Some days, there are bits and bobs of news that don’t have quite enough meat on the bone for a full article. Still, they’re cool tidbits worth getting some love. We round them up for you in our Quick Hits column.
Tom Holland Shows Off His New Nathan Drake Look For ‘Uncharted’
After many rough starts and setbacks, Sony’s Uncharted movie is soon to start filming. No, really – Tom Holland recently shared a picture of him getting tested for Covid as part of the safety protocols for the cast and crew. He also took to Instagram to share a quick Instagram story of what appears to be his look as a young Nathan Drake. Judging from his dubious look that says, “I know. I KNOW.” and the caption that it’s a work in progress, it seems that they’ll continue to tweak the hairstyle – and thank God, ’cause right now he’s out here looking like Milo from Disney’s Atlantis.
Shia LaBeouf Got His Entire Chest Tattooed For David Ayer’s ‘The Tax Collector’
It’s well-known by now that Shia LaBeouf is, uh, extremely method in his acting. But he may have topped himself in his preparation for David Ayer’s The Tax Collector. The man went and tattooed his entire chest for his role as Creeper, a guy who acts as a “tax collector” for a crime lord in Los Angeles. Tattoo artist Bryan Ramirez shared a video of the process of tattooing LaBeouf’s giant chest piece with the caption, “Some people ask is #shialabeouf tattoo real??? Yes it’s pretty real we started this back when we where filming the movie 🍿 🎥 holes….on going sessions on this chest piece thanks for the trust on such a meaningful tattoo of your mom and pops stay tuned for the movies this guys got coming this year can’t wait to see much love homie.” Now, “pretty real” may leave it up to interpretation as to whether or not it’s completely permanent or semi-permanent, but even so, wow. Check it out:
Someone Just Discovered Two Great Easter Eggs In ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’
Terminator: Dark Fate may not have had the impact that some were hoping for, but it’s easily the best of the Terminator films since Terminator 2. Even though it came out eight months ago, some fans are still finding fun Easter eggs hidden in the movie. In Dark Fate, the OG Terminator is living a quiet life and passing for human, Carl, who owns his own draperies business. Recently, on a whim, film critic Matt Singer called the number listed on the side of Carl’s work van – 1-888-512-1984 – and got a surprising voicemail from Carl himself. It was revealed the phone number is an Easter egg within an Easter egg when another Twitter user pointed out that 5/12/1984 is the date Kyle Reese and The Terminator arrive in Los Angeles in the first Terminator movie. Check out the recorded voicemail message below:
Daniel Brühl Is Incredibly Pumped To Wear The Baron Zemo Mask In ‘The Falcon & The Winter Soldier’
Daniel Brühl is one of those hugely talented but underrated actors, a guy with leading man looks but an indie and Oscar actor vibe. In other words, not exactly the first guy you think of when you picture actors who might be stoked about getting to put on a traditional superhero costume from comics. But that’s exactly what he felt about being invited back as Helmut Zemo to work on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, he told Collider. “[W]hilst I was shooting [The Alienist:] Angel of Darkness, I got the news that they wanted me to come back to shoot The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I remember that Kari Skogland, the director, came to Budapest and we recorded something with me being Zemo, and I was very happy and enthusiastic to see the mask. I was incredibly thrilled to go back because I remember that I had a lot of fun being in something completely different and getting to explore the MCU and become part of that.” Hopefully, they get back to resuming shooting in Budapest, which was shut down during the pandemic, as soon as it’s safe.
Disney’s Live-Action ‘The Little Mermaid’ Gets A Cute Working Title
Some of you may not know this, but the working title a film or TV project gets during production is very different than the official theatrical title. Working titles are often clever references to the movie itself, nods to other pop culture media, or inside jokes between the cast and crew. In the case of Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, it’s gotten a cute working title: Scallop. Perfectly fitting for an undersea adventure. Earlier this year, it was shared by cast member Daveed Diggs, who is voicing Sebastian, that Ariel will have more autonomy as the script has been updated for a modern time. “Some of the updates they’ve done to the story are really important in terms of giving some more power back to Ariel,” Diggs said. “It’s fun to work on something that’s so intentional in the idea of ‘If we’re going to make this now, we’re not going to leave this alone as a time capsule.’ Let’s make it for now.”
Vince Vaughn And Paul Walter Hauser Join Cast Of ‘Queenpins’
For an independent movie, caper comedy Queenpins has managed to assemble quite the comedic cast so far. It’s been reported that Vince Vaughn and Paul Walter Hauser will join a cast that already includes Kristen Bell and Leslie Jones. Queenpins, written and to be directed by husband-wife team Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, is inspired by the true story of the largest counterfeit coupon operation in U.S. history. Bell and Jones play suburban housewives who figure out a way to cheat the system and make a little extra cash with counterfeit coupons, but their scheme soon grows to a gigantic $40 million operation. The film is being financed by independent financier Align, which will co-produce with AGC Studios, Aloe Entertainment and Marquee Entertainment.
The Russos Would Love To Take Star Wars In A New Direction
Joe and Anthony Russo, who have previously said they’d love to direct a Star Wars movie if it were the right project, recently doubled down on the idea that any Star Was project they did would have to be original. They recently spoke with ComicBook.com about how much they love what Jon Favreau is doing with The Mandalorian and how its originality is in line with what they’d want to do: “I love the sandbox that [Jon] Favreau is playing in right now, and the timeframe that he’s exploring in the Star Wars universe,” Joe Russo said. “I’d be interested in seeing completely new directions in the story and maybe new characters in a completely different time period would be really interesting.” It feels like it’s only a matter of time before they’re approached by Lucasfilm to pitch an original idea.
Horror Film Shot Entirely During Quarantine Will Debut On Shudder
This isn’t a theatrical movie release, but it’s still a neat bit of news. Horror movie Host will be hitting horror streaming service Shudder. The movie, directed by Rob Savage, is a story about a group of friends who hold a séance over Zoom during lockdown for fun, but things quickly go awry when it unleashes something malevolent. The interesting thing about Host is that it was filmed entirely on a Zoom-like interface during quarantine, and the challenge was that Savage had to figure out a way to make that format deliver as many scares as any other horror movie. And it looks like he delivered. Shudder GM Craig Engler had this to say: “What he and his team created in Host surpassed all our expectations — it’s a great horror film that cleverly uses the idea of a Zoom séance to fashion a story that’s uniquely realistic and terrifying, with jaw-dropping stunts done entirely by the actors.” You can check it out on Shudder on July 30th.
U.K. Government Allowing U.S. Film Productions To Be Exempt From Quarantine
Some good news for those wondering when Hollywood film and TV productions can get underway again. Thanks to its success in controlling the spread and rate of COVID-19, the U.K. is allowing film and TV productions to resume. But some of the U.K.’s biggest productions are foreign exports from Hollywood. As such, the British government is allowing U.S. casts and crews to skip the 14-day quarantine period and get right to filming. Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 from Paramount, being shot back-to-back, are the first films expected to resume filming. Other Hollywood productions set to start production back up soon are Universal’s Jurassic World: Dominion, Warner Bros.’ The Batman (about a quarter of the way through filming when the shutdown happened) and third Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie, Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid and Sony’s live-action Cinderella.
Zack Snyder Says His HBO Max Cut Of ‘Justice League’ Will Have ‘No Compromises’
The Snyder Cut of Justice League is coming and Zack Snyder has been vocal ever since the announcement in teasing tidbits and upcoming surprises in store for fans. Some of the cast and crew have recently made less than glowing statements about their time on set with Joss Whedon when he took over for Snyder on 2017’s theatrical cut of Justice League. Snyder, no stranger to stirring the Snyder Cut pot, has added to that chorus, saying on social media site Vero that his version of JL will offer “no compromises” before taking a jab at Whedon’s 2017 vision as being “all compromise.” Regardless of the outcome, it will be interesting to see how much Snyder’s cut differs from the theatrical cut, which was ultimately a conflicted mess of visions.
Disney Signs Colin Kaepernick To A First-Look Deal
Here’s something interesting: It was announced today that former NFL quarterback-turned-activist and icon, Colin Kaepernick, has signed a first-look deal with Disney. According to reports, the venture “will focus on telling scripted and unscripted stories that explore race, social injustice and the quest for equity.” In a statement, Kaepernick said, “I am excited to announce this historic partnership with Disney across all of its platforms to elevate Black and Brown directors, creators, storytellers, and producers, and to inspire the youth with compelling and authentic perspectives.” The deal spans Walt Disney Television, ESPN, Hulu, Pixar and ESPN’s The Undefeated. The first project in development is a docuseries from ESPN Films based on Kaepernick’s life. Disney clearly recognizes Kaepernick’s status as a cultural icon and an influential and important voice. Executive Chairman Bob Iger had this to say about the partnership: “Colin’s experience gives him a unique perspective on the intersection of sports, culture and race, which will undoubtedly create compelling stories that will educate, enlighten and entertain, and we look forward to working with him on this important collaboration.”
‘Black Widow’ Director Cate Shortland Says Scarlett Johansson Didn’t Want A Funeral For Natasha In ‘Avengers: Endgame’
One of the more controversial aspects to the otherwise loved Avengers: Endgame was all the pomp and circumstance Tony Stark got for his funeral while Natasha Romanoff barely got a nod of acknowledgment for her sacrifice. The decision to not have a funeral for Nat has been addressed more than once by the Russo brothers, but it still feels odd. Black Widow director Cate Shortland, however, says they’re trying to give her a more fitting goodbye in her solo film than an out-of-character fancy funeral. “In Endgame, the fans were upset that Natasha did not have a funeral. Whereas Scarlett, when I spoke to her about it, said Natasha wouldn’t have wanted a funeral,” Shortland explained. “She’s too private, and anyway, people don’t really know who she is. So what we did in this film was allow the ending to be the grief the individuals felt, rather than a big public outpouring. I think that’s a fitting ending for her.” It just makes us more excited for November, when Black Widow will finally hit theaters.
