There’s a lot of breaking news in Hollywood happening every minute. In the age of the blockbuster, it’s easy for some smaller movie and television news to slip through the crack. Last Week in Hollywood is our new weekly series highlighting all the interesting news from the last week that we thought didn’t warrant its own post, but was still worth mentioning. It’s less personal opinions and more a hearty roundup of what you might have missed.
Netflix Acquires Film/TV Rights to Gears of War
Netflix has landed the film and television rights to popular Xbox video game series Gears of War. The streamer will partner with The Coalition, the video game developer behind the title, and work with them to develop both a feature film adaptation and an animated series. The project is considered a top priority for Netflix, with the streamer now looking to hire producers, writers, and directors for both projects.
Gears of War is set on “a planet on the brink of societal collapse when a monstrous threat from below in the form of underground creatures known as the Locust takes humanity to the verge of extinction. Delta Squad, a fireteam led by disgraced sergeant Marcus Fenix, is now charged with leading humanity’s last stand.” | Source: THR
Evil Dead Rise First Look Released
Warner Bros. and New Line have released the first look (see above image) at Evil Dead Rise, the fifth film in the long-running horror franchise. Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher, Alyssa Sutherland, and Lily Sullivan star in the film, which was directed by Lee Cronin and produced by Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Robert Tapert.
In Evil Dead Rise, “a road-weary Beth pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie, who is raising three kids on her own in a cramped Los Angeles apartment. The sisters’ reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie’s building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons, and thrusting Beth into a primal battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable.” The sequel opens in theaters on April 21, 2023. | Source: Warner Bros.
Escape from New York Remake Gets New Creative Team
Radio Silence, made up of filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella, will direct the upcoming Escape from New York reboot for 20th Century Studios. John Carpenter will serve as executive producer of the film, which is currently seeking a writer to tackle the script. Radio Silence previously directed the horror titles Ready or Not, Scream (2022), and the upcoming Scream 6. | Source: Deadline
Wind River Getting a Sequel
Castle Rock Entertainment has announced that a sequel to Taylor Sheridan’s 2017 neo-Western thriller Wind River is in the works. Titled Wind River: The Next Chapter, the upcoming film will be directed by Kari Skogland (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) from a script written by screenwriting duo Patrick Massett & John Zinman (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider). Production is scheduled to begin in January 2023.
No word yet on if Jeremy Renner or Elizabeth Olsen will return, but Indigenous actor Martin Sensmeier (Yellowstone) will be back as Chip Hanson, a drug addict whose sister’s death under suspicious circumstances was the inciting incident in the 2017 film. In Wind River: The Next Chapter, “terror has escalated on the Wind River reservation as a series of ritualistic murders remain unsolved. The FBI enlists Chip Hanson, a newly minted tracker for the U.S. Fish & Game, who becomes embroiled in a desperate and dangerous fight between the authorities, a vigilante, and the Reservation he calls home.” | Source: Castle Rock Entertainment
Bert to Direct Moxie
Bert, whose real name is Amber Templemore-Finlayson, will direct Moxie, starring Keke Palmer. The action-comedy film was penned by Heather Quinn and follows “a foul-mouthed stripper who pisses off the FBI in a big way when she somehow becomes the best candidate for their fancy new agent program.” | Source: Deadline
More News to Know
- Yann Demange will direct Marvel Studios’ Blade. He replaces Bassam Tariq, who departed the project in September. Michael Starrbury has also been hired to write a new screenplay for the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film. (THR)
- Paramount Pictures has moved Scream 6 up from March 31 to March 10, 2023 while delaying Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from March 3 to March 31, 2023. Both titles will open in theaters nationwide. (Deadline)
- Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, the extremely low-budget and extremely bloody take on A.A. Milne’s beloved children’s story, will receive a theatrical release, courtesy of Fathom Events. The film will be released in hundreds of U.S. theaters on February 15, 2023 for a one-day event. Blood and Honey will also release in the United Kingdom (through Altitude), Mexico (through Cinemex), and Canada (through Cineplex). (THR)
- Jonah Hill is attached to direct the film Outcome, with Keanu Reeves attached to star. Hill also co-wrote the film’s script with Ezra Woods. (Deadline)
- Channing Tatum is attached to star in the spy thriller Red Shirt, which is based on an original pitch from Simon Kinberg. David Leitch will direct. The film will reportedly be a new spin on James Bond that has franchise potential. (Deadline)
That’s it for the last few weeks. What projects mentioned are you interested in seeing once completed? Tell us in the comments!
