This Week In Movie News - 12/8/2017

Finding it hard to keep track of all the latest movie-news? Well here's your weekly round-up of the latest, where this week we discuss: Bryan Singer on Bohemian Rhapsody, Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek pitch, Baby Driver 2, the latest in the Fox-Disney deal, Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant sequel, and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Once you've had a look at what's been going on, let us know your thoughts on the stories in the comments below.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY DIRECTORS

The first story of the week surrounds next year's Freddie Mercury biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' where director Bryan Singer (X-Men, The Usual Suspects, Superman Returns) has been fired from the project by 20th Century Fox nearing the end of principal photography.

This move officially came after his 'unexpected availability,' but we've also learned that there had previously been an escalating clash between him and lead actor Rami Malek and Tom Hollander, and that Singer was frequently and unexpectedly absent from the set. This isn't the first time the director has been accused of unprofessionalism in this regard, but here Singer has said that Fox weren't giving him the time he needed to put his "health, and the health of [his] loved ones, first.”

Since this decision, Fox have announced that the reliable 'Eddie the Eagle,' director Dexter Fletcher will be taking over the project, and that the remaining two-weeks of photography will resume next week. As for what we can glean from this news, there's too many conflicting rumors and stories to truly understand why this decision was made, but it is at least clear that the set was often troubled and that Singer was frequently absent before his firing.

'Bohemian Rhapsody,' is still scheduled for release on December 25th, 2018.

QUENTIN TARANTINO ON STAR TREK

The next story of the week is one that surprised many, as Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained) is reportedly working with producer JJ Abrams to develop a pitch for Paramount's next Star Trek film. A writer's room is currently being put together, and whilst Tarantino is apparently waiting until a more developed script is available to commit to directing, the prospect is looking fairly likely.

The reason this is so surprising is that his usual brash, violent and R-rated style isn't something that people would associate with this legendary science-fiction franchise, and even if he has many fans, it's certainly not a fit that immediately springs to mind. On the other hand, a departure from the director's usual affair could be good for him and may serve to re-invigorate his filmography years into his career.

It's no certainty at the moment, but let us know what you think of the prospect of a Tarantino-directed Star Trek movie in the comments below.

BABY DRIVER 2

In other news, 'Baby Driver (2017),' director Edgar Wright has been discussing the sequel to his recent smash-hit action film, and has hinted that a deal is already underway. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said “hopefully, I’m going to at least write a second one. I’ve definitely got lots of ideas. Whether it’s [my] next movie, I don’t know. I’m just working that out at the moment, actually. I have a couple of things that I’ve been developing, and also a couple of new ideas that I had, and all the nice things that I’ve been offered since”

So it looks like we will be getting a sequel to 'Baby Driver,' at some point, and that it's now more just a question of when than a question of if. The fact that Wright is talking about being offered lots of projects is very encouraging though, as it appears that his career is truly back on track after he left Marvel's Ant-Man in 2014.

Are you looking forward to a 'Baby Driver 2,'? Let us know in the comments below.

DISNEY CLOSE TO DEAL WITH FOX

Perhaps the biggest story of the week comes in the form of Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, where talks that were reported before have now resumed and they're apparently closing in on a deal. As if it needs to be said, the reason this is such huge news is that it involves the merger of two of Hollywood's biggest studios, and could consequently be the most significant single change the industry has ever seen.

Whether this deal is a good thing or not has been a topic of hot debate in recent weeks, as many are simply excited about the prospect of a Marvel (Disney-owned) and X-Men (Fox-owned) crossover, whilst others are worried about a Monopoly where Disney not only reduce competition in the marketplace, but also affect the kind of movies that Fox produce. Indeed even putting aside some of the worrying business aspects of this potential deal, the big creative question is whether Disney would leave Fox to it and allow them to continue making a varied range of entertainment, or whether they'd enforce their family formula on their output.

Regardless, it would mean a whole lot less choice for movie-goers, as these two giants would no longer be competing, and other studios may struggle against such a behemoth. Also, the public distaste for the Murdoch family who own 21st Century Fox Fox have called some to question the motives behind this deal, with many concerned that these influential folks could end up with top positions at Disney if this acquisition goes ahead.

What are your thoughts on this potential Fox-Disney merger? Let us know in the comments below.

NEXT ALIEN FILM IN DEVELOPMENT

In a week where the potentially habitable K2-18b planet was discovered by NASA, director Ridley Scott also discussed details of the next film in his Alien prequel series, where he's revealed he'll be focusing more on Artificial Intelligence than the Xenomorphs we saw so much of in this summer's Alien: Covenant.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Scott said: “People say, ‘You need more alien, you need more face pulling, need more chest bursting,’ so I put a lot of that in Covenant and it fitted nicely. But I think if you go again you need to start finding another solution that’s more interesting. I think AI is becoming much more dangerous and therefore more interesting.”

So it looks like we will be getting a sequel to Alien: Covenant (2017), but it also seems that the luke-warm reception to that film has put Scott on a course-correctional turn. What are your thoughts on having less Xenomorphs in the next Alien film? Let us know in the comments below.

X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX DETAILS REVEALED

The final story of the week concerns next year's 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2018),' where a whole set of new images and details from the film have been released courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. Concerning the plot, the article states that things will take place about ten years after 'X-Men: Apocalypse,' with the X-Men as national heroes on a journey into space when "a solar flare hits the X-Jet and the surge of energy ignites a malevolent, power-hungry new force within Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) - the Phoenix."

It sure sounds like one powerful event, and it probably should considering what an earth-shattering story this is in the comics. According to star James McAvoy, the film is "probably the most emotional X-Men we’ve [seen] and the most pathos-driven. There’s a lot of sacrifice and a lot of suffering.”

'X-Men: Dark Phoenix' will be released on the 2nd of November 2018 after next year's other X-Men offerings 'Deadpool 2,' and 'New Mutants.' Are you excited for the film? Let us know in the comments below.