One shark movie is currently making a play at the Cannes market as it was recently reported that a third film in the 47 Meters Down series, titled 47 Meters Down: The Wreck, is launching its sales campaign. Johannes Roberts and screenwriter Ernest Riera return to co-write on that new installment, which will be directed by veteran horror director Patrick Lussier. Variety now reports on a new shark film that’s currently untitled that will be helmed by the director of the Christmas action movie Violent Night, Tommy Wirkola.

It is also being said that Phoebe Dynevor is currently in talks to star in the new shark film. Dynevor may be best recognized for her role in the first two seasons of Bridgerton as Daphne Bridgerton. She had also recently starred alongside Oppenheimer and Solo: A Star Wars Story‘s Alden Ehrenreich in the thriller Fair Play from 2023. That film was sold to Netflix in a massive $20 million deal after the film had premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Currently, the plot is being held tight in a shark’s jaw. However, the production is set to star swimming in Australia sometime this summer. Adam McKay and Kevin Messick will be producing the new shark film under their Hyperobject Industries banner.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Tommy Wirkola would confirm that they are moving forward with a Violent Night sequel. “We’re talking about it,” Tommy Wirkola said, “and we’re just making deals and getting everything in order.” The director also confirmed that original screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller will return to pen Violent Night 2, but that the team isn’t rushing to start shooting anytime soon. “We have time to really crack the script and figure out the story,” Wirkola said. “And we have some ideas, me and Pat and Josh and the producers, we’ve been talking about where we want to take it and what we want to see.” The director added that a few of the ideas that were cut out of the first movie, including the North Pole, Mrs. Claus, and the elves, are in play for the sequel, which he hopes will expand on the world and scope while keeping the same tone.

The post Phoebe Dynevor is in talks to star in the new untitled shark movie from Violent Night director Tommy Wirkola appeared first on JoBlo.

Deadline reports that Adam McKay is developing a climate-related movie which he’s considering making his next directorial project, but it has come at the cost of his star-studded serial killer dramedy starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Pattinson.

Adam McKay pitched Average Height, Average Build earlier this year, with Netflix scooping up the project a month later. The film would have starred Robert Pattinson as a serial killer who enlists a lobbyist (Amy Adams) to change laws that would allow him to get away with murder easily. Robert Downey Jr. would have played a “retired cop who won’t give up on the murders, and the killer tries to prevent him from dogging his trail now that he’s hung up his gun. The serial killer turns himself into a cause celebre, a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington figure shielding his true motives.” Adam McKay is no longer attached to Average Height, Average Build, and Netflix doesn’t plan on moving forward with the project.

Back when Average Height, Average Build was first announced, Puck noted that its budget might hold it back: “As with most McKay projects, the budget is high for a political dramedy, and despite the fact that his past three movies as a director have generated 17 total Oscar nominations, McKay hasn’t been a huge box office draw since he left studio comedies—though Don’t Look Up, starring tile-friendly Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, is Netflix’s second most-watched movie of all time, with 360 million hours viewed. One executive who heard the pitch told me this week that he wanted to do it but then offered a version of, ‘In this economy?’” It sounded like it could have been a fun project, particularly with the talent involved, so it’s a shame to see it go.

As for the new climate change movie that Adam McKay is considering, no plot details are known, and there doesn’t seem to be any talent attached at this time.

Despite the mixed reviews, Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Now did quite well on Netflix. The film tells the story of two low-level astronomers who must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth. The film features an all-star cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, and more.

The post Adam McKay considering climate change movie as next project, but drops serial killer movie starring Robert Pattinson & Robert Downey Jr. appeared first on JoBlo.

As family, friends, and fans continue to mourn the loss of Friends star Matthew Perry, more stories about the comedic actor have come to light. Six days before Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub, the actor’s last public social media post sent a cryptic message across the information highway. On that evening, Perry wrote, “I’m Mattman,” which fans took as a nod to the actor’s obsession with the Caped Crusader. While conspiracy theorists attempt to crack the code of Perry’s mysterious message, The Hollywood Reporter thinks they’ve solved the Edward Nygma-like riddle.

The fact remains that Perry was something of a Batman obsessive. He spent $20 million on a 10,000-square-foot mansion to house a “bat cave” filled with Dark Knight memorabilia. Perry also titled the final chapter in his addiction memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, “Batman.” He even devised a nickname for himself as an homage to Bats, “Mattman” – or Matman, as he spells it in the book. Plotting a comeback into the limelight, Perry brought his ideas for a Mattman film project to Don’t Look Up filmmaker Adam McKay, who cast the actor as a smarmy cable news anchor in the apocalyptic comedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jonah Hill. Ultimately, Perry’s role fell to the cutting room floor, but only after he approached McKay about his Mattman fantasy.

Casting director Francine Maisler brought Perry’s name to the table, and McKay was delighted to meet with him. Speaking about his anticipation to meet with Perry, McKay told THR the following:

“I knew he had some health issues. And so I met with him, and he was super cool. Francine and I had talked about the fact that, yeah, he’s famous for the Friends character, but he had done lots of movies and other shows, and he was always good in everything he did. He always popped in this really specific way,” said McKay.

“So I met with him and he was great. He described how he had had some sort of major surgery involving his lower intestine and almost had died, and it was really major stuff, but you could tell he had recovered. He was back, and I was super excited to do the movie with him,” McKay elaborates.

Sadly, when Perry arrived on set, McKay could tell he was still recovering from his recent ordeal. “His energy was low,” recalls McKay. “He looked not healthy. It was just the kind of thing where you’re like, ‘Are you all right?’ It was during COVID and it was before the vaccine, so it was already a very dicey shoot. I remember being a little worried — like, ‘Hey, did you take the COVID test?’ He was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m clean.'”

McKay loved the idea of Perry using Don’t Look Up as a stepping stone toward career recovery. If nothing else, the part could remind Perry of his power as a Hollywood player. While working on the film, Perry approached McKay about his Mattman film idea. When asked what the project was about, McKay says this was Perry’s pitch: “It’s about this guy,” Perry said enthusiastically. “You’d recognize him. His name is Matt and he’s very famous and about 50 years old. His life is a little bit of a mess. He’s lost. Out of the blue a distant relative dies and leaves him $2 billion — and he uses to become a superhero.”

Fascinated by the pitch and hypnotized by Perry’s passion, McKay workshopped the concept in his head. Perry said he was flexible on whether the project would become a film or series, but McKay had another idea.

“My idea was just to do a show about being this incredibly popular, well-known TV guy who’s dealing with addiction,” McKay says. “Because the world has changed. You could actually do that show now. Ten years ago, people would have said you’re crazy. But now people can be more upfront about their mental health issues, their addiction issues, and it’s kind of wonderful.”

“Why don’t we just do a show that’s a fictional version of what you’ve struggled with,” McKay offered as a counter-proposal. “The idea that everywhere you go, people yell your catchphrases a little bit of your past, the addiction, what it’s like, because everyone views you through this lens of this cheery, bright, multicolored show. And then, meanwhile, you’re a human being who’s dealing with real addiction, real pain. It could be an incredible show. It could be really funny. It could really affect people’s lives.”

Unfortunately, Perry wasn’t interested in McKay’s idea, and his part in Don’t Look Up fell apart after filming one scene. After completing the scene, McKay says the actor flew to a rehab facility in Switzerland, where he faked pain symptoms to obtain a prescription for 1,800 milligrams of OxyContin per day.

Sadly, Perry never got to bring his ideas for Mattman to the rest of the world. One can only imagine what such a bold project might have done to rekindle his career and confidence.

The post Mattman: Adam McKay on Matthew Perry’s scrapped Don’t Look Up role and Batman passion project that never was appeared first on JoBlo.

It was a Step Brothers reunion over the weekend, as Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly joined Snoop Dogg on stage to sing the bonafide classic “Boats ‘n Hoes”, which was robbed of an Oscar nomination we tell ya!

To celebrate Snoop Dogg’s 52nd birthday at the Best Night of Your Life 2 benefit show, Ferrell and Reilly got on stage at Los Angeles’ Greek Theater in outfits similar to those they wore in the “Boats ‘n Hoes” video, prompting a major audience reaction, as can be seen in a video posted on TMZ. 52 isn’t normally a big-bash sort of birthday, but it’s Snoop Dogg, so every day is an occasion to party. And if you can bring back the team of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly – who haven’t appeared in a movie together since 2018’s Holmes & Watson – all the better. Snoop Dogg even showed off his cake, which wasn’t nearly as extravagant or smoke-filled as we would have hoped…On the occasion, Reilly said, “Yesterday was a very special day…It was Mr. Snoop Dogg’s birthday. We’re about to sing happy birthday to the greatest rapper in the world!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg)

Considering we will probably never get a Step Brothers 2 – perhaps especially so due to the split between Ferrell and one-time partner Adam McKay – and the once-planned rap album with the duo was scrapped long ago, this short reunion will have to do. At least it’s a fun way to remind everybody just how beloved Step Brothers remains in the 15(!) years since its release. Step Brothers would go on to gross $100 million domestically, placing it in the company of Due Date, This Is the End and Bad Grandpa as far as R-rated comedies go.

Outside of the Step Brothers number, Snoop Dogg also performed one of his signature songs, “Gin and Juice”, which we imagine goes quite well with boats and hoes. Snoop Dogg also appeared alongside Ferrell in 2003’s Old School during the Mitch-a-Palooza sequence.

Where does Step Brothers’ “Boats ‘n Hoes” rank in your favorite movie songs? Do you think a Step Brothers 2 should be made? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!

The post Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly have Step Brothers reunion to celebrate Snoop Dogg’s birthday appeared first on JoBlo.

Return to The Forum for the continuing story of one of the most prolific sports dynasties ever. HBO has passed the new trailer for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty over to a wide-open audience. Season 2 will be going further in-depth into the famous rivalry between the Lakers and the Boston Celtics with two of the NBA’s biggest superstars, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, at the forefront. Winning Time season one was a smash hit, despite some of the real Lakers players taking issue with the historical accuracy of the show. The Adam McKay-led series returns for its seven-episode second season SUNDAY, AUGUST 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

The official synopsis from HBO read reads,
Season two continues to explore the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. This season hones in on the period just after the Finals in 1980 through 1984, culminating in the first professional rematch of the era’s greatest stars: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

The cast for season two is an impressive array of actors, which include John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, McCabe Slye, Thomas Mann, Gillian Jacobs, with Michael Chiklis and Rob Morgan.

Credits for season two of the series include Executive producers Adam McKay and Kevin Messick for Hyperobject Industries; showrunner, executive producer, writer, and co-creator Max Borenstein; executive producer Scott Stephens; executive producer, writer, co-creator Jim Hecht; executive producer and writer Rodney Barnes; executive producer and director of episodes 1, 6, and 7 Salli Richardson-Whitfield; executive producer Jason Shuman.

Earlier this summer, another 80s-set film based on the true story of a budding NBA star was released with Air, a movie inspired by the major merchandising deal made by Nike and Chicago Bulls rookie Michael Jordan. Both projects tell of an incredible era for the sport that would produce an immeasurable amount of talent. Many of which would end up playing together on The Dream Team, representing the United States at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

The post Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty tips-off with a new trailer and teaser poster for season 2 appeared first on JoBlo.

After a search that started back in March, Adam McKay will be reuniting with Netflix for his next feature, Average Height, Average Build. This would be McKay’s second consecutive feature with the streaming giant, following 2021’s Don’t Look Up.

As per Deadline, the plot of black comedy Average Height, Average Build goes something like: “[Robert[ Pattinson will play a serial killer who enlists a lobbyist ([Amy] Adams) to change laws that will allow him to get away with murder more easily. [Robert] Downey’s role is a retired cop who won’t give up on the murders, and the killer tries to prevent him from dogging his trail now that he’s hung up his gun. The serial killer turns himself into a cause celebre, a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington figure shielding his true motives.” In addition to those stars, Forest Whitaker and Danielle Deadwyler have joined the cast. Adams previously worked with McKay on Vice, playing wife to Christian Bale’s Dick Cheney.

Don’t Look Up went on to earn four Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing. It was also wildly successful with viewers, currently standing as the second most-watched movie within 28 days of release, with 359.79 million hours watched, topping Bird Box and just behind Red Notice, which came out the month prior. McKay has received plenty of attention at the Oscars with his most recent films, with 2015’s The Big Short and 2018’s Vice garnering a total of 13 nods. Pretty impressive considering McKay used to just be known as the guy next to Will Ferrell on the red carpet. Time–and a proper release date–will only tell if Average Height, Average Build will follow suit.

Adam McKay has a strong bond with other programming giants, as he also serves as an executive producer on HBO’s Succession, even directing the first episode, helping set the tone for the dynamics, intrigue and betrayal within the Roy dynasty. That series will conclude in May, giving McKay plenty of time to focus on Average Height, Average Build.

Are you looking forward to Adam McKay’s next feature with Netflix, Average Height, Average Build? Do you see it garnering Oscar buzz as with McKay’s last three films? Let us know below!

The post Adam McKay’s Average Height, Average Build heads to Netflix appeared first on JoBlo.

Adam McKay, the director of Don’t Look Up, Vice, The Big Short, The Other Guys, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, and the Anchorman movies, is pitching his next film to studios and streamers – and, as you would expect from a director with a line-up of credits like that, it looks like this one is going to have multiple A-listers in its cast as well. Robert Pattinson is attached to star, and Robert Downey Jr. is among the actors who could end up in the supporting cast. The film is called Average Height, Average Build, and while McKay describes it as a “political dramedy”, the lead character happens to be a serial killer.

UPDATE: Deadline adds that Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker, and Danielle Deadwyler are also up for roles.

Average Height, Average Build is said to be about a serial killer who gets into politics in an effort to change the laws to be more, well, murder-friendly.

More information: Pattinson will play a serial killer who enlists a lobbyist (Adams) to change laws that will allow him to get away with murder more easily. Downey Jr’s role is a retired cop who won’t give up on the murders, and the killer tries to prevent him from dogging his trail now that he’s hung up his gun. The serial killer turns himself into a cause celebre, a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington figure shielding his true motives.

The one issue that could end up holding the project back is its budget. Puck notes, “As with most McKay projects, the budget is high for a political dramedy, and despite the fact that his past three movies as a director have generated 17 total Oscar nominations, McKay hasn’t been a huge box office draw since he left studio comedies—though Don’t Look Up, starring tile-friendly Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, is Netflix’s second most-watched movie of all time, with 360 million hours viewed. One executive who heard the pitch told me this week that he wanted to do it but then offered a version of, ‘In this economy?’ The McKay project will almost certainly land, probably at a streamer (though a Netflix source told me they’re not currently bidding). But it’s the same issue we saw with the $150 million Nancy Meyers rom-com, which still hasn’t found a home and likely would have been a pretty quick yes at Netflix just a short time ago. Now, after years of offering veritable blank checks to top creators, nearly everyone is thinking twice about the bigger, riskier swings—the kind that lead to home runs yet just as often lead to strike outs. You can pick your reason: The Great Netflix Correction; the expectation that Bob Iger is about to drop Mickey’s Cost-Cutting Ax at Disney; a seemingly inevitable writers strike; franchise-mania…“

Average Height, Average Build sounds interesting and will probably happen, it just hasn’t found a home yet. Hyperobject Industries’ McKay and Kevin Messick are producing, and they’re hoping to get the project into production by late summer of early fall.

Would you like to see Average Height, Average Build get made? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

The post Average Height, Average Build: Adam McKay pitching serial killer film starring Robert Pattinson appeared first on JoBlo.

Some cliche somewhere said that a picture is worth a thousand words. This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions, comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

American Psycho by Luis Alessandro Ramos Guerrero

Avatar: The Way of Water by Wolfgang LeBlanc

Black Panther by Mickaël Journou

The Invisible Man by Neil Butler

The Mandalorian by Bryan Johnson

Oppenheimer by Dalton Frizzell

Remember The Titans by Phil Shelly

Scorpion by Josh Beamish

Superman by Uncle Conconz

Talladega Nights The Ballad of Ricky Bobby by Ben Terdik

The post Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Avatar: The Way of Water, Black Panther, The Mandalorian, Oppenheimer appeared first on JoBlo.

Lionsgate has just acquired a horror project called Breeders, which has Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel) attached to star. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Don’t Look Up director Adam McKay was one of the originators of the idea of this project and will be producing the film with Todd Schulman through Hyperobject Industries. Breeders will mark the feature directorial debut of Kelsey Bollig, who has previously directed a handful of short films and won her first best screenplay award at the age of 12 for her feature script Big Kids Play Manslaughter at the Hollywood Shriekfest Horror Film Festival. 

Bollig did not write the screenplay for Breeders. The script has been written by Brian Steele, who crafted the idea with McKay. Details on the plot are being kept secret for now, but one source told The Hollywood Reporter this is going to be “a social horror-thriller that is tonally in the vein of Fresh“. Which was also produced by McKay. I thought Fresh was great, so that sounds good to me. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray gave the film a 9/10 review that you can read at THIS LINK.

Lionsgate’s president of production Erin Westerman said the studio is pleased to be working with Bollig on her first feature, as

her films come straight out of a horror sensibility she’s been honing her entire life, and Breeders is a perfect example — it’ll be terrifying and Olivia Cooke is perfect for it. It’s also a thrill to be working with Adam, who originated this idea and will shepherd Kelsey’s project with expertise and a first-rate sense of story.”

Scott O’Brien brought Breeders to Lionsgate and will be overseeing the project alongside Brady Fujikawa.

I haven’t seen any of Bollig’s short film work, but she does have a great article on horror that you can read on Yahoo. I look forward to seeing how Breeders is going to turn out. How does this project sound to you so far? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Breeders: Olivia Cooke to star in horror film produced by Adam McKay appeared first on JoBlo.

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

Anchorman by Alex Kittle

Black Adam by Kyouzins V

Darth Vader by Julien Rico Jr

The Green Knight by Shalida

Jurassic Park by John Dunn

Lightyear by Satchel Couture

Ms. Marvel by Harsh Koshiya

Nope by Kevin Tiernan

Princess Mononoke by Amelia Vidal

Tombstone by Aurelio Lorenzo

The post Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Black Adam, Lightyear, Ms. Marvel, Nope, Tombstone appeared first on JoBlo.