Latest news with #DrewPearce
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
A Brief Guide to All the Taika Waititi Projects We're Still Waiting For
It's just part of Hollywood that projects will be announced with a lot of fanfare and then fade away, with suspects both usual (scheduling conflicts, creative differences, budget concerns) and unusual (global pandemics, industry-wide strikes) to blame. But certain creators seem to attach their names to movies or TV shows that never materialize with greater frequency—including Taika Waititi. His diverse career includes writing, directing, producing, and acting (Our Flag Means Death forever), and he already has an Oscar on his shelf. So it's no surprise that he's seemingly being pulled in a lot of different directions and moves on to new endeavors faster than most. But since his TBD list is full of things we'd actually like to see one day, here's a reminder of the best sci-fi and fantasy stuff that's on it. News broke this week that Waititi is attached to helm a new live-action take on the violent comic book character, previously seen in movies made in 1995 (with Sylvester Stallone) and 2012 (with Karl Urban). The Hollywood Reporter noted there's a script by Drew Pearce (Fall Guy; Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) but no studio attached yet. According to the trade, 'sources say Pearce and Waititi both grew up with the books and are friends who have been trying to find a project to work on together for years.' THR further notes that 'the pitch is said to take inspiration more from the comics than the previous screen iterations, leaning into the world-building and dark humor,' which sounds great, though this detail does not: 'The desire is to see the movie launch a Dredd universe that could be explored with additional movies and shows across various platforms.' Why though? Probably just a fleeting dream at this point, given that this werewolf-focused sequel to What We Do in the Shadows (the movie) was being talked about before What We Do in the Shadows (the TV show) arrived. But the show ended late last year after six triumphant seasons, with many fans still wishing it could continue. Might We're Wolves emerge from the darkness after all? Just a few weeks ago, we learned that Warner Bros.' long-teased Akira movie was being taken off the table. Waititi's name was one of many bandied about to direct when it was still in play, and he certainly seemed enthusiastic—although in 2019 he explained he'd had to step back from it due to his Marvel commitments. But just because Warner Bros. isn't going to tackle Akira doesn't mean the manga adaptation won't ever happen; another studio might well pick up the newly available rights. Maybe Waititi will circle back when and if that happens? Picture it: summer, 2021. We received an intriguing update on the animated Flash Gordon movie Waititi had first teased in 2019. The game changed, and now it was going to be a live-action Flash Gordon movie! Even a few years later, it still seems like an ideal outlet for Waititi's irreverent style and bombastic approach to superhero action, but so far there's been no fresh momentum on this one. In late 2021, Waititi teased another fascinating project: an adaptation of The Incal, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Jean Giraud's (aka Moebius) sci-fi masterpiece. 'The films and graphic novels of Alejandro Jodorowsky have influenced me and so many others for so long,' Waititi told the Hollywood Reporter at the time. 'I was stunned to be given the opportunity to bring his iconic characters to life.' We're not mad at it either, other than the fact that it hasn't happened yet. In 2020, io9 had cause to run a post with the headline 'Oompa-Loompa Doom-Pa-Da-Dee-Tee, Get Pumped for Roald Dahl by Taika Waititi,' on the occasion of Waititi announcing two planned Netflix series set in the world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Including one all about Oompa-Loompas! As we know, Netflix sunk a lot of dough into acquiring Dahl's story catalog a few years back, but hasn't done terribly much with the IP since; in the meantime, the Timothée Chalamet-starring Wonka movie, whose conception pre-dated the Netflix acquisition, sort of took over the cultural conversation on magical chocolate factories. Still, the streamer is still holding onto Dahl, so maybe Waititi will return to this one eventually. This one's a whole galaxy bigger than just Waititi, because pinning down Lucasfilm's future big-screen plans has been no easy task since the sequel trilogy ended. But amid the sure things (The Mandalorian and Grogu, Ryan Gosling's Starfighter) and the handful of projects that seem to still be on track (like James Mangold's 'Dawn of the Jedi' movie), Waititi's long-teased Star Wars movie, which would reunite The Mandalorian season one star with the franchise, is one that's never been ruled out. We still have no idea if it will happen, though. Which percolating Taika Waititi projects are you hoping actually materialize? Do you think Judge Dredd will move forward, or will it join these other titles in Waititi limbo? And will he ever make his Star Wars movie? Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Taika Waititi to take on new Judge Dredd movie
Oscar-winner Taika Waititi is set to take on a new Judge Dredd movie. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the writer-director will take the reins of the latest attempt to bring the comic book character to the screen with Drew Pearce set to take on the script. Pearce's credits include Iron Man 3, Hobbs & Shaw and The Fall Guy. He has also written the script for a new take on The Thomas Crown Affair led by Michael B Jordan. Sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that both Waititi and Pearce were childhood fans of the character. In a 2022 interview, Waititi name-checked Judge Dredd as an influence on his Marvel films. Judge Dredd is a law enforcement officer working in a dystopian society who first appeared in the British publication 2000 AD in the late 70s. In 1995, Sylvester Stallone played him in a film that underperformed at the box office and received negative reviews. The character was brought back in 2012 and played by Karl Urban in the Alex Garland-scripted Dredd which received stronger notices, but was also a commercial disappointment. The new version is reportedly more faithful to the original comics and will lean into dark humour. The aim is to kick off a new universe that could expand to both the big and small screen. New Zealand-born Waititi won the Oscar for best original screenplay for his second world war comedy Jojo Rabbit and has also directed two Thor sequels. His last film, the fact-based football comedy Next Goal Wins, was a critical and financial failure. His next is an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun starring Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega. Last year saw reports that he was looking to team up with Steven Spielberg for an adaptation of Percival Everett's Pulitzer prize-winning novel James.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Judge Dredd Movie in the Works From Thor: Ragnarok Director
A new movie is now in the works. Created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, the Judge Dredd character first appeared in the British weekly anthology comic 2000 AD in the late 1970s. He quickly became a popular pop culture figure and went on to headline two live-action movies: 1995's Judge Dredd by Sylvester Stallone and 2012's Dredd with Karl Urban. Now, per The Hollywood Reporter, a new Judge Dredd movie is in the works from Taika Waititi. What else do we know about the new Judge Dredd movie? The script for the new Judge Dredd movie is being written by Drew Pearce, who has worked on projects such as 2013's Iron Man 3, 2015's Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, 2019's Hobbs & Shaw, 2024's The Fall Guy, and more. Chris Kingsley, Jason Kingsley, and Ben Smith of Rebellion Developments are producing the movie alongside Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment, Jeremy Platt, Natalie Viscuso, and Pearce. Official plot details remain under wraps at this time; however, The Hollywood Reporter's article notes that the pitch 'is said to take inspiration more from the comics than the previous screen iterations, leaning into the world-building and dark humor. It is also meant to be a fun sci-fi blockbuster that nonetheless speaks to this moment in culture. The desire is to see the movie launch a Dredd universe that could be explored with additional movies and shows across various platforms.' Waititi and Pearce reportedly grew up reading Judge Dredd comics and 'are friends who have been trying to find a project to work on together for years.' While best known for directing 2017's Thor: Ragnarok and 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder, Waititi won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award in 2020 for writing Jojo Rabbit. His filmography also includes 2007's Eagle vs Shark, 2010's Boy, 2014's What We Do in the Shadows, 2016's Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and 2023's Next Goal Wins. Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Taika Waititi to take on new Judge Dredd movie
Oscar-winner Taika Waititi is set to take on a new Judge Dredd movie. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the writer-director will take the reins of the latest attempt to bring the comic book character to the screen with Drew Pearce set to take on the script. Pearce's credits include Iron Man 3, Hobbs & Shaw and The Fall Guy. He has also written the script for a new take on The Thomas Crown Affair led by Michael B Jordan. Sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that both Waititi and Pearce were childhood fans of the character. In a 2022 interview, Waititi name-checked Judge Dredd as an influence on his Marvel films. Judge Dredd is a law enforcement officer working in a dystopian society who first appeared in British publication 2000 AD in the late 70s. In 1995, Sylvester Stallone played him in a film that underperformed at the box office and received negative reviews. The character was brought back in 2012 and played by Karl Urban in the Alex Garland-scripted Dredd which received stronger notices, but was also a commercial disappointment. The new version is reportedly more faithful to the original comics and will lean into dark humour. The aim is to kick off a new universe that could expand to both the big and small screen. New Zealand-born Waititi won the Oscar for best original screenplay for his second world war comedy Jojo Rabbit and has also directed two Thor sequels. His last film, fact-based football comedy Next Goal Wins, was a critical and financial failure. His next is an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun starring Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega. Last year saw reports that he was looking to team up with Steven Spielberg for an adaptation of Percival Everett's Pulitzer prize-winning novel James.
