NO MORE EXPENDABLES FOR SCHWARZENEGGER WITHOUT STALLONE

Arnold Schwarzenegger won’t return for another Expendables movie without Sylvester Stallone. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Schwarzenegger revealed he has no desire to reprise his role as Trench in The Expendables 4 if Stallone isn’t involved in the project, saying he “would never do the movie without him.” Stallone recently departed the action franchise over creative differences with series producer Avi Lerner. Currently, Schwarzenegger knows very little about the series’ fourth potential film. “I have not seen the script; I don’t even know if there is a script, even though they want to shoot in August again, like they usually do,” he said. Schwarzenegger believes Trench was poorly handled in The Expendables 3, saying his “part was not written well” and didn’t have “any value in the movie.” As such, in the event that Stallone does return, Schwarzenegger said he would need his character to be properly developed if he’s to reprise his role. “I think that Sly has good ideas, what he wants to do with it, and I think if they write a really good script [in] which my part is very well-developed, I would do it,” he explained. “If not, then I won’t do it.” Schwarzenegger most recently starred in the disaster drama Aftermath, which opened in theaters last week.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: GAME OF THRONES’ CIARAN HINDS GOT ADVICE FROM LIAM NEESON ON PLAYING VILLAIN STEPPENWOLF

Liam Neeson helped Justice League actor Ciaran Hinds prepare for his role as the villain Steppenwolf. In an interview with The Independent, Hinds revealed he performed his role via motion-capture, a first for the veteran actor. Hinds had to wear a “very tight and embarrassing” suit covered with sensors, and since motion-capture was unfamiliar territory for Hinds, he sought advice from Neeson, who recently played, via mo-cap, a giant tree creature in A Monster Calls. “He sent me a little pamphlet of stuff – with him looking much more elegant than I was, I have to say,” said Hinds. Hinds teased what to expect from Steppenwolf in the upcoming DCEU film, revealing he’s not exactly helping Darkseid by choice. “He’s old, tired, still trying to get out of his own enslavement to Darkseid, [but] he has to keep on this line to try and take over worlds,” said Hinds. Hinds also believes his performance as Lot in the 1981 fantasy film Excalibur is what ultimately helped him land the villain role in Justice League, noting that director Zack Snyder paid homage to Excalibur in Batman v Superman. “There’s a bit when they’re walking in Gotham City and suddenly on a marquee of a cinema you see Excalibur playing,” said Hinds. Justice League opens in theaters this November.

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S MOVIE MAY LAND AT BLUMHOUSE

Blumhouse is reportedly close to acquiring the film rights to Five Nights at Freddy’s . Deadline reports Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema pulled the movie from production a few months ago, and numerous distributors have been interested in picking it up. Additionally, Five Nights at Freddy’s creator Scott Cawthon recently teased Blumhouse’s potential acquisition on Twitter. The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie was first announced in 2015 and the director of the Poltergeist remake, Gil Kenan, was attached to helm the film; however, Blumhouse is looking to start the project fresh. For those unfamiliar with the popular horror video game series, Five Nights at Freddy’s follows a group of animatronic robots terrorizing a security guard at a kid’s restaurant called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Both of Blumhouse’s movies this year, Get Out and Split, have enjoyed commercial and critical success. 

AVENGERS DIRECTOR JOSS WHEDON WILL REPORTEDLY HELM BATGIRL MOVIE

Warner Bros. is reportedly moving forward on a Batgirl movie and Joss Whedon in talks to direct. Variety reported that the director is “nearing a deal to write, direct, and produce” the solo film, which will serve as a part of the DCEU and include additional characters from Gotham. While Warner Bros. Pictures Group president and CCO Toby Emmerich is overseeing the project with DC Films co-heads Jon Berg and Geoff Johns, no other producers are currently attached to the untitled project. Whedon is known for his work on two major MCU movies. He wrote and directed Marvel’s The Avengers and its followup, Age of Ultron. He also created Marvel’s television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as several other shows, including Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This isn’t the first time there’s been talk of a Batgirl movie, as Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn expressed interest in making a Batgirl film last year. The DC character may also be featured in Warner Bros.’ upcoming Harley Quinn/Gotham City Sirens movie. Batgirl will serve as the DC Films’ second film starring a female protagonist, following director Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman movie, which stars Gal Gadot and opens in theaters on June 2.