This week, big news has been breaking right up to the moment we air — and we like that. Some of the most intriguing new stories include an X-Men team-up of Stark sisters Arya and Sansa, an old-man team-up of Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan, and a reported greenlighting of the long-awaited Downton Abbey movie.
But first this week we’ll go into our usual Weekend Box Office Preview, such as it is. After a big upswing in quality with last week’s monster hit Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, this week comes back to earth a bit (or a lot). Guy Ritchie’s take on King Arthur, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, is a thing. Although, judging by the reviews, it’s not much of one. The film, which frankly never ignited much of a spark for us, is getting heavily panned, including a sad-sack 25 percent approval rating as of publication on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 4.5 average. With action scenes that look more like 300 than anything original, and apparently a lot less of the rich detail that made the Camelot tale a legend to begin with, here is another take on the story that can quickly fade into the ether. Sorry, Charlie (Hunnam).
Amy Schumer appears to be having her own troubles on the big screen, seemingly unable to catch lightning in a bottle twice. Following the surprise hit, Trainwreck, Schumer’s new comedy opposite Goldie Hawn is getting only slightly better marks than King Arthur, and though the two seem to have given it their all, it’s the script that couldn’t get off the ground. In other words, if you’re going to the movies this week, go see Guardians 2, or just about anything else you missed.
But outside the theater this weekend, things are heating up elsewhere in the entertainment world. Maisie Williams joins her Game of Thrones sister in the X-Men cinematic universe, reportedly set to star as Wolfsbane in the New Mutants spin-off film. Meanwhile, Sophie Turner (aka, Sansa Stark) is set to star once again as Jean Grey in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, which is reportedly in pre-production. For New Mutants, Williams will be joined by up-and-coming badass genre star Anya Taylor-Joy, who thriller fans will remember as the lead in the dour and brilliant horror flick, The Witch, as well as the recent hit from M. Night Shyamalan, Split. Joy will reportedly be playing Magik. James McAvoy is also rumored to be joining the ladies as Professor X.
We promised some Jackie Chan news and we won’t disappoint. Chan and fellow aging action legend Sylvester Stallone are teaming up in the respective twilights of their careers for the first time. Chan’s SR Media company is producing the film, which will see the two trying to stop rogue thieves from plundering an oil refinery in Mosul, Iraq. Yeah, it’s weird, and we are interested to see how this one plays out, on and off camera.
There is plenty more happening this week, as well, including a dazzling new peek at Ridley Scott/Denis Villaneuve’s follow-up to Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049. Will Deckard’s origins finally be revealed? Is Ryan Gosling’s Agent K about to unveil the secrets to saving humanity? What the hell is up with Jared Leto’s evil-ass eyes? We have no answers, but plenty of conjecture, and the more we see from this homage-sequel the more we like.
Can’t get enough Deadpool? Well, don’t worry, as Donald Glover and his brother Stephen will be producing a Deadpool animated series as part of his overall deal with FXX. The network has greenlit 10 episodes, according to Deadline, though we are not sure what exactly it will look like.
And of course, heading to our reboot recap, it’s apparently time to give Hellboy another shot at the title. The film franchise from the extremely popular indie comic was originally created by Guillermo Del Toro, but Neil Marshall (Game of Thrones, The Descent) is reportedly being tapped to take the helm. The new film is rumored to move to a new star to take on the red man’s mantle as well, in Stranger Things actor David Harbour, while creator of the comic Mike Mignola will be working on the script with Marshall. The good news? The new Hellboy is going to follow the new path forged by Deadpool and Logan for an ‘R’-rating, meaning we’ll see the demon-turned-hero get a lot more vulgar — and a lot more violent. Still, we’re going to miss Ron Perlman.
In other news, we’ll be chatting about a new Vince McMahon movie, a Black Lightning TV show, the latest It trailer, Stranger Things season 2 news, and much more. So follow us live today at 2 p.m., and don’t forget to download our podcast at the links above to get the latest Hollywood news wherever you roam!
