Brussels Hit With Pair of Terror Attacks, Networks Break In With Wall-To-Wall Coverage
Bombs struck the Brussels airport and one of the city’s metro stations today, killing at least 31 people and wounding 187 — and once again, a European capital was locked down amid heightened security threats. The two airport blasts, at least one of which was blamed on a suicide bomber, left behind a chaotic scene of splattered blood in the departure lounge as windows were blown out, ceilings collapsed and travelers streamed out of the building. (HRC)
There Is a Tonya Harding Movie In Development, and It Just Cast Margot Robbie To Star
Actress is going to play the infamous Olympic figure skater in the biopic I, Tonya, from writer Steven Rogers. No director is yet on board. Film is set to tell the story of the famous figure skater whose husband tried to take out her competition, fellow figure skater and eventual Silver Medal winner Nancy Kerrigan. (CB)
Lionsgate to Slash ‘Ascendant’ Budget as ‘Divergent’ Franchise Fizzles
In the wake of the weak box office of Allegiant, the third picture in the Divergent franchise based on Veronica Roth’s young adult novels, sources say Lionsgate will cut the budget of the fourth and final movie in the series, Ascendant, due to start shooting this summer. Sources estimate Allegiant’s budget at $110 million. The upcoming picture is still being written and no final budget has yet been determined. (THR)
Joel Silver Transgender Drama ‘New People’ Is in the Works at Freeform
Cable net is developing New People, a drama series from writer Don Roos, who is executive producing with Silver and Rodney Ferrell. Freeform has given a script order to the project, which is produced by Lionsgate Television and Silver’s shingle Silver Pictures. The series is based on the novel “Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family,” which tells the story of a transgender girl, her identical twin brother and their family. (VAR)
‘Top Of the Lake 2’ Is a Go, and a ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Is Joining Elisabeth Moss
Gwendoline Christie will take a break from swordplay to star opposite Moss in Season 2 of SundanceTV’s Emmy-winning show. The new episodes pick up four years after the events of the Season 1 finale, when the unidentified body of an Asian girl washes up on to Sydney’s Bondi Beach. The network wouldn’t release any details about Christie’s character on Monday, except to say that her role is a major one. (TVL)
Today In Remake News: the Redo Of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ Casts Its Star
A Perfect Guy director David M. Rosenthal has taken over the director’s chair of the project and is bringing that movie’s star Michael Ealy to headline. The original film starred Tim Robbins as a Vietnam veteran living in New York City. Haunted by his past, he begins a descent into madness. The new take is said to reexamine the themes of the original against a contemporary backdrop, offering “a modern day paranoid action thriller about two brothers.” (CS)
It Looks Like There Actually Might Be a Pretty Good Chance That Daisy Ridley Will Be Lara Croft
Late last week, reports began to come out linking the Star Wars: The Force Awakens star to the forthcoming Tomb Raider reboot. The project, which has director Roar Uthaug and screenwriter Geneva Robertson-Dworet attached, is circling its lead and move forward. It wasn’t until yesterday that Ridley herself confirmed that there have been conversations about the role, saying, “I’m waiting for someone to say ‘I want you, let’s do it.” (FSR)
Adam Sandler Netflix Pic ‘The Do-Over’ Gets May Premiere & First Teaser
Actor’s second film as part of his four picture deal with the streaming giant, will premiere Friday, May 27th the streaming service has announced. The film sees Sandler and David Spade as a pair of down on their luck friends who decide to start their lives over by faking their own deaths and assuming new identities. Unfortunately, it turns out the people whose identities they stole were themselves in a heap of trouble. (DH)
Looking To Catch Up On the Rebooted ‘Doctor Who’? Get Thee To Amazon Prime
Online shopping and streaming giant and BBC Worldwide North America announced today a multi-year content licensing agreement to make Prime Video the exclusive US subscription streaming home for the award-winning series. The program will be available for free to Amazon Prime subscribers. Seasons one through eight of the rebooted Doctor Who and the associated specials will be available from March 27th, with Season Nine up in the fall. (BC)
Online Film School: Here’s What Happens When Your Dream Filmmaking Job Ends Up Being a Nightmare
Max La Bella has the same story that most aspiring filmmakers have. He grew up loving movies and building worlds out of LEGOs before realizing that he could be the one to make cinematic universes for others to play in, eventually cruising off to film school to chase his dream job. This is still the same story that belongs to several aspiring filmmakers. (IW)