The reason cameos are so fun is because it's typically always a genuine surprise to the audience when an unexpected actor pops into a movie for a couple minutes, and Renfield is the latest film to capitalize on this concept. Director Chris McKay’s 2023 movie schedule entry was able to deliver on this delightful concept, because it landed two actors from prime ‘80s horror movies. And of course, one of them was total vampire movie royalty, as McKay drafted an O.G. Fright Night star for a hysterically appropriate appearance. 

It’s not exactly a spoiler to say that William Ragsdale, the original Charley Brewster himself, gets to fight Nicolas Cage’s razor fanged Count Dracula in Renfield. One need not look further than the Renfield trailer, which actually includes a version of his appearance in the Universal movie, to see that Ragsdale plays a character credited as “Older Priest.” That's right '80s kids, Charley has faith in that cross this time out...and it still doesn't save him. 

That said, it was upon closer inspection, and some references on social media, which helped that realization dawn on me. Heading into the press day for Renfield with this knowledge, I wondered what inspired Chris McKay to cast this particular cameo as he did. Upon asking about his thought process, the director told CinemaBlend this William Ragsdale casting story: 

While we can sit here and engage in the age-old Fright Night vs. The Lost Boys debate, it’s still pretty fitting to see William Ragsdale playing a sort of Peter Vincent-style figure, even if it’s only for a moment. It’s kind of like that scene in 2011’s 3D enhanced Fright Night remake where Chris Sarandon, the original Jerry Dandridge, became a victim for Colin Farrell’s updated version of the character. In both cases, it's a fun role reversal that calls back to the past in a violently modern fashion.

Reversal of roles could also apply to Caroline Williams’ Renfield cameo, as the women who played Vanita "Stretch" Brock in the sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is another example of Chris McKay having fun with his Renfield casting. Bringing a former final girl in to play an ally to the villainous Lobo family, it’s another example of subverting expectations. It also helps that Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, much like Renfield, is a film that knew how to honor a horror classic with an irreverent streak of dark comedy. 

William Ragsdale’s presence in Renfield goes pretty dark, but is still a colorful note in Nicholas Hoult's journey to break his codependent relationship. This time around, Ragsdale does have faith in the Catholic prayer symbol he wields, and for a moment it seems to work. And yet, as you’ll see in the final trailer for movie, this “Older Priest” character meets an explosively bloody end, after spouting a gag that's not in the final film. 

Maybe The Dark Knight was right: "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself [exploded by Nicolas Cage as a vampire]." That may not be the exact adage expressed in Christopher Nolan’s movie, but it applies to both William Ragsdale and his Renfield experience. Though it has to be said that the consequences of this heel turn isn’t so dire, unless you were really rooting for the Older Priest to defeat Dracula in Act I. In which case, '80s horror fans may want to see another movie. 

For those of you open to seeing the gleefully dark side of the Dracula mythos, Renfield is in theaters now. And for those of you wondering if you can stream the original Fright Night, arguably one of the best horror movies in existence, at the time of this writing it’s available on Pluto TV. Fright Night Part 2 is sadly not as available, but definitely worth tracking down, especially if you’re a fan of William Ragsdale’s Charley Brewster. 

Nicolas Cage is back sinking his teeth into the vampire subgenre (the first time since Vampire's Kiss) with his upcoming horror-comedy movie Renfield. This time the iconic actor stars as the legendary vampire Count Dracula, but he's not just any Dracula but the Dracula, who was initially immortalized on the silver screen by the late Bela Lugosi. However, if the wild first trailer is anything to go off of, it’s clear this take on the classic vampire is far from the black and white 1931 version that popularized the legendary bloodsucker. Renfield, directed by the Lego Batman Movie’s Chris McKay, carries a hard R with it, and in a new interview, he and writer Robert Kirkman explained why they wanted that rating for their addition to the ‘slapstick’ horror genre.

The upcoming vamp movie explores the complicated and toxic relationship between the Count and his assistant, the titular Renfield, played pitch-perfectly by Nicholas Hoult. After years of bringing victims for his master to feed on, Hoult’s character decides to quit his life of servitude, and is determined to break free from his immortal master. Though it has a funny premise, the new flick is not for the faint of heart, boasting violence, buckets of gore, strong language throughout, and some drug use. In a recent interview with Universal Pictures (via SyFy), McKay explained that he wanted to make the film a worthy addition to the “splatstick” horror category. The filmmaker said: 

The Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman’s original screen story outline inspired the script for the latest comedic take on the mythical horror monster. He said that he shares a similar opinion as McKay regarding the mix of scares and laughs present in the movie. Kirkman honed in on the importance of slapstick and how it helps keep the audience off balance, making the shocks more potent. He said:

Horror and comedy have had a long cinematic tradition of pairing well together. From 1914’s The Ghost Breaker to Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein,  to even television’s The Munsters and The Addams Family, scares and laughs have shared the screen since moving pictures began. Here are just a few more of the greatest horror comedies of all time that are worth checking out:

• The Cat and the Canary (1939)
• The Raven (1963)
• Tales from the Crypt (1972)
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
• Gremlins (1982)
• Chopping Mall (1986)
• Braindead (1992)
• Death Becomes Her (1992)
• The Frighteners (1996)
• Jennifer’s Body (2009)
• This is the End (2013)
• Happy Death Day (2017)
• Werewolves Within (2021)

It would appear that the filmmaking team behind Renfield knows precisely what they’re doing because, based on early reactions, audiences are in for a bloody good time. Many critics have pointed to the mix of disturbing violence and over-the-top comedy as a real standout at the cinema. In CinemaBlend’s review of Renfield, Mike Reyes called the movie a “charming and blood-soaked horror-comedy hybrid.” He also highlighted how evident it is that Nic Cage is living his best life getting to don the Count’s classic cape, which should be more than enough justification for fans who enjoy watching the actor let loose on the screen to crack open their wallets and buy a ticket!

Knowing exactly what they were going for, and the list of movies they'd be joining, seems to be paying off for the movie makers. They knew the tone and rating they were aiming for, and they had the wherewithal to hire the talent of Nicolas Cage, who is perfect for the role, to reintroduce Bram Stoker’s creation to the big screen. Maybe if Renfield is a success, Cage’s version of Dracula getting a solo movie could materialize. One can only hope! 

You can catch this violent and hilarious vampire flick when it hits theaters on Friday, April 14, and in the meantime, be sure to check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what other films are hitting the big screen soon. 

Over the years, acting legends like Bela Lugosi, Gary Oldman, and the late Christopher Lee have given their own spin on the classic vampire character, Count Dracula, with dozens of other names following in their footsteps. Well, in the spring of 2023, Nicolas Cage will join their ranks when he dons the cape in Renfield, the upcoming horror comedy about the iconic character’s henchman. But, instead of doing his master’s bidding without batting an eye, the new movie from Universal Pictures will see the classic literary character go in a new direction.

If this is the first you’ve heard of Renfield, besides seeing that picture of Cage in full costume that circulated in early 2022, worry not, fearless vampire killer, because we’re about to break down everything there is to know about the movie, including its release date, cast, story, tone, and other tidbits of information you won’t want to miss.

Renfield Will Be Released On April 14, 2023

Universal Pictures is going to have quite a busy theatrical slate in the coming year with movies like the upcoming Fast X and the star-studded Oppenheimer serving as just two of the major tent poles holding up the studio’s big 2023 plans. Well, you can add Renfield to that list, as the Dracula comedy (which boasts a stacked cast of its own) is currently slated to be released theatrically on April 14, 2023, per Deadline. The 2023 movie schedule keeps getting better by the day (or night if you’re a vampire), and we’re still months away at this point.

The Renfield Cast Includes Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, And More

When the movie opens in theaters in April 2023 it will feature a rather outstanding Renfield cast of Hollywood A-listers and actors who have been on the rise the past few years. Although Nicolas Cage’s Count Dracula has been getting a lot of attention since his casting was first announced, the main character in the movie, the titular Renfield, will be played by Nicholas Hoult, star of the more recent X-Men movies and the high-octane action thrill ride that was Mad Max: Fury Road.

The other members of the Renfield cast are just as impressive, with Awkwafina, of Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and Legend of the Ten Rings fame, playing Rebecca Quincy, a traffic cop who catches the eye of Dracula’s assistant. Ben Schwartz, who most recently voiced the blue speedster in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, will appear in a supporting role. Adrian Martinez (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Punisher), Bess Rouss (Murder in the First), James Moses Black (Snowfall), and Caroline Williams (The Mentalist) are all slated to appear as well.

Renfield Follows Dracula’s Lackey As He Leaves His Master To Find Love

As mentioned above, Renfield will focus less on Count Dracula and more on his longtime lackey who finally takes a stand after suffering at his master’s hand for centuries. In January 2022, Deadline reported that the 2023 Universal Pictures monster movie will follow Nicholas Hoult’s Renfield as he finds a new lease on life after meeting and falling in love (much like his character in Warm Bodies) with traffic cop Rebecca Quincy, Awkwafina’s feisty character. Not much else has been revealed about the plot at this point, but expect to find out more as we get closer to its release, especially when a trailer eventually arrives.

The Tomorrow War Director Chris McKay Is Directing Renfield

Back in April 2021, when details about Renfield were scant at best, Deadline reported that the upcoming horror comedy would be directed by Chris McKay, who helmed the Chris Pratt led sci-fi action thriller, The Tomorrow War, which was released later that year. Prior to the Amazon original movie, McKay directed The Lego Batman Movie and 2wks, 1yr. He also served as a writer, director, and producer on a number of Adult Swim stop-motion animation programs throughout his career, including Robot Chicken, Moral Orel, and Titan Maximum.

The same Deadline report also pointed out that Renfield is based on a story written Robert Kirkman, the creative force behind The Walking Dead and Invincible, both the comics and TV adaptations. Longtime Community and Rick and Morty scribe Ryan Ridley wrote the screenplay.

Robert Kirkman Has Described Renfield As An ‘Extremely Violent Comedy’

Anyone familiar with Robert Kirkman’s work, whether it be his comics or various TV projects, knows he has a knack for comedy and violence, and has crafted his own unique style over the years. Well, it sounds like Renfield will be no different, considering what the visionary writer told Kevin Smith on the FatMan Beyond podcast in May 2021:

And, with all the crazy ways Kirkman has killed off The Walking Dead characters and made the lives of others a living hell over the years (while still being funny at times), it sounds like we’re in for quite a treat come April 2023.

Production Has Already Wrapped On Renfield

The buzz surrounding Renfield reached a fever pitch in March 2022 when it was revealed that production on the upcoming Nicolas Cage movie was well underway, but come on, it was mostly due to those incredible on-set photos People published (the images of Cage as Count Dracula are absolutely incredible). Even more good news came about a month later when Ben Schwartz shared on-set image on his Instagram page saying filming had wrapped on the upcoming horror movie:

Judging by the glowing remarks the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 star made in the caption accompanying the photo, it sounds like the shoot was a great way to spend a short amount of time in New Orleans.

Nicolas Cage Took Inspiration From Malignant And Ringu When Preparing For Renfield

With Nicolas Cage playing Count Dracula in Renfield, you would think the Academy Award winner would draw inspiration from the greats who have played the role in the past, but Cage (being Cage and all) wanted to try something different and give audiences a unique version of the character. When speaking on Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast in January 2022, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent star revealed that he took inspiration from some less-than-obvious sources:

How Cage incorporates those non-Dracula inspirations into his character remain to be seen, but they sound interesting nonetheless.

Expect to hear a lot more about Renfield as we get closer to its April 14, 2023 release date. In the meantime, make sure to get all caught up with the rest of the upcoming horror movies coming to theaters and streaming services in the near future.

Following a huge streaming debut for the Chris Pratt-led science fiction movie The Tomorrow War, it looks like the Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy star could have another franchise on his hands. With barely a week since the film’s release, there are reportedly discussions in the works about a second Tomorrow War movie led by Amazon Studios, Skydance and Paramount.

The creative team that brought the action movie about an apocalyptic alien war is apparently involved in continuing with The Tomorrow War 2, per Deadline. It has not yet been confirmed by the studio or those involved, but reportedly director Chris McKay, writer Zach Dean along with the main cast including Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, Betty Gilpin, Edwin Hodge, Sam Richardson and J.K. Simmons could be involved in continuing the franchise.

This past week, Chris Pratt has shared his pride for The Tomorrow War’s commercial success, calling it the “number one film in America.” The movie reportedly was seen by 2.41 million households during the Independence Day four-day weekend on Amazon Prime Video. It’s an impressive number and it’s not surprising that it could be enough to convince the executives behind the film to want to move forward with a second movie.

While The Tomorrow War was originally set to hit theaters in 2020, Amazon Studios bought the movie from Paramount for an alleged $200 million. The movie traded a box office debut for a massive streaming debut along with being warmly received by audiences – critics however did not love it, including CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes, who called it a “disastrous waste of time” in our review.

The Tomorrow War was Chris Pratt’s first executive producer credit on a feature film. Over on his Instagram, Pratt recorded a video message to fans of the film to thank them for watching the movie. He called the movie his “baby” as he shared his gratitude for its instant success:

The movie’s director Chris McKay has spoken about some potential ideas for The Tomorrow War prior to this report. He said this to ComicBook:

It certainly sounds like more Tomorrow War was already on their minds. The movie introduces an apocalyptic event which must be rewritten in order to no longer exist. As we know from movies like Back to the Future, Terminator or the MCU, timeline changes in movies don’t always end how its characters think it will and can spill a whole new set of problems one might not expect. It would be interesting to see Chris Pratt’s character and the rest of the cast reprise their roles following the movie’s ending.

What do you think? Would you like to see The Tomorrow War 2? Vote in our poll below and check out CinemaBlend’s interview with director Chris McKay on the ReelBlend podcast.

This poll is no longer available.

Chris McKay, director of The Tomorrow War starring Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski and J.K. Simmons, joins the show. We discuss working with a mega-star like Chris Pratt, working with practical effects on such a massive scale, and if his Nightwing movie will ever see the light of day.

This week is packed with movie releases so we get right into our reviews of some of the major films hitting theaters and streaming services. This includes Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move, Janicza Bravo’s Zola, The Forever Purge starring Josh Lucas (who will be joining the show later this week) and more.

In honor of Soderbergh’s latest film, we take a look back at his career to determine which of his works are our absolute favorites in our BlendGame, #StevenSoderberghBlend. You can play along with next week’s BlendGame using #FoodSceneBlend on Twitter to let us know which scene in movie history that is primarily focused on cuisine is your favorite.

Timestamps (Approx. Only)

2:54 - Weekly Poll

8:07 - Chris McKay Interview

22:50 - This Week In Movies

24:52 - The Forever Purge Review

30:52 - The Tomorrow War Review

36:02 - No Sudden Move Review

43:45 - Zola Review

48:05 - Favorite Steven Soderbergh Movies

1:03:19 - Outro

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For every great movie that we get to see on the big screen, there's another one, or more than one, that never makes it. We've heard countless stories of films that sounded amazing, at least on paper, that never happened. Stuck in the middle of those two extremes are the movies that haven't happened yet, but maybe still could, and that's where director Chris McKay's Nightwing movie lives. At this point it's unclear if the movie will ever actually happen, and even if it does, it sounds like a lot of decisions still need to be made about the film, like whether or not we'd even see Batman.

Recently Chris McKay spoke with The Bear Cave where he talked a lot about the Nightwing movie, which according to the director is not currently in active development, but has not also been officially canceled. As such, there are a few items that never been completely ironed out with the film. Among them, whether or not Batman would appear in the movie, or which Batman it would be. According to McKay...

So there was no guarantee that Batman would appear in the Nightwing movie. Clearly, from what Chris McKay says here, the focus of the movie truly would have been on Nightwing, and thus there's no specific reason that the hero's old mentor would need to appear. The movie would likely be set in Blüdhaven, not Gotham City, so Batman would probably be busy keeping his own house in order.

At the same time, while Batman might not have been a physical presence in the movie, he would have likely been a thematic one. The movie was going to be about how Dick Greyson dealt with growing up and trying to go his way and dealing with the scars, physical and emotional, that come with being raised by Batman. McKay goes on...

While Chris McKay largely speaks of Nightwing in the past tense, he's also clear that nobody at Warner Bros. has ever told him the movie won't happen. It still could happen. There's a lot about the DC characters on the big screen that seems up in the air, and perhaps once all that gets settled we'll figure out whether a Nightwing movie will actually happen.

DC Comics’ film slate has been a mystery for a handful of years. There were announced feature films, and then hope of a continuation of Zack Snyder’s interpretation of the source materials. Some of those proposed movies, like Blue Beetle, are now heading for HBO Max. Others were presumed dead, lost in the shuffle of Development Hell, never to be heard of again. It’s in that column that I had dragged Nightwing, a feature film once attached to The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay. But when he came on CinemaBlend’s official ReelBlend podcast, he confirmed that Nightwing is still on the table at Warner Bros. and DC, and he hopes to begin working on it soon.

Chris McKay told ReelBlend:

I’m not able to comment on The Tomorrow War just yet. It’s still under embargo. But I can tell you that the news that Chris McKay is still interested in directing a Nightwing movie, and that he thinks the recent moves made by Warner Bros. suggest that it’s actually more than possible, help me to believe that this film is back on the table. And after umpteen Batman adaptations, including another soft reboot coming from director Matt Reeves and his leading man Robert Pattinson, I think a detour into Bludhaven is exactly what the Bat Family needs.

One of the developments that Chris McKay might be referring to is the greenlighting of a Batgirl movie that Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are helming exclusively for HBO Max. Does this mean that a Nightwing movie also could be developed for HBO Max, where a Bat Family might potentially be being developed? Chris McKay could be aware of development plans that haven’t been made public yet. So when we asked if Nightwing was “dead,” he made sure that we knew it’s still very much on the table, in his mind.

Look for Chris McKay’s The Tomorrow War starring Chris Pratt when it lands on Amazon Prime starting on July 2.

It goes without saying Chris Pratt is a pretty busy guy, as the highly sought-after actor has been headlining some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises. While he’s well known to the public for his roles in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World franchises, the actor is about to step into a brand new film in the form of Amazon’s The Tomorrow War. The public got a teaser for the gritty, sci-fi film last month, but now the full trailer has arrived. And as you would expect, it’s filled to the brim with new footage that shows Pratt traveling through time and kicking ass!

The Tomorrow War centers on Chris Pratt’s Dan Forester, an ex-military man living a relatively normal life with his wife and young daughter. That is until their realities (and those of everyone else around the world) are turned upside down when soldiers from the future arrive in the present. Fighting an intense war with a seemingly extraterrestrial force, they arrive to recruit soldiers from the past to fight in the future. Of course, Dan is recruited, and is quickly thrust into the intense battle for mankind’s survival.

Directed by The Lego Batman Movie’s Chris McKay, The Tomorrow War looks like an intense addition to the sci-fi action genre. When watching the trailer, one can’t help but get hints of Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow. While time travel has been done plenty of times, the concept of warriors being recruited to fight a war that won’t happen for years is intriguing.

In this new film, Chris Pratt will also be joined by other talented stars, including The Handmaid’s Tale’s Yvonne Strahovski as Vicki Winslow and GLOW alum Betty Gilpin as Emmy. And of course, there’s also the imposing J.K. Simmons, who’s character, Slade, seems to be a mentor of sorts to Pratt’s Forester.

One aspect of the film that’s understandably being hidden is the alien-like army humans are fighting in the future. While we don’t get our best look at a creature until the end of the trailer, it looks like movie fans may be able to add yet another ferocious sci-fi creature to their list of favorites. Nevertheless, we’ll need to see more of these beasts in action before we’re comparing them to the Alien franchise’s Xenomorphs.

Chris Pratt seems to be particularly excited about The Tomorrow War, as the actor has been taking opportunities to hype the film when possible. Like other films over the past year, the movie was originally meant to release in theaters but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the distribution rights went from Paramount Pictures to Amazon. This has extinguished Pratt’s hype, though, as he’s even claimed that Amazon got its money’s worth with the movie.

It’ll be interesting to see what Chris McKay and Chris Pratt ultimately deliver with this latest film. But it can definitely be said that the film has a skilled director at the helm and a capable star in the lead role.

The Tomorrow War hits Amazon Prime on July 2.

Ghost Draft is out, but The Tomorrow War is in for Chris Pratt. The Marvel and Jurassic World star just shared a first look at his new sci-fi movie, which also -- congrats! -- marks his first time as an executive producer. Apparently there were problems right out of the gate, since they had to change the title.

Since Chris Pratt is Chris Pratt, he poked fun at the name change in a hilarious post sharing "other options" for the title, before revealing what they went with:

I fully expect Jurassic Draft to end up a title in the Jurassic franchise at some point. Give them time.

Chris Pratt is a lean, not-so-mean marketing machine. He will keep fans well-informed and very entertained throughout filming. Speaking of lean, though, back when we all thought this sci-fi movie would be called Ghost Draft, Chris Pratt updated fans on his weight loss routine to get in shape for the movie. He had already dropped 12 pounds by the time of his posting, and shared how he did it.

The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay is directing what we're now calling The Tomorrow War. The movie reportedly co-stars Yvonne Strahovski. J.K. Simmons, Sam Richardson, and Betty Gilpin.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the story is set in a future where humanity is losing a war against aliens. To turn the tide, scientists draft soldiers from the past to fight the war. J.K. Simmons may be playing Pratt’s father.

Anyway, it's a good thing they didn't call it Edge of Tomorrow, eh? Based on that photo, they could've also called it The Expendables, if that title wasn't taken.

I'm not sure who is with Chris Pratt in this photo, but they sure brought a lot of guns. I hope guns can kill aliens and it's not one of those movies where they keep shooting for no reason anyway.

The artist currently known as The Tomorrow War was scheduled to start filming in September and film in Atlanta and Iceland. As far as we know, that's still the case and fans can now look forward to more updates from Chris Pratt. He should be everywhere pretty soon -- promoting his 2020 Pixar movie Onward and starting filming for Jurassic World 3. Then Pratt should finally be able to film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was delayed after James Gunn was fired. Now Gunn is back, but he's busy with DC's The Suicide Squad, and everyone's schedules had to shuffle around.

Long story short, Chris Pratt may not have much free time in the next few years, so it's good that he went out for that Terminator: Dark Fate movie date with his wife while he could.

Since Chris Pratt is always a savvy marketer, and usually pretty candid, I'm looking forward to hearing about his experience as a first-time executive producer. Instead of What's My Snack? maybe he can do What's My Production Schedule? Yeah, that does sound less interesting. But something like that.

Stay tuned for more details on The Tomorrow War, including an official release date. And apparently he'll be auctioning off a set visit? I hope Chris Hemsworth wins and comes dressed as Fat Thor. I just do.

While Jonny Quest never reached the same level of popularity as fellow Hanna-Barbera productions like The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, it's nonetheless remained a recognizable pop culture property since debuting in the 1960s. It also hasn't been given the big screen treatment, although for lack of trying. For years there have been numerous efforts to get a Jonny Quest movie off the ground, and now it looks like that'll finally happen with the hiring of a new director.

As reported first by The Wrap, The LEGO Batman Movie's Chris McKay has been tapped to helm the live action Jonny Quest movie. Like the original TV series, the movie will follow the young Jonny Quest as he goes on crazy adventures with his father, Dr. Benton Quest, their bodyguard, Race Bannon, and his adopted brother, Hadji. The only other new piece of information revealed in the article is that a "major movie star" is being eyed to play Race. Rideback's Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, as well as Adrian Askarieh from Prime Universe, will produce the Jonny Quest movie, and Daniel Alter is attached as executive producer.

Chris McKay has a long resume of animation work across both movies and television, Robot Chicken being the best example of the latter. On the directing side of things, though, he's definitely best known for The LEGO Batman Movie, the spinoff to The LEGO Movie, where he served as the animation co-director and supervisor.

Jonny Quest marks the third live action movie that Chris McKay is set to direct, following behind Dungeons & Dragons and Nightwing. The former is scheduled for July 23, 2021, and while there hasn't been any major updates about the latter, McKay said last month that Nightwing isn't dead yet. Where Jonny Quest fits into all this is unclear, although if Dungeons & Dragons is sticking with its current release date and Nightwing remains on the DC Extended Universe back burner, then I suspect McKay will tackle Jonny Quest after finishing Dungeons & Dragons.

A live action Jonny Quest movie has been in one form of development or the other since the mid-1990s. In 2009, it was reported that Zac Efron and Dwayne Johnson had been cast to play Jonny and Race Bannon, respectively, though that obviously never came to pass. In 2015, Robert Rodriguez was hired to direct the Jonny Quest movie, and Terry Rossio and Dan Mazeau wrote earlier drafts of the script.

It remains to be seen if Chris McKay's Jonny Quest movie will keep elements from the earlier drafts or if it's starting from scratch on the story, but regardless, this marks an important step forward for a project that's languished in development hell for a long time. Jonny Quest and his supporting cast recently showed up in the Future Quest comic book series, and Warner Archives is reportedly releasing the entire animated collection on Blu-ray in 2020, so these are good primers to check out before the property is finally adapted in a live action, theatrical setting.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage on what's happening with the Jonny Quest movie. In the meantime, find out what movies are arriving over the next year in our 2018 and 2019 release schedules.

In the past few years, Warner Bros. has been working hard to up its animation game. It started when the LEGO franchise became a thing, but they've also made titles like Storks and the upcoming Smallfoot. Now it looks like they are making a big step forward with one of their biggest properties - the Looney Tunes - as Wile E. Coyote is getting his own film.

We've been hearing about a project of this ilk for a while now (Steve Carell was circling it four years ago, and development talks started back in 2010), but now it appears that it is ready to try and get into high gear. The film will be titled Coyote Vs. Acme, and according to Variety it will be an animated movie produced by LEGO Batman director Chris McKay. Brothers Jon and Josh Silberman, whose credits mostly include television shows like It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Bordertown, are now on board to write the script.

Unfortunately, official details about what we can expect from Coyote Vs. Acme end there - though those familiar with Looney Tunes surely know the connection between Wile E. Coyote and the titular company, and may be able to glean something about the plot from the title. In his hopes of catching the Roadrunner, the carnivore regularly makes use of the conglomerate's various products - but the traps are notorious for backfiring and causing major bodily harm. After years of being injured, it's possible that Coyote will turn his attention from his feathered target to the business that has left him with hundreds of extreme injuries.

It's been quite a while since audiences got to see the Looney Tunes characters back in action on the big screen in feature form (it was literally 2003's Looney Tunes: Back In Action), but hopefully this project will end the drought and deliver. If it does, and it's successful, the potential is endless for the franchise, as Warner Bros. could use it and the LEGO movies as pillars to build one of the strongest brands in the world of animated films.

The only negative here is that it will probably be a long time before we actually see Coyote Vs. Acme - provided it stays on track from this point forward. Animated features take years to get made, not only because of the creative process implemented, but because it takes thousands of hours to render all of the material. As such, audiences definitely shouldn't expect to see this film in its finished form until some point in the 2020 decade.

That being said, we will be keeping a close eye on this project as it develops, as it's potential concept is awesome. Be on the lookout for more updates about Coyote Vs. Acme, and head over to our release calendar to see all the movies that actually will soon be making their way to a theater near you.

It's been a fascinating time for the entertainment world. Following the public fall of Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement, personal issues and missteps have begun ending careers. Most recently this has extended to social media platforms. Roseanne Barr was recently fired by ABC after tweets deemed racist by the public, and social media has quickly become the most dangerous place for creatives. This was also seen last week when James Gunn was canned by Marvel/Disney after incendiary tweets from years ago resurfaced. It's a shakeup that has shaken plenty of directors, including future Nightwing director Chris McKay. Because a week after Gunn's Twitter-related firing, McKay has deleted his personal Twitter page.

This news is sure to surprise the hardcore DC fandom, as Chris McKay is usually very active on Twitter. The Lego Batman Movie director is known for engaging directly with fans on social media, and helping to keep anticipation for the Nightwing movie at a fever pitch, despite the blockbuster's lack of updates. But it looks like McKay may be nervous about his past Tweets, and therefore took a break from the popular social media platform.

Chris McKay's departure from Twitter comes just days after Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson did his own Twitter purge. While he didn't close his account, Johnson deleted some 20,000 tweets from the past few years. Johnson recently spoke up about his decision, revealing it was simply easier to clean up the account than worry about every post from years before he joined Lucasfilm.

Both Rian Johnson and Chris McKay's respective Twitter purges are obviously connected to James Gunn's shocking departure from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is one of the most popular properties in the behemoth shared universe, with Vol. 2 met with massive box office and critical acclaim in 2017. The Guardians threequel was set to be one of the first MCU blockbusters after Avengers 4, although now its unclear if/when the franchise will continue without Gunn. Some fans are hoping Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi will take the job, while others think Marvel should just end the franchise now, before the inevitable disappointment of a Gunn-less Guardians movie.

As far as Chris McKay goes, it was probably wise for him to cleanse his Twitter in the wake of so many social media-based firings. McKay's passion for bringing Dick Grayson's solo film to theaters is palpable, and he doesn't want a poorly worded post or potentially damaging tweets to ruin those chances. Perhaps he'll create a new Twitter account, therefore allowing him to one again communicate with the rabid DC fanbase, but without worrying about the skeletons in his closet.

Unfortunately, it's unclear exactly if/when Nightwing will actually arrive in theaters, as the script is still being developed. CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all the updates as details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Of all the films on the current DC slate, one of the most exciting of the bunch is Chris McKay's Nightwing movie. The LEGO Batman Movie director will bring us our first live-action silver screen Dick Grayson since the Joel Schumacher years, and fans have wondered who will eventually step in for the titular role. One name that has been thrown around is none other than Baywatch star Zac Efron, but it looks like there's not much truth to those rumors. When asked by a fan whether or not Zac Efron had been confirmed as the latest incarnation of Dick Grayson, Chris McKay took to Twitter and wrote:

Those rumors of Zac Efron stepping in as Dick Grayson have been greatly exaggerated. Though he definitely has the physique, charisma, and on-screen presence to portray someone as badass as Nightwing, Chris McKay wants all of us to know that the Neighbors star has not been signed for the film just yet.

Of course, Chris McKay's tweet doesn't provide much information beyond his decision to refute the Zac Efron rumors. We still have no idea who is actually in the running to portray Nightwing in the DCEU, and casting rumors have run rampant as the movie has developed. For all we know, Zac Efron could technically be in the running for the role; he just hasn't been confirmed yet. At this point, we're just going to have to wait and see what happens.

Chris McKay has made no secret of the fact that he wants to perform an exhaustive search for Nightwing in his development of the young hero's movie. He has regularly kept fans updated on the status of the project in recent months, noting that everything needs to be perfect in order to "blow your mind." In layperson's terms: he's taking his time with the film, and he doesn't seem overly eager to announce any casting yet.

With all of that said, what we do know about Nightwing has us very excited about where the DCEU could go from here. Chris McKay has spoken passionately about the film since signing on as its director last year, and he has promised insane action and a deep dive into Dick Grayson's past. Given the amount of depth he was able to add to The LEGO Batman Movie, we feel inclined to believe that he could do the same with the grown-up Robin.

CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to the development of the Nightwing movie as new details (particularly details related to casting) become available to us. Until then, make sure to keep an eye on our 2018 movie premiere guide and start gearing up for the first solo adventure of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) later this year when James Wan's Aquaman premieres on December 21.

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The DC Extended Universe is a tricky place. In stark juxtaposition to the methodical releases from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC has attempted to quickly pay catch up in order to hold a candle against its competitor. But The DCEU has had a habit of announcing exciting new projects and/or directors, before things ultimately fall through. A handful of directors have dropped major projects in the universe, like Rick Famuyiwa or Zack Snyder. Now it's happened again, as Joss Whedon has officially left the Batgirl movie. The internet basically exploded with this revelation, and now Nightwing director Chris McKay has revealed the only way he'd ever depart his upcoming superhero movie.

Well, that's one director who we can expect to stick with his project. Considering how often the Lego Batman Movie director tweets out about Nightwing, he better follow through for the fandom.

Chris McKay's tweet revealed his determination to make Nightwing is sure to be a relief for the many DC fans who are dismayed by Joss Whedon's recent departure from the Batgirl movie. News of Whedon's involvement set the internet ablaze, despite his less than stellar outing completing Zack Snyder's Justice League. Considering his tenure working on strong female characters like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Black Widow in The Avengers, Whedon seemed like the ideal choice. Unfortunately, he announced his separation from the project yesterday after failing to find a proper story to tell.

Similarly, Chris McKay seemed like an excellent choice to direct Nightwing, due to his prior work within the Batman mythos. The Lego Batman Movie was met with critical acclaim and box office success, and showed what a massive Bat-fan McKay is. As such, he's a great choice to bring Dick Grayson aka Nightwing to the silver screen for a new generation. The closest thing we got was that Chris O'Donnell in Batman & Robin, and it wasn't the character's finest showing.

The DC Extended Universe, while still very much in its infancy, has had a very hard time nailing directors down. While Zack Snyder built the universe through his work in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, he ended up departing Justice League in the wake of a family tragedy. Ezra Miller's Flash movie has faced similar struggles, having already lost its director twice. This started with the departure of Seth Grahame-Smith, which was followed by Rick Famuyiwa. Finally, Jaume Collet-Serra departed Suicide Squad 2 a few months ago, leading to uncertainty in the DCEU.

At least for now, the development of Nightwing is continuing and Chris McKay is planning on holding onto the project with white knuckles. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Out of all the projects currently in the works for the silver screen DC universe, few have fans quite as excited as Nightwing. Dick Grayson's first solo movie will represent the culmination of decades of stories in animation, video games, and comics, and the decision to bring The LEGO Batman Movie's Chris McKay onboard to direct has been widely met with praise by many fans. With that in mind, we still haven't heard much about the project in a while, but McKay recently took to Twitter to share an update on the script and to remind us not to expect casting news anytime soon. McKay wrote:

If nothing else, it seems that the story for the Nightwing movie will be finished very soon. As of right now, Chris McKay merely is working on rip-o-matic (in layperson's terms, it's a fake trailer using footage from existing movies to sell a studio on style and tone) but he doesn't expect to have any casting information for us anytime soon. McKay is well-known among fans for his love of Batman (just look at the number of Easter eggs in The LEGO Batman Movie), so he seems to want to take his time with this.

Despite the fact that Chris McKay hasn't provided fans with too many updates about that status of the Nightwing solo movie, he has very apparently kept an eye on the fact that there's quite a bit of fan enthusiasm for the project. In fact, following his initial update, McKay even posted a poll gauging fan interest in a variety of qualities that his Dick Grayson actor will need to have.

Of course, the fact that the script is almost complete means that the folks involved in the movie seem to have locked down a story that they want to work with. Until recently, we didn't know much about Nightwing beyond some of the nuggets that Chris McKay offered up during the press junket for The LEGO Ninjago Movie last year. Chief among these was the fact that the film will feature nods to Dick Grayson's past in Haly's Circus, as well as the fact that a serious premium is being placed on the action; McKay even went on to admit that he thinks the film will force The Oscars to create a stunt category. If you're a Nightwing fan, then now seems like the right time to start gearing up for the "exciting year ahead."

For now, it looks like we're just going to have to keep waiting until Chris McKay finally provides us with some updates about the Nightwing movie's cast and story. Until then, make sure to watch out for the DCEU's next installment when James Wan's Aquaman premieres in theaters on December 21.

Warner Bros. and DC Films have yet to announce an official slate of upcoming projects beyond Aquaman and Shazam!, but there are a high number of projects reportedly in the works. Recently, an updated film slate was rumored to have leaked, and among the list was Nightwing. This project has been in development for a while now, with Chris McKay currently signed on to direct. McKay has already teased some details about his vision, but the information has been understandably sparse. Now McKay is teasing that we can expect new Nightwing details in this coming February.

Nightwing is still only in the earliest stages of development, so information about the movie hasn't exactly been coming fast. We only know very little about the project, but Chris McKay is trying to help hold fans over by teasing that new information is on the way. Replying to a question on Twitter, McKay was able to tease that we can expect new details on Nightwing in February, and likely sometime around Valentine's Day. In McKay's words, the update would be about "where everything is" with Nightwing.

The update sounds like more of a progress report on where the project currently stands than any confirmation of juicier details. There could be a chance that we get an idea of a release date. It's far too early to consider casting (I'd be surprised if they even have a finished script), so we probably shouldn't expect to learn who will be playing Dick Grayson. Nick Jonas threw his name into the ring, though, McKay did make his own suggestions on what actors looking for the part should do.

We don't know very much about the project right now, but Chris McKay as offered some teases. Nightwing will be action-packed and character-driven, with emphasis on the martial arts. McKay has a clear admiration for the character, having spoken of in the past about why he finds Dick Grayson so interesting. Whatever the progress on Nightwing is, it's in safe hands.

There's no release window for Nightwing, but more information on the project is coming soon, so be sure to stay close to CinemaBlend, and we'll keep you updated on new information as soon as it is available. In the meantime, check out our list of all the announced DC movies that Warner Bros. is working on. For everything else in the world, here's our list of upcoming 2018 movies.

The DCEU slate has some fascinating projects currently in development, but few have us intrigued quite like Nightwing. Helmed by The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay, the project has remained firmly under wraps since its initial announcement, with McKay only delivering sporadic updates as it has pushed through development. However, his latest update sounds like one of the most telling yet, as McKay has officially teased a major reveal for the Nightwing movie in February. McKay took to social media and posted:

That's admittedly not much to work with, but it at least promises that we will get more information about Nightwing within the next few months. Casting for the movie has been a major source of fan speculation in recent weeks (particularly after the mention of an open casting call for actors to portray Dick Grayson), so that stands as one major possibility. Casting is also typically one of the first things that we learn about a movie, so it makes quite a bit of sense for that to be the next major announcement following the reveal that the project is happening in the first place.

With that said, as of right now, it's still impossible to know exactly what Chris McKay's tweet means for the future of the project. A casting announcement seems like a somewhat logical choice, but there are plenty of other developments that we could see materialize when February rolls around. Chief among these possible updates are an official release date, a subtitle for the film, a more fleshed out cast of characters, or even a proper synopsis of the project.

Despite how tight-lipped Chris McKay has been about the Nightwing movie in recent months, he has still let a few key details out while promoting other films. In fact, while speaking with CinemaBlend about his producing role on The LEGO Ninjago Movie, McKay specifically told us that he intends to include nods to Dick Grayson's history with Haly's Circus in the hero's solo movie, and that he intends to craft action sequences so complex that they will actually force the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science to create an Oscar category for stunt work. When you take all of that into consideration, it probably becomes pretty clear to see why we're so excited about this film, and the possibilities that it creates by scaling things down from the DCEU's standard city-destroying action.

For those of you who are less familiar with the character, Nightwing is actually an adult version of Dick Grayson, a.k.a the first Robin to ever work with Batman. After growing tired of living in Batman's shadow, Dick eventually drops the mantle of Robin and takes on the persona of Nightwing (named for a Kryptonian hero of the same name) to fight crime in Gotham's sister city, Bludhaven. He's one of DC's most beloved characters, and his solo movie promises to give us something wholly unique in the Bat Family corner of the DCEU.

CinemaBlend will keep you posted with more information about the status of Chris McKay's Nightwing movie as new details are made available. As for the exploits of Dick Grayson's mentor, you can now catch Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne on the silver screen in Zack Snyder's Justice League, which is currently in theaters.

There are plenty of awesome DC films on the horizon, but one of the most exciting Bat-Family projects of the bunch is Chris McKay's Nightwing film. As a dive into a less-explored corner of the Batman mythos, Nightwing will offer one lucky actor the opportunity to do things with Dick Grayson that we haven't seen yet in live-action. As such, casting the DC badass is a massive undertaking, and that's why McKay doesn't have an actor for the role at this stage in development. The LEGO Batman Movie director took to social media and confirmed that there still is no Nightwing yet, saying:

If you're looking forward to the Nightwing movie, then there's a good chance that you already have an idea of who to cast in your head. Here at CinemaBlend, we've even delved into that topic and come up with a few names of our own. However, by his admission, Chris McKay is taking his time with the casting process for this film and throwing out a wide net to find the right man for the job. It won't just be A-list actors who fit the basic physical description (like Zac Efron or Jared Padalecki); he's exploring every possible angle to get this right. That doesn't necessarily provide much specific information with regards to where he's actually looking for in his Dick Grayson, but it tells us that he has a deep pool of potential talent to pull from.

Beyond casting the Nightwing movie, Chris McKay has continuously doubled down on his vocal desire to break the mold and legitimately wow audiences with this project. In addition to the discussion of the actor to potentially play Dick Grayson, McKay even recently admitted to CinemaBlend (during the press junket for The LEGO Ninjago Movie) that he has every intention of making Nightwing into an action film that's so technically impressive that it will actually spur the Academy Awards to finally make a category for "Best Stunt," which is an accolade that many members of the film industry have wanted to see for years. When we consider just how technically involved this movie is going to be, it makes sense that everyone involved wants to make sure that they pick the right actor for the titular role.

What do you think of Chris McKay's remarks about the casting process for the Nightwing movie? Are you willing to wait for the perfect choice, or do you want to see the process speed up? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and make sure to take a look at our 2017 movie premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide to see all of the movies (DC or otherwise) currently lined up to debut over the next year!

With the first ever Nightwing movie in development, there's a ton of great stories for director Chris McKay to adapt. The character has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years, and many of his adventures have become just as compelling as those of his former mentor. In fact, Nightwing comic writer Tim Seeley recently opened up, and admitted he thinks the Nightwing movie should echo his own recent arc with the character. The story shows Dick Grayson's struggle to balance his loyalty to Batman with a deadly new mentor named Raptor, and how that conflict affects The Bat Family. Seeley explained:

If you have kept up with DC's Rebirth line in recent months, then Tim Seeley's comments to Comicbook.com should sound familiar. For those of you less acquainted with Dick's comic book adventures, this arc began with the Better Than Batman story, which saw Nightwing attempting to infiltrate the Court of Owls (a new, yet popular Batman foe) in a bid to save Robin. Eventually, Dick finds himself forced to work with a deadly mercenary named Raptor, who takes it upon himself to become Dick's mentor and teach him techniques and tactics that Batman would never use. The situation forces Dick to walk a tightrope between these two men, ultimately leading him to pick a side by the conclusion of the story.

The use of a villain like Raptor would make particular sense because he has a very notable connection to Dick Grayson's past as a member of Haly's Circus, which (per director Chris McKay's recent comments to CinemaBlend at The LEGO Ninjago Movie junket) will receive a nod in the film. That said, if Raptor cannot be used, Seeley also pointed out that someone like Deathstroke (possibly still played by Joe Manganiello?) could make a suitable alternative because he is also a dark reflection of Dick's original mentor.

Of course, this is one of many reasons to start getting excited about the Nightwing movie. Chris McKay's enthusiasm for the project has become infectious since its announcement, and The LEGO Batman Movie director has promised an incredibly exciting direction. Not only will this film offer a deep dive into the Nightwing/Robin corner of The Bat Family, but the emphasis on practical action set pieces has become a focal point of its development. With a story that showcases a deep connection to the Batman lore, as well as the promise of an Oscar for stuntwork (the first of its kind), Nightwing could legitimately make history in the realm of comic book movies.

CinemaBlend will keep you posted with more information related to the Nightwing movie as new details become available to us. It's expected to begin shooting sometime in 2018, but an actual release date has yet to be announced. Looking ahead to the next year, take a look at our 2017 movie premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide to see what else Hollywood has in store!

If you've been paying any attention to the world of film production, you'll notice that superhero movies are ruling the day. Between the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Extended Universe, and X-Men franchise, there are superhero movies coming out every month or so. The DCEU has been announcing a ton of projects lately, one of which is Chris McKay's upcoming Nightwing movie. McKay recently spoke about the difference between Marvel and DC's competing universes, and why the latter is a better place to work. He said,

Well, this certainly makes the DC studios seem like an awesome place to direct a blockbuster. According to Chris McKay, the DCEU allows its directors to have more creative control over their projects. This is likely due to how young the shared universe still is, with only four films currently released to the masses. And with new projects being announced constantly, directors don't have a decade of films to coordinate with, as with the MCU.

Chris McKay cited Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman as the prime example for his point. The acclaimed Monster director was able to craft a standalone film for Diana Prince that is independent of the larger DC Extended Universe. Barring a few references to Bruce Wayne, the film was able to function completely separately from Zack Snyder's previous films. Chris McKay praise this practice, telling Metro.Us,

Indeed, it seems like the various directors from the DC Extended Universe are able to challenge what audiences are expecting from comic book movies. James Wan is crafting an exciting and original process with Aquaman, which will be almost entirely set underwater. Patty Jenkins will also have similar control over Wonder Woman 2, likely continuing to fill in the gaps between the first film and her eventual appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

It should be interesting to see where Chris McKay takes Dick Grayson's story. He's already revealed that Dick's past as a Flying Grayson and Robin would factor into the narrative, and we'll hopefully be able to understand his complex relationship with Batman as well.

The next installment into the DCEU will be Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon's Justice League on November 17th, 2017. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The prospect of a Chris McKay-directed solo movie for Nightwing is exciting for several reasons, but one of the most exciting of the bunch is the way in which we view action scenes. We've seen violent vigilante stories before, but Dick Grayson's lean and agile physicality is a far cry from the muscle-bound power of a guy like Batman. In fact, I recently had a chance to talk to McKay about his plans for the film during a discussion about The LEGO Ninjago Movie, and he promised that the project's stunt work will earn it an Academy Award. I know, that's a tall order, but McKay said:

If any major DC superhero is going to compel the Academy to create an entirely new category devoted to stunt work, then Nightwing would definitely be the one to do it. By his very nature, Dick Grayson is a character whose fights and physical abilities are defined by his acrobatic training, as well as his formative years as a performer in Haly's Circus. To that end, certain Batman storylines have even suggested that Bruce Wayne had his eyes on Dick for recruitment before the deaths of the Flying Graysons specifically because of Dick's almost inhuman knack for acrobatics.

The action sequences focusing on his unique skill set wouldn't require much CGI, but they would force a team of stunt performers to dig deep and maximize the character's agility with flips, jumps, kicks and every other move that you would expect from an Olympic-level athlete. Take the warehouse fight from Batman v Superman as an example. Instead of the heavy punches thrown by Ben Affleck's Batman, a Nightwing version of the fight would feature far flashier moves that reflect his speed, as well as his natural instincts as a performer.

One look at Nightwing's comic book panels sells this idea even further. Artwork showing his movement is typically incredibly kinetic, with several images layered into a single panel to showcase his speed and agility.

There's already a growing section of the moviegoing community (insiders and outsiders alike) that would love to see an entire stunt category created at the Academy Awards. Even with the advances in CGI, the last few years saw a massive surge in the quality of stunt work, as franchises like Mission: Impossible and John Wick have continuously upped the ante in the world of stunts and fight scenes. As a result, many have started to rethink the legitimacy of stunts and call for their acknowledgment on Hollywood's biggest night. If Nightwing can deliver on Chris McKay's promise, then it may be the film to break that glass ceiling and bring stunt work into the prestigious Oscar realm.

If we are to take Chris McKay at his word, then our anticipation for the Nightwing solo movie just increased significantly -- and it will likely only continue to increase when his former mentor makes his next appearance in the DCEU, as Batman will be back in action when Justice League arrives in theaters on November 17.

The Nightwing movie remains one of the best-kept secrets on the DC slate. We know it's coming, but few other details related to Chris McKay's upcoming project have been revealed since its initial announcement. However, McKay recently opened up to CinemaBlend and admitted that the film will definitely refer to Dick Grayson's years as a circus performer. During a discussion about his work on The LEGO Ninjago Movie, I asked The LEGO Batman Movie director if Haly's Circus would make an appearance in the upcoming Nightwing movie, McKay said:

For all of the Nightwing newcomers out there, Haly's Circus is relevant to his origin story because Dick Grayson was a child acrobat (and a member of the Flying Graysons ensemble) before the death of his parents in a trapeze accident. Their death during a show in Gotham forces his retirement from his life as a performer, which eventually sees him taken under Bruce Wayne's wing as his ward -- and his eventual birth as Robin. The fact that Haly's Circus will play a role in the Nightwing story means that we won't simply catch up with him as an adult superhero who has moved on from his time in Batman's shadow. The story will (at least partially) focus on his origins, as well as how he actually became a world class acrobat.

This wouldn't be the first time that Haly's Circus has appeared in a DC film. The talented (yet doomed) Flying Graysons made an appearance in Joel Schumacher's 1995 film Batman Forever, and changed Robin's origin story to make him a young adult at the time of his parents' death -- which was retconned to be the result of Two-Face's actions, instead of mobster Tony Zucco.

As excited as we are about this development, it's worth remembering that a "nod" can mean quite a few different things; the nature and purpose of Haly's Circus have changed considerably over the years. Sometimes Dick Grayson has returned to it because of an investigation (a la Young Justice), while in other instances he has actually purchased the operation and become the man behind the show. In Batman: The Court of Owls, it was even revealed that the circus once served as a proving ground for The Court's deadly Talon assassins -- something Dick Grayson would've eventually become if Bruce Wayne had never adopted him.

With so many different avenues for storytelling, it's almost impossible to tell where these "nods" will take Dick, but the confirmation of Haly's Circus in Nightwing's story certainly bodes well for its fidelity to the source material. Like the inclusion of Krypton in Man of Steel or the inclusion of Themyscira in Wonder Woman, it's fundamental to establishing the nature of our hero.

We will bring you more information related to the Nightwing solo movie as new details related to the project surface. The DCEU will continue when Justice League premieres in theaters later this year on November 17.

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With Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman providing the DC Extended Universe with its first critical darling, it's a great time to be DC fan. The newly formed shared universe has been announcing new projects like its their job (it is), including a bunch of spinoffs for various Batman characters. One of these recently announced films is the Nightwing movie, which will follow the life of former Robin and Bludhaven crimefighter Dick Grayson in his vigilante adventures.

The Nightwing movie is currently set to be helmed by The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay, and he recently opened up about what he'll need from the film's leading actor. When asked by a fan on Twitter if his leading actor share McKay's passion for the character, he said:

Chris McKay is looking for quite alot of out of his silver screen Dick Grayson, so I wouldn't be surprised if the casting process was a lengthy one. But considering that the Nightwing movie isn't set to hit theaters for a few years, I'm sure this won't be much of a problem for the DCEU.

With a Batgirl and Nightwing movie both coming down the DCEU pipeline, I have to wonder how much set up the untitled Batman solo movie will have to do. Plot regarding Matt Reeves' upcoming blockbuster is still being very closely guarded, but if the Bat family is going to become a major aspect of the shared universe, then there will presumably have to be some exposition in the new script to set these projects up. Batman's history was only briefly addressed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, when the costume of a dead Robin was seen in the Batcave. So there's still plenty of ground to cover in Batman's long history.

For those who are less familiar with DC comics, Nightwing's real name is Dick Grayson, and he was the very first Robin. Adopted by Bruce Wayne as his ward and trained in martial arts, the gymnast turned vigilante was the very first member of the Bat family (besides Alfred). But Dick would eventually age and mature in his abilities, and adopt his own superhero name and city to protect.

It should be interesting to see how Chris McKay handled Dick Grayson's backstory in the Nightwing movie, because the character has a layered history. They'd presumably have to cover their basis with the Grayson's death, his adoption by Bruce, tutelage as Robin, and eventual maturity. But this type of exposition is a double edged sword, as the hardcore fandom has already seen countless versions of this origin story. Perhaps McKay will instead chose to go the Spider-Man: Homecoming route, skipping over the stale background of the character to get right into the action. It's one of the reasons why the film got so much positive critical attention, so anything is possible for Nightwing.

The next installment in the DCEU will be Justice League on November 17, 2017. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list and plan your next trip to the movies.

The recently announced Nightwing movie has fans of the DCEU (ourselves included) very excited, and the promise of The LEGO Batman Movie's Chris McKay examining the divide between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in live-action is an idea that's simply too good to pass up. In fact, McKay recently opened up regarding the differences between Batman and Nightwing, and explained that Dick Grayson is an interesting character because of how his upbringing makes him a fundamentally different character than Batman -- regardless of his similarly tragic origins. McKay explained:

Chris McKay's recent comments on the Shanlian on Batman podcast echo what many Nightwing fans already love about the character. Although this older version of Dick Grayson has gone through very similar traumatic experiences compared to his mentor, he has responded to them differently because of his personal upbringing. Dick Grayson is a man of the people in a way that Bruce Wayne has never been, and that humble upbringing makes him quite bit more relatable.

It also helps to understand the fact that Nightwing is a far more lighthearted hero than Batman. Sure, every member of The Bat Family is driven by darkness, but Dick stands out because of the showman-esque way in which he approaches his crime fighting. He's flashy (that's the entertainer in him), and he's a more social creature than Bruce -- which makes him a perfect leader for teams like the Teen Titans. Part of this has to do with the differences in his upbringing, but it also has quite a bit to do with the fact that Dick (in most iterations of the story) was older than Bruce when he lost his parents. That increased age made the wounds in his psyche heal differently, and subsequently turned him into a very different type of hero. He's not afraid to crack a smile, and that's one of the reasons why fans have gravitated towards him.

In fact, that last part is something that the Young Justice cartoon touched on to great effect during its initial run:

Although the project is obviously still in the very early stages of development, Chris McKay's comments about how to characterize Nightwing bode well for the film. We will bring you more information related to the future of the Nightwing solo movie as more updates become available to us.

The last few days have been incredibly exciting for DC fans. Not only has Matt Reeves returned as the director of the solo Batman movie, but we were also recently treated to the announcement that The LEGO Batman Movie's Chris McKay has been tapped to helm a Nightwing film. Nightwing is a fan-favorite character that DC geeks have longed to see on the silver screen for decades, and McKay has officially promised that the movie will be as engaging and compelling as Dick Grayson's comic book stories. McKay explained that he wants to create a

I think it's safe to say that all of those adjectives are exactly what we want from a film centering on Dick Grayson. Chris McKay has already proven that he has the chops to helm a more comedic, animated take on Batman's first sidekick, so we have plenty of faith in his ability to take the reigns and properly helm a badass Nightwing movie. The director's recent comments during an episode of the Shanlian on Batman podcast promise nothing less than a perfect introduction into the DCEU, so now we're all just counting down the days until more information about the project comes forward.

When it comes to an older and more seasoned version of Dick Grayson, there's quite a bit of room for exploration on Chris McKay's part. The closest we have ever really come to a live-action depiction of Nightwing on the silver screen is Chris O'Donnell's Robin in Batman & Robin, so there's very little precedent for how to properly bring him to life for the first time.

If you ask me, there's no better source of inspiration than Batman: The Animated Series with regards to an excellent take on this character:

Of course, at this point, it remains important for us to temper our enthusiasm and excitement with a certain degree of cautious optimism. Chris McKay is involved in the development of a Nightwing movie, but the film is still very much in the earliest possible stages of its existence. The director explained:

Let's keep our fingers crossed that Chris McKay signs on the dotted line and gets a contract as soon as possible. The announcement of a Nightwing movie promises an interesting change for the entire DCEU, and it could be exactly what the silver screen DC Universe needs at this stage of its existence. After all, a renewed emphasis on The Bat Family seems like a strong indication that DC and Warner Bros. want to play to the strengths of this universe.

We will bring you more information related to the Nightwing solo movie as more details become available to us. For now, check out Chris McKay's recent work with Dick Grayson in The LEGO Batman Movie, which is currently in theaters.

Earlier today we learned that the upcoming Batman solo movie has finally found a new director in Matt Reeves, replacing Ben Affleck behind the camera, but it turns out that's not the only Bat Family directing news that we're hearing today. It appears that Warner Bros. and DC Comics are deciding to move forward with a movie centered around Nightwing a.k.a. Dick Grayson a.k.a. the first Robin, and the studios have tapped LEGO Batman Movie filmmaker Chris McKay to take the gig.

The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop on this developing story, noting that McKay is now in negotiations for the directing gig. The trade also has the news that the script is being written by Bill Dubuque, who actually has some past Warner Bros. and Ben Affleck connections, having written the script for the 2016 action movie The Accountant. At this time it is unclear exactly what the Nightwing movie will be about, or when it is being targeting for theatrical release.

Add this to the ever-growing pile of DC movies that exist in concept -- and even have a filmmaker attached -- that have more questions than answers surrounding them! Not counting the movies that we know are coming to theaters, the DCEU currently is workshopping a sequel to Suicide Squad, a Shazam film and a Black Adam movie (two separate projects), a Flash film that is in need of a director, a Green Lantern Corps movie, a Gotham City Sirens movie, and a Cyborg project that has a release date of 2020. Is that really going to happen?

Adding a Nightwing feature film to the slate makes sense, as many of the upcoming DC movies are rooted in the Batman mythos, from Gotham City Sirens to that planned Suicide Squad 2. If Matt Reeves is to develop the Batman solo movie, it an only expand on the Bat Family, which was hinted at in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice when we saw the above tribute to a fallen Robin (which has to be Jason Todd now, as David Ayer had confirmed).

Chris McKay is a fantastic choice to helm a live-action Nightwing movie. He proved with The LEGO Batman Movie that he has an iron-clad understanding of the Batman mythos, tough he filtered it through a comedic lens. Does this mean that a Nightwing movie will be funny? What would a Nightwing movie mean for the potential development of a Teen Titans movie, as was rumored? Does it push it to the back burner?

We'll continue to track the developments of the DCEU, which changes daily! For now, what do you think of this news?

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains substantial spoilers for the end of The LEGO Batman Movie. If you have not yet seen the film, and don't wish to know details about the ending, please bookmark this page and save it for reading until after your screening!

The opening sequence of The LEGO Batman Movie features the big screen debuts of a ridiculous number of obscure Batman villains from the comics... but surprisingly that doesn't wind up revealing the blockbuster's entire hand. Instead, the film actually takes a surprising left turn in its third act, as The Joker (voice by Zach Galifianakis) travels to the Phantom Zone to release an impressive horde of villains from all around pop culture. It's a strange sight to behold, as the big action sequence features a wide variety of odd franchise crossovers, but it was actually a very thought-out process figuring out who to include that would be mostly recognizable to all audiences.

I felt compelled to talk with director Chris McKay about the huge action sequence -- which includes Sauron from The Lord of The Rings, Voldemort from Harry Potter, Daleks from Doctor Who, Dracula, King Kong and more -- when I sat down to talk with him at The LEGO Batman Movie's Los Angeles press day earlier this month. Noting the surprising twist away from classic Batman canon, I asked about the decision to use the weird ensemble of villains, and the filmmaker explained the central intention of the approach:

This is a direction that notably fits the LEGO brand. The toy company's licenses to many different franchises mean that kids have spent years letting their Batman minifigs interact in Lord of the Rings sets -- and The LEGO Batman Movie just does its part to bring that kind of experience to the big screen (much like The LEGO Movie did back in 2014). It is worth mentioning that there is an argument to be made that including other brands dilutes the new film to some degree and makes it feel less specifically like a story about the Caped Crusader... but that doesn't totally undercut what is very much a fun family-friendly cinematic experience.

You can watch Chris McKay talk about his experience putting together the pitch perfect villain team for LEGO Batman to face off against in the video below:

The LEGO Batman Movie is now in theaters nationwide, and last week claimed the spot as the number one film in America. If you haven't already, be sure to check it out, and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more of our coverage!

As the early reviews have started to pour in, it has become increasingly clear that people pretty much universally love Chris McKay's work on The LEGO Batman Movie. The film is an incredibly lighthearted take on a traditionally bleak comic book mythos, and now it seems that McKay sees this project as a possible stepping stone towards working within the live-action DCEU. Here's what McKay had to say:

The LEGO Batman Movie's director recently made this reveal to Juan Fernandez-Paris from De Pelicula TV. In an attempt to make sense of this fantastic development, we have put together a few possible projects that would perfectly suit Chris McKay's offbeat sensibilities as a filmmaker. Because as it turns out, the DCEU has a strong need for directors! Check out our list and let us know what DCEU adventure you would like to see McKay take a crack at. Now let's kick this list off with a DC project that just cannot seem to keep a director in place.

The Flash

If you have followed the news related to The Flash's solo movie, then you probably already know that it has experienced an insanely tumultuous development process over the course of the last year. Between the departures of Seth Grahame-Smith and Rick Famuyiwa, The Scarlet Speedster's first silver screen outing has gone through disheartening setback after disheartening setback.

That's where Chris McKay comes in. The Flash is an inherently light-hearted superhero, and McKay's ability to deliver rapid fire, DC-inspired comedy in The LEGO Batman Movie serves as a reliable indication that he could represent the perfect choice to handle Barry Allen's quick-witted sensibilities for this project. Arguably no other member of the Justice League is better suited for direct comedy than The Flash, so DC should embrace this opportunity to inject some much-needed humor into the hero side of the DCEU.

Shazam

From the earliest days of the film's development, Shazam has been held up as a project that's fundamentally distinct from the rest of the films in the DCEU. From Dwayne Johnson to the movie's producers, everyone associated with the movie has promised a lighter tone and an overarching sense of innocent fun. That's an essential requirement for a film like Shazam, as the titular character is quite literally in touch with his inner child.

With that in mind, bringing a director like Chris McKay into the fold makes perfect sense for the film because of the reputation he has developed for playful filmmaking that never takes itself too seriously. Between The LEGO Batman Movie and Robot Chicken, McKay has proven himself quite capable of playing with genre conventions and lighter tones in a way that the Shazam film could genuinely benefit from when it finally enters production.

The Batman

If Chris McKay can expertly tackle the world of LEGO Batman, then there is no reason why he cannot do the same for the DCEU's brooding version of The Caped Crusader. The solo Batman movie suffered a nearly crushing blow when Ben Affleck stepped down as the director of the project, and DC currently finds itself in a mad dash to replace him and continue development with as few hiccups as possible.

The LEGO Batman Movie is obviously incredibly different from a dark and violent live-action Batman movie, but McKay has definitively proven that he knows The Dark Knight's world inside and out. Batfleck could certainly use a somewhat lighter tone at this stage of the DCEU, and McKay's particular penchant for lightheartedness could allow the character to move away from the overly grim Frank Miller inspiration that has characterized the live-action hero since Batman Begins.

Teen Titans

Last -- but not least -- we think Chris McKay is the perfect option to helm a Teen Titans movie if Warner Bros. and DC ever decide to give the sidekick characters in the DCEU a chance to shine. While a live-action Robin will probably not act like Michael Cera's version of the character from The LEGO Batman Movie, the fact remains that the Titans are a more lighthearted team than the Justice League, and Chris McKay's understanding of that tone could easily carry over into a badass Titans movie.

Ray Fisher has even come out and admitted that his take on Cyborg is very much inspired by the "Boo-ya!" version of the character from the Teen Titans cartoon, so refocusing the Cyborg movie into a Titans movie could represent DC's best opportunity to inject some serious fun into the greater DCEU.

The LEGO Batman Movie is unlike any Batman movie that you've seen before. Not only is the titular hero -- voiced by Will Arnett -- semi-aware of pretty much every adaptation and incarnation of the character ever made, but he also liberally makes fun of more than a few of them. Just given the Dark Knight's impressive presence in pop culture, you'd think that some of this material would have been tricky to include -- but the reality is that director Chris McKay was given total creative freedom when it came to bringing his vision to life because he earned the complete trust of the studio.

I brought up the subject of The LEGO Batman Movie's most meta material when I sat down with Chris McKay this week at the film's Los Angeles press day. Knowing that different rules exist for different properties, I asked the filmmaker if he was given any kind of guidelines regarding what was out-of-bounds -- and he told me that "If there were, I didn't get those notes." He continued:

Following up, I specifically asked about some of the sharper pokes that the movie makes (there's jab at Suicide Squad that's particularly funny), and whether or not there was ever any kind of hesitation. As Chris McKay explained, however, they never felt that any part of it was going too far because of the impressive flexibility Batman has demonstrated in pop culture over the last 75-plus years. Said McKay,

At the end of it all, the jokes that are made at Batman's expense in The LEGO Batman Movie are not too dissimilar to ones that are told a classic "Roast' -- which is to say that they come from a place of love.

You can watch Chris McKay (who you'll see is sporting a number of comic book tattoos) talk about The LEGO Batman Movie in the video below

Audiences will get their opportunity to watch the loving takedown of Batman that is The LEGO Batman Movie when the film arrives in theaters this Friday, February 10th. Be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more about the animated blockbuster, including interviews with the cast and filmmakers!

For a long time it looked like it was going to be G.I. Joe: Retaliation director Jon M. Chu holding the reins of the Masters of the Universe movie, but with the filmmaker no longer attached to the project Sony Pictures and Escape Artists are exploring a few other options. According to The Wrap, the studios are getting very excited about finally getting the new film off the ground and have been meeting with a number of different directors - including Mike Cahill, Chris McKay, and Harald Zwart, who are now being called the frontrunners.

What's interesting about the group is that they all come from very different angles of the industry. Cahill, who has worn many different hats in the film industry, is best known for his work in indie movies and directing the 2011 sci-fi drama Another Earth:

McKay, meanwhile, would actually be making the leap from animation to live-action with the project. On the big screen he paired with directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller as the animation co-director and animation supervisor on The LEGO Movie, but also won a Primetime Emmy for his work on Adult Swim's Robot Chicken.

As The Wrap notes, of the three frontrunners Zwart's experience is probably the best suited for the Masters of the Universe gig. In addition to having served as a director for a lot longer and on many more projects than his two competitors, Zwart is also the most familiar with bringing established properties back to the big screen. His credits include The Pink Panther 2, The Karate Kid remake, and, most recently, Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

Also reportedly in the mix, according to Variety is Jeff Wadlow, the filmmaker behind Kick-Ass 2 and the upcoming X-Force movie.

It's unclear exactly what the timetable for the new Masters of the Universe is. No deals have been signed yet, no release date is in place, and it doesn't look like they have figured out exactly when they are planning to start production. Presumably once a director comes aboard they can start answering all of those questions. So is it possible that we could see Masters of the Universe in 2015?