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    Chris Rock Hunts Down Jigsaw Copycat Killer in First Ominous Trailer for 'Spiral'

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    Believing that the serial killer has a personal motive, Rock’s detective character contacts his father only to get the police veteran falling into a trap and finding himself in danger.

    Mar 31, 2021

    AceShowbiz –
    Lionsgate has released the first ominous trailer for “Spiral (2021): From the Book of Saw”. Serving as the ninth installment in the “Saw” film series, it sees Chris Rock leading the cast as Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks, who takes the lead in an investigation into murders that may or may not be connected to the infamous serial killer/elaborate trap builder Jigsaw.

    Zeke grows frustrated as the killer continues to claim victims, while he suspects anyone, even one of his colleagues, could be the killer. Believing that the serial killer has a personal motive, he pays his father Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Jackson), a former detective who is somehow also connected to Jigsaw, a visit.

    Apparently feeling compelled to join the investigation, Marcus is later seen trying to chase the killer himself, only to be falling into his trap. Now, the stake gets higher for Zeke as his father could be the next victim in a snap of a finger.

    According to the official synopsis, “a criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in ‘Spiral’, the terrifying new chapter from the book of ‘Saw’. Working in the shadow of his father, an esteemed police veteran (Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Banks (Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.”

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    The idea of the upcoming movie came from Rock, with the script being written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. Darren Lynn Bousman serves as director for the upcoming pic, which seems to be taking the “Saw” franchise from gore-obsessed horror roots into serial killer territory.

    “When Chris Rock came to us and described in chilling detail his fantastic vision that reimagines and spins-off the world of the notorious Jigsaw Killer, we were all-in,” Joe Drake, Chairman of Lionsgate, said when the project was first announced. ” ‘Saw’ is one of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all-time and it’s one of Lionsgate’s most successful film series. This upcoming film will still be as mind-bending and intense as all the previous ‘Saw’ films.”

    He continued gushing over Rock’s idea, “Chris conceived this idea and it will be completely reverential to the legacy of the material while reinvigorating the brand with his wit, creative vision, and passion for this classic horror franchise.”

    “Spiral” was originally scheduled to be released on May 15, 2020, but has been pushed back by almost a year to May 14 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will have a theatrical release as opposed to streaming debut, which some studios have opted for amid the slow cinema business these days.

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    Steve Martin and Chevy Chase Unveiled to Be in Contention for 1989's 'Batman'

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    Actor Robert Wuhl, who played reporter Alexander Knox in the Tim Burton-directed film, makes the revelation about producers Jon Peters and Peter Gruber’s original plan during a podcast interview.

    Mar 31, 2021

    AceShowbiz –
    Steve Martin and Chevy Chase came close to playing Batman in the 1989 comic book blockbuster before producers agreed to give Tim Burton the chance to direct.

    Actor Robert Wuhl, who was an early cast member, reveals Burton took the movie in another direction and brought Michael Keaton on board, but when he signed on, producers Jon Peters and Peter Gruber were looking at funnymen to play the Caped Crusader.

    “When I asked who they were thinking of, they said, ‘Either Steve Martin or Chevy Chase,’ ” Wuhl, who was cast as reporter Alexander Knox in the film, told “The Production Meeting” podcast.

    “You’ve got to remember that the greatest decision in the history of Warner Bros. is giving Tim Burton the Batman franchise. You know when Joel Schumacher took over and they went in that crazy direction? That’s where they were thinking to begin with.”

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    “They were not thinking Tim Burton – they were thinking Adam West, that was their Batman. Bill Murray might’ve also been on that list.”

    Meanwhile, Wuhl reveals he came close to returning as Knox in Burton and Keaton’s second “Batman” movie.

    “In the original script…, which was terrific, Knox died [in Batman],” the actor explained. “Then, when I got there [London set], they told me, ‘We’re keeping him alive.’ I thought, ‘Great, Batman 2!’ Then my agent got a call one day and they said, ‘Knox is not in the second picture.’ And that’s it; it was that simple.”

    Since its release in June 1989, Tim Burton’s “Batman” has earned more than $411 millions worldwide. Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger and Pat Hingle are among its cast ensemble.

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    'ThunderCats' Hybrid CGI Movie in the Works With Director Adam Wingard

    Cartoon Network

    The ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ filmmaker teases what to expect from the upcoming big screen adaptation after he is officially announced to sit behind the lens for the project.

    Mar 31, 2021

    AceShowbiz –
    Adam Wingard has signed up to direct a “ThunderCats” movie.

    The “Godzilla vs. Kong” filmmaker will write the script with his “You’re Next” collaborator Simon Barrett, and he’ll be at the helm of the Warner Bros. adaptation of the classic 1980s animated series.

    Speaking to Deadline, Wingard said, “I saw this as an opportunity to do a new type of fantasy sci-fi spectacle film that people have never seen before.”

    “It’s got a rich mythology; the characters are fantastic. The colours. I want to do a ThunderCats film that takes you back to that ’80s aesthetic. I don’t want to reinvent the way they look; I want them to look like ThunderCats.”

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    “I don’t want to do it live action, either. I don’t want it to look like Cats, I don’t want those kinds of issues – no disrespect to that director, whom I don’t mean to throw under the bus any more than everyone else has.”

    “I want to do a movie you’ve never seen before. A hybrid CGI film that has a hyper real look and somehow bridges the gap between cartoon and CGI.”

    Wingard noted his plans for this movie go back to his high school days when he spent spent a lot of time working on a screenplay.

    “My real obsession with ThunderCats came in high school, the pinnacle of me deciding I wanted to be a filmmaker, and pushing in that direction…,” he added. “I actually spent most of my 10th grade year, I completely blew it. I didn’t pay attention in school, made terrible grades.”

    “And the reason? I was writing my ThunderCats screenplay through my entire 10th grade year. And I was handwriting it. The screenplay itself ended up being 272 pages long. I still have it.”

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    Jennifer Love Hewitt Grateful to Ray Liotta for Putting Her at Ease During Risky Movie Scene

    WENN

    The ‘Ghost Whisperer’ alum credits her ‘Heartbreakers’ co-star for being ‘the kindest, sweetest man’ on the set, helping ease her nerves over the filming of a risky scene.

    Mar 31, 2021

    AceShowbiz –
    Jennifer Love Hewitt will forever be grateful to Ray Liotta for putting her at ease on the set of “Heartbreakers” after having to spend hours filming a risque scene by his “nether regions.”

    The actress landed her breakout movie role as Page Conners in the 2001 romantic comedy after starting her career as a Disney star, and she recalls being petrified of messing up one particular sequence with Liotta, in which her character’s hair gets caught up in the zip of his trousers.

    “I remember, one of my very first days of work, being attached to Ray’s nether regions for eight hours, so it was a very risque part for me at the time,” she remembered.

    “It was very, very daunting for me – not because of what I was doing in the scene but because I was aware of who he was. I was such a big fan. I was so nervous to mess it up.”

    However, Jennifer was immediately calmed by her co-star’s kindness.

    “I just remember meeting Ray, and instantly I felt so much better,” she shared. “He was the kindest, sweetest man who made me feel so comfortable.”

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    Liotta wasn’t the only industry veteran helping to look out for the actress on the funny film, in which she had to don a series of revealing outfits.

    Jennifer said, “When I walked in for my first fitting, I thought all the dresses were tops and didn’t know where the bottoms were. I remember watching them (stylists) unpack some of my things, and they were in Ziploc bags, and I was like, ‘My clothes… are in there?’ ”

    “And we all had a really big laugh about the fact that I just wore tiny clothes the whole movie. I felt like a Barbie doll. It was great.”

    Despite showing some skin, crewmembers were conscious not to let Jennifer feel too exposed during the shoot.

    She told Vulture, “It’s such a physical movie. I mean, she (her character) was constantly tripping and falling down.”

    “One thing that really stood out to me when we did the movie is how much people were looking out for me and really making sure that I never felt weird or on display.”

    “I remember there were more than a couple of people that were like, ‘OK, let’s make sure boobs are in place and we’re not seeing underwear.’ ”

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    'Game of Throne' Author Confirms Broadway Adaptation

    HBO

    George R.R. Martin teams up with renowned theater producers for the upcoming stage play adaptation which aims for the Great White Way, West End and Australia.

    Mar 31, 2021

    AceShowbiz –
    “Game of Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin has confirmed reports he’s developing a stage production of his books, which will transport fans back to the classic story.

    Martin has teamed up with producers Simon Painter and Tim Lawson, and writer Duncan MacMillan to bring his fantasy tale to the stage, with Dominic Cooke, the former artistic director at London’s Royal Court Theatre, set to oversee the project.

    “The seeds of war are often planted in times of peace,” the author says in a statement. “Few in Westeros knew the carnage to come when highborn and smallfolk alike gathered at Harrenhal to watch the finest knights of the realm compete in a great tourney, during the Year of the False Spring.”

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    “It is a tourney oft referred during HBO’s Game of Thrones, and in my novels, A Song of Ice & Fire… and now, at last, we can tell the whole story… on the stage.”

    “An amazing team has been assembled to tell the tale, starting with producers Simon Painter, Tim Lawson and Jonathan Sanford. Their knowledge and love of my world and characters has impressed me from the very first, and their plans for this production blew me away since the first time we met. Dominic Cooke, our director, is a former Artistic Director of London’s Royal Court Theatre, who brought Shakespeare’s dramas of the War of the Roses to television, and our playwright, Duncan Macmillan, has previously adapted George Orwell and Henrik Ibsen, among others.”

    “Working with them has been a treat, and I am eager for our collaboration to resume. Our dream is to bring Westeros to Broadway, to the West End, to Australia… and eventually, to a stage near you. It ought to be spectacular.”

    The play, featuring many of the well-known characters from the “Game of Thrones” series, will hit Broadway in 2023, ahead of runs in the West End and Australia.

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    Lakeith Stanfield Says 'No One Cares' About Oscars Despite Receiving 2021 Nomination

    WENN

    The ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ actor is not really keen about the upcoming Academy Awards as he weighs in on the Oscar controversy in a deleted Instagram post.

    Mar 31, 2021

    AceShowbiz –
    Oscar-nominated actor Lakeith Stanfield appeared to reveal his true feelings about the Academy Awards on Monday night (29Mar21) as he wrote that “no-one cares” about such honours during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The actor is up for the Best Supporting Actor gong at this year’s Oscars for his work in “Judas and the Black Messiah”. But as he weighed in on Instagram about an article on Deadline, which stated that bosses are considering letting nominees appear at the ceremony via Zoom after facing backlash for their policy that everyone must attend in person, Lakeith wrote, “No one cares lmao (laugh my a*s off).”

    In the comments section of the post, the 29-year-old actor added, “Real stuff is happening. Who cares about awards.”

    His remarks have since been deleted, but a screenshot is circulating on social media.

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    Lakeith is up against Sacha Baron Cohen, Daniel Kaluuya, Paul Raci, and Leslie Odom Jr. in the supporting actor category.

    Meanwhile, the nominations were led by “Mank”, a biographical drama film about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz.

    The black-and-white film collected a total of 10 nods including Best Director for David Fincher, Best Actor for Gary Oldman, and Best Supporting Actress for Amanda Seyfried.

    The movie based on a screenplay by David’s late father Jack Fincher is also vying for the most coveted Best Picture title. It’s pitted against “Judas and the Black Messiah”, “The Father”, “Minari”, “Nomadland”, “Promising Young Woman”, “Sound of Metal”, and “The Trial of the Chicago 7”.

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    ‘The Place That Makes Us’ Review: Rebuilding, Brick by Brick

    This documentary offers a brief look at a handful of people trying to revitalize Youngstown, Ohio.Cities devastated by industrial closures should never be written off for dead. “The Place That Makes Us” looks at a handful of people trying to revitalize Youngstown, Ohio, where the shuttering of steel mills led to an exodus of residents, a rash of vacant homes and an ebb of civic engagement.The movie, directed by Karla Murthy, substantially, perhaps even too narrowly focuses on the work of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, a nonprofit that rehabilitates empty houses, with the goal of turning ghost blocks into desirable neighborhoods. The subjects profiled include Ian Beniston, the group’s executive director, and Tiffany Sokol, its housing director, who removes plywood from a door and takes us through the process of surveying an abandoned home’s potential. By the end, we’ve seen it sold, to a new owner we’ve gotten to know.Elsewhere, Julius T. Oliver, a city councilman, concentrates on investing in Youngstown’s youth by pushing to reopen a once-thriving basketball arena. With the filmmakers, he visits the former sites of the two houses he grew up in. (After speaking of violence around the first location, he says that the problems eventually traveled to the second.) Early on, he talks about how, as a businessman, he found that a simple perception that a neighborhood “looks scary” can deter potential customers.The families’ stories help turn “The Place That Makes Us” into more than a policy proposal in motion. Ian’s father, a former steelworker, says, “If I had to do it over again, I would not have been in Youngstown.” Ian and his sister, Abby, who have chosen to stay, have a more optimistic outlook.The Place That Make UsNot Rated. Running time: 1 hour 10 minutes. Watch on PBS platforms. More

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    Russell Crowe Tapped for Surprise Cameo in 'Thor: Love and Thunder'

    WENN/Ivan Nikolov

    The ‘Gladiator’ actor is reportedly joining the cast of the upcoming fourth ‘Thor’ movie in an undisclosed role, which is expected to surprise fans of the franchise.

    Mar 30, 2021

    AceShowbiz –
    Russell Crowe is unveiled to have joined Marvel Cinematic Universe. On Monday, March 28, it was reported that the Maximus depicter in “Gladiator” was tapped to make a surprise cameo in “Thor: Love and Thunder”.

    The 56-year-old star’s role in the movie has yet to be uncovered since it is expected to surprise fans of the franchise. The John Nash of “A Beautiful Mind” was said to be the latest addition to the Taika Waititi-directed film.

    Russell’s last appearance on the big screen was in the road rage thriller “Unhinged”. Aside from “Thor: Love and Thunder”, his new movie will include “The Greatest Beer Run Ever”, which will be directed by Peter Farrelly. He is set to star opposite Zac Efron in it.

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    Besides Russel, another star to join the upcoming fantasy movie was Lena Headey. She was added to the cast to play Tessa Thompson’s onscreen love interest. “Jason Bourne” actor Matt Damon will also be involved in the fourth installment of the “Thor” film series.

    Earlier in March, Matt and Luke Hemsworth were caught on camera filming for the movie in Sydney, Australia. In the grainy pictures, they could be seen wearing the same clothes donned by Loki and Thor respectively in “Thor: Ragnarok” scene when their father Odin passed away.

    The group will join the cast ensemble that consists of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Pratt, who is set to reprise his role as Star-Lord, Natalie Portman and Tessa, who will make their return as Jane Foster and Valkyrie respectively and Christian Bale, whose role is confirmed to be villain Gorr the God Butcher.

    The plot details of “Thor: Love and Thunder” have still been kept under wraps. The film, which was previously set to bow on February 11, 2022, is slated for May 6, 2022 release.

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