Comic-Con 2015 – Suicide Squad, X-Men 8, Sherlock, Warcraft and more

The San Diego Comic-Con of 2015 has arrived in style with some of the biggest announcements of the year. We’ll roundup some of the biggest events of film’s biggest weekend.

Film: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
Panelists: Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss, Silver Linings Playbook), Liam Hemsworth (Gale, The Expendables 2), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta, Escobar: Paradise Lost), Willow Shields (Primrose, Beyond the Blackboard), Francis Lawrence (director, I am Legend), Nina Jacobson (producer, One Day), Conan O’Brien (superfan)
Release: November 2015

Show: Doctor Who season 9
Panelists: Peter Capaldi (The Doctor, In the Loop), Jenna Coleman (Clara, Death Comes to Pemberly), Michelle Gomez (Missy, Green Wing), Steven Moffatt (writer, Sherlock)
Release: September 2015

Show: Sherlock season 3.5
Panelists: Rupert Graves (Lestrade, The White Queen), Steven Moffatt (writer, Doctor Who), Sue Vertue (producer, Coupling)
Release: December 2015

Film: Rock the Kasbah
Panelists: Bill Murray (Ghost Busters), Bruce Willis (Die Hard), Zooey Deschanel (Elf), Danny McBride (This is the End), Kate Hudson (Almost Famous), Scott Caan (Ocean’s Eleven), Mitch Glazer (producer, Magic City)
Release: October 2015

Shows: Agents of SHIELD season 3, Agent Carter season 2
Panelists: Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter, Testament of Youth), James D’Arcy (Edwin Jarvis, Cloud Atlas), Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson, Much Ado About Nothing), Chloe Bennett (Daisy Johnson, Nashville), Brett Dalton (Grant Ward, Beyond Still Water), Ming-Na Wen (Melinda May, Mulan), Iain De Caestecker (Leo Fitz, In Fear), Elizabeth Henstridge (Gemma Simmons, Delicacy), Nick Blood (Lance Hunter, Babylon), Adrianne Palicki (Bobbi Morse, John Wick), Henry Simmons (Alpohnso McKenzie, No Good Deed), Luke Mitchell (Lincoln Campbell, The Tomorrow People), Jeph Loeb (producer, Heroes)
Release: September 2015 and January 2016 respectively.

Film: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Panelists: John Boyega (Finn, Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Rey, Toast of London), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron, A Most Violent Year), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren, Girls), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux, Ex Machina), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma, Game of Thrones), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker, Arkham City), Carrie Fisher (Leia Solo, When Harry Met Sally), Harrison Ford (Han Solo, Blade Runner), Kathleen Kennedy (producer, Jurassic Park), Lawrence Kasdan (writer, Raiders of the Lost Ark), JJ Abrams (writer/director, Star Trek Into Darkness)
Release: December 2015

Film: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Panelists: Lily James (Elizabeth Bennett, Cinderella), Bella Heathcote (Jane Bennett, Dark Shadows), Sam Riley (Mr Darcy, One the Road), Douglas Booth (Mr Bingley, Noah), Jack Huston (Mr Whickham, American Hustle), Matt Smith (Mr Collins, Doctor Who), Ben Sturr (writer/director, 17 Again), Seth Grahame Smith (author, Dark Shadows)
Release: February 2016

Film: Crimson Peak
Panelists: Mia Wasikowska (Edith Cushing, Stoker), Tom Hiddleston (Thomas Sharpe, Avengers Assemble), Jessica Chastain (Lucille Sharpe, Interstellar), Guillermo Del Toro (writer/director, Pacific Rim)
Release: October 2015

Film: Warcraft
Panelists: Ben Foster (Medivh, Lone Survivor), Paula Patton (Garona, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol), Dominic Cooper (Llane Wrynn, Captain America: The First Avenger), Travis Fimmel (Anduin Lothar, Vikings), Daniel Wu (Gul’dan, The Man With the Iron Fists), Clancy Brown (Blackhand, The Shawshank Redemption), Ben Schnetzer (Khadgar, Pride), Toby Kebbell (Durotan, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Duncan Jones (director, Source Code)
Release: June 2016

Film: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
Panelists: Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne, Argo), Henry Cavill (Clark Kent, The Man From UNCLE), Gal Gadot (Diana Prince, Fast & Furious), Amy Adams (Lois Lane, American Hustle), Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor, The Social Network), Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth, The Lion King), Holly Hunter (Senator Finch, Cast Away), Zack Snyder (director, 300)
Summary: The superhero smackdown showed off a trailer and Q&A.
Release: March 2016

Film: The Hateful Eight
Panelists: Kurt Russell (John Ruth, The Thing), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Daisy Domergue, Road to Perdition), Walton Goggins (Chris Mannix, The Shield), Michael Madsen (Joe Gage, Donnie Brasco), Tim Roth (Oswaldo Mobray, Selma), Bruce Dern (Sandy Smithers, Nebraska), Quentin Tarantino (writer/director, Pulp Fiction)
Release: January 2016

Film: Fantastic Four
Panelists: Miles Teller (Reed Richards, Whiplash), Michael B Jordan (Johnny Storm, Fruitvale Station), Kate Mara (Susan Storm, House of Cards), Jamie Bell (Ben Grimm, The Adventures of Tintin), Toby Kebbell (Victor Domashev, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Simon Kinberg (writer, Sherlock Holmes), Josh Trank (director, Chronicle)
Release: August 2015

Film: Deadpool
Panelists: Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson, Safe House), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa Carlyle, Serenity), Gina Carano (Angel Dust, Haywire), TJ Miller (Weasel, Cloverfield), Ed Skrein (Ajax, Ill Manors), Brianna Hildebrand (Ellie Phimister, Prism), Tim Miller (director, Gopher Broke)
Release: February 2016

Film: X-Men: Apocalypse
Panelists: James McAvoy (Charles Xavier, Trance), Michael Fassbender (Erik Lensherr, Prometheus), Jennifer Lawrence (Raven Darkholme, The Hunger Games), Nicholas Hoult (Hank McCoy, Warm Bodies), Oscar Isaac (En Sabah Nur, A Most Violent Year), Evan Peters (Peter Maximoff, American Horror Story), Lucas Till (Alex Summers, Walk the Line), Tye Sheridan (Scott Summers, The Tree of Life), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey, Game of Thrones), Alexandra Shipp (Ororo Munroe, Ray Donovan), Kodi Smit McPhee (Kurt Wagner, The Road), Ben Hardy (Warren Worthington, Eastenders), Lana Condor (Jubilation Lee), Olivia Munn (Betsy Braddock, The Newsroom), Channing Tatum (Remy LaBeau, 21 Jump Street), Hugh Jackman (Logan, The Prestige), Stan Lee (writer, The Fantastic Four), Simon Kinberg (writer, Sherlock Holmes), Bryan Singer (director, The Usual Suspects)
Release: May 2016

Film Suicide Squad
Panelists: Will Smith (Floyd Lawton, Independence Day), Margot Robbie (Harleen Quinzel, The Wolf of Wall Street), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flagg, RoboCop), Jai Courtney (George Harkness, Terminator Genisys), Cara Delevinge (Enchantress, Paper Towns), Adam Beach (Christopher Weiss, Flags of our Fathers), Jay Hernandez (Chato Santana, Hostel), Karen Fukuhara (Tatsu Yamashiro), Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje (Waylon Jones, Thor: The Dark World), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller, The Help), David Ayer (director/writer, Fury)
Release: August 2016

Guardians 2 title revealed and Comic Con lineup announced

Marvel’s third phase has titled its new properties fairly simply – Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Inhumans – while their sequels have received subtitles – Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok and The Avengers: Infinity War. The new Spider-Man’s title is yet to have been revealed but the latest news from Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is that the sequel has been titled: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.

Gunn directs the cast of Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Star Lord, Bradley Cooper (Limitless) as Rocket, Zoe Saldana (Avatar) as Gamora, Vin Diesel (Pitch Black) as Groot, Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) as Thanos, Karen Gillan (Oculus) as Nebula, Dave Bautista (Riddick) as Drax, Seth Green (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Howard the Duck and Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) as The Collector

The schedule for the famed San Diego Comic Con 2015 has been revealed.

Thursday:

• Lionsgate: ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2′: 12:00 PM-1:15 PM, Hall H
  Lionsgate presents an exclusive first look at one of the studio’s highly anticipated films coming to theaters this fall. Get a sneak peek into the powerful final chapter of the epic The Hunger Games film franchise. Attendees will be shown exclusive, never-before-seen footage from Mockingjay: Part 2 and treated to a cast and filmmaker Q&A session revealing details on the big-screen finale. Featuring stars Jennifer Lawrence and Julianne Moore and director Francis Lawrence.
• CBS TV Studios Comic-Con Lineup: 12:00 PM-3:30 PM, Ballroom 20
  Exclusive Sneak Previews and Panels for the CBS series ‘Extant’, ‘Zoo’, ‘Under the Dome’, ‘Limitless’, and ‘Scorpion’.
• ‘Doctor Who’: BBC America’s Official Panel: 2:15 PM-3:15PM, Hall H
  Following his record-breaking first season as the Doctor, Peter Capaldi will make his first ever appearance at Comic-Con with stars Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) and Michelle Gomez (Missy), and lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat. Doctor Who follows the adventures of the Doctor, the time traveler who will continue to journey through all of space and time in epic adventures in the new season premiering this fall. Capaldi’s first season delivered BBC America its highest rated season ever and is available now on all digital platforms.
• ‘Sherlock’: 3:45 PM-5:15PM, Ballroom 20
  Steven Moffat (co-creator, executive producer, and writer), Sue Vertue (executive producer) and Rupert Graves (actor, DI Greg Lestrade) discuss the latest adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his long-suffering faithful friend, Dr. John Watson. Sherlock will return to BBC in a forthcoming special.
• MTV’s ‘Teen Wolf’: 5:00 PM-6:00PM, Ballroom 20
  Teen Wolf cast members and executive producer are taking Comic-Con by storm for the sixth consecutive year. The pack of MTV’s hit series Teen Wolf will dish secrets, share a sneak peek of the upcoming season, and answer fan questions.
• ‘Damien’: 6:45 PM-7:45 PM, Room 6A
  From executive producer Glen Mazaara (The Walking Dead, The Shield), Damien follows the adult life of Damien Thorn, the mysterious child from the 1976 motion picture who has grown up seemingly unaware of the satanic forces around him. Haunted by his past, Damien must now come to terms with his true destiny: that he is the Antichrist. Starring Bradley James (Merlin), Barbara Hershey, Megalyn Echikunwoke and Omid Abtahi. Get an exclusive first look at the show followed by a Q&A with cast and producers, plus a special guest appearance.

Friday:

• ‘Lucifer’ Pilot Screening and Q&A: 11:30 AM-12:30PM, Room 6BCF
  Lucifer is the story of the original fallen angel. Bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar has resigned his throne and retired to the City of Angels, where he owns an upscale piano bar called Lux. When a beautiful pop star is murdered, for the first time in roughly 10 billion years, he feels something awaken deep within him. Is he actually capable of feelings for a human being? The very thought disturbs him. The murder attracts the attention of LAPD homicide detective Chloe Dancer, who finds herself both repulsed and fascinated by Lucifer. At the same time, God’s emissary, the angel Amenadiel, has been sent to Los Angeles to convince Lucifer to return to Hell. But with the City of Angels at his feet and a newfound purpose, Lucifer’s having too much fun to go back now. Sexy, dark and irreverent, Lucifer makes its Comic-Con debut with a screening of the complete pilot episode, followed by a Q&A with series stars and producers. From Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Aggressive Mediocrity in association with Warner Bros. Television, and based on characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg for DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint, Lucifer premieres Midseason on FOX.
• AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’: 12:00 PM-2:00 PM, Hall H
  Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Chandler Riggs, Sonequa Martin-Green, Michael Cudlitz and Lennie Jamesjoin executive producer and showrunner Scott M. Gimple, executive producer Robert Kirkman, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer Dave Alpert, and special effects makeup supervisor and executive producer Greg Nicotero in a panel moderated by Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist, Talking Dead). The panelists will discuss the shocking finale of Season 5 and what to look forward to in Season 6, debuting this fall on AMC. Join the panelists for a Q&A session and an official sneak preview of Season 6.
• ‘Minority Report’: 1:45 PM-2:45 PM, Ballroom 20
  Be one of the first to take a look at FOX’s new fall sci-fi action thriller. Based on the hit futuristic Steven Spielberg feature, Minority Report follows the unlikely partnership between a man haunted by the future and a cop haunted by her past, as they race to stop the worst crimes of the year 2065 before they happen. Join Stark Sands (Inside Llewyn Davis), Meagan Good (Think Like a Man franchise, Californication) along with other cast and producers for a special screening followed by a Q&A.
• ‘Game of Thrones’ Panel and Q&A: 2:30PM-3:30PM, Hall H
  Based on the bestselling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, HBO’s Game of Thrones concluded its 10-episode fifth season in June and will begin filming its sixth season this summer. The series, executive produced and written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, is an epic story of treachery and nobility, set on the continent of Westeros, where summers and winters can last years. Panelists include (in alphabetical order) Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy/Reek, John Bradley as Samwell Tarly, Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth, Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth, Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell, Conleth Hill as Varys, David Nutter (director), Hannah Murray as Gilly, Carolyn Strauss (executive producer), Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Carice van Houten as Melisandre, and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark.
• Marvel Television Presents: 3:00 PM-4:15 PM, Ballroom 20
  Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s head of television) brings you exclusive news and surprises about your favorite action-packed Marvel series on ABC. Join Jeph, showrunners, and the casts of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter for this can’t-miss panel that’ll have everyone talking! Featuring Clark Gregg and Hayley Atwell.
• ‘iZombie’ Special Video Presentation and Q&A: 5:45 PM-6:45PM, Ballroom 20
  After the shocking events in the season finale of brainy hit iZombie, be among the first to get the scoop on what’s in store for Season 2. Now that Liv (Rose McIver) gave the cure for zombie-ism to Blaine and Major (one that she desperately wanted to take herself!) will Ravi find a way to develop another cure? Will Clive remain in the dark about the existence of zombies? A special video presentation will be followed by a Q&A with series stars as well as executive producers Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) and Diane Ruggiero-Wright (Veronica Mars). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Spondoolie Productions and Warner Bros. Television and based on characters created by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, published by DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint, iZombie returns this fall with all-new episodes on Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW. iZombie: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 29.
• Lucasfilm: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’: 5:30 PM-6:30 PM, Hall H
  Lucasfilm president and producer Kathleen Kennedy, director J.J. Abrams, writer Lawrence Kasdan, and special guests provide a special look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Featuring Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o and Andy Serkis.
• ‘Orphan Black’: BBC America Official Panel: 5:45 PM-6:45 PM, Room 6BCF
  Stars Tatiana Maslany (Sarah and the Leda clones), Jordan Gavaris (Felix), Maria Doyle Kennedy (Mrs. S), Dylan Bruce (Paul), Kristian Bruun (Donnie), and Ari Millen (Mark and the Castor clones) and co-creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson look back at last season before filming begins on Season 4. Orphan Black Season 3 is currently on VOD. For those new to the Clone Club, you can also start watching the BBC America series by streaming the first two seasons on Amazon Prime or download the entire series from any of the major digital platforms.
• Star: ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’: 6:00 PM-7:00PM, Room 6A
  Original filmmakers Sam Raimi (executive producer, director, writer), Rob Tapert (executive producer), Bruce Campbell (executive producer and star of the series, Ash), Ivan Raimi (co-exeuctive producer), and Craig DiGregorio (executive producer), along with Lucy Lawless (Ruby), discuss the highly anticipated new series and what fans can expect in the premiere season.
• ‘Yoga Hosers’: 7:15 PM-9:00 PM, Hall H
  An evening with Kevin Smith. After all the interesting and exciting movie panels are over, Hall H belongs to a middle-aged loser who dresses like a 12-year-old! Ask Kev questions about AMC’s Comic Book Men and his forthcoming Mallrats sequel Mallbrats, and see the world premiere of the trailer to his new movie, Yoga Hosers. Wrap up a busy Friday with the Clown Prince of Comic-Con! With special guests from the Yoga Hosers cast. Featuring Johnny Depp and Haley Joel Osment.

Saturday:

• Warner Bros.: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM, Hall H
  A “sneak peek” at a few upcoming releases from Warner Bros. Likely including The Man From UNCLE (Armie Hammer, Guy Ritchie), Pan (Hugh Jackman, Joe Wright), In the Heart of the Sea (Chris Hemsworth, Ron Howard), Point Break (Edgar Ramirez), Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ben Affleck, Zack Snyder), Central Intelligence (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart), Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie), Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur (Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law), Suicide Squad (Jared Leto, David Ayer) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Eddie Redmayne, David Yates).
• The Weinstein Company: ‘The Hateful Eight’: 1:30 PM-2:15 PM, Hall H
  Academy Award-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino brings fans an exclusive look at his highly anticipated 8th film, The Hateful Eight. Followed by a Q&A session with the cast: Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bruce Dern.
• Legendary Pictures: 2:30 PM-3:30 PM, Hall H
  Filmmakers and talent from Legendary’s upcoming Warcraft (Duncan Jones, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell) and Crimson Peak (Guillermo Del Toro, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain), distributed by Universal Pictures, will discuss the innovative slate and present never-before-seen material. Chris Hardwick (AMC’s Talking Dead) hosts the panel that will also include surprises from highly anticipated legendary movies, including Great Wall, Krampus, and more.
• 20th Century Fox: 5:45 PM-7:30 PM, Hall H
  20th Century Fox Presentation including Fantastic Four (Miles Teller), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (Dylan O’Brien), The Martian (Matt Damon), Bridge of Spies (Tom Hanks), Kung Fu Panda 3 (Jack Black), Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), X-Men: Apocalypse (Jennifer Lawrence), Independence Day: Resurgence (Jeff Goldblum), Gambit (Channing Tatum), and Assassin’s Creed (Michael Fassbender).
• Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment Screening Block: 8:00 PM-11:00 PM, Hall H
  Includes Supergirl season 1 (Melissa Benoist), Gotham season 2 (Ben McKenzie), Arrow season 4 (Steven Amell), The Flash season 2 (Grant Gustin) and Legends of Tomorrow season 1 (Brandon Routh).

Sunday:

• TV premieres including Heroes Reborn, American Horror Story, Scream Queens, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries.

Jack Huston confirmed for Ben-Hur, James D’Arcy joins Agent Carter as the new Jarvis and new Interstellar poster

Brit Jack Huston is shaping up to be a potentially great rising star following his recurring gig on Broadwalk Empire and supporting role in as a mobster in American Hustle. He’s now set to be making one great step into stardom with the lead in Ben-Hur. The iconic role, once played by Charlton Heston, will be seen once more in a new remake, courtesy of Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov. Morgan Freeman (The Dark Knight, Seven, Million Dollar Baby, The Shawshank Redemption) is already signed on to play chariot racing mentor Ildarin while you may remember that Tom Hiddleston (War Horse, Only Lovers Left Alive, The Avengers) was previously rumoured to have been attached to the role although it appears as if he’s opted out in favour of Skull Island.

The role of Jarvis in Marvel comics greatly differs to the portrayal seen across numerous film adaptations. Originally, Edwin Jarvis is butler to both Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and, later, The Avengers but on film, where he has been portrayed by Paul Bettany on four occasions, is an AI assistant to Stark’s technological enterprises, named JARVIS, who we only here the voice of. In next year’s Age of Ultron, JARVIS will be animated in the form of the robotic Vision. We thought that’d be all from the non-superpowered character but his original version is working his way onto our screen.

He’ll in fact be portrayed on the small screen by Cloud Atlas’ James D’Arcy in the upcoming Agent Carter, a spin off of the MCU set in SHIELD’s early days after WW2 starring Hayley Atwell. An eight-part first season to the show arrives this winter. Confused? We were too. We’ve now assumed that D’Arcy’s Jarvis will in fact be butler to Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), father of Tony, and will then provide inspiration for Tony’s automated companion later on. Given the significance of this role, we’d expect Cooper to either be a regular on the show or at least looming presence of SHIELD’s activities. It’s possible that younger versions of future SHIELD veterans such as Nick Fury, Alexander Pierce or Hank Pym (played by Samuel L Jackson, Robert Redford and Michael Douglas, respectively, on film) will be seen while, seeing as D’Arcy convinced in the elderly make up in Cloud Atlas, I hope that an older version of this Jarvis may crop up in the films.

Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Memento, The Prestige, Inception) writes and directs Interstellar, which may be the defining sci-fi of out generation – not to overhype. After yesterday’s unveiling, another poster has been revealed and it showcases our hero Cooper gazing at the stars, as oppose to traversing them. Matthew MacConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Michael Caine (Alfie), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James), David Oyelowo (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), John Lithgow (Terms of Endearment), Ellen Burstyn (The Excorcist) and Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity) all star in a cast of five Oscar wins and an additional fifteen nominations. I leave you both of the posters (note: they are almost identical in layout except for the tagline).

Interstellar – November 7th

Ben-Hur – February 19th 2016

Agent Carter – ABC and Channel 4 this winter

Derrickson to direct Doctor Strange, Trank appointed for Star Wars and Jupiter Ascending’s release gets pushed

Andy and Lana Wachowski are yet to find real success beyond The Matrix. Across its three instalments, the sci-fi phenomenon has made near $2 billion while their follow ups Speed Racer (an infamous flop) and Cloud Atlas (greatly underrated) have underperformed at the box-office. This year, every financial prediction for the summer’s cinema pitched Captain America 2, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, X-Men 7, Transformers 4, Godzilla and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes dominating while the Wachowski’s new sci-fi adventure Jupiter Ascending was expected to fail, despite its ensemble cast and $150 million budget, and now the release date has been pushed back.

We don’t like to see films get delayed but it seems as if this is for Jupiter’s own good. As well as the competition, difficulties with visual effects have been cited but it is frustrating to see it falling into a January/February slot, notoriously poor fare for blockbusters hoping to pushover the awards contenders – this year producing flops such as The Legend of Hercules and I Frankenstein with only Ride Along and The Lego Movie really making good returns. Jupiter Ascending will star Mila Kunis (Black Swan, Ted), Channing Tatum (White House Down, 21 Jump Street), Douglas Booth (Noah), Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables), Doona Bae (Cloud Atlas), James D’Arcy (Hitchcock), Terry Gilliam (Monty Python) and Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings, Goldeneye, Equilbrum, Sharpe, Game of Thrones).

It’s no secret that George Lucas’ sci-fi phenomenon Star Wars is making its return next year. In 2015, JJ Abrams (Super 8, Star Trek Into Darkness) is bringing us Episode VII; that’ll be flanked by a yet unrevealed spin off in 2016, helmed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla); following that is Abrams’ Episode VIII, a second spin off, Episode IX and a final spin off in 2020. With that short summary in mind, we’re pleased to announce that Josh Trank will direct the second standalone film. Trank made his feature debut in 2012 with the brilliant superhero horror Chronicle but you may remember that he’s also attached to The Fantastic Four. That superhero action wouldn’t conflict with its 2015 release but the planned sequel may prove problematic. We’re yet to find out which characters will be getting their own adventures but the rumours point towards Han Solo, Yoda and Red Squadron.

Edgar Wright’s departure from Ant-Man has left Marvel in a pickle in a battle to appoint a new director. Its reported that Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy), Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) and Rawson Marshall Thurber (We’re the Millers) have already passed on the opportunity to be a replacement but strides are being made in Marvel’s other projects. The director of fantasy action Doctor Strange has finally been announced as Scott Derrickson and we are thrilled. Derrickson directed the horror hits Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose so its obvious that Marvel chief Kevin Feige’s vision is to bring some more frightening elements into Strange’s world. Derrickson will be experimenting with a bit more action in this August’s gothic thriller Deliver Us From Evil. Should progress continue, we can expect casting announcements before the end of the year but fan polls seem to be proving Joseph Gordon Levitt, Benedict Cumberbatch and Jon Hamm as popular choices.

Doctor Strange – 2016

Ant-Man – July 17th 2015

Star Wars: Episode VII – December 18th 2015

Star Wars spin-off 1 – December 16th 2016

Star Wars spin-off 2 – 2018?

Jupiter Ascending – February 6th 2015

First trailers for Tracks and Sean Bean’s Enemy of Man

Tracks is a new sprawling epic drama from The Painted Veil’s director John Curran and is already picking up major critical acclaim prior to its public release. The very first trailer offers a first look at the film which pitches Mia Wasikowska (Stoker, The Kids Are All Right, Alice in Wonderland) as an Australian adventurer Robyn Davidson who sets out on an impossible trek across the vast desert accompanied only by her faithful camels and dog, although she meets National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan (Adam Driver) along the way. The film could be excellent as it conveys and incredible true story but it may get overwhelmed by its schmultz.

However, no over-sentimentality can be found in this new potential adaptation. A major Kickstarter, an online service which allows users to donate to the budget of exciting but undeveloped projects (some major, some amateurs trying to release their first picture), project has been unveiled with a mood trailer. The film in question is Enemy of Man, a bleak adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and debut director Vincent Regan has pulled together a very impressive ensemble; Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings, Goldeneye), Rupert Grint (Harry Potter), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Charlotte Gainsburg (Melancholia), James D’Arcy (Cloud Atlas) and Jason Flemyng (X-Men: First Class) will hopefully lead the cast. If you’re excited about this as we are, then head over to Kickstarter to find out more.

Enemy of Man – 2015?

Tracks – April 25th

Jason Momoa joins Batman vs. Superman, teasers for Jupiter Ascending and Godzilla and Whishaw confirmed for Mercury

Sacha Baron Cohen was originally the man to play Freddie Mercury in the biopic of the Queen frontman’s life. He departed due to disagreements about the tone of the film – he wanted a darker portrayal of the events while the Queen members themselves were after a more loving tribute to their lost friend. Since then, actors such as Dominic Cooper, Daniel Radcliffe and others have been rumoured for the role but now we’ve finally got the names of the key star and director. Cloud Atlas and Skyfall star Ben Whishaw will be playing Mercury on the big screen while Dexter Fletcher (director of Sunshine on Leath and Wild Bill and star of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) will be calling the shots.

We move onto the latest adventure of Conan, Bullet to the Head and Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa. The portrayer of HBO’s Khal Drogo is now negotiating for a role in Zack Snyder’s superhero mashup Batman vs. Superman. The Hollywood Reporter had the scoop about Momoa entering talks to join Ben Affleck (Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent) and Laurence Fishburne (Perry White). We’ve no idea who he could be playing or if it’s actually a character from the comics but the current favourites seem to be DC’s Martian Manhunter and Hawkman.

We do apologies for the lack of movie news this week and today but we thought we’d make up for it by allowing you to revel in the spectacle of the new trailers for two epic new films. The first is Godzilla. This new vision of the tale is from Monsters director Gareth Edwards and stars Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Wantanabe, Bryan Cranston and Sally Hawkins and the trailer can be found here.

The next film is Jupiter Ascending. Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean, Terry Gilliam, Douglas Booth, Eddie Redmayne, Doona Bae and James D’Arcy all star for this sci-fi from the ever imaginative Wachowskis who brought us The Matrix and Cloud Atlas. Find out more with the first official trailer.

Freddie Mercury – late 2014?

Batman vs. Superman – July 17th 2015

Godzilla – May 16th 2014

Jupiter Ascending – July 25th 2014