News Round-Up: Star Trek, Fantastic Beasts, Clerks 3, Independence Day 2 and More
News round-up is a compilation of stories, castings and news tidbits that where announced during the week.
JK Rowling Collaborated with Steve Kloves on ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Script
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. head of film production talked about J.K. Rowling‘s script to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, “She’s so talented, and no surprise, she wrote a brilliant screenplay. Also, she had an amazing collaborator in Steve Kloves, who worked on many of the Harry Potter scripts. He’s not writing, but he’s around to help her if she ever needs anything.”
Justin Lin Talks the Story of ‘Star Trek’
Deadline talked to Justin Lin about Star Trek Beyond, and he had a lot of fascinating things to say about where the story could go. “As great as JJ’s films were, there’s still a lot to be mined from these characters,” said Lin. “They haven’t really gone on their five-year mission, so what we experienced in the TV show hasn’t been touched on yet. That sets up an opportunity for exploration and the deeper you go, the more you are examining humanity. Those are the things that I absorbed as a kid and hope to tap into and embrace and celebrate. By the time this movie comes out, Star Trek will have been around for 50 years.”
Simon Pegg Says ‘Star Trek BEYOND’ Shoots This Month
Also, in an interview with the Radio Times, Star Trek Beyond co-writer and star Simon Pegg gave an update on the upcoming sequel. “We started again six months before we were due to start shooting,” said Pegg. “Which is insane! In fact… we start shooting in Vancouver in four weeks – and we’re only handing in our first draft today.”
Kevin Smith Compares ‘Clerks 3’ to Shakespeare
We’re unsure as to exactly when Kevin Smith is going to make Clerks 3, bit it’ll probably be after Mallrats 2. The script is done and Smith spoke with the Hollywood Reporter Smith about the film’s tone in pretty lofty terms. “I wrote Clerks 3 like a King Lear movie,” said Smith. “It’s in a convenience store. It’s funny, but it’s fucking sad.”
Chin Han Joins Cast of ‘Independence Day 2’
Actor Chin Han, who played Lau in The Dark Knight, has been cast in Roland Emmerich‘s Independence Day 2. He revealed the news on his Twitter:
Super excited to officially welcome Chin Han to the cast of #IndependenceDay2 — @rolandemmerich
Disney Working on ‘Sister Act’ Remake
Disney is planning a remake of their 1992 comedy hit Sister Act.Some details of the project are still under wraps but it has been reported that Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah are set to write the script, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It is also worth noting that Whoopi Goldberg, star of the original movie, is not involved with the project at this current time.
Joel McHale to Guest Star on ‘The X-Files’
Joel McHale, leading man from The Community, has signed on as a guest star on Fox’s new six-episode instalment of The X-Files. The show will reunite original stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. McHale will play Tad O’Malley, the anchor of a popular conservative Internet news network who becomes an unlikely ally for Fox Mulder (Duchovny).
michael bay will direct time-travelling sci-fi flick
Michael Bay will direct time-traveling sci-fi movie 'Time Salvager' for Paramount. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian will produce the movie for the Transformers helmer, which is set in a future where the human race has abandoned Earth and colonised the stars.
michael bay and leonardo di Caprio to team-up
The unusual director-actor pairing of Michael Bay and Leonardo DiCaprio will happen with a collaboration between Appian Way and Bay Films. The film will chart the eventful life of Jonathan 'Jacques' Boyer, an American Tour de France rider who moved to Rwanada to train cyclists. The movie is still untitled with no release date scheduled.
Laurence Fishburne might direct Idris Elba in 'The Alchemist'
After 20 years in development hell, an adaptation of Paulo Coelho’s bestselling allegorical novel The Alchemist may well be close to reality. Dealine reports that The Weinstein Co. are in talks with Laurence Fishburne to direct the film, with Idris Elba as the potential star. Fishburne previously owned the film rights to the book, although it’s unclear whether he’s since sold them to the Weinsteins.
