Donald Glover Joins ‘Star Wars’
Sometimes the internet gets its wish. For months now, denizens of the internet have been falling all over themselves at the prospects of Donald “Childish Gambino” Glover taking on the role of Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Han Solo standalone Star Wars film, and the buzz finally paid off. Originated by Billy Dee Williams, Lando plays an important role in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. As of yet, we don’t know who Glover’s co-star will be, but the upcoming film, anticipated for a 2019 release, will delve into the backstory of Solo and his early dealings with Lando as young men.
‘Jessica Jones’ Recruiting All Female Directors for Season 2
Speaking of internet wins, the recent push for diversity both in front of and behind the camera for superhero stories has also begun to pay off. Jessica Jones showrunner Melissa Rosenberg announced that season 2 of the Netflix series would be helmed by only female directors, a first for a Marvel series. The move makes sense, given the over-arching themes of the series, which features a female hero overcoming a traumatic past and sexism. The second season is set to begin filming sometime next year, after the crossover series The Defenders wraps up, with an aim to premiere on the streaming service in 2018.
(Variety)
Chris Pine Joins ‘A Wrinkle in Time’
Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of the children’s classic A Wrinkle in Time has beamed up Captain Kirk. Chris Pine has joined the film, playing the father to young actress Storm Reid. The story follows Meg Murry (Reid) embarking on a wild journey to find her father, who’s been missing for years, which takes her across time and space. Pine joins Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the film, which is set to begin filming later this year.
Tim Miller Leaves ‘Deadpool 2’
Director Tim Miller, who guided this year’s surprise success Deadpool to box office supremacy, has officially left Deadpool 2 over reported creative differences with star Ryan Reynolds. Details are scarce regarding the source of the tension between the two, though studio sources say it was an amicable split. It’s difficult to imagine Deadpool without Miller’s style flourishes, though superhero movies aren’t exactly known for being powerhouses of auteur vision. Indeed, as large of a role as Miller played in making Deadpool the success that it was, it probably speaks more to Reynolds’ performance than any other single factor. No word yet on who Fox is lining up as a replacement.
‘Madea’ Scares Off ‘Jack Reacher’
Jack Reacher couldn’t touch the top this weekend, losing the number one spot to Boo! A Madea Halloween, which earned $27.6 million at the box office. The Tom Cruise sequel followed closely with $23 million. Ouija: Origin of Evil, meanwhile, came in at a distant third, scaring up $14.06 million, already earning a profit on its $9 million budget. The Accountant slipped to number 4 after its number 1 debut last week, earning $14.02 million while The Girl on the Train pulled in $7.2 million.
1. Boo! A Madea Halloween-$27.6 million
2. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back-$23 million
3. Ouija: Origin of Evil-$14.06 million
4. The Accountant-$14.02 million
5. The Girl on the Train-$7.2 million
6. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children-$6 million
7. Keeping Up with the Joneses-$5.6 million
8. Kevin Hart: What Now?-$4.1 million
9. Storks-$4 million
10. Deepwater Horizon-$3.6 million
