Lee. Stan Lee. Marvel Comics Guru Get’s Bizarre New Biopic from ‘Twilight’ Producers
The life of comic book legend and Marvel Comics impresario Stan Lee is coming to the big screen, kind of. FOX, who currently owns the rights to Marvel properties X-Men and Fantastic Four, has acquired the rights to Stan Lee’s life, which they’ll be reimagining as a throwback to 70’s action movies with the Lee character being portrayed as a suave superspy. Producers Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey (Twilight) have yet to find a writer for their bizarre, ambitious project, but have described their desire for the as-yet-untitled film to be reminiscent of the Roger Moore era James Bond. Given that Lee has had an incredible life without embellishment, it all feels kind of dumb, but considering what FOX has done to the Marvel properties they own, it does make a sort of sense.
New ‘Westworld’ Trailer Highlights Uncomfortable Dichotomy
With just only a few weeks left before the premiere of Westworld, HBO’s new high concept series based on the 1973 Michael Crichton film of the same name, the hype machine is moving into overdrive. A new trailer was released that emphasizes the stark contrasts of the show as the line between science fiction and western is blurred to fantastic effect. “Dreams mean everything,” waxes Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Robert Ford. “They’re the stories we tell ourselves.” There’s a sort of eerie vibe as the good doctor continues his monologues to A.I. Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), and things go a little crazy from there. You can see for yourself in the not-entirely-safe-for-work trailer below, which gives us a bit more insight into the new series. Westworld premieres Sunday, October 2 on HBO.
(YouTube)
‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Finds its Lead in Storm Reid
Ava DuVernay has found her Meg Murry. The director’s high profile adaptation of the Madeleine L’Engle’s classic children’s novel, A Wrinkle in Time, has cast Storm Reid (12 Years a Slave) in the lead role. Reid will play a young girl who goes on an interplanetary search for her missing father, aided by her as-yet-uncast younger brother and friend from school. Reid potentially joins Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and Oprah Winfrey, who are all in the process of negotiations for the roles of Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, respectively. A Wrinkle in Time has become something of a rite of passage for school children since its publication in 1963, sparking the imaginations of several generations of young minds. DuVernay will be directing a script from Frozen writer/director Jennifer Lee.
Woody Allen Amazon Series Releases Intriguing First Trailer
The trailer for Woody Allen’s first ever TV series, Crisis in Six Scenes, has finally been released. The Amazon series seems like it might just be a return to form for the director, whose outings the last few years have been increasingly hit or miss. Set in the sixties, it follows a writer looking to develop a TV series while all the turbulence of the decade swarms around him. Allen co-stars along with Miley Cyrus, Rachel Brosnahan, and John Magaro. The series premieres on Amazon Prime on Friday, September 30.
(YouTube)
Mykelti Williamson Joins Former ’24’ Castmate Kiefer Sutherland on ABC’s ‘Designated Survivor’
24 fans rankled by the absence of Kiefer Sutherland in the upcoming reboot of the series, 24: Legacy, can breathe a little easier at the news of a sort-of-reunion for the classic series. 24 alum Mykelti Williamson has officially signed on to join Sutherland in the ABC drama, Designated Survivor. The series is said to follow Sutherland’s Tom Kirkman, a low level cabinet member who becomes president following a massive attack on Washington D.C.; Williamson will play Admiral Chernow, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and one of new President Kirkman’s most trusted advisors. Williamson and Sutherland previously starred together on the eighth season of FOX’s 24.
(Deadline)
