Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
How Carrie Fisher Took Revenge on the Studio Executive Who Sexually Harassed Her Friend
There’s a lot to miss about the late, incomparably great Carrie Fisher: Her delightful screen presence, her sharp contributions to screenwriting, her brilliant wit and unapologetic candor, and her advocacy for those suffering from mental health problems and addiction. She was, for lack of a better word, a badass. And the legend of her awesomeness lives on through those who loved her, like Heather Ross — a screenwriter and friend of Fisher’s, who recently shared an amazing story about the time she was sexually harassed by a studio executive, and the artist occasionally known as Princess General Leia exacted revenge on her behalf.
Nine Films That Could Be Affected by the Weinstein Company Scandal
With Harvey Weinstein’s extensive history of sexual harassment and assault recently exposed, more women have come forward with new allegations of abuse. As the number of Weinstein’s accusers continues to grow, the film distribution company he co-founded with his brother Bob is reportedly negotiating a possible sale. The Weinstein Company has nine upcoming films on its slate, including The Current War; over the weekend, the potential awards contender had its release date pushed back from this fall to an undetermined date in 2018. But that’s not the only film that could be affected by the growing allegations against the company’s former executive.
‘Blade Runner 2049’ Writers Reveal Original Idea for the Ending
It should go without saying, but just in case: SPOILERS AHEAD for Blade Runner 2049 — specifically the ending of Denis Villeneuve’s sequel to Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic, which has proven itself exceptionally faithful to its predecessor in that it’s already woefully underappreciated in its time. But if you’re one of the (very smart) few who paid to see Blade Runner 2049 over the weekend, you may be interested to learn a little more about the film’s ending, which wasn’t originally written that way.
The ‘Men in Black’ Are Coming Back With a New Spinoff in 2019
On the heels of today’s Charlie’s Angels casting news, Sony has set an official release date for another major potential franchise relaunch. A new Men in Black spinoff / reboot will hit theaters in 2019, taking audiences back to the hidden world of secret-secret-agents and aliens. Not to be confused with that long-rumored 21 Jump Street crossover (more on that in a moment), this one will introduce new characters while honoring the established universe of its predecessors.
Jamie Lee Curtis to Reprise Iconic ‘Halloween’ Role for New Film
Here’s a surprising bit of news for your Friday: Jamie Lee Curtis is returning to the Halloween franchise to reprise her iconic role as Laurie Strode in David Gordon Green’s new sequel. As Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum promised earlier this week, that film – simply titled Halloween — will arrive in 2018. If it doesn’t meet that deadline, Blum says you can kill him. (But, you know, don’t do that.)
‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Pushed Back to December 2019
And in other, totally unsurprising Star Wars: Episode IX news… Following this morning’s announcement that J.J. Abrams is returning to direct (and co-write) the trilogy finale comes word that the release date has been pushed back seven months from May 24, 2019 to December 20. Meanwhile, despite a change in directors and Ron Howard’s ongoing reshoots, the Han Solo spinoff weirdly remains the one Star Wars property that won’t be released in December.
‘The Crow’ Reboot Resurrected at Sony
If you had asked me about my five-year plan back in 2012, it definitely would not have included “still writing about The Crow reboot” — but here we are, in 2017, and I am still writing about this wacky movie, which was all but dead and buried when Relativity Media declared bankruptcy and sent several developing projects into the Hollywood ether. Then someone at Sony — probably the sentient pair of Bad Idea Jeans that keeps green-lighting ill-advised Spider-Man spinoffs and stealth Venom prequels — read an article about how the ’90s are cool again and decided to resurrect this Crow reboot once and for all.
Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Lucy and Desi,’ Starring Cate Blanchett as Lucille Ball, Lands at Amazon Studios
Now this is a thrilling combination of nouns: Amazon Studios has snatched up Lucy and Desi, an upcoming biopic written by Aaron Sorkin and starring Cate Blanchett as TV icon Lucille Ball. A masterful actress playing a masterful comedian in a film scripted by a masterful screenwriter is quite a catch, to say the least — all that’s missing is Desi himself, and given the talent involved so far, you have to imagine it’ll be someone great.
‘The Lion King’ Remake Casts Alfre Woodard as Simba’s Mom
On the heels of last week’s Aladdin update comes another exciting bit of casting news for another big Disney remake. This time it’s Jon Favreau’s take on The Lion King, which has enlisted Alfre Woodard as the voice of Sarabi — head lioness, partner to Mufasa, and mother of Simba in the upcoming live-action (ish) version of the studio’s beloved animated classic.
Blake Lively Lands Female Spy Franchise From ‘Bond’ Producers, ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Director
When Atomic Blonde premiered at SXSW back in March, one of the recurring complaints, even from those who enjoyed the film, was that Charlize Theron’s cool Cold War spy thriller could’ve benefited from a female director. It looks like we won’t have to wait very long to see that theory put to the test, as Blake Lively has signed on to headline a female-led spy franchise from the producers behind the James Bond series and the director of The Handmaid’s Tale.