News Of The Week: Ryan Reynolds Gives A Cheeky Deadpool 3 Update

Now that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has hit theaters, we’re chugging right along into summer movie season, and that means more big news. A few franchise tentpoles have landed their leads this week, the internet’s greatest prankster actor offers an update on his long-awaited sequel–sort of, a buzzy horror movie shares its first look, and more.

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

Dan Stevens Reteams With Adam Wingard For ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Sequel

In a surprising bit of news, it was revealed a few months ago that a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong is quietly preparing to film later this year in Australia. More recently, an exciting update has been offered, with Deadline breaking the news that Legion and The Guest star Dan Stevens is set to reteam with director Adam Wingard for the sequel as the human lead. The two previously worked together on The Guest, which saw Stevens earning a lot of praise for his performance as an unhinged killer. Now they’re heading down under for the next installment of Legendary’s Monsterverse. Plot details for the sequel are being kept under wraps, but it’s no surprise that Warner Bros. and Legendary are moving so quickly on another movie. Godzilla vs. Kong, released in 2021, was one of the movies that helped get audiences back to theaters and only the second movie of the Covid-19 era to cross $100 million at the domestic box office. It also performed well on HBO Max, with all of Warner Bros.’ movies being released simultaneously in theaters and on streaming. Filming for the as-yet-untitled sequel starts this summer in Australia.

Tom Blyth Cast As Young Coriolanus Snow In ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel

One sequel (technically a prequel) flying under the radar is that of the Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. But now, it’s assembled one big piece of the puzzle, if not the biggest, with Lionsgate announcing that British actor Tom Blyth has been cast as a young Coriolanus Snow. Snow, played in the Hunger Games movies by Donald Sutherland, is the central character of Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel. It tells story of how a young Coriolanus, or “Coryo” to his friends, mentors a Hunger Games tribute and begins his eventual rise to power as the sadistic and cruel President Snow. Blyth is currently starring in the EPIX series Billy the Kid. Director Francis Lawrence, who has directed every Hunger Games movie save for the first one, had nothing but positive things to say about Blyth’s casting. “Coriolanus Snow is many things – a survivor, a loyal friend, a cutthroat, a kid quick to fall in love, and a young man ambitious to his core,” he said. “Tom’s take on the character showed us all the complex ambiguities of this young man as he transforms into the tyrant he would become.” With Coriolanus already showing a penchant for being dislikable and duplicitous even in the book, it will be interesting to see how The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes handles its central protagonist.

Ryan Reynolds Shares A Cheeky ‘Deadpool 3’ Update–Sort Of

Leave it to Ryan Reynolds to offer a hilarious update on Deadpool 3 that still somehow managed to troll everyone. The loquacious actor, who is known for his strong online game, is also known for being the owner of multiple, varied companies and businesses, which his “update” poked fun at. In a picture showing Rob Delaney’s character from Deadpool 2 auditioning for the X-Force, Reynolds Photoshopped logos from all the businesses he owns into the pic behind him. “Deadpool 3 update: We’ve nailed down brand integrations. Story, character, and script next!” said the tweet, which came from the movie’s official account.

Deadpool 3 update: We’ve nailed down brand integrations. Story, character, and script next! pic.twitter.com/ArXHLk01lq
— Deadpool Movie (@deadpoolmovie) May 18, 2022

In all seriousness, now that Marvel has tapped Free Guy and The Adam Project director Shawn Levy to direct Deadpool 3, things are hopefully chugging along on the long-delayed threequel. Until the cameras start rolling, however, expect Reynolds and his team to continue to drop funny bits of trolling all over the internet.

Marvel Purchases Stan Lee’s Likeness Rights In Licensing Deal

In a controversial move, Marvel has ensured that its greatest hypeman and spokesperson will continue speaking for the company into perpetuity. Marvel has signed a 20-year deal with Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment and Genius Brands International, known together as Stan Lee Universe, to use Lee’s name, voice, signature, and likeness in future movies, TV shows, theme parks and experiences, and merchandise, as well as archival footage and photos, though it doesn’t extend to VR or video games. It’s an understandably controversial deal. It’s well-known that in the last years of his life, Lee had been taken advantage of by bad actors around him and defrauded, so it may leave a bad taste in the mouth that this deal has gone forward after his death. On the other hand, no one loved and loved promoting Marvel more than Stan Lee, and he’d likely be tickled at the thought he could continue to do it long after his passing. However, that doesn’t mean he’ll be turning up in multiple Marvel movie cameos moving forward. Knowing that some might find the deal distasteful, it’s likely that Marvel will want to move forward cautiously and respectfully in regard to how Lee’s likeness is incorporated into their products. That idea seems to be supported by a statement given by Genius Brands Chairman and CEO Andy Heyward at the time the deal was announced. “The audience revered Stan, and if it’s done with taste and class, and respectful of who he was, [uses of his likeness] will be welcomed,” Heyward explained. “He is a beloved personality, and long after you and I are gone, he will remain the essence of Marvel.”

‘The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ Is Getting A Reboot

Hope springs eternal, and indeed, 20th Century Studios is developing a reboot of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Reportedly, it’s being developed for Hulu but it’s unclear if it will also get a theatrical release. A previous movie based on the graphic novel series by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill, was released in 2003, but it was critically panned and flopped in theaters, though it’s gained something of a cult status since then. The story is set in a Victorian world in which various famous literary characters, including Captain Nemo, Mina Murray (Harker), Alan Quartermain, the Invisible Man, and others team up on a secret mission. The movie added characters like Dorian Grey and Professor Moriarty to the mix. This time, Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road) will take a crack at the script and here’s hoping he comes up with a solid story. The literary crossover idea is a really fun one and it has a lot of potential to be an entertaining new franchise if done right.

First-Look Pic From Horror Movie ‘The Queen Mary’

Let’s round out this week’s news with a little bit of horror. The upcoming horror movie, The Queen Mary, which is being shopped at Cannes this week, has just released its first look image. The movie, directed by Gary Shore, stars Joel Fry and Alice Eve and is based on the legend of the infamous and supposedly haunted Queen Mary. The plot reportedly follows three interconnected stories set in 1938 and present-day, of families who are violently torn apart by sinister activity while on board the ship. The first image of the movie, which was shot on the actual ship currently docked in Long Beach Harbor, shows the two investigating what appears to be something suspicious.

Stephen Oliver and Tom Vaughan wrote the script while Shore handled revisions. The Queen Mary doesn’t yet have a release date, but considering it’s already shot and just needs a distributor, it’s entirely possible we could see it hit theaters or streaming by the end of the year.