This week in news: Rooney Mara gets Biblical, Gwendoline Christie (and Boba Fett) to return to Star Wars, Noomi Rapace departs Prometheus, and the Fast & Furious franchise powers on.
Boba Fett in Rogue One?
Movie scoops come in all different shapes and sizes. This week’s strangest was about 2cm tall, made of plastic and of Danish origin. The LEGO presentation at the Nuremberg Toy Fair let slip the presence of a certain Firespray-31-class patrol and attack vehicle belonging to a certain bounty hunter in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Does this mean Boba Fett is back in business in the Star Wars anthology movie? Time will tell. Don’t bet against it, is all.
Mara Magdalene
With her Biblical provenance, Mary Magdalene definitely has what Hollywood suits would term ‘brand recognition’. She’s the subject of a new biopic and Carol’s Rooney Mara will be bringing her Oscar heat to Ancient Judea as a figure still argued over by scholars, theologians and keen Sunday School pupils. “Rooney’s raw, brave approach to performances,” Davis elaborated, "coupled with her deeply magnetic inner life, holds all the dimensions needed to bring to life one of history’s most misunderstood woman.” With The King’s Speech’s producers behind it, this is a project to keep an eye on.
Fast & Furious into the future
It started back in 2001 with The Fast And The Furious. One bajillion gallons of petrol, 2800 wheelspins later and 28 Vin Diesel muscle vests later, the Fast & Furious franchise is still going strong with number eight underway and, now, release dates in place for episodes nine and ten. Diesel, chief publicist for the F&F movieverse, took to Instagram to share the news that April 19, 2019 and April 2, 2021 will both be blessed dates for those with a yearning for adrenaline, burnt rubber, hilariously OTT action sequences and hearty bro hugs.
Gwendoline Christie’s Phasma returns for Episode VIII
Rian Johnson has taken the cross-guarded baton from J.J. Abrams for Star Wars: Episode VIII, with most of the cast scheduled to return and one or two obvious members… well, not so much. One who seemed a little in the ‘maybe’ camp was Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma. Her character, despite a prominent role in pre-release marketing – and an Empire cover, no less – played a pretty marginal role in The Force Awakens. But this week brought news that she will be back for a second go at crushing the Resistance scum. At least, as soon as she gets out of that trash compactor.
The long and Winding road
The last time Nicolas Winding Refn was in Asia – for bloody crime drama Only God Forgives - it changed the way we’d think about Kristin Scott Thomas forever. Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade may be next to experience the Refenant as they start working with the Danish director on a mysterious new thriller that’s also set in the Orient. What do we know about it? Not a heck of a lot, other than it’ll be full of action. What can we imagine? That it’ll be violent, elliptical and full of Refn’s singular visual language. Head here for the full story.
Elizabeth Shaw escapes her last space doughnut
When we’d last left her, Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth Shaw had narrowly avoided being squished by a giant space doughnut. She’s also had an automated C-section, escaped from an angry Engineer and been stuck in space with a bloke rabbiting on about how much he loves rocks. All this, it seems, was enough for her. The week brought news that Rapace won’t be returning for Alien: Covenant, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus sequel. It’s possibly the result of a schedule clash with her Amy Winehouse biopic and that she might return for part three. Alien: Covenant is set to start shooting in Australia next month for a 2017 release.
New Marvel television series adds Legion of stars
Empire's spirit animal, Dan Stevens, was among the names joining the new Marvel-adapting TV show Legion. He's joining Parks and Recreation's Aubrey Plaza, Jean Smart, and Rachel Keller for a pilot due to film next month. This is not part of Marvel's Netflix/ABC televisual universe – it's the 20th Century Fox end, the X-Men side of things, hence the involvement of mutant supremo Bryan Singer. Fargo's Noah Hawley is directing the pilot with a hope for a full series due in 2017.