Exclusive Update: Alfonso Cuaron Lining Up For STAR WARS Ep VIII? Simon Pegg Going STAR WARS On Us?

You all know by now that we have some great sources embedded in key franchises - one of which is the mighty STAR WARS universe. Well the same source that gave us the exclusive that the third STAR WARS trilogy is going to happen, in 3D, without Lucas directing, that it will focus on the Skywalker offspring, and that the trilogy will follow in the original trilogy's tone is back.

So what's cooking now? How about Alfonso Cuaron getting up close and personal? I mentioned Episode VIII, but it could be Episode IX as well (or both for that matter). I would LOVE to see a STARS WARS movie directed by Cuaron. So many people are going to have the light turned on as to how brilliant a director he is after they see GRAVITY this year.

Anyway, I won't further spoil the spy info - so read on and we'll discuss afterwards!

READ ON...

As far as I know Episode 7 was then, and is now, focusing on the Skywalker's offspring. As I told you before, I believe duel personalities develop, akin to Anakin and Obi Wan, and Luke and Vader in the first trilogies, which as far as I am aware, is the driving force behind the new trilogy. Things may change however, but I doubt it, this has been long in the making.

The focus is on the original trilogy in regards of reverence and tone. Remember I told you before that the tone was important, well I believe they are really taking that seriously. From everything I know, they're focusing on that directly. Remember everything has the ability to change drastically, as Star Wars right now apart from the twin trilogies is a huge blank canvas. However, the trilogies ongoing narrative will continue to focus on that particular branch, whereas the stand alone movies, will fill and expand the voids in between in multiple timelines, and have potential to then be franchised themselves in regards to the worlds they open up.

Yoda, Palpatine, Jabba, Boba, Plagueis etc.

I believe they are very clued into what fans would and wouldn't like, and considering Mr Ford himself may not be done with his character yet, I wouldn't start picketing Lucasfilm about young Han Solo movies being made just yet. Which I was led to believe couldn't be further from how they want to move forward creatively anyway.

Harrison Ford has been approached, he has not turned it down, and is from everything I hear, very interested in returning to the role of Han Solo again, but is not signed as was reported recently. Negotiating may be a better choice of words right now. Hope it shakes out.

Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were also approached a long time ago, as was ford, and a few other key players. I would all but guarantee, they will be in Episode 7, and I would be confident that Ford will return too. If the universe aligns correctly.

J.J. Abrams name was brought up to me numerous times, but only in reference to re-brand and ground up respect for world building that the franchise was looking to take back then. Very sneaky. Interesting to see he was offered the most coveted and feared gig in cinema history. Ultimately he is the perfect choice to direct episode 7, and set up the franchise to steward through the first trilogy. The names I mentioned to you before, remember them (EDITOR'S NOTE: my source's director list can be found here). Alfonso Cuaron especially. Trust me.

J.J. Abrams mystery cube or whatever he is calling it today, is in full effect, Star Wars news is going to be very thin on the ground for the foreseeable future, but expect Simon Pegg to be involved in some capacity. Can't say why, but lets just say I have a strong feeling about that.

Star Wars fans, Kathleen and J.J have your interests at heart.

So, very interesting!! And what is Simon Pegg doing with STAR WARS? Ideas? Is he jumping with Abrams in some fashion? Clearly he is deep in STAR TREK but being the miracle worker that Scotty is, apparently Pegg is needed in the STAR WARS universe as well!

And Cuaron? Hopefully that happens. As of right now it is in the works, so fingers crossed! More exclusive STAR WARS, AVATAR and HOBBIT info when I get it!

MarketSaw Exclusive Gains Traction!! You Heard It Here First - Harrison Ford Circling STAR WARS: EPISODE VII

Well if you are a MarketSaw reader than you know that we had this story a LONG time ago in a post far, far away. But going back even further to October 21, 2009 we were the first to break the story that the STAR WARS franchise will have Episodes VII, VIII and IX *AND* that they were going to be in stereoscopic 3D *AND* that George Lucas would NOT be directing.

All of that has been been proven correct and verified by Lucasfilm (eventually - they denied it at first of course) and Disney.

Let's skip ahead to November 2, 2012 now, when we broke yet another exclusive story that the third trilogy (EP VII, VIII and IX) will in fact bring back the original stars including Harrison Ford as Hans Solo. Yeah, this is old news. Ford may be close to signing something, but the fact that the story involves him and that he may have already been approached is MarketSaw's story.

It's nice to know that all of our STAR WARS exclusives are coming true (just like all of our AVATAR and HOBBIT exclusives) but it does irk me that other sites claim to have the exclusives on these things. Not by a long shot.

Keep checking back with us if you want to be the first to know, months if not YEARS before other sites. More STAR WARS and AVATAR news soon!!

Source: Ford close to signing via Latinoreview 

 

Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY To Focus On Star-Lord, Gamora And Drax The Destroyer?

If you're like me and you're a die-hard Marvel fan, then you've probably been wondering about how they are going to tackle GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Compared to the other top line Marvel properties GOTG don't get much press so there will be a massive education going on here for the masses.

So it seems that the Marvel brain-trust have teed up 3 of the 5 Guardians to be more fully fleshed out in the first iteration of a hopeful series. According to Latino Review, those 3 characters are Star-Lord, Gamora, and Drax the Destroyer. Therefore it seems that Groot (the awesome looking tree dude) and Rocket Raccoon (the ahhh, raccoon), are going to be still present but just not driving James Gunn's plot as much. Think Black Widow and Hawkeye in THE AVENGERS.

Don't forget that Latino Review has a fairly solid background in breaking Marvel news so it's a pretty good bet that this rumor is solid.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY opens on August 1, 2014. Click here for all of our GOTG coverage.

Emily Blunt Or Ruth Wilson As Ms. Marvel In THE AVENGERS 2?

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It's an interesting rumor to say the least. Marvel's been wanting to bring in Ms. Marvel amongst other properties for some time now and it seems they may be acting on it. You may know for example that Ms. Marvel is a key component of Marvel's "New Avengers".

Here's how Wikipedia describes Ms. Marvel:
Ms. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Major Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) and as Ms. Marvel—a fusion of alien Kree and human genes—in Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977).

Debuting in the Silver Age of comics, the character featured in a self-titled series in the late 1970s before becoming associated with superhero teams the Avengers and the X-Men. The character has also been known as Binary, Warbird, and Captain Marvel at various points in her history, and has featured in other Marvel-endorsed products including video games, animated television series, and merchandise such as trading cards. In the 2000s, the increased use of her as a character eventually prompted some commentators to note that "she's now the House of Ideas' premier heroine." She was ranked 29th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.

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According to The Daily Mail, Emily Blunt and Ruth Wilson are pulling out the stilettos and facing off for the coveted role which will be featured in Joss Whedon's followup to the number three movie of all time THE AVENGERS, known affectionately now as THE AVENGERS 2.

I don't blame these actors to be going after this role - these really are event movies. Personally I see Emily Blunt as much more of a fit than Ruth Wilson, but Blunt may already be a bit too famous to take it on. Interesting casting dilemma.

The image and video of Ms. Marvel are from Sideshow Collectibles lineup of figures of which I am an avid collector (I don't have this piece though).



What do you think? Emily Blunt or Ruth Wilson?

Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY May Be Helmed By James Gunn

Marvel is seemingly stepping forward with their top choice for the upcoming GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and that director's name is James Gunn. It's an interesting choice as he has no big budget experience but he does seem to have an innate ability to blend together horror, comedy and a good dose of dramatic narrative - certainly the comedy is a staple of Marvel's existence.

It's also an indication that GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY could go a bit darker than the other Marvel movies. Completely an assumption though.

Of course Joss Whedon probably has had a big hand in the selection of Gunn as they have similar traits in filmmaking. 

Keep in mind that this is yet another ensemble film and so is extremely difficult to shoot effectively. So many dynamics and you have to build all those characters to some level of appreciation too. Top that with the fact that the GUARDIANS characters are going to need a lot of work for suspension of disbelief. Not to worry though, Marvel has shown an amazing tenacity in making that facet work with previous efforts.

Can't wait for this! And the probable appearance of THANOS too, pre - AVENGERS 2.

Source: THR

MarketSaw Endorsed Rumor: Marvel's DAREDEVIL Reboot May Have It's Superhero Leading Man...

...And I for one fully endorse this rumor. According to a recent Twitter exchange between David Slade (attached to reboot DAREDEVIL) and a fan named Teresa, Josh Hartnett may be the director's first choice. Personally I think Hartnett is a wonderful actor and because he hasn't been in much lately and I think he would explode on the screen making us wonder why he's been so absent. That, and he reminds me of a young Tommy Lee Jones. That's a good thing.

The DAREDEVIL franchise needs some deep character work to wiggle it's way back into today's Marvel lineup of movies because frankly the Ben Affleck effort lacked it. I enjoyed some elements of that 2003 Mark Steven Johnson film, but seriously the characters needed work. That said, I temper those remarks with a solid recommendation to watch the director's cut of DAREDEVIL (2003) which adds a much needed 30 minutes to my concerns.

There is huge potential for a franchise from DAREDEVIL and if they decide to follow the comicbook's trajectory then he could wind up in an ensemble THE NEW AVENGERS movie down the road. Even better is when THE AVENGERS join up with THE NEW AVENGERS to fight the X-MEN. :-) And you thought THE AVENGERS was a huge event movie... :-)

Of course there has been no official discussion on whether the new DAREDEVIL will be in stereoscopic 3D, but it is a very safe bet with the onslaught of modern Marvel 3D blockbusters. Why the heck WOULDN"T they?

Here's the superhero's description from Wikipedia:
Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, Matt Murdock is blinded by a radioactive substance that falls from an oncoming vehicle. While he no longer can see, the radioactive exposure heightens his remaining senses beyond normal human ability. His father, a boxer named Jack Murdock, supports him as he grows up, though Jack is later killed by gangsters after refusing to throw a fight. After donning a yellow and black, and later a dark red, costume, Matt seeks out revenge against his father's killers as the superhero Daredevil, fighting against his many enemies including Bullseye and the Kingpin. Daredevil's nickname is "the Man Without Fear". 

So stay tuned on this story for more details. The DAREDEVIL reboot is happening, but nothing official on casting yet. Great rumor though. Hope it happens. Other than Hartnett, who else would you like to see in the role (Other than Affleck that is...)? That being said, Affleck could direct a future DAREDEVIL movie in my books!

Source: Empire

CONAN Casting Rumors: Stephen Lang And Rachel Nichols!

Jim here. According to LatinoReview, apparently Stephen Lang (you all know him right? A little character known as Col. Quaritch in AVATAR?) has been offered the role of Khalar Singh who happens to be the main villain in CONAN.

Khalar Singh's character was described last fall as: In his 40s to 50s, Asian or Middle Eastern, Central Asian, Mongol, Turkish, or Persian, open to all ethnicities; commanding in size and manner, a warlord and formidable warrior, brilliant, cruel, weathered and tanned by the many campaigns he has waged and won. He is driven in his quest to find the Queen of Acheron and has been building an empire to do so. His goal is to find the Queen whose blood will bring life to the demonic minions of Acheron while making himself king of this hellish power. With this power, Khalar will protect his legacy against the onslaught of master sorcerer, Thoth-Amon so that his weak son, Fariq may rule after his death. While riding into a Cimmerian village to recruit his old comrade, Corin, his large collection of mercenaries slaughters them to the last soul when Corin refuses to join them. The village’s only survivor was young Conan. When Khalar’s search has finally narrowed to the likely discovery of the queen at a monastery of female monks, he also learns Conan is older and hungry for revenge.

The deal is not final yet and negotiations are still underway.

Same goes for the role of Tamara. LatinoReview also says that Rachel Nichols (Scarlett in G.I. JOE) has been approached. Seems that Nichols beat out Jessica Lucas (CLOVERFIELD) and Sarah Shahi (THE L WORD).

Tamara's character is 18 to 24 years old, Caucasian or Middle Eastern, open to all ethnicities; beautiful, studious, correct, a novitiate of a Greek influenced monastery. A master of martial arts, she has been trained to be the Queen’s servant, bodyguard and best friend. She and many other female bodyguards to the queen have been in hiding most of their lives because of the curse of Acheron, which would take the queen’s life to bring almost immortal power to its king. When Khalar Singh, a powerful warlord with ambitions to become the king of Acheron, storms the monastery and captures all of the novitiates, she is separated from Ilira, the one she must protect. With all of her strength and will, Tamara is determined to find and rescue her. She finds herself in league with Conan because of a mutual need to find Khalar Singh. She is not in the least intimidated by Conan’s size or grim demeanor and their alliance eventually blossoms into something that surprises them both.

LatinoReview also broke the news that Leo Howard (Young Snake Eyes in G.I. JOE) has been cast as the "Young Conan" too. Seems they have a pretty good source in the Millenium organization! :-)

More when we get it! CONAN is shaping up quite nicely I think. Lang will bring a lot of power and intensity to the villain role. I have always been a huge fan of his.

Of course CONAN going S3D is still a rumor, but I am too thrilled to not cover it... so it better happen!

AVATAR 2: Early Rumblings And Yes, Cameron Is Directing

Jim here. I have been hearing more and more about AVATAR 2 and the direction that Cameron wants to take it from one of my best sources.

Yes, Cameron will be directing. There is obviously some posturing going on to position the sides for the upcoming negotiations regarding the projects. Don't think for a second he will let anyone else water down this franchise like what happened to TERMINATOR.

So what have I heard about AVATAR 2? We are going to be seeing a great deal more future Earth in 2 and 3 - especially AVATAR 2. The extended edition for AVATAR will help set this up for us, but there are also key elements from the original movie that will do so as well of course.

My source is in a hard place right now as the information he/she has is "very spoilery" and may even turn out to be inaccurate in some places when actual production starts down the road. What he does say is: "It is not what you may expect". It will be similar yet very different with the same main characters. Not everything is as it seems in that system (Polyphemus).

Of course keep in mind the elements of war that we posted exclusively a few weeks back! And of course that other moons will be involved, not just Pandora. Again, a MarketSaw exclusive - a full month before the LA Times ran their story.

Our source promises more soon. He/she really only wants to give us information that will most likely happen. That's what I love about my top sources - they are essentially just like us! We love movies and how they are made. We appreciate creative talent!

Stay tuned...