Let’s get this abbreviated work week off to a kick-ass start with today’s Movie Morsels, wherein you’ll find the latest word on the X-Men spinoff film Gambit, direct from star Channing Tatum. We’ve also got a Jurassic World featurette packed full of new footage, new pics from Ant-Man and Ridley Scott’s The Martian, and an update on The Legend of Conan!
Gambit
We’ve heard a lot lately about Fox’s upcoming Ryan Reynolds starring Deadpool, but what of the studio’s other X-Men spinoff film, Gambit? Star Channing Tatum gives us a progress report via Empire, and confirms the film will detail the ragin’ Cajun’s origin:
“Josh Zetumer just turned in the first draft of the script, and it’s killer. None of us were sure how he was going to deal with the X-Men world. But we’re going to be changing some of the tropes of these movies. It’s always about saving the world (Laughs), but maybe we’re going to shift things a little bit. There’s so many ways you can take [an origin story]. You could do it like Batman Begins, or a different take and go the Guardians of the Galaxy route. All I can say is, I’m super excited… I love Gambit….I grew up in the South; my father’s from Louisiana. We’d go to New Orleans and I heard all the dialects. It felt so different from the rest of America; it has its own ancient culture. So I identified with that. And he always felt the most real of the X-Men to me. He’s kind of a tortured soul and he’s not a good guy. But he’s not a bad guy, either. He walks his own path. And of course, he plays cards and drinks and is a martial arts badass!”
Now Gambit just needs a director, since it’s set for release on October 7, 2016.
Ant-Man
Speaking of Marvel superheroes, who wants to see some new images from Ant-Man? Alright then, here’s three, again courtesy of Empire. These feature Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne encountering Yellowjacket, Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang getting up close and personal with his insect namesake, and Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym instructing Scott and his daughter Hope.
[Empire]
Jurassic World
Yes, another Jurassic World featurette has hit these here interwebs. But this one, dubbed “A Look Inside”, in addition to having a hella new footage, has something previously released featurettes did not: Steven Spielberg, director of the original Jurassic Park. The great bearded one talks about how Colin Trevorrow’s sequel/reboot realizes the potential of the first film’s concept. Jurassic World opens on June 12th, and stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Jake Johnson, Nick Robinson, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D’Onofrio, BD Wong, Omar Sy, Judy Greer, Katie McGrath, Lauren Lapkus, and Andy Buckley.
Meanwhile, Universal has released another video that takes a look at its new Orlando Resort attraction, Jurassic Park Raptor Encounter…
The Legend of Conan
Thus far we haven’t been sure just which Conan we’ll see in the upcoming The Legend of Conan. There are, after all, numerous incarnations of the character, from Robert E. Howard’s original stories to the Marvel comics that reinterpreted and continued those tales, to director John Milius’ Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring 1982 film. Well according to writer-producer, Chris Morgan, The Legend of Conan will most definitely take its cue from Milius…
“Our tone is a logical extension of the character established in the ’82 film… but 30 years later. When we meet him again, Conan has been many things over the course of his life — a thief, a warrior, a pirate, a king, a legend — and is now an older man. Think Unforgiven…with a sword-wielding barbarian.
“Milius was a visionary. And a hero of mine. He established a milieu that is stunning and violent and clear — incomparable. The goal, the dream, is to live up to his world. To make it worthy. And to expand on it in a truthful way that audiences will embrace. We’re very lucky that the architects of this new film — the writer, the producers, the studio and most of all, Arnold — who is Conan — are all first-generation fans who either worked on the film or who came along for the ride, cheering from their theater seats opening night. We plan nothing more than to immerse ourselves in the world Milius envisioned from Robert E. Howard’s unforgettable stories and Frank Frazetta’s stunning artwork. I can’t give specifics (nobody likes a spoiler!), but know we are honoring the locales, the religions and the traditions of the ’82 film.”
The Martian
Yesterday we showed you the first photos from Ridley Scott’s next science-fiction epic, The Martian. And today, we’ve got even more pics from the film, courtesy of People and Entertainment Weekly, about an astronaut, played by Matt Damon, who finds himself stranded on the Red Planet and eager to get home to Earth. Check ’em out below; they include our first look at Kristen Wiig in the film. The Martian lands on November 25th, and co-stars Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.
[People]
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