Karl Urban Rumored for 'Aquaman' Villain Role; Noam Murro could Direct

Warner Bros. is already pushing ahead on their post-Batman v Superman roster of films, and the last couple of weeks have seen constant updates on the casting for Suicide Squad.  But they've also got solo movies coming up like 2018's Aquaman film starring Jason Momoa, and today a rumor has surfaced about who could be joining him on both sides of the camera.

Star Trek and Dredd star Karl Urban is reportedly being sought for a supporting role, possibly as the film's villain. Plot details are still under wraps so speculating on who he could play is premature, but if it's the villain the chances are it could be Black Manta or Ocean Master. A director still needs to be nailed down, and there's an update on that as well.

A couple of months ago you may recall that Jeff Nichols (Mud) was mentioned in leaked Sony emails as the movie's director, and Latino Review keeps his name in contention along with 300: Rise of an Empire's Noam Murro. Zack Snyder and Murro have worked together before and could be keen on doing so again.

So what do you think? Momoa vs. Urban? Aquaman will dive into theaters in 2018.

Read More

Sony Leak Possibly Reveals Jeff Nichols as 'Aquaman' Director

It would be one thing if it were only Sony's business getting aired out as part of this hacking scandal, but we're also seeing other studio's plans laid bare. Recently we've heard bits of info about 20th Century Fox's hopes for an X-men/Fantastic Four crossover, and now another leaked email may have revealed the director of Warner Bros.' Aquaman film with Jason Momoa.

According to info dug up by The Daily Beast, Columbia Pictures' Michael de Luca mentioned Jeff Nichols as the director of 2018's Aquaman film. The story doesn't reveal exactly what he said (odd considering this all from emails, right?), so it's hard to gauge just how accurate he may be. Nichols is best known for directing smaller films such as Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, and Mud, all of which starred Michael Shannon, who played Zod in Man of Steel. So there's already a connection there, not to mention Nichols' upcoming sci-fi film Midnight Special (also with Shannon) is under the Warner Bros. umbrella.

Nichols would be an inspired choice and pretty much the polar opposite of everything we've seen from Zack Snyder in that universe thus far. If this turns out to be true, a big "If" at this point, Nichols would join a well-rounded group being assembled with Michelle MacLaren on Wonder Woman and David Ayer on Suicide Squad.

Read More

Ryan Reynolds Does 'Mississippi Grind'; Christopher Plummer Will 'Imagine'; Joel Edgerton Joins Jeff Nichols' Sci-Fi Film

*It looked for awhile like Ryan Reynolds was going to be the next big thing, but that never quite panned out, did it? He's on the comeback trail, though, with the Men in Black-esque R.I.P.D. coming up this summer, and upcoming films directed by Marjane Satrapi and Atom Egoyan. Now he's joining Mississippi Grind, the next project from Half Nelson duo, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden. He'll be replacing the previously cast Jake Gyllenhaal in the story of a struggling gambler facing mounting debt, who teams up with a gambling addict (Reynolds) to try and change his luck by going on a road trip with plans of winning back everything he lost. [Deadline]

*While it's always disappointing when a project loses the talents of the great Michael Caine, replacing him with fellow screen legend Christopher Plummer is definitely a lateral move. That's what has happened on the true life drama, Imagine, with Caine forced to drop out due to scheduling. The film stars Al Pacino as an aging rock 'n roller who discovers an old letter from John Lennon prompting him to slow down and reconnect with the son he never knew. Bobby Cannavale plays the son, with Jennifer Garner as Pacino's daughter-in-law, Annette Bening as a love interest, and Plummer as Pacino's longtime manager. Crazy Stupid Love writer Dan Fogelman is making his directorial debut, with filming set to begin next month. [Deadline]

*Between Shotgun Stories, Mud, and Take Shelter, the combination of filmmaker Jeff Nichols and General Zod...er, Michael Shannon, has proven to be one of the most exciting in the business. Fortunately we won't be seeing them split up any time soon, as we recently learned of an upcoming sci-fi film being set up at Warner Brothers. While details on that remain non-existent, we do know that Joel Edgerton will be starring alongside Shannon. Possibly titled Midnight Special, the film marks Nichols' first stab at a big studio project, so it'll be interesting to see how his style translates with a sizable budget behind it. [Variety]

Read More

Jeff Nichols and Michael Shannon to re-team for a sci-fi chase film

It can probably be said that Michael Shannon has proven to be a good luck charm for Jeff Nichols' career, or perhaps it's the other way around? Shannon has appeared in all three of Nichols' acclaimed features; Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, and Mud, the latter currently in theaters now and has some talking Oscar gold. It's a partnership that's worked to their mutual benefit, even if Nichols is only just now beginning to become a household name. To that end, the big studios have finally begun to ring his phone, as he and Shannon are set to pair up on an untitled sci-fi project.

Nichols will write and direct the film, and while details are scarce, it's said to be a present-day chase set within the science fiction genre. This isn't totally out of Nichols' realm, as there were sci-fi elements to Take Shelter that he was effective at tapping into. Shannon will be seen later this summer in Man of Steel as the evil Kryptonian General Zod.

With the muscle of Warner Bros. backing this one, Nichols may be about to explode. Hopefully his indie sensibilities don't get completely swallowed up.

Read More

First trailer for Jeff Nichols' 'Mud' with Matthew McConaughey

I don't have quite the love for Jeff Nichols' Shotgun Stories as some others, but his Take Shelter is a tough, challenging gem that was sadly overlooked by far too many. The situation seems to playing out in much the same way for his next feature, Mud. The film played the festival run last year, and while it received generally high praise, there's been little buzz surrounding it since. Now that the first trailer is here, that could be about to change.

Matthew McConaughey stars as a fugitive trying to get back to the woman he loves, and becomes friends with two Arkansas boys who help him evade capture. Reese Witherspoon, Tye Sheridan, Michael Shannon, Sarah Paulson, and Sam Shepard lead the cast, but it's McConaughey who many say gave his finest performance of 2012.

Mud plays during the Sundance Film Festival this week, then opens in limited release on April 26th.

Read More

Sure Shots: World War Z; The Bourne Legacy; McConaughey, Witherspoon join Jeff Nichols' Mud

* And here I thought Bryan Cranston was too busy to add anything else to his jam packed schedule? The highly in demand actor just recently had to drop out of Gangster Squad due to time constraints, and yet THR is now reporting he'll have a "small but flashy" role in World War Z. The film stars Brad Pitt and is directed by Marc Forster, detailing the aftermath of a global zombie war.

* With Chris Cooper's Alexander Conklin character is pretty much wormfood and unable to return for The Bourne Legacy, somebody's got to fill the void of the grizzled government beaurucrat with a murky past, and who better to do it than veteran actor Stacy Keach? The Fat City actor will play a role similar to that of the returning Joan Allen and Albert Finney, meaning he'll likely be a part of whatever this new, darker version of Treadstone is. He joins Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Ed Norton, and Oscar Isaac. [Variety]

* Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey have joined the cast of Mud, Jeff Nichols' follow-up to his critically acclaimed festival hit, Take Shelter. McConaughey will play Mud, a fugitive who forges an unlikely friendship with a 14 year old boy determined to help him escape and get back to the woman he loves(Witherspoon). The Tree of Life's Tye Sheridan is said to be up for the role of the kid. Another strong choice for McConaughey, who appears to be turning his career around from playing bare chested dopes. [Deadline]

Read More