Since the last all-round briefing, no story’s broken as loudly: Rian Johnson will write and direct Star Wars: Episode VIII and write a treatment for Episode IX. “And we couldn’t be more excited,” beams the Playlist‘s Kevin Jagernauth. “Johnson has proved himself to be one of the smartest genre filmmakers going right now, breaking out with the noir Brick, taking a detour with The Brothers Bloom and delivering the steampunk beauty of Looper. He knows his way around sci-fi, but more key, he brings fresh ideas to tired conventions and the thought of him being able to work in the universe of Star Wars for two big sequels is pretty terrific.” Vulture‘s Kyle Buchanan presents something of a primer on Johnson. Meantime, of course, J.J. Abrams is currently shooting Episode VII in London.
“Laura Dern has hinted that David Lynch is planning a return to feature filmmaking.” And Emma Dibdin has video evidence at Digital Spy. Meantime, Lynch has been talking to Vice editor Helen Hollyman about coffee: “I like to drink espresso with milk, like a latte or a cappuccino, but the espresso should have a golden foam. It can be so beautiful, Helen.”
Wong Kar-wai‘s working on something. Probably a romance that may or may not star Tony Leung. Heidi Hsia has the vague hints at the Yahoo Newsroom.
Back to the Playlist‘s Kevin Jagernauth for word on what Andrew Bujalski‘s up to: “Thanks to a buried mention in the New York Times and an Instagram photo by actor Tishuan Scott, it has been revealed that Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Constance Zimmer, Giovanni Ribisi, Brooklyn Decker and Anthony Michael Hall will star in Results…. According to a Craigslist casting call for the extra, the story revolves around ‘Kat and Trevor, personal trainers, and what happens when out-of-shape and newly wealthy Danny enters their lives.”
Trailer for the new 4K restoration of Jacques Tati‘s Playtime (1967)
At Film Biz Asia, Kevin Ma reports on Journey to the Shore, the film Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s working on: “Based on the novel by Kazumi Yumoto, the road trip drama stars Eri Fukatsu as a woman whose husband (Tadanobu Asano) suddenly returns home after disappearing for three years.”
“Quentin Tarantino is returning to the world of Django Freeman, the star of his 2012 Academy Award-winning Django Unchained in the least likely way imaginable—as the co-writer of a comic book sequel to the movie that will team the character with long-lived pulp hero Zorro.” Graeme McMillan explains in the Hollywood Reporter.
Philip Noyce has been trying to get an adaptation of Philip Roth’s 1997 novel American Pastoral off the ground for eleven years. Now he’s told Coming Soon‘s Edward Douglas that it’s finally happening and that Ewan McGregor will play the lead.
“Meryl Streep has been signed to play opera diva Maria Callas for a new HBO movie,” and Gwen Ihnat has details at the AV Club.
Deadline‘s Nellie Andreeva has been talking with J. Michael Straczynski, who’s been working with Lana Wachowski and Larry Wachowski on Sense8, a 10-episode sci-fi drama from Netflix. Andreeva’s got the cast list, which includes Daryl Hannah, and Straczynski tells her: “The series follows eight characters around the world who, in the aftermath of a tragic death, find themselves linked to each other mentally and emotionally. They can not only see and talk to each other as though they were in the same place, they have access to each other’s deepest secrets. Not only must they figure out what happened and why and what it means for the future of humanity, they must do so while being hunted by an organization out to capture, kill or vivisect them.”
Trailer for Ira Sachs‘s Love Is Strange with John Lithgow, Alfred Molina and Marisa Tomei
“Alicia Vikander is putting her rising star status to good use, with no less than six forthcoming films to her name,” noted Jordan Raup before Leonard Pearce, also at the Film Stage, added two more: Derek Cianfrance’s The Light Between Oceans and Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl.
“Martin Sheen has joined the cast of Grace and Frankie, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda‘s new Netflix series,” reports Anna Silman at Vulture.
“Showtime is producing an hour-long pilot for Cameron Crowe and J.J. Abrams’s long-wished half-hour comedy Roadies, which will focus on a group of characters that works behind-the-scenes on a traveling rock tour,” reports Jacob Combs at Thompson on Hollywood.
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