SSN Events Calendar: ‘Batman V Superman’, ‘Zootopia’, SXSW Film Festival, ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Marvel’s Daredevil’ All Coming This March
The industry can finally release a collective breath now that awards season has officially passed. So why not kick back and watch a little TV? There’s House of Cards and Marvel’s Daredevil, along with a slew of new shows on Vice Media. Typically March would be an off month for major tentpoles, but that’s not the case as Warner Bros. will unleash Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice on March 25th. (SSN)
Film Development For 3/3/16: Film Development for 3/3/16: David Ayer, Will Smith and Joel Edgerton Board ‘Bright’, ‘Iron Man’ Scribes to Pen ‘Blood’s A Rover’
In other news, Maisie Williams and Joanne Froggatt take on A Storm in the Stars, Billy Crudup signs on for Alien: Covenant, Gary Oldman joins Hunter Killer, and Disney’s It’s a Small World adaptation finds writers. There’s lots more, so click the link for the fully skinny. (SSN)
Fresh Off Her First Oscar Nomination, Mary Parent Lands the Vice Chairman Job At Legendary
The producer, who most recently worked on The Revenant and also is producing Kong: Skull Island, has been appointed to the newly created position of vice chairman of worldwide production for Legendary. Parent will oversee all aspects of the company’s film, television, digital, mobile and new media development and production activities reporting in to Legendary Chairman & CEO Thomas Tull. (THR)
Meanwhile, Legendary’s Television and Media President Bruce Rosenbaum Exits the Company
The wave of top executive changes at the company following the its recent acquisition by China’s Dalian Wanda Group has reached the television division. Rosenbaum, who has headed the unit as president of Legendary Television and Digital Media since departing Warner Bros. TV almost three years ago, is leaving the company. (DH)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Set To Produce, and Maybe Star In, KKK Film ‘K Troop’
Actor-producer has come aboard the film that’s being developed at Amazon Studios. Based on an upcoming Slate article by Matthew Pearl, the film will track the rise of the post-Civil War rise of the hate group, and the actions of the U.S. Army’s K Troop unit who fought against them. Gordon-Levitt is eyeing the role of Major Lewis Merrill, the leader of K Troop who with the help of African-American informants brought down the KKK. (TP)
Warner Bros. Is So High On ‘Suicide Squad’, It Might Just Fast Track a Sequel For 2017
Studio execs have Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice coming out first, at the end of this month, but are supposedly so excited about the upcoming David Ayer-directed film that they are discussing putting a sequel into development immediately. While Ayer will be busy with the Will Smith-Joel Egerton film Bright, another writer will be brought in to write the script, but Ayer and the main players are wanted to return for the next go round. (COL)
Scarlett Johansson Gets Some Serious Company In Her Upcoming ‘Ghost In the Shell’ Flick
Japanese cinema icon Takeshi “Beat” Kitano will now be part of the line-up in the sci-fi action thriller, which adapts Masamune Shirow’s original 1989 manga and will be directed by Rupert Sanders. Johansson stars as a female special ops cyborg at the head of an elite task force in charge of stopping dangerous criminals and extremists, and their prime target is The Laughing Man, a terrorist dedicated to wiping out cyber technology. (EMP)
Not Done With Comic Book Heroes Yet, Bryan Singer Now Developing R-Rated ‘Red Sonja’ TV Series
No network has been chosen yet, though the project’s tone would limit it to networks like HBO or Showtime, or even an online platform like Netflix or Amazon. If it moves forward, Singer would direct the pilot and produce, while property owner Luke Lieberman would executive produce alongside Jason Taylor through Singer’s production company, Bad Hat Harry. (BC)
Fox’s ‘Lethal Weapon’ Reboot Just Got a Little More Fast and Furious
Jordana Brewster has joined the pilot and will play Maureen Cahill, a Los Angeles Police Department hostage negotiator and in-house therapist who works with traumatized cops. She joins Damon Wayans Sr. and Golden Brooks in the Warner Bros. TV reboot of the action film franchise that starred Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Gibson’s character has yet to be cast. (VAR)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Nina’
RLJ Entertainment has released the first trailer for the upcoming biopic of the late, great Nina Simone, starring Zoe Saldana in the title role. Written and directed by Cynthia Mort and starring Mike Epps, David Oyelowo, Ronald Guttman, and Ella Thomas, the movie hits theaters April 22nd. (COL)