Need a quick recap of the past week in movie news? Here are the highlights:
Indiana Jones recruits Phoebe Waller-Bridge: The long-awaited fifth Indiana Jones movie is finally moving forward with James Mangold in the director’s seat and Harrison Ford reprising his titular role. Now we also know about one of Ford’s co-stars: Deadline reports that Fleabag creator and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge has joined the cast of the adventure sequel in an unknown role. Whether she’s a new ally for Indy or the villain of this installment, it’ll be interesting to see her interact with Ford considering he originated the role of Han Solo in Star Wars and she played a droid who teams up with a young Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Paul Dano is Steven Spielberg’s dad: While Steven Spielberg is only producing the next Indiana Jones movie and not returning to the director’s chair, he does have another highly anticipated project that he’s helming, and its cast just keeps getting better and better. Variety reports that Paul Dano will be reuniting with his Meek’s Cutoff co-star Michelle Williams and playing her husband in Spielberg’s next movie, which is loosely based on the filmmaker’s own childhood. Dano will play a character inspired by Spielberg’s father, Arnold. He previously appeared in the Spielberg-produced sci-fi Western movie Cowboys & Aliens.
Josh Heald to Direct Ancient Aliens: Speaking of aliens, the long-running History Channel documentary series Ancient Aliens is heading to the big screen with a movie from the producers of Godzilla vs. Kong and the Karate Kid series Cobra Kai. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the latter’s co-creator and sometime director Josh Heald will helm the feature, which will involve a fictional globe-spanning adventure based on theories about extraterrestrial artifacts as discussed on the show. Interestingly enough, that sounds similar to the plot of the last Indiana Jones movie.
Olivia Colman to find love in Empire of Light: Oscar-winner (and current nominee, for The Father) Olivia Colman, who also co-starred with Waller-Bridge in Fleabag, has found her next prestigious movie project. According to Variety, the actress will star in Empire of Light, a romantic drama written and directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes. Cinematographer Roger Deakins, who recently won his second Oscar shooting Mendes’ 1917, is also on board for the movie, which involves a love story centered around an old cinema in England in the 1980s.
Maria Bakalova to star in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies: Speaking of current Oscar-nominees, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm breakout Maria Bakalova, who is up for the Best Supporting Actress award for that performance, has just been cast in a secretive slasher horror film for A24. Deadline reports she will star alongside Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) in Halina Reijn’s Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, while Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island) and Myha’la Herrold (Premature) are in talks to join them.
Bodhi Sabongui joins Black Adam: Finally, we do actually have some superhero movie news this week, courtesy of the latest casting announcement for DC’s Black Adam. According to The Hollywood Reporter, teen actor Bodhi Sabongui has joined the Dwayne Johnson-led comic book adaptation in a “key role” from the DC canon. The young performer previously appeared in the DC television series Legends of Tomorrow, which has no connection to the DC Extended Universe movies.
