News Of The Week: 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Trailer Confirms Doc Ock Is Back

Hollywood was on temporary pause but productions are gearing back up, release dates continue to be tweaked in preparation for theaters reopening, and things are slowly starting to return to normal – or at least, our temporary new normal. Movie news is once again starting to flow, with us bringing you a few hand-picked stories we think you’ll like.

Let’s hop to it.

First ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Teaser Confirms Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock Is Back

After months, if not a few years, of speculation, the first teaser trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home has confirmed the rumors: Alfred Molina is indeed reprising his role as Otto Octavius, a.k.a. Doctor Octopus, a.k.a. Doc Ock, the role he last played in 2004 in Sam Raimi’s beloved Spider-Man 2. The anticipated first look also confirmed he won’t be coming alone, with it also teasing the return of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin and Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman to join Molina from the original Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, as well as Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Rhys Ifan’s Lizard from the Amazing Spider-Man movies, with rumors speculating the final member of the Sinister Six to join the other villains will be Paul Giamatti’s Rhino. It’s been known for a while that the third MCU Spider-Man movie would deal with the multiverse in some way, but exactly what form that would take remained unknown until rumors started swirling old villains from the previous franchises would be reappearing. The confirmation of Molia also all-but confirms an open secret for the third film, which is that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will also be appearing in the movie and reprising their roles as the previous iterations of Spider-Man. Whatever happens, it’s certain that if director Jon Watts can pull this off, it may even surpass Molina’s Spider-Man 2 as the best Spider-Man movie ever made.

A ‘Black Canary’ Movie Is Official In The Works

Despite the unfairly underwhelming box office returns of Birds of Prey, Warner Bros. still clearly has faith in its characters, most recently with Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn being part of The Suicide Squad. Now comes the news, via Cinelinx, that actress Jurnee Smollett will reprise her role as Dinah Lance, a.k.a. Black Canary, in a new movie to be written by Misha Green, with whom Smollett previously worked on HBO hit Lovecraft Country. It’s unclear if Green will also be tackling director duties for the movie, or when this project will get off the ground as Green has quickly become one of the most sought-after creatives in Hollywood following the success of Lovecraft Country. In returning to the role, Smollett brings one of the most popular characters back to the DCEU. Black Canary started out in Birds of Prey as a potential antagonist, working for Ewan McGregor’s villain Roman Sionis, a.k.a. Black Mask, before betraying him to help Harley Quinn and her other allies save a young girl. Her famous sonic cry, the Canary Cry, was only unleashed once in that movie, but hopefully, her solo film, which is reportedly being developed for HBO Max, will see more of it.

Anna Taylor-Joy To Star In ‘Nosferatu’ Remake From Robert Eggers

Anna Taylor-Joy is one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising young stars these days, and her plate is about to get even fuller. The LA Times broke the news that she’s set to team back up with frequent collaborator, director Robert Eggers, and star in a remake of Nosferatu. That revelation was dropped in the middle of a much longer piece, so no details were provided, other than that she’ll be shooting it after shooting Scott Frank’s thriller Laughter in the Dark, which she’ll be shooting after Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa with director George Miller, which she’ll be shooting after completing Mark Mylod’s dark comedy The Menu–like I said: she’s busy. Since she’s booked solid for the next 2 1/2 years, the Nosferatu remake won’t be happening any time soon. Though 1931’s Dracula is by far the most well-known vampire movie, 1922’s Nosferatu, the silent German Expressionism film, was the first to really put vampires on the map, at least in Hollywood. In that film, Max Schreck starred as Count Orlok in the unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel. Far from the suave and charming figure cut by the be-cloaked Bela Lugosi’s Count Dracula, Schreck’s Count Orlok was a ghoul–bald, with pointed ears, long, jagged teeth and gnarled hands. It’s unclear what role Taylor-Joy will be playing in Eggers’ remake, but a possible guess is Ellen Hutter, the object of Orlok’s desire who happens to be the wife of his real estate agent.

‘Captain Marvel 2’ Director & Star Say Everything In The Movie Will Surprise Fans

After the first Captain Marvel movie being one of the more so-so entries into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the good news is that Captain Marvel 2, The Marvels, looks to be course-correcting. Despite being a massive hit and generating over a billion dollars at the box office, one of the criticisms of Captain Marvel was that the story was somewhat predictable and boring. The sequel, however, looks to be anything but. While doing the press rounds and speaking to ET Online for Candyman, director Nia DaCosta and star Teyonah Parris, who are reuniting for The Marvels, teased that fans have no idea what’s coming. When asked what will surprise fans, DaCosta said, ““Everything. The movie is going to be a really wild ride. I’m really excited.” Parris added, “Like, the whole thing will surprise you. Because you don’t know anything.” Thus far, Marvel’s Phase 4 has really leaned into wild and experimental, with the concept of the multiverse blowing the doors open on possibility. It will be fascinating to see what DaCosta brings to the table for The Marvels.

Jake Gyllenhaal To Star In Robert Kirkman’s ‘Oblivion Song’ Adaptation

Jake Gyllenhaal is set to head to the future. He’s set to star in the adaptation of Image Comics’ Oblivion Song from renowned creator Robert Kirkman. Gyllenhaal will play protagonist Nathan Cole in the trippy sci-fi about a man who conducts missions to an area in Philadelphia where over three hundred thousand people were lost to an alternate dimension that is now an interdimensional hellscape. Cole is determined to unravel what happened and save the people if he can. It was announced that Gyllenhaal’s production company, Nine Stories, will also be producing, and it sees the potential for a film franchise, saying Oblivion Song will “explore big questions we’re reckoning with globally. Meanwhile, Kirkman, who has turned into one of Hollywood’s powerhouse creators in recent years, is excited to be joining forces with Gyllenhaal and Nine Stories, with the obligatory gushing statement:

“We couldn’t be more excited to find such great partners in New Republic and Nine Stories. Both companies have a tremendous reputation for premium storytelling at the highest level, and we can’t wait to see Jake bring this character to life on the big screen. We are so fortunate to have assembled a team that is as passionate about this comic as we are.“

With Kirkman developing, writing, and producing and Gyllenhaal locked down for the lead, the next big piece will be finding a director. Seeing as how Oblivion Song is hard sci-fi, finding a director who is adept in that genre is key.