The Film Magazine roundup of the week’s main film news, covering Monday 30th September to Sunday 6th October 2019.
Jordan Peele, the Oscar-winning writer-director behind Us(2019) and Get Out (2017), has signed a five-year first-look deal with Universal. Under the agreement, Universal will distribute films developed by Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, including two new projects that Peele will both write and direct.
THR – 1 Oct 2019
Joker director Todd Phillips commented on contemporary culture in an interview with Vanity Fair, arguing that a heightened sensitivity has affected stand-up and mainstream comedy. “Try to be funny nowadays with this woke culture,” he said, adding that many comedians avoid material that could offend, which he believes has contributed to the decline of certain comedy styles.
(via) CBR – 1 Oct 2019
Recommended for you: Joker(2019) Review
In a conversation with Empire Magazine, legendary director Martin Scorsese — whose latest film The Irishman (2019) was making its UK debut at the London Film Festival — contrasted superhero films with traditional cinema, likening many blockbuster franchises to theme parks. Scorsese said he finds them impressive in craftsmanship but distinct from the intimate emotional and psychological storytelling he associates with cinema.
(via) Variety – 4 Oct 2019
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark director André Øvredal is in talks to direct the horror-thriller Last Voyage of the Demeter for Amblin. The story focuses on the doomed voyage of the ship that transports Dracula to London.
THR – 1 Oct 2019
StudioCanal has struck a global licensing agreement with the iconic Hammer Films. StudioCanal will distribute Hammer’s 200-film library in the UK, France, Germany and New Zealand, and will handle the production company’s international sales and marketing.
THR – 30 Sept 2019
Disney is developing a live-action reboot of the 1980s cartoon Inspector Gadget for the big screen. Producers Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, known for the live-action Aladdin (2019), will oversee the project. Comedy writers Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell are attached to write the screenplay.
THR – 4 Oct 2019
Le Mans ’66 star Matt Damon revealed in an interview with British GQ that he declined the lead role in James Cameron’s Avatar (2009). Damon said that had he taken the role and the proposed 10% profit participation, his share could have approached $200 million.
British GQ – 30 Sept 2019
Kenneth Branagh’s follow-up to his adaptation of Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile, has announced a substantial ensemble cast. New additions include Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders and Letitia Wright.
Indiewire – 1 Oct 2019
Paramount’s Tom Clancy adaptation Without Remorse has added four actors to join lead Michael B. Jordan: Jacob Scipio, Cam Gigandet, Jack Kesy and Todd Lasance. The film is set to be directed by Stefano Sollima, known for Sicario: Day of the Soldado.
Deadline – 4 Oct 2019
Disney Animation announced four new directors attached to upcoming feature projects: Blindspotting director Carlos López Estrada, Unlovable director Suzi Yoonessi, story artist Josie Trinidad (known for Ralph Breaks the Internet) and story artist Marc Smith (known for Zootopia). Each filmmaker will direct an original animated feature for the studio.
THR – 1 Oct 2019
Disney’s upcoming animated sequel Frozen 2 will include seven original songs. Artists such as Panic! At the Disco, Kacey Musgraves and Weezer have been announced to record versions that will appear in the film’s end credits.
THR – 30 Sept 2019
Matthew Vaughn, director of X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass and Kingsman, told fans at New York Comic Con that he would be interested in directing a Marvel Studios reboot of Fantastic Four. Vaughn described the property as potent family-oriented IP with the kind of imaginative appeal that resonated with kids and could be as large-scale as Spider-Man.
Movieweb – 4 Oct 2019
WorkSafeBC, the agency investigating the on-set death of stunt performer Joi Harris during the production of Deadpool 2, released findings that fault the production’s safety planning. The investigation concluded the production failed to perform an adequate risk assessment addressing motorcycle speed and equipment limits, and omitted required health and safety documentation, including a stunt safety inspection checklist and production activity notification. WorkSafeBC indicated the findings may result in administrative penalties under provincial safety regulations.
THR – 2 Oct 2019
Philip Gips, the celebrated graphic designer behind iconic film posters for titles like Alien, Rosemary’s Baby and Kramer vs. Kramer, has died at age 88. Gips’ work shaped many memorable images in movie advertising history.
THR – 4 Oct 2019
And finally…
The British Film Institute’s London Film Festival opened on Wednesday with the world premiere of Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History of David Copperfield, starring Dev Patel. The festival runs from Wednesday 2 October through Sunday 13 October, culminating in the UK premiere of Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. The Film Magazine will provide festival coverage beginning Monday 7 October on social platforms and will publish reviews on the site throughout the week.
Last week’s top movie news