Good morning: In today’s edition of The Industry, we look at:
National Treasure 3, HBO Max’s Gorilla, and an internet king.
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Three different franchises, three different studios, one familiar day in Hollywood.
In the era of returning sequels, three-quels, and remakes, three major advancements in long-speculated films were announced over the weekend.
Hide your Declarations of Independence, National Treasure 3 is officially in the works at Disney. Franchise director Jon Turteltaub confirmed the news, with Nicolas Cage in serious talks to return as the brilliant historian and amateur treasure hunter Benjamin Gates, eighteen years after the sequel.
Turteltaub shared that a script was in the works and that he is hoping to bring everyone from the original two films back to the world of heists.
Josh Brolin is asked every year if Sicario 3 is a possibility; this time, he not only said it was a go, but that production is expected to begin very soon.
The Denis Villeneuve-directed and Taylor Sheridan-written neo-western Sicario (2015) was a critical darling, a pulse-pounding descent into the lawless underbelly of the U.S.-Mexican border. Its sequel (2018), directed by Stefano Sollima, was not as well received but didn’t hurt the audience’s desire for another.
However, after nearly a decade “in development”, there is no director or writer attached, and no word on if Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro would return for a third film.
Amazon MGM and Miramax have set Michael Showalter (Verity) to direct a new Serendipity, a modern retelling of the 2001 John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale romance. Original writer Marc Klein is penning new characters and a different story under the same title.
Touching one of the genre’s most beloved romcoms is an overwhelming task, but Showalter went out of his way to insist his film isn’t a remake or a reboot at all, calling it “a rebuttal”.
Hollywood’s nostalgia gamble can pay off handsomely from its built-in fanbase alone, but has proven time and time again to be a difficult feat, with familiarity both its greatest asset and its biggest obstacle.
The Oscar-winning Top Gun: Maverick (2022) proved the formula, flying into screens 36 years after the 1986 original. Whereas Ben Stiller’s sequel Zoolander 2 (2016) premiered 15 years later and received such a poor response that the film lost money despite the cult following the first film had developed.
While it’s in its earliest stages, a flashback to arguably one of his greatest works in the midst of a Nicolas Cage resurgence makes perfect sense. A personal favorite from growing up, a strong National Treasure three-quel, if done well, could really excel in our current crime-obsessed culture, with Cage’s reviving blockbuster status a welcome addition.
If it does ever happen, I will be in the theater opening day with a popcorn bucket probably shaped like some historical artifact or an ancient relic. Little is official, but AMC is already working on it.
For More:
National Treasure (2004) - Trailer
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) - Trailer
Sicario (2015) - Trailer
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) - Trailer
Serendipity (2001) - Trailer
THE INDUSTRY TLDR
HBO Max develops DC true-crime comedy The People v. Gorilla Grodd.
Chris Yost and Eric Heisserer showrun Peacock’s Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Former Paramount distribution president Chris Aronson sues studio for $4M+.
Disney signs a family-content deal with Dhar Mann Studios.
Meghan Markle is no longer involved in The Gentlemen S3.
Matthew Daddario joins Chicago Fire S15 as a series regular.
Saw V director David Hackl helms action thriller Solar Storm.
Kid Cudi preps sophomore feature as director, horror-comedy F*ckin Gnarly.
Magenta Light Studios acquires N.A. rights to The King of the Internet.
Friday’s correct answer: 2014, the highest-grossing release year of a TMNT movie.
23% got it correct.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
A superhero true-crime comedy show? HBO Max is developing a DC comedy show, The People v. Gorilla Grodd. The show will follow Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) as he investigates whether the super-intelligent gorilla named Gorilla Grodd (Jimmy Tatro) is guilty of murdering the King of Gorilla City, a hidden city located in the jungles of Africa inhabited by sentient gorillas.
This will mark Gorilla Grodd’s first appearance in James Gunn’s DCU. He has appeared on TV many times, including The CW’s The Flash and the animated Batman: The Brave and the Bold. And considering that Gorilla Grodd is one of Flash’s archenemies, perhaps he might be the gateway to bringing the Scarlet Speedster to James Gunn’s DC Universe.
With the show taking the form of a “true-crime” docuseries, we can expect a mockumentary-esque project from DC - similar to Netflix’s American Vandal.
With the superhero genre becoming more and more formulaic, it is great that DC is taking chances by experimenting with the genre.
Tidbits:
Chris Yost (Showrunner: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Eric Heisserer (Wri: Bird Box) set as showrunners for Peacock’s drama Dungeon Crawler Carl. Based on Matt Dinniman’s popular science fantasy LitRPG, the show is set on Earth after an Alien Apocalypse and follows a former Coast Guard-turned-veteran survivor, Carl, and his talking cat companion. Peacock has found success in a similar offbeat apocalypse genre show, Twisted Metal (trailer), which was one of the streamer’s top three Originals of all time.
The latest on the PSKY/WBD merger. CA Governor Gavin Newsom gave a slight indication that he’d like both parties to settle if the terms are right. To that end, reps from Paramount and CA State AG Rob Bonta are having a court-mandated meeting today. Paramount’s David Ellison is threatening to move out of CA, while Rob Bonta has indicated he has no desire to settle with Paramount unless it undergoes massive structural changes.
Paramount’s former president of domestic distribution, Chris Aronson, who departed the company post-Skydance merger last October, is suing Paramount for $4M+. He says his contract, which was through Dec. 1, 2028, was unfairly terminated. Throughout his time at Paramount, Aronson oversaw major blockbuster hits like Top Gun: Maverick (2022), the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and Smile (2022).
Mini Tidbits:
Disney signs a content deal with Dhar Mann Studios (27.5M YT subs), focusing on creating family-friendly content. Their first project together will be a 20-episode series produced by Dhar Mann Studios for Disney.
Curry Barker’s Obsession is Hollywood’s first original film released in the 2020s to gross $500M worldwide.
Trailers:
Amazon MGM Studios India’s Vibe
Star: Kunal Kemmu
Release: Sept 18
Adult Supervision
Broadcast/Streaming rights just sold to: HBO for Europe
It’s also sold to 11 other territories, including Italy, Australia, and Hungary
Disney+’s Disney Worldbuilders doc
Dir: Leslie Iwerks (The Pixar Story)
Disney+ release: Aug 20
HBO Max’s The Pitt (S3)
Release: Jan 2027
First look:
Untitled Rebecca Ferguson, Greta Lee film
BritBox’s Hercule
6-part drama series
First look at Hercule Poirot
Release: 2027
Meteorite
Premiere: Venice Critics Week
Sales Rep: More Than Films (Blue Heron)
Netflix’s The Mosquito Bowl
Dir: Peter Berg
Theatrical release: Oct 30
Netflix release: Nov 25
Trafalgar Releasing’s Fallen Angels
Cast: Rose Byrne
Filmed theater performance
Release: Oct 22nd
Release date:
Neon’s Cliffhanger
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Lily James
Release: Feb 24, 2027
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Four obits:
Michael Wright has passed away at 70. He played Omar White across 22 episodes in HBO’s Oz. In one memorable scene, he tries to make a name for himself in prison in the scariest way possible (clip). He also starred in 20th Century Fox’s The Five Heartbeats (1991).
Bunny Levine, known for supporting spots in ensemble dramas like Gilmore Girls and Shameless, has passed away at 97. Despite always wanting to be an actress, Levine worked most of her life as a school librarian, only stepping in front of the camera once she retired.
Leslie Parrish passes away at 90. She played Senator Jordan’s daughter in The Manchurian Candidate and the fiancée of Raymond (Laurence Harvey). She brought a bright energy to a chilling film (scene).
Shelley Fabares, an actress best known for her performance as Mary Stone in The Donna Reed Show, dies at 82.
Mini tidbits:
The third season of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen no longer includes Meghan Markle. The Suits actress, now Duchess, was in advanced talks to join the Netflix series in a new role in the gangster comedy, which would be her first since 2017, but is now reportedly no longer involved at all due to major backlash.
Shadowhunters actor Matthew Daddario has joined Chicago Fire’s fifteenth season as the station’s newest firefighter and show regular. The newest season of NBC’s long-running first responder drama will premiere this October.
FESTIVALS AND DOCS
Canadian distributor H264 (Red Rooms) has secured international sales rights to Where the River Begins ahead of its world premiere at TIFF. From Colombian filmmaker Juan Andrés Arango (La Playa D.C.), it follows a mother-daughter’s perilous journey to safety after tragedy. Where the River Begins (Donde comienza el río) - teaser.
Director Sandra Wollner’s Everytime continues its winning streak, having been awarded the best narrative feature film at the Sarajevo Film Festival. The psychological drama just months earlier won Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. Not too shabby!
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
David Hackl (Dir: Saw V) will direct the neo-noir action thriller Solar Storm, starring Jack Hudson (Vivarium) and Lorena Andrea (Disney’s Snow White).
The film follows ex-convict Joe (Hudson) as he crosses paths with Jasmine (Andrea), a woman trying to escape a brutal marriage, as the largest solar storm in history causes a mass blackout across the city.
Saw V (trailer) was the first film in the franchise that reinvented the series into a police procedural rather than a gore fest, and Hackl did a great job of upping the suspense by highlighting the cat-and-mouse element of the story. A citywide blackout in Solar Storm sounds like a perfect place for Hackl to bring the viewers to the edge of their seats.
The challenge will be balancing the macro disaster-level scenario with a more micro-conflict. Stories like these succeed when the cosmic event has direct psychological effects on the characters (like Melancholia).
Tidbits:
Magenta Light Studios (Strange Darling) acquires the N.A. rights to the Brazilian crime drama The King of the Internet. The film is set in the early days of Brazil’s internet culture and follows the true story of Daniel Nascimento, a notorious teenage hacker. This one looks like it was ripped straight out of the 90s, in the best way possible. It’s lush, fun, and energetic. Some of the direction seems like it’s from an early Danny Boyle film (trailer).
“Pursuit of Happiness” singer Kid Cudi isn’t waiting to see if his directorial debut lands before making another. Cudi is prepping to shoot the horror-comedy F*ckin Gnarly ahead of the premiere of his first film Doe, an intense drama about 24 hours in an LA addict’s life, that he wrote, directed, and stars in. Both films will arrive in 2027.
ON THIS DAY
1965. Marlee Matlin born in Morton Grove, Illinois.
Written by Gabriel Miller, Madelyn Menapace and Tony Jaeyeong Jeong (AI policy: AI is not used to generate our content).
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
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