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The latest on J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ Posted: 25 Apr 2014 12:00 AM PDT "The Empire Strikes Back" Japanese Theatrical Poster THE MOVIE: Currently in development is the continuation of the Star Wars saga created by George Lucas. Episode VIII and IX are slated to arrive in 2017 and 2019, respectively. The film’s will be directed by J.J. Abrams (Super 8). Every movie will be filmed in 3D. Updates: Michael Arndt, who is responsible for writing Little Miss Sunshine, is officially on board as a writer. | THR reports that Lawrence Kasdan (who co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) and Simon Kinberg (who wrote X-Men: The Last Stand) have locked deals to write and produce upcoming Star Wars installments. | Collider reports that Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg may be writing Star Wars spin-offs instead of sequels. The latest news is that Disney has officially confirmed that screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are not only writing Episode VII, they'll also be writing content for possible spin-off's (i.e. Yoda's own movie, Han Solo's own story, etc). The Playlist reports that Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams have replaced Pixar scribe Michael Arndt for writing duties. | J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18, 2015. | Deadline reports that R2-D2 is officially returning for Episode VII. Keep in mind that this is the first official announcement of any returning character (we’re certain numerous characters from Episodes IV-VI will be returning). According to Collider: “The reworked script now has Luke, Han, and Leia (Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are returning ) as the lead characters with their offspring in supporting roles, and J.J. Abrams is eyeing Michael Fassbender, Hugo Weaving, and Adam Driver for other roles.” | Collider reports that Gary Oldman and Zac Efron have met with producers for possible roles. | Collider reports that Adam Driver is apparently close to signing on for a role that would rival the iconic Darth Vader. Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that the sequel will take place 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi. Filming for Episode VII starts in May! BREAKING NEWS: Lucasfilm confirms that the new Star Wars films will have nothing go do with the “Expanded Universe” (i.e. offshoot novels, cartoons, comic books and video games).

Production on John McTiernan’s ‘Red Squad’ has stalled Posted: 24 Apr 2014 12:00 AM PDT "Predator" Japanese Theatrical Poster John McTiernan – the legendary action director behind Die Hard, Predator, The Hunt for Red October and Die Hard with A Vengeance – is currently serving his last month in a federal prison for the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping scandal. Upon his release, he has already landed the duties of directing a mercenary thriller called Red Squad. According to Variety, Red Squad centers on a former DEA agent with a rogue streak and his select team of mercenaries who descend upon a Mexican border town to neutralize a drug lord. The story is written by Cannon and Jorge Suarez (The Scratch). No casting information has been revealed, but production is slated to begin this Spring. Now, someone needs to start a petition for McTiernan to direct Die Hard 6! Updates: New promo poster for Red Squad, courtesy of Collider. BREAKING NEWS: Thanks to manlymovie.net, we have some bad news: production on Red Squad has stalled because John McTiernan views the current draft as offensive. Now for some good news: In an interview with Empire, McTiernan says that he would be open to making an Expendables movie or another sequel to Die Hard.

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