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‘The New Mutants’ Reshoots Still Haven’t Happened; Could Be R-rated?

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Last week, 20th Century Fox went ahead and changed the dates on several of their Marvel films, including a PG-13 Deadpool, X-Men‘s Dark Phoenix, and the long-gestured Gambit. Omitted from the shuffle was the Josh Boone-directed The New Mutants, which was pulled from Fox’s 2018 release schedule nine months ago. The film has become a troubled production, although it’s unclear what’s the truth behind it all. What we do know is that where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and both parties have been pointing fingers. The last we heard was that the film was allegedly delayed to “make it scarier,” with Boone publicly stating that it was “probably the hardest PG-13 that was ever made.” There seems to be confusion as to what this movie is and what it was supposed to be and what Fox wants it to be right now. This all comes with one eyebrow raised as Disney continues to finalize their purchase of the studio, which is expected to be completed by next summer. Where does The New Mutants fit in? Are there actual issues with the film? Does this Disney deal have something to do with all of this? We’ve heard one side of the story, while Boone spins his own version. Frankly, I just want to see a good movie and The New Mutants was one of my favorite comics growing up.

Digressing, The New Mutants were to go under a series of reshoots that would change the tone and add additional characters (also changing the ending button to set up a sequel). It’s a lot and allegedly stemmed from both an early test screening and the success of New Line Cinema’s IT. Now, producer Simon Kinberg is speaking to Collider and telling them that while they’ve yet to actually complete the reshoots, it could end up receiving an R-rating.

“It’s the kind of movie that could go R, or it could be a hard PG-13,” said Kinberg.

“As I was saying before in terms of subgenres or the genre, it is obviously teased as a horror film, and most horror films these days are R-rated, but it stars a very young cast, so we’ll see. It really is what the movie wants to be. The studio is open to either rating… Traditionally, superhero movies are PG-13 other than Logan and the Deadpool movies, and generally, horror films are R-rated, so we’ll see where this one falls. It is a very scary, edgy movie.”

In the film, “five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.”

The cast includes Henry Zaga as Roberto da Costa a.k.a Sunspot, a mutant with the ability to absorb and channel solar power; Blu Hunt as Danielle Moonstar, the Native American telepath also known as “Mirage”; Alice Braga as Dr. Cecilia Reyes, a medical doctor who has the ability to generate a protective bio-field around herself but also has more going on than she lets on; Anya Taylor-Joy as Illyana Rasputin, also known as Magik, who uses teleportation; Charlie Heaton as Sam Guthrie, a.k.a. Cannonball; and Maisie Williams as Rahne Sinclair, a.k.a. Wolfsbane, who can turn into a wolf.

As of this writing, The New Mutants could open on August 2, 2019.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (AnimosityBatwomanDC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide SquadPower RangersRed Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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