News

If you were an Internet 1.0 denizen, and/or you count yourself among the fans of geek culture, then 2015's "Kung Fury" is probably a favorite of yours. The short film written, directed by, and starring Swedish filmmaker David Sandberg, is a clever and vibrant homage to '80s action movies. A sort of collision between a meme, an Adult Swim special, a parody film, and a fan film (complete with its own underdog Kickstarter crowdfunding origin story) that beat the odds, "Kung Fury" features the involvement of celebrities like Jorma Taccone (of The Lonely Island) and David Hasselhoff, lending a bit of legitimate star power to what otherwise may have been seen as a curious goof. All this is to say that "Kung Fury" is thoroughly delightful, and its short length only helps make the prospect of a sequel more interesting.

As it turns out, "Kung Fury 2" became way...

Exclusive: Black Bear’s management arm has signed writer, director, actor, and producer Jordan Firstman, whose credits include Sundance 2023 black comedy Rotting in the Sun.

Firstman first rose to prominence by sharing short skits, impressions, and impersonations on Instagram Live during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He is also known for writing for Alia Shawkat’s Search Party and he was a consulting producer on Netflix’s animated series Big Mouth. As a filmmaker, Firstman directed the narrative short Men Don’t Whisper, which was shortlisted for the Grand Jury Prize at both Sundance and SXSW in 2018. He has also written for Comedy Central’s The Other Two and directed multiple episodes of the Peabody-nominated Sundance TV series This Close.

On the acting side, Firstman joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2022 via Ms. Marvel on Disney+. He also recently appeared in FX’s Dave and the Netflix comedy You People with Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy.

While the title of the movie has nothing to do with the narrative itself and certainly isn’t related to director David Sandberg’s directorial debut either, Don’t Turn Out the Lights comes off as an outdoor group survival horror, the likes of which you have seen numerous times but can’t help checking out just for curiosity’s sake. Predictable and filled with annoying stereotypes, there isn’t much that the movie can offer to seasoned horror aficionados, but a somewhat decent chemistry among the characters and decently crafted ambience contributing to the atmospheric horror help viewers stick through the runtime.

Spoilers Ahead

Birthday Celebration Gone Wrong

A group of annoying, overly enthusiastic college grads who were formerly high school buddies reunite to celebrate their narcissistic, social media-obsessed friend Olivia’s birthday, who proposes they spend a wild weekend at the Bluelight music festival—a ten-hour drive from their meeting point.

Exclusive: Oscar nominated scribe Eric Heisserer has inked a first look deal with Sony Pictures under his Chronology banner.

Founded in the wake of the hit series Shadow And Bone, with Carmen Lewis who will oversee the deal, Chronology will focus on delivering elevated genre as theatrical experiences for Sony. Already in the works at the studio is Dissolution, a new grounded sci-fi novel by acclaimed author Nicholas Binge, which the company will co-produce with Temple Hill. Temple Hill’s Isaac Klausner and George Berman, who brought the book into the company and brought it to Heisserer to write, will oversee the project for the company.

“I’m totally obsessed with Eric Heisserer. He knows how to find the big idea, he understands the magical ratio of character and mystery as only the highest quality writers can, but also, he has an extraordinary producer mindset. We are thrilled to expand...

As the Hollywood news cycle continues to churn with anticipation for the launch of Deadpool & Wolverine, presidential candidate endorsements, and enthusiasm for the increasing numbers of the summer box office, Focus Features is ready to make headlines by assigning a date for Steven Soderbergh‘s upcoming spy drama Black Bag. The studio says Black Bag opens in theaters on March 14, 2024. Focus will release the film in the US, and Universal Pictures International will handle international distribution.

Black Bag is a high-stakes mystery starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, as well as Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, Tom Burke, and Pierce Brosnan. Steven Soderbergh directs Black Bag from a script by David Koepp. Soderbergh and Blanchett previously worked together on his 2006 noir thriller The Good German. Additionally, Blanchett played a part in the film Ocean’s 8, part of Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 11 franchise. Soderbergh produced Ocean’s 8 but didn’t direct that one.

Kung Fury— a 2015 English-language Swedish martial arts comedy film— is weirdly entertaining, the average critics’ consensus certified the movie fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 86% score. Also, fans have showered their love for the David Sandberg (not to be confused with Shazam! director) written and directed movie.

Jorma Taccone as Adolf Hitler in Kung Fury

As the movie claimed the astounding accolades, there was inherently another installment in the making. The sequel of the Sandberg-led movie who played the title character, also starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, Kung Fury 2 has never seen the light of day. Jorma Taccone played the notorious historical figure, Adolf Hitler and the actor was heartbroken as the movie was hidden from the public forever.

Jorma Taccone Was Heartbroken After Kung Fury 2’s Release Was Scrapped Jorma Taccone as Adolf Hitler in Kung Fury

Jorma Taccone played a comic version of Adolf Hitler, Kung Fuhrer,...

The Killer and Prometheus star Michael Fassbender could go behind enemy lines for The Department, a forthcoming espionage thriller series with George Clooney (The Boys in the Boat) at the helm. With Clooney in the director’s chair, filming for The Department kicks off in London this spring. The project, which has a straight-to-series order by Showtime, is based on “The Bureau,” the hit French spy show created by Eric Rochant. In addition to his role as the project’s director, Clooney is producing alongside Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures, MTV Entertainment Studios, and 101 Studios.

The original French show starred the “bureau des légendes,” Matthieu Kassovitz as Guillaume Debailly — alias Paul Lefebvre, alias Malotru – a member of the “bureau des légendes,” the mythical powerhouse within the French Secret Service and its daredevil ghost agents. Malotru returns home after completing a six-year mission in Damascus. While struggling to retire his...

If you've heard about "Night Swim" and its haunted swimming pool concept, your first reaction might have been to wonder whether something had gone horribly awry over at Blumhouse and Atomic Monster. Producers James Wan and Jason Blum are horror juggernauts, after all, and a film about an evil swimming pool initially seems to have a lot more in common with retro low-budget horror schlock like "Amityville Death Toilet" or "Death Bed."

But even minimal research into this upcoming horror effort from first-time director Bryce McGuire reveals something altogether more serious. Based on the filmmaker's 2014 short film of the same name, "Night Swim" follows an increasingly successful formula of transforming horror shorts into fully-fledged features. 2022's surprise hit "Smile," for instance, was based on the short "Laura Hasn't Slept," while the best horror movie of the last decade, "Skinamarink," started life as a 28-minute, criminally underseen YouTube video entitled "Heck.

Exclusive: Black Bear’s management arm has signed the Swedish actor and model Simon Lööf for representation.

Lööf is currently on set in the lead role of Netflix’s Swedish thriller An Honest Life, directed by Mikael Marcimain, which is due to be released globally 2024.

Based on a thriller by Joakim Zander of the same name, the buzzed about production revolves around a disillusioned law school student who finds himself on the wrong side of the law, when he falls under the thrall of an anarchic, young woman he meets a political demonstration.

Simon Lööf made his acting debut in 2020 in teen ice hockey drama Eagles, which he followed with a co-starring role in the critically acclaimed Swedish series Threesome opposite Matilda Källström.

Aside from An Honest Life, Lööf’s will soon be seen in the series So Long, Marianne about the relationship between...

Within the course of a week some six years ago, aspiring genre filmmaker Michael Chaves’ life changed forever.

‘The Nun II’

Bloody Disgusting had posted his haunted house horror short The Maiden, which stylistically in its sneaky shots, steely hues and earth tones is oh-so-close to the gist of The Conjuring franchise. Off of that, Chaves, a Pasadena Art School & Design alum (which includes Michael Bay and Zack Snyder) gets a meeting and is signed by James Wan and David Sandberg’s CAA rep, Scott Henderson, a guru in the genre space. Chaves then winds up in front of New Line execs Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter pitching himself for the directing gig of The Curse of La Llorona. Wan was wowed over by The Maiden, too.

Chaves’ oversee of The Curse of La Llorona goes so well, the movie turns a net profit near $46M off its $9M production...

Exclusive: Black Bear, the production, management and financing company founded by Teddy Schwarzman, on Thursday announced its signing of Simona Tabasco, one of the breakout Italian stars of The White Lotus‘ second season.

The news follows the firm’s introduction to Tabasco as the producer of Immaculate, a forthcoming psychological horror film in which she stars opposite fellow White Lotus alum Sydney Sweeney.

In the Sicily-set second installment of Mike White’s HBO satire The White Lotus, examining the dynamics between employees and guests at luxury hotels around the world, Tabasco starred alongside Adam Dimarco, Michael Imperioli, Beatrice Grannò, Theo James and more. The 10x Emmy-winning series had her playing the role of Lucia Greco, a prostitute enjoying the high life alongside aspiring chanteuse Mia (Grannò), as she builds her business on the grounds of The White Lotus Sicily. For her performance, the actress was recognized with an Emmy nom...

“Blue Beetle” director Ángel Manuel Soto is an eternal optimist.

It was January 2020 when Soto’s coming-of-age story “Charm City Kings” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, winning the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for ensemble acting. Sony Pictures Classics planned to release the film on April 10, which would have come after its intended bow at South by Southwest on March 15. Yet, as for so many movies, a global pandemic changed those plans. It eventually ended up in the hands of HBO Max ahead of its rebrand, but if anyone visits Max, it’s not available, as it was one of the movies that was quietly removed from the platform.

And here Soto is again, sitting in a hotel room on Zoom amid his travels without his actors and writers to promote the film, which opens Aug. 18. He’s going at it alone due to the ongoing Hollywood strikes,...

Exclusive: Black Bear’s management arm has signed Danish-American actor Elliott Crosset Hove for representation.

Hove is best known for the well-received Danish/Icelandic feature Godland, which premiered in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

His lauded performance in the picture earned him Best Male Actor at Denmark’s 2023 Bodil Awards, as well as a Best Actor nomination at the European Film Awards.

Hove’s previous feature roles include Rasmus Heisterberg’s 2016 feature film In the Blood, for which Hove was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Bodil Awards, and Hlynur Pálmason’s Winter Brothers, which won him a Danish Robert Award and Best Actor at the Locarno Film Festival. He has also appeared in Journal 64, Before the Frost, Parents and Wildland.

Most recently, Hove starred in Katrine Brocks’ The Great Silence and Simon Jaquemet’s Electric Child, which is currently in post-production, alongside Rila Fukushima.

L.A.-based Dynamic Television has acquired worldwide rights to the Swedish series “The Pirate Bay,” about the notorious pirate BitTorrent site and its co-founders Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, and Gottfrid Swartholm.

The six-part series, set to go unto production this fall, is being produced by Stockholm and L.A.-based powerhouse B-Reel Films for Swedish pubcaster Svt. “I Am Zlatan” helmer Jens Sjögren is directing, from a screenplay by head-writer Piotr Marciniak (“Everything I Can’t Remember”), with Patrik Gyllström (“Agatha Christie’s Hjerson”) serving as episodic writer.

The character-driven show turns on Peter, Fredrik and Gottfrid, who ended up creating in 2003 one of the world’s largest BitTorrent indexes as a reaction to big business trying to take control file sharing over the Internet.

What was intended to ignite a revolution to let information flow freely, quickly became responsible for the illegal distribution of copyrighted films, music, books and software online.

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” hit theatres on March 17, resulting in a disappointing opening weekend with just $65 million at the worldwide box office — a 43 per cent drop from the first “Shazam” movie.

While there are certainly many reasons behind why the film flopped, a report from TheWrap offers another factor: Dwayne Johnson and his attempt to place his Black Adam and Henry Cavill’s Superman at the centre of the DC Extended Universe.

Read More: ‘Shazam! Fury Of The Gods’ Crashes At The Box Office With Estimated $30.5 Million Haul

According to TheWrap, “Black Adam” was intended to feature a post-credits sequence featuring Zachary Levi’s “Shazam” character, which would have linked the two movies and, in theory, bolstered the success of “Fury of the Gods”. That sequence, the outlet reports, would have seen Levi’s character recruited for the Justice Society — until Johnson personally “vetoed” the plan.

Instead, the post-credits...

Zachary Levi took to Instagram to clarify that he doesn’t blame Dwyane Johnson — or anyone — for nixing the originally planned post-credits scene in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which would’ve seen Justice Society of America members inviting the sequel’s title character to join their group.

On Tuesday, Levi seemed to call out Johnson after a story from The Wrap reported that the Black Adam star blocked Justice Society characters from appearing in the Shazam! sequel and shot down the possibility of a Levi cameo in his movie. In his Instagram Story, the Chuck alum shared a post mentioning the reporting and added “The truth shall set you free.”

“I may or may not have, you know, reposted something in my Stories about a story that I had nothing to do with that [The Wrap] had reported on, and then I got flack about it because people were saying ‘Oh,...

S​hazam! Fury Of The Gods has flown its way into theaters. The new DC film catches up with the adopted family as they now live life as teenagers who act as superheroes in their spare time. Last we saw them, they all had superpowers when they said the magic word Shazam! A new threat has shown up to try and disrupt their happy home. The film is absolutely jam-packed with Shazam easter eggs and references to other superhero properties and even some horror films. What did you miss?

W​Arning!!!! There will be spoilers for Shazam! and Shazam! Fury Of The Gods!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A​nnabelle

T​he creepy doll from The Conjuring universe has once again made an appearance in a DC movie. This marks her third appearance as she appeared in the first Shazam! and Aquaman. When we find out that Shazam is using his pediatrician as a therapist,...

When I first saw Shazam! I was truly impressed with the mix of humor, horror, and action. And with the latest, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, I found a sequel worth entertaining in. It is funny, smart, and is just as clever and engaging as the first. And much of that credit can be given to the screenwriters behind it. Henry Gayden, who wrote the original film, is back. He is joined this time around by Chris Morgan. The two have done a terrific job of creating a continuation that doesn’t repeat itself, but still maintains the heart of the first.

We recently had the pleasure of chatting with both Chris and Henry about the new film. They opened up about taking on a superhero story and splashing in mythology. The two discussed what David F. Sandberg brought to the experience, and how cool it was to have Helen Mirren on set.

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” the sequel to the better-than-it-had-any-right-to-be “Shazam!” (from 2019) is here. It once again stars Zachary Levi as the adult superhero version of pint-sized Billy Batson (Asher Angel), whose powers were bestowed upon him by a dying wizard.. This time around, Shazam and his super-powered family are going up against villainous gods played by Helen Mirren, Lucy Lui and Rachel Zegler, in her first big movie role since “West Side Story.”

But Shazam is also facing something far more challenging than wooden dragons and wrathful gods – he’s staring down the barrel of an uncertain future for DC-related properties. Amidst a failed spinoff, a highly publicized regime change at Warner Bros. Discovery and a nearly complete reset of everything that has come before it in the DC Universe, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” sits precipitously on the edge of a very deep ravine.

We’re going to...

Introducing President Schwarzenegger.

In a move that could well aggravate the current White House resident, Arnold Schwarzenegger has shared a picture of himself kicking back in the Oval Office as a cigar-chomping Commander in Chief, the first look from Kung Fury 2, which has recently been shooting in Bulgaria and Germany.

The feature-length follow-up to David Sandberg's cult 2015 short — a purposefully ludicrous homage to '80s martial arts and police action films that became a crowdfunded sensation, premiered in Cannes and amassed in excess of 40 million views on YouTube — Kung Fury 2 sees the Terminator star and ...

Introducing President Schwarzenegger.

In a move that could well aggravate the current White House resident, Arnold Schwarzenegger has shared a picture of himself kicking back in the Oval Office as a cigar-chomping Commander in Chief, the first look from Kung Fury 2, which has recently been shooting in Bulgaria and Germany.

The feature-length follow-up to David Sandberg's cult 2015 short — a purposefully ludicrous homage to '80s martial arts and police action films that became a crowdfunded sensation, premiered in Cannes and amassed in excess of 40 million views on YouTube — Kung Fury 2 sees the Terminator star and ...

Michael Fassbender is all set to star in and produce a new spy franchise ‘Malko’ at Lionsgate. An adaptation of Gerard de Villiers’ bestselling S.A.S. book series.

American Hustle scribe Eric Warren Singer will adapt the story that follows Malko Linge, an Austrian nobleman and freelance CIA operative who spent his formative years in a special Nazi work camp for captured spies, where he learned the intricate dark arts of tradecraft from the best. Now an adult living in a reclaimed family manor fallen into disrepair, Malko becomes a spy for hire. He is the ultimate agent without an agency — a gentleman warrior without a country who works according to his own moral code, and lives the only way a man who has grown up in the face of death can — with a wicked wit and a lust for all things in life, even the things that might kill him.

Lionsgate has acquired the global motion picture rights to Gerard de Villiers’ best-selling action-spy series S.A.S. which it’s adapting into Malko, a project that Michael Fassbender will star and produce. Oscar nominated screenwriter Eric Warren Singer will write the screenplay. With the deal, Lionsgate has secured the full rights to de Villier’s catalogue of best selling espionage thrillers, serialized through 200 books that have been translated into multiple languages and sold north of 120M copies worldwide. Lionsgate secured the film rights to the catalogue of S.A.S. based stories from Black Magic’s Lars Sylvest who developed the property with Gérard de Villiers and Thorsten Schumacher. The project will be produced together with Rocket Science. Fassbender will play the super spy for hire Malko Linge, an Austrian nobleman and freelance CIA operative who spent his formative years in a special Nazi work camp for captured spies.

Michael Fassbender will produce and star in the Lionsgate spy thriller “Malko,” based on Gerard de Villiers’ S.A.S. series, with the studio planning to launch a franchise with the project.

Eric Warren Singer, who was nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay for “American Hustle,” will write the screenplay. Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, made the announcement Tuesday.

Lionsgate has also secured rights to de Villier’s catalogue of espionage thrillers, serialized through 200 books. The S.A.S. franchise follows Malko Linge, an Austrian nobleman and freelance CIA operative who spent his formative years in a special Nazi work camp for captured spies. Malko is a gentleman warrior without a country who works according to his own moral code and lives with a wicked wit and a lust for life.

The first film will largely be based upon de Villier’s book “Checkpoint Charlie.

Rocket Science to produce alongside Fassbender.

Lionsgate has acquired film rights to Gerard de Villiers’ bestselling book series S.A.S. and is partnering with Michael Fassbender to produce and star in the potential franchise.

Fassbender will star as superspy Malko Linge, an Austrian nobleman and freelance CIA operative who spent his formative years in a Nazi work camp for captured spies where he learned the dark arts of spycraft.

Now Linge lives in a reclaimed family manor fallen into disrepair, and operates as a spy for hire, a gentleman warrior without a country who goes by his own moral...

After numerous leaks and paparazzi shots, the first official look at Zachary Levi in costume and Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman from DC Comics movie “Shazam” has been released online. (See it below.)

“I wanted to keep the shorter cape as a throwback to the original because that’s something that sets him apart from Superman or Batman,” the director David Sandberg told Entertainment Weekly. “It makes him feel a bit more Golden Age superhero, which is the vibe I’m going for.”

After photos surfaced in March of Levi in full costume on the set of “Shazam,” Men’s Health took a swipe at the actor, asking if he was wearing fake muscles under his costume. “The actor’s arms looked huge in recent set photos, but are they real?” they wrote. “We’re still not buying it.”

Also Read: 'Shazam' Star Zachary Levi Silences Body Shaming Critics...

We’ve seen set pictures. We’ve dissected photos of marketing materials. But now, Warner Bros. and DC films have officially released our first look at David Sandberg’s superhero film “Shazam!” And it looks just like what we have seen previously.

Thanks to EW, we have a first look at the film, which is said to have a big presence at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con.

Continue reading First Official Look At Zachary Levi In ‘Shazam!’ Is Just As Silly As You Were Expecting at The Playlist.

Finally! Warner Bros. has released the first official photo from Shazam! featuring Zachary Levi in costume. The studio really dragged their feet on releasing an official image, but here it is in all its glory and he looks great! Standing next to Shazam in the photo is Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays Billy's best friend Freddy Freeman in the film.

When coming up with the costume design for the film, director David Sandberg (Lights Out) took elements from throughout the character’s appearances in comics and animated shows. He tells EW:

"I wanted to keep the shorter cape as a throwback to the original because that’s something that sets him apart from Superman or Batman. It makes him feel a bit more Golden Age superhero, which is the vibe I’m going for."

It looks like he succeeded. I really like how the completed design turned out. It's very fun,...

There’s a little comic book magic emanating from DC towers today as Entertainment Weekly has premiered our first official look at Zachary Levi in costume as Shazam!

The 2019 spinoff stars boy wonder Billy Batson (Disney Channel star Angel Asher), who one day encounters a strange and mysterious wizard (Djimon Hounsou) while riding the subway. Turns out he’s spent years – if not decades – searching for his one true successor, only to cross paths with the young, wide-eyed Billy when all hope seems lost.

And the rest is history; Asher’s 14-year-old is imbued with god-like abilities inspired by Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury – he need only say the word “Shazam!” to activate them. But as EW’s exclusive attests, Billy’s undying love of soda remains intact.

Pictured here as the full-grown (and beefed-up) Zachary Levi, Billy Batson is standing next to fellow orphan Freddy Feeman (Jack...

Exclusive: Hacksaw Ridge backer Argent Pictures has joined upcoming action-comedy Kung Fury 2 as a financier and producer, with shoot due to get underway in September.

Michael Fassbender stars in the previously announced pic alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eiza Gonzales, David Hasselhoff and writer-director David Sandberg who is adapting his popular YouTube short. Tyler Burton Smith is co-writer.

This is a wild one. According to the production, “the feature is set in 1985, the best year ever. Miami is kept safe under the watchful eye of Kung Fury, the greatest damn cop of all time. His Thundercops are the ultimate police force assembled from across history to defeat the villainous Kung Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler. After the tragic death of one of their members causes the group to disband, a mysterious villain emerges from the shadows to aid in the Fuhrer’s quest to attain the ultimate weapon. Kung Fury must travel through space...

Exclusive: Bloom will launch international sales at Cannes for the Julius Onah-directed Luce. The just-wrapped film stars Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth and Mudbound‘s Kelvin Harrison Jr. The film is based on J.C. Lee’s play, which was adapted by Lee and Onah. John Baker, Onah and Andrew Yang are producing. Eric Ro is co-producer and The Dream Factory Group’s Rob Feng, Amber Wang and Lee are exec producers. CAA and Endeavor Content are co-repping domestic rights.

Harrison Jr plays Luce Edgar, a model student, track star and champion debater, stature that pleases the parents (Watts and Roth) who adopted him from a war-torn African nation and were concerned he might be haunted by the violent trauma of his upbringing in Africa. Luce’s teacher, Harriet (Spencer), believes he represents a symbol of black excellence setting a positive example for his peers – until she discovers the well-researched paper he wrote,...

As the filmmaker behind Lights Out and last year’s Annabelle: Creation, David F. Sandberg isn’t exactly the first name that springs to mind when one ponders over Shazam!, the 2019 blockbuster starring Zachary Levi.

And yet, Sandberg landed the coveted gig just prior to the release of Wonder Woman, proving that, yes, Warner Bros. appears to be adopting a direction-driven approach to its fledgling universe.

Fast forward to 2018, and Shazam! is beginning to take shape under the watchful eye of Sandberg, who recently took to Twitter to explain the origin of the film’s newly-unveiled logo. When asked if Warner Bros. based their design on a specific version, David Sandberg confirmed that the final piece can actually be traced back to his own logo that he designed for a Shazam-centric presentation.

Warner Bros. Releases First Official Shazam! Poster 1 of 2

Click to skip

More From The Web Click to zoom...

Warner Bros. has today peeled back the curtain on the bold, colorful logo for Shazam!

David Sandberg’s Dceu title has been in active production since February, and while the Internet has been teeming with all sorts of set photos – both official and otherwise – Entertainment Weekly promises to take fans that little bit closer with a live Q&A featuring Shazam!‘s leading characters, the details of which are yet to be unveiled. Perhaps it’ll include Zachary Levi and Mark Strong (Dr. Thaddeus Sivana) alongside Sandberg?

Whatever the case, it’s clear that Warner Bros. is ready to showcase its wares. Besides, with so many set photos and leaked snapshots already littering the interwebs, we imagine the Powers That Be will want to get an official photo of the fully-costumed Levi out in the open sooner rather than later.

Here’s confirmation of that newfangled logo:

If you’ve been following the film closely,...

Four movies deep, The Conjuring universe is now widely considered to be a cornerstone of Hollywood’s horror scene. Not bad for a film franchise that flickered into life only four years ago.

In that time, James Wan (Aquaman) has delivered The Conjuring and its sequel, The Enfield Poltergeist, while director John R. Leonetti broke course to focus on the nightmarish little doll known as Annabelle. A worldwide haul in excess of $256 million was enough to warrant a sequel (read: Annabelle: Creation), which is now available via Blu-ray and DVD.

Not only was it another feather in New Line’s cap – Creation topped its predecessor’s haul by almost $50 million at the global box office – but David Sandberg’s chilling follow-up helped expand The Conjuring universe into uncharted territory. Next up? The Nun, which recently got hit with a delay, pushing it from July 13th to September 7th.

Set within...

While a full costume reveal is said to be imminent, Reddit has today uncovered another look at Zachary Levi suited and booted as Shazam!, the DC titan imbued with the powers of the gods.

It’s taken from behind the scenes, but unlike the one we got last week, this shot’s from the front, giving us a great look at the fully-costumed Levi as he appears to be taking a break. Nothing further can be gleaned from the pic, and no context was provided for what scene the actor’s about to shoot, but this is without a doubt our best look at his super suit yet and will surely get fans excited as they eagerly await the official reveal.

When that’ll be exactly, we don’t know. But it’s bound to be soon and until it arrives, you can check out the latest set snap, along...

You’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint another DC project that’s attracted the same amount of misinformation and baseless rumors as The Batman.

Tentatively announced in the midst of Justice League‘s own storied production, the Matt Reeves-directed spinoff has been bombarded with speculative reports ever since it first flickered into life, and those rumors only intensified once Ben Affleck began to weigh up his future in the DC Extended Universe – or lack thereof.

Even now, the current Caped Crusader refuses to be drawn about his involvement in The Batman, which has only encouraged the likes of Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Jake Gyllenhaal to put themselves forward for the coveted role. Still no update on that front just yet, but if you’ve recently caught wind that Reeves was also beginning to doubt his commitment to the project, The Wrap has effectively set the record straight to clarify that,...

Not for the first time, the Caped Crusader has been linked with a possible cameo role in Shazam!

The Dceu standalone movie, one that’s said to be like a superpowered rendition of Big, is currently lensing across parts of Toronto, Canada under the working title ‘Franklin.’ Should everything go according to plan, David Sandberg’s spinoff will remain in front of the cameras until May, at which point Warner Bros. will shift gears and prepare for a lengthy post-production ahead of the film’s arrival in April.

But now that production has officially commenced, lead star Zachary Levi has been fairly active on social media, with his most recent post (h/t Cbm) alluding to a possible Batman cameo in Shazam!

It’s made in jest, of course, and we can’t imagine Warner’s bigwigs would allow Levi to post anything too revealing. Then again, it’s fun to speculate.

While a full costume reveal is said to be imminent, Reddit (h/t Cbm) has today uncovered our first true look at Zachary Levi suited and booted as Shazam!, the DC titan imbued with the powers of the gods.

It’s taken from behind the scenes, and only shows the back of a fully-costumed Zachary Levi as he looks away from the camera – and towards the festive decorations, no less. That means there’s a slight chance this could simply be Levi’s stunt double, or another stand-in fortunate enough to don the famous super-suit.

Peer close enough though and you’ll also notice Mark Strong moseying around set. He’s Hollywood’s go-to bad guy, and sure enough, Strong has signed on to play the villainous Doctor Sivana opposite Billy Batson, who transforms into a god-like deity after drawing power from Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury – hence the catchy name.

Michael Fassbender and David Sandberg are set to star in action-comedy Kung Fury, which Sandberg will direct and produce under his Laser Unicorns' banner. David Hasselhoff is also joining the cast following his role in Sandberg’s original short film of the same name, which ran in Cannes’ Directors Fortnight in 2015 and has over 40M views worldwide. David Katzenberg, Seth Grahame-Smith and Aaron Schmidt will produce under their KatzSmith Productions banner, following the...

Here is something very cool coming out of Sweden, an R-Rated puppet film called We R Animals. The production has just launched a Kickstarter campaign and we are sure that once you see their pitch video and proof of concept trailer that you will want to contribute.    Filmmaker Thobias Hoffmén has drawn inspiration from some of his favorite films, Gremlins, Meet the Feebles and Labyrinth, and wants to make this passion project that he has had on the back burner since 2010. Now, he has teamed up with David Sandberg from Kung Fury and Academy Award nominated producer Mathias Fjellström, and is hell bent on giving everyone the R-Rated puppet film we always knew we wanted.    Have a look at the hilarious pitch...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Tencent, a new powerhouse in media in China has recently decided to turn one of their popular comics, Zombie Brother, into a live action movie. 

Zombie Brother is a Chinese comic about a young boy in H city when a virus breaks out and now he is trying to escape the city with his girlfriend. I'm not quite sure where the brother part comes in, but I'm sure it will come up eventually. The comic was one of TenCent's most popular digital comics and has already become an animated series and a stage play. Tencent wants to bring it to the international market, and Channing Tatum is happy to help them produce it.

Matt Lieberman is attached to write the film, and David Sandberg is set to direct. Some may recognize Sandberg's name because he was the mastermind behind the internet film sensation Kung Fury. 

With a crew like that,...

The annual Eurovision Song Contest concluded its 61st edition in May 2016 by crowning Ukraine the champion (sorry, PewDiePie) of the 42 participating countries (and getting a lot of views on YouTube along the way). But Europeans with a penchant for competition and newfangled and digital technology shouldn't be disappointed, for as this year's Eurovision concludes another pan-European competition begins.

The Lovie Awards honors the full gamut of the internet across the pond. Enterprising and creative entities that make great websites, online ads, online videos, and/or mobile or social applications have until Friday, June 10, 2016 to enter their wares for a shot at taking home an adorable pixelated trophy that looks like this. Finalists are announced in September 2016, and Winners in October 2016 with a celebration in November 2016 in London.

Entrants will compete not only to win an aforementioned trophy, but also The People’s Lovie Award (for fan favorites) and an opportunity...

The director of the viral sensation Kung Fury has announced a sequel is in the works! Uproxx says director David Sandberg posted this picture to make the reveal:

No info on length or on what format the film will appear, but if I were a betting man, I'd say Netflix is involved! Kung Fury was made available on the service and was in their "most popular" section for quite a while, so I wouldn't be surprised if this next one is exclusive to the streaming platform. If you haven't seen it yet, the whole thing is a trip with cops, Nazis, dinosaurs...you just gotta watch it below.

Last year's English-language Swedish martial arts action comedy short film "Kung Fury" was a smash hit. A solid Kickstarter campaign which made over three times its sought after $200,000 budget delivered a 1980s cop film-inspired half-hour work that was made available all over the place online by creator David Sandberg.

To celebrate the short's one year anniversary, Sandberg confirmed on social media that a sequel is on the way with a shot of the script and the hero's now-iconic bandana wrapped around it. No news on whether the project will be crowdfunded again at this time or a potential date either of production or release.

The first film had the eponymous hero battling arcade-robots, dinosaurs, nazis, vikings, norse gods, mutants and Hitler, so who knows what he'll take on in the follow-up.

Today, Kung Fury turns 1... Today, the future is written... Stay tuned #happykungfuryday

A photo posted by David Sandberg (@laserunicorns...

"Kung Fury," an over-the-top martial-arts film made in the style of '80s action movies, was released on May 22, 2015. If that date doesn't seem especially significant to you, it certainly does to writer/director/star David Sandberg — the filmmaker commemorated the one-year anniversary of his crowdfunded experiment with an Instagram post strongly implying a sequel is on the way. "Today, Kung Fury turns 1... Today, the future is written... Stay tuned #happykungfuryday," Sandberg wrote. Read More: Watch: 'Kung Fury' Short Will Make Your Brain Explode With '80s Nostalgia With visuals reminiscent of both a worn VHS tape and old arcade game, "Kung Fury" pits its hero against the worst criminal of all time: Adolf Hitler, Aka Kung Führer. Sandberg originally sought $200,000 on Kickstarter to fund the project but ended up more than tripling that goal with $630,019 in donations — enough to hire David Hasselhoff to make a cameo. The 30-minute film premiered.

Istanbul event will host a total of 23 gala screenings, including the latest films from Charlie Kaufman and Jean-Marc Vallee, as well as a David Bowie tribute programme.Scroll down for the full line-up

!f Istanbul Independent Film Festival has revealed its programme for the 2016 edition (February 18-28).

Charlie Kaufman’s Anomalisa, which premiered at Telluride last year, and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Demolition, which opened the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, will open and close the festival respectively.

!f Istanbul - in its 15th edition - will host screenings, competitions and events dedicated to bringing the best of independent film to the Turkish city.

Other gala presentations will include Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash, Gaspar Noé’s Love 3D, Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room and Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s BAFTA-nominated The Assassin.

In memory of the late musician David Bowie, the festival will show remastered versions of his films The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Hunger...

Other winners include Drifters and box office hit A Man Called Ove.

Magnus von Horn’s The Here After was the big winner at last night’s Guldbagge awards in Sweden.

The film, produced by Zentropa Sweden and Lava Film, was selected for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2015. The drama isabout a young man who returns home after serving time in prison, but is not forgiven by the local community,

The Here After won best film, best director and best supporting actor (Mats Blomgren).

Another newcomer, Peter Gronlund, won five Guldbagge prizes for his debut film Drifters, a low-budget feature produced by B-Reel. The film won best script for Gronlund and best actress for Malin Levanon.

Hannes Holm’s A Man Called Ove, a current box-office smash hit, won best actor for Rolf Lassgard. Ove also won the audience award and the prize for best makeup.

Other winners included Beata Gardeler’s Flocking, which won three...

This year at the San Diego Comic-Con, I moderated a panel about "Kung Fury," the completely insane movie by David Sandberg. I was approached about moderating by Seth Grahame-Smith, and the night of the panel, I had a chance to chat with Grahame-Smith a bit. Since his breakthrough success with the book "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies," he's managed to stay hard at work as a screenwriter while publishing a number of other books and supervising the translation of his breakthrough to the bigscreen. It feels like things are starting to pay off now, though. He brought "Pride" to the Comic-Con this year, and he seemed absolutely delighted with the end result. He's the writer of "The Lego Batman Movie," which is one of those films I would not dare underestimate on a commercial level. After the way Batman essentially walked away with "The Lego Movie," it seems likely a solo film...

Ruben Ostlund’s new film The Square is among a host of intriguing projects in development in Sweden.

It has been a notable 12 months for Swedish film.

Roy Andersson’s A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence won the Golden Lion in Venice this time last year, David Sandberg’s 30-minute short Kung Fury has notched up 20 million YouTube views, August 29 marks the 100th anniversary of Ingrid Bergman’s birth and a healthy crop of Swedish films are headed to Toronto.

The trend looks set to continue as the Swedish Film Institute (Sfi) can point to a crop of exciting features now in development or production.

Among them is The Boyfriend (Jag Vill Inte Bli Gammal Nu), which will be directed by Force Majeure actress Fanni Metelius.

“Like her shorts it shows the relationships between guys and girls and sexuality from a female perspective,” said Andrea Reuter of the Sfi, speaking to ScreenDaily...

Read More: Rooftop Films Announces Short Films Lineup for the 2015 Summer Series Rooftop Films and the Swedish Film Institute will hold three Swedish film programs in various locations in New York City. The screenings will take place from August 5-7, with live musical performances before each event by Vulkano, the band featured in the August 7 screening of "All We Have is Now." "Cold Conflicts," a collection of Swedish shorts, will screen August 5, with "Bike vs. Cars" playing on August 6.  "Rooftop Films has been showcasing some of the top new films from Sweden for many years," said Dan Nuxoll, Program Director of Rooftop Films. "Sweden has produced some of the most exciting and innovative new filmmakers of the last several years, and the world has taken notice. We opened this year's Rooftop Summer Series back in May with the North American premiere of David Sandberg's wildly popular epic short film Kung Fury,...