Chris Weitz (About A Boy, Cinderella) is coming on to rewrite the script for Gareth Edwards‘ Star Wars spin-off after Gary Whitta bounced after completing a first draft. [THR]
Simon West (The Mechanic, The Expendables 2) will direct a remake of the 1958 horror classic The Blob, which will likely be a complete nightmare with West saying things such as, “With modern CGI we can now fully realize the potential of The Blob. The world I create will be totally believable, immersive and emotionally satisfying. It’s a thrill to introduce an enduring icon to a wider audience and a whole new era of fans.” Ummmm, apparently you missed what made the first movie such a classic. Good luck with that as this won’t be the first time it has been remade, but hopefully the last. [Deadline]
Ryan Reynolds spoke with MTV about Deadpool finally getting off the ground telling the site, “It’s been a long time, but it’s happening the right way, and that’s all that matters.” The pic is already set for a February 12, 2016 release with Tim Miller directing and Reynolds added, “The budget isn’t what we all hoped it would be… We don’t have the money that most superhero movies do, but that’s great, actually. You know, necessity’s the mother of invention and that’s why we get to make the movie we want to make.” T.J. Miller and Ed Skrein co-star. [MTV]
Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner and Alexandra Shipp have joined the case of X-Men: Apocalypse as Cyclops, Jean Grey and Storm respectively. [Bryan Singer]
Edgar Wright has reportedly written a sequel to Charles Dickens‘ “Oliver Twist” titled Dodge and Twist, described as a steampunk adventure caper starring Oliver Twist and The Artful Dodger. Film Divider reports that after Cole Haddon “cracked the story”, Simon Beaufoy did a full rewrite and now Wright has submitted a “fresh” draft of his own.
Wright’s script was a full revision, from the front page to the back. We understand that he filed his version of the pages less than a week ago, so it may soon prove to be his draft that gets a green light for the project, or at least starts securing the right talent to get everything in shape.
Luke Evans has reportedly decided not to star in the troubled remake of The Crow. So, when the guy that was willing to star in Dracula Untold leaves it might be best to just forget about it. [The Wrap]
The Strangers 2 is apparently finally moving forward at Relativity with Marcel Langenegger, director of the awful Deception at the helm. The plot will apparently follow a family on the verge of sending their troubled teenage daughter to boarding school as they embark on one last family trip to a mobile home park that their uncle runs. Their ast bonding opportunity turns to horror when the teenage children discover the bodies of their aunt and uncle, fresh from a recent visit from the masked strangers from the first film. [The Wrap]
