This year’s MTV Movie Awards may be over, but we’re still getting goodies from the show, including today’s lead-off story, in which Daisy Ridley addresses the recent rumors of Rey’s parentage in Star Wars: Episode VIII. Plus, we have major casting news for Thor: Ragnarok, the latest on Suicide Squad and Black Panther, and much more!
Star Wars: Episode VIII
In true Star Wars tradition, fans just cannot stop speculating about the parents of our favorite new Force wielder. So actress Daisy Ridley herself has stepped in to address the latest rumors running rampant on the internet, namely those that state Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is Rey’s mom. Speaking with MTV at Sunday night’s Movie Awards, the actress says, âIâm not being funny you guys, but just because sheâs white and got brown hair⦠it doesnât mean sheâs my mom.â
Ridley adds that âI think the amazing thing about [Episode VII] is that Finn and Rey donât come from anywhere, and they find a place. So to me, itâs funny that people think itâs so important because I donât really think it is.”
Ridley also describes Episode VIII as a darker film than The Force Awakens, and says that, at present, “I donât know if I am a Jedi⦠I donât think I am.”
Hmmmm… Star Wars: Episode VIII is set to rock every world in the galaxy on December 15, 2017.
[MTV]
Thor: Ragnarok
And speaking of world-rocking… I’m STUNNED to hear that Natalie Portman will not be rejoining Chris Hemsworth in the third Thor solo film, Thor: Ragnarok. In fact, Creed breakout star Tessa Thompson has signed on as the female lead, presumably the Asgardian Avenger’s new love interest. Though it’s also possible Thompson could play the villainous Enchantress, or just about any other heretofore unseen character in the MCU. So let the speculation begin!
[Deadline]
Suicide Squad
Despite recent reports to the contrary, director David Ayer is flat-out denying that the Suicide Squad reshoots were scheduled to add more humor to the film (in an effort to align it more fully with the tone of the trailer)…
#SuicideSquad âreshoots for humorâ is silly. When a studio loves your movie and asks what else you want, go for it! #ThanksWB #moreaction
â David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) April 11, 2016
[Twitter]
Black Panther
Ryan Coogler has showed his mastery at writing and directing by tackling two films as different as Fruitvale Station and Creed. So it’s heartening to hear that Coogler’s work on Black Panther will extend beyond simply helming the filmâhe’ll co-write it as well.
âWe have a number of writers on it,” says Marvel mastermind Kevin Feige, “including Ryan Coogler, who is also directing, heâs working on the draft right now. Between now and the end of the summer there will be more casting announcements. We start filming at the very beginning of next year.â
Feige also addresses rumors that the studio’s long-planned Inhumans movie would be cancelled…
“Since we made our initial phase three announcement, we added Spider-Man, which was a big joyous coup for us. We added Ant-Man and the Wasp, which was a big fun continuation of that story for us. Walt Disney Company has announced an Indiana Jones film for right around that same time. So I think it will shuffle off the current date that itâs on right now. How far down it shuffles, Iâm not sure yet… Itâs a question of when.”
[Collider]
The Jungle Book 2
Yes, you read that correctly:Â The Jungle Book 2. With Jon Favreau’s live-action adaptation of the Disney animated favorite arriving this Friday, and garnering rave reviews, the studio is so happy with the film that talks have already begun with the director, with writer Justin Marks, and with producer Brigham Taylor about a follow-up. And with more than one Mowgli tale to author Rudyard Kipling’s credit, we needn’t worry that the filmmakers will be hurting for source material.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Finally today… With all the high-profile upcoming films present at this week’s MTV Movie Awards, it was perhaps easy to overlook one of the more offbeat and idiosyncratic. But Luc Besson’s latest, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, was indeed represented by star Cara Delevingne, who introduced a new video from the sci-fi epic adaptation of the French comic favorite, showing her character in interstellar action…
[MTV]
What do you think of today’s top stories? Let us know below!
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Featured Image: Disney, Lucasfilm
Images: Disney, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., DC, Marvel