Month: July 2023

Warner Bros. revealed the official trailer for Wonka, the upcoming prequel film to Roald Dahl’s 1964 classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role and directed by Paul King.

According to the official synopsis, “This irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.”

The forthcoming film is billed to be “an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humor,” and will show young Willy Wonka discovering the enchanting world of chocolate. Simon Farnaby and Paul King wrote the screenplay, based on a story by King and characters created by Dahl.  The film also stars Hugh Grant, Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Jim Carter, and Matt Lucas.

Wonka is set to premiere on December 15; take a first look at Chalamet and Grant in the trailer – here.

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Garner is set to reprise her role as the antiheroine Elektra in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Deadpool 3, starring Ryan Reynolds. Production is currently underway on the project, which is a sequel to 2016’s Deadpool and 2018’s Deadpool 2.

Garner portrayed Elektra in 2003’s Daredevil and 2005’s Elektra; THR reports that Garner will have a major role to play in the film, with Reynolds returning as the wise-cracking antihero Deadpool. In addition, Hugh Jackman is set to reprise his role as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 for the first time since 2017’s Logan. 

Deadpool 3 marks a reunion for Garner, Reynolds and director Shawn Levy, who all worked together on the 2022 Netflix movie, The Adam Project.  

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Members of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union are going on strike, after they were unable to reach a deal with producers and studios. Members of SAG-AFTRA will join up with more than 11,000 already striking Writers Guild of America (WGA), with the strike to start at midnight, July 14.

The failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers means film and television productions will immediately come to a halt, essentially shutting down Hollywood; the tandem strike of SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America marks the first of its kind in Hollywood since 1960.

The actors union had already granted one extension to its contract, which was originally set to expire July 1, and said it would not concede another. Hollywood performers were looking to improve wages, working conditions and health and pension benefits, as well as create guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in future television and film productions. Additionally, the union is seeking more transparency from streaming services about viewership so that residual payments can be made equitable to that seen on linear TV.

Fran Drescher, president of the union, said during a press conference Thursday: “We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. It is disgusting. Shame on them … You cannot change the business model as much as it has changed and not expect the contact to change, too.”

The WGA has been on strike since May, and is also seeking higher compensation and residuals, particularly when it comes to streaming shows. The WGA also shares similar concerns over the use of artificial intelligence when it comes to script writing.

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Paramount Pictures shared the final trailer for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, featuring Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell. The trailer hypes up Cruise’s action scenes, including a high-speed car chase and riding a motorcycle off of a cliff.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is written by Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen and directed by McQuarrie, and is the seventh film in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise series. The new movie follows Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, an agent for the fictional Impossible Missions Force (IMF), as he and his team take on “their most dangerous mission yet.” Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga and Henry Czerny also star.

‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ opens in theaters Friday, July 12.  Take a look at the final movie trailer – here.

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences revealed the nominations for the 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards. The Primetime Emmys recognize excellence in American primetime television programming. Actress and comedian Yvette Nicole Brown and Television Academy chair Frank Scherma announced the nominees during a live stream Wednesday.

HBO dominated the nominations, with its drama series Succession leading with 27 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series (Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong), and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Sarah Snook). HBO’s post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us follows with 24 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Pedro Pascal) and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Bella Ramsey). HBO’s The White Lotus is also nominated for 23 awards, while Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso is up for 21.

The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards are scheduled to air Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. For the full list of nominees, head here.

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