New Guardians photos, Mockingjay casting, reboots and more
• The more we see of Marvel space epic Guardians Of The Galaxy , the more awesome it looks. Now we’ve got two images showing Chris Pratt wearing Star Lord’s trademark face mask, published in Geek Magazine . If you had concerns that this wouldn’t translate onscreen effectively they should be calmed by this glimpse of the August release.
• Lionsgate basically already has all the teen franchises ( Twilight , The Hunger Games , Divergent ) so it’s natural to expect the studio to aim for a younger demographic too. That’s exactly what's happening with the reboot of Power Rangers . The trend of reviving kid-friendly properties from the ‘80s is moving into the ‘90s, bringing us a new wave of dark and gritty reboots.
• One of those reboots, though, has lost its director due to a reduction in both its darkness and grittiness. The reboot of The Mummy did have Mama helmer Andy Muschetti attached, but The Wrap now reports that he is exiting due to “creative differences”. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci had envisioned a darker version of the original, but the film is now being developed as a more family-friendly blockbuster.
• The Hollywood Reporter brings us news that TV fan favourite Michelle Forbes ( Battlestar Galactica , True Blood ) has joined The Hunger Games: Mockingjay . She will play Lieutenant Jackson, a rebel soldier from District 13.
• Here’s a double dose of Sleepy Hollow news. The hit fantasy drama is getting a longer episode order for Season 2 and has just cast the role of Benjamin Franklin. While the first season had 13 episodes, Entertainment Weekly reports Sleepy Hollow is getting at least 15 next time around, maybe even as many as 18. As far as Franklin goes, West Wing actor Timothy Busfield is taking on the part. The second season has a war theme, according to producer Mark Goffman, and a connection between Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) and Franklin will be revealed.
Simon Cocks
