs, as well as the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, saying, “Yeah, they (Fox) definitely understand what they have now in a way that—having worked on the X-Men Fox movies since 2003, [it was a] different regime, really different culture inside the studio, but outside the studio, the juggernauts, the big movies of every summer are superhero movies. We’re gonna have three big superhero movies in the span of like a month and a half between Cap 2, Spider-Man, and us. So Fox does understand that they are sitting on this massive universe with the X-Men, also with Fantastic Four obviously. But they definitely have a sense of it and there’s a real interest and appetite for how to explore and expand that world into other movies, into spinoffs, into different time periods, the whole gamut.” Kinberg also seemed very intrigued with the idea of adapting the big-screen Deadpool movie with an R rating, stating, “Yeah, it makes sense to me. Genuinely it’s early phases, early days, but if you’re gonna do a Deadpool movie, I think you’ve gotta do a hard-R, darker movie and he is the perfect character to do it with.”
- In other non-comic book adaptation news, word is going around that Captain America: The Winter Soldier co-star, Johansson and Academy Award Winner, Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave) are said to be in talks to join the cast of Disney’s live-action/cgi big-screen adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, set to be directed by Iron Man helmer, Jon Favreau and co-starring Thor co-star Idris Elba (who will do the voice of the villainous tiger Shere Khan). Nyong’o is said to be up for the role of the wolfmother, Rakcha, who adopts the lead character of Mowgli (not cast at this time), while Johansson is reportedly in early talks to voice the role of the hypnotic python called Kaa, who would be a secondary villain behind Elba’s tiger character. Hold-up a second! TECHNICALLY this does seem like comic book movie news, in the respect that aside from Nyong’o, both Favreau and Elba along with Johansson are ALL alums in some fashion or another of Marvel Studios movies! (Smacks forehead) But, of course, this IS a Disney film, after all! Talk about Bare Necessities, eh?!?
- This week, The Hobbit trilogy director Peter Jackson revealed that this holiday season’s 3rd film in the franchise has undergone a slight change in title. Now instead of The Hobbit: There And Back, the film has now been rechristened, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies. The title WAS The Battle Of The Six Armies, but actor Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) had to bow out (YES…KIDDING ON THAT LAST BIT! Hey! Gotta find some fun SOMEWHERE!)!!!
- BIG NEWS, SUPER TROOPER FANS!!! Broken Lizard comedy troupe members Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme have made the announcement that SUPER TROOPERS 2 IS HAPPENING!!!!! Lemme stated, “The script is written, the deal has been agreed on with the studio, we are in the stage though where we need to raise the financing. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. The studio is just the distributor and we are the ones who have to bring the money to the table. So it’s a lot of money that we have to raise.” The comedy sequel is hopefully expected to begin production this summer, should they be able to raise the required funds to do so. I, for one, am totally up for more Super Trooper SHENANIGANS?!!!?……PUT DOWN THE PISTOL, MONSIGNOR MOODY!!! NOBODY TOLD YOU TO PISTOL-WHIP THE NEXT GUY THAT SAID “SHENANIGANS!!!”
- As if comic book writer/creator/20th Century Fox producer, Mark Millar didn’t have enough of his creator-owned comic book properties on the big-screen/in-development plate, YET ANOTHER of his properties has been optioned for film adaptation treatment. Last time came word that Millar’s comic Superior (with artist Leinil Francis Yu) was up for said treatment, but NOW it’s been reported that his upcoming Image Comics title, MPH (with artist Duncan Fegredo), has been optioned by Transformers and G.I. Joe movies producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, with the aim of pegging a screenwriter and then later set it up at a studio. For those not in the know as to the story of MPH, the comic (the 1st issue of which hits comic shops on May 21st) centers around 4 19 year olds who take a new powerful drug (in pill form) called MPH that grants the users super-speed abilities for a temporary period of 7 days, upon usage. One character by the name of Roscoe seeks to use it to better his status in life. Wow! Given all the comic book and movie projects Millar has in the works, you’d almost think the guy was popping MPH pills, himself, in order to handle it all!
