‘New Mutants’ may go to Hulu, ‘Highlander’ reboot uncertain, Channing Tatum to helm ‘Gambit’
Some random updates on these projects:
The New Mutants is currently slated to be the final Fox-Marvel film to ever hit the big screen, the film was initially intended to be the first in a trilogy. After several delays and talks of reshoots, Fox is still struggling with director Josh Boone on the tone of the film, an arguement that has been occurring since pre-production. The lastest rumors suggest that the film might not even hit the big screen after all.
According to Scott Bechtel of Merc with a Podcast, Fox is looking to delay the theatrical release of The New Mutants to early November. Furthermore, they are also thinking of delivering the film straight to Hulu in October instead.
According to Omega Underground’s Thomas Polito, Simon Kinberg was not happy with what Boone had delivered.
The New Mutants stars Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) as Wolfsbane, Anya Taylor-Joy (Glass, Split, Atlantis) as Magik, Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) as Cannonball, Blu Hunt (The Originals) as Dani Moonstar and Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why, Under the Dome) as Sunspot.
X-Force comes before Deadpool 3 (as if these projects will still happen)
Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick wrote both Deadpool and Deadpool 2 so it’s no great surprise that they’re returning for the planned third installment. In a new interview that Fox is/was planning to release X-Force first (which debunks theories that Deadpool 3 will basically be Deadpool: X-Force).
“According to the chronology that we’ve established, X-Force will be next, before Deadpool 3,” Reese explains. “It’s a bit of the ‘Iron Man 1, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3’ model, in that sense. X-Force isn’t being written by us. It’s being written and directed by Drew Goddard, or at least that’s the plan right now. We’re not involved with that one.”
“We do anticipate there will be a Deadpool 3 at some point,” he continued, “but it’s just a little premature, because it will definitely take a backseat to X-Force for the time being.”
“We’re constantly in touch with Ryan, and we’re always throwing ideas back and forth via text and phone conversations,” Wernick added. “So, it’s always at the front of our minds. We’ll get there when the time is right, but as of right now, X-Force is next up.”
OUR PREDICTION: A big maybe. If Fox really has something nice to pitch Kevin Feige, then this might in the works in a couple of years. Deadpool made a ton of cash and while the R-rating would be something ended by Disney, the franchise may live on…but that’s a big MAYBE.
20th Century Fox
The Highlander franchise has been around for a while. Starting in 1986, it spawned five sequels, two live-action TV series, and three animated spin-offs.
John Wick director Chad Stahelski has been attached to a Highlander reboot since November 2016, and it sounds like the project has stalled again, as he spoke with Collider:
“Still fighting the good fight. Highlander is an interesting property. It’s through Lionsgate as well and Neal Moritz. We’re trying to get it done. Anyone who knows anything about the property knows it has a lot of meat to it. It’s a good property. It’s got a lot of potential. We’re just trying to figure out the best way not to fuck it up. Not to try and fit it into a 1 hour, 45 minute movie, which, when your pitch is, ‘There can be only one,’ and in your first movie you kill everybody but the one, sequels have a problem of happening. So we’re trying to design in a way that gives us a little more lead in, a little more time with the mythology and see some of the best characters. They did seven seasons of TV, and even though the TV show may not hold up today, the idea of it and the characters they brought in were super cool. So we’re trying to devise a methodology that leads up to The Quickening. You just don’t end with a one-on-one battle in New York, cut off a guy’s head, and that’s it. We want to do this in such a way that it becomes more of a series whether it’s short form or long form that would let us explore that in the best way. I have a huge, heartfelt love and respect for the project, so we’re trying to find the best way to do it to give fans what they want.”
He continued, Highlander may end up being a TV series or a movie on a streaming service, but that won’t limit what they do with the action, and it may end up giving them more freedom: “We’re well past the script phase in terms of what we want to accomplish with a feature-length version of what we want and based on there being more after that. We want to tell the complete story of The Quickening, the Immortals, and all that. But the overall environment is changing so much. Look what Netflix is doing with TV now. As an action designer myself, there are two or three episodes of Game of Thrones that blow away 90% of features. Netflix has a whole new delivery system with features on that coming off differently and letting filmmakers and directors expand out without being crushed by opening weekend box office. So there’s a couple different mediums we want to explore and what is the best way to bring this out in.”
Then there’s Gambit…
Channing Tatum’s pet project is all caught in the Disney-Fox deal.
A new report from Deadline about Tatum changing talent agencies mentioned that the Gambit solo film still alive, but also added that the actor – who has been attached to star as the titular mutant for years – may be entirely done with waiting for it to get off the ground.
Our prediction: ZERO chance of that happening.
That is NO WHERE in the MCU plans for a Tatum caliber star to be behind the camera.
