Here’s all the movie and TV news you need to know from the past week, it’s the News Shotgun.
The Madison sets premiere date on Paramount+: The latest Paramount+ series from Taylor Sheridan, The Madison, has been given a March 14th release date. The first season will consist of six episodes, and Season 2 (or possibly Season 1 Part 2) is finished. The series stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell and follows a Manhattan family, the Clyburns, as they move to the Madison River valley in Montana.
Casting begins for God of War: Amazon has started casting its upcoming adaptation of God of War, with Ryan Hurst cast as Kratos. Teresa Palmer was also cast as the Norse goddess Sif, Thor’s wife. The series is based on the 2018 game that rebooted the franchise and follows Kratos and his son, Atreus, as they undertake a perilous journey to spread Faye’s ashes, their wife and mother. Ronald D. Moore, who most recently was the showrunner and executive producer on For All Mankind and Outlander, is the executive producer and showrunner for God of War. Hurst previously appeared in the video game franchise, voicing Thor in God of War: Ragnarok.
Glen Powell is starring in a new Sam Esmail sci-fi movie: Glen Powell is teaming with Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail for a new sci-fi film, Tesseract. There aren’t any plot details at the current time. Along with directing the film, Esmail is also writing it.
Kathleen Kennedy steps down from Lucasfilm: After a divisive 14-year run as the president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down. Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan will be the new co-presidents, with Filoni also being Chief Creative Officer. Filoni has created Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: Ahsoka, and The Mandalorian with Jon Favreau. He wrote this year’s The Mandalorian and Grogu film. Brennen comes from the business end and became the President & General Manager of Lucasfilm Business starting in 2024.
Anne Hathaway starring in true crime series Fear Not: Anne Hathaway is starring in a new Paramount+ true crime series, Fear Not. The series is based on the story of serial killer Stephen Morin and Margy Palm, the last woman he abducted. Palm used her faith to convince Morin that he could be transformed, and they developed an unlikely relationship that lasted until Morin was given the death penalty. Hathaway is playing Palm and Bash Doran, who previously worked on Boardwalk Empire and is developing and writing the series. The show will be a limited, six-episode series.
Hans Zimmer scoring the Harry Potter series: The upcoming Harry Potter TV series has brought in a composing legend, with Hans Zimmer and his company Bleeding Fingers composing the original score. John Williams famously composed the scores for the first three movies in the series, and the new series will honor that film’s musical legacy while developing something new that fits a long-form TV series.
First look at Sophie Turner as Lara Croft: Amazon revealed the first look at Sophie Turner in costume as Lara Croft for its upcoming live-action Tomb Raider series. Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs were among the recently announced cast members joining her, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the show’s creator, writer, and executive producer.
Netflix picks up The Cage action film: Netflix has picked up a high-concept action thriller titled The Cage. Jaume Collet-Sera is directing the film after directing Carry-On for Netflix, and Chris Grillot and Malcolm Badewitz wrote it. The movie’s plot is currently under wraps.
NBC gives pilot order to The Rockford Files: Another classic TV series is getting rebooted, as NBC has picked up a pilot for The Rockford Files. Mike Daniels created the series and follows Jim Rockford as he’s released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit and returns to being a private investigator in Los Angeles. If NBC likes the pilot, it would be picked for a full series order.
Nicolas Cage starring in action thriller Best Pancakes in the County: Nicolas Cage is starring alongside Justin Long and Shelley Hennig in an upcoming action thriller, Best Pancakes in the County. Written and directed by Ken Sanzel, the movie is set over one night in a small-town diner where rogue federal agents, a con man, and a waitress all collide.
