Film Bits: Watch the First Trailer for ‘Life’; ‘Deadpool 2’ Eyes ‘John Wick’ Director; Tom Hardy to play Al Capone

Tom Hardy Set to Play Al Capone

Josh Trank has had a bit of a rough go. Following his critically acclaimed debut Chronicle, he was poised to become one of the hottest young directors in town. Then came Fantastic Four, which put into doubt his ability to handle a big budget studio tent pole. His handling of that film, and its poor reception, led him to being fired from a future Star Wars movie, throwing the rest of his future into doubt. He’s back now, however. Trank is helming a new biopic of Al Capone, Fonzo, based on a script he wrote. The inimitable Tom Hardy (The Revenant, Legend) has signed on to play the legendary gangster in a film that supposedly blends fact and myth to create a new picture of the man. No word yet on when we can expect Fonzo to hit screens.

(Variety)

Will We See a New Captain America in the MCU?

In a new interview with Collider, Marvel creative head Kevin Feige suggested that we may one day see a Captain America film without the iconic Steve Rogers behind the shield. When asked if a Captain America movie has to feature the character, Feige said, somewhat cryptically, “If we look back at the comic books as our inspiration and as the well from which this all springs, then the answer is no. I’m not saying we’ll do it in the movie but I’ve read Captain America comics that don’t have Steve Rogers in them.” Despite his noncommittal response, this could be just what the MCU needs to shake things up moving on from their next major crossover tent pole, Infinity War. Stakes need to be raised, and the death of Captain America, as we know him, could indeed raise the stakes. Both Bucky Barnes and Falcon have taken over for Captain America at various points in comic book history, and both could play well here. It might also be interesting if they bundled plans for a Black Widow movie into the new Captain America, allowing Scarlett Johansson’s superspy to become a superhero in her own right. Probably unlikely, but that could play.

(Collider)

‘John Wick’ Director on ‘Deadpool 2’ Shortlist

After last week’s abrupt departure for Deadpool 2 director Tim Miller, Fox has been scrambling to find a replacement. According to Deadline, the shortlist includes some pretty big names from the world of genre film. At the top of the list, is David Leitch, co-director of John Wick and John Wick 2. Leitch would be an interesting addition to the Deadpool team, given his ability to choreograph and film scenes of ultra-violence. Also on the list, however, are Drew Goddard, who wrote The Martian and helped create Netflix’s Daredevil, and Magnus Martens, who’s previously directed episodes of Luke Cage and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. While both of them could work, and work well, it’s hard to get over the initial tinge of excitement of the possibility of Leitch’s involvement, and hopefully that’s the direction they end up going.

(Deadline)

See the First Trailer for ‘Life’

The first trailer for Life was released today, giving us our first look at the upcoming sci-fi thriller. Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds star with Rebecca Ferguson in a film about international space station astronauts who find definitive prove of life on Mars. From all appearances, it does seem as though Life is sticking with the “haunted house in space” trope first established by Alien so long ago. The film was directed by Daniel Espinosa (Child 44) and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the team behind Deadpool. The movie is currently slated for release on May 26, 2017.

(Sony)

‘Inferno’ Fails to Burn ‘Madea’; Tyler Perry Comedy Scares of Competition for the Second Week

Inferno failed to ignite a flame for moviegoers this weekend, coming in second place behind Boo! A Madea Halloween, which retains its number one spot for the second week in a row after earning $16.6 million at the box office to Inferno’s $15 million. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back fell to third place in its second week, earning $9.5 million, while The Accountant remained firm in fourth place with $8.4 million. Rounding out the top five was Ouija: Origin of Evil with $7 million in its Halloween Weekend take. For the full top ten, see below.