Production Updates: DC's 'Waller', 'Lanterns', 'Supergirl' Details, Filming Of 'F1', 'The Boys', 'The Bear', 'Fear Street', Bob Dylan Biopic & More
Plus, my thoughts on Marvel's 'The Fantastic Four' cast, its intriguing period potential, and the trailers for 'Deadpool & Wolverine', 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire'.
Welcome to the second issue of TheTrailBlazer! Hollywood has been getting busier and busier lately with a lot of projects heading into production, and with several hotly anticipated films from the likes of Marvel’s The Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts, and Captain America: Brave New World, DC’s Superman: Legacy, Waller, Lanterns, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and a plethora of Ben Affleck’s works, plus Joseph Kosinski’s Formula One film, next seasons of The Bear, The Boys, and The Last of Us, Jurassic World 4, James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and more, this is sure to be one issue you don’t want to miss out on!
‘The Fantastic Four’: Marvel’s First Family (Finally) Comes Together, ‘Thunderbolts’ Jolts Forward
At long last, after many many months of speculation, reports, and fan casting regarding who would play Marvel’s first family in their next big screen tentpole for Disney and Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, the cast has been confirmed. The “Internet’s Daddy” Pedro Pascal is the team’s intelligent and stretchy leader Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby is the film’s lead Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn is her hot headed brother Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach is the gentle giant brute Ben Grimm / The Thing. The film’s cast has long been closely watched around Hollywood and been subject to many rumors with a multitude of actors linked to various roles in the film. Although, Marvel is confident that this is the definitive Fantastic Four cast, placing emphasis in this fact by slightly changing the film’s title with the cast announcement to The Fantastic Four. Even though some sects of the fanbase throw shade at Pascal and Quinn for being different than their preferred vision of their characters, I quite like the cast selection and believe this is the best roster for the next generation of Marvel’s First Family, especially since they are less Americentric and are a diverse roster; Pascal being Chilean and American, Kirby and Quinn are English pals, and Moss-Bachrach is Jewish-American. Filming, as I first told you, will begin in August 2024 at Pinewood Studios in London. With the casting announcements, Marvel Studios announced the film’s release was pushed back to July 25, 2025, swapping its placement with their fellow ensemble Thunderbolts, which is now dated May 2, 2025, and still will begin this March.
The First Family will make additions to the MCU as Marvel Studios is in desperate need to perform more hits with critics and audiences, especially at the box office. They don’t have the magic of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy films anymore (his Vol. 3 was their only superhero film released last year which was profitable). There has been some skepticism as to when Marvel (and Disney) will be ready to release future Marvel content, especially with the inevitable competition from Gunn’s Superman: Legacy at DC Studios, which is set for release on July 25, 2025, and Universal’s new Jurassic World film that is in need of a director just to shoot the already ready script.
The main antagonist of the film is Galactus, with Javier Bardem being Marvel Studios’ top choice for the planet devouring role, while his cosmic herald the Silver Surfer who has been an adversary and ally of the Fantastic Four in the comics is set to appear, likely to be portrayed by an actress rather than depicting the character as a male, like in the comics. There have also been reports that the team’s longtime archenemy Doctor Doom will appear in the film, though not until the very end in a credits scene. That character has been rumored to be undertaking the role of Marvel’s next big bad for their Multiverse Saga of films and television series, and has grown interest from the likes of MCU actors Mads Mikkelsen (Doctor Strange) and Ben Mendelsohn (Secret Invasion). Though, I think someone like Mads’ brother Lars Mikkelsen could pull the role off, with enough versatility and powerful intimidation to bring to the role. The cast announcement indicated a 1960s setting for the film with a Lyndon B. Johnson Life magazine issue from December 13, 1963 included. I have long conceived of a 1960s-bound Fantastic Four film set during the height of the Space Race and dealing with the incursions (a pivotal concept for the multiverse featured in both Secret Wars comics and connected to Reed Richards), and I believe this, coupled with director Matt Shakman’s interest in such cosmic ‘60s elements from the team’s comics debut lend this to be a no-brainer, especially if Marvel wants to use the Secret Wars films to serve as a soft reboot with Battleworld, Reed Richards and incursions are your free golden ticket to a compelling story, if done right.
Backtracking on something from our first issue, Production Weekly has updated their listing for Captain America: Brave New World, reaffirming the May to August 2024 filming time for reshoots as shared by insider DanielRPK. That’s not to say the prior February to May timeframe I disclosed last month was not correct, it was merely outdated from when new writer Matthew Orton first joined in December. It is safe to say further work on rewrites and Disney’s cost-cutting measures made Marvel push back the reshoots to ensure it was just right.
The DC Universe Expands: ‘Lanterns’ Sets Showrunner, Nathan Fillion to Star, ‘Waller’ Adds Danielle Brooks, Reveals Plot Details, ‘Supergirl’ Logline Reveals Story for Milly Alcock’s Lead
Now this is where the fun begins!
The superhero television series from DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe (DCU) have received some production updates via Production Weekly, verifying reports from r/DCULeaks from last year. The comedy Booster Gold is listed as in active development, while the “terrestrial-based” cosmic detective story Lanterns is being produced by Gunn and Safran alongside Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, Lost), who was previously revealed to be consulting on it, and comic book writer and DC Studios writers’ room member Tom King. Also confirmed in the listing is that Chris Mundy (True Detective, Criminal Minds, Ozark) is serving as showrunner of Lanterns (which was also first revealed by r/DCULeaks). That’s an impressive resume while Nathan Fillion will reprise his Superman: Legacy role as the Green Lantern Guy Gardner, bowl cut and all. This lends to indicate that DC Studios is ramping up production after a slow development year, save for Superman, no thanks to the dual Hollywood strikes.
The spy series Waller is also still in development, after it was originally set for a 2024 release though that may be delayed as filming has yet to occur due to the strikes preventing work from progressing last year. Alongside Gunn and Safran (the latter also through The Safran Company), the series has added some remarkable talent in Chris Provenzano (Mad Men, Justified), who is producing the series with showrunners Christal Henry and Jeremy Carver. Amanda Waller herself Viola Davis is also producing through her and film producer Julius Tennon’s production company JuVee Productions. (Tennon is not known to be involved.) One recurring name in these listings is casting director John Papsidera (The Dark Knight, Tenet, The Suicide Squad), who is the overall CD for the DCU and has had a stellar track record already with Superman: Legacy, which is also being produced with executive producer Charles Roven’s Atlas Entertainment while Lars P. Winther, who worked on Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy films as a co-producer, is also among the producer team. The production logline for Waller states:
“A live action series, the spinoff of Peacemaker, centered around Amanda Waller and her relationship with her daughter, Leota. If there's one government bureaucrat who shouldn't be messed with, it’s Amanda Waller, founder of the infamous Task Force X, better known as the Suicide Squad.”
Loeta Adebayo was portrayed by Danielle Brooks in Peacemaker, and she will reprise her role in this series.
Speaking of Superman, his cousin Kara Zor-El, the Supergirl, has her own share of adventures that have yet to be fully tapped into in the cinematic media. That is, until Milly Alcock suits up as the Girl of Steel in Gunn’s Superman: Legacy for release next year ahead of her solo film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. That is based on the 2021-2022 comic written by Tom King and follows a more jaded Supergirl who was raised on a chunk of her home planet Krypton as she lost everyone around her, watching as they died all while her cousin was being raised by loving parents on Earth. Well, we now have more insight onto how this film’s interpretation of that comic, which appears to mostly be a direct adaptation of the source material, will translate over into the DCU and how it connects to the story of Legacy. The logline for Woman of Tomorrow reads as follows:
“Kara Zor-El has seen some epic adventures over the years, but she now finds her life without meaning or purpose. Here she is, a young woman who saw her planet destroyed and was sent to Earth to protect a baby cousin who ended up not needing her. What was it all for? Wherever she goes, people only see her through the lens of Superman’s fame. Just when Supergirl thinks she’s had enough, everything changes. An alien girl seeks her out for a vicious mission. Her world has been destroyed, and the bad guys responsible are still out there. She wants revenge, and if Supergirl doesn’t help her, she’ll do it herself, whatever the cost. Now a Kryptonian, a dog, and an angry, heartbroken child head out into space on a journey that will shake them to their very core.”
Back to Basics: ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘Despicable Me’ Sequels Receive Fun, Familiar Trailers As ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Goes Big and Beyond
The new trailers for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Despicable Me 4, and Deadpool & Wolverine arrived recently with a lot to look at, for better or worse. While fun light-hearted directions with high stakes can get studios far, it’s going to take a lot more than “tall dark and horny” ghosts and Minions dissing on AI (rightfully so) to re-captify audiences expectations and long-term investment in these franchises, which are starting to feel they have lost sight of what made them magical in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for a love letter send off to Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis as I grew up loving the Ghostbusters films as a kid, although I believe what a lot of these IP films could benefit from is bringing in a fresh perspective to these worlds that take more risks with the properties in creative and inventive ways, rather than trying to rehash what worked because it was “safe” or what audiences have come to expect. If all you eat is ham or turkey for a week or a month, you’ll start wanting something sweet or some greens instead. The same logic applies to audiences’ desire and taste in franchise fare.
Now, Marvel Studios’ next and only theatrical title in 2024 is Deadpool & Wolverine. This is almost guaranteed to be a surefire hit with critics and audiences, and at the box office. Hell, some outlets and commentators are already wanting to give the potential of it making $1 billion. I would not go that far yet as we barely have any grasp on how audiences will truly feel about their favorite Merc with a Mouth after years apart, though that may very well be the intrigue that gets butts in seats (it was for Guardians Vol. 3). Plus the addition of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in a brutal buddy comedy mash-up of multiversal madness is sure to satisfy many in the fanbase (myself included as a multiverse nut) and will compliment the nonsensical obscenities of Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool thanks to the vast array of IP he now gets to fool around with in the MCU and other 20th Century Fox Marvel films. So, maybe honing in on IPs is a good thing, it just depends on how creative and fun you get with it, as audiences want to be entertained and have fun with you! While Disney has touted the trailer as the most-viewed film trailer of all time in a 24 hour period, that is not actually the case. Sure, Disney put out there that it had amassed 365 million global views in that time period, which surpassed the record of Spider-Man: No Way Home (355.5 million views), that does include the views of the teaser for the teaser trailer that aired during the Super Bowl, which was the most-viewed telecast of all time with 123.7 million viewers, bolstered by the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce fandom. Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively are friends of Swift’s and were present at the Super Bowl with her at times, and rumors of Swift’s friendship going beyond the public space to a role in the MCU crossover flick only furthered a drive to see what audiences could find in the teaser trailer.
The Trail House: From ‘Animals’ to Bob Dylan, ‘The Accountant’ and ‘Prom Queen’; A Production Roundup With Lots of Ben Affleck
With a slew of specific production updates for a variety of films and television series, we can’t just wrap it up in one go, though I sure as hell will be stubborn enough to try! From the likes of Joseph Kosinski’s Formula One film (I am a huge F1 fanatic, myself and adored his work on Top Gun: Maverick and Tron: Legacy), Guillermo del Toro’s Dr. Frankenstein, Quentin Tarantino’s The Movie Critic, Chad Stahleski's work on Highlander and the John Wick spin-off Ballerina, next seasons of The Last of Us, The Bear, and The Boys, oh my!, to Ben Affleck’s various forthcoming projects with Matt Damon including Animals, James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, and many more, paid subscribers can go beyond and enter The Trail House of production galore!
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