Welcome to The Weekender. A compilation of stories we didn’t get a chance to touch on earlier and a collection of some of our favorite piece from the week.
Just a quick few pieces to scratch your Marvel, WWII and Liam Neeson fix. Plus some of our own articles from this week, that we think you’ll really enjoy.
Ryan Coogler Returns To Wakanda
Maybe this will come as a surprise to some, but director Ryan Coogler will be returning to helm, as well as writing the as of yet untitled “Black Panther 2“. It’s a smart move by Coogler, as Disney will throw oodles of money both his and the film’s way, in order to attempt to make it even bigger than the last film. At least financially. MCU sequels traditionally have a 50/50 success rate. For every Ant-Man & Wasp, Winter Soldier and GOTG Vol. 2, there’s an Iron Man 2 or The Dark World. Should most of the team return here, it should prove to be one of the better ones. The move’s interesting for Coogler, since he passed at the chance to do Creed II, due to scheduling. Word is that he was circling a smaller movie, like a remake of 12 Angry Men, before returning to a large studio film. Not quite sure if this news changes that or not. Either way, more film’s by this talented upstart is just what cinema needs. Regardless of the size or form.
Das Boot Sailing To Hulu
This may sound a bit confusing, but there is series sequel to Wolfgang Peterson’s 1981 hit, Das Boot, in the works. The rights to the program have been sold to over 100 territories already and none other than Hulu has snagged the right to air in the US. Though the show will end up premiering at the end of November, internationally, we aren’t likely to see the 8 part mini-event until early in 2019. The story is set in 1942, after the Allies have broken the enigma code. In addition to following the lives of the crewmen aboard the titular submarine, it will also chart the experiences of those family members left behind. Cast wise, Das Boot has gone with an international flavor, with the likes of Vicky Krieps, Vincent Kartheiser, Tom Wlaschiha, August Wittgenstein James D’Arcy and Lizzy Caplan rounding out parts.
Liam Neeson Is An “Honest Thief
At some point, Liam Neeson will stop making movies and that will be a big loss. That’s because he’s so willing to be in virtually every film that’s in production. It’s what leads to him being in so many different variations of the same film structure. Often with only slight tweaks. In just a number of weeks he’ll be seen in Steve McQueen’s heist film Widows, where he plays a career bank robber. He’ll follow that up with Honest Thief where, you guessed it, he plays a career bank robber. Here though, he falls in love with Kate Wash, who runs the front desk of a storage unit where Neeson hid $7 million dollars. He agrees to turn himself in, to wipe the slate clean between them. Yet things take a turn when his case gets handed over to a crooked FBI agent. While nothing is set in stone, there is word that Jai Courtney is in talks to take on the role of the agent. Mark Williams, who co-created Ozark for Netflix, will direct the film.
Crank Up The Rumor Mill: James Gunn To Write Suicide Squad 2
Didn’t take James Gunn much time at all to find a new big gig. The more surprising aspect may be that he decided to take the route we should have expected, all along. Switching over to DC isn’t just a way to stick it to his old bosses, it also gives him a big sandbox to play in. At least now you can be sure there’ll be solid tunes involved with the film. Saving audiences from the tyranny of Twenty One Pilots.
‘Knives Out’ Is Going The Way Of ‘One Upon A Time In LA’
Rian Johnson’s film feels like Quentin Tarantino’s next flick. Which is to say that neither have any plans to ever stop casting people. The different days of the week, three different actors casted. With Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield and Michael freaking Shannon on board, this is an instant watch. Look for news next week confirming one to two strong women cast in roles. Or so we can hope.
‘First Man’ Shows Damien Chazelle Truly Can Do it All
Check out Branden Pickrell’s review of Chazelle’s latest film, First Man. This one is receiving almost universal praise and is sure to be lining up for a big awards run. Maybe next go around Chazelle will make a stoner coming of age story, centering on Amish kids and Rumspringa. You know, just to give him a challenge.
