I have no inherent issue with a movie that opts to be a slow burn. It can spend as much time as it wants establishing character personalities, relationships, setting, and story… so long as the contract is respected. This is to say that I will be as patient as I possibly can, but I expect to be rewarded for my patience with something unique, interesting, or, at the very, very least, entertaining. I will never give up on a film halfway through, but I have expectations for my invested time and interest.

Jaume Collet-Serra’s The Woman In The Yard is a feature that breaks that contract. It sports a high concept idea that is compelled by a singular haunting image, and it keeps you on the hook curious about what it all means – but for a film that is only 87 minutes with credits, it takes forever to get where it wants to go, and when it does actually arrive at the meat of what it wants to do, it spirals into nonsense that is neither meaningful or scary (both being pretty important in horror storytelling).

The talented Danielle Deadwyler stars as Ramona, a recent widow whose life is still very much consumed by missing her dead husband (Russell Hornsby), and the consequence of this constant sorrow is detriment to her home life living on a remote farm. She has a son, Taylor (Peyton Jackson), and daughter, Annie (Estella Kahiha), to care for, but things like paying the power bill and going food shopping get deprioritized as she heals a broken leg and gets lost in watching old videos on her phone.

Life is depressing and tense in the household, and things get worse when Taylor looks outside and notices that a woman wearing a black dress and a black veil (Okwui Okpokwasili) has mysteriously appeared on their property and sits still on a chair looking at the house. When approached, she doesn’t introduce herself and is cryptic about her intentions, but her energy is registered as sinister. Ramona and the kids bunker inside, keeping an eye on her through the window, and over the course of the day, they register her getting closer and closer.

There is a shocking amount of time in The Woman In The Yard dedicated to watching the main characters do nothing.

As the director of 2009’s Orphan, Jaume Collet-Serra successfully pulled off one of 21^st century horror’s weirdest twists, and having that knowledge at the back of my mind helped me give The Woman In The Yard a long leash to develop into something interesting, but there really is just no excusing how lifeless the film is through its first two acts. There is an obvious effort to create tension with a mix of the titular mysterious figure, Ramona’s melancholy, Taylor’s frustration at the situation, and Annie’s innocence, but the action taken by the family to try and remedy the spooky situation is to do absolutely nothing, and it’s a snore.

Trying to give the film the benefit of the doubt, my mind spent this extreme down time thinking about where it was all leading, what the woman in the yard represented, and how the characters could actually start confronting the creepiness… but that just led me to resent the movie for trying to get me to entertain myself instead of being properly engaging. It banks on audiences being terrified for 60-plus minutes by an ominous presence alone, and it’s a failure.

When things do finally start happening in The Woman In The Yard, it’s chaotic nonsense.

Unfortunately, once The Woman In The Yard does finally try to do something, the film doesn’t get better; it simply gets more chaotic. After spending most of the movie doing little more than being spooky and letting her black veil softly ripple in the breeze of the day, the eponymous antagonist’s abilities suddenly become specific and shadow-based; there is a revelation made that is heavily overplayed; and then the movie goes full off-the-wall with the introduction of a mirror universe where things are the same but slightly different.

The movie tries to make up for the lack of anything interesting in the first two-thirds of the story by going full kitchen sink in the climax, and it’s neither scary nor effective at communicating any deeper levels. It does ultimately make clear what the woman in the yard is meant to represent, and I can appreciate the darkness that it aims for with its big ideas, but the build-up to it doesn’t work properly and there is no satisfaction delivered from the conclusion. The cherry on top is an ambiguous ending that is wholly unearned; it tries to make you rethink everything that goes down in the third act and where things lead, but it’s both unclear and it doesn’t track logically. Confusing and toothless is a bad mix.

I give a lot of credit to Jaume Collet-Serra as a filmmaker who likes to mix things up and doesn’t like to tell the same kind of story twice – with this movie being his follow-up to Carry-On, his fun, Die Hard-esque thriller released by Netflix at the end of last year. However, that range is only meaningful when it’s being executed with quality storytelling, and in that respect, The Woman In The Yard is a significant disappointment. I exhibited patience with it, but my hopes for a quality payoff were dashed. If you’re a likeminded, ever-optimistic horror fan, don’t make the same mistake that I did.

Already this year, the 2025 movie calendar has treated us to some great offerings in the horror genre, and Jaume Collet-Serra is hoping his new project will be the next crowd-pleaser. Collet-Serra directed 2024’s Carry-On (available to stream with a Netflix subscription), and now he’s back with a different kind of stressful experience. The Woman in the Yard is a psychological horror that hit theaters March 28, so let’s see what critics have to say.

The film stars Danielle Deadwyler as Ramona, who was badly injured in a car wreck that killed her husband David (Russell Hornsby). Now she’s raising their two children alone in a rural farmhouse, when a woman shrouded in all black (Okwui Okpokwasili) appears in her yard with an ominous message. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman says the movie fails to impress, as it is a haunted-house movie with no tricks up its sleeve. He writes:

Siddhant Adlakha of Mashable calls the upcoming scary movie “a baffling mix of horror ideas,” as The Woman in the Yard begins as a streamlined concept but soon bloats into a half-dozen different movies that build to a “distasteful finale.” Adlakha continues:

Tim Robey of the Telegraph rates the movie 2 stars out of 5, saying Danielle Deadwyler is a great actress and deserving of better material. The Woman in the Yard ultimately isn’t worth leaving the house for, Robey says, writing:

Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting gives the movie 1.5 out of 5 skulls, saying despite Jaume Collet-Serra’s resume of suspenseful films, The Woman in the Yard lacks tension and scares. The plot is content to retread the overly tired grief horror blueprint, Navarro says:

Helen O’Hara of Empire, meanwhile, rates the movie a more generous 3 out of 5 stars, noting the strong performances in The Woman in the Yard — one of Blumhouse’s 2025 horror offerings — and acknowledging it as the rare horror movie to manage scares in broad daylight. Ultimately, though, O’Hara says the same idea has been done better by other movies. The critic says:

It doesn’t seem like this one stacks up to some of the other best horror movies out there, but there was plenty of praise for the performances. If you’re intrigued by the concept or a fan of the director’s past work, you can catch The Woman in the Yard in theaters now.

One of the biggest movies of 2024 wasn’t found in theaters, but on Netflix, with Jaume Collet-Sera scoring potentially the biggest success of his career with the high-stakes airport thriller Carry-On. The Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman flick exploded onto Netflix’s all-time Top 10 list, immediately sparking calls for a sequel, though it likely won’t happen. Next best scenario: we now have the trailer for Collet-Sera’s next effort hitting the 2025 movie schedule, and it’s a completely different kind of stressball.

Reuniting the director with Carry-On co-star Danielle Deadwyler, The Woman in the Yard is one of several upcoming horror movies from Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures, and it looks about as harrowing as a movie with such a direct title can be. Check out the first trailer below!

The Woman in the Yard stars Deadwyler as Ramona, a widow who is still grieving the death of her husband, who was killed in a car accident that also injured Ramona herself. Now suddenly a single mother, Ramona has to cope with both her injuries and taking care of both their 14-year old daughter (Peyton Jackson) and their 6-year-old daughter (Estella Kahiha). And just when it seems like the pressure couldn’t build any further…the titular woman makes her first appearance.

At first, Ramona isn’t too taken aback, and believes the woman who appeared in her yard is sick or lost, but it doesn’t take too long for the matriarch to realize that she’s dealing with something outside of her scope of understanding. It’s unclear if she talks beyond uttering the seeming threat from the trailer — “Today’s the day,” — but it wouldn’t take much more than that to make me want to move to the other side of the planet.

The titular woman is portrayed by Okwui Okpokwasili, whose recent genre efforts also include The Exorcist: Believer, in which she portrayed Doctor Beehibe, as well as Agatha All Along, where the actress also covered her face in veils as one of the mysterious Salem Seven in pursuit of Kathryn Hahn’s witch. Though she doesn’t get all that much to do, Okpokwasili is indeed creepy as all hell while smiling beneath her covering and holding out her bloody hands. Where’d that blood come from? Are her hands ever dry, or do they just stay bloody while she’s sitting out there?

The film also stars the always enjoyable Russell Hornsby as Ramona's late husband, whose only moment in the trailer teases his vehicular death. Sucks to not have a solid actor like that in more of the film, but hopefully Deadwyler's performance is intense enough to make Hornsby's absense less noteworthy.

The Woman in the Yard is the latest horror effort from the popular director, whose first film was 2005's House of Wax remake. He also helmed 2009's Orphan and 2016's The Shallows, among more straightforward action films like Unknown, Non-Stop and Run All Night. I don't expect to see Liam Neeson show up as "The Vengeful Irish Man in the Yard," but won't be too surprised.

While Jaume Collet-Sera may not have anything hitting Netflix’s 2025 movie premieres with quite the same brute force as Carry-On did, we can indeed look forward to freaky ass yard people making life tense when it hits theaters on Friday, March 28.

As we reflect on the titles that debuted on Netflix in 2024, Carry-On continues to keep people talking. Despite being a pretty self-contained action thriller, the film’s continued success on streaming has prompted tons of questions about whether or not a follow-up could be in the cards. Now, its director and a producer have weighed in on that possibility. Their comments also arrive as the film hit a massive milestone on the streaming service.

Previously, Taron Edgerton shared Carry-On sequel thoughts that seemed optimistic, but a bit uncertain. Director Jaume Collet-Serra and producer Dylan Clark addressed while speaking with Variety amid the movie's new achievement. The Christmas flavored blockbuster is now one of the five most viewed Netflix movie titles of all time, and that fact alone feels like it’d be enough pressure to jump right back in. However, the director of such previously sequel-ready flicks as Jungle Cruise and Black Adam, responded to this calling as follows:

For the most part, Jaume Collet-Serra’s filmography is made up of similar one-shot concepts that entertain in an industry that loves a potential cinematic universe. Save for Orphan, a franchise that's continued without its original director on deck, and the Disney/DC pictures previously mentioned, Collet-Serra seems content with reteaming with collaborators more than ideas.

Which honestly, isn’t a bad outlook to have, especially when that becomes the ticket to working with folks like Dwayne Johnson and Liam Neeson repeatedly. As for Carry-On producer Dylan Clark, his outlook on another round of TSA-centric mayhem is roughly the same.

That being said, Clark -- the producing powerhouse who’s known to team up with director Matt Reeves on The Batman and other flicks -- did have something unique to share. Here are his thoughts on which potential break out character could carry this franchise’s torch:

Honestly, the character of Elena Cole probably would be the best window into more adventures in the Carry-On universe. Poor Ethan Kopek has already had quite a bit of action for one lifetime, and that movie’s ending puts him in a position where you kind of don’t want to see him in that sort of danger again. Although that final reveal did give Egerton's hero a new job title that would seem to negate that concern.

Not to mention, Detective Cole did have a stand-out moment that’s earned her a beefier story; as her “Last Christmas” fight scene already has me wondering what actress Danielle Deadwyler would do if made the lead character. So whether Taron Egerton is up to become Ms. Deadwyler's on-screen partner, or if we see more of an anthological approach at work, there's plenty of room for discussion.

Uncertainty abounds, despite the fact that Netflix execs and creatives alike are probably ready for informal pitch sessions on Carry-On 2 to take place. However, as things currently stand, that’s not something that’s been acknowledged publicly. Should that come to pass, let’s hope that the flight attendant commentary on the movie is factored in; provided this hypothetical sequel is still connected to the friendly skies.

If you want to form your own opinion on Taron Edgerton’s really bad day at LAX, the current streaming sensation can be still streamed through your nearest Netflix subscription portal. And, while you’re at it, take a look at the 2025 Netflix movies and TV show release dates, as there’s a wide world of options heading our way in this new year.

The SAG-AFTRA actors strike might be stalling any new acting deals with studios for the moment, but Jungle Cruise stars Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson are reportedly working behind the scenes as producers to bring together their next collaboration, Kate Warne. For some time, the movie based on the United States’ first female detective has been in the works with both Blunt and Johnson, but now yet another member of the Jungle Cruise crew has joined the movie. 

Jaume Collet-Serra directed 2021’s Jungle Cruise, and is now reportedly on board to helm the Kate Warne movie for Amazon Studios, per Deadline. Collet-Serra, who was also the director behind Black Adam, The Shallows, Non-Stop, and Orphan, will work alongside both Blunt and Johnson’s production companies, which are respectively called Ledburry Productions and Seven Bucks, to bring the detective biopic to life on screen. 

Blunt is expected to star as Kate Warne, but the report claims that conversations around casting will not kick off until the SAG-AFTRA actors strike concludes. Kate Warne reportedly walked into the Pinkerton Detective Agency at the age of 23 and requested a job as a detective back in 1856. After convincing the agency of her talents, she became part of the agency and solved numerous cases, including uncovering the 1861 Baltimore Plot against President-elect Abraham Lincoln and providing intelligence during the American Civil War. 

Considering how amazing Kate Warne sounds like she was, it’s no wonder Emily Blunt may play her and her Jungle Cruise collaborators are on board. Blunt recently worked with Amazon Studios on her mini series The English along with starring in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Blunt is also set to star in another of 2023 new movie releases, Netflix’s Pain Hustlers with Chris Evans. She has also completed production on the action movie The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and is expected to star in a second Jungle Cruise movie with Dwayne Johnson. 

The Jungle Cruise team must have really enjoyed each other’s company in between Kate Warne, Jungle Cruise 2, and another movie called Ball And Chain. Blunt and Johnson are also reportedly expected to star together in Ball And Chain, which would have them playing a married couple who are contemplating divorce when a mysterious force gives them both super powers. 

Jaume Collet-Serra has certainly been a go-to director for Johnson. The filmmaker helmed his long-awaited debut in the DCEU with Black Adam along with Jungle Cruise. While Black Adam doesn't have a future in light of Warner Bros.’ plans to reboot the cinematic universe, the superhero movie did debut at No.1 in its opening weekend. Jungle Cruise also had a modest box office performance, but came out at a time when Disney also released it on Disney+ for a price at the same time it went theatrical. 

You can stay up to date on upcoming films starring Dwayne Johnson and check out our interviews with Johnson and Blunt here on CinemaBlend. 

Fans have been excited about Black Adam for a long time, but possibly not as long as the movie’s star, Dwayne Johnson. The actor confirmed his casting as the anti-hero in 2014, but his expressed interest in the character dates way back in 2007. The rigorous training began in 2020, and finally, FINALLY the next chapter of DC Movies is upon us. With atom smasher-sized expectations at the box office, Black Adam will show the titular character freed after thousands of years of imprisonment, with the Justice Society called in to try to neutralize him. Critics have screened the movie ahead of its October 21 release, and unfortunately, it looks like they aren't too pleased.

Alongside Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Quintessa Swindell and Noah Centineo star as the members of the Justice Society, and director Jaume Collet-Serra brings his background in both horror and action/adventure. First reactions to Black Adam were mixed, with some viewers raving that The Rock ushers in a new DCEU era, while others criticized the “dull CGI.” Now that their full reviews are out, we can expand what we know about Dwayne Johnson’s blockbuster, and we’ll start with CinemaBlend’s review of Black Adam. Eric Eisenberg rates the movie 2.5 stars out of 5, saying it struggles to stand out in a crowded genre and is underwhelming, despite some interesting ideas: 

For more from CinemaBlend, you can also check out Managing Editor Sean O’Connell’s spoiler-free video review of Black Adam.

Mike Ryan of Uproxx agrees with Eric Eisenberg that there’s potential in the movie, but says it’s ultimately disappointing. The critic argues that choosing to keep the title character so stoic strips away all of Dwayne Johnson’s charisma, saying: 

Matt Singer of ScreenCrush also wonders why such a charming actor would feel so passionate about playing a one-dimensional character. He rates the movie 4 out of 10, saying this one wasn’t worth the wait: 

Alonso Duralde of The Wrap says Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam is “stiff,” and by the time he develops a sense of humor late in the film, it’s too late. But of all the letdowns it has to offer, the visuals may be the worst offender. More from the review: 

That critic wasn’t the only one to comment on the visuals. Witney Seibold of SlashFilm rates it 3.5 out of 10, calling it a jumbled mess of a movie that feels like it wants us to anticipate what project comes next rather than enjoy this one. The filmmakers fail to establish a mood or stakes for the fights that have to happen, he says: 

David Ehrlich of IndieWire notes, as other critics have, that one of Black Adam’s main issues is that Dwayne Johnson and all involved aren’t willing to let the main character be all that bad. He grades the movie a D+, saying: 

If you’ve been excited for this movie for a long time, or if you’re a fan of DC or Dwayne Johnson in general, less-than-stellar reviews aren’t likely to keep you planning a trip to the theater. If you’re still game for this one, Black Adam will be released in theaters on Friday, October 21. 

In the meantime, be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s interviews with the Black Adam cast, including Johnson, Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge and more. See what’s next for The Rock, as well as all of the action that’s in store for the DCEU with a look at our list of upcoming DC movies. 

In both good and bad ways, Jaume Collet-Serra’s Black Adam is indicative of the point we’ve reached in the ongoing golden age of superhero movies. Even putting aside the fact that it’s a major blockbuster about a character with relatively little pre-existing pop culture impact, the narrative plays out very much like the first arc in a brand new comic book series about the titular character – bringing the eponymous antihero into what legitimately feels like a familiar world and setting up a relatively contained conflict. There are high, world-ending stakes thrown in, but it’s not a globe-trotting adventure and it’s not a traditional, linear origin story.

Black Adam is occupying an interesting moment for the genre… but that doesn’t mean it all translates to a stellar cinematic experience. The project has some admirable qualities in broader contexts, but in and of itself, it struggles to stand out in a crowded genre, and it sports a plot that proves to be broken by the time the third act begins. There is a talented ensemble put together beyond Dwayne Johnson as the production’s anchor, and they each get special individual moments during the film’s runtime, but the movie also doesn’t seem to know what to do with the characters beyond the obvious. This ultimately undermines the unique approach to their arrival into the DC Extended Universe.

Set almost exclusively in the fictional Middle Eastern country of Kahndaq, Black Adam begins as Adrianna (Sarah Shahi), a rebel against the ruling Intergang cartel, surreptitiously searches for a powerful crown of legend that she wants to ensure doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. In doing so, she unfortunately ends up leading Intergang soldiers right to the relic, but she also discovers the tomb of legendary hero Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson). She recites an engraved phrase as her possible last words, and this unleashes him into the modern world.

Immediately aware of Teth-Adam’s resurgence and concerned about the threat he represents, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) calls on the Justice Society to neutralize him. Carter Hall a.k.a. Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) takes the mission, teaming up with his mystical old friend Kent Nelson. a.k.a. Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan). and bringing along two newbies for the undertaking: the wind-manipulating Maxine Hunkel. a.k.a. Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Al Rothstein, a.k.a. Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), a legacy hero who has the ability to grow to immense size.

The four of them travel to confront Adam, and it turns out that it’s not just his incredible power set with which they have to contend. The long-entombed superhuman quickly gains a following from people of Kahndaq, who view him as a savior, including Adrianna’s young son (Bodhi Sabongui). Meanwhile, Intergang continues to pursue the dangerous crown that is in Adrianna’s possession.

Black Adam definitely tries some interesting things, but it’s unable to make them work.

Between the big screen introduction of the Justice Society and the origins of the titular character, Black Adam has a lot on its plate, and it actually takes a fascinating route to balance all of it. In regards to the superhero team, some may wonder if they missed a movie or TV series in the DCEU canon, as the blockbuster treats them as though they are an existing and established part of the continuity – letting audiences get to know them through the story developments and relationships. And in regards to Adam himself, the film delivers the legend surrounding the character first, and then examines the story and uncovers the truth.

Both of these approaches are smart and cool, but the execution ends up lacking.

The Justice Society is well-cast with an ensemble of charismatic stars, but the character development is shallow. Each member of the team has their individual power set and one (1) quirk/trait that they coast on from start to finish. I’d go as far as to say that they are entertaining, and there is chemistry in the relationships (both in romantic and friendship terms), but I’d be hard pressed to name a standout given that none of them are given particularly great material.

The Adam side of things is quite a bit stupider. If you’ve seen the Black Adam trailer that starts with the line, “My son sacrificed his life to save me,” then you’ve not only already been told what this blockbuster has to offer as its “big” second act twist, but you’ll be effectively confused in the first hour of the film as it fails to try and sell the “legendary” version of events. This is a bizarre issue that time will fortunately fix, but it’s an impactful factor in the experience going into its theatrical release. It’s never satisfying when you feel as though you are 10 steps ahead of the film you are watching, and that’s what this delivers.

The limited scope of Black Adam is special, but it ends up handcuffing the film.

Similar to its other issues, the scope and scale of Black Adam is a nice surprise, but big issues crop up as the narrative unfolds. Not counting the flashback sequences in 2600 BC, the events of the film transpire over the course of just a couple days and almost entirely in one city, and it’s a novel idea that doesn’t end up working. At first the problem is just the fact that the action scenes are repetitive with familiar players and environments (the barrage of CGI helps nothing), but things get far worse later in the movie. This spoiler-free forum prevents me from getting into details, but a third act development in the plot is rendered laughable when one reflects on how much time passes from the start of the story up to that point.

Black Adam is more mediocre than bad, but that’s perhaps worse in a pop culture landscape that will be quick to forget about it as audiences’ attentions drift to the next superhero blockbuster. Even Dwayne Johnson seems ready to move on, as the biggest hype he has generated for the release has been about it setting the table for the future. Given the number of years this project was in development, and how it was promoted to shift the balance of power in the DC Universe, it’s disappointing that the end result is so unremarkable.

The jury’s still out on whether Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam will end up fighting Superman or Shazam on the big screen, but he won’t be lacking in superheroes to clash with in his first DC Extended Universe movie. Black Adam will spotlight the Justice Society of America, with the lineup in this reality consisting of Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone and Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate. Director Jaume Collet-Serra has now teased what kind of dynamic we can expect from their feature film debut.

Describing the JSA as being “integral” to the Black Adam story, Jaume Collet-Serra said that this version of the team will be a mix of veteran crimefighters and newcomers to the superhero game, and they’ll have to get in a proper groove with one another to properly deal with Dwayne Johnson’s title character. As the filmmaker told Total Film:

Debuting in All-Star Comics #3 in the winter of 1940-1941, the Justice Society is the oldest superhero team in comics, and for a long time, their lineup consisted entirely of heroes who’s fought together during World War II. However, Geoff Johns’ run on the JSA comic book saw some of the original Justice Society members mentoring younger connected to the team’s legacy. Now it’s been confirmed that this same kind of team structure will be present in Black Adam, and while we don’t know yet how long Hawkman and Doctor Fate have been around the DCEU, they’ll be showing Atom Smasher and Cyclone the ropes as they try to defeat the powerful Black Adam.

The Justice Society of America’s profile has increased in recent years thanks to appearances in TV shows like Smallville, Legends of Tomorrow and Stargirl, as well as leading their own animated movie, titled Justice Society: World War II. Black Adam, however, will surely catapult the team’s popularity even higher. Between the team’s cinematic debut in Black Adam and an Hourman movie entering development, maybe it’s possible a JSA movie could happen someday.

For now though, Hawkman, Atom Smasher, Cyclone and Doctor Fate will collide with Black Adam in the DCEU after the Kahndaqian anti-hero awakens is freed after being imprisoned for 5,000 years. The movie’s cast also includes Sarah Shahi as Adrianna Tomaz, as well as Marwan Kenzari, James Cusati-Moyer, Bodhi Sabongui, Mo Amer and Uli Latukefu in undisclosed roles. The criminal organization Intergang will also factor into the narrative equation.

Black Adam charges into theaters on July 29, 2022, but in the meantime, our upcoming DC movies guide is available for those of you curious about what else this superhero franchise has in development.

Believe it or not, Dwayne Johnson was originally cast as DC’s Black Adam over thirteen years ago now, going on fourteen this fall. While The Rock has clearly been filling his time over the years with other projects such as Moana, Jumanji, Fast and Furious or Rampage, the actor has been waiting a long time to suit up as the comic book antihero. And now the time has finally come. Johnson has officially started filming the upcoming Black Adam movie.

The Rock has been sharing his workout journey leading up to the DCEU role for some time now, recently revealing his insanely ripped legs just a few days ago. Friday night, Dwayne Johnson shared this photo on Instagram to celebrate his first day on set with a sweet message:

Sounds like he's pumped to finally play the role! Dwayne Johnson is in Atlanta, Georgia with his talented cast to bring the origin story to life. The 48-year-old described kicking off filming as exciting, “humbling” and an “honor." The Rock also highlighted Black Adam’s director, Jaume Collet-Serra, who he previously worked with on Jungle Cruise along with the movie’s director of photography, Lawrence Sher, who received an Oscar nomination for his cinematography on Joker in 2019.

Aside from this impressive behind-the-scenes talent, Dwayne Johnson will also be joined by an all-star Justice Society of America, which will include Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher, Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone and Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate. Black Adam will mark the cinematic debut of the famed DC superhero team and expand the DCEU universe further following other ensemble films like Justice League and Suicide Squad.

The movie is a bit behind schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Dwayne Johnson’s other commitments. Black Adam was initially going to hit theaters this December but, as the former WWE wrestler and actor saw some production delays on his Netflix film Red Notice along with other factors, the movie has been delayed to summer 2022.

The good news is that Black Adam has only had more time to get ready for this day and more preparation can only inspire a more realized vision. Dwayne Johnson recently shared a peek into his personal copy of the script, sharing the first page of the booklet and telling fans that he was still making some slight modifications to the script a few weeks out. Although the wait has been longer than expected, we’re even more excited now for an even more fully-realized film!

Black Adam’s current date is in direct competition with Indiana Jones 5, which will see Harrison Ford back in his famed role. The Lucasfilm movie is heading into production soon as both films get ready for theaters on July 29, 2022. While we wait for Dwayne Johnson’s DCEU debut, check out the full lineup of upcoming DC movies here on CinemaBlend.

In the last few months we've been seeing Jaume Collet-Serra's Black Adam slowly get closer and closer to reality. While the production was taken off of Warner Bros' release schedule back in October 2020, the project has been putting together an outstanding cast as it has worked its way towards the start of principal photography, having Dwayne Johnson and Noah Centineo joined by Aldis Hodge, Quintessa Swindell, and Pierce Brosnan. We've heard a lot of exciting announcements, but today our pulses are raised extra high as we finally know when we are actually going to see the film, thanks to a new video posted by The Rock himself. Get ready for Black Adam on July 29, 2022!

While the caption for the Instagram video unfortunately doesn't specifically confirm it, it sure does look like Dwayne Johnson used his considerable powers to orchestrate a takeover of Times Square in New York to announce the arrival of his first ever comic book movie. We still have a nice long while to wait for the film, as July 29, 2022 is obviously still more than a year away, but it's always helpful to raise anticipation when fans have a specific date to look forward to.

What's especially notable about this news is what it means for the totality of the DC movies slate – specifically the fact that 2022 will be the first year ever to see four live-action films from the comic book company hit the big screen. Matt Reeves' The Batman will be the first to come out (March 4, 2022), and Black Adam will be second. A few months later fans will then be hit with the double dose of Andy Muschietti's The Flash (November 4, 2022) and James Wan's Aquaman 2 (December 16, 2022). And that's not even factoring in the DC League Of Superpets animated feature that is scheduled for May of next year.

As we learned just last week from another Dwayne Johnson social media post, Black Adam is coming to the end of its pre-production phase (which it has been in for a number of years now), and is nearly ready to actually start filming. Production is gearing up to start next month, or, as the star would put it, the hierarchy of the DC Universe is about to change.

It was back in August 2020 during the virtual DC Fandome event that we first started to learn details about Black Adam and its plot. The blockbuster will be part origin story and part modern day adventure, as the film will begin 5,000 years ago featuring both Dwayne Johnson's Teth Adam gaining his god-like abilities, and then being imprisoned after using them to devastating effect. Awoken in the modern world, he attempts to regain the power he once had – but standing in his way this time is the Justice Society of America, including the heroes Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan). Johnson posted the Fandome primer video full of concept art earlier today to tease the announcement, and you can watch it below:

With filming on Black Adam set to start soon, hopefully we'll get even more information about the film – and to keep track of everything that is on the horizon for the comic book franchise, be sure to check out our Upcoming DC Movies guide.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been officially set to play Black Adam in the DC Extended Universe since late 2014, and it was announced at the beginning of 2017 that Kahndaqian anti-hero would receive his own movie. Since then. updates have been few and far between on what’s happening with Black Adam, but today brings word that Warner Bros and DC wants Jaume Collet-Serra to direct the project.

In case the name doesn’t sound familiar to you, Jaume Collet-Serra’s directorial credits include Non-Stop, The Shallows, The Commuter and the upcoming Jungle Cruise, the latter of which stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Now plans are in motion for Collet-Serra and Johnson to reunite, as the director is reportedly in negotiations to direct Black Adam.

Anyone remotely familiar with Black Adam knows he’s one of Shazam’s greatest enemies, if not the World’s Mightiest Mortal’s arch-nemesis. Variety reports that following the success of Shazam! earlier this year, Black Adam has become a priority for Warner Bros. So in addition to moving forward with Shazam! 2, the studio is eager to expand this corner of the DCEU with the long-awaited spinoff.

Dwayne Johnson indicated as much shortly after Shazam! came out, saying that the plan is for Black Adam to begin filming sometime next year. Assuming Jaume Collet-Serra and Warner Bros finalize a deal, there should be plenty of time for them to fill out that cast and get ready to shoot sometime in 2020, making it the second DC movie to roll cameras that year, following The Batman.

Originally the plan was for Shazam and Black Adam to clash in the first Shazam! movie, but then plans changed, with the DC movies brass realizing Black Adam was a character special enough to warrant starring in his own movie rather than being crammed into Billy Batson’s origin story. Undateable’s Adam Sztykiel was hired to write the Black Adam screenplay in October 2017.

Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time Jaume Collet-Serra has been eyed to direct a DC movie. In 2017 he was being eyed to helm Suicide Squad 2, a.k.a. The Suicide Squad, but that job ultimately went to James Gunn.

Although Black Adam didn’t appear in Shazam!, he did get an indirect mention when the Wizard Shazam told Billy Batson how the individual who he’d previously selected to be his champion became corrupted and released the Seven Deadly Sins onto the world. We’ll have to wait and see when Shazam and Black Adam will fight in the DCEU, but for now, these two characters are being kept separate.

No official plot details for Black Adam have come out yet, but rumor has it that it will include superheroes like Hawkman, Atom Smasher and Stargirl. Assuming this information is true, presumably that means that rather than being a prequel showing how the man known as Teth-Adam obtained his special abilities, Black Adam will be set in the present day, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on how Black Adam is developing. In the meantime, you can learn what other DC Comics movies are coming down the pipeline in our handy guide.

Just a few days ago, the DCEU finally announced an order for its upcoming slate of movies. We've known for a while that Justice League and then Aquaman would be the next two DC movies, but thanks to the announcement, it has been confirmed that Shazam and the Suicide Squad sequel would be the next two movies. Only a potential wrench may have been thrown into that plan, because today news has broken that Suicide Squad 2 director Jaume Collet-Serra has now exited the movie in favor of the Dwayne Johnson Disney vehicle Jungle Cruise.

News broke today that Jaume Collet-Serra has attached himself to Jungle Cruise, which will start production next spring. The director reportedly chose Jungle Cruise over the DC project because he wanted the opportunity to originate a potential action adventure franchise with a huge lead was more appealing that directing a sequel. Warner Bros. and Disney reportedly met to handle the situation when Collet-Serra ultimately made his choice, per Deadline.

Warner Bros. has been looking into a director for Suicide Squad 2 for a while. It was thought at first that Suicide Squad director David Ayer would be back for Suicide Squad 2, but instead he shifted over to Gotham City Sirens, a movie project that will predominantly feature Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman. A few weeks ago, we learned that DC and Warner Bros. were looking to sign on Jaume Collet-Serra for Suicide Squad 2. We're not certain exactly where the deal was in terms of paperwork when Collet-Serra made his ultimate decision, but he will be doing Jungle Cruise instead of Suicide Squad 2, so something was obviously worked out.

The good news? It's not as if Warner Bros. only looked at Jaume Collet-Serra to direct Suicide Squad 2. Previously, we had noted that the studio was also looking at Mel Gibson, Jonathan Levine, Ruben Fleischer and Daniel Espinosa as possible choices to direct the upcoming sequel. A script is already being worked on, and presumably one of the above names or someone else entirely, will be hired in short order so that Suicide Squad 2 can start getting off the ground.

As for Jaume Collet-Serra, the director has helmed many project, but was sought after following the success of The Shallows. We'll keep you updated as he moves forward with the Jungle Cruise movie, a flick based on a traditional Disney ride which Dwayne Johnson has spent time researching in past months. We'll also, of course, let you know as soon as DC and Warner Bros. find someone who will stick with the project for the long haul. We'll let you know as soon as that happens. In the meantime, to check out the full list of upcoming DC movies, head here.

Suicide Squad may have endured a thrashing from critics last year, but it was one of 2016's biggest box office successes, making more than $745 million worldwide. With a number like that, it's no wonder Warner Bros started working on a sequel. Since David Ayer transitioned to Gotham City Sirens, the hunt has been on for another director to work on Suicide Squad 2, and while there was a period where it looked like Mel Gibson could take the reins, apparently the frontrunner for the job currently is The Shallows' Jaume Collet-Serra.

Jaume Collet-Serra was first rumored to be in contention to direct Suicide Squad 2 back in March, and now he reportedly stands at the top of the list of succeeding David Ayer. Besides him and Mel Gibson, other directors who have been looked at since the beginning of the year include Jonathan Levine, Ruben Fleischer and Daniel Espinosa. According to THR, this Collet-Serra update comes after the studio recently received a new Suicide Squad 2 treatment that was written by The Incredible Hulk's Zak Penn, and a new script is now being worked on. The Legend of Tarzan's Adam Cozad was previously hired to write Suicide Squad 2 back in March. Warner Bros hopes to start production by mid-2018.

Like David Ayer, a fair amount of Jaume Collet-Serra's body of work has been action oriented, although he also has plenty of experience in the horror and thriller genres. His most notable credits include the House of Wax remake, Orphan, Non-Stop, Run All Night and The Shallows, and he also has The Commuter coming up next January. Of all the DC Extended Universe movies in development, Suicide Squad 2 is one of the better fits for Collet-Serra given its dark and bizarre tone. The only DC project that would be even better for him is Justice League Dark, which is currently without a director following Doug Liman's departure. It's also worth noting that Collet-Serra isn't the only horror movie director Warner Bros has in its sights, as Lights Out's David F. Sandberg has been eyed to helm Shazam.

When Suicide Squad ended, the team members, with the exception of Diablo and Slipknot, were back at Belle Reve, whether that was in a prison cell or free to move around as they pleased. However, Harley Quinn was broken out by The Joker in the movie's final seconds, and while Harley will co-lead Gotham City Sirens with Catwoman and Poison Ivy, Margot Robbie is expected to return for Suicide Squad 2 as well. Will Smith will also likely reprise Deadshot, who has his own spinoff film in the works.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on Suicide Squad 2 and the entire DCEU slate. The next entry in the franchise, Justice League, will be released on November 17.

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The first Suicide Squad film was unquestionably one of the most polarizing comic book movies of all time. Although it bombed with critics, it handily made enough money to warrant a sequel. That said, it now appears that DC and Warner Bros. intend to shake things up behind the scenes before the sequel enters production. With David Ayer no longer attached to direct Suicide Squad 2, Warner Bros. has reportedly set its sights on horror director Jaume Collet-Serra to take the reigns and move the franchise forward.

On the latest episode of Meet the Movie Press, host Jeff Sneider revealed that Suicide Squad 2 might be looking at Jaume Collet-Serra as the replacement for David Ayer. Known primarily for his work in the horror genre, the 42-year-old director has proven himself incredibly capable of sustaining tension with recent thrillers like The Shallows, and Orphan, as well as several of Liam Neeson's better films in recent memory such as Run All Night, Non-Stop and Unknown. If Collet-Serra does indeed sign on to helm Suicide Squad 2, he will make a perfect replacement for Ayer -- who has recently shifted his DCEU focus to direct Gotham City Sirens.

For WB to potentially hire Jaume Collet-Serra for Suicide Squad 2 makes lots of sense. He has ample experience directing bizarre movies with dark tones, and the very nature of the thriller/horror genre requires him to be able to work with an inherently smaller budget. From Man of Steel's Zack Snyder to Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn to Doctor Strange's Scott Derrickson, and even the recent hiring of David Sandberg for the Shazam solo movie, it has become increasingly common for studios to tap horror directors to step up to the plate for major superhero films. Whether or not he will sign on to the project remains to be seen, but his resume and history as a filmmaker certainly make him a suitable choice for the project.

Jaume Collet-Serra isn't the only filmmaker who has entered the running for Suicide Squad 2 in recent weeks. Mel Gibson was also recently announced as a potential contender for the project, so it's clear that WB and DC want to enlist strong talent for this sequel. The original Suicide Squad was notoriously cut to pieces in post-production, so it seems entirely likely that the studio wants a fully-realized creative vision behind this project by the time it actually enters production.

We will bring you more information related to Suicide Squad 2 as new details become available to us. Wonder Woman will continue the expansion of the DCEU on June 2. For more information about the rest of this year's cinematic releases, make sure to check out our 2017 movie premiere guide and fill our your moviegoing calendars accordingly.

Great news for Liam Neeson fans. He going to star in a new movie where he’s going to be unwittingly caught up in a conspiracy that threatens the lives of himself and the people he loves. Doesn’t that sound like an amazing premise? What’s wrong? You don’t look impressed. Ok, we admit, it sounds an awful lot like one or two... or six, of his other most-recent films. This one is different though, it’s going to take place during an incredibly exciting time period. The afternoon commute. Nevermind.

The Commuter will be the next film from the team of Liam Neeson and director Jaume Collet-Serra. The two previously worked together on a couple of Neeson’s other action thrillers, Non-Stop and Unknown. It will be Serra’s next film as director which likely means we’ll see it sooner rather than later. The plot synopsis provided by Deadline doesn’t give us much to go beyond what we’ve already said. Neeson will play the titular commuter who somehow gets involved in a criminal conspiracy on his way home from work. We’re betting somebody in Neeson’s carpool is actually a hired assassin. If the entire movie takes place in an Econovan, we’re sold.

Ever since the breakout success of 2009’s Taken, Liam Neeson has made a collection of very similar films. Overall they tend to be successful, they’re not particularly expensive to produce so profitability isn’t an issue, and Neeson seems to enjoy doing them, thus they continue to be churned out. For what it’s worth, The Commuter may be one of the last movies like this that Neeson does. About a year ago the 63-year-old actor said he probably only had a couple of years of action left in him. If he stays true to that commitment, then he only has a year left before throwing in the towel so this one could be the swan song.

It’s probably a good thing if things are beginning to wrap up, as it appears they have run out of titles for these movies. We’re not going to judge the film’s overall potential quality based solely on the title, but the title The Commuter is not good. We don’t ask for a lot out of our Liam Neeson action movies, but we can already tell that the premise of this one is going to be thin. Not so thin that we won’t see it. Let’s not get crazy. We also have a good idea who else will be going to see this with us.

Do you go see all of Liam Neeson’s action thrillers or have you had about as much of them as you can take? Let us know your thoughts below.

Over the weekend, Vin Diesel talked about how he plans to deliver one more trilogy of Fast and Furious movies. For fans of a franchise that has only gotten better with age, that’s great news, and with talk of Fast and Furious 8 ramping up, we can’t help but turn our attention to that film. We know that James Wan, who helmed the billion-plus-dollar Furious 7, won’t be back for more, nor will franchise rejuvenator Justin Lin, who has taken over the latest Star Trek film. As such, we’re left to wonder who will take the reins, and we have a few suggestions should anyone in a position of authority care to listen.

Chad Stahelski and David Leitch

Cards on the table, John Wick was my favorite movie of last year, and one of the best action movies in recent memory. Co-directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch have a background in stunt work that shines through in every scene, and that would help lend an air of gritty realism to the fight scenes that pepper the Fast and Furious films. They’re also no novices when it comes to high-octane car chases and pulling off awesome practical stunts, so they might be the perfect fit for Furious 8.

Vin Diesel

No one individual is more invested in Fast and Furious than star Vin Diesel. Though he’s most known as an action actor, it wouldn’t the first time he’s been behind the camera as well. In 1997 he wrote, directed, and starred in the feature length drama Strays, and he has directed a handful of shorts. One of these, 2009’s Los Bandoleros, is a quick look at what his Dominic Toretto character was up to during the time he was absent from the franchise. Fans love him and would go ape shit for this, so maybe now is the time.

Scott Waugh

Based on the popular video games, Need for Speed wasn’t a great movie, but one thing it did have going for it were fantastic car-based action scenes courtesy of director Scott Waugh. An homage to badass low-budget car movies of the 1970s, Waugh filled the entire movie with pulse pounding chase scenes from literally one coast to the other with a collection of cars that range from classic American muscle to the most exotic roadsters you can imagine.

Lexi Alexander

Lexi Alexander hasn’t directed a feature film since 2010, though she’s best known for 2008’s Punisher: War Zone and 2005’s Green Street Hooligans. She’s shown herself capable of delivering big time action, and for a franchise that prides itself on diversity, now might be the perfect opportunity to hand the reins over to a female action director who has all the tools necessary to crush it. It doesn’t hurt that Alexander was a world champion kickboxer, so just imagine how badass the fight scenes could be.

Courtney Solomon

Courtney Solomon is far and away the longest shot on this list. And honestly, I included the Dungeons & Dragons director for a single shot. 2013’s Getaway was critically reviled, but there is one mind-blowing shot that almost redeemed the whole damn thing. Solomon and stunt drivers illegally took to the Bulgarian streets to get a single uninterrupted POV shot of a car blasting through the early morning streets at 100 miles per hour, inches away from chaos and destruction. You won’t find a single more exciting shot anywhere, and I’d be game to see what he can do with Fast and Furious sized resources.

Louis Leterrier

French director Louis Leterrier has helmed massive blockbuster spectacles, like The Incredible Hulk and the Clash of the Titans remake, but he also has a background with car chase-centric actioners as well, having directed both The Transporter and The Transporter 2. One of Luc Besson’s numerous protégés, Leterrier has proven repeatedly that he has all of the tools necessary to pull off a Fast and Furious movie, and it might be worth someone at Universal giving him a call. Hell, he already has a working relationship with Jason Statham.

Jaume Collet-Serra

Starting off in low-budget horror like House of Wax and The Orphan, Jaume Collet-Serra has shown himself proficient at turning out solid, if not terribly remarkable middle-tier action movies like Unknown, Non-Stop, and his best film to date, Run All Night (all three of those with Liam Neeson). Now might be the perfect time for him to take a step up in scope and scale and bring some of his gritty action chops to the glossy Fast and Furious realm.

Baltasar Kormakur

Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur is currently scaling the box office with his mountain climbing drama Everest, but has all the upside you want for a Fast and Furious movie. His 2 Guns was a surprisingly good action-heavy crime story, as well as being full of humor and legitimate connections between characters, all of which are hallmarks of the Vin Diesel-fronted franchise. He has a handle on the scope, scale, action, and character that one of these films needs, and the Contraband director might be a name to look at for Furious 8.

Adam Wingard

When James Wan was announced as the director of Furious 7, it was a surprise since he came from a background in low-budget horror. Prolific indie horror director Adam Wingard comes from a similar place, but the You’re Next and The Guest director also has a similar upside. He makes super engaging films with a unique flair, taking genre conventions and toying with them, and that could be a touch welcome in the Fast and Furious world as each film attempts to avoid becoming a stale rehash of what came before. So far they’ve been able to do that, partially because of filmmakers who bring something new to the table.

Kim Jee-woon

Korean director Kim Jee-woon has a wildly eclectic resume, from moody horror (A Tale of Two Sisters) to gonzo western (The Good, The Bad, The Weird) to revenge (I Saw the Devil) and gangster drama (A Bittersweet Life). His most known commodity is his English-language debut, the underrated The Last Stand with Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it has cars, action, humor, and heart, everything a Fast and Furious movie needs. He also has an out of this world bag of tricks to draw from as a filmmaker, and he could deliver something truly special and spectacular.

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The long touted Akira remake isn’t any closer to making it to the big-screen, according to the man who was given the job of doing just that. Director Jaume Collet-Serra previously admitted that he was hard at work on a live-action remake of the beloved 1988 animated epic, saying that despite the fact that budget issues had delayed his progress, there was still hope that the project would make it to the big screen in the near future. In contrast to that prior confidence, however, a new interview with the filmmaker suggests that all hope is currently lost for the film.

Jaume Collet-Serra was talking to Collider about his recent work on Run All Night when he was quizzed about the current status of his Akira remake. After being asked for an update on the film he solemnly replied, "No, no. There’s nothing." And then just to crystalize how stalled the project has actually become, Serra confirmed that after working on both Non-Stop and Run All Night back-to-back that he had no plans to focus his attention on Akira for the foreseeable future. In fact, he only has one thing on his mind:

But rather than putting the final nail in Akira’s coffin, when he was asked what the future holds for the project he teased, "It’s a Warner Bros. question." This to me is a passive aggressive way of saying that the studio has long-been delaying his plans to bring Akira to the big-screen.

The animated Akira - based on the manga of the same name - was set in a dystopian version of Tokyo in 2019. Its lead character was the teenage biker Tetsuo Shima, who has psychic powers and looks to release the imprisoned psychic Akira from his cell. However, Shotaro Kaneda, who is the leader of Tetsuo’s bike gang, tries to prevent this from happening, and the film revolves around their conflict. Upon its release, Akira was met with rave reviews thanks to its glorious animation and the hyper-real blood and violence that it depicted. It instantly helped to legitimize the anime genre, while its effect on western films, specifically action movies, can still be seen to this day.

When Warner Bros. purchased the rights to Akira in 2002, a live action remake was thought to be just a few years away. However, even though the likes of Stephen Norrington, Jon Peters, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gary Whitta and Albert Hughes have tried their hands at getting it to the big screen, it just hasn’t happened. After Hughes’ proposed $180 million budget was dismissed by Warner Bros., Collet-Serra was able to get it down to $90 million. However the studio wanted it to be closer to $65 million. Now it looks as though they may have to start from scratch again.

With Taken 3 kicking all sorts of box office ass at the moment, it seems as though the public hasn't had enough of Liam Neeson's particular set of skills. If you're one of those moviegoers who contributed to the Taken 3 bonanza this past weekend, then you're probably going to like this trailer for Run All Night.

In Run All Night, we see Liam Neeson's Jimmy Conlon squaring off against Ed Harris' Shawn Maguire. The two men are friends who've turned enemies after Neeson kills Harris' son to protect his own. Now it's up to Neeson and his son, played by Joel Kinnaman, to stay ahead of Harris' goons, crooked cops, and any one else that stands in the way of the duo surviving a rather perilous night in New York City.

After watching the trailer for Run All Night, it looks like the project brings an even balance of good news and bad news. We'll start with the good news: the action looks on par with some of the finest Liam Neeson action pictures we've seen in recent years. In particular, the shot of Neeson wielding a particularly acrobatic shotgun is one of the coolest shots we've seen in a long while. Not to mention, the fact that Liam Neeson and Ed Harris are facing each other is a match up we wouldn't miss even if this film was directed by the man behind Unknown and Non-Stop.

That brings us to the bad news: Run All Night is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, better known as the man behind Unknown and Non-Stop. Both films have boasted interesting trailers that eventually panned out to be rather disappointing films in the long run, especially 2011's Unknown, which pitted Liam Neeson against Aiden Quinn in a fight that could have been epic, but ended up being too short to be worth sitting through a film's worth of January Jones' acting. To save yourself the trouble, watch the video of that fight below and skip the rest of Unknown.

Still, practice makes perfect, and with this being the third collaboration between Neeson and Jaume Collet-Serra, there could be a slight chance that Run All Night could break the streak and prove those who doubt its potential wrong. At the very least, the trailer makes the movie look better than anyone could expect, and it's good to see Ed Harris continuing the slow but steady stream of work he's been building up over the past couple of years.

We'll see if Run All Night makes it to the finish line, or collapses at the halfway mark, on April 17th.

We all thought it was dead. We dreamed of stepping on its throat, and having it let out it’s dying breath. And when it came true, we took to the hills and celebrated. We fired weapons. We kissed our loved ones just a little harder, wetter, better. We swam in the oceans and lakes, danced to the loudest beats and stood over its grave and relieved ourselves. The Akira remake was dead.

Or is it?

Jaume Collet-Serra was the last filmmaker involved in Warner Bros.’ ill-advised in-development live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s acclaimed manga and anime film. Warner Bros. had constantly been tamping down their ambitions, claiming it would be a trilogy, then two films, then one mega-budgeted one - the budget of which kept slipping. Even as Collett-Serra talked the budget down to $90 million ($10 million more than Grown Ups 2 cost), the studio persisted on a version that would only cost $60-$70 million. Afterwards, everything went quiet, likely because everyone realized they had no Josh Tranks around who could deliver that sort of spectacle on a discount price. But no. Collet-Serra persists, and speaking to Collider to promote his new movie Non-Stop, he reveals that the project is still his baby.

"I’ve done two movies since I put this little pause on that project," he tells them, "but now powers that be are interested." Those two movies were the upcoming Non-Stop and Run All Night, both reuniting him with his Unknown lead Liam Neeson. Making a couple of in-house hits for a studio is a good way to endear them to you, and Collet-Serra has stayed with the WB his whole career, with a brief diversion overseas to make Goal 2: Living The Dream. It’s entirely possible the WB is waiting on these Neeson actioners before committing to Collet-Serra: his Unknown was a forgettable Neeson vehicle that nonetheless grossed $131 million worldwide. And his earlier horror chops on House Of Wax and the adorably bonkers and stupid Orphan don’t really suggests he’s ready for big budget sci-fi. But crazier things have happened.

Of course, crazier things should NOT happen. The American Akira should stay dead and buried. The original film, which only takes chunks of the manga, is already jam-packed with disquieting and disturbing ideas and imagery that can barely be contained by the two hour runtime. The live-action version would also need to be an R-rated film, because films that "shoot" for a certain rating are usually neutered from the word go, even if the MPAA can be fairly lax when it comes to body horror - and you’re gonna have to horrify if you want Akira to land with any force. Also, hello? You can’t DO an American Akira because an American Akira DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. It is called AKIRA. It is not called Billy or Bob or Thornton. It’s distinctly Japanese, dealing with the complex feelings of Japanese society in the decades following Hiroshima. Making it American and having it echo 9/11 is not only incredibly obvious, but extremely tacky, essentially equating man-made disasters with each other and disrespecting both.

There’s also the cultural appropriation going on regarding what is already an awesome anime and comic. Why do we need an American Akira? Is there something more that can be said about Akira that needs an American eye? And is there something to the fact that the WB’s Akira, in its original incarnation, was dead-set on whitewashing the cast, but weirdly not blackwashing or Hispanicwashing, or whatever you’d call it, with names like Garret Hedlund, Gary Oldman and Kristen Stewart among the basically all-white collection of names being linked to roles? Whatever the case, it sounds like the success of Collet-Serra’s next movies will make or break his Akira at WB. Vote with your dollars.

Who out there has been waiting with bated breath for a thriller to come along that mashes Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Inception with the inner-mind-wandering madness of Tarsem Singh’s The Cell? Because that movie is here, and it’s called Mindscape. The Spanish-made film is the first feature directed by Jorge Dorado and first-time writer Guy Holmes, and it has just dropped its first English language trailer, as seen above. You’ll notice the preview and most news out there about the film relies heavily on telling people director Jaume Collet-Serra produced this film, and had a hand in getting it made. Unlike most films that hinge themselves to a name to sell the film to audiences, I think Mindscape actually looks better than any of Collet-Serra’s films, including the Liam Neeson action flick Unknown and the weird evil child horror Orphan. A good psychological thriller is so hard to come by these days.

In the film, Mark Strong (Low Winter Sun) plays a man who has a unique ability that allows him to enter people’s minds and their memories. He takes on the case of a sixteen year old girl, played by Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story), to decide whether she’s a dangerous psychopath or a trauma victim. She apparently tried to murder three people, but maybe she was driven to it by other duplicitous forces. The film also stars Brian Cox as the guy who brings the case to Strong, along with Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones), Saskia Reeves (Luther), Indira Varma (Human Target) and Richard Dillane (Argo).

Sure, this is a somewhat ridiculous concept with no strong grip on reality, but there are few movies out there that take place inside of people’s memories, so hopefully Dorado will embrace the surreality of the human mind. It’s a very busy trailer visually, full of interesting (if somewhat strangely placed) framing, which will hopefully compliment the fractured narrative rather than just sticking out like a sore thumb.

One has to assume there will be some major twist at the end of the labyrinthine story, which turns Farmiga from murderer to victim to brain stalker in just a minute and a half. I’m confident in the young actress’ ability to raise this performance above possibly trite waters. Strong is also a pretty solid actor, though he never looks like he’s having very much fun. Maybe he’ll live through one of her memories of a water park or something.

Mindscape premiered earlier this month at the Stiges Film Festival in Spain, and will be released there in January, though it does not yet have U.S. distribution.

After putting the breaks on the live-action Akira remake, Warner Bros. shifted their attached director, Jaume Collet-Serra, back to his other in-development effort: the Leonardo DiCaprio-produced thriller Harker. To get the wheels in motion on this long-sidelined reimagining of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the studio is seeking to secure a star for the film's title role, and Vultureunveils Warner Bros. is courting none other than Aussie Oscar-winner Russell Crowe. In this re-invention of the tale, Harker is no whimpering lawyer but rather a hard-nosed Scotland Yard detective who is on the hunt for the ghoulish fiend behind a string of grisly murders within his jurisdiction.

Crowe's played a long line of detectives, from his breakthrough performance in L.A. Confidential, to his memorable turn in American Gangster and his in-production portrayal of the merciless Inspector Javert in Tom Hooper's star-stuffed Les Miserables adaptation. So it's obviously a role to which he's well-suited. It's more a question of whether or not the stern leading man would be interested in doing a detective movie that skews so far into the horror/fantasy genre. This is not an area to which Crowe seems to be particularly drawn. Not only has he appeared in predominantly gritty and realistically styled dramas for the past fifteen years or so, but he recently shot down the rumor that he might lead the sci-fi-fueled RoboCop remake with terse and cold efficiency.

The only exception to this pattern seems to be the upcoming Man of Steel, where Crowe will play Jor-El, the extraterrestrial father of Superman. While that is a curious break from the norm for Crowe, I doubt it means he'll be interested in stalking vampires on the streets of Victorian London. Yet I kind of hope I'm wrong because typing that sentence made me realize how much I'd like to see that, partially because I miss the wild and slightly goofy Crowe who played the ultimate serial killer, SID 6.7, in the largely forgotten sci-fi thriller Virtuosity. I would never argue Crowe's not a great actor, but I can't recall the last time I actually had fun watching him onscreen. He just makes it look like work.

It would seem that the live-action remake of Akira just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Since its inception the project has been hitting pothole after pothole, going through rewrites, pre-production shutdowns and even director changes. For a while it looked like things were on track, with Jaume Collet-Serra attached to direct and Garrett Hedlund attached to star (with names like Kirsten Stewart, Ken Watanabe and Helena Bonham Carter rumored for other roles). But if the project is indeed cursed, today brings more evidence.

THR has learned that WB has halted work on Akira due to budget concerns. The pre-production offices have once again been shut down and, according to the trade, "below-the-line talent and crew" have been told to stop their work on the project. Over the next two weeks the plan is for the films producers - Jennifer Kiloran Davisson and Andrew Lazar - to sit down with Collet-Serra and figure out how to bring the budget down. The report says that it is unknown if screenwriter Steve Kloves, who did the most recent rewrite, will be brought in on the negotiations as well. When Akira was shut down it had an estimated budget of $90 million and the plan is to try and bring it down to somewhere between $60 and $70 million. If the filmmakers are unsuccessful in bringing down the cost, the movie will be declared dead.

This kind of thing has actually been happening a lot in recent months. It started this past summer, when Disney balked at The Lone Ranger's price tag, but more recently both Paradise Lost and Arthur and Lancelot slammed on the brakes (the last two also being Warner Bros.-driven projects). From an outside perspective it would seem that the economic crunch is finally hitting Hollywood, and it's not really too much of a surprise considering that ticket sales in 2011 were the lowest they've been since 1995.

Well, the rollercoaster existence of the live-action, English language Akira remake is finally starting to even itself out, having gotten the greenlight early last week. Tron: Legacy’s Garrett Hedlund may take on the lead role of Kaneda, but the rest of the rather large cast has yet to be filled, save for two roles.

Twitch has it that the Dark Knight star Gary Oldman and long-time Tim Burton collaborator and child-bearer Helena Bonham Carter have both been offered pretty big roles. Oldman could step into the role of the Colonel, leader of the government team running tests on the people who exhibit psychic capabilities. He sounds like a baddie, but his role becomes a bit more complicated. Carter will play Priestess Miyako, ally to the resistance and former psychic test subject.

With these two on board, this remake definitely got itself some much needed credibility. Producers and director Jaume Collet-Serra need to keep up this trend and continue adding great talent so this young director has less to worry about. The real questions left for fans are who will play the film’s pivotal character of Tetsuo, the character who undergoes the most change and will demand the most range from the actor, and who will step into the small but very important role of Akira himself?

Akira is a film whose remake could be incredible. It’s an amazing story with huge scope, but the project is very ambitious considering the depth of the subject matter and the expanse of the special effects. There’s a lot to mess up with Akira, but we’re trying to stay positive for the time being. More on this as casting moves forward.

Sidenote: Just as crucial as having talented actors, Akira will need an amazing composer. The original 1988 film’s soundtrack is as much a character as anyone else in the film and is one of the best scores ever created. It’s intense, and whoever lands that job here will need to bring that sort of intensity to the remake.