Star Wars: Episode VIII: Director Rian Johnson shared a photo from the production of Star Wars: Episode VIII that is, by itself, not terribly revealing. It shows a robe that looks very much like the one worn by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Johnson's caption is probably more revealing: "In the home stretch," alluding to the completion of principal photography on the movie, which began on February 15 and is expected to conclude soon. The movie is scheduled for release on December 15, 2017. [Tumblr]
Seveneves: Ron Howard will direct a big-screen adaptation of Neal Stephenson's sci-fi novel Seveneves. First published in 2015, the book begins with a catastrophic event that threatens mankind, prompting a desperate plan for survival, and then picks up 5,000 years later with another desperate plan for survival. William Broyles (Howard's Apollo 13) has been tapped to write the script. [Deadline]
Suicide Squad: After the smash success of the R-rated Deadpool and the announcement of an R-rated home video version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, many wondered if the upcoming Suicide Squad might aim for an R rating. This was denied by Disney CEO Bob Iger back in March and has now been confirmed: Suicide Squad has received a PG-13 rating. Officially, the rating is due to "sequences of violence and action throughout, disturbing behavior, suggestive content and language." [FilmRatings.com]
The Shallows Trailer: A new, bracing trailer for The Shallows features a disarming narration about the virtues of self-reliance as surfer Blake Lively heads to a lonely beach and an encounter with a great white shark. Jaume Collet-Serra (Run All Night) directed; the movie will open in theaters on June 29. [Movieclips]
