Disney Star ‘Zendaya’ Joins Sony’s Rebooted ‘Spider-Man’

Over the years various incarnations of Spider-Man have had the pleasure of locking-lips with some of Hollywoods elite babes – Kristen Dunst, Bryce Dallas Howard, Emma Stone – to name but a few.

Not bad for Marvel’s self-confess Geek.

Well now Peter Parker can add Disney Starlet, model and singer Zendaya to the list, as sources out of Deadline report that the triple-threat actress is to appear alongside Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in Sony’s third reboot of the Mega-popular Web-Headed-Hero.

Details are sketchy as to who Zendaya will play but Deadline did indicate that her character will be called “Michelle“. The name will lead many comic-book fans to predict that the actress will embody the character of Michele Gonzales. The Muay Thai, Tae Bo kickboxing, shotgun wielding criminal defence lawyer and former-flamer of Peter Paker who made her comic book debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #592.

Sony’s reboot will be Hollands first solo Spider-Man movie after the British actor makes his first appearance in the role alongside Chris Evan’s in Captain America: Civil War. The Jon Watts directed film will also mark the first time a Spider-Man franchise will fall under the banner of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe after both studios agreed to share the character after the commercial flop of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014).

Watts and Sony will shoot the new Spider-Man film this year with a projected release of July 7, 2017. Before then fans will be able to get their first look at Tom Holland when Captain America: Civil War opens in theatres April 29 this year.

For all your Web-Slinging-Heart-Breaker-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

First Look At ‘Saban’s Power Rangers’ & New Details Revealed

90’s kids have been treated to their first look at the rebooted versions of Jason, Billy, Zack, Kimberly and Trini. Popularly known as the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.

The names might sound familiar but the faces are most definitely new – as is their kick-ass teen-tude – with the movie’s Director Dean Israelite revealing to Entertainment Weekly that Lionsgate’s reboot will be a thoroughly modern affair. A coming-of-age story that will follow the misfit bunch of “disenfranchised and disparate” high-schoolers who – rather than friends – will start off as enemies.

So far, so Guardians of the Galaxy. But despite the clear Marvel inspiration, Israelite promises that the Power Rangers will retain their nostalgic appeal with the costumes “being different from any other superhero costume that’s out there.“

“One key that’s different to the Power Ranger suits is that they’re not really suits that people get into”, reveals Israelite. “They’re suits that morph onto our kids, so they already have this almost metaphysical quality to them.” With the director confirming that the new costumes will have a “really modern, edgy, badass, aspirational quality.”

As actors Dacre Montgomery, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Naomi Scott and Becky G bring their own brand of attitude to next era of the Rangers. So too will Hunger Games legend Elizabeth Banks, who will slip into the delectably evil shoes of Rita Repulsa, a role in which Israelite believes she was born to play.

“It’s very exciting that we got [Banks], and I think what she loves is the opportunity to really embrace the insanity and deliciousness of Rita Repulsa in terms of how weird and wonderful that character was, and really dive into and consume that character,” quipped Israelite. “You should always be off-balance when you’re watching her. Is she insane? Is she totally calculated? Does she know what she’s doing? Elizabeth can toe that line really well.”

With production starting on the movie earlier this week, it will be sometime before Power Ranger fans will get to see the primary-coloured-heroes hit the big screen sometime in 2017.

In the meantime however, be sure to pick up BOOM! Studios comic book revival of the Mighty Morphin’ team including everyone’s favourite Green Ranger, Tommy Oliver.

Available at your local Comic Book shop now.

BOOM! … I’m sure my cheque is in the post.

For all your Go-Go-Power-Rangers-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

The NXT Review – 3rd March 2016

Whats up Wrestling Peeps! We are firmly on our way to WrestleMania but with so much time between now and then (and a WWE Network Special known as “RoadBlock” in place), everything is up-in-the-air in NXT.

With that in mind, the superstars of the yellow brand step up their game in a bid to get notice, with the Tag Team division proving no exception. Talking of the division, is it just me or did that security footage of Dash & Dawson attacking Team SAWFT look a tad old skool 8-Bit video gamey to you? The artificial slow-down to the footage just made the guys look jumpy in a classic Super Mario Bros. dealio.

Damn it! Every-time Enzo goes high risk now i’ll have the Boooop sound in my head. Have to say, not hating it. Amusing.

Given the rotation of wrestlers, as NXT wants to do, it means that we get the cold hearted Aussie Emma back on our screens this week (yay). With the jacked-up Barbie Doll with a screeching feature (Batteries not included) Danna Brooke in tow (boo!).

Having the opportunity to see Emma’s ringwork against Auska at TakeOver London, its criminal how underutilized the mat technician is within NXT. I mean it is probably smart to pair Emma with a the fairly-green Santana Garrett, wrestle safe and all that. But why on Earth is she not in title picture? Of course I wouldn’t want to bump anyone out of the scene, meh perhaps Eva Marie maybe. But to have Auska move up without Emma is leaving Dollars-at-the-door. Wheres the follow-up to TakeOver London? A blow-off match. I’d take a good ol’fashion grudge match without the title involved even (remember those WWE) rather then nothing. Okay granted they may have put a pin in it but then don’t taunt me with Corey Graves and Tom Phillips mentioning the feud between the two because thats … thats just … mean.

So after spoilers on the internet because you know, internet-gonna-internet. Austin Aries finally arrives in NXT. Now of course I know who Aries is because Google has eliminated the need to ask people things and make yourself look like a pop-culture-recluse. But I haven’t seen him wrestle ‘cus I don’t watch TNA and haven’t got round to YouTube-ing his ass at this point because, you know, life.

But Aries inside a WWE ring seems like a big deal so I will cheer or boo appropriately with relation to his Face-Heel O-Meter. But for now, I remain neutral and underwhelmed. Not even under because thats harsh, just Whelmed.

A Young Justice reference for the kids there.

On to the Main Event and I feel the need to bemoan the use of Neville on NXT. Its sacrilege because the name is crap. It just sounds nerdy to me. More-over I’m probably sensitive that they didn’t go ahead with the dual persona idea I mentioned last week but you know. Whatever.

Moving on. Its good to see Neville back on the brand that established him as the legit badass Gravity-defiying Motha-F’er he is. He is after all the longest reigning NXT Champion (So far), with this match celebrating that fact because I have no doubt that Finn Balor is being positioned to supersede that in the future.

That aside, this match lived up to hype. Both men being well-matched in a reversal heavy performance apropos of their skill-set and the fast story telling that the reality era has become accustomed too. That begin said (and it may be just me), but hasn’t Balor been wrestling Heel-style for some time now or what? And its not even flagged by Graves or Phillips, so in the world of WWE my opinion is non-canon, but I get the slight whiff or arrogance of late.

Its feasible that Balor is simply growing in confidence, which kudos to him because his matches are some of the more exciting on the roster. His skill set and repertoire also befitting an aggressive style could be throwing me off. But speaking as an Edge fan, everyone loves a Heel Champion. So it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. Just don’t bring back Vicki Guerrero anytime soon because ain’t nobody got time for that.

His gracious win at the end puts a kibosh on that idea for now of course.

But a guy can dream, right?

For all your NXT-News & Reviews, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

‘WWE’ Goes Animated With ‘Surfs Up 2: WaveMania’

WWE’s history with cinematic offerings has been sketchy at best but their Animated ventures have proven far popular with Sony now getting in on the action with Surfs Up 2: WaveMania.

The number one wrestling company and Sony Entertainment will co-produce and finance the animated sequel while WWE will get some good use out of the VOD Network in marketing the feature film.

Some of the WWE’s biggest stars will also lend their voice to the project with John Cena, Triple H, The Undertaker, Paige and even the head honcho himself Mr. McMahon receiving animated counterparts. Known as Hang 5, the wrestling team will help hero Cody Maverick search for the legendary wave The Trenches.

Rainmaker Entertainment will handle the animation while Hotel Transylvania 2 story artist Henry Yu will direct. It is unknown whether original movie star Shia LaBeof will return to voice Maverick, but given the stars much publicised bar fighting and paper-bag wearing antics. It seems unlikely given WWE’s PG target audience.

For all your Animated-Wrestling-News and NXT Review, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

‘Saban’s Power Rangers’ Starts Production

Saban’s Power Rangers starts production in Vancouver today. The reboot Movie will see the Original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers once again return to the big screen to stop the Evil Rita Repulsa.

Production company Lionsgate released an outline of the film:

“Saban’s Power Rangers follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late.“

Project Almanac (2015) Director Dean Israelite is helming production with Dacre Montgomery, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G and The Martians’ (2015) Naomi Scott stepping into the roles of Jason, Billy, Zack, Trini and Kimberly.

Skatronixxx also reported early last month that The Hunger Games star and Pitch Perfect 2 Director Elizabeth Banks would play infamous Power Rangers villain Rita Repulsa.

Saban’s Power Rangers is expected to hit our screens March 24, 2017.

For all your 90’s-Nostalgia-Butt-Kicking-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

‘CBS’ Casts Their ‘Nancy Drew’

CBS already have a super-sleuth in the form of Jonny Lee Miller’s Sherlock Holmes in Elementary, but that hasn’t stopped the Network from bringing everyones favourite girl Detective Nancy Drew to the small screen.

A source out of Entertainment Weekly revealed that the CBS series – simply titled Drew – will offer a grown-up take on the teenage investigator, with the popular long-running series of novels serving as inspiration.

Persons of Interest star Sarah Shahi will play the 30-something Drew, now a hard-nosed NYPD detective, who “investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world.“

Shahi will star alongside Vanessa Ferlito as Drew’s former partner, Anthony Edwards as Nancy’s father and Felix Solis, a lieutenant at the NYPD.

The Pilot is yet to shoot but should the series get pick up, it may be only matter of time before we see a crossover with Miller’s Holmes.

Well … we can only hope, right?

For all your Detective-Pilot-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

The 88th Academy Awards: Winners, Preachers & Controversy

With an award season marred in controversy coming to a close, the headline coming out of the glitz-and-glamour parade (along with #OscarsSoWhite) will be Leonardo DiCaprio finally picking up the Oscar for Leading Man after so many years and countless Best Actor nominations.

Its perhaps no surprise that the Hollywood actor would grab the Golden-Baldy for his punishing turn in The Revenant. But perhaps more surprising was that he took the opportunity to highlight the growing crisis of climate change, expressing in his acceptance speech that “Climate change is real, It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat affecting our species. We need to work together and stop procrastinating.”

Winning alongside DiCaprio was his Director Alejandro González Iñárritu picking up the award in his category but losing out for Best Picture to Tom McCarthy’s real-life drama Spotlight.

The film, depicting the  lengths that journalist at the Boston Globe took to expose the crimes committed by a ring of pedophile priest. Scooped the prized award with Producer Michael Sugar hoping that the films message of zero-torlenrance of institutional silence in the face of child abuse would “resonate all the way to the Vatican.” Sugar also called out Pope Francis in his acceptance speech, urging the head of the Catholic Church “to protect the children and restore the faith.”

It wasn’t only the winners of the night that used the Academy Awards as a platform to air their views with Host Chris Rock responding to the headlining issue that was trending on Twitter throughout the ceremony, #OscarsSoWhite.

The actor and Comedian opened the show with a candid speech that perhaps was the genesis for a night of pious vocalisation, with Rock exclaiming that Hollywood is “sorority racist” before mocking tinsel towns most prolific boycotter, Jada Pinkett Smith:

“Jada got mad, she said she’s not coming. Doesn’t she have a TV show? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties – I wasn’t invited!”

The host also let fly at Pinkett Smith via her husband, Will Smith, noting “You get mad that Will was this good and didn’t get nominated. It’s also not fair that Will was paid $20m to do Wild Wild West.”

Although flippant, Rock also pointed out that black actors “just want opportunity“, responding to views that white actors get leading roles in spite of talent or credentials. The comedian even joked that “If they nominated hosts I wouldn’t even get this job so you’d be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now.”

Despite DiCaprio and Iñárritu picking up awards in their respective fields for The Revenant, it was surprise blockbuster Mad Max (2015) that swept the Hollywood-landscape, taking home a total of 6 Academy Awards including Best Costume Design for Jenny Beavan.

Actress Alicia Vikander also shocked audiences by beating out BAFTA and Golden Globe winner Kate Winslet to take home Best Supporting Actress for The Danish Girl. With frontrunner Brie Larson being awarded Best Actress in a Leading Role for her critically lauded portrayal of a kidnapped mother in Lenny Ambrahamson’s The Room.

With the Academy already declaring a major reshuffling in how film and performers are nominated, starting with broadening the diversity of the members who vote. It will be interesting to see if a major ceremony such as The Oscars will be able to reflect a wide demographic of audience members that go the cinema every week.

Of course, time will tell.

Maybe even Star Wars will get a look in next year … Just Saying

For all your Shiny-Golden-Statue-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

Sarah Michelle Gellar Returns For NBC’s ‘Cruel Intentions’

NBC has quietly been working away on adapting popular movies for the small screen of late, with the cult classic Cruel Intentions being revealed early this year as amongst them.

The late 90’s film was a commercial success launching the careers of some of Hollywood’s most popular stars including Selma Blair (Hellboy), Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line) and Ryan Phillippe (Crash). Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar stood out however as the bitchy Queen Bee Kathryn Merteuil, a role which the American actress announced she will reprise for the sequel Tv series.

After previous reports rumoured that Gellar had been approached to join the show, the actress took to her Instagram account to confirm that she would once again take on the role.

NBC’S Cruel Intentions will put a “modern spin” on the movie, following Witherspoon’s Annette Hargrove’s 16-year-old son, Bash Casey, played by American Crime actor Taylor John Smith. The Pilot will see Bash discover his deceased father’s journal and learn about his family’s destructive past and dark secrets, prompting the teenager to leave his sheltered life in Kansas for a prep school in San Fransisco in an effort to find himself.

The movie’s original Director and writer Roger Kumble will helm the Pilot whilst co-writing the show alongside Lindsey Rosin and Jordan Ross.

For all your Les-Liaisons-Dangereuses-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixx

The NXT Review – Feb 24th

Whats up Wrestling Peeps!, how you doin’, and how about that Fastlane huh? Yeah well, least said about that the better. But something I do want to talk about is NXT and of course Mr William Regals decision to place Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe in a 2-out-of-3-fall Match next week to definitively find the #1 contender.

Okay two things. I’m down with this, I love this style of match because almost-always it comes down to the wire or one man decides to take a chair to the skull (or back, PG Era and all) as Alberto Del Rio did this Sunday past. Oops … I mention Fastlane, my bad. No actually, your bad WWE. What a me’h PPV.

But secondly, can you imagine how pissed Joe must be by now. Like Kevin Owens, this man is a Prize Fighter whose time in TNA can be best described as wasted (sorry Joe), underused (again, sorry Joe) and worst yet, overlooked (eek!). So this is his chance to show NXT (and the larger WWE audience) that he is finally in a company that perhaps will utilise his talents.

Talking of talent, we got a balls-out-amaze-balls match with American Alpha showing that the young-studs can not only put on a show but have fun doing it. Have to say, I’m so bias when it comes to these two teams. The Alphas have quickly become my favourite Tag Team on the yellow brand but my black-heart has a soft spot for Blake & Murphy. And Heels in general to be honest, I mean Damn!, they just have more fun no? Well perhaps not as much as Chad Gable who was trolling Blake & Murphy every chance he got, much to the dismay of Alexa Bliss.

Oh Alexa Bliss *Heart Sign* Why are you not on my Tv more often?

Sorry, got distracted there. So American Alpha won, of course, which puts them on track to face Dash & Dawson but given that we were shown footage of the NXT Tag Team Champs beating on Enzo & Cass outside the performance centre. The young-guns will have to bide there time for now as Team SAWFT will get a crack at the titles first.

Talking of Tag, our main event was the ladies, picking up where they left off when Eva Marie and Nia Jax decided to be totes-emosh-killers and layeth the Heel-slam on Bayley and Carmella after their NXT Women’s Title Match.

Early on the besties got the upper hand but Eva and Nia soon stuck two fingers up to the audience to steal a win … and I couldn’t be happier. Okay … don’t be haters but theses are the sort of wins that Eva needs to be picking up because despite what the crowd say. All-Red-Everything has improved in the ring.

That being said. I go back to what I mentioned two weeks previous, Eva Marie isn’t ready for Bayley. No way, now how. But put her in feud with someone on her level like Carmella and both women will be able to shine. We all know that Nia is there as a crux for Miss Total Divas but I don’t think she needs it. Given the chance, she may surprise us all.

Lastly but not leastly (is that a word?), we see Regal informing NXT Champion Finn Balor that he will face Adrian Neville next week. Sorry what was that? Its just Neville now! Oh okay … can’t it be like a Superman thing. When he is on the Main roster pretending to be superhero he is ‘Neville’ yet on NXT he is allowed to be a legit badass. WWE saids no?

F@*K it! Adrian Neville makes his return to NXT next week.

For all your NXT-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

‘Vikings’ Star Lands The Lead In NBC’s ‘Taken’

One of NBC’s more curious Pilots this season is the Taken prequel show based on the popular revenge-action series starring Liam Neeson. With the network placing a straight-to-season order, the series has quickly found its leading man.

Variety recently broke the news that Vikings star Clive Standen will play Bryan Mills – the role made popular by Neeson – in the prequel series set before the Taken trilogy. The series will however be a modern-day interpretation calling into question its relation to its cinematic forbearers and whether it will rely on continuity and characters from the preceding films.

Alex Carey (Homeland) will serve as Showrunner and write the series following Mills as he develops and hones his particular-set-of-skills. While The West Wing and Game of Thrones Director Alex Graves is on board to helm the pilot.

Expect the threat-heavy telephone call trailer any day now.

For all your Particular-Set-Of-Skills-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx