Focus's THE COLDEST CITY Casts Charlize Theron; 'John Wick' Helmers To Direct

Actress Charlize Theron's latest big screen role can be found in director George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road this coming Friday. The film just had its premiere in Los Angeles and is certainly poised to be the start of a possibly epic and successful franchise whilst certainly lending some momentum to the award-winning co-star for her attachment as well.

Of course, time will tell what the future holds in that regard, but the momentum is high for her this week, and with events beginning at Cannes soon, word from Deadline brings good news for the actress comes by way of Focus Features and their latest North American acquisition for the author Antony Johnston's 2012 Oni Press graphic novel publication, The Coldest City. Focus reportedly locked an eight-figure deal to produce the $30 million dollar adaptation from a script by Kurt Johnstad which centers its story of espionage and double crossing on Theron's role - a super spy forced into action to retrieve a list in order to protect the intel community when the MI6 agent smuggling it to the West is killed just before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Theron is set to produce with producers from Denver And Delilah Productions, Closed On Mondays Entertainment and Sierra/Affinity, along with 87Eleven whose founders, Hollywood stunt coordinators and filmmakers Chad Stahelski and David Leitch are also set to direct. The film is just one in a notch of successes between the directors who are currently on par to direct John Wick 2 following last year's hit, as well as help bring Sony's Harbinger Wars movieverse to the big screen, to name a few.

The Coldest City begins rolling cameras in Germany this October. Stay tuned for more info.

Keanu Reeves Is Officially Returning To Shoot More People In The Face In JOHN WICK 2!

If you're a fan of action and managed to go to the movies at any point between last Fall and now, chances are you've seen a little $20 million dollar independent film called John Wick, and you dug lead actor Keanu Reeves with fervor in some capacity. Come to think of it, it really is official as a character now owns on the screen thanks in large part to his action-training cohorts at 87 Eleven Action Design, debut directing duo Chad Stahelski and David Leitch with fight coordinator Jonathan Eusebio designing all sorts of unrelenting brutality in Wick's wake.

So, now what? Well, a sequel was officially announced to be in development back in February by Lionsgate after Stahleski spoke on it earlier, and now the word from Forbes contributor Scott Mendelson dictated that Reeves is officially returning as well. There are no script or story details as of yet, but the fact that this update exists alone is reason enough to stay excited from here on out. The first film, which saw Reeves as a former contract killer for the Russian mob avenge the destruction of his second chance at a better life by targeting Russian mob boss and his son, was reportedly a last minute pick-up by Lionsgate (Summit) before crushing it with well-over $78 million dollars at the box-office and a current 84% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, and if you haven't noticed, things have been picking up quite handsomely between the two stuntmen-turned-helmers.

Upcoming works like Universal's Cowboy.Ninja.Viking., Cinemax's new series, Rain and Valiant/Sony's forthcoming Harbinger Wars development are all noteworthy attachments at the moment. In the meantime, the possibility of John Wick 2 is a growing certianty now as we move ahead.

Stay tuned!

Valiant, Sony Rev Up HARBINGER WARS With Stahelski, Leitch To Direct And More!

Independent comic book platform Valiant Comics struck big with a nine-figure deal a month and a half ago when it partnered with Chinese investment firm, DMG Entertainment to help pitch its numerous comic book properties with a lean toward film production. What's as important as this, though, is how the source material gets tackled, which means who will be the team behind the forthcoming productions of such titles as Bloodshot and Harbinger.

Well, for starters, at least two people so far, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, who have made their way in the ranks as stunt professionals and second unit directors through their directorial debut, John Wick, late last year are now up to helm the former with producers Fast And Furious franchise Neal Moritz and Toby Jaffe producing, while the latter seeks a director. These morsel are included in a flurry of other exciting new details announcing Valiant's official five-movie partnership with Sony in an effort toward a new comic book initiative for Bloodshot and Harbinger building up to the fifth film, Harbinger Wars.

Leitch and Stahelski made a killing with John Wick last year with plans now moving forward with a sequel as well as other titles, namely actor Chris Pratt's upcoming role in Cowboy Ninja Viking and the new Cinemax series, Rain, while the seventh Fast franchise installment, Furious Seven, became the fastest to become number one movie in America and the world within the first two weeks of its release from Universal. Rest assured, Valiant and Sony have some great film muscle to flex and should surely establish the company very well by 2017 with the Marvel and DC cineverses still in the mix. Cue the press release (H/T: Nothing But Comics)

Valiant Entertainment and Sony Pictures today announced a deal to bring two of Valiant’s award-winning comic book superhero franchises—BLOODSHOT and HARBINGER—to the big screen over the course of five feature films that will culminate in the shared universe crossover film, HARBINGER WARS. 

BLOODSHOT, arriving in theaters in 2017, will kick off the five-picture plan leading to HARBINGER WARS and will be directed by David Leitch & Chad Stahelski (John Wick) from a script by Jeff Wadlow (Kick Ass 2) and Eric Heisserer (Story of Your Life). Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe fromOriginal Film (The Fast and the Furious franchise) and Dinesh Shamdasani from Valiant Entertainment will produce the film. Matthew Vaughn and Jason Kothari will serve as executive producers. 

HARBINGER will follow shortly thereafter from a script by Eric Heisserer (Story of Your Life). Sony and Valiant remain tight-lipped about potential directors. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe from Original Film (The Fast and the Furious franchise) and Dinesh Shamdasani from Valiant Entertainment will produce. 

Both BLOODSHOT and HARBINGER will be followed by sequels before the title characters confront each other head on in HARBINGER WARS—a motion picture directly inspired by Valiant’s critically acclaimed 2013 comic book crossover of the same name. Andrea Giannetti will oversee the five-picture HARBINGER WARS initiative for Sony Pictures. 

“Valiant is one of the most successful publishers in the history of comics, and Neal is one of the best action producers in the business today. This is a formidable partnership that will bring two incredibly commercial franchises with global appeal together on the big screen,” said Sony Entertainment Motion Picture Group President Doug Belgrad. “The long-term plan that begins with BLOODSHOT will be a considerable priority for Sony in the months and years to come.” 

Brought back from the dead and infused with cutting-edge nanotechnology by private security contractor Project Rising Spirit, Bloodshot is a nearly unstoppable killing machine equipped with enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and healing. Created by Kevin VanHook, Don Perlin, and Bob Layton in 1992, Bloodshot is one of the most successful new comic book characters of the past two decades with more than 100 issues published and lifetime sales of more than 7 million copies in multiple languages around the world. After returning with a sold-out new series in 2012, Bloodshot’s latest chapter recently began with the release of Bloodshot Reborn #1 in April—the first issue of a new series from New York Times best-selling writer Jeff Lemire and artist Mico Suayan. 

Centered on telekinetic teenage runaway Peter Stanchek and his recruitment into the mysterious Harbinger Foundation by secretive CEO and philanthropist Toyo Harada, Harbinger was created by former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter and artist David Lapham in 1992. Having sold more than 5 million copies worldwide in multiple languages across more than 60 issues, Harbinger returned with a new series in 2012 to multiple sold-out printings and widespread critical acclaim. 

Bloodshot and Harbinger collide in Harbinger Wars—Valiant’s 2013 crossover event from writers Joshua Dysart and Duane Swierczynski with art by Clayton Henry, Clayton Crain, and Pere Perez. Valiant’s first crossover of the modern era, Harbinger Wars would go on to become the year’s best-selling crossover event from an independent publisher and spawned multiple sold-out printings. 

“Bloodshot and Harbinger are two of the great untapped franchises anywhere in comics,” said producer and founder of Original Film, Neal H. Moritz. “In partnership with Sony and Valiant, we look forward to building the next great generation of superhero films.” 

“Sony Pictures and Neal Moritz are the ideal partners to bring the world of Bloodshot and Harbinger to life,” said Valiant CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani. “They understand exactly what makes these characters tick and the exciting potential that they hold. These films are just the first step in partnership with Sony to bring Valiant’s biggest heroes to new audiences worldwide.” 

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2015, Valiant is one of the most successful comic book publishing companies in the history of the medium with more than 81 million comics sold and a library of more than 2,000 distinct characters. Established by a brain trust of legendary comics creators, Valiant’s heroes and villains inhabit the largest independently owned superhero universe anywhere in comics. Re-established in 2005 as Valiant Entertainment, the company returned to great commercial and critical success in 2012, winning a Diamond Gem Award for Publisher of the Year and numerous industry awards and accolades. To date, Valiant’s titles consistently rate among the best reviewed in comics. 

Valiant’s comic book universe—which includes the best-selling superheroes Bloodshot, Harbinger, X-O Manowar, Shadowman, and Archer & Armstrong, among many others—is characterized by a grounded, character-driven approach to storytelling. Its stories take place in a world only subtly removed from our own—one inspired by real-world science and inhabited by morally ambiguous heroes that often forgo capes and secret identities. 

In March, Valiant announced that it partnered with Beijing-based entertainment company DMG for nine-figures of film financing capital for the production of theatrical films and television programs based on Valiant’s library of iconic superhero characters. 

With over fifty films released, Neal Moritz’s worldwide box office gross exceeds $7 billion. His hits include: the Jump Street  franchise, The Fast and The Furious franchise, I Am Legend, XXX, Click, Sweet Home Alabama, S.W.A.T., Battle: Los Angeles, and The Green Hornet. 

In addition to BLOODSHOT, HARBINGER, and HARBINGER WARS, Moritz also has several films in development with Sony Pictures, including Passengers, Christian the Lion, 23 Jump Street, Cliffhanger, Rockets Red Glare, and A Prophet.

After Stathelski, Lionsgate Makes JOHN WICK 2 Official

Not too long after stunt coordinators Chad Stathelski and David Leitch made clear their active development on a sequel to their 2014 directorial debut John Wick, Variety is reporting that Lionsgate has done the same, officially announcing the second installment. However, it was CEO Jon Feltheimer who, during a conference call with analysts to discuss the studio's year-end 3rd quarter earnings, suggesting a possible "multiple-title franchise".

In lieu of this, its likely that lead actor Keanu Reeves will return to reprise his role after turning in such a stellar performance on top of building a longstanding and cohesive partnership with Stahelski and Leitch over at the stunt training facility, 87Eleven. Of course, this also brings into question of who our main protagonist will go toe-to-toe with this time around, and that will depend on the story our directing duo conjures.

Rest assured, let's hope the next bad guy he meets knows not to go anywhere near his new dog.

Stathelski and Leitch are also reportedly on board actor Chris Pratt's Cowboy Ninja Viking, so its nice to see the two spanning their careers into other properties. In the meantime, Reeves will be joining actress Christina Hendricks in Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon which starts rolling cameras at the end of March. Stay tuned for more info!

Chad Stahelski Talks JOHN WICK 2

The careers of Hollywood second unit directors and stunt coordinators, Chad Stathelski and David Leitch, seem to be getting increasingly better since the theatrical release of their partnering directorial debut, John Wick, last year. The film became a box-office hit a little over four months ago and it has since led to other prospects, including re-teaming with the film's lead actor, Keanu Reeves, for the live-action assassin series, Rain, in addition to their recently announcement attachment to direct lead actor Chris Pratt in the graphic novel adaptation, Cowboy Ninja Viking.

However, John Wick is not without its merits for a sequel considering its caliber as an original property with a riveting story of one man's vengeful return to his old life following the death of his inherited dog and theft of his car. If you saw the film, you'll likely understand a bit more about the prospects for a follow-up with Reeves serving one of his best action performances yet in an independently-produced feature thriller, which is why we're finally getting some positive news fron Collider who cited the following excerpt from a recent interview with Stahelski at Movies.com:

"We have ideas for days and without blinking twice we know we can outdo the action from the original,” Stahelski said. “It’s the matter of story and how much you like the character. That’s always the most important. If there’s great action but you have a character that no one likes and doesn’t have charisma you’re not going to watch it. Look at any great action star, whether it’s Harrison Ford or Liam Neeson or Robert Downey Jr., pick a name, you love the guy first. Good action, bad action, you just love them in action. So we want to make sure we have a story and a character that everybody loves and then we’ll dress it with action that we promise will be awesome.”

Well, anyone who is anyone at this point loves John Wick. Hopefully some of these ideas will materialize and solidify things for a much deserved sequel, because now the film has a fanbase, and the prospects for a much larger franchise seem to be getting better and better. Stick around, and be sure to buy your copy of John Wick on DVD and Blu-Ray wherever movies are sold!

JOHN WICK Duo, Stahelski And Leitch To Direct COWBOY NINJA VIKING For Universal

2014 was an immensely great year for actor Chris Pratt, and things are about to get even better. The actor is currently on par as a person of interest to reprise the role of Indiana Jones for a new feature film on top of returning to portray his winning role in director James Gunn's forthcoming Marvel sequel, Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 and possibly getting a starring role in The Magnificent Seven remake alongside The Equalizer duo, helmer Anton Fuqua and actor Denzel Washington.

In addition, Pratt's latest attachment came as of November last year for the lead role in the upcoming graphic novel adaptation, Cowboy Ninja Viking. Based on a 2009 publication from Image Comics via Shadowline, the film now aims to brings Pratt center stage in the role of Duncan, the product of a government program that transforms people with multiple personality disorders into highly trained agents known as "Triplets", whereas he is now forced to hunt down others like himself using his unique skillset highlit by his three distinct personalities: a cowboy, a ninja, and a viking.

The source material here draws some immense appeal as Pratt has proven to be an actor worthy of taking on several dimensions on screen, so a role like this definitely suits him, and he's more than likely on board. But what makes for an even better prospect is the fact that Universal Pictures is officially bringing action duo Chad Stathelski and David Leitch on board to direct. Stahelski and Leitch, both respected stunt coordinators and trainers, and founders of their own stunt training facility, 87Eleven Action Design in California, blew the lid off the film festival scene last year with their partnering directorial debut, John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves. The three are expected to partner again for Reeves's forthcoming series, Rain, and updates are still pending, but rest assured, Universal Pictures has itself a mighty strong team on its hands.

Pratt will be back on the big screen this summer for Jurassic World on June 12, while John Wick is now available wherever movies are sold.

H/T: Variety