Hollywould: Addams Family, Joker, Dolly Parton, and Suspiria
The film and television business moves at a mile a minute, so keeping up with the latest news can be a little daunting. Not to worry—we have your back. In Hollywould, we’ll round up the industry developments you need to know. Here’s what you may have missed:
Addams Get Animated with All-Star Cast
Creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky— not to mention altogether ooky. MGM announced their plans for an animated The Addams Family feature with Oscar Isaac as Addams patriarch Gomez last year, but they’ve finally filled out the family. Joining Isaac will be Charlize Theron as Morticia, Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday, Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley, Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester, and Bette Midler as dear Grandmama. Allison Janney will round out the cast as Addams Family nemesis Margaux Needler. Sausage Party’s Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan are slated to direct. Vernon said in a statement:
“Greg and I have always been a fan of the Addams Family in past versions, so when we set out to make this movie, we were excited to do something new. With that in mind, I drew from the brilliantly original Charles Addams New Yorker cartoons for the look of the film and decided to tell the story of how Gomez and Morticia meet, find their house and start their family. This unique approach is what drew me in to direct the film. The reimagining also extends to the stellar cast we’ve put together who will each bring their own spin to our film that will appeal to longtime fans of the Addams and introduce them to a new generation.”
Jared Leto Gets Joker Spinoff
Like Jared Leto as the Joker in Suicide Squad? Well, someone has to because sources have told Variety that Leto is set to executive produce and star in a solo Joker movie. There’s no sign of a plot yet, nor any word on its connection— if any— to Margot Robbie’s upcoming return to Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey. Muddling things further is the presumably unrelated Joker origin picture being produced by Martin Sorcese, where Joaquin Phoenix is rumored to play the character. Suicide Squad 2 is also on the horizon, if anyone still cares.
De Palma Penning Harvey Weinstein Horror
Iconic director Brian De Palma will return to horror for a new film inspired by Harvey Weinstein. De Palma gave the scoop to France’s La Parisien:
“I’m writing a film about this scandal, a project I’m talking about with a French producer. My character won’t be named Harvey Weinstein, but it will be a horror film with a sexual aggressor, and it will take place in the film industry.”
He’s not the only one to tackle the Weinstein case. Playwright David Mamet says he’s got a play written about the subject titled Bitter Wheat. Though there’s no timeline for production yet, the play has a producer and John Malkovich is interested in the Weinstein role.
Dolly Parton Heads to Netflix
Variety reports that music legend Dolly Parton will team with Netflix for an anthology series centered around her music. Episodes will be themed around songs from Parton’s library. Parton beamed about the collaboration in a statement:
“As a songwriter, I have always enjoyed telling stories through my music. I am thrilled to be bringing some of my favorite songs to life with Netflix. We hope our show will inspire and entertain families and folks of all generations, and I want to thank the good folks at Netflix and Warner Bros. TV for their incredible support.”
Sony Shelves Silver and Black
Sony’s other sort of Spider-Man spinoff, Silver and Black, has had its release date changed to “UNDATED,” according to a tweet from Exhibitor Relations. While talking with Collider, director Gina Prince-Bythewood talked about the importance of a good script:
“With Silver and Black, when you’re doing a film of that magnitude, it’s gotta be right. And if it’s not right, we actually collectively decided to go back to the drawing board and start over. That’s gonna take time. So obviously, I’d love to be shooting right now, but to be shooting something that I know is not as good as it can be, I’m not the type that wants to shoot something you’re rewriting, as you’re shooting. So, we have to get the script right, and I’m okay to wait. I may be shooting something before that, but it really is just get the script right before we go on that journey.”
Suspiria Promises to Terrify in First Trailer
Finally, Amazon’s dropped a teaser trailer for its upcoming Suspiria remake.
-Jackson Sutliff