No, 'Batman v Superman' won't be Split into Two Movies

Is there such a thing as a "Friday news dump" for movies like there is in politics? If so, then late Friday's rumor that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would be split into two movies would probably qualify. The story began when this image (via AICN) began making the rounds...

As you can see, it suggests that Batman v Superman would be divided into two parts, with the first titled Enter the Knight opening fairly soon on October 23rd 2015. The second would be Dawn of Justice and open in the original date of March 25th 2016. With the first trailer possibly arriving in front of Jupiter Ascending, this was looking like the time when this news was meant to be revealed to audiences. However, there was a decided lack of proof that this image was legit (the URL below it isn't official), and now Superman himself, Henry Cavill, has told Variety's Ramin Setoodeh there's no truth to any of this.

Henry Cavill says 'Batman v Superman' won't be split into two movies. #BAFTATea
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) January 11, 2015

So there you have it, straight from the Kryptonian's mouth...sorta. 

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Marvel's 'Daredevil' Netflix Series Debuts this April

Marvel-ites your patience has been rewarded. While we've seen a number of images from Marvel's Daredevil Netflix series, and have known it would arrive some time in 2015, the exact date has been kept a tighter secret than the hero's civilian identity. Now as a brand new image of Charlie Cox as the "Man without Fear" has been released, so too have we learned when Netflix subscribers will be able to check the show out.

Daredevil will make its debut on April 10th as part of Netflix's impressive spring season lineup. Based on the Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. run of the long-running Marvel comic, the show also stars Rosario Dawson, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, and Vincent D'Onofrio. Here's the official synopsis followed by a new photo and a rundown of the other shows Netflix will be premiering. 2015 is shaping up to be a huge year for them.

Blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) fights against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the Super Hero “Daredevil” in modern day Hell's Kitchen, New York City. Produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios, with executive producers Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus), Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Drew Goddard (Cabin In The Woods), the series also stars Rosario Dawson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson.

Pasadena, CA, January 7, 2015 -- Netflix, the world's leading Internet TV network, today announced a new ten episode chapter in the adventures of Marco Polo and upcoming premiere dates for some of its highly anticipated new original series.
Marco Polo, the sweeping adventure that follows the famed explorer’s exploits in Kublai Khan’s court in 13th century China, will return to delight the global Netflix audience. Creator John Fusco’s tale of Marco’s journey will continue for 10 all-new episodes as Marco navigates Kublai Khan’s world of greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry. Fusco serves as executive producer along with Dan Minahan. Academy-Award nominated directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg also serve as executive producers. Season one was shot in Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Italy. Produced by The Weinstein Company, the series stars Lorenzo Richelmy as Marco and features Benedict Wong, Joan Chen, Zhu Zhu, Chin Han, Olivia Cheng, Tom Wu, Remy Hii, Uli Latukefu, Mahesh Jadu, Claudia Kim and Rick Yune.  
Netflix also announced upcoming premiere dates for the following new original series, all of which will be available globally upon release in all territories where Netflix is available:
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Friday, March 6, 2015
From creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, this half-hour single-camera comedy series stars Ellie Kemper as Kimmy, who escapes a doomsday cult and decides to reclaim her life and start over in New York City. Armed with just a backpack, light-up sneakers, and a couple of way-past-due library books, Kimmy’s ready to take on a world she didn’t even think existed anymore. Wide-eyed but resilient, nothing is going to stand in her way. The 13-episode series, produced by Universal Television, also stars Jane Krakowski, Tituss Burgess, Carol Kane and more. Fey and Carlock serve as executive producers, along with David Miner and Jeff Richmond.
Bloodline - Friday, March 20, 2015
When the eldest brother and black sheep of the Rayburn family returns home, he exposes the emotional demons that lie at the core of the family, threatening to tear them apart. With a stellar cast headlined by Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, Norbert Leo Butz, Jacinda Barrett, Jamie McShane, Enrique Murciano, Sissy Spacek, and Sam Shepard, the 13-episode series is from executive producers Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler (Damages), and produced by Sony Pictures Television.  
Marvel’s Daredevil - Friday, April 10, 2015
Blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) fights against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the Super Hero “Daredevil” in modern day Hell's Kitchen, New York City. Produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios, with executive producers Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus), Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Drew Goddard (Cabin In The Woods), the series also stars Rosario Dawson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson.
Grace and Frankie - Friday, May 8, 2015
In this irreverent and touching series, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as Grace and Frankie, a pair of frenemies whose lives are turned upside down - and permanently intertwined - when their husbands leave them for each other. Together, they must face starting over in their 70s in a 21st century world. The series also stars Martin Sheen, Sam Waterston, Brooklyn Decker, Ethan Embry, June Diane Raphael and Baron Vaughn. Created by Marta Kauffman (Friends) and Howard J. Morris (Home Improvement), the 13-episode series is produced by Skydance Productions and executive producers Kauffman, Morris, Fonda, Tomlin, Paula Weinstein, David Ellison, David Goldberg and Marcy Ross.

Kids and Family Originals
Netflix continues to expand options for families and kids, working with some of the best creative minds in the space to bring high quality, global animation and live-action series to kids of all ages. In the coming weeks, Netflix will launch new titles including DreamWorks Animation's The Adventures of Puss in Boots (premieres in North America, Latin America, UK/Ireland, the Nordics, Benelux, and France Jan. 16), Ever After High: Spring Unsprung (premieres globally Feb. 6) and the second season of the hit series Mako Mermaids (premieres in North America, Latin America, UK/Ireland, the Nordics and Benelux on Feb 13).

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Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass' 'Bourne 5' Set for July 2016

Sorry Aaron Cross, it was nice to meet you but Jason Bourne is ready to take over again. It took awhile, but Universal was able to lure Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass back to Bourne after going a different route with Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy. That film is due to get a sequel at some point...maybe, but for now all of the attention is on Damon and Greengrass, with a 2016 release date now set in stone.

The "Untitled Next Bourne Chapter" (huh??) is set to open on July 29th 2016, but the big news is that Damon and Greengrass will co-write the script with Christopher Rouse. Rouse has been a frequent collaborator with Greengrass, editing all of his films since The Bourne Ultimatum. This will be the first film in the franchise not to have any involvement by Tony Gilroy, who you may remember got ripped by Damon for his last "unreadable" Bourne script.

So where does this Bourne film go? Damon and Greengrass are two savvy political guys, and their hands-on involvement with the screenplay means we can expect something current and extremely topical.

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Release Date set for 'Star Trek 3' which Roberto Orci won't be Writing

When does Paramount go ahead and  completely do away with Roberto Orci's involvement with Star Trek 3? A few weeks ago he was removed as director of the film, which the studio is trying to have ready by the franchise's 50th anniversary celebration in 2016. That's a pretty big move to make with such a time crunch, and the rumors were that Orci's screenplay, written along with J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, was the big problem. Now that Justin Lin has been brought on to replace him, Orci has revealed just how far his current involvement with the film goes, just as Paramount is feeling confident enough to set a firm release date.

First up, Star Trek 3 will beam into theaters on July 8th 2016. The sequel to Star Trek into Darkness is still untitled and apparently has some script issues to be ironed out. While making one of his frequent comments on the TrekMovie.com site, Orci revealed he's no longer writing the screenplay, saying...

""I'm producing. Nothing more or less."

But does that mean McKay and Payne are out, as well? The rumored plotline would have involved time travel, Vulcans, and a possible encounter with William Shatner as Captain Kirk. That all may be out the window now, but Orci still gets testy when longtime fans ask him about the decision to play with time travel and alternate timelines in the Star Trek universe. He replied to one commenter's question with....

“Stop blaming [Bad Robot]. It was my idea so that you would not know what was gonna happen next. Nothing more or less. I stand behind it. And it, again, is the reason why I make movies and you don’t.”

Orci's had a bad run of luck lately and it may be getting the better of him. Maybe it would be a good idea not to hang around the Star Trek message boards? 

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Another Universal Monster Franchise Film Coming in 2017

When Universal revealed they were attempting to build their own Marvel-style shared universe centered on the classic movie monsters, it was mostly met with a shrug. Every studio is trying to pull off the same trick, it seems, so it no longer comes as much of a surprise even if expectations for it were incredibly low. But the first film in the franchise, Dracula Untold, has done pretty well with over $180M worldwide, and now Universal is adding another monster into the mix.

Producers Chris Morgan and Alex Kurtzman are developing an Untitled Universal Monster Franchise Film to be released April 27th 2017. This would be the second film in the connected universe after 2016's The Mummy, which Kurtzman is planning to direct from a script co-written by Jon Spaihts and Billy Ray. So which monster will this new film center on? No clue. It could be Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, maybe even the Creature from the Black Lagoon, none of which sound especially appealing. Here's the official statement released by Universal:

A new epic action-adventure in a series produced and overseen by the creative team of Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek series) and Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious series), the UNTITLED UNIVERSAL MONSTER FRANCHISE FILM will follow The Mummy in their new initiative to revive and reimagine Universal’s classic monsters for a modern audience.

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Prepae to 'Hail, Caesar!' with the Coen Brothers in February 2016

The Coen Brothers' next film Hail, Caesar! has been in the works for a few years, originally intended as part of their "Numbskull Trilogy" of George Clooney-led comedies. Now that it's finally gotten underway, Universal Pictures has given it an official release date, but you're going to have to wait awhile for it.  Hail, Caesar! will hit theaters on February 5th 2016, which should instantly mark it as the crown jewel of the typically weak early season. 

Starring Clooney, Josh Brolin, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Tilda Swinton, and Ralph Fiennes, the film is set in the 1950s and follows a Hollywood fixer. But why explain all of that when we've got a brand new synopsis that does a much better job?

About HAIL, CAESAR!
Four-time Oscar^®-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, True Grit,Fargo) write and direct HAIL, CAESAR!, an all-star comedy set during the latter years of Hollywood's Golden Age. Starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson and Jonah Hill, HAIL, CAESAR! follows a single day in the life of a studio fixer who is presented with plenty of problems to fix. The comedy is produced by the Coen brothers under their Mike Zoss Productions banner, with Working Title Films and Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan.

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Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool Movie Finally Confirmed; Targets February 2016 Release

So you thought 20th Century Fox and Marvel would finally get their crap together on that Deadpool movie which has been brewing for years? You'd be forgiven for thinking that, as the film based on the popular Merc with a Mouth hasn't moved much despite Ryan Reynolds, Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and director Tim Miller championing their R-rated feature. When some test footage leaked a few months ago it only got fans salivating more, and it's largely for that reason the film is now moving forward with a February 12th 2016 release date.

Deadpool got his start in the pages of Marvel's X-force comic (that team has a movie coming, too) and back then (when I dug him most) he was a badass assassin who ran his mouth way too much. He was funny but merciless, although lately he's portrayed more as a comedy character who wants desperately to be a hero. Those unfamiliar with him will recognize Deadpool from the terrible X-men Origins: Wolverine, again portrayed by Reynolds, but that version is NOT any Deadpool fans recognize. Fortunately the one that will be seen now will be closer to the comic, meaning he'll be breaking the fourth wall and probably making fun of how badly he was portrayed before.

Will we see Deadpool as part of Bryan Singer's X-men: Apocalypse which comes out later that same year? Probably not as the Deadpool script has been out there for awhile. Then again that was before the resurgence of Fox's X-men franchise.

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'Serena' with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper "Makes No Sense"; Gets Early 2015 Release

When tracking movies every day you start to get a sense for when a project is shaping up to be a dud. Sometimes there are production headaches, a veritable army of screenwriters trying to get the script right, or a game of musical chairs when it comes to casting. But the greatest indicator of a flop in the making is when a studio seems to be averse to releasing the completed film at all, and that's what happened with Serena, Susanna Bier's buzzworthy drama starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, which is now set for a release early next year after being a no-show on any schedule for quite some time.

So when you see the words "early next year" you know that means the first two or three months of 2015, generally regarded as a cinematic dumping ground. Magnolia Pictures picked up the rights to the film some time ago and have done nothing with it in the two years since shooting wrapped. Serena was shot after Lawrence and Cooper's Silver Linings Playbook and before American Hustle, to get a sense for how long it's been sitting idle. A U.K. release was planned for next month after a premiere at BFI London Film Festival, which is when the first reviews should start rolling out and chances are they will be harsh. THR cites sources that say the film was passed over by multiple distributors before Magnolia took over, with one saying "The film was so edited, it made no sense." Another ripped the performances, calling them "uneven, particularly Lawrence's [descent into madness]." Ouch.

And yet, I still firmly believe the movie will do well if only because of the stars involved. Let's not forget the turmoil World War Z encountered but largely due to the presence of Brad Pitt it became one of last year's biggest hits. Plus, Serena shouldn't have a lot of competition to deal with at that time of year.

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John Woo Reveals First Footage from Sweeping Romance Drama 'The Crossing'

So where has John Woo been lately? Certainly he hasn't been doing much in Hollywood over the last decade, and it's probably no coincidence he's been doing some of the best work in his career. His Han Dynasty epic Red Cliff should have won Best Picture back in '08, and his wuxia film Reign of Assassins is one of the finest in the genre. Woo's next film is The Crossing, a sweeping two-part romance epic due out later this year, and now we have the first footage from it, along with some new posters and images.

Starring Zhang Ziyi and Song Hye-kyo of The Grandmaster, Huang Xiamoing (Ip Man 2), and Takeshi Kaneshiro (Red Cliff), the story takes place in 1949 during the Chinese Revolution, following three as they try to flee China for Taiwan. Lust, Caution writer Wang Hui-ling penned the script and it appears to be cut from the same cloth, although with the sinking of the ship Taiping at the story's center there are much larger set pieces involved.

Hopefully a proper trailer is on the way. The first part of The Crossing opens in 3D in China on December 2nd, with the second some time in 2015.  No word on a U.S. release yet. [Variety]

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Quentin Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' Confirmed for Fall 2015 Release

While the recent footage-free teaser for Quentin Tarantino's western The Hateful Eight didn't offer up much, it did come with two notable details. The film would definitely be shot in "glorious 70mm" like any true film fanatic would want; and the movie would be arriving in 2015. With Kurt Russell and Tarantino himself suggesting that filming would begin early next year for a possible awards season run, a press released by The Weinstein Company has now confirmed it.

Shooting on the once-troubled film is to begin next January for release in the fall, although a specific date was not revealed. Not only that, but the announcement touted it as "the widest 70mm release in over 20 years", which is reason enough to get excited.  Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master was shot using the format but obviously a Tarantino film will gulf that one in scope and rollout. 

Still nothing on the cast but it's expected many of those who participated in the live table read will reprise their roles.  That would include Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, and Bruce Dern. Recently, however, rumors surfaced that Jennifer Lawrence was being sought for the role previously read for by Amber Tamblyn. Evan Rachel Wood, Geena Davis and Hilary Swank are also said to be up for roles but nothing has been made official. Expect that to change soon with production looming.

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'How to Train your Dragon 3' Pushed Back to 2017

It was a bit of a tougher slog on the domestic front for Dreamworks' How to Train Your Dragon 2, which got out of the gates slow and failed to surpass the stateside numbers of the hit 2010 film. But internationally was a whole different story and Hiccup's latest adventure really hit with audiences, surpassing the $600M mark worldwide over Labor Day weekend. And Dreamworks, perhaps guessing the best time to drop some bad news is in the midst of some good news, has revealed that the next film has been pushed back considerably.

How to Train Your Dragon 3, which had been set for June 17th 2016, has been bumped an entire year to June 9th 2017. No reason was given for the move but perhaps they were looking to escape Pixar's Finding Dory, which they would have gone head-to-head. Their new date is free of competition at this point but scoring a strong second week's box office may be tough as one of Pixar's mystery films is slated for June 16th 2017.

Dean DeBlois, who wrote and directed the first two movies, will be back for How to Train Your Dragon 3 along with all of the original voice cast.

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New Look at Jennifer Lawrence in 'Serena', is a U.S. Release Date Coming?

The other day while working on an episode of Cinema Royale, I had a conversation with my producer +David Johnson about the movie Serena, which seemingly has all the ingredients to be a major hit.The Depression-era drama is helmed by acclaimed director Susanne Bier (After the Wedding, In a Better World), and stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in their first effort post Silver Linings Playbook. And yet more than two years after production wrapped the film has been gathering dust with hardly a peep about it. What's the deal? Well all of the sudden it has a release date in the U.K., and hopes of an eventual U.S. debut have been stirred up once again.

Stylist has revealed a new image of Lawrence in the film, along with news Serena will hit U.K. theaters on October 24th. That's not far away at all and with StudioCanal revealing more European dates soon it will be odd for the film not to hit our shores. But that's up to Magnolia who have had U.S. distribution rights for months. So what's the big deal? Does the film stink? The talent involved would seem to refute the idea of a such a thing. But even if it is terrible the combo of Lawrence and Cooper would seem to guarantee it as a box office draw.

Whatever is going on this is definitely a step in the right direction. Maybe we'll get lucky and it will turn up at one of the late season festivals? Here's the official synopsis for Serena:

North Carolina mountains at the end of the 1920s - George and Serena Pemberton, love-struck newly-weds, begin to build a timber empire. Serena soon proves herself to be equal to any man: overseeing loggers, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving a man's life in the wilderness. With power and influence now in their hands, the Pembertons refuse to let anyone stand in the way of their inflated love and ambitions. However, once Serena discovers George's hidden past and faces an unchangeable fate of her own, the Pemberton's passionate marriage begins to unravel leading toward a dramatic reckoning.

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'Godzilla' Sequel Gets 2018 Release Date

One of the clever announcements made at Comic-Con had Gareth Evans, apparently on set filming sequences for his upcoming Star Wars spinoff, confirming that he would be returning to direct Godzilla. The film stomped its way to $500M this year and a sequel was green lit faster than Godzilla can spit atomic fire. With Edwards busy for awhile one thing we knew was that it would be some ways off, and now we know Godzilla 2 will be hitting theaters in four years.

Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. will deliver their Godzilla sequel on June 18th 2018, which puts it up against one of Pixar's mystery films. What we know is that Godzilla will be facing some of his classic enemies with  Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah expected to appear and cause some havoc. Whether Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen can find time in their busy Marvel schedule to return is unclear. The two are set to star in next year's Avengers: Age of Ultron.

One has to wonder if tripling up Godzilla's foes is a way of quieting those who felt the last film lacked enough action. Plus, with Legendary Pictures also gearing up the King Kong prequel Skull Island, there's a good chance a Godzilla vs. King Kong movie will happen.

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*UPDATE* Poster for Quentin Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' Promises 2015 Release

 *Updated with the real thing!!*

Many are calling this image found by FilmDivider the "first poster" for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, but it just looks like a full-page ad to me. The image will be featured in next week's issue of Empire Magazine, which is odd because to the best of our knowledge the film isn't even in production yet.

But maybe that's not truly the case? Kurt Russell, who had a part in the live read of the script earlier this year, recently stated production would begin early next year, and Tarantino seemed to confirm that over the weekend. Perhaps Tarantino has done more work on the film behind the scenes than he's been letting on if he's confident enough to start promoting it so early. The ad promises a "special roadshow engagement" for 2015 in Cinemascope, so it sounds like Tarantino's plan to shoot in 70mm is still very much in place.

Specially calling it a "special" engagement doesn't necessarily mean we'll get a full theatrical release next year, but if we do it will likely be very late. Possibly it could arrive in December just in time to qualify for the Oscars. We'll just have to wait and see but 2015 is shaping up to be a very interesting one for Tarantino fans, especially if his Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair gets the theatrical and home video release he's hoping for.

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'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' to Set Sail in 2017...Probably

Whether you asked for it or not, Disney is going to give you another Pirates of the Caribbean...eventually. The fifth film in the franchise, subtitled 'Dead Men Tell No Tales' was originally supposed to come out in summer 2015 but it was delayed once pretty significantly, and now they've set a date that possibly will stick: July 7th 2017.

Presumably Kon-Tiki directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg will stick around that long, and why wouldn't they? This is their first crack at the big time and working on a 'Pirates' film with Johnny Depp is a sure way to become household names. Despite having the smallest domestic gross of the franchise, 2011's 'On Stranger Tides' still cleared over $1B worldwide due to the international world's continued interest in Jack Sparrow.

Depp will keep plenty busy until then with the Whitey Bulger biopic, Black Mass; Disney's musical fairy tale Into the Woods; a sequel to Alice in Wonderland, and the offbeat adventure film, Mortdecai.

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Cameron Crowe's Next Film with Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone Moves to 2015

Considering it doesn't even have a title and we really haven't seen much of it despite being in the works for years, Cameron Crowe's next film evacuating its Christmas Day slot and moving to 2015 shouldn't come as a surprise. But it has less to do with the movie not being ready and more to do with the crowded slate this holiday season and there being a better slot in the summer.

Sony has moved Crowe's comedy, formerly titled Deep Tiki, to May 29th 2015. Even with a powerhouse cast of Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, Emma Stone, Bill Murray, and more, there was simply too much crowding on that date with Unbroken, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Paddington, Unbroken, Selma, and Tim Burton's Big Eyes opening. Next year it faces much softer competition in Insidious Chapter 3 and Monster Trucks, hardly world beaters. The film takes place in Hawaii and follows a military contractor who returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs — the U.S. Space program in Honolulu, Hawaii — where he reconnects with a long-ago love while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog assigned to him. In play is a complex satellite system being launched by an enigmatic billionaire with suspicious intentions. 

Jeff Blake, Sony's Chairman of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution agrees with the move, saying “Once we saw the film, we knew that it would make a perfect summer release. The movie is Cameron at his best." [TheWrap]

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'The Conjuring' Spinoff 'Annabelle' Gets October Release

Killer dolls are back in style! Early in James Wan's spooky The Conjuring we meet Annabelle, a possessed doll the Warrens (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) were keeping safe in their basement. That room held a number of objects that have been touched by evil supernatural forces, and we're about to learn of Annabelle's origins in a new spinoff film, and it's headed to theaters just in time for Halloween.

Warner Bros. and New Line have set an October 3rd release date for Annabelle, which puts it up against another thriller in David Fincher's Gone Girl.  Wan will produce with The Conjuring cinematographer John Leonetti taking over as director. Annabelle Wallis (W.E.), Ward Horton and Alfre Woodard will star in the film which will probably tell the "true" story of the real Annabelle doll Ed & Lorraine Warren discovered.  You can take a look at how the actual doll looked below, and it's quite a departure from what we saw on the screen...

A sequel to The Conjuring is also in the works which will have Wilson and Farmiga reprising their roles.

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Rick Santorum's Hobby Lobby Film 'One Generation Away' Gets September Date

Only a few hours have passed since the Constitutional monarchs Supreme Court hammered home their anticipated decision on the Hobby Lobby case, stating that "closely held" corporations can limit or refuse contraceptive care for women in their health care plans on religious grounds. As expected, the decision (handed down by five people with penises) was controversial and split down ideological lines with one side calling it another shot in the war on women, and the other calling it religious freedom or some other nonsense. And it's former Presidential candidate and Internet laughingstock Rick Santorum who believes so much this was a big win for religious liberty that he's helped make a movie about it.

You may recall that some time ago Santorum, who famously said he doesn't really give a crap about helping black people and now apparently doesn't care about women either, became the CEO of EchoLight Studios with a plan to make faith-based movies. It's a booming genre right now and Santorum will get in on it this fall with the release of docudrama, One Generation Away: The Erosion Of Religious Liberty, which has now been dated for September 1st. Directed by Ken Carpenter, the film will focus on seven cases in U.S. courts where poor, oppressed Christians have had their religious freedom stolen from them by that guy throwing all those hip-hop BBQs in the White House. One of the stories chronicled is on the Hobby Lobby case and considering the recent decision it should provide the film a pretty significant boost.

Here's what EchoLight President Jeff Sheets had to say, presumably while resting his feet up on his wife's back....

“One Generation Away clearly presents the complex perspective on important issues, like the recent Hobby Lobby case, that your average Christian American doesn’t think about every day. We hope to bring more attention to the critical times we are facing, and help Americans open their eyes to the reality that we are indeed closer than ever before to losing the religious freedoms that our ancestors so bravely fought to obtain.”

Right. So if you're someone who feels that Christians really have it too tough these days, this movie is for you. Check out the trailer below, it looks pretty craptacular.

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J.J. Abrams Still Pushing for May 2016 Release Date for 'Star Wars: Episode VII'?

If you manage to get through the slog of nothing that is Latino Review's latest rumor in regards to Star Wars: Episode VII, what you'll find is one very basic point; one they could have made in about three sentences. And basically that point is J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy really want to see the film moved to May 4th 2016, as they had been requesting some months ago. This comes on the heels of Harrison Ford's injury and rumors saying Oscar Isaac's role was being turned up a notch as a result, assuming the production isn't delayed considerably.

Any talk of a delay has been shot down by Disney, and apparently CEO Bob Iger continues to refuse the idea of moving from the December 18th 2015 release date. So has this disagreement over scheduling caused any behind-the-scenes friction? Latino Review certainly think so, going so far as to say the hiring of Rian Johnson for Star Wars: Episode VIII is the result. But there's nothing to support that now, and it's worth mentioning that everybody at Disney seems to be trying to figure out the best way to get the movie done right.

Besides, do we really want Star Wars, Captain America 3, and Batman v Superman arriving all within days of one another in May 2016? Disney certainly doesn't.

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'Pacific Rim' Sequel Set for 2017, Preceded by Animated Series

This is turning out to be one epic day for fans of giant robots slugging it out on the big screen. Right now audiences should be sitting down to take in Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction, which will probably bank a cool $1B for Paramount. And over on the Universal lot they have just confirmed what fans were hoping for, that Guillermo Del Toro would get a sequel to Pacific Rim.

After revealing a few weeks ago that he and Zak Penn were working on a Pacific Rim 2 script in hopes it would be green lit, the studio has now slotted the film for April 7th 2017. There aren't any plot details yet but we can probably expect new Jaeger designs, bigger Kaiju, and the return of Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi. Del Toro tells Buzzfeed...

“The characters I love will return. Raleigh, Mako, Newt, Gottlieb and who knows, maybe even Hannibal Chau – but we are taking them into a fresh territory that will display amazing sights and battles. The first film set the stage and now we’re ready to have a blast.”

There will also be a Pacific Rim animated series arriving some time before the sequel. More details on that when it becomes available. I'm sure our own +Julian Lytle is doing backflips right now.

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