Apparently, Joaquin Phoenix came very close to getting the Joker role in “The Dark Knight.” This is the first I hear of this. Phoenix was on Rick Rubin’s podcast and mentioned how Nolan approached him to play Joker.
Read moreOliver Stone on ‘Megalopolis': “One Stunning Scene After Another"
Spike Jonze's Axed Netflix Sci-Fi Series Had $30M Per Episode Budget
A very reliable source tells me that Spike Jonze’s sci-fi Netflix series, which had Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix in talks to star, was going to cost the streamer a cool $30M per episode.
Read more‘Skinamarink' Director, Kyle Edward Ball, Lands Next Film at A24
Kyle Edward Ball, the writer-director behind 2023’s micro-budget “Skinamarink,” has been promoted to A24 for his next film, “The Land of Nod.” Plot and casting details are being kept under wraps.
Read more‘Ant-Man 3' Had A $388M Budget
First Look Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere'
I chuckled seeing the “first image” of Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen. It’s not that he looks miscast in the role, it’s just that he basically looks like … Jeremy Allen White.
Read moreBox-Office: ‘Anora' and ‘Conclave' Exceed Expectations — ‘Venom 3' $51M Opening
The big story is the significant overperformance of specialized titles timed for awards season, led by Edward Berger’s “Conclave” (Focus), Sean Baker’s “Anora” (Neon) and John Crowley’s “We Live in Time” (A24).
Read moreClint Eastwood's ‘Juror #2' Gets Mostly Positive Reviews at AFI Fest
Variety, Screen, IndieWire (A-) and Punch Drunk Critics are positive. Meanwhile, The Arizona Republic is currently the only negative review. Most of the writeups hint at another old-school film from Clint, without much flash, and driven by strong storytelling.
Read moreLOL: Marvel's ‘Blade' Needs A New Script
After many attempts, which saw plenty of writers enter and exit the project, the latest “Blade” draft, written by Eric Pearson, was said to be the most satisfying one to date. Pearson is, at least, the sixth writer to have taken a crack at the script.
Read morePhil Lord & Chris Miller's ‘Project Hail Mary' Wraps Five Month Shoot
Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s “Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller, began production in the United Kingdom during the last week of May. It’s now been confirmed that production has wrapped up its five-month shoot — 145 days.
Read moreJohnny Depp on Terry Gilliam's ‘The Carnival at the End of Days': “I Hope the Film Can See the Light of Day"
Depp is telling an Italian outlet that among the projects he’s currently working on, there are two films as a director and two as an actor, including Terry Gilliam’s long-gestating “The Carnival at the End of Days.”
Read moreA “Super Secret” ‘Looney Tunes’ Project in the Works at Warner Bros.
Over the weekend, studio head, Bill Damaschke, told a crowd at the Lightbox Expo that a new “super secret” Looney Tunes project is now in the works at Warners, and that it is being developed as a major theatrical release.
Read moreRobert Zemeckis' ‘Here' Panned at AFI Film Fest
There goes its Oscar chances. Pans are coming in from IGN, THR, Variety, The Daily Beast, Mashable, UPI, and Screen. The only positive review has IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio giving the film a “B” grade.
Read moreIndieWire Podcast Hated ‘Gladiator II'
IndieWire’s Screen Talk podcast has co-hosts Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio body slamming “Gladiator II” — they hated it, calling it a “big disappointment.” Oscar pundits will maybe need to reassess this one and take it out of their predictions.
Read more‘Megalopolis’ Releases on VOD November 12
I was starting to wonder why it was taking so long to announce a VOD date as the film is currently screening in only 50 theaters, and has died a very slow and painful death at the box office.
Read moreJames Franco Says Seth Rogen Has Ignored Him Since #MeToo Scandal
During James Franco’s #MeToo scandal, Seth Rogen, his long time collaborator, distanced himself from his friend, telling The Sunday Times that he had no plans to ever work with the actor again.
Read more‘Spider-Man 4' Sets July 24, 2026 Release — One Week After Christopher Nolan's Movie
It’s being confirmed that ‘Spider-Man 4’ opens July 24, 2026. That's one week after Christopher Nolan's next movie, which also stars Tom Holland. Empire City does not believe ‘Spider-Man 4’ will be keeping its date.
Read more‘Blue Streak' Sequel in the Works ...
The film topped the U.S. box office and went on to gross nearly $120M globally. Les Mayfield (“Flubber”) directed the original, but he’s likely not coming back for the sequel as Mayfield hasn’t directed a film since 2007’s “Code Name: The Cleaner.”
Read more‘Venom 3' Nabs $8M in Thursday Previews — $50M+ Weekend Expected
Early numbers are telling me $8M in Thursday previews for “Venom: The Last Dance,” which should result in a $50M+ opening weekend. Yes, it’s a poor performance for the $120M costing sequel, but its numbers in China are astounding and it could very well result in a $165M worldwide gross over the weekend. In fact, by Sunday evening, the film’s China gross could potentially match the stateside numbers.
