Film News: 'Top Gun: Maverick', 'Terminator', 'Triplets' and 'The Grudge'
Three 80's cinematic gems vying for 21st century relevancy and one reboot of another reboot. What can go wrong?
'Top Gun: Maverick' will begin production this summer
If you've been keeping tabs on our ever-evolving Top Gun updates, you know that Paramount has officially green lit the sequel that will feature the return of Cruise's Lieutenant Pete Mitchell along with a host of promising Naval academy pilots including Nick "Goose" (Anthony Edwards) and Carole Bradshaw's (Meg Ryan) now All-American son, Wrigley. His call sign,"Riot".
Omega Underground reports Paramount Studios are eying a July 2018 production date in anticipation of Maverick's 2019 release.
Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski is set to direct, re-teaming with Tom Cruise, whom he directed in 2013's sci-fi Oblivion. "Maverick" is co-written by The Town's screenwriter Peter Craig and The Jungle Book's Justin Marks, and will land in theaters a week after America's Independence Day on July 12, 2019.
Arnold Schwarzenegger talks 'Terminator' at SXSW....
Speaking at Austin's SXSW, the former California Governor gave a brief update on the status of James Cameron's produced Terminator sequel which plans to shoot this summer. As far as a story, Arnold teased plans for the T800 to travel back to the year 2019 to bail Trump out of prison. Okay, so the latter statement is complete fib on Arnold's part but his vision isn't totally off - that is - it's likely we'll see a version of the T800 surface in the sixth installment. Which one?
Earlier this week, sources at The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Blade Runner 2049's Mackenzie Davis is being positioned as the new “centerpiece” of a new trilogy that will serve as a direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). THR confirmed Davis will play a human soldier-assassin who joins forces with Linda Hamilton's Sarah Conner and Arnold's T800 in the endless battle between humans and the machines. Tim Miller (Deadpool) will direct from a script by Billy Ray (Captain Phillips).
Awe-nold Schwarzenegger is still eager to see 'Triplets' see the light of day...
During the same SXSW panel, Arnold gave a brief update on Universal's Triplets, the long stalled sequel to Ivan Reitman's 1988 comedy Twins. While Arnold didn't divulge any new information, the former ‘Governator’ reiterated Triplet's script is complete and Eddie Murphy is still attached to star as the long lost third Benedict twin. Or as Arnold explains in scientific terms “funny thing that happens in the mixing of the sperm.” Gross.
According to Triplet's co-writer Josh Gad, the story finds Julius Benedict (Schwarzenegger) and his brother Vincent (DeVito) somewhat estranged. The two are brought back together by the discovery of a "third heretofore unknown brother", reportedly played by Eddie Murphy. The “heretofore unknown” is very Josh Gad isn’t it? Count me in.
Universal has yet to announce a release date and the studio has not secured a director nor confirmed Murphy's involvement.
Like it or not, Sony's rebooting 'The Grudge', again.
Nicolas Pesce (Eyes of My Mother) is set to write and direct Sony and Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures The Grudge reboot. Yes, the same Ghost House Pictures that produced the THREE American remakes based on Takashi Shimizu 2002 Ju-On: The Grudge series about a vengeful spirit who marks and pursues anybody that dares enter the house in which it resides.
According to Variety, actors Demian Bichir(Alien: Covenant) and Andrea Riseborough (who’s great in everything) are set to star in Ghost House’s reboot. Producer Sam Raimi recently shared “We are so excited about this new adaptation, we went back to the original source material to deliver a relentless supernatural thrill ride that explores the horrors of American suburbia.” Sam, just tell me if there will be a cute, loveable version of Toshio in this American suburbia?
Ghost House Pictures has produced a total of 15 films since the Production company’s debut of 2004’s The Grudge starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Ghost House's Don’t Breathe ('16), Evil Dead (’13), and Drag Me To Hell (’09) All delivered healthy box office returns along with positive critic praise. But if we’re ultimately questioning why The Grudge reboot is even a thing, it really comes down to dollars-and-cents in which 2004's The Grudge yielded a healthy $187 international gross on a $10 million budget; Ghost House’s highest grossing film to date.
Yes, I’m skeptical but I am also a sucker for crab-like crawling and croaking noises. We’ll keep tabs on this one.
