News Shotgun 8/10/24
Here’s all the movie and TV news you need to know from the past week; it’s the News Shotgun.
The Accountant 2 coming to theaters from Amazon MGM Studios: The sequel to the Ben Affleck action movie The Accountant is coming to theaters next year from Amazon MGM Studios. The Accountant 2 will hit theaters on April 25th, 2025. Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson return from the first movie, with Addai-Robinson’s Treasury agent needing Christian Wolff’s (Affleck) help to solve the murder of her former boss by a team of assassins. Wolff teams with his estranged brother Brax (Bernthal), and the group becomes a target of some of the world’s most ruthless killers. Gavin O’Connor, who directed the first movie, returned to direct the sequel.
Fixed is no longer being distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery: In another cost-saving measure, Warner Bros. Discovery has backed out of distributing the Genndy Tartakovsky adult animated feature. Fixed, with the rights reverting back to Sony. Fortunately, this means it isn’t a Coyote vs Acme situation, and no one will ever see the movie, with Sony looking for a new partner to distribute the film. The movie is about a dog who tries to fulfill his “bucket list” before he’s neutered and features the voices of Adam Devine, Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn, Bobby Moynihan, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Michaelle Bureau, and River Gallo.
Cartoon Network website shut down: In a much bleaker WB Discovery cost-cutting maneuver, Cartoon Network’s website was wiped from the internet this week. www.cartoonnetwork.com redirects to Max’s Cartoon Network section. The site featured clips and episodes of current and past Cartoon Network shows and free games. WBD is also shuttering Boomerang, moving most of that network’s library to Max.
New Looney Tunes movie coming to theaters: In one bit of good news coming out of WBD, a new Looney Tunes movie, The Day the Earth Blew Up, is coming to theaters. Distributor Ketchup has gotten the theatrical release from WBD, but there’s no release date. The movie was initially intended to debut exclusively on Max in 2021 but was shelved and seemed like it would never be released. The movie stars Daffy, Porky, and Petunia Pig as they discover an alien invasion plot and have to be the unlikely heroes that save the world.
Michelle Pfeiffer starring in Yellowstone spin-off: Michelle Pfeiffer is heading to the Yellowstone universe to star in the upcoming spin-off, Madison. Pfeiffer will star along with Patrick J. Adams, Beau Garrett, and Kurt Russell. The series follows a New York City family who move to the Madison River area of Montana.
Wolffs getting a sequel: Apple’s Wolffs, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt as fixers forced to work together to clean up a crime, is getting a sequel before the first movie even hits theaters or streaming. The first movie was originally going to get a traditional theater release, but it’s instead getting a one-week release starting on September 20th and will then debut on Apple TV+ on September 27th. Director Jon Watts, who directed Wolffs, will return to write and direct the sequel.
Jeff Daniels, Jared Harris, and J.K. Simmons join Reykjavik: Jeff Daniels, Jared Harris, and J.K. Simmons will star in the upcoming Cold War drama Reykjavik. Inspired by true events, the movie takes place at the Reykjavik Summit in Iceland, where US President Reagan (Daniels) met with Soviet leader Gorbachev (Harris). Simmons will play US Secretary of State, George Schultz. Michael Russell Gunn wrote and directed the movie.
Jenna Ortega joins mysterious JJ Abrams project: Jenna Ortega has joined the cast of a mysterious JJ Abrams project that previously cast Glen Powell. The only details currently known are that it’s some sort of time travel movie being developed at Warner Bros. Discovery.
High on Life series in development: Comedian J.B. Smoove is producing a new animated comedy series based on the video game High on Life. The game is a comedic first-person shooter from Squatch Games that finds the player wielding an arsenal of talking weapons to try and stop an alien cartel from harvesting humans to use as drugs. Smoove was one of the game’s main voices, featuring Jack Black, Susan Sarandon, Thomas Middleditch, Sarah Silverman, and more.
John Wick sequel TV series in development: The John Wick universe is expanding again with a new sequel series. Set after the events of John Wick Chapter 4, the new series, John Wick: The High Table, will follow a collection of new characters (and a few returning characters) looking to make a name for themselves in the power vacuum left by John’s assault on the High Table. Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves will executive produce the series, and Stahelski will direct the pilot. No network is attached, but the franchise’s previous series, The Continental, is on Peacock. There is also the spin-off movie Ballerina, starring Ana De Armas, coming next year to theaters, and a fifth John Wick movie is also in development.
