Paramount’s Mission: Impossible 7 was the first of many high profile films to halt production earlier this year, opting to shut down its Italy shoot in late February due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and according to a new report, it may also be one of the first major titles to resume filming this summer when cast and crew are able to safely return to work. 

Variety has learned that principal photography on the highly anticipated Tom Cruise-starrer is expected to resume as early as June, but that’s highly dependent on whether or not the spread of the pandemic is under control by then. However, before any cameras can roll, Paramount – along with every other major studio – will also have to deal with a number of major legal concerns as well as the seemingly infinite uncertainty on when sufficient medical testing will be made available.

Basically, until testing is available on a much larger scale and COVID-19 standards are established across the industry, no film or television production can resume shooting. But based on this potential June restart date for Mission: Impossible 7, it seems as though executives may be feeling optimistic that standards will be set within the next few weeks, although that’s always subject to change. 

Contagion director Steven Soderbergh has been tasked with leading a task force to determine when work can safely resume and he’s been in constant contact with leading epidemiologists and guilds to help figure out the industry’s next steps. Among the ideas being considered are a push to take crew members’ temperatures before they enter a studio lot, possibly testing employees to see if they have antibodies that would indicate they have some immunity to the virus, and/or maybe instituting waves of testing for cast and crew to see if anyone has been infected. They’re also considering mandating that all employees stay in hotels or assigned housing and isolate themselves from friends and family for the entire duration of a shoot. 

The team behind Mission: Impossible 7 is also currently in the process of determining whether or not they should completely scrap the Italian portion of their shoot or push it back until a later date when the virus may have potentially subsided, but moving it back seems like a longshot at best as that would almost definitely result in the film postponing its release date, which is probably an inevitably at this point since its already two months behind schedule.

There’s also a growing concern that the coronavirus pandemic may follow a similar trajectory to the 1918 flu pandemic, which resulted in 50 million deaths worldwide, if safety restrictions are lifted too soon. Some public health experts have already forewarned that COVID-19 could slow down considerably over the summer and then return with full force in the fall and winter, causing even more damage across the globe.

Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 are headlined by Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick) as IMF ace Ethan Hunt, as well as fellow returning stars Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Fallout), who is set to reprise her role as Ilsa Faust, and Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible – Fallout), who reprises his role as Benji Dunn. Newcomers to the storied action franchise include Hayley Atwell (Avengers: Endgame), Pom Klementieff (Avengers: Endgame), Shea Whigham (Joker) and Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: Dark Phoenix). Henry Czerny (Sharp Objects) has also been confirmed to reprise his role as Eugene Kittridge from the first film.

No word yet on who will actually make up Ethan Hunt’s team for his seventh and eighth adventures, but it seems likely that a combination of Ving Rhames (Luther Stickell), Jeremy Renner (William Brandt), Angela Bassett (Erica Sloane), Vanessa Kirby (White Widow), Paula Patton (Jane Carter) and/or Maggie Q (Zhen Lei) will also be back in some capacity.

Both sequels are expected to film back-to-back, with Mission: Impossible 7 set to light the fuse in theaters on July 23, 2021, while its sequel, Mission: Impossible 8, will open the following summer on August 5, 2022. 

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Paramount has announced today that they’ve pushed back their upcoming action thriller Without Remorse, an adaptation of the Tom Clancy novel of the same name, two weeks from September 18 to October 2, 2020.

The date was previously occupied by Sony/Marvel’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage, but was left vacant yesterday when the Tom Hardy-starrer was moved back to June 25, 2021, a decision presumably made to give the team more than enough time to complete the sequel’s extensive post-production process.

Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse was directed by Stefano Sollima (Sicario: Day of the Soldado; Suburra) with a script from Academy Award-nominee Taylor Sheridan (Wind River; Those Who Wish Me Dead) and will star Primetime Emmy-nominee Michael B. Jordan (Creed; Black Panther) in the lead role as John Clark.

In addition to Jordan, the supporting cast consists of BAFTA Film Award-winner Jamie Bell (Rocketman; Fantastic Four) as Robert Ritter, Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim; Jett) as Karen Greer, Luke Mitchell (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; Blindspot) as Rowdy, Jacob Scipio (Bad Boys for Life; The Outpost) as Hatchet, Cam Gigandet (The Magnificent Seven; Never Back Down) as Keith Webb, Jack Kesy (Deadpool 2; 12 Strong) as Thunder, Todd Lasance (The Vampire Diaries; The Flash) as Dallas, Brett Gelman (Stranger Things; Fleabag) as Victor Rykov and Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead; Euphoria) as Pastor West.

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The first reviews for Sam Hargrave’s Extraction dropped earlier today, and while they are decidedly mixed (currently boasting 57% approval on review aggregator RottenTomatoes), it looks like the upcoming actioner may be well worth your time this weekend as it features an absolutely electric performance from its star Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Love and Thunder; Avengers: Endgame).

The plot is fairly straightforward as it will follow a fearless black market mercenary named Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) who is tasked with rescuing the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. However, things quickly take a turn and Rake and the boy both find themselves in way over their heads as the already deadly mission transitions from insanely difficult to mission freaking impossible. 

Joe Russo wrote the script, and under AGBO, also served as a producer alongside his brother and Avengers: Endgame co-director Anthony Russo. Hemsworth was also a producer.  

Extraction follows Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) a fearless black market mercenary who embarks on the deadliest mission of his career when he’s enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an international crime lord. Directed by Sam Hargrave, this action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller is produced by Joe and Anthony Russo, the visionary directors of Avengers: Endgame.

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Avengers: Endgame brought Thanos’ story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a close, but that doesn’t mean we can’t revisit the Mad Titan’s history somewhere down the line. During a recent interview with ComicBook.com, the character’s co-creator Jim Starlin was asked what he thinks the future holds in store for Thanos on the big screen, and he’s convinced we’ll see more of him.

“Well, I understand that the story’s not completely ended,” Starlin said. “They’ve already announced that. I think a young Thanos appears in The Eternals. I remember reading that somewhere.”

We’re pretty sure that’s just a rumour the comic book writer and artist is referring to, but he went on offer a compelling explanation for why he believes we’ll see more of Thanos in a movie like Eternals. “They made a shit load of money off this guy. So I don’t see them retiring him anytime soon. Comic book characters tend to have an extended lifespan beyond the actors who work on them. I’m half expecting to see much more Thanos down the line.”

Marvel Studios was planning to explore Thanos’ early years in Avengers: Infinity War, but there wasn’t room for that in the movie, so it’s entirely feasible that this 2021 release will address it instead. We’re not sure how his “origin” would fit into the film, but it would likely be tied to the Deviants. 

Ultimately, we’re unlikely to know whether there are indeed future plans for Thanos in the MCU until we see Eternals. As of right now, of course, that’s not going to be until next February…

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Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is now available on Digital HD and next Tuesday, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is bringing the brutality-filled R-rated animated action/adventure film to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD.

Ahead of its release, the studio has released another brand new clip (joining the four previously released clips), this time previewing a killer fight between Sonya Blade (Jennifer Carpenter) and Reptile, who, if you couldn’t tell, is a reptilian adversary that can turn invisible at will.

Ethan Spaulding (Avatar: The Last Airbender; Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare; Son of Batman) is directing the upcoming animated adventure, which is an original story based on the hit video game series of the same name created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. 

The plot should sound somewhat familiar as it will spotlight a once-in-a-generation tournament between the greatest champions of Outworld and Earthrealm – an epic competition that will ultimately determine the fate of Earth and all of its residents. Lord Raiden (David B. Mitchell) will assemble an all-star group of fighters, including Liu Kang (Jordan Rodrigues), Johnny Cage (Joel McHale), Sonya Blade (Jennifer Carpenter), to take on the evil Shang Tsung (Artt Butler) in the battle to end all battles – Mortal Kombat!

In addition to the film, the home video combo pack will also contain several very cool special features, headlined by an extensive featurette that will detail adapting the hit video game into a movie and an exclusive filmmaker commentary from producer Rick Morales and screenwriter Jeremy Adams. There are also featurettes spotlighting the animation, sound design, and characters for fans to enjoy as well. 

WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT

DELIVERS NO-HOLDS-BARRED ANIMATED ACTION FILM

INSPIRED BY WORLDWIDE HIT VIDEOGAME
 

MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS:

SCORPION’S REVENGE

COMING APRIL 12, 2020 TO DIGITAL;

ARRIVING APRIL 28, 2020 ON

4K ULTRA HD™ BLU-RAY COMBO PACK,

BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK, & DVD
 

BURBANK, CA (January 30, 2020) – One of the most popular videogame franchises in history comes to animated life in Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, an all-new, feature-length film produced by Warner Bros. Animation in coordination with NeatherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital starting April 12, 2020, and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on April 28, 2020.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (USA $39.99 SRP; Canada $44.98 SRP), Blu-ray Combo Pack (USA $24.98 SRP; Canada $29.98 SRP), and DVD (USA $19.98 SRP: Canada $24.98 SRP) as well as on Digital. The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in 4K with HDR, a Blu-ray disc featuring the film in hi-definition, and a digital version of the movie. The Blu-ray Combo Pack features a Blu-ray disc with the film in hi-definition, a DVD with the film in standard definition, and a digital version of the movie.

Based on the worldwide hit game created by Ed Boon & John Tobias, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge spotlights the once-in-a-generation tournament between the champions of Outworld and Earthrealm – a competition that will ultimately determine the fate of Earth and all its citizens. Lord Raiden, protector of Earthrealm, must gather the greatest fighters of his realm to defend it from the evil Shang Tsung in the battle to end all battles – Mortal Kombat!

Joel McHale (Community, The CW’s upcoming Stargirl) and Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) lead a stellar cast as the voices of Hollywood star-turned-fighter Johnny Cage and all-business warrior Sonya Blade, respectively. The voice cast also includes Jordan Rodrigues (Lady Bird, The Fosters) as Liu Kang, Patrick Seitz (Mortal Kombat X, Agrretsuko, Naruto: Shippuden) as Scorpion & Hanzo Hasashi, Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop, Star Wars Rebels) as Sub-Zero, Artt Butler (Her, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as Shang Tsung, Darin De Paul (Overwatch, Fortnite) as Quan Chi, Robin Atkin Downes (The Strain, Batman: The Killing Joke) as Kano, David B. Mitchell (Mortal Kombat 11, World of Warcraft franchise) as Raiden, Ike Amadi (Mass Effect 3, Mortal Kombat 11) as Jax Briggs, Kevin Michael Richardson (Family Guy, The Simpsons) as Goro, Grey Griffin (The Loud House, Young Justice, Scooby-Doo franchise) as Kitana & Satoshi Hasashi, and Fred Tatasciore (Robot Chicken, Family Guy) as Demon Torturer.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is directed by Ethan Spaulding (Batman: Assault on Arkham, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis) from a script by Jeremy Adams (Supernatural, Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans) based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Rick Morales (Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Batman vs. Two-Face) is Producer, and Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) is co-producer. Executive Producer is Sam Register. Ed Boon (NetherRealm Studios) is Creative Consultant.

“Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is a riveting, no-holds-barred action-fest that delivers all the authentic combat, drama and humor fans expect coupled with edgy animation and an outstanding voice cast,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Senior Vice President, Originals, Animation and Family Marketing. “This film is unlike anything Warner Bros. has produced before, and fans should be prepared for the thrill ride of their lives.”
 

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge Special Features
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital
 

• From Epic Game to Extreme Animation – Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon and the filmmakers reveal the creative process behind adapting the best-selling game to an all-new animated film.
• The Weapons, Wardrobe and World of Mortal Kombat Legends – The artists reveal the design challenges of animating the world of Mortal Kombat, from authentic armor to wildly imaginative weapons and fantasy settings.
• The Savage Sound Design of Mortal Kombat Legends – This hard-hitting audio exploration reveals the art of designing the sonic language of the fight scenes.
• Mortal Kombatants – Dive deep inside the cast of characters to reveal their unique abilities, signature moves and backstories.
• Filmmaker Commentary – Producer Rick Morales and screenwriter Jeremy Adams sit down for an insightful audio commentary that reveals the process of creating a compelling animated film based on one of today’s most popular fighting games.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.

 

 
 

Based on the worldwide hit game created by #EdBoon & #JohnTobias, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge spotlights the once-in-a-generation tournament between the champions of #Outworld and #Earthrealm – a competition that will ultimately determine the fate of Earth and all its citizens. #LordRaiden, protector of Earthrealm, must gather the greatest fighters of his realm, including #JohnnyCage, #SonyaBlade, #Kano, and Scorpion’s nemesis #SubZero to defend it from the evil #ShangTsung in the battle to end all battles – Mortal Kombat!

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