April showers bring… cool movie and TV news? I’ll be honest, I didn’t think this intro out too much. We’ve had some cool news drop this week – especially if you’ve been waiting to see some new comic book properties on your screens. Read on below to find the big takeaways from the week of April 7th!
THE BEST
Squirrel Girl: It was announced this week that Marvel and Freeform will be working together on a New Warriors series. Don’t care about the New Warriors? Totally fine – the big piece of news is that Squirrel Girl will be the leader of the team. She’s not linked to the team in comics, so we’re a little confused about the overall concept of the show, but honestly – we’re just excited to see Doreen on screen. (See what we did there?) No word yet on who the actress playing her will be.
Dwayne Johnson: There will be a day when the world has had too much of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but today is not that day. Continuing his partnership with Disney, Johnson will be starring in a live-action adaptation of Walt Disney World’s famous attraction – the Jungle Cruise. Jungle Cruise won’t shoot for a while, but with Johnson’s involvement in the Jumanji reboot – this isn’t too far out of his wheelhouse.
THE WORST
Ghost in the Shell: Aside from bombing at the box office last week (which potentially means a loss of $60 million for Paramount), Ghost in the Shell is in for another controversy. Production I.G. and Kodansha are planning an animated reboot of Ghost in the Shell – specifically, of the film that is considered one of the best theatrically-released anime films of all time. Why we think there’s a need for another reboot? Who knows, but maybe they should take a breather before actually greenlighting this.
The Predator: Speaking of misplaced revivals, Shane Black’s upcoming adaptation of The Predator is officially not approved by the Governator… Arnold Schwarzenegger said this week that he’s read the screenplay, and he’s unimpressed. So much so, in fact, that he passed on a role in the upcoming film. A film so bad that even Arnold won’t do it? Yikes.
STAR POWER
Janet McTeer: If your instinct when you saw that name was to say “who?” Don’t worry, you’re not alone. McTeer has been cast in season two of Jessica Jones in a prominent role, but her character is being kept under wraps. The Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner will have no problem fitting in with the rest of the all-star cast, we’re sure of it.
Stan Lee, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill: The three famous creatives will be honored as Disney Legends this upcoming June at the D23 Expo. The Disney Legends Program is a hall of fame program for those who have made extraordinary contributions to the company. Other honorees include Robin Williams, Jim Henson, and Julie Andrews
John Simms: Whovians rejoice! The actor, best known for playing The Master opposite David Tennant, is returning to Doctor Who for the show’s first multi-master story. We can’t wait!
LOOK OUT FOR:
Wesley Snipes: It’s no Blade reboot, but since Snipes is planning on starring in the upcoming sci-fi thriller Armed Response, we’re still excited to have him on screen. The project will be distributed in North America by Saban Films.
Did we miss your favorite piece of news? Tweet me @AlexKnowsWords to send me a scoop, and to tell me what you want from this weekly column!
