News of the Week: 'Constantine 2' With Keanu Reeves Is A Go

Fall is officially here, bringing with it chilly nights and crisp days. But as the days get cooler, the movie news just gets hotter. This week brings news of a long-awaited cult superhero movie getting a sequel, a Stephen King fairy tale coming to life, some life advice a veteran A-lister gave a young Hollywood star, and more.

As always, Atom Insider brings you a few hand-picked stories we think you’ll like. Ready? Let’s dive in.

Constantine 2 Is Finally Happening With Keanu Reeves, Baby!

Seventeen years ago, the dark comic book adaptation Constantine hit theaters, starring Keanu Reeves as the titular demonologist and exorcist John Constantine. It made a small profit, but, sadly, a sequel was never greenlit, despite the movie gaining in popularity with a growing cult following after hitting home video. For the better part of two decades now, fans have been hoping against hope to see a sequel, but as the years passed, it seemed less and less likely. That’s why it was such a surprise when Deadline broke the news this week that Warner Bros. has officially sent Constantine 2 into development with Keanu Reeves set to once again star. Francis Lawrence, the director of the original movie, is also returning to helm the sequel, with Akiva Goldsman, who was a producer on the first movie, penning the script. In the original, the chain-smoking Constantine is dying of cancer but staves off death in order to save his damned soul by agreeing to stop demons from escaping hell and wreaking havoc in the world. At the same time, he also finds himself caught in the middle of a heavenly war between Lucifer and Archangel Gabriel. It’s not known what the story of the sequel will revolve around, but at this point, fans don’t much care. They’re just happy to see John Constantine back in the saddle and back on the big screen.

Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey Set To Join Wicked Movie Adaptation As Fiyero

Bridgerton has been one of Netflix’s biggest hits of the past few years, and another one of its stars is soon to make the jump to the big screen. Variety broke the news that Jonathan Bailey, who plays Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, is set to join the Wicked movie adaptation as Fiyero. Director Jon M. Chu shared Variety’s writeup along with a tweet gushing about his lead actor.

He’s perfect, they’re perfect. They’d be perfect together. Born to be forever….. I am too excited to pretend this hasn’t been happening. We have a Fiyero!!!! #JonathanBailey #Wicked https://t.co/meT51cGqDe
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) September 21, 2022

Ariana Grande has previously been cast as Glinda the Good Witch, and Cynthia Erivo as the protagonist Elphaba, who grows up to become the Wicked Witch of the West. Fiyero is a prince of the Arjikis and heir to the chieftain, meeting Elphaba in their version of college when both were still young. Over time, he becomes one of Elphaba’s friends and then her love interest.

Winnie Holzman is adapting the screenplay alongside Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music and lyrics of the original Broadway show adapted from the book by Gregory Maguire. With the book and musical both being so dense, the decision was made to split it into two parts. They’re set for release at Christmas 2024 and 2025.

Orlando Bloom & David Harbour To Star In Adaptation Of Gran Turismo Video Game

Video game adaptations are big business in Hollywood these days, and a new one is coming together: Gran Turismo from Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions. It’s been announced that Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean star Orlando Bloom has joined the cast alongside Stranger Things‘ David Harbour. Archie Madekwe (See, Midsommar) was also previously cast. District 9‘s Neill Blomkamp is set to direct the adaptation of the racing video game off a script penned by Jason Hall and Zach Baylan.

Reportedly, the movie adaptation will also be based on the true story of a teenage Gran Turismo player who got so skilled at the racing simulator that he won a series of Nissan races to become a real-life pro race car driver. Talk about the ultimate fantasy life, especially for a teen gamer. The movie will hit theaters on August 11 of next year.

HBO Max’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance Is Hitting Theaters After All

After originally being greenlit to hit HBO Max, Steven Soderbergh’s threequel Magic Mike’s Last Dance is now hitting the big screen. Warner Bros. Discovery, under the direction of new CEO David Zaslav, who favors theatrical over streaming, has reversed course on the movie. Rather than going directly to its streaming platform, Magic Mike’s Last Dance will instead get a theatrical release on February 10, 2023, just in time for Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl weekend.

Star Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek, Caitlin Gerard, and Gavin Spokes are all returning for the third movie. Reid Carolin, who has written the previous two Magic Mike movies, also wrote the screenplay for Magic Mike’s Last Dance. While Soderberg is returning to direct the third movie, sequel director Gregory Jacobs is back as producer. Combined, Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL have garnered almost $286 million at the box office. Considering the total budget for both was about $21 million, that’s a nice return on investment. We can only expect Magic Mike’s Last Dance will be just as successful.

Timothée Chalamet Reveals Leonardo DiCaprio Gave Him Some Life Advice

Veteran actors passing along advice to young stars is a time-honored tradition in Hollywood and even the biggest names aren’t above it. In his recent interview with British Vogue, Timothée Chalamet revealed that Leonardo DiCaprio gave him a simple piece of career and life advice when the two worked together on Don’t Look Up. That advice?

“No hard drugs and no superhero movies,” said DiCaprio.

There you have it. Simple and to the point. And, hey, it certainly seems to have worked for DiCaprio, one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors. For his part, Chalamet was only too happy to get a bit of wisdom from the 47-year-old DiCaprio. The 26-year-old actor admitted that the way he’s been approaching his career and life needed a change and that during the downtime of the pandemic, he realized he had to do a better job of transitioning into being an adult.

“I had a delusional dream in my early teenage years to have, in my late teenage years, an acting career. I should have been trying to get my adult feet under myself a little bit earlier than I did,” he admitted. “I found myself having to really, you know, be honest with myself that where I’ve been able to get myself to in life was balls to the wall, like throwing everything at [it] at a young age that, by some miracle, got me to where I am.”

Considering he’s one of Hollywood’s most talented young actors and sought-after talents, we can only hope that Chalamet’s career will continue for decades. One day, he may even get the chance to impart some wisdom to a young and rising star himself. Until then, Chalamet will hopefully keep making smart choices in balancing challenging indie dramas with smart tentpoles.

Stephen King’s Latest Bestseller Fairy Tale Is Already Getting An Adaptation

That Stephen King, he’s so hot right now–and always. The adaptations spawned from the King of Horror’s novels and short stories are a steady drip, and another one has been added to the queue. His latest bestseller, Fairy Tale, which was just released, is already set for an adaptation. Paul Greengrass is set to adapt and direct. The epic horror fantasy has been unsurprisingly well-received by reviewers and readers alike. Fairy Tale tells the story of Charlie Reade, a 17-year-old who unexpectedly inherits the secret of a parallel world where good and evil are locked in a war, and the consequences of that battle will ripple into our own dimension. As evil fights to overtake good, it’s up to the boy and his dog to save both worlds.

King reportedly admires Greengrass’ work and sold him the rights for his usual deal of a $1 option with a bigger backend. “Needless to say, I’m a Paul Greengrass fan and think he’s a wonderful choice for this film,” King said. No studio or streamer has picked it up yet, but with Fairy Tale being an instant bestseller with the names of Stephen King and Paul Greengrass behind it, it’s certain to cause a bidding war in the near future.