Jennifer Lopez And Armie Hammer Set To Star In Action-Comedy ‘Shotgun Wedding’

Jennifer Lopez has never been known as a great actress, but her recent performance in the award-winning film ‘Hustlers‘ has people wondering if she’s finally found something.

And it looks like her next shot to prove her acting skills are improving will be in the action-comedy, Shotgun Wedding. Armie Hammer will co-star in the movie, which is being directed by Pitch Perfect’s Jason Moore.

The film follows Darcy (Lopez) and Tom (Hammer), who gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding just as the couple begin to get cold feet. And if that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage.

I suppose it sounds interesting enough. The script was written by Mark Hammer and Liz Meriwether. Hammer wrote the indie flick ‘Two Night Stand‘ back in 2014. Meriwether created the hit comedy series New Girl.

Production is expected to begin early next year, so depending on how quickly they move, it could be released in late 2021 or early 2022.

‘Black-ish’ Creator Kenya Barris Set To Direct Richard Pryor Biopic

If you don’t know Richard Pryor’s comedy, you should probably hit up YouTube and watch some old clips. He was one of the greats, and most living comedians will cite him as their inspiration.

And now he’s getting a biopic. Kenya Barris (Black-ish) is set to direct a feature film about the stand up comedian. MGM has purchased worldwide rights to the movie following a bidding war.

It’ll be Barris’ feature film directorial debut:

The movie is centering on the life and times of Pryor, one of the most influential comedians of all time. Over the course of his career, Pryor appeared in over 50 movies, headlined the series ‘The Richard Pryor Show”’ and ‘Pryor’s Place,’ and wrote for TV shows including ‘Sanford and Sons.’

The movie doesn’t have a title yet, but we do know that Barris is very passionate about this project.

He released a statement talking about the impact of Pryor’s work…

The way Pryor did what he did — with truth and specificity that was somehow self-aware and self-deprecating, and said with an unmatched level of vulnerability — that was the power and impact of his work.

Pryor had a voice that was distinctly his and, in many ways, comedy since then has been derivative of what he created. To me, this is a film about that voice, the journey that shaped it, and what it took for it to come to be.

No word on when production will take place, but we’ll keep you posted.

Watch Eric Bana In The First Trailer For Mystery Thriller ‘The Dry’

One “good” thing about Hollywood being forced to slow down is that we are now seeing more and more trailers for smaller films getting attention. It was beginning to be just one superhero film after the other, but now more indie productions are getting attention.

Roadshow Films just released the first trailer for the Eric Bana-starring film adaptation of Jane Harper’s thriller novel, The Dry.

In the movie, Bana plays Australian Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk.

When he returns to his home town after an absence of over twenty years to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, who allegedly killed his wife and child before taking his own life – a victim of the madness that has ravaged this community after more than a decade of drought. When Falk reluctantly agrees to stay and investigate the crime, he opens up an old wound – the death of 17- year-old Ellie Deacon. Falk begins to suspect these two crimes, separated by decades, are connected.

Okay, so that description is a little confusing, but hopefully the movie does a better job of explaining the story.

In addition to Bana, this film stars Genevieve O’ReillyMatt Nable, and James Frecheville

Check out the trailer below. It’s set to hit theaters in Australia on January 1, 2021. No US release date has been announced yet.

Idris Elba’s ‘Concrete Cowboy’ Film Lands Deal With Netflix, Set For 2021 Release

Back in September, Idris Elba’s urban western ‘Concrete Cowboy’‘ debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.

And now, just one month later, it’s been revealed that Netflix has picked up the film for distribution. No official release date has been announced, but it’s expected to come in 2021.

The film stars Elba and ‘Stranger Things‘ star Caleb McLaughlin.

It follows 15-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin), who discovers the world of urban horseback riding when his mother sends him to live with his estranged father, Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia

Clifford ‘Method Man’ Smith, Lorraine Toussaint and Jharrel Jerome also star in the film.

By the way, if you’re wondering how McLaughlin felt going from Stranger Things to working with Idris Elba on a feature film…well, he was understandably a little nervous.

I definitely was intimidated coming onto set because I wanted to be on my A-game. I look up to Idris and all of his work; he’s a seasoned actor and everything. But he made me feel very comfortable being on the set and communicating and the dynamics between the father and son relationship. It was a lot of fun working with him.

Can’t wait to watch this film!

Scarlett Johansson Set To Star In “Genre-Bending” Film ‘Bride’ For Apple TV+ And A24

Scarlett Johansson is now locked in to her next big project. According to multiple reports this week, the 35-year-old actress is set to star in (and produce) the upcoming film, Bride.

It’s being described as a “genre-bending” film from director Sebastian Lelio, the director behind films like Gloria and A Fantastic Woman.

The plot follows a woman created to be an ideal wife — the singular obsession of a brilliant entrepreneur. When she rejects her creator, she’s forced to flee her confined existence, confronting a world that sees her as a monster. It is on the run that she finds her true identity, her surprising power, and the strength to remake herself as her own creation.

Sounds a bit like some sort of Westworld/Her mashup, but it also sounds unique enough to stand on its own. And having Johansson star as the “ideal wife” is a pretty safe bet.

Lelio is writing the script for this film with Rebecca Angelo and Lauren Schuker Blum. No word on a potential release date, but given that they’re still working on the script, it might be a minute.

We will keep you posted.

It’s Official! Chante Adams Will Star Opposite Michael B. Jordan In Denzel Washington-Directed Film ‘Journal for Jordan’

It’s been a long search, trying to find Michael B. Jordan’s co-star in the upcoming film ‘Journal for Jordan‘ but it looks like they’ve finally found her.

According to a new report, Chante Adams (The Photograph) has landed the female lead role.

Denzel Washington is set to direct the project, which is based on Dana Canedy’s best-selling memoir, which was published back in 2008.

The film tells the true story of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Canedy’s love affair with First Sergeant Charles Monroe King. King kept a journal full of poignant life lessons for their newborn son Jordan while deployed overseas. He was killed in Iraq in 2006 when Jordan was just seven months old, but his spirit lives on in his messages of love to Dana and Jordan.

Adams will, of course, be playing Canedy in the feature film. No word on when this film might begin production, but now that they’ve found their female lead, we’re assuming they’ll move fairly quickly.

In the meantime, you can catch Adams in the just released Hulu film, Bad Hair.

Watch The Great Sarah Paulson In New Trailer For Thriller Film ‘Run’

Initially set for a May 8 release date inside theaters, the thriller ‘Run’ has found a new home and release date. The film, which is from the same crew behind the inventive ‘Searching‘ movie, was picked up by Hulu.

And instead of being released inside theaters, it’ll now be available to stream on November 20.

To celebrate, Hulu released a brand new trailer. Run stars Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen as mother and daughter.

There’s something unnatural, even sinister about the relationship between Chloe (Allen) and her mom, Diane (Paulson). Diane has raised her daughter in total isolation, controlling every move she’s made since birth, and there are secrets that Chloe’s only beginning to grasp.

Paulson gives every performance 100%, so you know she’s going to bring it, and the horror/thriller genre is her specialty, so she should be at her best.

Check out the trailer below…

Watch Tom Hanks In Trailer For Western Drama ‘News of the World’

2020 has pushed most all films back until 2021, but the upcoming Tom Hanks’ western drama ‘News of the World’ promises a 2020 release inside theaters.

The film stars Hanks as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd in a post Civil War America. The story is based on Paulette Jiles’ 2016 novel of the same name.

Captain Kidd (Hanks) moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news of presidents and queens, glorious feuds, devastating catastrophes and gripping adventures from the far reaches of the globe.

The trailer is beautifully shot, and the story appears to be intriguing enough, plus..IT’S TOM HANKS! How can you not see a movie starring Tom Hanks?

News of the World is set to hit theaters on Christmas Day, so we’ll see how that goes. I imagine most people will be closed up in their homes having a small celebration with their families.

But perhaps there will be more people alone this year, which might allow them the freedom to go watch a movie on Christmas afternoon.

Check out the trailer below…

HOLD THE PHONE! ‘Fast & Furious’ Franchise Coming To An End After Fast & Furious 11

You know, I’ve been rolling my eyes at all this, “It’s the end of the world” talk, but I’m starting to believe it.

Why? Because the Fast & Furious franchise is finally coming to an end. It was announced this week that Universal is planning on ending the Fast & Furious core film franchise with two final movies.

Justin Lin, who is currently in post-production on F9, is in talks to direct the final two installments.

Deadline reports:

It’s early days on when this will begin production but it seems likely they will tell a big story over two films that will focus on franchise patriarch Vin Diesel and bring back Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang.

Sounds like it’ll be one of those situations where they film both movies at the same time, which is something that’s been happening more often in Hollywood.

F9 — which is the fifth film in the franchise directed by Lin and which premieres next Memorial Day — continues the storyline of the core cast and Charlize Theron, and adds John Cena, Helen Mirren, Grammy-winner Cardi B and Reggaeton star Ozuna.

No word on when the 11th and final film might be released, but let’s hope they can get it out there before Vin Diesel somehow convinces the studio to sign on for 20 more.

That ‘Candyman’ Reboot? Well, It’s Still Coming! Check Out The New Release Date Inside!

Remember way back in February when the first trailer for the ‘Candyman‘ reboot was released? People were hyped. The trailer was outstanding and did a good job of not giving too much away.

At the time, the movie was supposed to be released on June 12, but due to the pandemic, the film was pushed back to September. And then when September didn’t work, Universal removed it from its release calendar.

The film’s director made it clear that this film was made to be seen in theaters, and they would not be going down the VOD route.

Not just for the spectacle but because the film is about community and stories — how they shape each other, how they shape us. It’s about the collective experience of trauma and joy, suffering and triumph, and the stories we tell around it.

Now a month or so later, Universal has decided on a new release date, August 27, 2021.

Hopefully that’s a safe enough date. Ideally, we’ll be somewhat back to normal by then. If we’re not, then…well, I don’t know. I think we might all be in a much darker place.

But for now, distract yourself by watching the great Candyman trailer again…