Category: Rumours

Christian Bale to play villain in new Thor movie

Christian Bale will play the villain in the new Thor movie, according to Tessa Thompson.

The actress let the news slip to Entertainment Tonight at the Westworld season three premiere, revealing she can’t wait to work with The Dark Knight star.

“Christian Bale is going to play our villain, which is going to be fantastic,” she told ET. “I’ve read the script (but) I can’t tell you much.”

And she’s not the only one excited about Thor: Love and Thunder – Natalie Portman, who returns as Jane Foster in the new movie, loves the idea of sharing the screen with her fellow Oscar winner.

“(There have been) lots of exciting text messages exchanged between Natalie and I,” Tessa added. “We’re going to have fun.”

The actress also revealed she’ll be playing King Valkyrie in the new movie.

“She’s king,” she said. “If she can’t find her queen, she’ll just be king and queen at the same time.”

Thor: Love and Thunder is scheduled to hit theatres in November 2021.

Ben Stiller joining Fast and Furious franchise

Funnyman Ben Stiller is reportedly preparing to rev his engine after joining the cast of the next sequel in the Fast and Furious franchise.

According to the New York Post’s Page Six, the Meet the Parents star is due to shoot his scenes for F9 “soon,” although it will likely only be a small role as the action adventure is set for release in May.

Further details regarding Stiller’s alleged involvement have not been revealed, and representatives for both the actor and the Universal Pictures project have yet to comment.

If the casting news is true, he will join franchise stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and Ludacris onscreen, as well as newcomer John Cena.

Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron will also feature, reprising their roles from 2017’s The Fate of the Furious.

New Bruce Springsteen Album In June?

It’s been a while since we had a juicy Springsteen rumour…A popular Italian Springsteen blog, Pink Cadillac, has hinted that they have heard that the new Bruce Springsteen album may be slated for a June 7 release. Full text from their blog post today is below:

Waiting for the release of the next album scheduled for June 7th, Bruce performed last night at the Kristen Ann Carr Fund gala at the Tribeca Grille, Robert De Niro’s New York venue. The event was a resounding success, an explosion of great music and a gathering with many famous people, including Roy Bittan and Bruce Springsteen. The boss inflamed the evening with a beautiful version of “Rocking Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu” and “Down the Road Apiece”, played with the Tangiers Blues Band by photographer Danny Clinch, proving to be in excellent shape.

In the comments section of their post, they say that the information has come from a source close to Sony. We shall see if this rumour picks up any steam but a June 7 release does seem a little early considering we are already in mid-April. But, who knows. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll be surprised and hear an announcement soon.

Spice Girls to release tell-all documentary

The Spice Girls are reportedly set to release a tell-all documentary.

According to The U.K. Sun, the girl group has taken inspiration from former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, who released his film As It Was at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The film, directed by Charlie Lightening, details Gallagher’s journey from his time with the indie rock group he co-fronted with his estranged brother Noel Gallagher, to his success as a solo artist.

Melanie Brown, Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Geri Horner and Melanie Chisholm are reportedly working on the explosive new project to hit cinemas in 2019.

And the former girl band has already signed on to voice characters in an animated superhero movie, according to the newspaper.

Brown recently confirmed all five women would be reuniting for a live tour, despite fashion designer Beckham previously shutting down tour talk

“We are in the works of figuring the stuff out,” the America’s Got Talent judge explained. “I don’t want to say too much, but all five of us have signed with Simon Fuller. It’s all very exciting.”

The Wannabe hitmakers, who split in 2000 but have reformed on numerous occasions, got fans excited earlier this year when they agreed to an unspecified ‘reunion’, and were all snapped together for the first time in years at Horner’s house.

The Spice Girls are officially reuniting! Everything we know so far

After photos from their London-based reunion sparked an internet frenzy, the Spice Girls have announced that 2018 will see them back together.

“We have enjoyed a wonderful afternoon catching up and reminiscing about the amazing times we have spent together,” the group — Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Mel B, and Melanie C — said in a statement to EW via Beckham’s publicist, Jo Milloy. “We are always overwhelmed at how much interest there is across the whole world for the Spice Girls. The time now feels right to explore some incredible new opportunities together.”

While they didn’t specify what opportunities they’d be entertaining, they added that their mission would be to bring their girl-power sensibility into this era. “We all agree that there are many exciting possibilities that will once again embrace the original essence of the Spice Girls,” they wrote, “while reinforcing our message of female empowerment for future generations.”

The Sun reported ahead of the photo that a “secret meeting” had been planned for the Spice Girls with longtime manager Simon Fuller to discuss “TV projects in China, a new telly talent show, endorsement deals, and a compilation album celebrating their greatest hits.” One hitch in the plan, according to The Sun, appears to be that Beckham (a.k.a. Posh Spice) does not want to provide vocals for any reunion projects.

Beckham, Bunton (Baby Spice, obvs), and Mel B (Scary Spice) each shared a photo of their meet-up on social media with captions remarking on how “exciting” the day was.

Robert Plant hints at Led Zeppelin reunion

Robert Plant has spiked fans’ interest in a Led Zeppelin reunion with a cryptic note on his website.

Devotees have been crying out for a band get together ever since Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones regrouped in London for a tribute to music mogul Ahmet Ertegun in 2007, and, as the rock act’s 50th anniversary looms in 2018, the singer’s latest three-word post has got fans foaming at the mouth.

Plant’s message reads: “Any time now…”

Some experts are predicting the existing members of Led Zeppelin will reunite for this year’s Desert Trip festival in Indio, Calif. The inaugural event in 2016 was headlined by Sir Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Roger Waters.

The bosses of last year’s festival confessed a Led Zeppelin reunion was high on their wish list for the 2017 event.

Page and Plant have been at odds for years over reunion rumours – Page would dearly like to tour with his old bandmates, while Plant has said on multiple occasions his Zeppelin days are behind him.

However, he recently impressed fans at a gig in London when he belted out the rock band’s classic Kashmir without Jimmy Page for the first time.

The singer made an appearance during violinist Nigel Kennedy’s Royal Albert Hall concert in March and hit all the right notes on the song, which was first released four decades ago and re-recorded for Plant & Page’s No Quarter album.

Plant’s 18-minute performance marked the first time he had attempted the song live since Led Zeppelin’s 2007 reunion at London’s O2 Arena.

‘The Matrix’ remake in the works: Report

A reboot of iconic ’90s sci-fi movie The Matrix is in its early stages.

According to editors at The Hollywood Reporter, film company Warner Bros. has tapped screenwriter Zak Penn, who has worked on X-Men 2 and The Avengers, to pen a new take on the 1999 movie classic.

The Matrix franchise was directed by the Wachowski siblings, and starred Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Ann Moss. It depicted a dystopian future in which the reality perceived by most humans was actually a simulated one created by machines to subdue the human population. Reeves played computer programmer Neo, aka The One, who is told the truth about his world and is chosen to lead a rebellion against the machines, alongside a group of people freed from the “dream world”.

The film, the fourth-highest grossing film of the year worldwide in 1999, became known for its groundbreaking special effects including its heavily imitated slow-motion “bullet time” effect, which also contributed to it winning four Academy Awards.

It was followed by two less successful sequels – The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, in 2003.

There are few details on what shape the project will take, but sources have told the publication that Warner Bros. are keen to expand The Matrix universe in a similar way to Disney and Lucasfilm which are mining the Star Wars franchise to produce spin-offs such as the upcoming Han Solo movie.

Despite expressing an interest in returning to the franchise, John Wick star Reeves, now 52, is unlikely to be attached to the project, with producers said to be keen on landing Creed star Michael B. Jordan for a lead role.

While promoting the follow up to his hit assassin movie John Wick: Chapter 2, Reeves said he would return for another Matrix movie – but only if the Wachowskis were involved.

“They would have to write it and direct it. And then we’d see what the story is, but yeah, I dunno, that’d be weird, but why not?” he told Yahoo Movies.

The siblings are currently working on a second season of their Netflix show Sense8, and Warner Bros. has made no comment on whether the original helmers have given their blessing to the project.

Amy Schumer in Talks to Star in ‘Barbie’ Movie From Sony

Amy Schumer will star in Sony’s live-action Barbie movie.

Mattel and producers Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald and Amy Pascal have teamed up for the project, which will try to put a contemporary spin on beauty, feminism and identity.

A year ago, Sony hired three scribes to pen separate screenplays, with the studio picking Hilary Winston’s idea and script to work off of. It is expected that Schumer will rewrite the script with her sister, Kim Caramele.

A search for a director is also underway.

The Barbie doll, launched in March 1959 by El Segundo, Calif.-based Mattel, is one of the biggest toy brands in the world, bringing in $3 billion annually. But it’s a brand that has had to address issues of self-image and race in modern times.

The feature, with Schumer in the lead, will try to address those in a story that begins in a perfect land of Barbies, where one woman slowly awakens to the fact that she doesn’t fit in. She is expelled from the idealistic land and journeys to the real world, where she discovers that being unique is an asset.

The studio is hoping to make an imaginative family comedy with plenty of heart, using the Tom Hanks classics Splash and Big, as well as Disney’s more recent Enchanted, which starred Amy Adams, as touchstones.

The road to a Barbie movie has not been an easy one, and finding the right take has been critical. At one point, the project was looking to be a buddy comedy, a two-hander that teamed Barbie with an overworked bureaucrat looking for an assistant.

Schumer’s casting is sure to raise eyebrows. One, it goes against the classic image of Barbie being a thin beauty that has come under fire in recent times, which is precisely the point of this casting. And two, Schumer has cultivated a brand of saucy comedy that may clash with Mattel’s pristine image of a gal who has unlimited career options.

Alden Ehrenreich Cast as Han Solo in ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff

“Hail, Caesar!” star Alden Ehrenreich is finalizing a deal to play young Han Solo in a “Star Wars” spinoff that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will direct for Lucasfilm, multiple individuals familiar with the top-secret casting process have told TheWrap over the past week.

Ehrenreich inherits the star-making role from Harrison Ford, who first played the space hero in George Lucas original “Star Wars.”

Lord and Miller, the filmmakers behind “The Lego Movie,” are directing from a script by Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jon Kasdan. Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy is producing the blockbuster, which will be executive produced by the elder Kasdan and Jason McGatlin.

Plot details are being kept under wraps, though it won’t quite be a typical origin story. Instead, the film is expected to follow Solo before he links up with the rebel alliance. Chewbacca will play a key role, and it’s entirely possible that young Han could cross paths with the bounty hunter known as Boba Fett.

Disney declined to comment. The studio will release the “Han Solo” movie on May 25, 2018.

There has been rampant speculation that Ehrenreich could make his first appearance as Han Solo in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which Disney releases in December. While that cameo has yet to be confirmed, numerous Hollywood insiders tell TheWrap that Ehrenreich has landed the coveted role, for which he beat out thousands of actors — both established and unknown.

Ehrenreich certainly has big shoes to fill, but two of Hollywood’s most revered directors already think he has the stuff to be a leading man.

The 26-year-old actor was discovered at a friend’s bat mitzvah reception by none other than Steven Spielberg, who recognized star qualities in the young man. Ehrenreich quickly landed a lead role opposite Vincent Gallo in Francis Ford Coppola‘s 2009 drama “Tetro,” and he later reunited with the “Godfather” director on 2011’s “Twixt.”

Since then, Ehrenreich has worked with acclaimed filmmakers such as Woody Allen (“Blue Jasmine”), Park Chan-wook (“Stoker”), Richard LaGravenese (“Beautiful Creatures”) and the Coen brothers, who cast Ehrenreich as a major scene-stealer in their showbiz comedy “Hail, Caesar!”

Ehrenreich also stars in Warren Beatty‘s upcoming movie about Howard Hughes and recently wrapped Alexandre Moors’ war drama “The Yellow Birds,” which is expected to debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this fall. He’s represented by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Tom Hiddleston fuels Bond rumours with praise for ‘extraordinary opportunity’ of 007 role

The actor Tom Hiddleston has fuelled speculation that he could replace Daniel Craig as James Bond, saying he was a huge fan of the 007 films and would not take on the role lightly.

Hiddleston, who is starring in the BBC adaptation of John le Carré’s The Night Manager, said playing Bond would be an “extraordinary opportunity” if “it ever came knocking”.

According to some bookmakers, Hiddleston, who went to school at Eton followed by Cambridge University, is quoted as 10/1 to be the next actor to play the role, making him the sixth-favourite.

Tom Hardy and Idris Elba are first and second, ahead of Homeland’s Damian Lewis, Poldark’s Aidan Turner, and the Superman star Henry Cavill.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Hiddleston said: “Time magazine ran a poll and there were, like, 100 actors on the list, including Angelina Jolie. But, yes, it’s nice to be included in the 100.

“I’m a huge fan of the series. We all went to see Spectre when we were shooting Skull Island in Hawaii. I simply love the theme tune, the tropes and the mythology. I love the whole thing. If it ever came knocking, it would be an extraordinary opportunity.”

He added: “And I’m very aware of the physicality of the job. I would not take it lightly.”

Craig, who has been playing Bond since 2005, triggered speculation he may give up the role when he told Time Out he would “rather break this glass and slash my wrists” than make another Bond film.

“We’re done. All I want to do is move on,” he added. “If I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money.”

He later clarified his remarks, telling the BBC: “I’m quite straightforward and I say things when I feel it and then I change my mind. I’m just like everybody else. People latch on to things. There’s not a lot I can do about that.”

Hardy, who recently starred as both Kray twins in the crime thriller Legend, told the Evening Standard last year he would “smash it out the park” if he ever got the opportunity to play Bond.