An entire book could probably be written about the reported behind-the-scenes push and pull between Sony and Marvel since Tom Holland’s Spider-Man first swung into the MCU in Captain America: Civil War back in 2016. From rumored release date clashes to Sony dropping MCU-adjacent characters like the Vulture into its Spider-less villain universe, the historic crossover deal has rarely sounded simple.

Now, a new rumor is making the rounds about Spider-Man’s next solo outing, the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and it claims Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige allegedly shut down one big-name director Sony (reportedly) wanted for the job.

The Rumor About Who Should Direct Brand New Day

According to entertainment scooper MyTimeToShine on X, Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman “really wanted” longtime Spider-Man director Jon Watts back for Brand New Day. Watts, of course, helmed all three of Tom Holland’s solo films.

However, after Watts exited Marvel’s Fantastic Four and reportedly moved on from more Spidey flicks, Sony is said to have turned to a familiar collaborator. The scooper claims the studio pushed for Venom director Ruben Fleischer to take over. The post reads:

None of this has been officially confirmed, so I cannot be clear enough that fans should treat this as a rumor. That said, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton is the director behind Brand New Day, and I do firmly feel it's fun to think out the could have, would have beens related to this particular implication.

Personally, if that is how things shook out behind the scenes, I think Feige, reportedly, made the right call. Sony’s Spider-Man spin-offs, as of now seemingly defunct, have had a rough ride with critics, and while the Venom movies have their fans, that tone is not exactly the vibe I would hope to see in Tom Holland’s fourth solo outing as Peter Parker. It also seems like plenty of longtime Spidey fans feel the same way.

Spider-Man Fans Sound Off On The Rumored Director Shuffle

Whenever a rumor surrounding a new superhero movie drops, social media wastes no time weighing in, and this alleged Feige versus Sony director debate is no different. Some fans are firmly in the “trust Feige” camp, but reactions run the gamut from cautious curiosity to full-on relief. Here’s a temp check of what folks are saying:

• “isnt this the guy who didnt want to make a Deadpool movie when he was at fox?” – @Hazardgo457
• “Interesting behind the scenes shuffle. Feige clearly had a vision.” – @VermaAb5
• “Thank god Kevin feige stood his ground and avoided Ruben, his venom movies sucked. And Jon watts is good but we need better action sequences that are visually more appealing… Destin will evolve Spider-Man to visually look more like the games! I’m happy!” – @JPhoeni57673975
• “Yeah...another reason for Marvel to get back the rights from them. It should be a priority now.” – @FreshIbz13858

Not everyone is thrilled Cretton stepped in, and some are ready to defend Fleischer’s track record while taking shots at Shang-Chi. They wrote:

• “Sony: Let’s get the dude who directed that decent Venom movie! Fiege: Nah, let’s get the dude who directed that terrible Shang-Chi movie! Were there no stronger options available? I mean, it’s frickin SPIDER-MAN. It’s not like there’s a shortage of directors who’d love to try.” – @S_itmeanshope
• “Now u see me 3 was actually really good better than most marvel flick and VFX were great unlike marvel usual shit. So I would have been ok with it.” – @Thechosenone875

There is clearly no consensus on this rumor, but the conversation does highlight the tightrope Marvel and Sony walk when it comes to a character as beloved and valuable as Spider-Man. Whether or not the rumor is true, this tightrope is certainly accurate.

What This Rumor Could Mean For Spider-Man: Brand New Day

If this report is legit, it's another example of just how carefully the "House of Ideas" seems to be guarding its version of Peter Parker. A Fleischer-led Brand New Day would likely lean harder into the chaotic, scrappy energy of the Venom films. A Destin Daniel Cretton Spider-Man movie, on the other hand, will more than likely focus on character first, and more carefully staged action, closer to what we saw in Shang-Chi.

Rumor or no rumor, it's always fun to hear BTS info come down the pipeline. We'll have to wait and see if Feige and co. made the right directorial decision when Brand New Day hits the 2026 movie schedule on July 31, 2026. Until then, fans can revisit all the Spidey Movies streaming with a Disney+ subscription; get one with these big Black Friday streaming deals.

Spoilers, and I’ll say that once more and a little louder, MAJOR SPOILERS for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t are ahead! Read with caution, and go see the third Now You See Me movie in theaters now.

I love a great plot twist, and to this day, I still think about Now You See Me’s epic surprise. However, I think I’ll have to add Now You See Me: Now You Don’t's big shocker to the list, too. That's because following its premiere on the 2025 movie schedule, I’m still thinking about its massive reveal, what the cast told CinemaBlend about it, and how it could impact the franchise going forward.

Rosamund Pike Told Me Why The Twist Was 'Brilliant'

Ahead of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’s release, I had the chance to interview the cast right after I saw the movie. I was particularly excited to ask about the giant plot twist toward the end, where it’s revealed that Justice Smith’s magician, Charlie, was related to Rosamund Pike’s villain, Veronika, and he was the mastermind behind the big plan to take her down.

Speaking with the Pride and Prejudice actress specifically about this, she told me all about why she thought it was a “brilliant” twist. After learning about Charlie's true identity and his relation to Veronika during her first meeting with Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’s director, Ruben Fleischer, Pike was excited to play this rich and “dubious” character. She also thought that how Veronika and Charlie were used in the plot twist was not only shocking but meaningful. She said:

It was certainly a brave and very unexpected move. Throughout the film, it’s made clear that Veronika is a power-hungry and demanding boss of a diamond empire from South Africa. Meanwhile, Charlie spends the majority of the movie speaking with an American accent and (seemingly) helping the Horsemen pull off their latest heist.

However, while it seems like Charlie and his friends, Ariana Greenblatt’s June and Dominic Sessa’s Bosco, are the new additions to the crew, it turns out they’re the ones who planned it all.

When it came to filming the reveal that Justice Smith’s character was really running this whole show, Pike gushed about him and the way he used a South African accent during the moment. She said:

The shock on Veronika’s face says it all, and I know my jaw was certainly on the floor too when Smith’s silhouette showed up on screen during that final trick and he started speaking with a different accent. Immediately after that, I also knew I needed to see the movie for a second time so I could see how it laid the groundwork for this twist.

Why You Should Re-Watch Now You See Me: Now You Don't

Much like in the first Now You See Me, the mastermind behind the whole trick turned out to be the person I least expected. Then, to add to that, making him related to the villain made the surprise even more shocking. That means, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t will make for a great re-watch, because now, we can all try and keep an eye out for hints about Charlie’s true identity. To that point, Rosamund Pike told me:

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is like a magic trick itself, thanks to this plot twist. So, now, I have to go back and rewatch to try and figure out how they pulled it off. Pike explained that a lot of the reason why it works comes down to Justice Smith’s performance. She said:

I agree with her, too. He is amazing in this movie, and his reveal as Veronika’s sibling was mind-boggling. And that is why I can’t wait to rewatch Now You See Me 3 and hopefully eventually see how Charlie’s story continues in a fourth installment.

Based On What Justice Smith Told Me, I Hope They Explore The Impact Of This Twist In Another Now You See Me Movie

Now, considering how Now You See Me: Now You Don’t ended, it’d make a lot of sense if a fourth movie followed it. When I spoke to Justice Smith, he alluded to that idea too. Speaking about how he developed Charlie’s story with Ruben Fleischer, he also teased what he’s looking forward to exploring more:

In this movie, Charlie is the behind-the-scenes guy until his connection to Veronika is revealed. So, we only got to know a bit about his backstory, and we only saw him as the frontman for a few minutes. I’d love to see more of that in another movie, and I’d really like to know more about his backstory.

I’m specifically intrigued by how he got to know June and Bosco, and if the Horsemen ride again, I hope we get to explore their dynamic and history even more.

So, here’s hoping Now You See Me 4 gets to happen, so we can see more magic, more heists, and more backstory when it comes to Charlie, Veronika and this wild plot twist.

It seems like it’s becoming a tradition to end a decade with a Zombieland movie, with the first movie coming out in 2009 and Zombieland: Double Tap following in 2019. With 2029 four years away, now is about the time the powers-that-be at Sony Pictures would start figuring out if they want to greenlight Zombieland 3. Well, good news to fans of these zombie comedies, because director Ruben Fleischer shared that there are efforts underway to make that happen.

Fleischer, whose latest movie, Now You See Me, Now You Don’t, has finally premiered on the 2025 release schedule, addressed the possibility of Zombieland 3 while speaking with Deadline. After mentioning how he’s hoping to make a Western vampire movie that’s in the vein of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, the filmmaker said this:

Although it was reported in 2022 that Ruben Fleischer was working on a film adaptation of the Jak and Daxter video game series, there’s been no update on the project since then. So as far as his directorial work goes, it seems like Fleischer has a clear schedule ahead of him. As much as this vampire Western sounds intriguing, I wouldn’t want the director tackling that next to interfere with making sure Zombieland 3 would come out in 2029. That’s assuming that Sony is interested in making the threequel, though from the way Fleischer’s talking, it doesn’t sound like that’s a concern.

Of course, if Zombieland 3 moved forward, we’d see the unorthodox family comprised of Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus, Emma Stone’s Wichita, Woody Harrelson’s Tallahassee and Abigail Breslin’s Little Rock back in action continuing to fight off the undead as they travel across this post-apocalyptic United States. They’d also be accompanied by Rosario Dawson’s Nevada, who joined the group at the end of Zombieland: Double Tap. No doubt Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick would return to write the Zombieland 3 script too, and perhaps David Callaham too following his work on Double Tap.

So to all the Zombieland fans reading this, let’s cross out fingers that the 2020s will close out with a third movie. For now though, head to your nearest movie theater if you’d like to see Ruben Fleischer once again directing Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson in the world of magician thieves with Now You See Me, Now You Don’t.

Sony’s ongoing attempt to build a Spider-Man cinematic universe without, well, Spider-Man has produced some bumpy results. While Morbius, Kraven, and Madame Web bombed at the box office, Venom defied the odds in 2018, earning over $850 million at the box office and spawning two sequels. So what made it click? Well, Venom’s director weighs in on why the films succeeded while the other Sony Spidey efforts fizzled.

According to director Ruben Fleischer, who helmed the original film, the key wasn’t just Tom Hardy or symbiote spectacle, but was humor and heart. During a recent appearance on The Playlist’s Discourse Podcast, the Uncharted helmer opened up about the unique challenges of launching Sony’s Spider-Man-adjacent franchise and how they leaned into the weirdness. He shared:

Rather than try to overly ground the concept, Fleischer embraced its absurdity. He said the tone drew inspiration from films like All of Me, starring Steve Martin, and An American Werewolf in London, both movies that mixed the supernatural with a strong dose of humor. That same tonal balance carried over into Venom. He continued:

Developing Venom without Spider-Man, arguably the character’s entire narrative backbone, posed a major creative challenge. Since the film was the first in Sony’s Spider-Man-less universe, the team had to build a standalone mythology from scratch. According to Fleischer, the absence of Spider-Man wasn’t a last-minute change; it was part of the concept from the very beginning. While a crossover was never ruled out entirely, the filmmakers were tasked from day one with creating a version of Venom that could exist entirely on its own.

The Spider-Man restrictions even influenced Venom’s physical design. Without a direct connection to the webslinger, the filmmakers had to scrap the character’s iconic spider chest emblem and invent a new visual identity that made sense within their standalone story. The Zombieland director sees the creative limitations as a blessing in disguise. In his view, the film’s success—both critically and commercially—proved that Venom didn’t need Spider-Man to work. It found its own voice, blending humor, horror, and Hardy’s charisma to launch an unlikely franchise.

Though Ruben Fleischer only helmed the first installment in the Venom trilogy, his direction laid the groundwork for what made the franchise click. You can revisit his original film now with a Disney+ subscription. As for what’s next, Fleischer's 2025 movie release, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, hits theaters on November 14.

There are a lot of exciting things happening on the 2025 movie calendar these days. Superman is kicking off the DCU, fast zombies are a thing again in 28 Years Later, and I couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming Naked Gun reboot. I’m also intrigued by the heist movie Now You See Me: Now You Don’t that’s coming in November, and I’m actually really embarrassed that I’m only finding out now that it’s the third movie in a series.

I think I’ve been tricked. It’s the only explanation. Allow me to explain how I came to realize that the Jesse Eisenberg flick has two predecessors, as well as how finally checking out the first movie (available via Netflix subscription) affected my opinion of Now You See Me 3.

I Was Interested In Now You See Me: Now You Don’t Without Even Knowing About The Previous Movies

In my defense, if the three-quel were actually called Now You See Me 3, this wouldn’t have been an issue. This story won’t do much to prove otherwise, but I’d consider myself a fairly intelligent human being. However, this movie is called Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. (The colon is a bit of a hint, but the title in the trailer did not include the colon, and honestly, with movie titles these days, you can never really tell.)

The trailer for the upcoming heist movie played when my daughter and I went to see Jurassic World Rebirth. Admittedly, I didn’t pay too much attention to it, because I don’t like when previews give too much away. I saw Jesse Eisenberg surrounded by a great cast, I saw heists, I saw magic. Sold. That’s all I needed to know … so I thought.

When I returned home, I was recalling the trailers we’d seen — The Running Man remake, The Odyssey teaser, Wicked: For Good — and I mentioned Now You See Me: Now You Don’t to my husband (a fellow CinemaBlend employee) and asked him if he’d heard of it. That was when he broke the news to me: Two other magic heist movies had come before. Not only that, but apparently he’s seen them both and mentioned them to me several times.

*Starts playing air violin to prove I’ve been hypnotized by Woody Harrelson’s Merritt to forget such things.*

How Did Now You See Me Pull Off This Disappearing Act In My Memory?

It seems ridiculous that I hadn’t heard of 2013’s Now You See Me and 2016’s Now You See Me 2. The really annoying part is that I did know about Isla Fisher almost drowning in a water stunt and heard colleagues discussing why the third movie has another water tank scene. I just didn’t know what movie they were talking about.

I have to admit, with this ensemble cast — Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher and more, many of whom are apparently returning for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t — it’s actually unreal that I never paid this movie any attention.

My only guess — outside of sorcery, which I’m sticking with as my official defense — is that in the years that both of those movies came out, I had infants in the house. I was barely sleeping and was consumed by a different job that was not as conducive as my current one to keeping me in the know about fun movies about magic.

Quick Note From The Aforementioned Loving Husband

• "While I can safely say with confidence that I'd suggested both the first and second NYSM movies to Heidi around the time of their respective releases, I can also speak to the fact that both of our children were slightly more attention-worthy than any Hollywood directors' efforts at the time. To her credit, I probably couldn't pick the second movie's plot out of a lineup, while I could easily pick at least one of our children out of that same lineup. "

Also, apparently my Netflix algorithm hasn’t been given the information it needs to know that heist films — especially ones with horribly ridiculous plot twists like we get in Now You See Me — are right up my alley. Hopefully I’m on my way to remedying that situation, because I have now watched the 2013 installment of the Four Horsemen’s hijinks, and it made me even more excited for what’s to come.

After Finally Watching The First Movie, I Can’t Wait For The Second And Third

Just in case anyone else is as thick-headed as myself and somehow missed the memo (or rather, saw the memo that was sent multiple times but still threw it away, as some might contend) that a decade ago an all-star Hollywood cast put out two perfectly binge-worthy heist movies revolving around magic, I’m going to keep this spoiler-free. I will, however, say that I understand why some moments from Now You See Me still bother people. Also, I really don’t know what the ending with the carousel was all about.

Absolutely none of that has done anything to dampen my spirits about the second and third movies. I don’t need my heist movies to be realistic any more than I need to know how a magic trick was performed. In fact, if magic is the point of the heist movie, being able to explain everything that happens could suck the fun right out of it.

I may not be able to explain how the Now You See Me 3 trailer is my first conscious awareness of this franchise, but I have to believe there are others out there like me. Maybe there are people who are unfamiliar with the 2013 movie but are just excited to see any film that reunites Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson with Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer (that alone is reason enough for me to buy a ticket).

Or maybe you also saw the three-quel’s trailer at a showing of Jurassic World Rebirth and thought it sounded like a blast, even if it felt a little like the Four Horsemen’s story was starting in the middle. You can actually check it out below:

Whichever way you've come to the movie, now that we’ve taken off our blindfolds and awoken from our hypnotic trance, there’s plenty of time to get caught up before Now You See Me: Now You Don’t arrives in theaters on Friday, November 14.

Whether you’re watching for the first time or need a refresher on those wild plot twists, both Now You See Me and Now You See Me 2 are available to stream on Netflix.

Sometimes a person comes along, and through bonding over the course of two major motion pictures, they become the ringer to close things out on a high note. The upcoming Marvel movie Venom 3 seems to have found just that champion, as writer/producer Kelly Marcel has been tapped to direct the conclusion to Tom Hardy’s anti-heroic trilogy. From the sound of things, it seems like these two are of such a like mind that they can finish each other’s symbiotes. 

Deadline broke the announcement today, as the simpatico nature between Marcel and Hardy has been cited as the main reason she’s been given the director’s chair. With their visions for the big finish apparently aligned, Kelly Marcel became a prime choice for the gig. 

While the pair were previously revealed as the writing team for Venom 3, this is quite the promotion for Kelly Marcel, who is following in the footsteps of previous franchise directors Ruben Fleischer and Andy Serkis. As you could guess, this announcement is absent of plot details specific to where the next and final chapters of Eddie Brock’s solo adventures will go.

We’re not totally without some sort of clue as to what this final Venom chapter may have in store. After all, through their previous adventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we’ve seen Eddie Brock and Venom do a bit of universe hopping in recent years. 

The ending to Venom: Let There Be Carnage sent the pair straight into the world of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker; while Spider-Man: No Way Home shipped the symbiotic odd couple back from whence they came. Although, the third MCU Spider-Man movie’s end credits did leave the door open for more Venom outside of his self-contained trilogy.

That’s not even the only possibility in play, as Sony has been hard at work developing its Spider-Man-adjacent cinematic universe through projects like the ongoing Morbius saga. Jared Leto’s anti-hero is confirmed to exist in Venom’s universe, and a slew of other projects like Madame Web and Bad Bunny’s El Muerto also look to be slotting into that realm of activity.

Even if we shouldn’t expect Spider-Man to web-sling into the picture just yet, Kelly Marcel has plenty of playmates he can tear up the sandbox with the co-writer/director at the helm. The gears are already turning to give the public a fitting finale with Venom 3. As Marcel and Tom Hardy have a good idea where to head next, it feels like we might see this conclusion sooner than later.

Unfortunately, we still don't know when exactly to expect this monumental happening. At the moment, we’re still without a release date for Venom 3, though this sort of announcement might mean that production could start at some point in 2023. However, you can watch the first two Venom adventures on Starz, which can also be accessed with an add-on to an existing Prime Video subscription.

Have you missed seeing a team of magicians pull off high-stakes heists with their skills of illusion and deception. Well, good news: Now You See Me 3 is still happening! Yes, there hasn’t been a lot of updates about the threequel since Now You See Me 2 came out in 2016, but the upcoming movie has taken a major step forward by bringing in the man who helmed 2018’s Venom.

Lionsgate has tapped Ruben Fleischer to direct Now You See Me 3, which will reunite audiences with the Four Horsemen, the team of magicians who use their act as cover to pull off intricate robberies. Along with Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson respectively reprising Danny Atlas, a.k.a. The Lover, and Merritt McKinney, a.k.a. The Hermit, the third movie will introduce audiences “to a new generation of characters.” Additionally, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Seth Grahame-Smith is working on a new draft of the screenplay with Flesicher; the previous draft was penned by Top Gun: Maverick’s Eric Warren Singer. Fleischer said the following about coming aboard Now You See Me 3:

There was no mention in the Now You See Me 3 announcement if Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman or Michael Caine, all of whom appeared in the first two Now You See Me movies, will be back for the third installment, nor Lizzy Caplan, who replaced Isla Fisher’s character in the sequel. Ruben Fleischer mentioning the “rest of the incredible cast” could suggest some, if not all of them will reprise their respective roles. However, the highlighting of new characters coming in might suggest that Now You See Me 3 might serve as a passing of the torch to a new generation of magicians, whether they take over the Four Horsemen or are a different group affiliated with the secret society known as the Eye.

Either way, Now You See Me 3 gives Ruben Fleischer the opportunity to reunite with Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson, with the three men having previously worked together on the Zombieland movies. Along with the aforementioned Venom, Fleischer has also helmed 30 Minutes or Less, Gangster Squad and Uncharted, the latter of which impressed at the box office earlier this year by grossing $400 million worldwide. Louis Letterrier directed the first Now You See Me, and John M. Chu tackled the sequel. Bobby Cohen and Alex Kurtzman are producing Now You See Me 3, and Meredith Wieck and Chisom Ude are overseeing the project for Lionsgate.

There’s no word yet on when Now You See Me 3 will begin production or when Lionsgate intends to release it, but CinemaBlend will share that information and any other major updates once they’re in. For now, there are plenty of 2022 movies left to look forward to, as well as all of the 2023 movies to mark down on your calendar.

It’s no secret that superhero movies are the most popular genre in the film world, with various cinematic universes currently in play. Sony started its own with Ruben Fleischer’s original Venom movie, which was a surprise success back in 2018. And now the director has talked about a potential Tom Holland Spider-Man team up, and if he’d return to direct it.

While Ruben Fleischer saw great success with Venom, he didn’t return for the sequel Let There Be Carnage. He recently sat down to speak with CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell about his new movie Uncharted, which stars Spider-Man himself: Tom Holland. When asked if he’d return to his comic book franchise to see the two characters meet in live-action, Fleischer said:

Well, there you have it. While Ruben Fleischer seems unsure if he’ll ever return to helm another installment in the Venom franchise, he does seem interested in seeing Eddie Brock and Peter Parker collide on the big screen. It remains to be seen exactly when this’ll happen, especially given the wild events of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Ruben Fleischer’s comments to CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell definitely shows how much the Zombieland filmmaker is still invested in characters like Venom and Spider-Man. And just like the rest of us, he’s ready to see the two iconic Marvel characters collide for the first time on the big screen.

It’s currently unclear when we’ll ever see Tom Holland and Tom Hardy’s characters together onscreen, but the powers that be at Sony have been teasing the fandom for a while now. The post-credits scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage saw Eddie Brock being across the multiverse and into the main MCU. As a reminder you can check out that sequence below,

Unfortunately, Eddie Brock was only in the MCU for a short time. Spider-Man: No Way Home’s own credits scene saw him being transported back home before ever meeting the web slinger. It was a gag that was both funny and frustrating, although there was still some hope. Namely because he left a small bit of symbiote behind. 

It feels like Spider-Man and Venom’s meeting on the big screen is inevitable, but there’s currently no timeline as to when this might occur. For his part, Tom Hardy seemingly can’t wait to see it happen. But Tom Holland’s contract is currently up, so there will likely be some negotiations before any crossover plans can move forward.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is still in theaters now, featuring a small role by Tom Hardy. Ruben Fleischer’s new movie Uncharted will follow suit on February 18th. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Years of development hell, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, have convinced some people that director Ruben Fleischer’s adaptation of Uncharted doesn’t actually exist. Even though we’ve gotten some small glimpses here and there, fans have been skeptical, or at least salty enough to make that joke while waiting for the movie. That wait is about to feel both a lot shorter and almost like forever, as we now have the first trailer of Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg mixing it up as Nate and Sully. 

Released by Sony Pictures to get the Uncharted fans hyped for the 2022 release, we now have our first look at the action that sees Holland’s Nate on a treasure hunt that precedes the events of his Naughty Dog game franchise. While we did previously get a short glimpse of Mark Wahlberg in a tuxedo, this comparatively longer trailer has Tom Holland pulling some high flying moves you’d expect from his Spider-Man movies. The only problem is, he doesn’t have the suit, or the powers, to protect him as Nathan Drake.

It’s up for discussion which Uncharted obstacle looks like it hurts more: Tom Holland getting hit by a beautiful red Mercedes Benz falling out of a cargo plane, or jumping and falling past crates dangling out of that same vessel. Though, in the grand scheme of things, one would think that it doesn’t matter, as both are pretty perilous. No wonder Holland took such a heroic style beating while filming what serves as a prequel to Nathan Drake’s career as a seeker of antiquities. 

But what treasure adventure would be without some adversaries to make the journey more eventful? Uncharted brings some impressive firepower in that respect as well, thanks to the ever charming Antonio Banderas looking like he’s the big bad of the film. Plus, he’s got some hired muscle in the form of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Tati Gabrielle, who looks absolutely chilling herself with that blade she’s holding. 

Originally, the world was supposed to have seen Uncharted hit theaters in the lost year of 2020. Through previous production delays, thanks to the departures of directors like David O. Russell, Shawn Levy, and Travis Knight, the December 18, 2020 slot was where things landed when Venom helmer Ruben Fleischer landed the gig. Cut to a couple more delays in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re treated to the February 2022 release slot Uncharted currently occupies. 

Earning the approval of actor Nolan North, the actor behind Uncharted’s older, video game based incarnation of Nathan Drake, Tom Holland already seems to have cleared the most intimidating gate. Now, with this action-packed trailer out in the world, it looks like Sony might have two movies on their hands that will help rehabilitate the image of video game adaptations. But even if Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City doesn’t live up its awesome trailer, fans of Uncharted look to have a pleasant surprise on the treasure hunting horizon.

Blades, quips, and quick time events reimagined into lavish set-pieces show that Uncharted truly has it all when it comes to video game movies. The film begins the adventure of a lifetime on February 18, 2022; only in theaters. So you’ll have to occupy yourself with some other exploits from the remaining 2021 movie releases in the months to come. Or, you could start planning the beginning of the next cinematic year, through the 2022 release schedule.

Every feature film ever made, from the smallest independent productions to the biggest blockbusters, has gone through an at least modest period of turbulence, but there are few that have gone through the ridiculous ups and downs experienced by the developing Uncharted movie. The project – a live-action adaptation of the beloved video game series of the same name – first started coming together all the way back in November 2009, but in the last decade it’s accomplished little more than rotating through a series of filmmakers and scripts.

Even the franchises’ biggest fans probably struggle to keep track of all the back and forth regarding the film, so we’ve decided to… well, chart it. With a deep dive into the CinemaBlend news archives guiding us, here is the full and wild history of Uncharted’s challenges and delays.

The Original Version

As noted above, it was in November 2009 that Sony first started getting to work on a live-action Uncharted, hiring Conan The Barbarian screenwriting duo Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer to pen the screenplay, but it was actually just short of a year later that the film really started cooking with gas. This was when the studio managed to recruit David O. Russell to helm the project, the filmmaker having a lot of heat at the time because of the forthcoming release of The Fighter.

With Russell at the helm and penning a new version of the script, Uncharted began to employ some top tier talent. A decade before Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman came together it looked like the video game project was going to be the film that reunited stars Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro. While controversial, it was also confirmed that Mark Wahlberg was the writer/director’s choice to play the lead role of adventurer Nathan Drake.

That version of the project existed for a few months, but it was less than half a year later that everything started falling apart. In May 2011, it was reported that David O. Russell was no longer attached to make Uncharted, eventually explaining that his take on what to do with the source material didn’t line up with what the studio wanted to see from the blockbuster.

From Neil Burger To Seth Gordon

Losing a writer/director with as much clout as David O. Russell was surely seen as a disappointment by the studio executives, but little time was wasted trying to find a new vision from a different director. The search took about two months, as Neil Burger was given the helm of Uncharted in July 2011. The filmmaker was just a few months removed from the release of Limitless starring Bradley Cooper, and he started putting together his own take on the material, wiping the slate clean as far as story approach.

With few updates about its development emerging publically, that period of Uncharted’s history lasted for nearly a year-and-a-half, but Neil Burger decided to drop the film in November 2012, deciding to make Divergent instead.

Having lost its second director, the project once again had to start over, and Sony hired National Treasure screenwriters Marianne and Cormac Wibberley to take a crack at the blockbuster. That led to Uncharted spending some time sitting on a shelf… but then in February 2014 it found new life. With a filmography including comedies Horrible Bosses and Identity Thief, director Seth Gordon was matched with the video game adaptation.

By mid-2014 plans were made to have production startup in early 2015, and the film even got Hurt Locker Oscar winner Mark Boal to do a version of the script as it was coming together… but principal photography never began. Instead, by June 2015 it was reported that Uncharted had lost its third director, with Seth Gordon moving on to pursue other projects.

The Shawn Levy Era

After five years of development and attaching three directors, the Uncharted movie had made zero real forward motion, and it wasn’t until July 2016 that the feature found new life again. Sony felt positive about a pitch given to them by Joe Carnahan, and hired him to work on the screenplay. A proposed June 30, 2017 release date was floated on the release calendar, but by September 2016 it was clear that wasn’t going to happen.

Having been developing Joe Carnahan’s script for nearly a year-and-a-half, Sony struck a deal with Shawn Levy to become the fourth director of Uncharted in October 2016. It was only just shortly after this that Mark Wahlberg announced he was no longer involved with the production – having still been attached since the David O. Russell take – but his journey with the film wouldn’t really end there (we’ll get back to him).

By January 2017, the film once again looked like it was ready to become real. Uncharted had a finished script by Joe Carnahan, and plans were being made to have the project ready to shoot in the spring. In May 2017, Sony decided to double down on one of their biggest franchise’s stars, as it was decided that their Spider-Man: Homecoming lead, Tom Holland, would also play Nathan Drake in Uncharted. Unfortunately, the studio also once again found itself having some serious trouble actually nailing down a director to make the damn thing.

Tom Holland Is Nathan Drake, But Who Is Directing?

To date, Shawn Levy holds the record as the director with the longest attachment to Uncharted, as he was seated in the director’s chair for over two years… but that particular era ended in January 2019. With the future of the video game movie unclear, Levy decided to make Free Guy starring Ryan Reynolds (a totally different kind of video game movie), and left his position vacant for 10 Cloverfield Lane’s Dan Trachtenberg to take over.

Sony started to get ambitious again and announced a December 18, 2020 release date, but as you might have already guessed, that’s not happening. In August 2019 it was revealed that Dan Trachtenberg had become the fifth director to drop the project. The gap was filled quickly, with Bumblebee’s Travis Knight taking on the job just a few weeks later, but issues haven’t stopped plaguing the project in the months since.

Where We Are Now

First there was the news in December 2019 about the need to change plans for production due to Tom Holland’s commitments to the Spider-Man franchise (which has a new chapter out in 2021, and plans to start filming in the summer). This led Sony to lose Travis Knight as director (a.k.a. goodbye to Director #6) while pushing the film’s release date back to March 5, 2021.

In January 2020 Sony decided to reteam with Zombieland/Zombieland: Double Tap director Ruben Fleischer for Uncharted, and in the weeks since the film has put together an ensemble cast including Mark Wahlberg (now as Victor “Sully” Sullivan, Nathan’s mentor and father figure), Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, and Tati Gabrielle. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if the film is going to be able to make its current release date, as the latest reports about the project say that production has been pushed back at least six weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With still not a single frame of the movie captured yet, we can’t say for certain what the future holds for Uncharted. That being said, we have faith that it will eventually get made, and when it does it will hopefully be worth the wait.

After years of being trapped in development and going through multiple directors, screenwriters, and release dates, it looks like the long-awaited Uncharted film adaptation is finally about to enter production. For those who have fallen in love with the brash treasure hunter Nathan Drake on any of his adventures across various Sony PlayStation consoles over the past 13 years, the prospect of finally seeing the game move on to the silver screen is the best news we’ve received in years.

Over the past few weeks, people attached to the project have started to release more information on things like the release date, who’s going to be starring in the video game adaptation, and what we can expect from this highly anticipated project from Sony Pictures.

The Uncharted Movie’s Release Date Is In 2021

Initially, it looked like Nathan Drake and the rest of the characters from Uncharted would make their silver screen debut ahead of Christmas this year with a December 18 release date. After multiple delays in the pre-production process and Sony’s removal of the Masters Of The Universe adaptation from the calendar, the studio elected to move Uncharted to March 5, 2021, He-Man’s original release date. So it looks like we only have 13 months until we’re able to see Nathan Drake in his next adventure.

Director Of Zombieland Franchise and Venom Attached To Project

In the years following the film’s first mention, there have been no fewer than five directors attached to the project, including Travis Knight, who stepped away from the project after multiple delays in 2019. With production scheduled to get underway in as little as four weeks, it looks like Sony Pictures has finally decided on a replacement.

In January, Deadline reported that Sony Pictures was looking to hire Zombieland: Double Tap and Venom director Ruben Fleischer to lead production once it gets underway. This is not a surprise as both of Fleischer’s previous pictures were either produced by Sony Pictures (Venom) or distributed by the studio (Zombieland: Double Tap).

The Film Is Working Off A Screenplay From Writer Of The Grey And Smokin' Aces

The director’s chair isn’t the only spot that’s been a thorn in the side of production for Sony Pictures, as the project has gone through a number of screenwriters since work first began 12 years ago. Joe Carnahan, who wrote films such as Smokin’ Aces, The Grey, and even had a hand in coming up with the script for Bad Boys For Life was attached to the project back in 2016. While it’s not known if the tone of the script has changed over the course of the past four years, Carnahan looks to very much be a part of the project.

Tom Holland recently told IGN that the latest version of the writer’s script was one of the “best” he’s ever seen, further elaborating:

Tom Holland Is In The Starring Role

While numerous directors have come and gone over the last few years, one thing about the project has remained constant - Tom Holland is starring as Nathan Drake. With reports that the movie is going to focus on a younger Nathan Drake, Sony Pictures had their guy when they cast your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man shortly around the time the studio was preparing to release Spider-Man: Homecoming. Luckily for the studio, Holland never seems to age, so even with all the delays, he will still be able to portray a more youthful Drake than we saw in any of the games (besides the flashbacks, but more on those later).

Mark Wahlberg Will Play Longtime Series Regular

To best illustrate how long this movie has been in pre-production, Mark Wahlberg went from portraying Nathan Drake to Drake’s mentor and closest friend Victor Sullivan. All that being said, keeping Wahlberg on as the experienced “Sully,” especially a younger version of the character, could pay off in the long run. Wahlberg has been attached to the project for a number of years, is familiar with the material, and shares a lot of the grizzled characteristics found in Victor Sullivan’s character from the games. With a sharp tongue and an action film pedigree, Wahlberg could bring the cigar-smoking, wise-cracking, aged adventurer quite well.

Antonio Banderas Joins The Cast

Production will soon begin on the upcoming video game adaptation, and as the film's producers get ready to start principal photography, they have added more actors to the cast, including Antonio Banderas, who has been added in an unspecified role, according to Variety. It is not known whether he will play a friend or foe of Nathan Drake, but adding an actor with a track record as stellar as Banderas will certainly only make the film that much better. And if they go the villainous route for Banderas, there are plenty of villains to choose from throughout the Uncharted franchise.

Banderas isn't the only actor to join to the project at the start of March, as Variety also reported that Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina actor Tati Gabrielle and Grey's Anatomy actor Sophia Ali have also been added to the cast. Both actors have been added in unspecified roles.

The Story Centers Around A Younger Nathan Drake Than Seen In The Games

The casting of Tom Holland as the adventurer Nathan Drake seemed a little off at first, as Drake is portrayed as an older and already established character in the video game series. However, there are sections of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End where the player controls a younger Nathan Drake. According to Holland, the film adaptation will take inspiration from the latter game, especially those flashback scenes involving Nathan Drake and his brother, Sam, escaping from an orphanage and then breaking into a mansion to collect some of their mother’s belongings.

How much inspiration the film takes from Uncharted 4 remains to be seen, but I can’t think of a better inspiration for a story than the one found in that game - globe-trotting, pirates, and that amazing Madagascar level all come to mind. Hopefully, this means we see Sam Drake (who was voiced by everyone’s favorite voice actor Troy Baker in the game) show up at some point in the movie.

Production Could Get Underway As Early As March 2020

During the February 2020 premiere event for his new Disney Pixar film Onward, Tom Holland told IGN that filming will get underway in “four weeks,” which would have production getting underway at some point in March. Filming is set to take place in Berlin, Germany, as well as in Colombia.

How long the principal photography will last is anyone’s guess at this point, but Holland made it seem like shooting would last through the summer when discussing the matter with IGN:

What We Know About the Film’s Rating

Aside from movies based on horror video games (the Resident Evil and Silent Hill films come to mind), video game movies have primarily received a PG or PG-13 rating, at least here in the United States. Once you take that into consideration with the fact that the Uncharted games all had a “T” rating upon release (even though Nathan Drake literally killed hundreds, if not thousands of enemies), it’s safe to assume that Sony Pictures will be seeking a similar rating when the film is released in March 2021.

One of the original script treatments from Joe Carnahan was more focused on an R-rating, but that was four years ago, and a lot could have change during that time. We’ll just have to wait and see how the production plays out and how Sony wants to handle the level of violence featured in the film.

What We Know About The Film’s Trailer

Filming hasn’t even started on the Uncharted movie, so it’s safe to assume we won’t be seeing a teaser trailer for some time. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see some kind of reveal around the time San Diego Comic-Con takes place in late July, but even then would be early. We’ll have to wait and see on this one.

Where You Can Catch Other Uncharted Stories

Next year’s Uncharted movie will be the first film adaptation of the successful PlayStation franchise, so you won’t be able to stream previous films or episodes online (unless you have a time machine that can take you to the distant future where this movie is finally released). However, there are four main Uncharted games that follow the life and times and one Nathan Drake and his never-ending search for adventure and treasure.

One place to start would be with Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End since the movie is reportedly going to be heavily influenced by that entry in the franchise. In addition to being the basis of the movie, the game is also probably the easiest to digest for people who aren’t familiar with the franchise - it has the best graphics, one of the more engaging stories, and worked out all the gameplay issues that bogged down the earlier games. All that being said, the first three games in the Naughty Dog Studios series are all worth playing as well if you want to know everything about Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan. Be warned, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune has not aged well in the last 13 years.

Who Will Be Composing The Score

We don’t yet know who is going to be composing the score the upcoming Uncharted film adaptation, but hopefully whoever is hired to take on the task takes inspiration from the Greg Edmonson who wrote the score for the first three games in the series. Henry Jackman did a tremendous job of adding a more theatrical approach to the score for Uncharted 4, so maybe they bring him back for the 2021 film adaptation.

So, there you have it. That is all we know about the upcoming Uncharted film adaptation from Sony Pictures. Let’s just hope the movie actually gets made this time.

Rule #56: There are SPOILERS ahead so don’t read this until you’ve seen Zombieland: Double Tap.

After finally delivering a sequel to 2009’s Zombieland after a decade of false starts, you might think that director Ruben Fleischer would be content to leave the zombie-infested wasteland behind for good. But thankfully, that’s not the case and following the recent release of the incredibly fun Zombieland: Double Tap, Ruben Fleischer actually has an idea for a potential spinoff that would focus on one of the sequel’s new characters. Ruben Fleischer explained his idea, saying:

Yes please. Ruben Fleischer’s idea for a Zombieland spinoff is to follow Madison, the bubbly, beautiful and charmingly stupid character introduced in the sequel film and portrayed by actress Zoey Deutch. The director believes that there is still more story to tell with Madison and therefore the potential is there to give the character her very own standalone spinoff movie.

Ruben Fleischer sounds particularly keen on the idea and thinks it would be fun to explore a Madison story. He even muses that a sample of such a spinoff film would have made for a good post-credit scene in Zombieland: Double Tap. The sequel film already has a pretty great post-credits scene, but the pitch for a Madison post-credits scene and what it could mean for a potential spinoff is a neat idea.

As he tells The Hollywood Reporter, Ruben Fleischer envisions a post-credit scene with Madison and Avan Jogia’s Berkeley, which would have taken place after the events of the film. Madison was Columbus’s rebound when Wichita took off but after Columbus and Wichita get back together at film’s end, this leaves Madison without somebody. Fortunately, Little Rock dumps Berkeley so Berkeley and Madison end up hooking up.

The post-credit scene would have seen these two fools, who miraculously survived the zombie apocalypse to this point, in the hippie community of Babylon just doing dumb stuff. Ruben Fleischer doesn’t say if that’s the idea he has for a Madison standalone movie, but that could theoretically be a good jumping off point to tell more of her story.

Zombieland: Double Tap is one of those exceedingly rare comedy sequels that is actually good. It performed admirably at the box office in its opening weekend as well so hopefully this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this series. It might take another decade to get a proper Zombieland 3, but a spinoff would be a fun way to continue the franchise and following Zoey Deutch’s Madison is a great idea.

Madison was an absolute scene-stealer in Zombieland: Double Tap. Despite being the kind of ditzy blonde character archetype that might be annoying, she wound up being positively hilarious and loveable. It would be great to see more of her and as we know from the existing films, the Zombieland franchise is open to flashbacks and cutaways, so maybe we could find out more about her life before Zombieland and how exactly she wound up in that freezer.

The only thing I wonder about with a Madison spinoff, especially if it’s a movie with her and Berkeley, is if you would need a straight man type character in there to balance things out. Part of what made Madison so funny was how Tallahassee, Wichita and Columbus reacted to her.

Zombieland: Double Tap is now playing. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what other movies are headed to theaters this year.

Late last year, it was reported that following in the footsteps of his Ghostbusters co-star Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd would cameo in Zombieland: Double Tap. We won’t spoil what specifically goes down in the long-awaited sequel, but it’s important to note that Aykroyd is not present in it, and there were never any plans to include him. At least, not in how the final version of the movie played out. According to Double Tap director Ruben Fleischer:

You can listen to our full interview with Ruben in Episode 88 of ReelBlend:

Ruben Fleischer set the record straight concerning Dan Aykroyd while appearing on the ReelBlend podcast. If Zombieland: Double Tap had arrived before February 2014, when Harold Ramis passed away, then it’s possible that this scene could have been shot and thrown into the movie. But by the time the final draft was ironed out, this scene was cut out. Sorry, folks, there’s no Ghostbusters reunion in Double Tap, and this was just a case of someone getting ahold of outdated information.

You’ll have to just imagine what’s happened to Dan Aykroyd in the Zombieland world. Maybe he was turned into a zombie right as the outbreak began, or maybe, like Bill Murray, he was able to survive for many years afterwards. Although if it’s the latter option, fingers crossed things turned out better for him than Murray, who was accidentally killed by Columbus in Zombieland.

Fortunately for Ghostbusters fans, it’s looking like Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd will reunite with each other onscreen soon thanks to Ghostbusters 2020. This direct follow-up to the first two Ghostbusters movies is also bringing back Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts, so these members of the first Ghostbusters generation (in other words, they’re playing their original characters, as opposed to brand-new ones like in the 2016 reboot) will join forces with the new main characters.

As for Zombieland: Double Tap, again, we’re not dropping any spoilers, but like its predecessor, it’s been met with a solid amount of positive reception. Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin have all reprised their respective roles for the sequel, and they’re joined by Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, Zoey Deutch, Thomas Middleditch and Avan Jogia.

Zombieland: Double Tap is now playing in theaters, and be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of the movie. Don’t forget to plan your trips to the theater in the near future accordingly with our 2019 release schedule and 2020 release schedule.

Looking back, it’s easy to see why Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland was such a big hit. It’s not an overly complex setup from a plot perspective, delivering a road trip through the zombie apocalypse, and the movie features a truly wonderful group of characters to follow, played by an ensemble of four incredibly talented actors: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin. The material is bolstered by the impressive wit and cleverness of screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and what culminates from those ingredients is a really funny, fun adventure that pulls off some real surprises, and even a few scares.

All this in mind, the big question that has surrounded Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland: Double Tap in recent months has been whether or not the magic could be recreated. The production was given all of the same ingredients, with not only Fleischer returning, but also Reese and Wernick and the entire core cast, but that alone did not guarantee that the film would come together successfully like its predecessor.

That’s a lot of pressure for a sequel, especially one being released 10 years later, but it’s a high bar that the movie is able to reach. It turns out that it’s really just immensely enjoyable to hang out with these characters at the end of the world, and with the story throwing a handful of excellent new elements at our heroes – both human and zombie alike – once again audiences get an entertaining, laugh-out-loud ride.

Following reality’s timeline, Zombieland: Double Tap picks up with its main characters 10 years after the rise of the flesh-eating undead, and they have basically settled into a routine. They’ve taken up residence at the White House, and their group dynamics haven’t much changed. The timorous, “rules”-obsessed Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has maintained a romantic relationship with Wichita (Emma Stone), though he is ready to commit, while she still remains terrified at the prospect of getting too close to anyone. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), meanwhile, is still the same brash, catch phrase-spouting redneck, though he has also taken Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) under his wing like a daughter – something that the young woman bridles against as she is reaching leave-the-nest age.

With tensions rising in the group, the two sisters pull off a familiar move and split in the middle of the night… but things don’t go exactly as planned. A few days after leaving, Wichita returns to the White House with news that Little Rock left her in the lurch as well, sneaking away with an acoustic guitar-playing pacifist named Berkeley (Avan Jogia).

The trio once again hits the road so that they can try and find Little Rock – but this time they are joined by a fresh face in Madison (Zoey Deutch), an energetic ditz who has survived the rise of zombies by living in a freezer at the mall.

The greatest strength that Zombieland: Double Tap possesses is the fact that the character voices feel impressively familiar, lending the movie a feeling of reuniting with old friends. A lot has changed for the core cast in the last 10 years, with the group together earning six Academy Award nominations and one victory, plus Abigail Breslin becoming an actual adult, but their return to these particular personalities and energies feels effortless. They’ve matured and have a level of comfortability together to the extent that it doesn’t all feel like material we’ve seen before, but these are also definitely still the individuals we fell for back in 2009.

Further helping balance the scales in that particular arena is the excellent injection of new that Zombieland: Double Tap gets from its fresh faces. While you might think that a “dumb blonde” character in 2019 might be too much of a trope to work, you’re actually dead wrong, as Zoey Deutch is an impressive scene-stealer who generates some of the biggest laughs of the movie, both with fantastic comedic timing, and some great physicality.

And while their roles aren’t quite as big, similar sentiments can be shared about the roles played by Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, and Thomas Middleditch. Set up as a foil for Tallahassee, Dawson’s Nevada is a wonderful, Elvis-loving, tough-as-nails ass-kicker, while Wilson and Middleditch make for an excellent mirror duo for Eisenberg and Harrelson – the differences between them being that Middleditch’s Flagstaff has survived Zombieland with a set of commandments instead of rules; and Wilson’s Albuquerque isn’t totally emotionally stunted and able to compliment his partner when he does a good job.

The sequel is even able to get a bit novel with its worldbuilding, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to check back in with a zombie apocalypse 10 years after it started. Not only is there the interesting idea explored that none of the events from the last decade in our own timeline played out in the fictional universe, but there is even a smart advancement in the way in which the characters deal with the monstrous cannibals that have taken over the Earth. After years of slaying, they’ve discovered that the population of the walking dead basically breaks down into two categories: the dimwitted “Homers,” and the surprisingly-clever “Hawkings.”

Not only does this have a cool effect on the way Zombieland: Double Tap approaches its attack scenes, with the characters creating strategies based on the demographics of the hordes they are facing, but it also provides a smart opportunity for raised stakes. The heroes have gotten so comfortable killing the two kinds of undead that they are almost bored, but then they get wind of a new kind of evolved zombie (“T-800s,” named after The Terminator) that are stronger and faster than anything Columbus, Wichita, Tallahassee, and Little Rock have ever seen.

The film isn’t exactly a game-changer, as while it doesn’t fall into the devastating sequel trap of repeating all the same gags from the original, it does have a very familiar structure. But this isn’t a movie that needed to break the mold to succeed. Zombieland: Double Tap is a solid addition to the big screen zom-com legacy, and a funny, freaky 10 year reunion.

Just because Marvel and Sony came up with a new arrangement to keep Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t mean the latter studio, which still holds the film rights to the Web-Slinger’s mythology, doesn’t have its own plans for the character. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has said that Spidey is “the only hero with the superpower to cross cinematic universes,” leading to speculation that Sony will somehow incorporate Tom Holland’s iteration of the hero into its own shared Marvel universe.

According to Venom director Ruben Fleischer, that’s exactly what’s on the horizon. As he put it:

When Marvel and Sony started collaborating on Spider-Man, that means that while Sony was establishing its own franchise filled with Spider-Man characters, they couldn’t include the hero who’s responsible for all these other characters existing, hence why Venom’s origin story was drastically altered. Now, however, in the wake of Marvel and Disney coming back together on Spider-Man following nearly a month-long split, Ruben Fleischer has heard that eventually the current cinematic versions of Spidey and Venom will clash someday.

Ruben Fleischer didn’t get into any specifics about how this will happen while speaking with Fandom, but presumably it has something to do with whatever new deal Marvel and Sony agreed on. Although Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is set to lead another MCU-set standalone movie and appear in a separate Marvel Studios movie, perhaps there’s a new stipulation allowing for Sony to eventually include Holland’s Spidey into its own Marvel universe affairs.

Considering that Doctor Strange and Avengers: Endgame have already established the multiverse and parallel realities (plus Mysterio lying about being from another Earth in Spider-Man: Far From Home), enough comic book-y groundwork has been laid that Spider-Man could be thrown into another universe. There’s also the possibility that Sony’s Marvel universe could be retroactively made to exist within the main MCU continuity, but considering Kevin Feige’s wording about Spidey crossing cinematic universes, I suspect that won’t be the case.

We’ll just have to wait and see when Spider-Man will be dropped into the Sony Marvel universe, or at least get official confirmation straight from Sony on the matter. Fortunately for that franchise, there’s enough on its plate to keep busy for the near future.

Next up is the Jared Leto-led Morbius, marking the first time the vampiric anti-hero is being adapted for live action. Then Venom 2 will see Ediie Brock fighting Woody Harrelson’s Cletus Kasady, who will transform into Carnage. Other Sony Marvel universe projects in development include Nightwatch, Black Cat, Silver Sable and Madame Web. Plus, Sony has the animated front covered through its Spider-Verse franchise.

For now, the next live action Spider-Man movie is set for release on July 16, 2021, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on its development. Don’t forget to look through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else is coming up in Phase 4 and beyond.

When we first experienced the world of Zombieland 10 years ago, the undead apocalypse in-universe was still a relatively recent phenomenon. While the flesh-eating walking corpses had certainly done quite a lot of damage by the time the story caught up with the film’s protagonists, the voice over narration from Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus informs the audience that the events that take place in the movie are only set about two months after a diseased burger doomed the planet.

Because of this, the world we saw in the film wasn’t too far off from our own – mostly just filled with more abandoned cars and occupied by fewer people than what we see every day. Of course, such was not the case for the upcoming sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap. The movie picks up with its predecessor’s main characters a full 10 years after the events of the previous feature, and that simple fact required the filmmakers to present the development of the planet in a very different way.

Back in late August I joined a small group of journalists for a Zombieland: Double Tap edit bay visit on the Sony Pictures Lot in Culver City, CA, and it was in conversation with director Ruben Fleischer that we learned about the special ways the walking dead-infested Earth has changed since we last saw it in 2009. As we learned from the filmmaker, there was some legitimate research done to make sure that everything looked accurate in the movie given a) the events that transpired to limit human population, and b) how much time had passed. Said Fleischer,

(Note: Life After People is a History Channel show, and “The World Without Us” is indeed the title, written by author Alan Weisman)

It was a subject that came up thanks to a bit of Zombieland: Double Tap footage that was shown to the group, namely a scene with a conversation between Columbus, Woody Harrelson’s Tallahassee, and a new character, Zoey Deutch's Madison – who lives in a mall freezer to stay away from cannibal corpses. When Madison complains about it being a cold environment, Tallahassee suggests her turning it off, to which she replies that there is no switch, and that she’s just been waiting for the electricity to run out. It’s this comment that leads Columbus to chime in, “As long as it keeps raining, the dams keep giving us power.”

Per Ruben Fleischer’s research this is a real thing that would actually happen, and potentially allow electricity to still exist in the world even 10 years after humans had abandoned power plants. So if you find yourself watching Zombieland: Double Tap and feeling incredulous about the fact that there are working lightbulbs, know that it’s not as crazy as it might seem.

Based on a script by the writers of the original Zombieland, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Zombieland: Double Tap reunites audiences with the aforementioned Columbus and Tallahassee, as well as Emma Stone’s Wichita and Abigail Breslin’s Little Rock – all of whom have taken up residence together in the White House. Things aren’t exactly all peaceful, however, and things actually get a bit chaotic when Little Rock runs off with a cute boy named (Avan Jogia). A road trip is inspired to find her, bringing the characters back out into the craziness of the world.

Zombieland: Double Tap is set to be released almost 10 years to the day after Zombieland, and that anniversary is coming up soon. The film will be hitting theaters everywhere on October 18, and you’ll definitely want to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend as we have more coverage for you leading up to the release!

With the Halloween season upon us, so is a whole lot of horror cinema — including the highly-anticipated return of the Zombieland gang a decade after the original became a beloved bloody success. Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are all back to slash up the undead in Zombieland: Double Tap, and with lower stakes! Wait… that’s not right. Actually, it's totally the opposite.

Ahead of Zombieland: Double Tap coming in October, director Ruben Fleischer explained a new classification system that’s been created for the different types of zombies. They are perfectly pop-culture infused (probably penned by Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus). The director explained it recently, saying,

Amazing! These names are perfect. Considering the gang has been living in Zombieland for years, they’ve started to develop a shorthand for all the levels of threat each of the rabid undead fall into, but they can take em all! They’ve grown into experts, and zombie slaying just isn’t fun anymore! Until a more advanced “model” to say enters the scene. Fleischer revealed this to Fandango:

This just keeps getting better. The gang comes across a zombie that they liken to T-800s from the Terminator films. Dark Fate, who? This should make for an exciting addition for the sequel 10 years in the making. It will be fun to see our comedic heroes band up against a more threatening zombie creatures.

Following in the footsteps of the original, Zombieland: Double Tap will be rated-R and all the same creatives are behind it. Zombieland’s Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who have since gone on to both write and produce the Deadpool movies, scripted this new sequel with Godzilla’s Dave Callaham. Ruben Fleischer is also returning, coming off the heels of the big success that was last October's Venom.

Along with the return of Wichita, Little Rock, Tallahassee and Columbus, audiences will be introduced to some new characters named after hometowns. Zoey Deutch will play Madison, a peppy-in-pink type who seems to be stuck in idolization of 2009 “role models” like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Breslin’s now grown up character will find a love interest in Avan Jogia’s Berkeley and run off with him.

The story will revolve around the gang getting Little Rock back. Rosario Dawson is also playing a new character named Nevada who could be a good match for Tallahassee. Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch also play funny characters who resemble Woody and Jesse’s characters. Oh, and Bill Murray is apparently coming back.

Check out Zombieland: Double Tap when it heads to theaters on October 18th.

The original Zombieland from 2009 is remembered for a lot of things, from Columbus’ rules for survival to Tallahassee’s Twinkie quest, but perhaps most of all for its all-time iconic cameo from Bill Murray. The beloved Ghostbusters actor is returning for Zombieland: Double Tap, so he won’t be a surprise cast member this time around. However, Zombieland: Double Tap director Ruben Fleischer has teased another big cameo for the sequel, saying:

Ruben Fleischer doesn’t know how you could ever top Bill Murray’s cameo from the first film, and he’s probably right about the futility of that task. Zombieland was very much an unknown quantity when it came out and to my recollection the cameo was kept fairly under wraps, unlike say Woody Harrelson showing up as Cletus Kasady in Venom. Zombieland wound up being a surprise hit, with the cameo being a major point of discussion around the film.

It will be hard to replicate those conditions, especially because now that audiences will be expecting another Bill Murray-level cameo. Yet, while it will be hard to top that cameo, that doesn’t mean that Ruben Fleischer isn’t going to give it a go in Zombieland: Double Tap. As he tells TotalFilm, there may be something special for audiences who stay to the finish of Zombieland: Double Tap.

While Ruben Fleischer doesn’t say it outright, that certainly sounds like the long-awaited sequel has another huge cameo in store for audiences. What’s unclear is whether Ruben Fleischer means staying to the end of the film itself or the end of the credits. I kind of think he means the end of the credits and if so it looks like Zombieland: Double Tap will be taking a cue from the biggest blockbusters and including a post-credits scene.

What this something special at the end of the film will be is anyone’s guess but if it is another cameo like Bill Murray’s hilarious one in the first film, that means there’s probably another star lined up to appear, possibly in zombie makeup. But who will it be? In addition to Bill Murray returning for the sequel, his Ghostbusters co-star Dan Aykroyd is also expected to play himself in Double Tap.

So maybe there is some sort of Ghostbusters homage lined up for the end of the movie with Aykroyd and Murray, but since Aykroyd’s casting has already been reported, maybe someone else will be showing up. As seen in the first trailer, Zombieland: Double Tap already has a stacked cast full of surprising actors, with the likes of Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch joining the core four of Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin and Jesse Eisenberg.

I wouldn’t even know where to begin with cameo guesses. Michael J. Fox? Danny DeVito? Arnold Schwarzenegger? Some of this movie takes place in the White House so…Obama? The possibilities are endless but now we have something else to look forward to when Zombieland: Double Tap hits theaters on October 18.

Limber up and check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what else is headed to theaters this fall.

What is it about horror directors that draws them to make comic book adaptations? While it may feel like Aquaman and Shazam! are the start of a new trend in hiring horror talent for superhero stories, history shows that there are quite a few directors who have moved between both worlds. And in some cases, there’s pretty prolific films on both sides of the aisle, stemming from those who decided to walk the line between screams and dreams. Some might surprise you, while others are pretty standard; but all made their mark in these twin worlds of fantasy. So without further ado, let's go down the list, shall we?

Richard Donner

Arguably the most classic example of the worlds of comics and horror crossing over, director Richard Donner’s resume spans work from varied genres, with two big films sticking out. The Omen from 1976 and 1978’s Superman: The Movie were Donner’s big, back to back contributions to horror and heroes, and taking them both into account, the filmmaker kind of made the same film twice - telling a story of a family taking in and raising an incredibly powerful being. The big difference is that Damien doesn't leap tall buildings in a single bound, and Superman doesn't flip out when approaching a house of worship. But the same steady hand guided both stories, and while Donner didn't get to do everything he'd set out to with his Superman films, his work still remains as the gold standard for the character.

James Gunn

Everyone knows James Gunn’s work from Guardians of the Galaxy as his major calling card in the industry today, and having made two films of comedy, music, and heart, he’s just been brought back to do a third one. But before it was all about Star-Lord’s famous Walkman and awesome mixes, Gunn had a different film that shocked the world into paying attention to him, and it was called Slither. A creature feature of the highest order, it was the film that brought Gunn together with the likes of Michael Rooker and Nathan Fillion, enabling him to cast them in later projects - including both Guardians movies. Of course, it also showed how well he worked with disgusting monsters that threaten a ragtag group of heroes.

James Wan

Back when films like Saw and Dead Silence were director James Wan’s bread and butter, if you had asked anyone if he’d be their first choice to direct an Aquaman movie you’d probably get a lot of laughter. But that’s exactly what happened, as the man who was crafting a whole cinematic universe of scares with The Conjuring films was brought in on the King Tide to send Jason Momoa’s titular hero shooting up the box office charts. Now, with Aquaman 2 obviously in the water, we just might be seeing the same hands that put reverse bear traps and creepy puppets into our nightmares spinning tales of superpowered heroism again in the near future.

David F. Sandberg

Speaking of The Conjuring, it’s only taken three years and three movies for the talented David F. Sandberg to go from horror newbie to superhero newbie, and with the results have been impressive. Back in 2016 we saw Sandberg adapt his short film Lights Out into a blockbuster horror hit, which eventually sent him to not only rehabilitate the Annabelle franchise with its sequel Annabelle: Creation, but eventually landed him in the position to call the shots on the aforementioned Shazam! Judging by the reaction we've seeen to that film so far, from both critics and fans alike, it sounds like Sandberg is going to fit into this long legacy of filmmakers just fine.

Guillermo del Toro

Yes, even Guillermo del Toro directed a superhero feature. While some modern comic book movie fans might not remember the Blade franchise, 2002’s Blade II was brought into the world by the steady hands of del Toro himself - doing a wonderful job actually mixing to two genres. What’s even better about this particular example of a horror and comic enhanced resume is the fact that Guillermo del Toro never stopped making horror films, and didn’t stop at one superhero film either. From Chronos to Pan’s Labyrinth, he's always been scaring the pants off of audience, and the man also found time to sneak in two Hellboy movies onto his dance card.

Sam Raimi

Debuting with a film like The Evil Dead immediately helped Sam Raimi establish himself in the horror world, and eventually direct his career to create a foundation based on the genre of screams. But eventually those howls turned to fantasies, as 1990’s Darkman saw Raimi break into superhero storytelling with pretty fantastic results (while still including a few jumps). That being said, it's still not the man's greatest achievement in the realm, as a little over a decade later the director brought the world our first ever Spider-Man movie, and then two sequels. It was a film that really changed big screen comic book movies forever, and one could argue that the landscape wouldn't be what it is today without it.

Scott Derrickson

Scott Derrickson is a man who has made one hell of a living off of the horror genre, later making the successful jump into the world of the caped and the courageous. Derrickson made his big splash as a director with The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and only continued to frighten the world with features like Sinister and Deliver Us From Evil for quite a long stretch of his early career. Proving clearly adept with genre storytelling after turning Doctor Strange into a smashing success, Derrickson looks like he’ll continue to play both sides of the fence, as Doctor Strange 2 is basically confirmed, and at least one other horror flavored project, Two Eyes Staring, looks to be in his future as well.

Ruben Fleischer

Zombieland was all it took for director Ruben Fleischer to become a hot new talent in the year of 2009. An irreverent zombie film that didn’t skimp on the kills or the laughs, the film became a pop culture hit almost instantly. However, it took another nine years for Fleischer to make the jump into superhero films, with one of the most horror fueled entries in the genre’s recent history: Venom. While the movie wasn't all that well-received by critics, there's also no arguing about its incredible success, as the Tom Hardy hit from last year is on track to be the basis for a whole new superhero continuity. And in the meantime, Fleisher is set to return to his horror roots with Zombieland: Double Tap currently filming and set to be released later this year.

Wes Craven

You might want to prepare yourself for a bit of a shock with this next one, because while Wes Craven is mostly known for bringing audiences face to face with their nightmares, he also took a superhero film on as a project in the earlier days of his career. By the time Craven had Last House On The Left and The Hills Have Eyes under his belt, he found himself wandering into the world of Swamp Thing, bringing the DC hero to life for Hollywood in 1982. Here’s the fun part though: you’ll notice that there’s one particular film that wasn’t made at that point, as A Nightmare On Elm Street wouldn’t exist for another two years. Seeing as that film was a box office smash, and Swamp Thing became a cult classic at best, Craven can’t be faulted for staying in the realm of horror.

Tim Burton

Picture this: you’re a young hot shot director named Tim Burton, and you’ve always kind of been taken with the world of gothic horror. After making Pee Wee’s Big Adventure the success that it is, what’s the first project you choose to do? Naturally, you'd cash in those favors and swing for a home run in your genre of choice, like Burton did with 1988’s horror-comedy classic Beetlejuice. That decision proved to be a classic success, because after turning on the juice and seeing the box office magic that shook loose, Tim Burton was brought in to usher a new era of superhero films into being. Using his gothic sensibilities, Burton jumpstarted Batman in 1989, and the rest was Danny Elfman enhanced history, continuing with Batman Returns three years later. In the years since he's not only continued to occupationally dabble in the world of horror - such as with the Oscar winning Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - but his aesthetic is still having an impact on comic book movie storytelling 30 years later.

Zack Snyder

For our last example, we’ve saved quite probably the most interesting. In recent years, director Zack Snyder has become primarily known as the director that tried in vain to get the DC Extended Universe off of the ground. After comic hits like 300 and Watchmen, Snyder graduated to Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. But before any of those films, the man had a pretty impressive claim to fame: he directed the 2004 remake of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, created with a script from the aforementioned James Gunn. Though more than half of his filmmography is now superhero movies, Snyder's feature roots are in horror, and to it he is returning to the genre next with the Netflix film Army of the Dead.

Looking at this list, maybe some directors best known for superhero movies should think about taking a page from the books of these intrepid filmmakers and pull a reverse migration into the world of horror. If the results are as promising as the stories we’ve recounted above, the scariest genre could see an even bigger boost than the one its currently experiencing.

It's no secret that superhero movies are everywhere, as multiple studios duke it out for box office supremacy. As such, there is the fear of superhero fatigue, where the genre becomes to oversaturated that the blockbusters all mold together, essentially cancelling themselves out. If any superhero movie had the potential to fade into the background last year, it was Ruben Fleischer's Venom. Fans weren't sure how the movie would function without Spider-Man's inclusion, but Venom ended up making a surprising amount of money at the box office, allowing a sequel to be green-lit by Sony.

Venom's sequel is currently in active development, and will likely focus on Woody Harrelson's Carnage, who was introduced during the film's credits scene. But now it looks like director Ruben Fleischer won't be involved in the next installment in the burgeoning franchise. While writer Kelly Marcel will reportedly return to work on the screenplay alongside Tom Hardy, Sony is apparently searching for a new director to helm the upcoming sequel.

This news comes to us from Variety, which reports that Ruben Fleischer will be too busy with other directing projects to return for Venom 2. Instead, Sony will find new talent to helm the follow up film, and hopefully capture the same unique tone. Venom had a dark sense of humor and self-awareness that set it apart from the rest of the genre, so the new director will have to find a way to inhabit the same space in order to please all the moviegoers the first film won over.

Prior to its release, the cards were stacked again Venom from being the success it ended up being in theaters. As previously mentioned, it had the lofty goal of making a Spider-Man character movie without the web slinger, as Sony's deal with Marvel has Tom Holland's Peter Parker operating within the Marvel Shared Universe. Venom's first trailer gave the fandom particular pause for concern, as it was completely lacking the titular antihero at all, instead coming off as more of an adventure for Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock. The film got even more flack when Jenny Slate's character mispronounced the word symbiote in the trailer, as audiences grew more concerned.

But Venom ultimately vibrated on its unique frequency, having a closer relation to Fox's Deadpool franchise than the MCU. The visual affects may have left something to be desired, but Venom was delightfully snarky and crude, while also setting up the ground work for a larger franchise. It still remains to be seen whether Spider-Man will ever make an appearance, but some big concepts were introduced that will hopefully take bloom with its mysterious sequel.

Venom is currently available for home purchase. CinemaBlend will keep you updated on the developing sequel as more details become public. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

In a time when more and more comic book characters are scoring R-ratings for their film adaptations, Sony's Venom spin-off seemed like an obvious addition when it was first developing, since the symbiote does love his blood and gore. So when the film ended up being PG-13, many fans were understandably shocked. Still, some have been holding out hope for an additional cut on home video that would embrace more adult elements, but now director Ruben Fleischer is here to dump a bucket of cold water on that idea:

Considering how well Venom did commercially, Ruben Fleischer basically struck gold and would hate to mess with the product so many people went out to see - as he explained in an interview with LRM. The blockbuster recently broke $850 million worldwide, and will enjoy another month in Chinese theaters due to its record-breaking success. The film was quite polarizing, as the it was thrashed by a majority of critics, but has been embraced by mass audiences.

While an R-rated Venom could please some fans, Ruben Fleischer is right, in that his movie was so well received it just doesn't need to happen. If the film had bombed and the director felt he needed to show off his grittier, gorier version to redeem the franchise it might have made sense, but that is not the case that is presented here. Not to mention, an unrated Venom would probably be a lot of work on the part of the filmmaker and the various visual effects houses, given that they would need to do additional work adding in more CGI blood, for example (assuming that the "extra" footage doesn't already somehow exist).

The reason it was decided that Venom would be PG-13 was to leave room for Spider-Man to potentially share the screen with the character in the future. Writer Jeff Pinkner recently teased this distinct possibility for the sequel. However, it's unknown if that would be Tom Holland's version (which belongs to Disney's MCU making it unlikely), or a Sony Spider-Verse Spidey (maybe a live-action Miles Morales?)

Venom is the first installment in a planned Spider-Verse franchise for Sony, and following the immense success of the film everything's going according to plan. The studio might have felt that establishing Venom as an R-rated character wouldn't have worked as well with the character in that critical position, and it does make sense to start a franchise with a wider audience in mind.

But who knows what the future will hold. After Sony's Spider-Verse has found itself a few successes with their Marvel properties they might branch out to more mature comic book adaptations. For now, you can catch Venom on Digital and Blu-ray.

Superhero movies are everywhere, and now Sony is trying a new strategy by crafting a cinematic universe around the supporting characters of Spider-Man lore. With the web crawler being apart of the behemoth MCU, the first of these movies is finally hitting theaters with Venom. Ruben Fleischer's blockbuster will be an origin story for Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy. Hardy is also voicing the antihero title character-- sharing scenes with himself in the process. Venom was previously adapted into live-action with Sam Raimi's less than stellar Spider-Man 3, although he's looking decidedly different in the new movie. CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell recently spoke with director Venom Ruben Fleischer, where he explained the effort to make the character look as different from Topher Grace's version as possible.

It looks like Venom's fundamental appearance change is mostly a sign of the times. The capabilities of CGI and visual affects have improved greatly since Spider-Man 3 arrived in 2007. The Raimi movies relied heavily on practical affects, resulting in a Venom that was far more human in appearance. But the big guy is a hulking monster in Venom, which should make comic book fans very happy.

Ruben Fleischer spoke with CinemaBlend editor Sean O'Connell at the recent Venom press junket. The character's appearance and physical presence is being praised from early critics, and has already been shown off in the brief scenes released ahead of time. When fully transformed, Venom is a giant creature, with a bulky physique ripped directly from the beloved comic book pages. His symbiote abilities can also be far more creative and unpredictable, as modern visual affects create the impossible onscreen.

Ruben Fleischer's comments also show how methodically he tried to separate Venom from previous web swinging movies. Tom Hardy's dual Venom characters seem nothing like that of Topher Grace's in Spider-Man 3, with audiences able to accept a new onscreen version of the iconic character, possibly crafting a new shared universe in the process.

You can catch Venom in theaters October 5th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Ever since Spider-Man 3's release, Sony Pictures has had a Venom movie in some form of development. The project came close to getting off the ground when the Amazing Spider-Man series was planning to expand, but after those plans collapsed, it seemed like Venom was once again on ice. Then 2017 happened, and seemingly out of nowhere, Sony announced that it was fast-tracking a Venom movie after a year of no updates.

Now Venom joins the growing ranks of superhero movies that turn the tables and focus on villains/anti-heroes, like The Punisher, Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Gotham City Sirens and the Doctor Doom movie. It also sounds like Sony is taking extra care to deliver a Venom to audiences this year who is more faithful to the source material, though there will be several key differences between this new live-action iteration and his comic book counterpart. With Venom looking like it will be one of the more intriguing blockbusters of 2018, here are all the important details that have been released about the project so far. Let's start with the most recent, intrigue and violence-filled trailer, shall we?

Whoa! While the first trailer didn't actually show us even a hint of Tom Hardy as Venom, this one not only answers some story questions, but finally gives fans a full look at the supervillain/anti-hero. Now, let's move on to all the info we've been able to gather about the film!

What Is Venom's Release Date?

Venom will be released in theaters on October 5, 2018. This is an odd month to release a superhero film, but as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Logan and others have taught us, a movie in this genre doesn't have to be released in the summer or the November/December season for it to be successful. Plus, since Venom is intended to feel more like a horror movie than a straightforward superhero flick, releasing it outside the usual blockbuster season may help it stand out even more. Currently, Venom only has competition on that opening weekend in the form of the Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga remake of A Star Is Born, meaning it should have the market cornered on those who want to watch a dude who's been taken over by an alien eat some bad guys.

What Is Venom's Rating?

As mentioned earlier, Venom will have a horror tilt, which is fitting, since Venom is one of the scarier Marvel comics villains. With extra frights comes extra violence, and when paired together, they usually equal an R rating. And, while director Ruben Fleischer had said he wanted the movie to comfortably rest in that adult territory, the lure of easily getting young butts in seats led the film to be cut in a way that would allow for a PG-13 rating. Tom Hardy, for one, has said that he thinks this was a good move, and that the film was still able to double down on the character's scarier traits and violent tendencies. But, he's also made it known that he'd love the sequel to be able to go way darker, and fully embrace an R rating, much like Deadpool and Logan. Potential Spider-Man cameo be damned.

Venom's Director

Ruben Fleischer is taking the reins on Venom, and he has plenty of experience in both the horror and action realms. Fleischer is best known for directing the horror comedy Zombieland, which came out two years before The Walking Dead TV series hit the scene. In 2011, he reunited with Jesse Eisenberg to direct 30 Minutes or Less, and two years later he helmed Gangster Squad. Venom marks Fleischer's first feature-length directorial project since Gangster Squad, but he's also been keeping himself busy on television by executive producing and directing episodes of Superstore, American Housewife and The Santa Clarita Diet. If Fleischer can pull off the same kind of unique genre melding with Venom that he did with Zombieland, then this will be a movie that can be enjoyed just as much by comic book fans as by horror fans. Fleischer has also said that Venom will be inspired by the works of David Cronenberg and John Carpenter.

What Is The Story Of Venom?

In January of 2018, Ruben Fleischer revealed that the story for Venom would actually be based on two comic stories that the character starred in. One is Lethal Protector, a six-issue miniseries which ran in 1993. In this series, Eddie Brock moves to San Francisco after telling Spider-Man that he would give up his Venom-filled life of crime. While there, though, his past comes back to haunt him when the father of one of his victims hires mercenaries to kill him. This caused a commotion which drew Spider-Man to the city, and he and Venom eventually had to face off against five of the Venom symbiote's offspring.

The second story is Planet of the Symbiotes, which ran in 1995. Eddie finally realized how much the symbiote was corrupting him, and managed to drive it out. But, this pissed the alien off so much that it called to a nearby spaceship filled with symbiotes to attack the Earth. This story features Carnage, as well as the five symbiotes from Lethal Protector.

Something that's confirmed in the most recent trailer is the fact that at least one symbiote will come from outer space, as we see the symbiote being taken from the wreckage of a crashed ship in the opening moments. The trailer also tells us that we'll follow Eddie Brock as he investigates The Life Foundation, which has obtained the creature and is using the symbiote to experiment on people and try to force human evolution. Obviously, that's going to go badly, and when Eddie is accidentally joined to the Venom symbiote, he's going to be fighting agents of the foundation to stay safe and, possibly, keep others who have joined with symbiotes from causing deadly trouble all over the city.

Eddie Brock/Venom

Tom Hardy will play Eddie Brock/Venom in the Venom movie. Hardy is no stranger to the world of comic book media, having previously played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and being attached to lead the 100 Bullets movie. Hardy was also supposed to play Rick Flagg in Suicide Squad, but he had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts, and he was replaced by Joel Kinnaman. Hardy is the second actor to play Venom in live action, preceded by Topher Grace in 2007's Spider-Man 3. Well, third if you count Ryan Kwanten's performance in the fan made short film Truth in Journalism.

While several individuals have become Venom in the comics over the decades, including Mac Gargan (better known as the Scorpion) and Flash Thompson (Peter Parker's bully-turned-friend who went by Agent Venom), Eddie is the one who's most associated with the name.

Eddie was introduced in 1986's Web of Spider-Man #18, and in his early appearances, he was a reporter for The Daily Globe. Eddie thought he finally found his journalistic break when he started looking into the serial killer known as The Sin-Eater. During his investigation, Eddie was contacted by a man named Emil Gregg, who claimed to be the Sin-Eater. After speaking with Gregg and finding what he thought was evidence to support Gregg's claim, Eddie wrote up an expose that revealed the killer's identity. However, soon after it was revealed that Gregg wasn't the real Sin-Eater, as Spider-Man had caught the real killer. Eddie was instantly fired from his job, and his already emotionally distant father cut off communication with him entirely.

Eddie blamed Spider-Man for what happened, and one night, he found himself at a church where he wrestled with his hatred for the superhero and whether or not he should kill himself. Coincidentally, this was the same church where Spider-Man was trying to rid himself of the alien symbiote that was trying to take over his body. Peter Parker was able to use the church's bells to free himself from the symbiotes' hold, as intense sounds are one of its weaknesses. But the symbiote didn't go without a new host for long, as it quickly attached itself to the emotionally wrecked Eddie, and when they joined together, Venom was born.

Thanks to the symbiote's time with Peter Parker, Venom has all the same abilities as Spider-Man, from wall-crawling to super strength greater than Spidey's, to even shooting web-like material made from its own body. In addition to the inherited Spider-abilities, the symbiote can also heal its host more quickly, filter out toxic substances, share any memories it obtained from previous hosts and shape shift to camouflage or disguise itself. As if all these powers weren't enough, Venom also can't be detected by Spider-Man's spider sense, although he didn't inherit a spider sense of his own. As for weaknesses, intense sounds and fire are the main things that can bring him down.

Carlton Drake

The villainous head of The Life Foundation will be played by Riz Ahmed in Venom. It was thought that he would be taking on the role of Carnage when he was first added to the film's cast, but that turns out not to be true. Instead, the movie's panel at SDCC 2018 revealed that his Carlton Drake would, indeed, become so intrigued by the experiments he's running that he decides to use himself as a guinea pig, with Drake becoming the evil symbiote known as Riot in the comics. The Venom trailer which was released at the end of July 2018 finally showed off some of the conflict that audiences can expect between Venom and Riot, even though it does take quite a bit of eagle-eyed viewing to see it about two-thirds into the spot. But, it's good to know we can count on Drake doing more than leading The Life Foundation with a wicked grin.

Ann Weying

Eddie Brock's ex-wife, Ann Weying, was a successful lawyer, and during one of Venom's rampages, Ann helped Spider-Man talk Eddie down and convince him to give up. During another story, the Sin-Eater shot Ann, and to save her, Eddie had the Venom symbiote bond with her to heal her wounds. By doing this, Ann became She-Venom, and during her brief time with the symbiote, she killed the two men who tried to attack her and Eddie. After Ann was freed, she tried to blame her actions on the symbiote, but Eddie told her that the symbiote never forces its host to do something they don't want to do. Ann was then arrested, but Eddie sent the Venom symbiote to her so she could escape prison. She-Venom went for another round against some criminals, and when Eddie was injured, she gave up the symbiote to save him. But those experiences were too much for her, and months later she killed herself due to her inability to cope with having been She-Venom and seeing Eddie transform back into Venom.

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) is portraying Ann in Venom, but for the purposes of this story, it sounds like she'll be a district attorney who falls for Eddie while he's still coming to terms with being joined with the symbiote, instead of already being his ex-wife by the time the movie starts. As for if she'll become She-Venom, that's unlikely, given that Eddie is the star of the show, but who knows, maybe to defeat Carnage, Eddie will need to let go of part or all of his symbiote and give it to Ann so she can lend assistance. However, Williams noted in December 2017 that no efforts had been made to digitize her appearance, so it sounds like She-Venom is out for the time being.

Cletus Kasady/Carnage

Venom is, as of this writing, just a week away from opening, but we still have no idea if Carnage will fill any antagonist position in the movie, even though it's been rumored that the character will be around for quite some time. If he is, it will be something to see, because unlike Venom, Carnage doesn't have a moral compass. Cletus Kasady was one of the world's most notorious serial killers, guided by the mindset that only through chaos can one truly be free. Eventually, he was captured and sent to Ryker's Island, where he shared a cell with Eddie Brock. When the Venom symbiote sneaked into the prison to re-bond with Eddie, it left behind an offspring, and because this alien species don't feel any attachment to their children, Eddie's symbiote didn't clue him in on the "baby." After Eddie's escape, this new symbiote bonded with Kasady, turning him into Carnage and passing along the same spider-powers that the Venom symbiote inherited from Spider-Man (including super strength greater than Spidey and Venom's) and natural abilities of a symbiote. Carnage is also able to shoot parts of its symbiote as weapons that disintegrate seconds later; something Venom can't do.

With his powers and psychopathic mind, Carnage is one of the Marvel universe's most dangerous villains, making him a great opponent for Venom on the big screen. No details about the Venom movie's version of Carnage have been revealed yet, including whether it will remain an offspring of the original symbiote or if it's a completely separate entity, or whether or not we'll actually see Carnage as opposed to just seeing the man who would later become him. Fortunately, Venom hates Carnage almost as much as he hates Spider-Man, so seeing the symbiote-powered characters clash on the big screen should be a treat.

When actor Riz Ahmed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) was added to the Venom cast in the summer of 2017, rumors swirled that he had been cast as Carnage in the movie. But, those rumors were quickly shot down by reports which noted he was filling another major role in the film. Not much more was said about Carnage until early April 2018, when another set of rumors led many to believe that Woody Harrelson, whose potential casting was reported in December 2017, would actually be the one filling the role of the murderous, chaos-loving symbiote/serial killer. Nothing is concrete just yet, but it's all but been confirmed that there will be a mid-credits scene at the end of Venom, meaning that Carnage (and Harrelson) could surprise us then.

Dora Skirth

Luckily for Eddie Brock, after he decides to take on The Life Foundation he'll have some help in the form of Jenny Slate's Dora Skirth. Dora, who is a character created just for the film, works for the foundation and helps Eddie out by giving him some insider information on the symbiote the organization is experimenting with. Not so luckily, his trip behind the scenes of the foundation with Dora appears to be how he ends up becoming one with Venom.

Spider-Man

Following The Amazing Spider-Man 2's underwhelming performance, Sony decided to scrap its plans for a Spider-Man cinematic universe and teamed up with Marvel to bring the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The result was introducing the third cinematic incarnation of Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War, followed by Spider-Man: Homecoming a year later. Spider-Man has a bright future ahead of him in the MCU, but the same can't be said for Sony's spinoff movies. Even though Tom Holland's Spider-Man adventures and Venom exist in the same reality, i.e. the MCU, Spider-Man will not show up during Eddie Brock's standalone story; not even for a cameo, all rumors to the contrary. It's a shame, because many have been hoping see a better brawl between Spidey and Venom after Spider-Man 3 failed to impress on that front. Alas, all we can hope for now is if Sony is willing to reverse this policy and fit Spidey into a Venom sequel if that is greenlit.

Sony's Marvel Universe

Venom isn't the only Spider-Man-centric movie Sony has coming down the pipeline. Silver & Black was also in development for a time, but, after being delayed indefinitely in February 2018, the movie was then scrapped in favor of two separate solo films, meant to focus on Silver Sable and Black Cat. Both characters have been allies and also enemies to Spider-Man over the years, reportedly going up against villains like Tombstone, Tarantula, Scorpion and Chameleon. At this point, neither film is expected to include the presence of Spider-Man, much like Venom. Also in development right now is a film set to focus on Cindy Moon, a.k.a. Silk. Details on this film are also under wraps, but Silk is a cool comic character who was bitten by the same spider as Peter Parker, and (while not as strong as him) is faster, has a more powerful sixth sense and can shoot webbing from her actual fingertips. These three projects have joined Spike Lee's Nightwatch movie and Morbius the Living Vampire as potential films from this shared universe, and we'll be sure to keep you updated as these films move forward.

For some movies, the possibility of a sequel goes from an inevitability to a never ending loop of development hell. The sequel to 2009's horror comedy Zombieland has been one of those. After years in that purgatory, it was confirmed over the summer that Zombieland 2 is finally happening. It'll be much easier to get excited and believe it's actually happening once cameras start rolling, so where does Zombieland 2 stand at the moment? Director Ruben Fleischer explained that work has already begun, saying:

After almost a decade since the first film, Zombieland 2 is finally in pre-production with location scouting and storyboarding underway. And in only a few short months, at the beginning of next year, Zombieland 2 will finally start filming. This is encouraging news for fans that have endured lots of false starts waiting for this sequel to get made. So to hear that it is finally, truly in the works, albeit the early stages, is extremely exciting.

Ruben Fleischer sounds excited about it too. Speaking with Fandango, he talks about how he look forward to working with the cast again. That's certainly a relief to hear, the cast's availability was reportedly was one of the primary obstacles to this film getting made. Zombieland's actors have gone on to plenty of success in the years since that film, and demand for their talents could make scheduling difficult. With the cast all returning to join director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, all the ingredients are present for Zombieland 2 to recapture the charm of the first film and deliver a frightfully funny entry in the oft-underutilized horror comedy genre.

We don't yet know what the film will be about, but according to Ruben Fleischer it has a great script. We have heard for a long time that Tallahassee might get a love interest, and according to one report Zombieland 2 will feature a world where the zombies have been almost wiped out, but the heroes find that there may be a pack of "super zombies" to contend with. Take that all with a grain of salt until we hear more, which will likely occur once Zombieland 2 begins filming next year.

Before really ramping up for production on Zombieland 2, Ruben Fleischer has another movie coming out in less than a month with Venom, which officially kicks off Sony's Spider-verse. Venom features Tallahassee himself, Woody Harrelson, in a secret role. Venom releases in theaters on October 5th.

Zombieland 2 is scheduled for release on October 11, 2019. You can see all of next year's biggest movies in our 2019 release calendar. There's still plenty of stuff to come in 2018 too, so check that out in our guide.

Over the past decade of filmmaking, the superhero genre has become arguably the most popular genre. Comic book adaptations have their own set of tropes, one of which being a teasy mid-credits scene. Starting with 2007's Iron Man, fans have become accustomed to staying seated during a film, in hopes of a few more seconds of footage. Sony is getting more involved in the comic book genre through its upcoming blockbuster Venom, based off the Spider-Man character of the same name. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the movie will star Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom. But will it have a mid-credits scene? Fleischer was recently asked just that, responding with:

Well, that's about as close to a confirmation as one can get. While Ruben Fleischer is still trying to keep the contents of his upcoming comic book adaptation under wraps, he's encouraging audiences to stay seated to catch a bit more of Venom after the credits roll.

Ruben Fleischer's comments to Fandango should be exciting for all the hardcore comic fans out there. Moviegoers have become accustomed to mid-credits scenes, even if they're short comedic moments like Avengers' shwarma scene. And since Venom will be the first installment in the developing Spider-Verse, the pressure is on to deliver a satisfying movie, and potentially set up future movies. Now the question is, what could the extra scene include?

It's all going to depend on what happens throughout the course of Venom, and how Eddie Brock's origin story ultimately plays out. While Brock is a regular journalist, he'll be sharing his life and body with the symbiote Venom. This will give him awesome abilities, but will the monster's more savage instincts prove too much for the protagonist? Will he end up starting on a path of villainy?

There are also potentially big things in store for Michelle Williams' character Anne Weying. In the comics, Weying has often transformed into She-Venom, and gained the awesome and terrifying abilities from merging with the symbiote. While Williams revealed she didn't do any of the mo-cap that it would require, she's also expressed interest in exploring that plot line in a potential sequel. It seems a waste to keep an actress like her on the sideline, so let's hope that Anne still has a major role in the events of Venom.

Venom's mid-credits scene also has the potential to be the final scene in the franchise. If the upcoming blockbuster fails to perform at the box office, it's possible Sony would choose not to move forward with a sequel. The pressure is on for Ruben Fleischer to really deliver.

Venom will arrive in theaters on October 5, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Given how massively popular and profitable the superhero genre has become over the past decade, most studios are trying to get in on the action, and craft their own cinematic universe. For Sony, this comes with their still developing Spider-Verse, starring the supporting characters and villains of Spider-Man lore. While the web slinger himself will be absent, the universe will get its jump start with Ruben Fleischer's Venom, starring Tom Hardy as the title character and Eddie Brock. Anticipation for Venom has been slowly building, but its first trailer caused many fans to pause. Namely, because Venom wasn't actually in it. Fleischer recently addressed that first trailer, explaining it with:

Although Marvel fans were originally confused when Venom's trailer arrived, it turns out that the lack of the symbiote antihero was because Venom was simply not ready to be viewed by the public. The visual effects team was still working on his appearance, and didn't want to debut an incomplete or shoddy looking rendering.

Ruben Fleischer's comments to Total Film (via Comic Book Movie) finally gives an explanation for Venom's first bizarre trailer. While it featured the starring cast and teased Eddie Brock's adventure, there wasn't even one quick shot of the title character. Cinephiles argued that having just a brief glance would have been enough, like Alien: Covenant did with the Xenomorph.

As a reminder, you can check out the first Venom trailer below. Just don't expect the symbiote to appear. Like at all.

Well, that was a choice. Luckily Marvel fans out there finally have a reason why the Venom teaser went down like this, and the following trailers have featured plenty of the character's voice and physical appearance. Venom is almost here, and he's going to be deadly.

Ruben Fleischer's Venom will arrive in theaters on October 5, 2018, hopefully starting Sony's Spider-Verse in the process. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Eddie Brock and the Symbiote will become one later this year when Ruben Fleischer's Venom premieres in October. There's a lot of anticipation to see what Tom Hardy brings to the role, especially with the promise of an anti-hero story that skews somewhat darker than the average superhero film. In fact, it turns out that Venom draws ample inspiration from the world of horror, as Fleischer recently opened up and admitted that the film takes inspiration from John Landis' An American Werewolf in London. The director explained:

Upon reflection, Ruben Fleischer's remarks to USA Today actually make quite a bit of sense. From what we have been able to glean from the trailers for the upcoming anti-hero adventure, it looks like Eddie Brock is not going to willingly become Venom, with the alien Symbiote infecting him and turning him into the creature. That's not too far off from the plot of John Landis' An American Werewolf in London, which similarly tells the story of an American tourist who gradually transforms into the titular canine monster after being attacked by another werewolf while walking with his friend at night.

With all of that in mind, we should also take the time to note that An American Werewolf in London has become notably infamous for its gruesome transformation sequence -- which was entirely achieved through practical effects. You can check out the legendary scene, below.

Given the fact that Venom has apparently taken inspiration from John Landis' horror classic, we're left to wonder how painful Eddie Brock's transformation into the titular anti-hero may look when all is said and done. There's obviously going to be more CGI in this version of the body horror story, but the promise of something inspired by An American Werewolf in London seems to suggest a very horrific film nonetheless.

Of course, it's also not just a matter of the body horror experienced by Eddie Brock in Venom. There are other similarities to An American Werewolf in London in the mental decline experienced by the main character. The previews have shown Eddie having full conversations with the Symbiote, which very much mirror the conversations that An American Werewolf in London's David Kessler has with his dead friend, Jack Goodman.

Make sure to keep it here for more updates related to Venom as further information about the upcoming Sony Spider-Verse film becomes available to us. The movie will premiere on October 5, and until then, you can head over to our movie premiere guide to read up on all of the other films that are set to debut in theaters in 2018!

The Venom movie remains a mystery -- though, with each passing day, it's becoming a well-cast mystery, at the very least. Tom Hardy has signed on to the Sony Spider-Man spinoff movie, which will be directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Gangster Squad). And new reports attach Rogue One standout Riz Ahmed to the super-villain story... though his role is being kept under wraps.

So, let's fire up the speculation machine to see who Riz Ahmed could potentially play when Venom arrives in theaters next October. The movie's due to film in the fall, and it will operate in the same world as Tom Holland's Spider-Man, though it will not be connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That being said, it's expected to be populated with familiar characters from Spidey's comic-book pages, and the initial reports on Ahmed's casting say he will be playing a "popular" Marvel character. Based on rumors we have been hearing about Venom and the planned Sony Spider-Man spinoff universe, here are the characters we realistically think Riz Ahmed could be playing in Ruben Fleischer's Venom:

Carnage

Before we get too far into this entry, we need to point out that conflicting reports already are swirling about the possibility of Ahmed playing Cletus Cassidy, the homicidal maniac who eventually becomes Carnage. Some background information: Both Venom and Carnage owe their superpowers to an alien symbiote that Spider-Man brought back from space. The origin of these characters likely will have to change in the Venom movie, but if you are going to introduce Venom into a cinematic world, then pitting him against Carnage makes the most sense.

However, reports that confirm Ahmed for Carnage quickly were met with counter-reports (like this one, from THR) that say he's up for a different, major role -- with names like Matt Smith and Pedro Pascal being rumored for Cassidy. Someone is going to play Carnage in the Venom movie. It just might not be Riz Ahmed.

Kraven the Hunter

This goes beyond "popular" Spider-Man characters that Riz Ahmed bears a striking resemblance to (though he'd make a fantastic Kraven on screen). The party line at Sony has been that they'd love for spinoff movies to focus on villains that we haven't yet seen in Spider-Man movies, and no one has brought Kraven the Hunter to life on screen. Yes, it's possible that Kraven is being held for an MCU Spider-Man story. But what if they introduce him in the Venom movie, creating a connective tissue between the Sony spinoff and the Marvel/Sony collaborations?

In a report several weeks back, Kraven's name was also floated as one of the characters that Sony hoped to develop -- alongside Mysterio, Venom, Black Cat and Silver Sable -- so this could be the way that Ruben Fleischer plans to use Riz Ahmed in Venom. We'd certainly be down.

Mysterio

This one's a bit of a stretch, though as I mentioned in the previous entry, Sony seems hellbent on making the illusionist Mysterio into a viable villain for the spinoff Spider-Man universe. Mysterio never struck me as a Rogues Gallery villain who translated into a modern time. Marvel found a way to update The Vulture (Michael Keaton), and the tease for The Scorpion made me believe that he'd be a viable villain. But Mysterio wears a fishbowl on his head, sports a ridiculously billowy cape and an Aquaman-tight Spandex suit. Also, as I just said, he's basically an illusionist who tricks Spider-Man with elaborate visual gags. Worse villains have shown up in numerous comic-book adaptations, for sure, but until I see Mysterio actually WORK on screen, I'm filing him away as a possible mistake waiting to happen.

The Chameleon

This could be interesting. The Chameleon is another one of those classic Spider-Man villains (literally, introduced in 1963's The Amazing Spider-Man #1) who has yet to see the light of day on a movie screen. This might be because Chameleon didn't originally have major super powers to speak of -- he just used techniques to disguise his identity. Riz Ahmed isn't an imposing figure, so I could see him being employed to play a stealth, manipulative figure like The Chameleon in a Venom movie. Also, he could then be shared with the MCU so that he appears in an upcoming Spider-Man story.

It's the use of the word "popular" that keep tripping us up as we speculate. Are Mysterio and Chameleon popular enough to qualify? Because of this, my money is on Ahmed playing Kraven the Hunter in Venom, and potentially setting himself up for a future Kraven movie... or moving Kraven over to the MCU. Thoughts? Head to the next page and vote in our poll.

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There's no denying that Suicide Squad will go down as one of 2016's most interesting films. Despite the critical lashing it received, the movie made a ton of money -- thus guaranteeing a sequel. In fact, the DCEU took a seriously fascinating turn when it was announced that Mel Gibson is being considered to helm the project. However, Gibson's involvement isn't set in stone, and it now seems that DC has also considered Ruben Fleischer and Jonathan Levine to potentially take on the project as well.

A new report from Variety confirms that Warner Bros. and DC have considered Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer and Warm Bodies' Jonathan Levine to helm the upcoming Suicide Squad sequel if Mel Gibson doesn't pan out. The film is obviously in the very earliest stages of development, so at this point, it remains to be seen who DC will ultimately opt to sign for the project. Only one thing is clear at this stage: Suicide Squad 2 is already attracting some compelling filmmaking talent.

When it comes to Ruben Fleischer, there's an easy case to be made that he's a solid pick to helm Suicide Squad 2. His work on Zombieland established him as a filmmaker who delivers action and comedy in equal measure -- along with a healthy degree of human emotion. Beyond that, Zombieland shares quite a few visual similarities to Suicide Squad, such as fourth wall breaks and information directly projected onto the screen. Stylistically speaking, he's very consistent with what David Ayer established in the first film.

By contrast, Jonathan Levine has considerably less experience with straightforward action, but his filmography is chock full of offbeat comedies that could easily match the tone and style necessary for a Suicide Squad movie. He also has experience adapting literary material into a feature length film from his work on Warm Bodies, so he could represent the right choice to translate Task Force X to the silver screen in a more faithful way than David Ayer ever could. It's also worth mentioning that Levine was at one time considered to take on the Spider-Man franchise, so there's ample precedent for him to potentially work within the superhero genre.

One of the most interesting elements of this development is the fact that there is apparently no definitive frontrunner to helm Suicide Squad 2 yet. Mel Gibson is the biggest name in the running, and he was the first name announced in relation to the project, but at this point it's anyone's guess as to who will take the reins for the film. We have already spoken at length regarding why Gibson may be the best choice, but Fleischer and Levine would both represent extraordinary opportunities as well.

We will bring you more information related to Suicide Squad 2 as more details become available to us. The film is currently in development at DC.

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The Flash may be The Fastest Man Alive, but his first solo theatrical movie is having trouble moving forward. Earlier this year, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter's Seth Grahame-Smith departed as director of The Flash, but he was soon replaced by Dope's Rick Famuyiwa. Unfortunately, on Monday it was announced that Famuyiwa exited the project due to "creative differences" (supposedly he wanted to do an edgier take than what Warner Bros and DC wanted). Now The Flash has lost two directors, and with only a few months to go until principal photography is set to begin, they need to find someone soon and, like the eponymous hero, they need to be fast.

While The Flash's situation behind the scenes is definitely troubling, we've come up with a list of candidates who would be worthy successors to Famuyiwa. They all come from different backgrounds, but they have what it takes to pick up the pieces and move forward to make this DC movie the best it can be. First up, let's start with someone who assisted DC's biggest rival in a time of need...

Adam McKay

Most of you know Adam McKay through his collaborations with Will Ferrell, like Anchorman and Step-Brothers. However, he does have some superhero experience under his belt thanks to re-writing the Ant-Man script with Paul Rudd. McKay is expected to also tackle the Ant-Man and the Wasp story, but as far as we know, that's the extent of his involvement. The Flash would be the prime opportunity for him to helm his own superhero movie, and if necessary, he can make adjustments to the script. For those who think McKay's body of work is too goofy for him to be a serious Flash contender, you need to check out his 2015 hit, The Big Short. That Academy Award-nominated movie proved he can handle a drama infused with comedy, which is something The Flash is expected to be.

Drew Goddard

Drew Goddard has waited a long time to fully oversee a superhero project. He was originally the showrunner for Daredevil and wrote the first two episodes of Season 1, but he left before shooting kicked off. He was also supposed to direct the Sinister Six movie, but after Sony scrapped the Amazing Spider-Man universe in favor of bringing a new Wall-Crawler into the MCU, that project was axed. Given his experience with science fiction, ranging from writing episodes of Lost to penning The Martian, The Flash would be an excellent movie for him to put his skills to work. After all, Flash is one of the more sci-fi heavy corners of the DC universe thanks to The Rogues, the Speed Force and more.

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon has spent most of his career in Hollywood as a second unit director, but he recently stretched his muscles as the man in charge helming 2014's The Town That Dreaded Sundown and 2015's Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. He would hopefully bring the same comedy-drama elements from that second movie to The Flash. Remember, just because one hasn't directed a blockbuster before doesn't mean they're not capable of delivering a good one on their first attempt. That was the case with Rick Famuyiwa, but because of his work on Dope, Warner Bros felt he would be a good fit for the Scarlet Speedster (for a time). The same could work for Gomez-Rejon, as long as he remembers to inject those quieter personal moments so the characters feel more real.

Lexi Alexander

Punisher: War Zone may not be the most beloved superhero movie, but many Punisher fans believe it was better than Frank Castle's 2004 movie and felt closer to the source material. The movie's director, Lexi Alexander, recently jumped back into the live action superhero game when she directed the Arrow episode "Beyond Redemption" and the Supergirl episode "Truth, Justice and the American Way." She was also one of the names tossed out for directing Wonder Woman years back. It's about time Alexander receives a second chance at helming a cinematic superhero tale. If you follow her on social media, you know she's a "think outside the box" kind of person, so ideally that means she would bring a unique flair to the Scarlet Speedster's first solo adventure.

Ruben Fleischer

From what we've learned so far, The Flash is aiming to be a lighter action movie, more similar to Suicide Squad than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Well, when it comes to that kind of tone, Ruben Fleischer would be in his wheelhouse. He has plenty of experience in the action-comedy realm from directing Zombieland (and its upcoming sequel) and 30 Minutes or Less. He also explored the world of organized crime through Gangster Squad, so helming a superhero movie would be an interesting step from there. As seen in Suicide Squad and the Justice League preview, this version of Barry Allen is more humorous, so you need someone who can effectively expand on his charm, as well as make sure the other characters have interesting personalities.

F. Gary Gray

F. Gary Gray has been directing movies since the 1990s, with his resume including Friday, The Italian Job and Law Abiding Citizen. However, the last few years have been particularly kind to him. Following the enormous success of Straight Outta Compton, he was tapped to direct Fast 8, which hits theaters on April 14, 2017. Needless to say he's on a role, so Warner Bros and DC would be wise to snatch him up for The Flash. He'll be hot off overseeing a high-octane adventure, and his other credits prove he knows how to make an exciting movie, which The Flash needs to be and then some. All this being said, if Gray is hired, Warner will need to delay blockbuster's principal photography, because currently its launch date overlaps with Fast 8's post-production period and press promotion.

Edgar Wright

Most of you reading this list know that Edgar Wright's past experience with superhero movies hasn't been great. In 2006, a few years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe launched, he boarded Ant-Man as its director, but in 2014, he departed the movie over "creative differences." It's understandable if he would be hesitant about trying his hand as another movie in this genre, but The Flash would nonetheless be an excellent opportunity for him. Not only is Wright more than capable of directing a funny movie, but he's also a comics fan, which is a nice bonus. Plus, look at his 2010 movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. It was frantic, funny and unique. That's what The Flash will be like...but with less absurdity. Things didn't work out with Marvel, but maybe Wright would have better luck at DC.

Oy, this director carousel. Ant-Man continues to be a directorial hot potato, with Adam McKay, Rawson Thurber and Ruben Fleischer amongst the candidates. While McKay has pulled out, Thurber seems like the strongest potential hire, according to a recent report. Fleischer, meanwhile, might be in line for a franchise with a much more spectacular legacy.

Ruben Fleischer is apparently one of Sony's targets to take over Ghostbusters 3, reports The Wrap. The issue is that apparently Fleischer is hesitant to take on a bigger project since he's just become a father and wants to spend some time with his kid. Hey, congrats, Ruben, very cool. Fleischer is something of an in-house choice, as he previously directed Zombieland and 30 Minutes Of Less for Sony, the studio behind the latest attempt at getting the Ghostbusters back on the big screen.

Of course, Fleischer has a leg up on most other candidates, including recent rumored candidates Phil Lord and Chris Miller. In Zombieland, Fleischer somehow secured the services of Bill Murray for a sequence where he played himself, and even involved the old proton pack for a Ghostbusters gag. Given how prickly and hard-to-reach the elusive Mr. Murray truly is, it was a minor triumph that many feel was the highlight of the film, and subsequently Fleischer's career.

Unfortunately, Fleischer soon shifted to Warner Bros. after the failure of 30 Minutes Or Less, and made the expensive flop Gangster Squad, which stranded a lot of good actors in some silly period garb left to ham it up excessively. Gangster Squad ultimately generated $105 million globally, a not-bad total, but the budget was at a solid $60 million and the WB expected twice as much in gross, particularly considering the script came from the decorated Black List and featured a number of prestige actors.

Sony's looking for an early 2015 production start, which would mean Fleischer would have to jump into pre-pro by fall. Would that be enough for him? And does Fleischer coming back to Sony after a high profile failure suggest that he might not exactly have much to say in regards to what kind of movie Ghostbusters 3 would be? He's really only got one hit movie on his resume, and Zombieland only grossed $102 million worldwide, failing to spawn a film or television franchise. Fleischer getting back Murray would be incredible. But is that the only clout he's bringing to the property? And is he the best director for the job?

Director Ruben Fleischer blew a shotgun shell-sized hole into cinema when he debuted Zombieland’s gory and silly shenanigans to the world, and followed that up with the underrated caper comedy 30 Minutes or Less. He then directed the hell of out of the derivativeness that was Gangster Squad. If there is a pattern to be followed here, it can be assumed that his next feature will just be people shooting guns at bombs while cursing, but he’s going in a completely different direction, as he enters discussions to take on Disney’s Overnight, a family-friendly adventure comedy. Of course!

I’m totally on board with this concept, however, as THR describes the film as "Home Alone in an FAO Scwartz-esque toy store. The story will center on a divorced and absent-minded father and his son trying to rebuild their relationship (I could have saved all kinds of past relationships in a giant toy store.) The plot will also involve the father having to defuse a hostage situation. And if that Home Alone comparison means anything, we could be seeing a lifesize version of the game Mouse Trap, with a bunch of toys used as weaponry.

Fleischer is a guy with an eye on big stunts and momentum, so I expect some high stakes excitement. Producing through Disney is Neal Moritz, who is best known for his action and high concept comedies such as the Fast and Furious franchise and Evan Almighty, as well as both of Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Jump Street films. Oren Uziel, who took a pass on the 22 Jump Street script, wrote the Overnight screenplay. His other credits are all coming in the future, including the currently filming comedy horror Kitchen Sink, and both the unconfirmed Mortal Kombat remake and a fourth Men in Black film.

This movie has a chance to be huge, assuming they hire the right actors. Overnight was originally set up as a Columbia/Sony pic, but Disney was quick to nab it a year ago when it went into turnaround. I can’t imagine they plunk some hack in the lead role, especially considering Fleischer has worked with Woody Harrelson, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Emma Stone, and so on.

Wouldn’t it be wild if they got Macaulay Culkin to play the dad? (hands on cheeks) Ahhhh!

For another look at the kind of comedic direction Fleischer is good at, check out the video below, which compiles every episode of the Ford-sponsored YouTube series Escape My Life, starring Natasha Leggero and Joe Lo Truglio. He co-directed some of the episodes with Ben Zlotucha.

Back in 2009, director Ruben Fleischer made a smashing debut with his first feature Zombieland. The clever and kooky horror-comedy was roundly praised by critics and scored with audiences too, making an impressive $102 million worldwide. Then came the disappointing 30 Minutes or Less, which got snarled in controversy over its comedic depiction of a real-life catastrophe, earned critics'' scorn, and made only $40 mil worldwide. Fleischer attempted to rebound in style with the flashy crime drama Gangster Squad. But after the Aurora tragedy, the ultra-violent film that included a movie theater massacre sequence got bumped to January and recut. Ultimately, it has been his worst reviewed movie to date. Plus, the $60 mil pic disappointed domestically, earning only $46 million, though it made $56 mil internationally.

This would seem to suggest Fleischer is floundering, but The Wrap reports Sony is giving him another shot to shoot some stars. The studio that distributed Fleischer's first two features has signed him to helm and produce an untitled sci-fi/fantasy flick. The unnamed project was pitched to Sony by Fleischer, and the studio has since hired emerging screenwriter Eric Pearson to draft its script. Notably, Pearson's name has been attached to two scripts that recently hit the Black List. One was a rom-com called Perfect Match, the other was a drama titled Out of State. Neither is reportedly in development, but their buzz is clearly earning Pearson some sweet gigs.

At this point, the plot of this sci-fi/fantasy movie is being kept under wraps. So it's tricky to speculate on its prospects, aside from acknowledging Fleischer's track record so far has been pretty terrible. But remarkably, this is not the only project the hit-or-miss director has got brewing. Earlier this year, Warner Bros (who distributed Gangster Squad) attached Fleischer to the adaptation of the 1980s videogame SpyHunter. So, clearly Fleischer's got fans in high places.

Director Ruben Fleischer got his feature career off to a great start making both Zombieland and 30 Minutes or Less, but his most recent venture hasn't had quite the same kind of success. Gangster Squad, which was released in January following a multi-month bump in the schedule following the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting, received a very tepid response from both critics and audiences, the movie only making $87 million globally on a $60 million budget. But Fleischer is a talented guy who will likely rebound - and it could be with a new video game adaptation.

Deadline is reporting that Warner Bros. has attached the filmmaker to direct SpyHunter, a new action movie based on the classic 1980s arcade game that was given a reboot on the Playstation 2 back in 2001. Part of the "vehicular combat" genre of gaming, the series has players drive around in James Bond-esque supercars blowing up bad guys and avoiding civilians. Carter Blanchard, who wrote the upcoming Ringan Ledwidge sci-fi film Glimmer, is scripting the adaptation, while Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes) and Roy Lee (The Woman In Black) will produce. The most recent title in the franchise, Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run (which actually featured Dwayne Johnson as the main character), was released in 2006.

The site notes that this isn't the first time that studios have tried to get a SpyHunter movie off the ground, and previous versions of the project have featured directors like John Woo and Paul W.S. Anderson (Johnson was actually going to star in a Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run movie before the film was trapped in development hell). We'll have to wait and see how this attempt pans out for the studio, but the hirings suggest that they know exactly what they want.

If things had progressed as they should have, Ruben Fleischer's Gangster Squad would have been in theaters for over a month now, opening at the beginning of September to kick off the season of serious movies for grown-ups with great casts. But in July a man killed 12 people inside a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and the trailer for Gangster Squad that depicted a shooting inside a movie theater suddenly seemed grotesque. The studio was in an impossible situation: go forward with a movie that now featured a scene that felt all too real, or force a director to remove a key sequence from his film?

In the end they settled on the latter, setting reshoots for Gangster Squad and pushing the release date to January 11, a date typically associated with films a studio just wants to get rid of. There's no reason to believe that Gangster Squad will now be a bad movie because of the reshoots-- in fact, it may be the rare bright spot among January releases. And as evidenced by a new poster that debuted on Facebook, it's carrying with it the same old-fashioned cool we saw in the earlier trailers. Take a look below:

A new trailer for Gangster Squad will premiere tomorrow at 7:30 pm ET, and that ought to give us our best sense yet of how the movie may have changed, and the sequence they shot to replace the movie theater shootout. We saw in August that reshoots were taking place in Los Angeles's Chinatown, so hopefully we'll get some glimpses of that when the trailer emerges tomorrow. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if you're still looking forward to Gangster Squad despite all these changes.

Though you can still debate whether it's still absolutely necessary, the upcoming drama Gangster Squad is reshooting its ending, which originally took place as a shootout inside a movie theater-- something pretty unpalatable in the wake of the shootings in Aurora, Colorado. Warner Bros. has set an August 20 start date for the reshoots, and have revealed that they'll now set the big final confrontation in L.A.'s Chinatown, with five days of night shoots scheduled for stars Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Troy Garity and Michael Pena.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news, though the original shootout scene began in Grauman's Chinese Theater-- with the indelible images of tommy gun-wielding gangsters shooting from the back of the screen-- the action eventually spilled out on to Hollywood Boulevard, so it's not a huge stretch to move the whole thing to the street. Though the film is based on real-life efforts by the Los Angeles Police Department to curb gangster violence in the 40s and 50s, the Chinese Theater sequence never actually happened-- it was just intended to be a gorgeous grand finale, and probably would have been if real-life tragedy hadn't gotten in the way.

Gangster Squad, which was originally set for release in September, has been pushed back to a January 11 date, which gives director Ruben Fleischer plenty of time to incorporate the new sequence. You can still see some of the original shootout sequence in the film's original trailer, which in an example of spectacularly bad timing, was airing in front of screenings of The Dark Knight Rises until the Aurora shootings forced Warner Bros. to pull it. Who knows if we'll ever get to see the whole thing in full-- maybe when the events of Aurora have receded far enough into the past, we can at least see them as a Blu-Ray bonus feature.

Hours after the horrible events in Aurora, Colorado unfolded, Warner Bros pulled ads of The Dark Knight Rises that featured gun violence, and likewise pulled a theatrical trailer for Gangster Squad that played before the Batman film in many venues because of a scene that shows thugs with automatic weapons marching through a movie screen, firing into the theater's audience.

Just last week, many of us were eager to see Ruben Fleischer's historical drama about the Los Angeles police force's war against the rise of organized crime brought by East Coast mobster Mickey Cohen. But in the wake of the Aurora tragedy, the film's flashy gun violence is less fantastical and more a harsh reminder of the murders of innocent moviegoers.

Already Warner Bros. has considered delaying the release of Gangster Squad, which was due to open September 7th. And alternate option was cutting the movie theater sequence altogether, but as it has been described as a key scene, this move would call for involved reshoots. Now, Variety confirms via anonymous studio sources that Warner Bros. has opted for the latter, and is moving fast to maintain the film's original release schedule.

Having not seen the film, it's hard to say which option (waiting or re-cutting) would be best for Gangster Squad. Typically sitting on a film hurts its box office as it becomes tainted in the view of the public as something unworthy of a release, and waiting would additionally mean more money lost on marketing. However, the scene in question has been described as critical, and it's hard to imagine how such a hasty revision will affect the finished product. But it seems we'll find out on September 7th, as Warner Bros. is sticking to that release date at this time.

With the quirky comedy Zombieland, director Ruben Fleischer made a name for himself; and now he's paving the way for another aspiring filmmaker. Variety reports Fleischer, who has recently wrapped production on the buzzed about crime-drama Gangster Squad, will produce the indie romantic comedy Two Night Stand, which will be the feature debut of music video director Max Nichols.

Penned by Mark Hammer, Two Night Stand centers on a pair of unlikely lovers who are trapped together when an unexpected blizzard forces them to extend what would otherwise have been a regrettable one-night stand. Confined to a tiny Manhattan apartment, this man and woman who'd rather remain strangers are pressed to co-exist, and so begin to get to know each other more intimately than either had intended.

From this intriguing premise, it's little wonder that Hammer's script made the 2011 Black List, a collection of the best unproduced screenplays currently circling Hollywood. The question now is whether or not the first-time filmmaker is right for this unconventional rom-com. To his credit, Nichols has created vids for a wide array of musical acts including Bowling For Soup, Bullet For My Valentine, and Willie Nelson, and in doing so has displayed a true talent for manifesting mood. But how his style will translate to a presumably dialogue-driven narrative remains to be seen.

Still, Fleischer does have an eye for talent, casting Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone before either was major stars. So not only does this speak well for Nichols, but it also points to the possibility of an incredible onscreen pairing. Plus, a solid cast could ease Nichols through the tricky transition from music videos to movies. With the producers currently seeking to cast the feature's romantic leads, a clearer picture of this comedy should soon come into focus.

Two Night Stand is expected to shoot this fall.

So far director Ruben Fleischer has made two movies in his career. The first was Zombieland, a way-funnier-than-expected comedy about the end of the world, and 30 Minutes or Less, a comedy about a pizza boy who is strapped with a bomb and told to rob a bank. So naturally a few heads were turned when it was announced that Fleischer would be directing the dark period drama Gangster Squad. Then he added the amazing cast of Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, Robert Patrick, Michael Peña, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie, Emma Stone, and Sean Penn and things looked even better. Now we have the film's first trailer and we want to watch the movie immediately.

Check out the trailer below or in HD over on Apple.

The film is based on the true story of what happened in Los Angeles back in 1949 when New York gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) left the east cost to find a new home in Southern California. Thanks to his status on the opposite coast and the absence of any other mob presence in the city, Cohen was given free reign to rule L.A. as part of his crime empire. Sick of the poison that Cohen was spreading around the city, a small division of the L.A.P.D. officers grouped together to help rid their city of the cancer. The movie doesn't currently have a release date, but if you wish to read more about the movie you can head over to our Blend Film Database.

On Sunday night, a record number of cable television viewers tuned in to watch what can only be described as a valiant but ultimately flawed attempt to bring zombies to a weekly television audience. AMC's The Walking Dead, based on the popular graphic novel by Robert Kirkman, is killing it in the ratings but the show itself, well, it needs improvement. Good news, though, there may be another popular zombie series in the next few years with a potential adaptation of Zombieland hitting TV screens.

Although the surprise hit horror/comedy was originally intended to have a sequel (in 3D) the careers of those involved have kind of taken off. Jesse Eisenberg is fresh off his first Oscar nomination for The Social Network, Emma Stone has become a sought-after lead appearing in everything from Oscar bait The Help to comic-book properties like The Amazing Spider-Man. Director Ruben Fleischer is directing a prestige gangster project with Ryan Gosling and Sean Penn called Gangster Squad. However, apparently the film was originally intended for television anyways, so this altered plan makes a lot of sense.

Vulture is reporting that a half-hour series, to be written by the film's scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, is in the works at Fox Broadcasting and Columbia's off-shoot Sony Pictures Television for a possible debut in the 2012-13 season. The article continues that this move is strangely fitting because the film was originally conceived as a TV show. Zombieland producer Gavin Polone said that CBS ordered a pilot script because "the original plan for this was to make it as a TV show [...] but they did what networks do, which is to take all the good stuff out."

They also included a great quote from Reese (from a MTV News interview last year):

This could be a zombie show that I could actually get behind. Take The Walking Dead, keep the wonderful make-up effects and zombie kills (although, I'm sure Reese and Wernick came come up with a few doozies of their own), and ditch the melodrama for a dark comedic edge. Yes. That sounds great. Now, they just have to find the right actors to fill in as Tennessee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock. That is, unless the show follows an entirely new crew.

Look for Zombieland sometime in the 2012-13 season. In the meantime, get your zombie thrills (and horrible acting, writing, and direction -- but great effects) with The Walking Dead every Sunday night on AMC.

Ruben Fleischer's slowly building career took a bit of a left turn this summer, when the August release 30 Minutes or Less did just modest box office with just $37 million, and as funny as it was, seemed mighty silly for a guy who had been offered Mission: Impossible 4 but made this movie intend. I say good on Fleischer for going with his gut and making the movie he wanted to make, and waiting for his next move to be the big one toward prestige-- Gangster Squad, the 1940s-set drama about crooked cops starring Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, Nick Nolte and Emma Stone.

The movie is shooting now in Los Angeles, and apparently Warner Bros. likes what they're seeing so far-- Deadline reports the studio is planning an October 19, 2012 release date for the film. With a cast like that and fascinating subject matter, a fall release pretty much only means one thing: Oscar hopes. It's way, way too early to predict how that might shake out, but when the For Your Consideration ads for Emma Stone start popping up next December, you'll know you heard it here first.

And in other Warner Bros. release date news, the Zac Efron drama The Lucky One-- an adaptation of yet another weepy Nicholas Sparks novel-- was bumped from an August 12 release next year up to April 20. That's pretty much a lateral move in terms of release date mojo, with each slot being in a relatively slow but not totally unpopular moviegoing period. It's been over a year since Efron starred in a film, though, so his April return will be just that much sooner for his remaining legions of fans.

Ruben Fleischer knew a lot of people were expecting him to do big things when his first feature, Zombieland, became a surprise hit in 2009. And Fleischer was offered a lot of those big things, including the potent to direct Tom Cruise in a fourth Mission: Impossible movie (if you want to know why he turned that gig down, go here). But before he was ready to jump full-fledged into a giant studio movie-- as he is with his next movie, Warner Bros.' Tales from the Gangster Squad--he decided to make one more movie that was small, weird, and flagrantly R-Rated, As he told me, "I just felt like if I didn't do it then, I would never have the chance to."

That's how this weekend we're getting 30 Minutes or Less, the last of the summer's R-rated comedies and maybe the silliest and most violent, in which Jesse Eisenberg plays a slacker pizza guy forced to rob a bank when two idiots strap a bomb to his chest. I talked to Fleischer a few weeks ago about managing a movie that's got a lot of laughs but also real violence, how he made a film in which his main character was kind of a jerk, and how to use gay jokes so they're actually funny. Check out the interview below, and see 30 Minutes or Less in theaters this weekend.

When you write ten movie news stories a day and approximately 200 per month, you begin to notice patterns. One such pattern is the connection between trailers and posters. If a poster for an upcoming film is released you can bet that a trailer isn't far behind, and the same goes vice versa. Yesterday saw the release of the first trailer for the bank robbery comedy 30 Minutes or Less, so guess what we have for you today?

Director Ruben Fleischer, who made the aforementioned film, took to his Tumblr account to post the first teaser posters for his new movie, featured over on the film's official website. The image of Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari donning balaclavas is quite similar to a previously released still, but the shots of Danny McBride and Nick Swardson in monkey masks is brand new. The posters aren't exactly high res, but you can see them a bit bigger over on the site.

Check it the posters below.

For more on 30 Minutes or Less, be sure to check out our Blend Film Database.

It's a bit presumptuous to say when we're only five days in, but 2011 may end up being a really great year for movies. Browsing through our 2011 preview, there's an endless number of titles with high potential to keep us entertained for the next twelve months. Today we are lucky enough to have images and first looks from three of those titles.

Sony has sent over official stills from three of their upcoming films, including Ruben Fleischer's 30 Minutes or Less, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride; Jake Kasdan's Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake and Jason Segel; and Roland Emmerich's Anonymous, starring Rhys Ifans, Joely Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave. You can check out all three images below. Click on the image to see it full size and then hit the link underneath each one to read all about the movies in our Blend Film Database.

For more info on 30 Minutes or Less, click here

For more info on Bad Teacher, click here

For more info on Anonymous, click here

While speaking with director Ruben Fleischer this past summer on the set of his next film, 30 Minutes or Less, he delivered some disheartening news it may be a while yet before we see a sequel to Zombieland. Though at least the first draft of the script is done, the director has other commitments that include a buddy cop movie being written for DreamWorks, and a project called Babe in The Woods with Mike White. Now yet another movie might be blocking the zombie comedy's path.

Deadline reports that Warner Bros. has entered early negotiations with Fleischer to direct Tales From The Gangster Squad - a crime drama set around 1940s Los Angeles and crime lords like Mickey Cohen. Rumored for the gig for nearly a month now, the project has already been offered to a couple directors who turned it down, including Ben Affleck and Darren Aronofsky. Based on a series of articles written by Paul Lieberman, the film has been floating around for over two years now without getting made.

As often as I rally against sequels on this site, I must say that I wish Fleischer would do Zombieland 2 instead. I get that it was his first film and that he wants to stretch his wings a bit before becoming a franchise director, but the first movie was just so damn good and filled with characters that demand to be revisited. Even though I know it won't be, let's hope that Tales From The Gangster Squad will be a really small movie that will be able to wrap up production in less than a month. A guy can hope, no?

There was a weird period about a month ago when the fate of Tales from the Gangster Squad, a period action film about the Los Angeles police department, was wrapped up in that of Wolverine 2, a superhero sequel. The connection was Darren Aronofsky, who was considering directing both of them but eventually went with Wolvy, leaving room for a rumored shortlist of alternates to take his place.

No director has yet been picked, but The Los Angeles Times has an update on the list of possibilities. Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer, of all people, tops the list, having just wrapped the comedy 30 Minutes or Less and still hot after Zombieland (remember when he was up for the Mission: Impossible 4 job?) If Fleischer doesn't pan out, though, they're also considering Brazilian filmmaker Jose Padilha, whose Elite Squad won major international attention, and Crazy Heart director Scott Cooper, who was on that early shortlist we mentioned before.

It's a wildly diverse list of possibilities, to the point that it seems Warner Bros. is willing to go in some really interesting directions with the material, which producer Dan Lin describes as "The Untouchables on the streets of L.A." Making an unconventional choice of director would be a good way to ensure that this fascinating material doesn't turn utterly generic on the screen--now it's just a matter of deciding which odd choice can turn out to be the right one.

When directors are casting for a movie and the role of “Strict and Angry Dad” needs filling, Fred Ward has to be up there on the list of guys to call. Ward is a classic "that guy" whose grizzled looks and perma-scowl make him perfect for certain characters like dads or hardened FBI agents. But as seen this past year on United States of Tara, he also has a comedic side. He’ll put it all together in his next role. Reuters is confirming Ward has signed on for Ruben Fleischer’s new film, 30 Minutes or Less. He’ll join Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Jesse Eisenberg and Michael Pena in the bank robbing comedy from the Zombieland director.

30 Minutes or Less centers on middle school teacher (Ansari) and a pizza boy (Eisenberg) who are forced to rob a bank by guys looking for a quick cash grab. One of the two is strapped with a bomb vest. McBride plays one of the criminals and Ward will play his father, “The Major.” The Columbia Pictures project shoots this summer in Michigan and is set for an August 2011 release date.

After nabbing Aziz Ansari to star in his upcoming buddy comedy 30 Minutes or Less, director Ruben Fleischer is moving on to the second half of the duo. Fleischer is thinking smart and making a move for his Zombieland star, Jesse Eisenberg. As reported by The Playlist, the current issue of Production Weekly reveals that Eisenberg is in talks to play Will, the buddy of Ansari’s character, Chet.

30 Minutes or Less focuses on the two pals who have a falling out when Will admits he’s got a major thing for Chet’s sister. Meanwhile, two bumbling crooks (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) are trying to hatch a plan to make some quick dough. They opt to rob a bank and wind up strapping a bomb to Will and forcing him to do the deed for them.

The initial news of Fleischer uniting with McBride for a caper film was intriguing, but when word got out that Ansari was finally getting his chance to shine in a feature length film, 30 Minutes or Less became a project to watch. Now, with Eisenberg almost on board, this is starting to seem like a guaranteed success. Who better to compliment Ansari’s antics than Eisenberg? Both have a knack for being hilarious without even trying, but in wholly different ways. Better yet, The Playlist has read the script and describes it as “Pineapple Express but with more heart to it.”

Filming is set to begin in July, with 30 Minutes or Less heading to a August 20th, 2011 release.

If you were to ask most warm-blooded humans what the funniest movie of fall 2009 was, the answer will almost unanimously be Zombieland. The film harkened back to it's spiritual predecessor Shaun of the Dead without winding up in the 'copycat' category like so many others that have tried to recreate that same magic. But despite the film's overwhelmingly positive reception, director Ruben Fleischer had still not chosen which project he is going to do next.

Until now. THR is reporting that DreamWorks, after a heated three-studio bidding war, tossed enough money Fleischer's way to acquire an original idea from the director, who is also signed on to helm the project. Fleischer's pitch is currently being kept on lockdown (something that's happening a lot recently and I don't always understand why), but it is known that it's a buddy cop flick, a genre that needs a pick-me-up after that Kevin Smith abortion Cop Out. That's right Kevin, I called your movie an abortion. Are you gonna whine about it some more?

Fleischer has been the belle of the ball recently with projects being thrown his direction left and right, including Tom Cruise himself crawling out of his Scientology cave in hopes to sign the director on for M:I 4. Smartly, Fleischer took his time off to choose what will hopefully be the right project for him. It's a refreshing change of pace to see a talented filmmaker holding out for a project that really speaks to him instead of just rushing into whatever project will make him the most money. This should make for a much better movie in the long run, and a better experience all around for Fleischer. Keep an eye out for more details to leak on the plot.

Something really strange happened during SXSW’s Directing the Dead panel this weekend, and I’m not talking about the fact that Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth bailed on it at the last minute. Horror directors are generally assumed to be of the wild-ass, anything goes variety. They’re supposed to be out there pushing the boundaries of good taste and testing the patience of the MPAA. But while that may once have been true of the genre... now it seems as though they have one, big, blind spot.

For Directing The Dead the fantastic planners at Austin’s SXSW Film Festival dedicated their biggest ballroom and a full hour to getting fans together with leading genre directors to talk horror. During the panel a fan stood up and asked the group, comprised of Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror), Ti West (House of the Devil), Neil Marshall (The Descent), Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), a question which should have been right up their alley. The question: What happened to nudity in horror films? A few decades ago gratuitous nudity used to go hand-in-hand with R-rated fright movies, but now it seems almost entirely absent. The audience seemed primed for some sort of rant against the MPAA and studio censorship of artists, but what we got instead was a bunch of uptight, middle-aged men.

The reaction on the panel was one of instant discomfort. The group seemed vaguely offended, as if the question of nudity was somehow beneath them. Instead of answering the question, most involved talked about how they saw no need for nudity in their films and seemed to indicate they’d never stoop to something so gratuitous. While the others balked and tried to change the subject, Ti West had the most to say, and the others nodded along. He explained what seemed to be the entire group’s viewpoint this way: “I feel like if you’re gonna do like, sex in movies, you should have something to really add to it. It should be a really interesting and important sex scene for the movie. I’ve never had a need to do that, which is why I don’t have the gratuitous nudity. But in the case that I’ve done the gratuitous nudity, I felt like an asshole when directing it. You can see the person doesn’t really want to do it, and you feel really shitty. It bummed me out. To do it again I’d have to really believe in it being in the movie, otherwise it is like you’re just telling some girl we need to see your boobs. It sounds great in theory and then it’s just like… ewwww.”

Consider the source here. These are horror directors. Gratuity is their stock and trade. Do their movies really need to spray the audience with buckets and buckets of blood? Did Robert Rodriguez really need so many gross, bloody effects shots in Planet Terror? Was it important to the movie? Did it add to the story? Nope. They did it because it’s fun. Their movies are, by definition, composed almost entirely of gratuitous gore and violence. They churn it out, fans eat it up, and that they have no problem with it. Meanwhile the beauty of the naked human body… that’s a problem? That’s offensive? I don’t get it.

There’s no better example of this particular panel’s mindset than Sin City. Jessica Alba played a stripper who didn’t take her clothes off in the film (even though in the comics the character definitely does) and most fans were quick to blame the MPAA or the studio for it. Nudity is generally integral to playing a stripper, it’s not gratuitous, it’s part of the job and part of the character. But not according to Rodriguez. Instead he revealed that the missing nipples in Sin City were intentional. As Rodriguez explains it, he wasn’t comfortable with putting nudity in Sin City but felt he had to be as faithful as possible to the comic which contains a lot of it. So to get around it he says, “I thought, well, I can at least put a few booby shots up front and then they’ll get the sense that everyone from that point on was naked… you see two breasts at the beginning of the movie and the rest of the movie no.” I guess pulling out the boobs left more room for all those completely non-gratuitous beheadings.

Movie fans talk a lot about how America’s priorities are out of whack. We piss and moan about the way the MPAA censors something which should be positive, like sex, while allowing filmmakers to desensitize us with extreme, vicious violence. But maybe it’s not the MPAA’s fault. Maybe it’s a conscious choice on the part of our filmmakers. For these five at least, the decision seems to be violence, gore, torture, and misery good… human body and pleasure bad.