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Sydney Sweeney was recently announced to be adapting the video game Outrun for a feature with Michael Bay directing. Outrun is an arcade racing video game franchise released by Sega. Bay will direct the project from a script by Jayson Rothwell. At the moment, Sweeney is only on board to produce, but that could change as the project moves forward with the Euphoria star attached. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but with Bay at the helm and his penchant for vehicular mayhem (as well as his new drone toy from Ambulance), grand racing action is in the cards.

It was also recently announced that a movie version of the new hit two-player co-op, Split Fiction, is now being developed into a film adaptation from the game company Hazelight Studios. The Hollywood Reporter is now revealing that Sweeney is also attached to this video game film, but this time,...

Sydney Sweeney is partnering with an iconic game!

Universal is developing a movie adaptation of Sega’s arcade driving video game OutRun, with Michael Bay attached to direct and the 27-year-old Euphoria star set to produce, via Deadline.

Jayson Rothwell will write the script.

Keep reading to find out more…

The project is in development, and right now, Sydney is only on board to produce, not star.

Plot details are still being kept under wraps.

First released in 1986, the stylish driving game became a pop culture moment thanks to its ahead-of-its-time graphics, choose-your-own-route gameplay, and a now-iconic soundtrack by Hiroshi Kawaguchi.

Designed by legendary game creator Yu Suzuki, it topped arcade charts in 1987 and becoming Sega’s biggest arcade cabinet of the decade. It was later ported to consoles, selling millions, and even inspired a whole music genre. With sequels like Turbo OutRun and OutRun 2, the game cemented its legacy...

Sega previously teased plans to bring a bunch of its classic titles to the screen, and the next to be realized is arcade racing classic OutRun . Universal hit the gas on this one with Michael Bay attached to direct and Sydney Sweeney producing. Jayson Rothwell is handling the script. Bay serves as producer, as well, alongside Brad Fuller at their production company Platinum Dunes. Other producers include Sega’s Toru Nakahara and company president/COO Shuji Utsumi. Related: Streets of Rage Movie in Development with John Wick Creator on Script The original OutRun arcade game is a racer from 1986 featuring the design work of Yu Suzuki. Beyond the deluxe, hydraulic-powered arcade cabinets on which it was often featured, it’s known for its vibrant visuals and an iconic soundtrack courtesy of Hiroshi Kawaguchi. As for the film adaptation’s plot, we’ll have to wait for specific details. Source: Deadline...

Director Michael Bay is back and about to blow s*** up! The director, known for putting a high-speed highway chase in nearly all his movies, is back with a car-themed action flick. A report from Deadline has revealed Bay is making a feature film version of the classic Sega driving game “OutRun” at Universal Pictures with Jayson Rothwell writing, and the kicker is that in-demand actress Sydney Sweeney is attached to produce (hopefully may take on an acting role as well as the project gestates and her schedule allows) with Bay and Platinum Dunes partner Brad Fuller.

Continue reading ‘OutRun’: Michael Bay & Sydney Sweeney Team Up For New Video Game Flick At Universal at The Playlist.

Universal Pictures is developing a live-action adaptation of OutRun, the long-running Sega racing video game franchise, with Michael Bay directing and producing. Sydney Sweeney is also attached as a producer. The project is being scripted by Jayson Rothwell.

Originally released in arcades in 1986, OutRun placed players behind the wheel of a sports car racing against a countdown clock while avoiding traffic and navigating split-path routes. The game became a major success for Sega and remained one of its defining properties through various home console ports and sequels.

Bay will produce the feature alongside Brad Fuller through their Platinum Dunes banner, which holds a first-look deal with Universal. Toru Nakahara, whose credits include Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles, is producing on behalf of Sega. Sega Corporation president Shuji Utsumi will oversee the film.

No plot details have been shared. While the original game emphasized arcade-style gameplay over narrative, it became known for its coastal settings,...

Sega’s racing arcade classic OutRun could be getting a film adaptation at Universal courtesy of director Michael Bay. Let’s hope the news is more than a passing breeze.

As moving as it was, director Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun still left us faintly disappointed that it didn’t involve a young couple racing across 1980s USA in a red Ferrari. Thankfully, Michael Bay could be about to make our retro arcade dreams a reality.

Over the weekend, it was reported that Universal plans to adapt Sega’s 1986 racing coin-op, OutRun, with Michael Bay directing and Sydney Sweeney set to produce. According to Deadline’s exclusive, the OutRun movie will be made through Platinum Dunes, the studio he co-founded with producer Brad Fuller, while the script will be written by Jayson Rothwell.

Videogame adaptations have brought in sizeable returns for film studios in recent years, with Sonic The Hedgehog...

Michael Bay is used to turning popular IPs into mind-numbing action spectaculars, and it looks like he is about to get in on the current trend of big video game successes. A new report from Deadline has revealed that Universal is looking to capitalize on the wave of popular video game movies such as Minecraft, and the ever-present love of nostalgia among moviegoers by tapping Bay to direct and produce a big-screen version of Sega’s 1986 racing game, Outrun.

Seemingly along for the ride will be Sydney Sweeney, the epitome of the kind of blonde bombshell that graced the cover of the video game when it was released. Toru Nakahara will produce for Sega and Sega Corporation president/COO Shuji Utsumi will oversee the project on behalf of Sega. Polar and Arachnid scribe Jayson Rothwell is penning the script, but the story is currently being kept under wraps. It’s a racing game.

Michael Bay is set to direct and produce an upcoming film for Universal based on Sega’s hit 1986 arcade driving game “OutRun,” with Sydney Sweeney also attached to produce.

Bay, who last directed the action thriller “Ambulance” for Universal, will produce alongside Brad Fuller through their production company Platinum Dunes as part of a first-look deal with Universal. Plot details are being kept under wraps for the film, which will be written by Jayson Rothwell (“Arachnid”).

Toru Nakahara, who was a producer for Sega on Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” films, will also produce alongside Sweeney and Bay. Sega President/COO Shuji Utsumi will oversee the project on behalf of the company.

Released in arcades in November 1986, “OutRun” became the highest grossing arcade cabinet in the U.S. and Japan the following year. It was praised for pushing the boundaries of driving video games with its efforts to replicate the...

Deadline reports that Sydney Sweeney and Michael Bay are teaming up for Outrun, a feature film adaptation of the arcade racing video game franchise released by Sega. Bay will direct the project from a script by Jayson Rothwell. At the moment, Sweeney is only on board to produce, but that could change as the project moves forward.

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but you would imagine that some vehicular action will play a major part; After all, that’s something that Bay knows very well.

Video game movies have been big business lately, especially with A Minecraft Movie blowing up the box office. The film has already grossed over $720 million, and a sequel is almost guaranteed. Our own Alex Maidy enjoyed the film for the most part, saying it’s “light entertainment with funny moments and a cast that is more than up to the challenge of acting...

Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney are revving up a movie adaptation of the Sega video game franchise OutRun.

Universal Pictures is behind the project that has Bay set to direct and produce, with Sweeney also onboard to produce. Jayson Rothwell is set to pen the screenplay. Plot details have not yet been shared.

Bay and Brad Fuller are producing the feature through Platinum Dunes’ first-look deal with the studio. Toru Nakahara produces for Sega, with Sega Corporation president Shuji Utsumi overseeing the film on behalf of the gaming giant.

The original OutRun game debuted in 1986, with players tasked with avoiding traffic and reaching their destination before the clock runs out. It has remained a signature game franchise for Sega following the release of numerous subsequent installments.

Universal’s executive vp of production development Matt Reilly and senior vp of production development Ryan Jones oversee the project for the studio.

Hollywood...

Sega’s 1986 arcade driving adventure “OutRun” is the latest video game to get the adaptation treatment at Universal Pictures.

Michael Bay is set to direct. Sydney Sweeney will produce. Bay and Brad Fuller will produce through Platinum Dunes’ first-look deal with Universal Pictures. Toru Nakahara will produce for Sega and Sega Corporation president/COO Shuji Utsumi will oversee the project on behalf of Sega.

Universal’s Executive Vice President of Production Development Matt Reilly and Senior Vice President of Production Development Ryan Jones will oversee the project for the studio.

Jayson Rothwell is set to write the screenplay. Plot details are being kept under wraps.

Sega’s “OutRun” series is a franchise that originated from some of the most successful arcade games in the world during the 1980s. The game pioneered a new genre of driving games and spawned an entire electronic music subgenre, aptly called “OutRun.” This unique approach made it a worldwide hit,...

Exclusive: With Minecraft owning the box office over the past month and HBO’s hit series The Last Of Us returning with a bang, Universal is looking to add another video game adaptation to its slate with the help of two very big superstars. Sources tell Deadline Universal Pictures is developing a feature adaptation of Sega’s iconic arcade driving video game OutRun with Michael Bay attached to direct and Sydney Sweeney aboard to produce. Jayson Rothwell will pen the script.

Bay will also produce alongside partner Brad Fuller through their Platinum Dunes’ banner, which has a first look deal with the studio. The project is in development, and as of right now, Sweeney is only on board to produce. Toru Nakahara will also produce for Sega and Shuji Utsumi (President/COO of Sega Corporation) will oversee the project on behalf of Sega.

Plot...

Exclusive: Badlands, the new indie genre label of longtime Sony exec Strauss and Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee’s Thunder Road, has preemptively acquired Hivemind, a new spec script from Peter Gaffney.

Hivemind is billed as an environmental thriller about the evolution of a new breed of killer wasps and the small town authorities who team up to prevent a deadly global outbreak. Gaffney, Adam Rodin and Brad Luff will serve as producers.

The acquisition is the second for Badlands in recent weeks on the heels of Lions, Tigers, and Bears, a creature feature that came in as a pitch from screenwriter Jayson Rothwell. The first project set to emerge from the company, making an aggressive push into the genre space, is Arachnid, a spider thriller directed by Ángel Gómez Hernández and starring Matilda Lutz, which recently wrapped production.

“We went into production six months after acquiring Arachnid,” Strauss told Deadline.

Exclusive: Gregg Sulkin (Runaways), William Miller (The 100) and Melina Matthews (Warrior Nun) have signed on for roles in the spider thriller Arachnid marking the debut feature from Badlands, the new indie genre label from Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee’s Thunder Road, longtime Screen Gems exec Scott Strauss, and Andrew Schwartzberg and Jon Shiffman’s Renegade Capital, on which we were first to report.

As previously announced, Matilda Lutz also stars in the film, shooting overseas, which Ángel Gómez Hernández (Voces) is directing from a script by Jayson Rothwell (Underworld: Blood Wars).

In Arachnid, a man returns from a trip unwittingly harboring a new breed of arachnid. Subsequently, the people in an apartment block are quarantined and left to fend for themselves against a plague of venomous spiders.

Producers include Rothwell, Schwartzberg, Shiffman, Peter Welter, Alexandra Milchan, and Josh Weinstock. Altitude Film Sales is handling international sales, having introduced the...

Reflecting Saudi Arabia’s ambitions as a film industry player, a new deep-pocketed outfit called 3SIX9 Studios launched recently from the Cannes Film Festival with the stated goal of becoming a bridge between Hollywood and Saudi.

Based in Jeddah, with outposts in London, New York and L.A., 3SIX9 Studios is co-founded by actor and producer Daya Fernández, who serves as CEO; Inga V. Smith, who is a former VP of production at Paramount and is the company’s president; “Prison Break” star Amaury Nolasco; and Saudi businessman Sheikh Mohammed Youssef El Khereiji, chairman of Global Group of Companies, who serves as the studios’ chairman.

Sheikh Mohammed is a billionaire who wears many hats, including the CEO of media advertising and investment entity Engineer Holding Group (Ehg). He has been an investor in Hollywood movies, as well as the Broadway production of “Finding Neverland.”

Projects in the 3SIX9 Studios pipeline include “Bunny Run,...

Saudi backed 3SIX9 Studios launched here in Cannes today with the promise of “bringing Hollywood to the Kingdom.” The new film and TV outfit has four co-founders and had four projects to talk about in Cannes.

The co-founders are actor and producer Daya Fernández, who is CEO; Inga Vainshein Smith, a former VP of Production at Paramount and who serves as President; actor and producer Amaury Nolasco, best known for Prison Break, and Saudi businessman Sheikh Mohammed Youssef El Khereiji.

The first movie projects off the block include Bunny Run, an action comedy written by Jayson Rothwell, which will shoot in Saudi Arabia this Fall. Scotland Yank is billed as contemporary comedy reimagining of Sherlock Holmes from Mitch Klebanoff. It will be filmed in Saudi and the U.S. Patrol, meanwhile, is an action-horror pic said to be in the vein of Predator.

A TV project was also announced, although no plot details were revealed.

A new Saudi Arabian film studio with deep pockets and Hollywood connections is launching from the Cannes Film Festival with a slate of film and TV projects.

The Los Angeled-based 3SIX9 Studios – announced at an event on a yacht in the bay of Cannes – is co-founded by actor and producer Daya Fernández, who serves as CEO; Inga V. Smith, who is a former VP of production at Paramount and is the company’s president; “Prison Break” star Amaury Nolasco; and Saudi businessman Sheikh Mohammed Youssef El Khereiji, chairman of Global Group of Companies, who will serve as chairman.

Sheikh Mohammed is a billionaire who wears many hats including CEO of media advertising and investment entity Engineer Holding Group (Ehg). He has been an investor in Hollywood movies in the past. Now, “His recent backing of 3SIX9 Studios is a testament to Saudi Arabia’s commitment to nurturing creativity and innovation in global cinema,...

Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing entertainment sector added a high-profile new film company this week.

3SIX9 Studios was launched at the Cannes Film Festival this week by Saudi Sheikh Mohammed El Khereiji, who has invested in Hollywood films for years and will serve as chairman; Daya Fernández, who has worked with Tom Cruise and will be CEO; Inga V. Smith, a former Paramount executive who will be president; and Amaury Nolasco, an actor/producer best known for the TV series Prison Break.

The company will strive to usher in “a new era in Hollywood-Saudi entertainment collaboration,” the quartet said in a statement issued Monday, by employing strategic partnerships with key Saudi leaders in finance, production and business — and Yellow Camel Productions, a preeminent Saudi Arabian production company — to support a slate of new productions.

Projects already in the works, according to the company, include Bunny Run, a fast-paced action comedy written by Jayson Rothwell,...

The John Wick franchise producers at Thunder Road Pictures are partnering with longtime Screen Gems executive Scott Strauss to launch an independent genre label called Badlands, Deadline reports, and the first project to come our way from Badlands is the spider thriller Arachnid, which has Don’t Listen and El hombre del saco director Ángel Gómez Hernández attached to direct from a screenplay by Jayson Rothwell, whose previous credits include Silent Night (2012) and Polar. The film is set to star Matilda Lutz of the awesome 2017 revenge thriller Revenge and the upcoming Red Sonja reboot.

Badlands is backed by Andrew Schwartzberg and Jon Shiffman’s company Renegade Capital. According to Deadline, the label will “feature development and co-fi funds and plans to make two to three films per year.” Filming on Arachnid is set to begin in Madrid, Spain this July. Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee of Thunder Road are producing the film with Strauss,...

Spider horror movies seem to be all the rage, with Infested streaming on Shudder and Sting now available on Digital at home. And there’s another one on the way, with Deadline reporting that Matilda Lutz (Revenge) will star in an upcoming spider movie titled Arachnid.

The project is the first from the new genre label Badlands, a partnership between Thunder Road (John Wick) and Screen Gems executive Scott Strauss that Deadline first reported on.

Jayson Rothwell (Underworld: Blood Wars) wrote Arachnid, with Ángel Gómez (Voces) directing. Deadline notes, “the spider thriller is due to begin filming this July in Madrid.”

“I am lucky to be in business with Thunder Road and Renegade,” Strauss said in a statement shared by Deadline. “Badlands will be an extension of both companies’ entrepreneurial spirit and is moving quickly to acquire and produce a fresh slate of horror IP.”

“Thunder Road has been looking...

Exclusive: Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee’s Thunder Road (John Wick) is partnering with longtime Screen Gems executive Scott Strauss to launch Badlands.

Backed by Andrew Schwartzberg and Jon Shiffman’s Renegade Capital, the independent genre label will feature development and co-fi funds and plans to make two to three films per year.

First up for the new venture will be Arachnid, starring Matilda Lutz. Written by Jayson Rothwell (Underworld: Blood Wars) and directed by Ángel Gómez (Voces), the spider thriller is due to begin filming this July in Madrid. Altitude Film Sales will introduce the film to buyers in Cannes next week, with CAA Media Finance handling domestic rights.

Rothwell, Schwartzberg, Shiffman, Peter Welter, Alexandra Milchan, and Josh Weinstock are part of the Arachnid producing team.

Lutz is best known for genre projects including Revenge, Reptile and the upcoming films Magpie and Red Sonja, in which she has the title role.

As we revealed back in January, Encyclopocalypse Publications will be bringing Jason Jenkins’ non-fiction horror book Phantom Limbs to print on April 2nd.

Based upon one of Bloody Disgusting’s longest running and most successful columns, Phantom Limbs provides a treasure trove of insights into the best horror franchise movies Never made.

Bd has learned that Dark Delicacies will be hosting a signing of Phantom Limbs with Jenkins in attendance, along with a number of the creatives he interviewed for the various chapters in the book. To be held on Saturday, March 30th at 3pm, this event will feature Kevin Bocarde (the Chopping Mall remake), Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski (Hellraiser), Andrew Divoff (Wishmaster III: The Third Millenium), Michael January (Psycho II: The Return of Norman Bates), Alex Litvak (Predators: Clan War), Adam Marcus and Debra Sullivan (The Plantation), Scott Milam (Texas Chainsaw II), Nick Principe (Laid to Rest: Exhumed...

When you think of Mads Mikkelsen, your brain probably locks onto the captivating villains he's played on screen, be it Le Chiffre from "Casino Royale," Hannibal Lecter in "Hannibal," or even Jürgen Voller in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." What you may not think about is Mikkelsen the dancer. 

It's true: after studying at the world-famous ballet academy in Gothenburg, Sweden (aka. the Balettakademien), the Danish actor spent a decade as a professional dancer before getting into acting. He would go on to put his ballet skills to incredible use in the opening fight in "Hannibal" season 2, as well as the memorable drunken dance scene that went viral from director Thomas Vinterberg's Danish dramedy "Another Round." With his physical grace and screen charisma, it was probably inevitable somebody would have the idea to cast Mikkelsen as the protagonist in a post-"John Wick" assassin thriller (of which...

Vanessa Hudgens will join Mads Mikkelsen to headline the action spy thriller ‘The Black Kaiser’, directed by Derrick Borte.

Borte has replaced Jonas Akerlund, who was previously announced as director. The film is written by Jayson Rothwell, based on the Dark Horse graphic novel ‘Polar’ by Victor Santos. It is set to shoot this fall, reports ‘Variety’.

In the film, the Black Kaiser (Mikkelsen), the world’s most lethal hitman, uncovers a deadly conspiracy protecting a powerful syndicate of killers, and becomes their No. 1 target.

‘The Black Kaiser’ is a Constantin Film, Jb Pictures and Dark Horse Entertainment production, and will be produced by Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer, two of the producers behind the ‘Resident Evil’ franchise.

As per ‘Variety’, Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg of Dark Horse Entertainment are also producing, and Martin Moszkowicz and Mikkelsen are executive producing.

XYZ Films will executive produce and will continue to...

Vanessa Hudgens will join Mads Mikkelsen to headline the action spy thriller “The Black Kaiser,” directed by Derrick Borte (“Unhinged”).

Borte has replaced Jonas Akerlund, who was previously announced as director. The film is written by Jayson Rothwell, based on the Dark Horse graphic novel “Polar” by Victor Santos. It is set to shoot this fall.

In the film, the Black Kaiser (Mikkelsen), the world’s most lethal hitman, uncovers a deadly conspiracy protecting a powerful syndicate of killers, and becomes their No. 1 target.

“The Black Kaiser” is a Constantin Film, Jb Pictures and Dark Horse Entertainment production, and will be produced by Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer, two of the producers behind the “Resident Evil” franchise. Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg of Dark Horse Entertainment are also producing, and Martin Moszkowicz and Mikkelsen are executive producing. XYZ Films will executive produce and will continue to sell worldwide rights at...

Mads Mikkelsen will star in new action-thriller The Black Kaiser, based on the Dark Horse graphic novel Polar by Victor Santos.

The project reunites Mikkelsen with Swedish director Jonas Akerlund after the duo worked on Netflix’s 2019 film Polar. Akerlund directs from a script written by Jayson Rothwell and Mikkelsen.

In the story, Mikkelsen will play The Black Kaiser, the world’s most lethal hitman, who uncovers a deadly conspiracy protecting a powerful syndicate of killers and becomes their number one target.

Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer produce with XYZ Films exec producing with Martin Moszkowicz, Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg and Mikkelsen. XYZ is launching sales on the title at the Cannes market next week. Discussions with additional cast are currently underway.

The title is a Constantin Film/Jb Pictures production in association with Dark Horse Entertainment.

“We are very excited to be working with the brilliant Mads Mikkelsen and...

Constantin Film/Jb Pictures producing Dark Horse graphic novel adaptation.

Mads Mikkelsen will star in Jonas Akerlund’s action spy thriller The Black Kaiser, the latest title to join the XYZ Films Cannes sales roster.

XYZ Films handles worldwide sales and also serves as executive producer on the adaptation of the Dark Horse graphic novel Polar which is a Constantin Film/Jb Pictures production in association with Dark Horse Entertainment.

Jayson Rothwell and Mikkelsen adapted the screenplay to Victor San’s graphic novel and the story will follow Mikkelsen in the title role as the world’s most lethal hitman...

Exclusive: Monarch Media has picked up the rights to Ken Scott’s best-selling biography Do the Birds Still Sing in Hell?

Black List screenwriter Jayson Rothwell has adapted the biopic into a feature film musical. In Do the Birds Still Sing in Hell, cocky British WWII soldier Jim Greasley has sacrificed himself over 200 times by escaping from a German Pow camp to both be with the woman he loved –the camp Commander’s personal translator– and to return to camp with food and supplies for fellow prisoners in order to keep them alive.

Monarch principals Steve Barnett and Alan Powel will produce through Monarch Media along with Bernie Goldmann. Monarch Media principal Vicky Patel will executive produce.

“I have been obsessed with this amazing love story for a long time,” said Barnett. “Along with my partners at Monarch Media, Alan and Vicky, and our producing partner on the project, Bernie Goldmann,...

Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens, Katheryn Winnick, Fei Ren, Ruby O. Fee, Matt Lucas, Robert Maillet, Anthony Grant, Josh Cruddas, Lovina Yavari, Ayisha Issa, Pedro Miguel Arce, Anastasia Marinina, Martin Zolotarev, Richard Dreyfuss | Written by Jayson Rothwell | Directed by Jonas Åkerlund

Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, Polar is the latest graphic novel adaption in the world of cinema, in particular, to hit Netflix. Starring Mads Mikkelsen as retired assassin Duncan Vizla hunted down by the shady assassin syndicate who once employed his services as a seasoned killer. The result, while enjoyable on occasion with a multitude of outrageous action set pieces is on a whole overabundantly dependable on a repellent colour grading and boorish style with peevish misogyny.

Polar offers a great deal of bloodshed and abstract character yet sadly thinks they’re the highlight of a picture that denies the audience even a minuscule or basic form of personal engagement or depth.

Any movie that begins with a sequence centered on Johnny Knoxville's erect penis can only go up (or down, as the case may be) from there. In the case of director Jonas Akerlund and screenwriter Jayson Rothwell's adaptation of the graphic novel Polar: Came From the Cold by Victor Santos, the narrative and emotional through-lines change by the millisecond. This is whiplash-inducing Add cinema, and shamelessly proud of it (the editor's name is Doobie White, for god's sake!), though there is a grounding center in the form of Mads Mikkelsen as near-retirement-age assassin Duncan Vizla, aka ...

Any movie that begins with a sequence centered on Johnny Knoxville's erect penis can only go up (or down, as the case may be) from there. In the case of director Jonas Akerlund and screenwriter Jayson Rothwell's adaptation of the graphic novel Polar: Came From the Cold by Victor Santos, the narrative and emotional through-lines change by the millisecond. This is whiplash-inducing Add cinema, and shamelessly proud of it (the editor's name is Doobie White, for god's sake!), though there is a grounding center in the form of Mads Mikkelsen as near-retirement-age assassin Duncan Vizla, aka ...

Released by Netflix on Friday, action-thriller “Polar,” a Netflix Original Movie starring Mads Mikkelsen (“Hannibal”), stands about half-way between Ott comic noir and big multiplex action-thriller.

It opens with an aerial shot creeping over woods towards a mansion somewhere in Chile as a motley squad of assassins moves in for the kill. The target, Michael (Johnny Knoxville), 50-ish, a former hitman himself, is now snorting coke and popping a pill before sex by the pool with babelicious Sindy (Rubu O.Fee).

Cut, after Michael’s dispatch, to Mikkelsen, playing Duncan Vizla, aka the Black Kaiser, the world’s No. 1 assassin, going through a pre-retirement medical checkup with an air of near zen-like calm. It’s as if he’s living in another world. Which is a way he is. As anticipated in the opening scene, in its blood-splattered film title, caricature of the hit squad as unconscionable psychopaths, and camera...

It would be one thing if “Polar” were director Jonas Åkerlund’s satirical send-up of American hyper-stylized, hyper-violent exploitative genre pictures. But it’s not — or at least it arrives a decade too late to register as such. What’s clear is that this abhorrent actioner (an adaptation of Victor Santos’ graphic novel “Polar: Came From the Cold”) about a morally conflicted hitman with a price on his head is vulgar auteurism at its most depraved. It even has the audacity to cloak many of its repugnant sentiments and debauchery in the guise of female empowerment. Gratuitous sex, gruesome torture, copious amounts of gore, and garish imagery populate the picture. Those qualities might be reason enough for some to watch, although a great many others would do well to scroll right past it on their Netflix feeds.

Top assassin Duncan Vizla (Mads Mikkelsen), known in his field by the nickname “the Black Kaiser,...

Mads Mikkelsen and Vanessa Hudgens are set to star in Netflix’s film adaptation of graphic novel Polar. See them in action for the movie’s first official trailer.

Jonas Åkerlund directed the feature, which has Mikkelsen portraying Duncan Vizla, a top assassin known around the world as the Black Kaiser. He intended on retiring but soon finds himself fighting against a team of younger assassins in order to protect an innocent woman (portrayed by Hudgens). Johnny Knoxville and Richard Dreyfuss are amongst the rest of the cast in the film.

It’s a Mads, Mads world. Netflix has released the trailer for its Mads Mikkelsen-Vanessa Hudgens movie “Polar,” and lots of people who lived by the gun are going to die by the gun.

In the action flick, the world’s top assassin, Duncan Vizla — a.k.a. The Black Kaiser (Mikkelsen) — is settling into retirement when his former employer marks him as a liability to the firm, per the streaming service’s official description. Against his will, he finds himself back in the game going head to head with an army of younger, faster, ruthless killers who will stop at nothing to have him silenced.

Also, Vizla’s pending $8 million pension seems like a pretty good (company) reason to off the hard-to-off dude.

Also Read: 'Carmen Sandiego' Trailer: Netflix Gives Gina Rodriguez-Voiced Character Her Own Origin Story (Video)

Directed by Jonas Akerlund, “Polar” is...

The story of astronaut Christa McAuliffe's life is about to be told in The Challenger, which will star Michelle Williams. McAuliffe was a New Hampshire high school teacher who was selected to join Nasa's Teacher in Space Project and later became a part of the Space Shuttle Challenger crew. The crew launched the Challenger mission from Cape Canaveral on January 28, 1986, which exploded 73 seconds after takeoff, killing all seven crew members on live television and shocking the world.

Martin Zandvliet is directing The Challenger from a script by Jayson Rothwell. Production on the biopic is set to begin in May 2019, if everything goes according to plan. The story puts the focus on Christa McAuliffe (Michelle Williams) and how she was chosen to be a part of the Challenger crew and be the first teacher in space. Christa McAuliffe posthumously received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and several high...

I was in the second grade when the space shuttle Challenger launched and exploded on its journey to space. I have vivid memories of that day sitting in my classroom and being completely in shock when I saw the shuttle explode on TV. That was a crazy emotional day.

Well, that historical tragedy is being developed as a feature film called The Challenger and Michelle Williams is set to star in the film as Christa McAuliffe, the school teacher who was on board the shuttle. The story will revolve around her. Here’s the story description:

The Challenger will follow the true story of McAuliffe, a New Hampshire high school teacher who was selected to join Nasa’s Teacher in Space Project. She eventually became part of the astronaut crew on the Space Shuttle Challenger, which launched from Cape Canaveral on January 28, 1986. The shuttle exploded 73 seconds after takeoff, on live TV,...

Oscar nominee Michelle Williams has signed on to play Christa McAuliffe in “The Challenger,” a true-story drama about the infamous Nasa space shuttle that exploded just over a minute after launch.

McAuliffe was a New Hampshire school teacher who was selected as part of a Nasa program to include teachers among the astronauts participating in the space shuttle program. McAuliffe was set to become the first teacher in space and was planning to teach two classes to her students from space.

Also Read: Michelle Williams, Sam Rockwell to Star in Lin-Manuel Miranda's FX Limited Series 'Fosse/Verdon'

But 73 seconds after the launch of Challenger on January 28, 1986, the shuttle exploded and disintegrated before a nationwide TV audience, killing McAuliffe and the other six astronauts aboard. The space shuttle program was put on pause for nearly three years, during which a federal investigation discovered that Nasa had neglected its safety standards...

Michelle Williams will star as the late astronaut Christa McAuliffe in the drama “The Challenger,” centered on the 1986 Space Shuttle disaster.

Producers are John and Art Linson, and Argent Pictures’ Ben Renzo. Martin Zandvliet will direct “The Challenger” from Jayson Rothwell’s script. Argent partners Jill Ahrens, Ryan Ahrens, Drew Brees, Tony Parker, Michael Finley, and Derrick Brooks are executive producing the pic. Production is expected to start in May.

The tragedy took place when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members, including McAuliffe.

McAuliffe was a New Hampshire high school teacher who was selected to join Nasa’s Teacher in Space Project, and had been planning to conduct experiments and teach lessons from the Space Shuttle Challenger. She was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 2004.

Williams has been nominated for Academy Awards for “Brokeback Mountain,” “Blue Valentine,” “My Week With Marilyn,...

Exclusive: Michelle Williams is set to star as Christa McAuliffe in The Challenger, a feature film about the 1986 space shuttle tragedy being produced by John and Art Linson and Argent Pictures’ Ben Renzo. Land of Mine director Martin Zandvliet will direct the biopic of sorts that is penned by Jayson Rothwell. A May 2019 production start is being eyed.

The Challenger will follow the true story of McAuliffe, a New Hampshire high school teacher who was selected to join Nasa’s Teacher in Space Project. She eventually became part of the astronaut crew on the Space Shuttle Challenger, which launched from Cape Canaveral on January 28, 1986. The shuttle exploded 73 seconds after takeoff, on live TV, killing all seven aboard.

McAuliffe’s memory and mission left a lasting impression and legacy on her family, community and teachers worldwide. Many schools have been named in her honor, and she posthumously received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

“We are more than humbled and extremely grateful for the opportunity to help tell the story of Christa McAuliffe and the Challenger mission,” Renzo said. “Christa McAuliffe’s legacy deserves the strength, courage, experience and humanity that Michelle Williams brings to the role. The entire Argent team is honored and eager to responsibly capture and share the events and personal journeys of those surrounding this important historical moment with audiences around the world to help remember and further appreciate the sacrifices Christa and rest of the Challenger crew made to further our journey into space.”

Argent partners Jill Ahrens, Ryan Ahrens, Drew Brees, Tony Parker, Michael Finley and Derrick Brooks are executive producing.

Williams, a four-time Oscar nominee including most recently as Supporting Actress for 2017’s Manchester By the Sea, is next up on the big screen in Sony’s Venom opposite Tom Hardy and Riz Ahmed. It opens wide Friday.

She also just wrapped production on Bart Freundlich’s After the Wedding with Julianne Moore, and now has now started work on FX’s eight-episode limited series starring Sam Rockwell as Bob Fosse and Williams as Gwen Verdon. That project hails from Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail, Dear Evan Hansen‘s Steven Levenson, Fox 21 TV Studios and FX Productions.

Williams is repped by Wme, Brillstein Entertainment and Bloom, Hergott.

Michelle Williams is attached to star in the movie The Challenger, playing late teacher-turned-astronaut Christa McAuliffe.

On the morning of Jan. 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger took off from Cape Canaveral and exploded shortly thereafter, killing all seven crewmembers, including McAuliffe, a high school teacher from New Hampshire who was selected to join Nasa’s Teacher in Space Project.

After the tragedy, McAuliffe was honored posthumously with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

Martin Zandvliet (Land of Mine) will direct the biopic of sorts, which was penned by Jayson Rothwell. John and Art Linson are producing, along with Argent Pictures’ Ben ...

Michelle Williams is attached to star in the movie The Challenger, playing late teacher-turned-astronaut Christa McAuliffe.

On the morning of Jan. 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger took off from Cape Canaveral and exploded shortly thereafter, killing all seven crewmembers, including McAuliffe, a high school teacher from New Hampshire who was selected to join Nasa’s Teacher in Space Project.

After the tragedy, McAuliffe was honored posthumously with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

Martin Zandvliet (Land of Mine) will direct the biopic of sorts, which was penned by Jayson Rothwell. John and Art Linson are producing, along with Argent Pictures’ Ben ...

Deadmau5 will compose his first film score for the upcoming movie, Polar, which is set to arrive next year via Netflix and Constantin Film.

Swedish director and drummer Jonas Åkerlund is directing Polar, which is an adaptation of Victor Santos’ noir graphic novel, Polar: Came From the Cold. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen as Duncan Vizla – also known as the Black Kaiser – an ex-assassin whose retirement plans are upended after his old boss labels him a liability to the firm. In order to survive, the Black Kaiser must fend off a deluge of younger,...

Netflix is bringing the graphic novel Polar to life and the streaming service has announced the start of production on the movie. The announced comes out of left field, but represents yet another big project for Netflix as the company has been investing heavily in original content in recent years. This also represents an example of an increasing number of comic book adaptations outside of the Marvel and DC universes, as studios look to other publishers for stories to (hopefully) turn into successful franchises.

Netflix and Constantin Film, along with Bolt Pictures have teamed for the co-production, in association with Dark Horse Entertainment. Polar is based on the Dark Horse action noir graphic novel Polar: Came From the Cold, written by Victor Santos. The series made its debut in the world of Dark Horse Comics in 2012 and is both written and illustrated by Santos. The movie is set to be directed by Jonas Akerlund,...

Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One, Hannibal, Doctor Strange, Casino Royale) is set to star in a feature film adaptation of the Dark Horse graphic novel Polar: Came With the Cold by Victor Santos. The film is an action-thriller that will simply be called Polar and it's set in the dark underworld of political assassins. Mikkelsen will play one of these assassins and it sounds like a freakin' great role for him to take on!

Mikkelsen will play the world’s top assassin Duncan Vizla, A.K.A the Black Kaiser who is retiring when his former employer marks him as a liability to the firm. Against his will, he soon finds himself being hunted by an army of younger, faster, ruthless killers who will stop at nothing to have him silenced. Having no choice but to return to the shadowy life he thought he’d left behind, he must use...

Kayti Burt Oct 27, 2017

A big screen adaptation of the graphic novel Polar: Came With The Cold is on the way...

Mads Mikkelsen has been cast in Polar, a feature film adaptation of the Dark Horse graphic novel Polar: Came With The Cold by Victor Santos.

According to Variety, Polar will be directed by Jonas Åkerlund, with Jayson Rothwell writing the adaption set in the gritty underworld of political assassins.

In the film, Mikkelsen plays Duncan Vizla, aka the Black Kaiser, aka the world's top assassin. When the Black Kaiser's planned retirement is considered a liability to the firm, he finds himself pitted against the group of younger, faster killers trying to put him down. This all sounds like aging James Bond, which is a perfect fit for an actor who once played Bond villain Le Chiffre in Casino Royale.

"Mads Mikkelsen was born to play the world’s best assassin,...

Kayti Burt Joseph Baxter Jan 7, 2019

Mads Mikkelsen Netflix spy thriller Polar is based on a Dark Horse graphic novel.

Polar arrives on Netflix as one of two action thrillers within a short window to showcase the concept of Mads Mikkelsen fighting off fiends in a snow-filled fury on the axis of the world. However, this particular Mikkelsen blood-in-the-snow effort is actually a comic book movie, adapting the Dark Horse graphic novel, Polar: Came With the Cold, by Victor Santos.

Jonas Åkerlund stepped in to direct Polar, with Jayson Rothwell writing the adaption set in the gritty underworld of political assassins; a John Wick-type tale set against a sub-zero backdrop.

Polar Trailer

Video of Polar | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

The first trailer for Netflix’s Polar has arrived!

As you can see, Mikkelsen plays Duncan Vizla, aka the Black Kaiser, aka the world's top assassin. While the Black Kaiser is living out a snowy,...

Seventy-three unproduced screenplays comprise this year’s Black List, an annual ranking of well-regarded scripts that have yet to make the leap from page to screen. More than 250 executives in the film industry voted on this year’s edition, and their consensus is that Elyse Hollander’s Madonna biopic “Blond Ambition” is the “most liked” of them.

Previous screenplays that have appeared on the Black List and gone on to be produced include “Spotlight,” “Arrival” and “Manchester by the Sea.” Full list below:

“Blond Ambition” by Elyse Hollander (48)

“Life Itself” by Dan Fogelman (35)

“The Olympian” by Tony Tost (35)

“The Post” by Liz Hannah (35)

“Voyagers” by Zach Dean (28)

“In the Blink of an Eye” by Colby Day (25)

“O2” by Christie LeBlan (22)

“Untitled Lax Mandis Project” by Seth Spector (22)

“Dark Money” by Matt Fruchtman (21)

“Letters from Rosemary Kennedy” by Nick Yarborough (21)

“Linda and Monica” by Flint Wainess (20)

“Hala” by Minhal Baig (19)

“The...

This afternoon, Screen Gems brought their two most popular horror action franchises to New York Comic Con. If you were lucky enough to attend the panels for Underworld: Blood Wars and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, you got a chance to see the cast, creators, and brand new trailers for each film. For everyone else, we have both new trailers for you to watch right now:

“Underworld: Blood Wars” follows Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) as she fends off brutal attacks from both the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. With her only allies, David (Theo James) and his father Thomas (Charles Dance), she must stop the eternal war between Lycans and Vampires, even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice. The movie opens nationwide on January 6, 2017. The film was directed by Anna Foerster, screenplay by Cory Goodman and Jayson Rothwell, story by Cory Goodman,...

Screen Gems announced today that they will be taking two of their biggest franchises to New York Comic Con next month - Underworld: Blood Wars and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. Underworld: Blood Wars star, Kate Beckinsale will be making her first New York Comic Con appearance along with her co-star Theo James (The Divergent Series) and director Anna Foerster. For Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, the conclusion in the blockbuster franchise, returning stars Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter, new cast member William Levy (one of People en Espa&#241ol's reigning 50 Most Beautiful People), and writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson will be in attendance.

Both films will participate in panels on Friday, October 7th at 1:30pm at The Theater at Madison Square Garden (7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets). Select press opportunities will be available before the panel. Underworld: Blood Wars, from Sony Pictures' Screen Gems, follows Vampire death dealer,...