Strap on those utility belts, crime fighters! Today’s Movie Morsels has more news than you can swing a batarang at, including a bit from the latest info on Ben Affleck’s eagerly awaited The Batman. Plus, an overdue update on the next Shrek sequel, word on a new non-Disney film version of Mulan, and oh so very much more for you to gobble up…
The Batman
The biggest question on my mind about Ben Affleck’s first solo screen outing as the Dark Knight is whether or not it will finally get everyone to him “The Batman” instead of “Batman.” But it looks like I won’t have to wait too long to find out, since we now know when the film will begin shooting. And it’s all thanks to Joe Manganiello, who plays the hissable Deathstroke, a.k.a. Slade Wilson.
The actor spilled the beans in the midst of a new red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight. After he was asked how he was doing in the wake of a recent health scare, Manganiello said he’s doing great, and offered proof of his stamina by saying that he’s getting ready to start shooting The Batman in the spring.
What I continue to find amusing about Manganiello’s casting is how closely he resembles the actor who plays Deathstroke on TV’s Arrow:Â New Zealander Manu Bennett. In fact, both actors resemble each other a lot more than they do comic artist George Perez’s original version of Deathstroke back in the ’80s.
You can check out Manganiello’s comments in the video below…
Shrek 5
Ah, Shrek. That ’00s testament to the futility of photorealistic CG animation and the propaganda of racial purity… While I was only ever able to make it all the way through the first film in the Jeffrey Katzenberg franchise, I understand that some millennial Morselers may have fond memories of the fart-joke-friendly series from their childhoods. So they might be interested to hear that a fifth Shrek film is on its way, and that the studio has just recruited Austin Powers screenwriter Michael McCullers to script it.
The news comes from DreamWorks Animation’s Walt Dohrn and Mike Mitchell, the duo who directed Trolls. When asked by The Hollywood News if they could wind up directing Shrek 5, Mitchell replied that they will either direct the animated ogre’s next adventure or a sequel to one of their other films…
“It’s between that,” said the filmmaker, “and we’re working on a sequel to Sky High. We’ll see how that goes.â€
Er, Sky High? Boy, I just don’t know what to do with this news. In any case, here’s the video interview with both directors…
Mulan
The Mouse House is finding out once more that when you adapt a story that’s in the public domain, you run the risk of other film studios adapting the very same story. We saw this most recently with the news that Andy Serkis was developing his own film version of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, which Disney has only just remade itself this year. And now we learn Sony is developing its own live-action take on Mulan, which Disney just announced for a November 2018 release. Sony is in talks with Game of Thrones director Alex Graves for this reportedly international co-production, which probably means this version will have a lot less singing dragon and a lot more slinging swords. I’m fine with that. I mean, isn’t there enough room in our hearts for two Mulans?
Gerald’s Game
Y’know, there was once a time when a new Stephen King adaptation arrived in theaters damn near every month. But these days? Not so much. Thankfully, that will soon change. Because in addition to The Dark Tower and It, we’ve got still more King on the way via Netflix. The company has just announced the cast of Oculus director Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of the author’s Gerald’s Game. Carla Gugino (pictured above in Showtime’s Roadies) and Bruce Greenwood will play married couple Jessie and Gerald, whose bedroom games get way out of hand. The two actors will be joined by Henry Thomas, Carel Struycken, Kate Siegel, and Chiara Aurelia.
Office Christmas Party
Finally today, we have a whopping four clips from the holiday comedy Office Christmas Party, which looks like it stars just about every person who’s ever made us laugh. Included are Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, T. J. Miller, Jillian Bell, Courtney B. Vance, Kate McKinnon, Rob Corddry, Matt Walsh, Vanessa Bayer, and Randall Park. So pour yourself an early cup of egg nog and enjoy. McKinnon’s holiday sweater alone should put a smile on your face…
What do you think of today’s top stories? Let us know below!
Featured Image: Warner Bros.
Images: Warner Bros., DreamWorks, Disney, Showtime
