Justin Kroll-Senior Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: In what is sure to be one of the bigger directing jobs to be taken off the table in recent months, we are hearing that Nia DaCosta, who directed the anticipated reboot of Candyman, has been tapped as director on Marvel’s sequel to Captain Marvel.Disney and Marvel Studios had no comment.DaCosta takes over for Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who directed the first pic to massive box office success.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Even with the NBA restart in high gear, LeBron James’ Springhill Entertainment continues to stay busy building its feature film slate into a dominant pressence. We are hearing Universal Pictures has acquired the rights to New Kid, the 2019 graphic novel by Jerry Craft with Springhill Entertainment on board to develop and produce. New Kid is the first graphic novel to win the coveted Newbery award as well as the Coretta Scott King Award.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: After earning an Oscar nomination for playing Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Tom Hanks is zeroing in on another beloved character.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: The partnership between the team behind the John Wick franchise continues as We are hearing Chad Stahelski is coming on to produce New Line’s remake of the 2010 South Korean Pic The Man From Nowhere, with Derek Kolstad penning the script. Stathelski directed all three John Wick films with Kolstad serving as writer.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Netflix has come on board to adapt the podcast 36 Questions into a feature film with Hearts Beat Loud helmer Brett Haley on to direct. Chernin Entertainment and Automatik are producing in association with Endeavor Content.Automatik and Chernin developed the pitch with Endeavor, Haley and writer Marc Basch and brought it to Netflix.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: AMC has optioned the rights to Sorcerers, a novella by co-writers Maurice Broaddus and Otis Whitaker and featuring illustrations by internationally renowned artist Jim Mahfood, with plans to adapt it into a series.The short story is a psychedelic urban fantasy about a 30-year-old man from Harlem who comes into his own as a hip hop-inspired sorcerer. It follows Malik Hutchins, the black sheep to one of the most successful families in Harlem.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Naomi Scott, who had a breakout performance as Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin, is set to co-star with Hamilton star Anthony Ramos in Amblin Partners’ upcoming comedic sci-fi film Distant. Scott joins the film after the withdrawal of Rachel Brosnahan, who had to part ways with the project due to scheduling conflicts with production on the next season of The Marvelous Mrs.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: The Kissing Booth star Joey King is in negotiations to join Brad Pitt in the action-thriller “Bullet Train” for Sony Pictures.Hobbs & Shaw director David Leitch will direct and also supervise the script, which will be written by Zak Olkewicz.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterHomeboy Industries as been chosen The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation as the 2020 Humanitarian Prize recipient and will receive $2.5 million in unrestricted funding.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: After earning his third consecutive Emmy nomination earlier this week, Jason Bateman has now turned his sights on what comes after Ozark finishes shooting its final season, and he may have found his next project. We are hearing Bateman is in early negotiations to direct the Netflix heist pic Here Comes the Flood, which the studio won in a heated auction this past spring.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix have teamed up with Cowspiracy filmmaker Keegan Kuhn and BAFTA Award-winning director Alex Lockwood, to executive produce, The End of Medicine, a new feature-length documentary about zoonotic diseases, which threaten the health and lives of the entire human population.The doc began production in October 2019, months before Covid-19 was making headlines around the world and touches on the disease, which is when germs and

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Following the news of Ozark and Stranger Things each earning Emmy noms for Best Drama series, Netflix is looking to stay in business with each shows respective leads on a new film project.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate and BuzzFeed are partnering on a new venture to develop, produce and distribute a multi-picture slate of socially relevant and high-concept feature films for global millennial and Gen Z audiences.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Mancora writer-director  is set to direct and co-write the social thriller Daniel with first-time feature writer Owen Renfroe.The story follows, Daniel, an unlicensed Latinx doctor who works for a dying billionaire on his private, remote estate. When he suddenly uncovers a sinister secret about his boss’s foster daughter, he must fight for the life he worked so hard to build.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterRich Paul, CEO and founder of Klutch Sports Group, has been appointed to UTA’s Board of Directors. Paul also serves as Head of UTA Sports and is a UTA partner, roles he assumed in July 2019 after UTA took a significant stake in Klutch Sports Group.Paul founded Klutch in 2012 and built it into a sports representation powerhouse with NBA clients including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons and John Wall.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Tony Revolori has signed with WME for representation.He first came to the attention of audiences and critics with his breakout performance as Zero, the scene-stealing lobby boy in Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winning The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSVE: After finishing production on the Netflix pic Midnight Sky, George Clooney has found his next film to direct. We are hearing Clooney is in negotiations to direct and produce The Tender Bar at Amazon Studios.Amazon was not reached for comment.If a deal closes, Clooney and his producing partner Grant Heslov would produce through their Smokehouse Pictures banner.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterFollowing massive viewership numbers and an end-credit scene suggesting the story isn’t finished being told, it would seem a sequel to the Netflix action pic The Old Guard is a foregone conclusion.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterAfter Skydance sent the next Ryan Reynolds-Shawn Levy movie to Netflix, Paramount is finalizing a deal to move it’s adaptation of Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse to Amazon Studios, We have confirmed.The film stars Michael B. Jordan, Jodie Smith-Turner and Jamie Bell with Stefano Sollima directing.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: In what is expected to be a hot TV package, STXtv is bringing Once Upon a Time in Aztlan, a new TV series anchored by George Lopez, famed photographer Estevan Oriol and iconic Los Angeles-based artist Mister Cartoon aka Mark Machado to the market. Michael Connolly, under his Mad Hatter Entertainment banner, brought the elements together.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterAfter shocking the world with the idea of shooting a feature film in outer space, Tom Cruise may be a little closer to finding a partner who will join him and director Doug Liman on the untitled film. We have confirmed that Universal Pictures is in early talks to come on to the project that would be the first feature film to shoot in outer space.If a deal were to close, Cruise would star with Liman directing.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Veteran Cartoonist and director Tony Cervone has signed with CAA for representation.He most recently directed and voiced a handful of characters in Warner Bros. Animation’s Scooby-Doo pic Scoob, which became #1 on PVOD when Warner Bros.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Amblin Partners has closed a deal with Edgar Wright to develop, direct and executive produce Stage 13, with Saturday Night Live alum Simon Rich writing the script and also producing.Producing along with Rich is Wright’s producing partner Nira Park, who co-founded Complete Fiction with Wright and has produced his projects from early in his film and television career including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The World’s End and Baby Driver.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Gael García Bernal is set to join M. Night Shyamalan’s new secret movie from Universal.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Following a thorough search, newcomer Grace Kaufman has landed the lead role in A24 and Apple’s The Sky Is Everywhere, an adaptation of the Jandy Nelson YA novel.The role was highly coveted with Kaufman beating out a slew of actresses competing for the part and has the potential of launching the up-and-coming talent’s promising film career. It also marks her first lead role in a major studio film.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Paramount’s Grease prequel Summer Lovin’ is revving up its engine, with the studio tapping Brett Haley to direct the film. Leah McKendrick penned the script with Temple Hill and Picturestart producing.The 1978 musical classic starred John Travolta as greaser Danny and Olivia Newton-John as good girl Sandy, high school teens who after having a brief summer fling come to find out they are attending the same high school.