The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes writer Michael Lesslie tapped to pen Marvel’s upcoming X-Men movie.

Since the moment it was revealed that Disney was considering acquiring 20th Century Fox, Marvel fans have been imagining the X-Men joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’re still a number of years away from Marvel’s first X-Men movie, but the project has taken a big step forward. Deadline reports that Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) is now in negotiations to serve as the writer of the X-Men movie.

When the WGA strike concluded last year, X-Men was the first project Marvel Studios began tackling, taking pitches for the movie from a variety of writers. In addition to The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Michael Lesslie is also known for Macbeth, Assassin’s Creed, The Little Drummer Girl, and the upcoming Now You See Me 3.

Although we’ve seen several X-Men characters appear in the MCU since the acquisition of 20th Century Fox — notably Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Beast in The Marvels, and Deadpool and Wolverine in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine — I’m grateful Marvel is taking its time with the X-Men movie. The thought of classic X-Men characters (as well as new additions) sharing the screen with previous MCU characters is hugely exciting, and if it’s done right, these characters could be the cornerstone of the entire MCU moving forward.

With the massive success of X-Men ’97 on Disney+, audiences are clearly hungry for more mutants. The much-acclaimed first season of the animated series concluded last week, and a second season is already in production, with a third in development. “When you combine X-Men ’97‘s synthesized ’90s-inspired score with an ambitious team able to reproduce the look and feel of the original show, you have something special,” wrote our own Steve Seigh in his review. “It’s rare for a project this risky to arrive as polished and on-point as I view it to be. The series is off to a solid start, with much room to grow and give everyone a taste of what they want.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.

What would you like to see from Marvel’s X-Men movie and which mutants should be featured in the new team?

After Netflix promised “additional episodes” of 3 Body Problem, the creators have clarified what that means for the series.

During Netflix’s upfront presentation last week, the streaming service promised “additional episodes” of 3 Body Problem, the hugely expensive sci-fi drama from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, but what does that mean exactly?

“Additional episodes” could mean just about anything, but 3 Body Problem showrunners David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo reached out to THR to clarify that the new deal was for “seasons” of 3 Body Problem. Yep, that’s plural. “We knew going into this how many hours we need to tell the rest of the story because we’ve got a roadmap through to the end,” Weiss said. “And we have what we need to get to the end as intended from when we started.“

The exact number of “additional episodes” wasn’t specified, but Benioff added, “By the time we finish with the show, it will be seven years we’ve devoted to it. We’re now at a place where we get to tell the rest of the story, and, yes, we have enough time to tell the rest of the story the way we want to and that’s immensely gratifying.“

The first season of 3 Body Problem did pull in a sizeable audience, but the show wasn’t exactly the massive hit Netflix was hoping it would be, especially when you factor in the price tag of over $20 million per episode. Thankfully, it sounds like the saga will be given a proper ending.

David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo have previously said that they envisioned a multi-season arc for the series, which could span between three or four seasons. “Well, there’s three novels in the trilogy,” Woo told GamesRader earlier this year. “The novels get longer and longer so I wouldn’t say it maps out exactly to three. We have some really strong ideas about what to do in a season two, and then it’s a little hazier down the line. But we want to get to the end, we want to get to the end of the trilogy, and whether that’s three or four, you know, or some other number. The goal is to get to the end of the trilogy and it seems like it would map out over probably, certainly more than two seasons but beyond that, it’s hard to know exactly.“

The series has received generally positive reviews, but our own Alex Maidy didn’t exactly love it. “I found it very hard to engage with this story, these characters, and this series,” Maidy wrote. “A misfire in every way, 3 Body Problem has some talented actors delivering some memorable moments, but none of it adds up to an experience that is satisfying, fulfilling, or even all that enjoyable.” You can check out the rest of Maidy’s review right here.

Walker, the reimagining of the classic Chuck Norris series starring Jared Padalecki, has been cancelled after four seasons by The CW.

Texas Ranger Cordell Walker will be turning in his badge, as it has been announced that The CW has cancelled Walker after four seasons.

“We want to thank the entire cast, crew, writers, directors and producers of Walker for their hard work and dedication over four incredible seasons,” the network said in a statement. “We also want to give a special thanks to star and executive producer Jared Padalecki, who has been a member of The CW family for over 20 years and was integral to some of the biggest hits on the network.” The fourth and now final season of Walker is currently airing, with the series finale set to premiere on June 26th.

A reimagining of the classic Chuck Norris series, Walker starred Jared Padalecki as Cordell Walker, a man finding his way back to his family while investigating crime in the state’s most elite unit. A prequel series, Walker: Independence, was previously cancelled after just one season.

In his own statement on Instagram, Padalecki said, “It is with a heavy heart that I share this news with you. Walker will not be airing on CW for a fifth season. It’s a tough piece of news to be sure, but we are SO thankful for the WalkerFamily that has been built, both on set and off.“

The actor continued: “After four seasons together, we have felt the love and support from the entire WalkerFamily, and we will be forever grateful. Too often, we get to be the ones receiving the praise and gratitude and flattery and, all too often, we miss the opportunity to put it back where it belongs…WITH THE FANS! In this world, home isn’t a ‘place’; it’s a relationship. ‘Places’ can be lost. ‘Relationships’ can live forever. Our gratitude and love for the entire WalkerFamily will live forever. It has been a unique honor to be a part of the cast and crew (and fandom!) that helped #Walker tell the stories that we told. I will forever smile on the years I got to spend with the cast and crew and studio and network and fandom that made this all possible. Til we ride again.“

Walker was one of the few remaining scripted series on The CW that survived the cancellation bloodbath after Nexstar Media Group took majority control. Superman & Lois will be coming to an end with its fourth and final season this fall, leaving only All American and All American: Homecoming with their fates undecided.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s Adam Wingard won’t be returning for the sequel, leaving the door open for a new director.

THR reports that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire director Adam Wingard will not return for the sequel. According to insiders, the split is amicable and was due to scheduling issues, but the door remains open for Wingard to come back to the franchise down the line.

The studio had been keen on Wingard returning for the Godzilla x Kong sequel, but no deal was in place for him to do so. The director had been open to returning, previously saying, “There’s always the seduction of making a trilogy out of it, and I think that there’s some untapped areas to go into. There’s also ways to continue to innovate the stylized approach to the MonsterVerse, and what’s great about the MonsterVerse is that it’s allowed so many different directors to approach it with their unique style and color palette.” However, Wingard is set to direct Onslaught later this fall, and the studio wanted to quickly get the ball rolling on the next MonsterVerse sequel.

The studio tapped Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) earlier this month to write the script for the Godzilla x Kong sequel.

Godzilla x Kong has grossed $563.8 million worldwide, making it one of the more profitable movies in the Monsterverse franchise. It reportedly had a budget of just $135 million. It’s also on track to dethrone Kong: Skull Island as the highest-grossing movie in the series. While some fans may be disappointed that Wingard will be leaving the franchise behind, I think I’m ready for a new director to bring a fresh vision to Godzilla, Kong, and the rest of the Titans.

Although Godzilla x Kong has received mixed reviews, it sounds like it’s a lot of pure fun bursting with monster mayhem. However, our own Chris Bumbray did have one complaint. “While the trailers made it look like it’s a non-stop brofest between Godzilla and Kong, the two are kept apart for close to ninety minutes, and this movie is just under two hours,” Bumbray wrote. “All of the scenes you’ve seen of them doing their thing together are from the last chunk of the film. While that’s a bummer, I must admit that I found myself surprisingly engaged by the build-up.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.

Now that Adam Wingard is out, who would you like to see direct the Godzilla x Kong sequel?

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes had a much bigger opening than expected, but it’s CinemaScore rating doesn’t bode well for word-of-mouth.

The mighty Planet of the Apes franchise ruled again at the box office, with the movie earning a mighty $56.5 million domestically (according to ComScore), which puts it right in line with the previous openings of Rise of the Planet of the Apes ($54.8 million) and War for the Planet of the Apes ($56.2 million). Dawn of the Planet of the Apes made a lot more at $72 million, but times have changed, and now a $50 million-plus opening is cause for celebration at the House of Mouse, with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes the first solid box office win for Disney (who are releasing through 20th Century Films) in a while. This is much more than the $40 million we predicted earlier this week. 

However, there is one potential cloud on the horizon for the film. According to Deadline, the CinemaScore for the film has only garnered a B rating, which is low for a tentpole blockbuster and might hurt the film’s word of mouth. THe Caesar trilogy (Rise, Dawn and War) all earned an A- rating. Next weekend sees the release of John Krasinski’s family film, IF, which is considered a bit of a gamble, in that it could vastly under (or over) perform. 

Meanwhile, Universal’s The Fall Guy lost around 50% of its audience for a $13.7 million weekend. The movie seems unlikely to gross more than $80-90 million at the domestic box office, which is a drag, as the film will likely go down as one of the year’s biggest money-losers. It’s so strange that this movie hasn’t performed, with reviews and audiences all seemingly loving the film, but clearly, something somewhere didn’t connect, and audiences didn’t see this as a must-see.

The Zendaya-led tennis film Challengers continued to do well, with a $4.684 million weekend and a total just over $38 million. Could the film pass $50 million domestically? We’ll have to see, but even still it’s destined for a quick turnaround to Prime Video, which makes this a solid win for Amazon/MGM. The Sony horror flick Tarot made $3.45 million for an $11.7 million total. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire added another $2.525 million to its coffers, with it well on its way to making $200 million domestically. 

The faith-based Unsung Hero made $2.25 million, and with a $16 million total, it seems like this one isn’t going to become a huge breakthrough hit for the Christian market. Kung Fu Panda 4 continued its strong box office showing, thanks mainly to a lack of competition out there for families, making $2 million for a $190 million-plus total. Could it pass the $200 million mark?

A24’s Civil War started to wind down a bit this week, with it making just under $2 million for a strong $65 million plus total, which makes it A24’s second-biggest movie ever domestically. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace continued its 25th-anniversary celebration this year, with it making another $1.5 million (even if the movie’s new look has been controversial). Finally, Abigail, which just made its PVOD debut, made just over $1 million for tenth place and a total of just under $25 million. 

Next weekend sees the release of IF, as well as The Strangers: Chapter I, so it’ll be interesting to see if those damn dirty apes can hold on to a chunk of their audience. With many more films in the franchise planned, its second weekend will no doubt be the ultimate judge of whether or not this saga continues on the big screen.

The reaction to Bryan Fuller leaving Friday the 13th series Crystal Lake has been strong, with many praising his pilot script.

Camp Crystal Lake hasn’t been this busy in decades, yet, ironically, the waters are calm and there’s no killer stalking the grounds. When news came that Crystal Lake – an “expanded prequel” set to air on Peacock – was looking to be on the chopping block, fans of the Friday the 13th series saw a missed opportunity from A24 and Peacock to revive the long-dormant franchise. And while Crystal Lake may still be moving forward in some capacity, it has lost a key member of the team: producer Bryan Fuller. That’s a major blow for sure, and one that some prominent names in horror aren’t happy about.

Responding to Bryan Fuller’s announcement over just where he stood with Crystal Lake, Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer screenwriter wrote, “Bummin’ hard, so sorry I won’t be a part of what would  have been an epic Bryan Fuller show. Your pilot was so beautifully realized. A gorgeous portait of a mother unraveling in her grief. Not to mention bloody horrific! I was so looking forward to our hour long chase episode!”

Williamson isn’t the only one who read Fuller’s Crystal Lake. Another who had access is Cube and Haunter director Vincenzo Natali, who wrote, “I have read the first two episodes. @BryanFuller ’s Crystal Lake was well on its way to becoming another Hannibal-level reinvention that was simultaneously beautiful, sad, poetic, funny and horrifying. I mourn its passing.”

Most of us figured that Crystal Lake had such hope under Bryan Fuller, but now that we’ve seen reactions from his pilot’s scro[t, it’s even more disappointing that he won’t be involved with the project, especially if the series would have incorporated a psychological approach, as indicated in the reactions. At the same time, if we were to take an optimistic view, we don’t really know what we’d be missing since episodes weren’t even supposed to begin filming until the summer. As of now, it looks like A24 and Peacock will be stepping back to readjust their approach, which could lead to some interesting opportunities to explore the world of Friday the 13th.

What are your hopes for Crystal Lake now that Bryan Fuller is out? Does it still have potential? What do you want to see in the series?

Jerry Seinfeld asked Chris Rock to mock the infamous Slap in Unfrosted but the comedian turned it down since it was so fresh.

As much as Will Smith wanted Chris Rock to keep his wife’s name out his f*ckin’ mouth, the comedian wanted to lay as low as possible after The Slap. That included turning down good friend Jerry Seinfeld’s offer to appear in Unfrosted — primarily because his cameo would have spoofed that infamous Oscar moment.

As Jerry Seinfeld revealed on the Fly on the Wall podcast, he reached out to Chris Rock to let him get some remote revenge. “The other thing I wanted to do, that I almost did, was Chris Rock was gonna be the emcee of the Bowl and Spoon Awards. We shot that right after the Will Smith slap, and I was gonna have somebody come up on the stage and have Chris punch them out…Chris wasn’t…he wasn’t up to perform. He was still a little shook from the event. But that was what the scene was going to be. But Cedric saved the day.”

Seinfeld would go on to admit that he wasn’t sure the Unfrosted bit would ultimately work. I’d agree since it was still so fresh for Rock, so Seinfeld lucked out by not being allowed to capitalize on such a tough moment. There’s also the fact that it would have immediately felt dated, like the sort of gag one of those awful Friedberg/Seltzer movies would have shoehorned in. It also wouldn’t have really enhanced the movie in any way…

Chris Rock would address The Slap on his own terms, ditching Jerry Seinfeld and Unfrosted to instead take it head on in his standup routine, particularly his 2023 special Selective Outrage. Despite a 10-year ban from attending the Academy Awards, Will Smith has done his best to bounce back with a handful of movie roles, including next month’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die. But Chris Rock has come out better than anyone, showing he’s by far the bigger man.

While Jerry Seinfeld wasn’t able to get everyone he wanted for Unfrosted, he did still grab a number of comedian friends for roles, including Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, Thomas Lennon, Bobby Moynihan, Mikey Day, Kyle Mooney, Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalo, and more.

Do you think Chris Rock should have done the Unfrosted cameo for Jerry Seinfeld or would it have been “too soon”? Share your thoughts below.

The premiere dates for the two-part season of That ’90s Show has been announced, with episodes hitting in the summer and fall.

You never really know which spin-offs will work, but That ‘70s Show sequel That ‘90s Show has proven to be a hit with viewers, who turned to the show for exactly the reason why the original worked: nostalgia. Not surprisingly, the sitcom has been renewed for more groovy (or would it be phat?) times.

As unveiled at the Netflix Is A Joke Fest – which our own Chris Bumbray attended, even visiting the set of the sitcom – That ‘90s Show will return this year. The second part will debut on June 27th, while the third will drop on October 24th.

As per Netflix, the continuation of That ‘90s Show will pick up the following year. “It’s 1996 and Leia Forman is back in Point Place for another summer of fun with her friends and grandparents, Kitty and Red. Leia and Jay are excited to be together again after nine months of long distance. But she’s on edge since Jay still doesn’t know she almost kissed Nate. Nate is concerned that his girlfriend, Nikki, doesn’t know either. How long can they keep this secret? Turns out, not long at all. And when the truth finally comes out, relationships are threatened, friendships are at stake, and the summer is on the verge of ending before it even gets started.”

Adding to the announcement, the cast of That ‘90s Show faced off in a trivia contest of ‘90s-themed questions, with Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, Callie Haverda, and Don Stark taking on Maxwell Acee Donovan, Mace Coronel, Ashley Aufderheide, Sam Morelos, and Reyn Doi.

Having so many fresh faces and bringing back most of the key cast from That ‘70s Show has helped That ‘90s Show work. The upcoming season will add a wealth of appearances from familiar names, including ‘90s staples like Lisa Loeb, Carmen Electra, Wayne Knight, and Seth Green. There, too, will be Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Will Forte, and Matt Rife.

Are you a fan of That ‘90s Show? Do you think it is a strong enough follow-up to That ‘70s Show? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

Susan Backlinie, who played the first shark victim in 1975’s Jaws and star of one of the cinema’s scariest scenes, has died at the age of 77.

Susan Backlinie, who made her debut as Chrissie Watkins, the first victim in 1975’s Jaws, has passed away at the age of 77.

Susan Backlinie’s role in Jaws cannot be understated, setting the tone for what might be dubbed the “first girl”, the initial victim that establishes the terror that will come throughout the rest of the film. Out for a late night swim in the nude, things turned dire fast for Chrissie Watkins, thrashing about the pitch black waters by a virtually unseen force. Backed by John Williams’s score – which Backlinie’s performance undoubtedly helped enhance (and vice versa) – the opening scene of Jaws remains at the peak of cinematic horror. Something that adds to this is also something many fans may not know: Susan Backlinie was an accomplished swimmer, a little backstory that would outline that indeed nobody is safe in the water.

Backlinie’s short but impactful performance in Jaws was also successful in part due to her having a passion for stunt work. She would later have credits as such on 1979’s The Villain and 1981’s Image of the Beast. She, too, had a one-off appearance on TV’s The Fall Guy, which centered around a stunt actor.

Outside of Jaws, Susan Backlinie’s onscreen accomplishments were few, although she did parody her iconic role later for Steven Spielberg in 1941. Other big screen credits include that same year’s The Grizzly and the Treasure and 1977 nature horror flick Day of the Animals, one in a huge wave of movies that tried to capitalize on vicious animals.

Despite her most memorable role, Susan Backlinie had a genuine love for animals, even working as a trainer. But no, Jaws did not make her afraid of sharks, once saying, “I was [once] in the water and turned around and a shark was just sitting there and looking at me. I went up to it and he just sat there and stared at me. I wasn’t scared.” Still, her big screen moment was tough to shoot, recalling, “They put a pair of cutoff jeans on me and hooked cables up to the side. At night I’d stop and think, “You know, that’s exactly what calls sharks to you: flailing, stopping, flailing.” I kind of felt like shark bait.”

What are your memories of the opening scene in Jaws? Leave your condolences for the late Susan Backlinie the comments section below.

Will Smith will be scaling back to do an indie film. However, it will still be a bigger-budgeted indie film, and the movie has tapped the Sicario 2 director.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Will Smith will continue his career damage control with a rare venture into indie territory with the action thriller Sugar Bandits. With a reported budget that circles $80 million, Sugar Bandits follows “a former Special Forces solider who joins an elite, vigilante squad aiming to wipe out the drug trade in Boston, but soon learns things are not what they seem.” With the film being put up at the European Film Market, which predominantly puts smaller films on display, the $80 million price tag makes the Will Smith vehicle the biggest movie at the show.

As the Cannes market event approaches, Deadline is reporting that Smith’s Westbrook Studios and AGC Studios have tapped Italian director Stefano Sollima to sit in the director’s seat for the vigilante thriller. Sollima is no stranger to dark crime content as he has also helmed films like Sicario: Day of the Soldado, which was a sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s equally tense original, starring Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin. Sollima had also directed the Prime Video film Without Remorse, which stars Michael B. Jordan. Jordan would also announce that he would be working with Smith in developing a sequel to I Am Legend.

Sugar Bandits has sat on the Hollywood sidelines with Universal setting director Joe Carnahan on the project. However, it would since head out to EFM, where filmmakers scope out independent projects. Sugar Bandits is based on the screenplay and novel Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan (The Town, The Strain, 13 Hours), with Smith and Jon Mone producing through Westbrook Studios. Ryan Shimizaki oversees the project, with Stuart Ford joining the production effort through AGC Studios, which is financing the film entirely. Additionally, Richard Abate produces via 3 Arts Entertainment.

This June will also see Will Smith return as Mike Lowery in Bad Boys Ride or Die. The fourth Bad Boys movie marks Will Smith’s first theatrically released feature since the infamous Oscar slap. It’s being seen as the test of whether or not audiences are going to be able to move past the controversy and embrace him as the big star he used to be. Certainly, Bad Boys: Ride or Die seems like a good bet, with the last Bad Boys movie being a surprise mega-hit.

About the Author

E.J. is a News Editor at JoBlo, as well as a Video Editor, Writer, and Narrator for some of the movie retrospectives on our JoBlo Originals YouTube channel, including Reel Action, Revisited and some of the Top 10 lists. He is a graduate of the film program at Missouri Western State University with concentrations in performance, writing, editing and directing.