Happy Monday, good men and women of Nerdom… Henry Cavill is certainly happy this morning, as you’ll soon learn via a pair of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice-related video interviews. We’ve also got the latest casting news on X-Men: Apocalypse and The Huntsman, word on the first pairing between James Cameron and Jennifer Lawrence, and a TV spot for Will Smith’s next project!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

High praise today from Henry Cavill about his upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Speaking with the Daily Mail at this weekend’s BAFTA Tea Party, the UK star called the Zack Snyder-directed team-up film “cinematic history.”

“It’s Zack Snyder, so it’s going to be a visual spectacle, and it’s cinematic history. We’re doing Batman and we’re doing Superman and it’s all happening at the same time. So fingers crossed it turns out to be as exciting as I think it is.”

Regarding how many times he wants to play the Last Son of Krypton, Cavill told the Anglophile Channel, “As many as it takes. I love the character. I love working with Warner Bros. and what they’re doing with it, and so fingers crossed I’ll be able to tell the story for many, many years to come.”

[Coming Soon]

X-Men: Apocalypse

After making a most welcome return to the iconic role of Professor X and Magneto in last summer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen will, alas, not return for director Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Apocalypse. Stewart appeared on Larry King Now and announced the news in an episode that airs Wednesday at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET on www.ora.tv: “I was learning quite a lot more about it last night. It is going to be looking very much at the earlier lives of all our characters. And so I don’t think we’ll be making an appearance.” Of course Stewart has maintained that he’d be willing to return to his role should he again be asked. Future Past stars who will return to face super-villain Apocalypse (as played by Oscar Isaac) are James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult. The film arrives on May 27, 2016.

[Yahoo! Movies]

The Dive

Hey, speaking of Jennifer Lawrence… Everyone’s BFF has really enjoyed working with her director on the two most recent installments of The Hunger Games. The Oscar winner — after completing work on the fourth and final Hunger Games film — is re-teaming with Francis Lawrence for The Dive. Produced by James Cameron, the film tells the true story of husband-and-wife freedivers Francisco “Pipin” Ferraras and Audrey Mestre, the latter of whom — to be played by Lawrence — died while trying to beat her world record of 557.7 feet for diving on one breath of air. The film is scripted by Laeta Kalogridis and J. Michael Straczynski.

[The Wrap]

The Huntsman

Universal’s sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman is in need of a new director, since Frank Darabont has exited the Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron-starring project. The good news is it may have a new star in the form of the red-hot Emily Blunt (pictured above in Into the Woods), who’s been in talks about the role for two weeks.

[Deadline]

Focus

Wanna watch the very first TV spot for Warner Brothers’ Focus? It’s just landed online. The Will Smith and Margot Robbie-starring tale of a veteran con artist paired with an ambitious novice — written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love) — hits theaters on February 27th.

[Warner Bros.]

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