Few industries enjoy taking really, really long extended holiday vacations quite like Hollywood, and when we get to this time of the year, there’s rarely much in the realm of “movie development news” to discuss. So, this week and next, we’re going to review 12 of the year’s top stories, presented to you in monthly chronology. The year-in-review begins with the “Fresh Developments” of the year.

JANUARY:MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE7 AND 8 TO FILM BACK-TO-BACK

There are lots of, but in many of them, the cast changes over time (the MCU and theRocky/Creedfranchises being two exceptions to the rule). In January, we first learned that,?in 2022, Tom Cruise will hit movie #8 in the?Mission: Impossiblefranchise, asMission: Impossible 7andMission: Impossible 8for release in the summers of 2021 and 2022, respectively. The two moviesto ensure their releases within a year of each other, and also to make it easier to secure not just Tom Cruise, but also his supporting cast, which may includelike Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, etc.?will?work on these sequels, hoping to match what he’s?achieved with the last two films, 2015’sMission: Impossible – Rogue Nation(Certified Fresh at 93%), and last year’sMission: Impossible – Fallout(Certified Fresh at 97%).Mission: Impossible 7is now scheduled for July 23, 2021 (the week after LeBron James’Space Jam 2), andMission: Impossible 8is scheduled for August 5, 2022. The first new franchise cast memberforMission: Impossible 7was British actress Hayley Atwell, who probably remains best known for playing Marvel’s Peggy Carter, as seen in bothCaptain America: The First Avenger, and in the much-missed ABC series,Agent Carter. There are no details yet as to where theMission: Impossiblefranchise might goafter2022, but Tom Cruise will turn 60 on July 3 of that year, soMission: Impossible 8might be his last opportunity to?hang off the sides of airplaines and?jump off?of skyscrapers.long-running movie franchisesare being developedwill be shot back-to-backFalloutcastWriter/director Christopher McQuarrieto be announced

FEBRUARY:?AQUAMANGETTING SEQUEL IN 2022 AND HORROR SPINOFF FORTHE TRENCH

Withat the global box office,Aquamanbecame the(worldwide) ever in early 2019, even aboveThe Dark Knight(thoughJokercame close to beatingAquamanat $1.063 billion).? That was quite an achievement for a character long considered a joke (including a long-running story arc on HBO’sEntourage). Those numbers also made it super obvious thatAquamanwould get a sequel and, withnow working on the sequel.Aquamandirector James Wan is, but it’s unclear as to whether he will also direct the sequel. Warner Bros didn’t stop there, though, as they also hired two “newbie” screenwritersforThe Trench,?about the ” deadly amphibious creatures seen attacking the hero and his love, Mera” inAquaman. The main characters fromAquamaninThe Trench, which suggests that the “horror movie” may instead focus on surface dwellers who come into contact with the monsters separate from any involvement with Atlantis.over $1.14 billion earnedhighest-grossing DC Comics moviethat’s exactly what’s happeningone of the first film’s screenwriterson board as producerto work on a horror movie spinoffare not expected to appear

MARCH: CAST ANNOUNCED FOR CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S AMBITIOUS ACTION MOVIETENET

Although we obviously knew whatDunkirkwas about way before release (the title gives it away), directoralso has a history of starting his movies with mystery premises (we’re thinking here ofInceptionandInterstellar?in particular). In March, pretty much the only thing we knew about Nolan’s next film (to be calledTenet) was that Warner Bros had scheduled it for release on July 17, 2020 (up againstBob’s Burgers: The Movie). In March, we learned that Nolan had cast John David Washington (Denzel’s son and the star of Spike Lee’sBlacKkKlansman) as the film’s lead, as well as Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki (Ayesha fromGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2). Since then,to include Kenneth Branagh, Clémence Poésy (In Bruges), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Quicksilver inAvengers: Age of Ultron), and frequent Nolan collaborator Michael Caine. Most recently,just last week in a surprise move from Warner Bros., and it included a six-minute prologue preview attached to IMAX screenings ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.Christopher Nolanrevealed in Maythe cast has expandedthe first trailer for Tenetdebuted online

APRIL:?SHAZAM! 2TAKES OFF, AND DWAYNE JOHNSON GETSBLACK ADAMGREENLIGHT TOO

After this year’s?Shazam!?had only been in theaters for a week, Warner Bros. went ahead and announced that they were, even despite the film opening much lower () than similar movies likeCaptain Marvel()?andAquaman(). We, but the mid-credits tease give a clue about. A few weeks ago, we learned thatShazam! 2on April 1st, 2022. This news came after Dwayne Johnson’s long-in-developmentBlack Adammovie (based on the popularShazam!villain) will start filming soon and is scheduled for release on December 22, 2021. The timing suggests that theBlack Adammovie might directly lead to Dwayne Johnson also reprising the role inShazam! 2. Warner Bros. is also directly positioningShazam! 2against Marvel movies, as Sony’sSpider-Versesequel comes out a week later (4/8/2022) andBlack Panther IIcomes out a month later (5/6/2022), followed by?DC Super Petson 5/20/2022.moving forward with plans for a sequel$53 million domestically$153 million$67.8 milliondon’t know the premise of the sequel yetthe possible villainis now scheduled for release

MAY: ROBERT PATTINSON TAKES OVERTHE BATMAN

Although some superhero movies are “slow burns” when it comes to news, others, especially the biggest movies (Avengers, or in this case,Batman) can happen in what feels like a relatively brief amount of time. Specifically, just eight months ago, we knew nothing about who would be in the 2021 rebootThe Batman(6/25/2021). That all, beginning with the news that the shortlist included Nicholas Hoult and Robert Pattinson, the latter of whom. In the meantime, details started to trickle forth about. In September, as theJokerhype express was well under way,that there were no plans?for Joaquin Phoenix’sJokerto crossover with Robert Pattinson’sBatman(which is not to say that the Joker won’t be inBatmanmovies, just not Phoenix’s specific version). Two weeks later, there was talk about Jonah Hill, which ultimately didn’t work out, as both the Penguin and Riddler went to other actors., Paul Dano (Love and Mercy) landed the role of the Riddler?and Zoe Kravitz became the next actress to portray Selina Kyle, A.K.A. Catwoman. Last month,The Batmanof its ensemble cast members as Colin Farrell (who also played the villain Bullseye inDaredevil) was cast as the Penguin, and Andy Serkis was cast as Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth. And lastly, there wassuggesting that Warner Bros. might give villains likeCatwoman,The Penguin, andThe Riddlertheir ownJoker-style spinoff movies.started to change in mid-Maysecured the role two weeks laterwho the villains in The Batmanwould beit was confirmedpossibly taking on a villain roleIn Octoberfound two morealso news last month

JUNE: DISNEY BEGINS CASTING LIVE-ACTIONTHE LITTLE MERMAID

Walt Disney Pictures has yet to announce a release date (or even a releaseyear) for its live-action remake ofThe Little Mermaid, but we can be fairly certain that?it’s actually happening, because the studio made lots of “splashes” about it this year. Going into July, we had already known for a while thatThe Little Mermaidwill be directed by?as his next Disney project after last year’sMary Poppins Returns. The casting news started in late June with word that Melissa McCarthyto play the evil, tentacled sea witch Ursula. (It’s not yet known if Ursula will be fully CGI, or possibly part live action with animated tentacles.)? This wasof Awkwafina (Ocean’s Eight) and Jacob Tremblay (Room) as the voices of the animated animal characters Scuttle the seagull and Flounder (who’s not a flounder), respectively. Next up — and again, this was all basically in the same week — was the casting of Ariel herself, whoR&B singer Halle Bailey, who, with her sister Chloe,?makes up the singing group Chloe x Bailey. For a while, Harry Styles of One Directionto play the romantic lead Prince Eric, butrelatively unknown actor?Jonah Hauer-King.Rob Marshallwas in early talkssoon followed by the castingwill be played bywas also in talksthat role ultimately went to

JULY:?MARVEL MAKES MASSIVE PHASE FOUR ANNOUNCEMENT AT COMIC-CON

In recent years, Marvel Studios has sometimes stayed relatively quiet at San Diego Comic-Con, but that wasdefinitelynot the case in 2019, when they had arguablyof all time. Part of the reason for that has to do with the way that Phase Four will involve not just movies, but also various shows on the Disney+ streaming service as well. Without getting into every detail (since doing so would involve a column as long as this one for the entireyear), we’ll just mention that the (movie) announcements included:Black Widow(5/1/2020),The Eternals(11/6/2020),Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings(2/12/2021),Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness(5/7/2021),Thor: Love and Thunder(11/5/2021),Blade(presumably Phase Five),Fantastic Four(Phase 5), andX-Men(Phase 5). In August,that Kit Harrington will be joiningThe Eternalsas long-timeAvengersmember Black Knight, and thatBlack Panther IIis scheduled for May 6, 2022.the biggest superhero movie news eventwe also found out

AUGUST: GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S STAR-STUDDED?NIGHTMARE ALLEYCASTS UP

Afterto get several different projects off the ground, director Guillermo del Toro is ultimately using his post-Shape of Waterclout to get something completely different going,?namely a remake of the 1947 carnival thriller(Fresh at 100%). By the time August rolled around, seven-time Academy Award nomineehad already been attached for the role originally played by Tyrone Power for?some time, but that month, we finally saw the casting of two of his female co-stars. Cate Blanchett, who’s a seven time Academy Award nominee and two time winner (forBlue JasmineandThe Aviator) ultimately, while Toni Collette, who received an Academy Award nomination herself for?The Sixth Sense,of the psychiatrist and hypnotist who teams up with Cooper’s carnival con man. Later, in September,. Fox Searchlight is expected to scheduleNightmare Alleysometime in prime “awards season” in late 2020.years and years of attemptsNightmare AlleyBradley Cooperlanded a key supporting rolesecured the female lead rolea key role also went to Rooney Mara

SEPTEMBER:?SONY AND MARVEL COME TO TERMS ONSPIDER-MANDEAL

You may remember that last summer, there was a big uproar about the fact that talks between Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures (and their Marvel Studios)over futureSpider-Manmovies starring Tom Holland within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reportedly, Disney and Marvel had wanted a 50% cut of futureSpider-Manmovies in exchange for Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios working on the movies for Sony. After all of the attention and feedback from the fans, the relevant parties started up talks again, resulting in the?that Sony and Marvel would indeed work together on a third soloSpider-Manfilm starring Tom Holland,?to be released on July 16, 2021 and directed by Jon Watts, who directed the first two. The financial compromise calls for Disney to receive 25% of the film’s profits (leaving 75% for Sony), down from their original request of 50%. As part of the new deal, Tom Holland will also appear as Spider-Man, the title and premise of which hasn’t been revealed yet.had fallen apartbig news in Septemberin one more MCU movie

OCTOBER:JOHN WICK?IS GETTING HIS OWN CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

WhenJohn Wickwas first released in 2014, it became something of a pop culture phenomenon that helped Keanu Reeves stage a mid-career comeback and led to two sequels (thus far) and continuing. Lionsgate scheduledJohn Wick: Chapter 4for release on May 21, 2021 a while ago, and in October, we learned that Lionsgate is not limiting theirJohn Wickplans to just Keanu Reeves movies. Instead, the studio is moving forward with plans forcalledBallerinaabout “a young female assassin who seeks revenge against the people who killed her family.” Although the premise doesn’t specify a nationality for theBallerina, there is something of a trope involving Russian ballerinas who become super spies or assassins (mainly we’re thinking here of bothRed Sparrowand Marvel’sBlack Widow). TheBallerinacharacter was briefly seen inJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, played by newcomer Unity Phelan, but it’s possible/likely that another actress will star inBallerina. And then, earlier this month, Warner Bros. effectively did somethinghugethat raised the profile ofJohn Wick: Chapter 4at the same time as it directly competed with it, announcing that?they had scheduled their own Keanu Reeves sequel,The Matrix 4, for May 21, 2021, the same release date asJohn Wick: Chapter 4. Both Carrie-Anne Moss and Reeves are attached to return in their roles as Trinity and Neo in?that film.box office successa female-centric John Wickspinoff

NOVEMBER:?SPIDER-VERSE 2AND?BLACK PANTHER IIANNOUNCED FOR 2022

As mentioned above, Marvel Studiosat San Diego Comic-Con this past summer, but the dates were only specific for 2020 and 2021. Since then, Marvel has also announced a release date of May 6, 2022 forBlack Panther II, butpainted an image of 2022 that promises an ambitious slate comparable to that of 2019. Sony Picturesfor a second animated movie starring the Miles Morales version of the web-crawler as seen in last year’s Academy Award-winningSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. TheSpider-Versesequel is now scheduled for April 8, 2022, just shy of a month beforeBlack Panther II?on May 6, 2022. Although they’re not yet dated, two other Marvel movies that might be scheduled for 2022 are theBladereboot starring Mahershala Ali and theFantastic Fourmovie mentioned at Comic-Con that would finally bring Stan Lee’s original Marvel super team into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As for what we might see inSpider-Verse 2, the final scenes of the first movie did hint at bothand the finger-pointing.put on a big, big panelNovember’s biggest news storyhas confirmed plansSpider-Man 2099Spider-Man ’67

DECEMBER:?KUMAIL NANJIANI’SETERNALS? BODY BLOWS UP THE INTERNET LIKE BABY YODA

Like any Marvel Cinematic Universe movie with pretty much an entirely new cast, next year’sThe Eternals(11/6/2020) has been the focus of multiple casting news stories this year. Individually, we’re not sure any of them would have been enough to make our list of top stories for the year. Andthen, Kumail Nanjianiyou can see on his Instagram account. When Nanjiani was first cast in?The Eternals, it was probably safe to assume that he would basically look like the Kumail Nanjiani we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in other projects likeThe Big Sick,Stuber, and HBO’sSilicon Valley, so it was something of a shock to see him looking absolutely shredded.?His co-stars inThe Eternals?include Angelina Jolie (Thena), Salma Hayek (Ajak), Gemma Chan (Sersi), andGame of Thronesstars Richard Madden (Ikaris) and Kit Harrington (The Black Knight), but we haven’t heard yet about whether they’rethatbuff yet. Also, yeah, this December has been kind of a slow news month.posted the images

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