Disney’s D23 announcements – The Force Awakens, Toy Story 4, Doctor Strange, Finding Dory and more!

If you felt that Comic-Con didn’t lift the lid on Disney’s upcoming works enough than D23 is for you. The expo of all things Disney enlightened us on all of their properties from Star Wars to Pixar to Marvel and all of the studio’s very own animated and live action features. Sadly there’s been no word on the likes of in the works projects such as Wreck-It Ralph 2, Frozen 2 or proposed remakes of Dumbo and Pinocchio. Firstly…

Pixar!

After critical and commercial triumph of Inside Out, the studio is rolling out its slate of six upcoming movies. The Good Dinosaur will tell the story of an alternate reality where humans are the Earth’s secondary species and dinosaurs still rule. It comes from director Peter Sohn (Partly Cloudy) and stars Anna Paquin (X-Men), Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale), Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club) and Frances McDormand (Burn After Reading). November 25th 2015

Thirteen years after Finding Nemo, Finding Dory will pick up with the characters of the previous instalment when Dory finds herself in a marine study institute. Newly announced cast members include Hayden Rolence (Whom I Fear), Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) and Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia). Andrew Stanton (Wall-E) and Angus MacLane (Toy Story of Terror) direct the cast of Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen), Albert Brooks (Drive), Diane Keaton (The Godfather), Eugene Levy (American Pie), Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Dominic West (The Wire), Idris Elba (Pacific Rim) and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man). June 17th 2016

Toy Story 4 is also on the way and a teaser poster graced and it was revealed that it will focus on a love story between Woody and Bo Peep. John Lasseter (Toy Story 1-2) and Josh Cooley (George and AJ) direct while we expect Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump), Joan Cusack (Say Anything) and Tim Allen (Galaxy Quest) to star. June 16th 2017

Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) has long been developing a film centred on the Mexican celebration of The Day of the Dead. It has finally been given a release date and a title, Coco. No casting announcements have yet been made. November 22nd 2017

Another sequel on the way is Cars 3. No plot details were offered but we do know that John Lasseter (Cars 1-2) will write and we’d expect Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers) and Larry the Cable Guy (Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector) to reprise their roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater respectively. June 15th 2018

The sequel Pixar fans have actually asking for will finally come out, 15 years after they asked for it. Assuming that the studio don’t want two sequels in the same year, The Incredibles 2 will head for a 2019 release. Brad Bird (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) will direct while we’d expect Craig T Nelson (Poltergeist), Holly Hunter (The Piano) and Samuel L Jackson (Avengers Assemble) to star.

Next up…

Disney Animation!

Disney’s latest animation Zootopia will portray a metropolis populated by mammals. Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time) and Alan Tudyk (Serenity) were already set to star but the latest addition is pop star/actress Shakira. The directors are Byron Howard (Tangled), Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph) and Jared Bush (behind the creative team of Big Hero 6). March 4th 2016

Next, the team behind Aladdin, Hercules and The Princess and the Frog arrived to unveil more from their latest work, Moana. Dwayne Johnson (Fast Five) and Alan Tudyk (Serenity) will star in the story of a plucky young woman who is assisted by a demi-god to reach a fabled island. November 23rd 2016

The newest announcement was Gigantic. Tangled‘s Nathan Greno will collaborate with Frozen’s songwriters, Robert and Kristen Lopez to bring the story of Jack and the Beanstalk to Spain in the age of exploration. March 9th 2018

Following that was…

Disney live action (aka Worlds, Galaxies and Universes)

True life disaster thriller The Finest Hours will depict the struggle for survival of a group of sailors in 1952. Craig Gillespie (Million Dollar Arm) directs with a cast including Chris Pine (Star Trek Into Darkness), Ben Foster (Lone Survivor), Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), Holliday Grainger (Cinderella) and Eric Bana (Munich). January 29th 2016

The latest adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book was promoted by director Jon Favreau (Iron Man) as well as Oscar winning stars Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) and Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) and newcomer Neel Sethi. The classic story of an orphan raised by the animals of the jungle also stars Scarlett Johansson (Avengers Assemble), Idris Elba (Pacific Rim), Bill Murray (Ghostbusters), Giancarlo Esposito (The Usual Suspects) and Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter). April 15th 2016

Alice Through the Looking Glass will build upon the established world built in the Lewis Carroll books and the Tim Burton’s 2010 billion dollar hit. James Bobin (The Muppets) directs a cast featuring Mia Wasikowska (Crimson Peak), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises), Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), Alan Rickman (Die Hard), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon), Andrew Scott (Pride), Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill), Toby Jones (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Lindsay Duncan (About Time), Stephen Fry (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and Timothy Spall (Mr Turner). May 27th 2016

Next up was the family fantasy adventure Pete’s Dragon, about a young boy who seeks refuge from his family with a dragon. David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) directs while the film stars Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), Wes Bentley (Interstellar), Karl Urban (Dredd) and Robert Redford (Captain America: The Winter Soldier). August 12th 2016

Two films delivered no material as such but were teased or mentioned. Firstly, Queen of Katwe – a drama about a girl from Uganda who trains to become a world chess champion. Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) and David Oyelowo (Selma) will star with director Mira Nair (The Namesake). 2016

Also, Disney’s new iteration of Beauty and the Beast was present. The reboot (telling the story of a relationship between a monstrous prince and a young woman) is directed by Bill Condon (Mr Holmes) and stars Emma Watson (Harry Potter), Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey), Luke Evans (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug), Josh Gad (Frozen), Gugu Mbatha Raw (Belle), Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting), Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games), Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wonda), Emma Thompson (Saving Mr Banks) and Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings). March 17th 2017

Finally, there was news from the fifth instalment of a legendary franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. This one will see Captain Jack in search of the trident of Poseidon. Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings) was announced to be returning as Will Turner for the first time since 2007. The duo of Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg (Kon-Tiki) direct an ensemble including Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands), Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech), Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner), Brendon Thwaites (Maleficent), David Wenham (300), Stephen Graham (This is England) and Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men). July 17th 2017

Marvel

We won’t include Marvel’s full extensive line up but two of their instalments next year. Because of the studio’s infamous secrecy, none of the material shown has made it to the public. Captain America: Civil War showed off its trailer to the D23 audience. Anthony and Joe Russo (The Winter Soldier) direct with a cast including Chris Evans (Snowpiercer), Anthony Mackie (The Adjustment Bureau), Scarlett Johansson (Lucy), Daniel Bruhl (Rush), Sebastian Stan (Black Swan), Frank Grillo (The Purge: Anarchy), Emily VanCamp (Revenge), Robert Downey Jr (Sherlock Holmes), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Elizabeth Olsen (Godzilla), Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind), Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Tom Holland (The Impossible), William Hurt (Artificial Intelligence) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit). April 29th 2016

Doctor Strange is another of Marvel’s latest. Scott Derickson (Sinister) directs the supernatural thriller of which the recent concept art many likened to Inception. Marvel head Kevin Feige (Iron Man trilogy) could neither confirm or deny the rumours of Rachel McAdams joining the film but we do know that Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave). November 4th 2016

Star Wars

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was heralded by this stunning poster from Drew Struzan – the legendary poster designer who craft iconic works for Back to the Future and Blade Runner. JJ Abrams (Star Trek Into Darkness) directs a cast including Harrison Ford (Blade Runner), Mark Hamill (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Carrie Fisher (When Harry Met Sally), Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Toast of London), Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Adam Driver (Frances Ha) and Max Von Sydow (Shutter Island). December 18th 2015

The first spin-off has had a full title announcement, cast reveals and first still. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has added to its ranks Alan Tudyk (Serenity), Donnie Yen (Ip Man), Wen Jiang (Devils on the Doorstep) and Mads Mikkelson (Casino Royale). Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) will direct with the cast of Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Ben Mendelsohn (Killing Them Softly), Diego Luna (Elysium), Jonathan Aris (Sherlock), Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland). December 16th 2017

There wasn’t any news on Star Wars: Episode VIII – directed by Looper’s Rian Johnson and coming out May 26th 2017 – or the Han Solo spin off – directed by 21 Jump Street’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller and coming out May 25th 2018.

It was revealed that the third and final instalment of the new sequel trilogy (Star Wars: Episode IX) will be directed by Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) but the returning cast members are yet to be announced!

New Star Trek 3 title rumours

The JJ Abrams reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 2009 and the 2013 follow up Into Darkness are two of the most acclaimed films in the series but Abrams had to sit out on the third due to the arrival of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Justin Lin (Fast Five) has replaced him as director while Simon Pegg writes. The latest rumour states that the film’s title is Star Trek Beyond and will see the team go into deep unexplored space.

The cast includes Chris Pine (Jack Ryan, Into the Woods), Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avatar), Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Margin Call), Karl Urban (Dredd, The Lord of the Rings), Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Mission: Impossible), Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Monster: Dark Continent), Anton Yelchin (Like Crazy, Fright Night), John Cho (Harold and Kumar, American Beauty) and Idris Elba (Prometheus, Thor, Pacific Rim.

Star Trek 3 – July 8th 2016

Eisenberg’s Luthor revealed, Russos set for Infinity War, new Child 44 posters and Idris Elba in talks for Star Trek 3

We were worried that The Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as the supervillain Lex Luthor (yet another billionaire tech entrepreneur) would be a case of the typecasting that halted Dane DeHaan in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and why great performances such as Heath Ledger’s or Tom Hardy’s come out of the blue and excel. This first look at him in the role is something to get us hopeful however.

Batman V Superman is directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Man of Steel) and stars Ben Affleck (Argo, Gone Girl), Henry Cavill (The Man From UNCLE), Amy Adams (American Hustle, Big Eyes), Gal Gadot (Fast and Furious), Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, Hannibal), Scoot McNairy (Monsters), Holly Hunter (The Piano, The Incredibles), Diane Lane (Hollywoodland, The Perfect Storm) and Jeremy Irons (The Lion King, Reversal of Fortune).

As Avengers Assemble and Age of Ultron’s Joss Whedon ruled himself out from Infinity War. Now the two parted concluder to Phase 3 will be helmed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the sibling team who behind the Captain America instalments The Winter Soldier and Civil War. We still don’t know ant of the characters that’ll be surviving until the third and fourth Avengers films but we can expect the likes of Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher), Chris Hemsworth (Rush), Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men) and Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game).

Eric Bana and Benedict Cumberbatch will be a tough act to follow but the newest Star Trek instalment is looking to cast Idris Elba. The star of Prometheus, Pacific Rim and Luther is in talks for the lead villain role for director Justin Lin (Fast Five). The cast includes Chris Pine (Jack Ryan, Into the Woods), Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avatar), Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Margin Call), Karl Urban (Dredd, The Lord of the Rings), Anton Yelchin (Fright NIght, Like Crazy), John Cho (American Beauty, Harold and Kumar) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Mission: Impossible).

Finally today we’ve got our hands on the brand new posters for the thriller Child 44. The film depicts a detective in Soviet Russia who investigates a series of grim child murders. Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) directs the amazing ensemble of Tom Hardy (Inception, Locke), Noomi Rapace (Prometheus, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Public Enemies), Paddy Considine (The Bourne Ultimatum, Pride), Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, RoboCop), Vincent Cassel (Black Swan, Trance), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Imitation Game) and Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).

Child 44 – Apirl 17th

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – March 25th 2016

Star Trek 3 – July 8th 2016

The Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1 – April 27th 2018

The Avengers: Infinity War – Part 2 – Apirl 16th 2019

Sam Rockwell in Poltergeist images, Cranston and Paul rumoured for new roles and new Daredevil trailer

“Theeere heeeere!”

Firstly today we have the very first look at the new remake of horror classic Poltergeist, courtesy of producer Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Evil Dead) and British director Gil Kenan (City of Ember). It’ll depict a family moving into a new home, occupied by evil spirits and will star Sam Rockwell (Moon, Seven Psychopaths, Iron Man 2, The Assassination of Jesse James), Rosemarie DeWitt (The Company Men, Kill the Messenger, Mad Men) and Jared Harris (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Mad Men, Lincoln, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

In 2014, Breaking Bad duo Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul went almost head to head with Godzilla and Need for Speed respectively getting released, the former Japanese beast being the obvious winner. They may be butting heads again as they are both connected with two different roles. Cranston (star of the Best Picture winning Argo) is rumoured for Star Trek 3.

The sequel (after both JJ Abrams and Roberto Orci quit) is on its third director with Justin Lin (Fast and Furious series) now set at the helm and will star Chris Pine (Into the Woods, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit), Zachary Quinto (Heroes), Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy), Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings, Dredd), Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Mission: Impossible 3), Anton Yelchin (Like Crazy, Fright Night) and John Cho (American Beauty).

Aaron Paul, last seen in biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings, may be in the running for the male lead in the first Star Wars spin off. Paul was involved in Star Wars before, playing Luke in Kevin Smith’s New Hope live script read. The subject of the film hasn’t been established but it’ll be directed by Godzilla’s Gareth Edwards and the female lead is in contention between Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything, Like Crazy), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) and Rooney Mara (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Her).

Finally today we have the first full trailer for Netflix and Marvel’s very first collaboration: Daredevil. This teaser is both surprisingly brilliant and brutal. Showrunner Steven S DeKnight (Spartacus) commands the cast of Charlie Cox (The Theory of Everything, Stardust), Rosario Dawson (Sin City, Trance), Elden Henson (The Hunger Game: Mockingjay), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), Ayelet Zurer (Man of Steel, Munich) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Men in Black, The Judge).

Daredevil – April on Netflix

Star Trek 3 – July 8th 2016

Star Wars spin-off – December 16th

Poltergeist – July 31st

Wyatt, Tyldum, Lin and Duncan Jones in consideration for Star Trek 3 and Mr Turner leads London Critics

Departing to the new Star Wars trilogy, JJ Abrams’ sterling work on the Star Trek reboot series was always going to be hard to replace but the removal of esteemed writer Roberto Orci from the bridge proved the extremity of the task. Next Generation star and writer Jonathan Frakes has been lobbying for the job but those mentioned here are the most likely to succeed Abrams for Paramount’s so far untitled production.

On the shortlist are Rupert Wyatt, Daniel Espinosa, Justin Lin, Morten Tyldum and Duncan Jones. These five can easily be categorised into two camps: Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Gambler) and Jones (Source Code, Moon) are representing the sci-fi credentials while Lin (Fast and Furious 5/6) and Daniel Espinosa (Child 44, Safe House) are the action veterans in consideration. Morten Tyldum is an interesting contender. The Norwegian’s roots are with thrillers such as the greatly lauded Headhunters but is gaining acclaim for wartime drama and multi-Golden Globe nominee The Imitation Game.

In terms of who’s likely to get the job, the BAFTA winning Duncan Jones has already ruled himself out. Wyatt is sworn off the traditional blockbuster format and Lin is preoccupied with the next Bourne instalment. Tyldum appears to be embarking on a path to future Oscar glory and perhaps not the Final Frontier and I’m not sure Espinosa’s nuts-and-bolts style suits Star Trek’s uber stylish mould. The cast is yet to have been confirmed but we can expect to see Chris Pine (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Into the Woods), Karl Urban (Dredd, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers), Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy, Out of the Furnace, Avatar), Zachary Quinto (Margin Call, Heroes), Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Mission: Impossible), Anton Yelchin (Fright Night, Like Crazy) and John Cho (Sleepy Hollow, American Beauty).

Pride was the most obvious leader at the British Independent Film Awards but the London Critics Circle has selected the artistic biopic Mr Turner as its front runner in their own ceremony. It’s followed by the American releases of black comedy Birdman, dark thriller Nightcrawler, intense drumming story Whiplash, whimsical caper The Grand Budapest Hotel and coming of age drama Boyhood as well as the foreign language efforts Ida and Leviathan. Still the homegrown productions of Mr Turner, paranormal mystery Under the Skin and Steven Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything. Here’s the nominations in full.

Film of the Year:

Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Leviathan
Mr Turner
Nightcrawler
The Theory of Everything
Under the Skin
Whiplash

Foreign Language Film of the Year:

Ida
Leviathan
Norte, The End of History
Two Days, One Night
Winter Sleep

British Film of the Year:

The Imitation Game
Mr Turner
Pride
The Theory of Everything
Under the Skin

Documentary of the Year:

20,000 Days on Earth
Citizenfour
Manakamana
Next Goal Wins
Night Will Fall

Actor of the Year:

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner

Actress of the Year:

Marion Cotillard – Two Days One Night
Essie Davis – The Babadook
Scarlett Johansson – Under the Skin
Julianne Moore – Maps to the Stars, Still Alice

Supporting Actor of the Year:

Riz Ahmed – Nightcrawler
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
JK Simmons – Whiplash

Supporting Actress of the Year:

Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Marion Bailey – Mr Turner
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Agata Kulesza – Ida
Emma Stone – Birdman

British Actor of the Year:

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Tom Hardy – Locke, The Drop
Jack O’Connell – Starred Up, ’71, Unbroken
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner

British Actress of the Year:

Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow, Into the Woods
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game, Begin Again, Say When
Gugu Mbatha Raw – Belle
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl, What We Did On Our Holiday

Young British Performer of the Year:

Daniel Huttlestone – Into the Woods
Alex Lawther – The Imitation Game
Corey McKinley – ’71
Will Poulter – The Maze Runner, Plastic
Saoirse Ronan – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director of the Year:

Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner

Screenwriter of the Year:

Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
Dan Gilroy – Nightcrawler
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood

Breakthrough British Filmmaker:

Hossein Amini – The Two Faces of January
Elaine Constantine – Northern Soul
Yann Demange – ’71
Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – 20,000 Days on Earth
James Kent – Testament of Youth

Technical Achievement Award:

’71
Birdman
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Leviathan
Mr Turner
A Most Violent Year
Under the Skin
Whiplash

Roberto Orci departs Star Trek 3 and rumours about new Nolan movie

JJ Abrams (Super 8) left a great gap when he parted ways with Star Trek after two brilliant films and traded it for Star Wars. His replacement as director for the third film was the writer Roberto Orci while the production was set for a release in 2016. Deadline have now reported that Orci is no longer attached but the reason is yet to have give an official reason. It still isn’t clear if he’s quit of his own accord or if Paramount gave him the boot. Either way it’s surprising, particularly as The Amazing Spider-Man franchise fell apart with his departure.

The search for his replacement has thrown up the far fetched suggestion of Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim VS The World, Hot Fuzz) while there’s a strong campaign for The Next Generation star/director Jonathan Frakes (Riker). Star Trek 3 will likely star Chris Pine (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, People Like Us), Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avatar), Zachary Quinto (Margin Call, American Horror Story), Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Dredd), Anton Yelchin (Like Crazy, Fright Night), John Cho (American Beauty, Sleepy Hollow), Alice Eve (Men in Black 3) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Paul).

Christopher Nolan, director of Memento, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, new epic picture Interstellar got a fairly polarized reaction; some acclaimed it a masterpiece but it has gained its fair share of loathers. Warner Bros are now seeking him for sci-fi project Ready Player One, based upon Ernest Cline’s novel.

Part of that Interstellar’s success was based around the fact that Nolan succeeded in shrouding it in mystery completely until its announcement in early 2013. Even then we knew nothing and the film’s true motives were a secret before its release. Nolan may well be reluctant to take up a project whose exact details are already published. Should he sign on, I’d expect a 2017 release but I still suspect that he has his own 2016 project up his sleeve.

Star Trek 3 – 2016

Ready Player One – 2017?

Karl Urban updates on Dredd 2, Bill Murray casts his own Ghostbusters and Robert Downey Jr opens up on Iron Man 4

The Iron Man trilogy has transformed the fledging Robert Downey Jr (Sherlock Holmes, Chaplin, The Judge) into the decade’s biggest action star. The three films have an average of $750 million each with the final film making $1.2 billion internationally. The first film is generally lauded, the second is regarded as mediocre while the third is greatly audience dividing but there’ll be great financial gains from whatever Iron Man does next. However, particularly after Guardians of the Galaxy’s incredible success, Marvel’s packed schedule (Avengers 2, Ant-Man, Captain America 3, Doctor Strange and Guardians 2 are confirmed while Black Widow, Thor 3, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, The Inhumans and Avengers three are in the pipeline).

There were rumours of director Shane Black tying up the unresolved plot thread of The Mandarin and The Ten Rings but Downey Jr himself has shut them down. “There isn’t one in the pipe. No, there’s no plan for a fourth Iron Man.”

2012’s Dredd gained mixed critical approval and diminished box office returns upon its release but became a huge hit on DVD and gained a cult status. The fan demand for a sequel is great but star Karl Urban (Star Trek Into Darkness, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Bourne Supremacy) has stated interest in the project being a prequel. “It’s more likely that we’ll do the Origins story, with Dredd trekking through the Cursed Earth to find the first Chief Judge Fargo.” This will easily excite 2000 AD fans out there but part of the first film’s appeal was that it was a regular day in Dredd’s life. Upping the ante to a greater villain, a greater threat or “Dredd’s greatest battle yet” by take away that charm.

There are few actors who command as adoring as fan base as Bill Murray’s. The Ghostbuster/Lost in Translation/Groundhog Day/Rushmore star recently celebrated Bill Murray Day at the Toronto Film Festival and, while interviewed there, managed to fan cast his own female-lead Ghosbusters reboot. “Melissa McCarthy would be a spectacular Ghostbuster. And Kristen Wiig is so funny — God, she’s funny! I like this girl Linda Cardellini a lot. And Emma Stone is funny. There are some funny girls out there.”

Murray has clearly picked up on the fact that Paul Feig (The Office, Bridesmaids, The Heat) is in negotiations to direct the film, after Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) and Phil Lord and Chris Miller (21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie) reportedly passed. He’s gone for a few Feig regulars, namely Bridesmaids alumni Kristen Wiig (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Paul, Despicable Me) and Melissa McCarthy (The Heat, Identity Thief, Gilmore Girls). Cardellini is a veteran of Freaks and Geeks, ER and Mad Men while Emma Stone (Zombieland, The Help, Easy A, Crazy Stupid Love, Birdman) is perhaps better versed in the world of action fantasy after a leading role in The Amazing Spider-Man films.

Iron Man 4 – never probably?

Dredd 2 – 2017?

Ghostbusters 3 – 2017?

Roberto Orci talks themes of Star Trek 3, Del Toro confirms Pacific Rim 2 and Age of Ultron cast confirmed for Comic-Con

Over the years, the San Diego Comic-Con has cemented its place as the biggest movie related event of the summer, roping in stars to promote the most hyped film and television of the next year. This year we’re hoping for exclusives on The Hobbit’s final chapter, a title for Captain America 3 and of coarse the latest on the sequel to the third highest grossing film of all time (and 16th greatest according to Empire) The Avengers. Its star Mark Ruffalo, who’ll likely play a larger role this time round, has now confirmed that the Age of Ultron cast will grace the convention with their presence, becoming the first guests to be announced to be attending Hall H this summer.

“Yeah, we’re gonna go out there,” the star of The Kids Are All Right and Zodiac explains, “We’re all flying, we’re flying from London. We’re working. We’re shooting. We’re gonna stop and get on a plane and go to Comic-Con together. It’s gonna be amazing.” We’re hoping for more Comic-Con announcements to come soon but there’s nothing the organisers will surely leave some of the lineups a mystery for the fans attending. Age of Ultron will star Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, James Spader, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Samuel L Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Thomas Kretschmann, Hayley Attwell, Don Cheadle, Josh Brolin and Paul Bettany and is directed by Joss Whedon (Firefly, Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dr Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog, Much Ado About Nothing, Toy Story).

Even with JJ Abrams “gone leavin”, the fan pressure to make a third instalment to the widely successful rebooted Star Trek series is immense and so Into Darkness writer Roberto Orci is taking up the directing chair this time around and he’s taken some time out to fill us in on how Kirk and Co.’s story will evolve. “In they set out finally where the original series started,” says Orci. “The first two films – especially the 2009 film – was an origin story. It was about them coming together. So they weren’t the characters they were in the original series,” continues the director. “They were growing into them and that continues on in the second movie. So in this movie they are closer than they are to the original series characters that you have ever seen.

“They have set off on their five-year mission, so their adventure is going to be in deep space.” What many Trek fans are after is a story more focused on The Original Series’ theme of discovery, exploration, at least attempting negotiations and moving on but that kind of episodic narrative doesn’t work well with a two hour blockbuster. So long as the Klingon race play a major role (how about a Next Generation cameo or William Shatner finally turning up) and the rebooted cast of Chris Pine (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit), Zachary Quinto (Margin Call), Zoe Saldana (Avatar), John Cho (American Beauty), Anton Yelchin (Terminator Salvation), Alice Eve (Men In Black 3), Leonard Nimoy (The Wrath of Khan), Karl Urban (Dredd) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol).

Guillermo Del Toro’s epic sci-fi action Pacific Rim became a cult hit with many fans and while it doubled its budget with its international takings and gained an overall of $410 million but wasn’t quite the smash Warners were hoping for. That plus the worry of writer Travis Beacham departing set back a potential sequel by some way but today Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Devil’s Backbone, Blade II, Hellboy), who’s now working with The Avengers’ Zak Penn, at last confirmed the follow up and its set in for April 2017. The delay may confuse some but Del Toro is still at work on horror flick Crimson Peak. We hope that Rim 2 will star Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman and Ron Perlman.

Pacific Rim 2 – April 7th 2017

Star Trek 3 – 2016

The Avengers: Age of Ultron – May 1st 2015

Star Trek 3 confirms the new director and Fantastic Beasts sets its release date

When author of the phenomenal Harry Potter book series JK Rowling announced her intentions to scribe a new fantasy adventure set in Harry’s world – based on the thin mock encyclopaedia Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them -, we had very little clue as to its connection to Harry’s story as well as if would be coming any time soon, with no talk of potential directors. The spin-off didn’t seem like it was going to come in the foreseeable future until now. The film has set its release date as the not too distant November 18th 2016. The plot, as we know it, is of daredevil wizard Newt Scamander travelling the globe in order to compile his textbook of Fantastic Beasts seventy years before Harry picks it up at Hogwarts.

With Into Darkness and Super 8’s JJ Abrams busy on some little known space opera called Star Wars: Episode VII, the job for the director of the third Star Trek of Abrams’ recent reboot has been open. Brits such as Rupert Wyatt and Joe Cornish have been rumoured gig but it’s confirmed that Roberto Orci (writer of Star Trek, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Fringe and Sleepy Hollow) will make the sci-fi sequel his directorial debut. Star Trek 3 will likely star Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Alice Eve, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Star Trek 3 – 2016

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – November 18th 2016