The names of both character and actor have been bandied about for a little while, but we now have it direct from Disney that Avengers: Age of Ultron will debut another classic Marvel baddie, in addition to the film’s principal android antagonist. Today’s Movie Morsels also features a moving new Furious 7 poster featuring Paul Walker, word on Keanu Reeves’ next project, a hilarious Fifty Shades of Grey parody, and the first clip from an upcoming Sherlock Holmes film starring Ian McKellen.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
While it’s been speculated that Andy Serkis might play the villainous Ulysses Klaw in Avengers: Age of Ultron, we’ve finally received official confirmation of the pairing of actor and character — thanks to Disney releasing the above image of Serkis from the film without the Marvel watermark that it had previously held. This is of course great news for those of us who love Serkis many mo-cap roles but wish to see him perform “unplugged,” so to speak, sans the CG animation with which he’s usually associated. And since Klaw is a frequent foe of the Black Panther, this lays additional groundwork for the studio’s Black Panther film, due out in 2017. Director Joss Whedon’s second and sadly final Avengers movie debuts on May 1st.
Furious 7
After debuting the second full trailer for Furious 7 last night, Universal has released a new poster for the next installment of the Fast & Furious series, and it’s a good deal more somber than any of the marketing we’ve seen thus far for the film. It pays homage to the franchise’s star, the late Paul Walker, while breaking our hearts with the reminder that this will be the last time we see him play Brian O’Connor. Director James Wan’s sequel — co-starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, and Jason Staham — bows on April 3rd.
Fifty Shades of Grey
Saturday Night Live‘s Vanessa Bayer does an excellent job of lampooning the already infamous elevator scene in Focus Features’ adaptation of E.L James’ bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey in a hilarious new Audio-sponsored video. Check it out below. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s film arrives on February 13th.
[Variety]
The Neon Demon
Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn has just recruited two new big names for his upcoming “female-focused” horror film The Neon Demon, starring Maleficent‘s Elle Fanning. Keanu Reeves and Christina Hendricks (who appeared in Drive) have joined the cast of the film, which starts shooting March 30th in Los Angeles. Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, and Bella Heathcote are already slated to co-star.
Mr. Holmes
Ian McKellen appears as a ninety-three-year-old retired Sherlock Holmes haunted by an unsolved case in the tile role of director Bill Condon’s Mr. Holmes. The film is set in 1947 and co-stars Laura Linney as Holmes’ housekeeper and Milo Parker as her son, who strikes up a friendship with the world’s greatest consulting detective. After premiering at this month’s Berlin Film Festival, the first clip from the film has just landed online. Mr. Holmes is afoot in theaters later this year.
[Deadline]
—
What do you think of today’s top stories? Let us know below!
Because my girlfriend blew me off tonight-on the interwebs.
Ian McKellen appears as a ninety-three-year-old retired Sherlock Holmes haunted by an unsolved case in the ***title*** role of director Bill Condon’s ^[better place for a typo]Mr. Holmes.