Need a quick recap of the past week in movie news? Here are the highlights:
Helen Mirren cast as Shazam! villain: Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren is no stranger to DC Comics movies, having starred in Red and Red 2, but now she’s joining the DC Extended Universe. Variety reports Mirren has been cast as the villain of the superhero sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods opposite star Zachary Levi. Specifically, she’ll play the Greek mythological figure Hespera, daughter of the god Atlas. Newcomer Rachel Zegler also re-cently joined the movie as one of Atlas’s daughters. The follow-up to 2019’s Shazam! is due in theaters on June 2, 2023.
Pierce Brosnan is Doctor Fate: Pierce Brosnan, who once shared a movie with Mirren back in 1980 with The Long Good Friday, is also joining the DCEU, but in a good-guy role. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the former James Bond will portray the classic DC superhero Doctor Fate in the Shazam! spin-off Black Adam, which will star Dwayne Johnson as the titular character. Presumably Doctor Fate is going to be a part of the Justice Socie-ty team, which will also include Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell).
Ron Livingston joins The Flash: Here’s one more bit of DCEU casting news: Ron Livingston has also joined the franchise for a part in The Flash. According to Variety, the Office Space star will play Henry Allen, father of the titular superhero (a.k.a. Barry Allen, portrayed by Ezra Miller). The character was previously seen in Justice League (and the recut, Zack Snyder’s Justice League) with Billy Crudup in the role. Spanish actress Maribel Verdú was also recently cast as Barry’s mother. The Flash is scheduled for release on November 4, 2022.
Emerald Fennell to write Zatanna: And here’s the last DC Extended Universe news for this week: Variety reports actress and filmmaker Emerald Fennell, who co-stars on Netflix’s The Crown and who was just nominated for three Oscars for writing, directing and producing her feature directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, has been hired by Warner Bros. and DC Films to write a feature spotlighting the superhero known as Zatanna. The character inherited magical abilities and in addition to using those powers to help save the world, she also works as a stage magician.
Bewitched reboot in the works: Speaking of women with magical powers, Samantha Stephens is heading back to the big screen for a new movie based on the iconic sitcom Bewitched. The 1960s TV show, about a witch who marries a mortal and settles into suburbia, was previously adapted into a 2005 movie starring Nicole Kidman as Samantha and Will Ferrell as her husband, Dar-rin. It also recently heavily inspired the Marvel series Wanda-Vision. Deadline reports the new movie, set up at Sony Pictures, will be scripted by TV writers Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett.
Seth Rogen is Steven Spielberg’s uncle: Seth Rogen will reunite with his Take This Waltz co-star Michelle Williams in the next Steven Spielberg movie. According to Deadline, the comedic actor, who previously branched out into dramatic, real-person roles with the biopic Steve Jobs, has been cast in the as-yet-untitled project as a character based on Spielberg’s favorite uncle. Script-ed by Spielberg and Tony Kushner (Lincoln), the coming-of-age movie will loosely portray the iconic filmmaker’s childhood and has already cast Williams in the part based on his mother.
Cary Fukunaga to direct Tokyo Ghost: Back to comic book news, filmmaker Cary Fukunaga has found his follow-up to the upcoming James Bond movie No Time to Die. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fukunaga will helm an adaptation of the Image Comics cyberpunk series Tokyo Ghost, which he will also produce for Legendary. The sci-fi story is set towards the end of this century at a time when the world is more addicted to technology than ever, yet Tokyo has become the one tech-free nation.
