This was a busy week for casting announcements, including news from some of the biggest franchises in the business. Warner Bros. released a lineup of ten new films for their DC comic book universe, including Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Aquaman single-shots, and not one but two Justice League movies. You can take a look at the full lineup from AMC here.
Not to be outdone, Marvel announced that Robert Downey, Jr. will join the cast of Captain America 3, a choice that all but confirms the much-hoped-for Civil War comic storyline that rocked the Marvel Universe in 2006. You can get a peek at the exciting plot possibilities with Variety’s assessment here.
And last but not least, Warwick Davis confirmed he’ll be returning to Star Wars in Episode VII, though he may not be reprising his fluffy Ewok role. The Hollywood Reporter covers the story here.
Fantasy film fans also have cause to rejoice with the confirmed release dates for the Harry Potter spin-off story, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The three movies, including author J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut in the first installment, will be released at two-year increments beginning in 2016, E!Online reports here. And in an exclusive release, Variety lists a number of Henson Co.’s upcoming projects, including a potential Labyrinth sequel!
New trailers this week include a sneak peek at Mockingjay, Part 1, another trailer for Angelina Jolie’s WWII biographical drama Unbroken, and the first trailer for the controversial documentary Citizenfour. Director Laura Poitras chronicles her experience helping whistleblower Edward Snowden uncover US Government surveillance secrets all the way up to Snowden’s recent asylum in Russia. Indiewire offers an in-depth review of the documentary, which comes to theaters October 24, here.
And rounding out the news is the announcement that Neil Patrick Harris will be hosting the 2015 Oscars. Harris has hosted the Tony Awards four times and the Emmys twice, and has won the Emmy for every Tony he’s hosted (say that five times fast). Suffice it to say, he’s a pro, and this season’s Oscars is already off to a promising start.
Jessica Gibson is an intern with Christianity Today Movies and a student at The King’s College in New York City.
