‘The Furious’ Director Kenji Tanigaki Teams With Peter Dinklage for New Action Movie at Lionsgate, AGBO

 The Furious has become this year's standout action movie, praised by both critics and moviegoers.Now, its director, Kenji Tanigaki, is working on his next original action film.

This new movie is called The Reckoner, and it's being written by Derek Kolstad, who also wrote the John Wick movies.

Peter Dinklage is set to star in it, but the story details are still secret.Lionsgate, the company that bought The Furious from the Toronto Film Festival last year, has signed on for The Reckoner.Anthony and Joe Russo’s production company, AGBO, will be producing the film.

Kolstad and Dinklage are also producing the movie along with other AGBO team members, including Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco, Kassee Whiting, and David Ginsberg.

They are doing this under their own company, Estuary Films.The Russos will be executive producers.James Myers and Pavan Kalidindi will handle the project for Lionsgate.

The Reckoner is the latest project between Lionsgate and AGBO, which is also working on the upcoming John Rambo movie directed by Jalmari Helander and starring Noah Centineo.

Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group president, Erin Westerman, said, "One of the most rewarding parts of what we do is discovering filmmakers with distinctive voices, bringing their work to wider theatrical audiences and partnering with them as they take on projects of greater scale and ambition.

That's exactly what excites us about Kenji Tanigaki.The Furious showcases a singular filmmaking talent, and we're thrilled to reunite with our friends at AGBO to bring his bold vision for The Reckoner to audiences worldwide."

AGBO's chief creative officer, Russo-Otstot, added, "Derek Kolstad and Peter Dinklage came to us with a world we hadn't encountered before—original, action-packed, and with genuine soul.

The moment we saw what Kenji Tanigaki did with The Furious, his take on action so unique and engaging, we knew immediately he was the only director who could take this vision and bring it to life.We couldn't be more thrilled to be bringing this remarkable collection of talent together with Lionsgate, whose commitment to bold, character-driven filmmaking makes them the perfect partner for this project." In addition to Rambo, AGBO's upcoming projects include Netflix's The Whisper Man, Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday, and the third Extraction film.

The Furious follows Wang Wei, played by Xie Miao, whose daughter is kidnapped by a criminal group.

He teams up with Navin, played by Joe Taslim, a journalist whose wife has gone missing, and they go on a mission to find his daughter.The movie made over $6 million at home and over $31 million worldwide.Lionsgate had the worldwide rights except for mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Tanigaki, who is also an award-winning stunt and fight coordinator and choreographer, is represented by Gersh and XYZ.

Dinklage is currently filming the second season of FX's acclaimed Alien: Earth.He is represented by CAA and Jackoway Austen.Kolstad is represented by UTA, Circle Management + Production, and Behr Abramson.He recently wrote and produced the Bob Odenkirk movies Normal and Nobody 2.

‘Siren Head,’ Creepy Internet Sensation, Will Become Warner Bros. Movie With Brian Duffield Directing and ‘Weapons’ Filmmaker Zach Cregger Co-Writing

 Hollywood is excited about the latest project after the success of "Backrooms." Warner Bros.has won the rights to "Siren Head," which is already a popular internet story.The name is real, and the story involves a strange creature that has two sirens for a head and a long, skinny body.

The movie will be directed by Brian Duffield, who will write the screenplay with Zach Cregger.

Duffield has worked on sci-fi horror movies like "No One Will Save You" and the upcoming survival thriller "Whalefall," which is based on a bestseller about a diver trapped inside a whale.The film is set to open in the fall and stars Josh Brolin and Austin Abrams.

Zach Cregger is a big name in Hollywood right now.

He directed and wrote the summer hit "Weapons," which won an Oscar for Amy Madigan, and the horror film "Barbarians." His next project is a reboot of "Resident Evil," which will be released in September and also stars Austin Abrams.

Warner Bros.is making this move as Hollywood looks for new stories to attract younger audiences."Backrooms," which started as a YouTube video, became a big hit when it was made into a movie by A24, directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons.Another example is "Obsession," a horror film created by 26-year-old Curry Barker, who also started out on YouTube.Recent research shows that Gen Z is the biggest moviegoer group, going to the cinema more than millennials and much more than Gen X and baby boomers.

"Siren Head" will be produced by Cregger, Duffield, Roy Lee, Andrew Childs, and Scott Glassgold.

Trevor Henderson, the creator of the story, will be the executive producer.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported that Warner Bros.

had acquired the rights to "Siren Head."

Minions & Monsters Movie

Minions & Monsters

2026 | PG | 1h 30m

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family, Sci-fi

Directed by

Pierre Coffin

Screenplay by

Brian Lynch

Pierre Coffin

Produced by

Chris Meledandri

Bill Ryan

Cast

Pierre Coffin

Trey Parker

Allison Janney

Christoph Waltz

Jesse Eisenberg

Jeff Bridges

Zoey Deutch

Bobby Moynihan

Phil LaMarr

Edited by

Claire Dodgson

Gregory Perler

Music by John Powell

Production

companies

Universal Pictures

Illumination

Distributed by Universal Pictures

Release dates

June 21, 2026 (Annecy)

July 1, 2026 (United States)

Running time 90 minutes

Country United States

Language English

Budget $85 million

Box office $10 million

Tom Hardy Returning To ‘MobLand’ For Season 3 After Issues Resolved, Paving Way For Renewal

The main three characters in MobLand will stay the same for Season 3 of the hit crime series on Paramount+.According to sources, Tom Hardy will stay and continue to act with Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan.

A month ago, there was some tension between Tom Hardy and the show's writer, producer, and creator, Jez Butterworth, during the making of Season 2.

This led to them not being able to work together anymore.

In the weeks after that, there was some effort to bring Hardy back.

He also got support from Mirren on social media.

This effort led to a meeting in London between Hardy, Butterworth, and the show's executive producer, David Glasser.

The meeting went well, and they all agreed on a plan moving forward.Guy Ritchie, who is also an executive producer, was involved in helping fix things, which led to Hardy returning to the show full-time.

The show is too important and successful to change the main characters' relationship, which fans really like.

Deadline reports that the writers for Season 3 had already started working before the Season 2 premiere.

Because of the resolution, the new season is now being written with Hardy, Mirren, and Brosnan's characters as the focus: Harry, Maeve, and Conrad.

Even though it's not officially confirmed yet, MobLand is expected to get a third season.

The show was renewed for a second season last year, after it became one of the most successful original series on Paramount+.

Tom Hardy had a three-year contract from the start, so his return should be easy.

When the problem between Hardy and Butterworth was revealed, some work on Season 2 was done, but not finished yet.

Other executive producers on the show include Ronan Bennett, who created it.

MobLand is produced by Glasser’s 101 Studios and Paramount TV Studios.

It follows two rival mob families in a fight that could destroy everything.The cast includes Paddy Considine, Joanne Froggatt, Lara Pulver, Anson Boon, Mandeep Dhillon, Jasmine Jobson, Geoff Bell, Daniel Betts, Lisa Dwan, and Emily Barber.

Werwulf’ Trailer: Aaron Taylor-Johnson Transforms Into a Werewolf in Robert Eggers’ New Gothic Horror Movie

There doesn't have to be a full moon for this creature to show up.

Focus Features has shared the trailer for "Werewulf," which will be shown in theaters on December 25.

The movie's basic summary says, "In 13th-century England, a strange creature moves through a misty countryside, making local legends come true and turning villagers into frightened people."  

The trailer shows Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the main creature, who changes into a terrifying form that scares everyone in town.

Taylor-Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp are working with director Robert Eggers again, as they did in "Nosferatu." Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson are also coming back for this new horror film from Eggers.

Other actors in the film include Jack Morris, Jan Bijvoet, Ritchi Edwards, and Bodhi Rae Breathnach.

The movie is being produced by Chris and Eleanor Columbus from Maiden Voyage, along with Focus Features, Eggers, and Sjón.Eggers and Sjón previously worked together on "The Northman" in 2022.

Focus Features has worked on all of Eggers' films, including "Nosferatu," which came out on Christmas Day 2024.

In that movie, Depp played a young woman who is troubled by a vampire named Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård).Taylor-Johnson played Friedrich Harding, a person who believes vampires aren't real.Nicholas Hoult and Emma Corrin also starred in that film, which made $40 million on its opening day and earned over $181 million worldwide.

Eggers has been making horror movies before, including "The Northman" with Alexander Skarsgård and "The Witch" with Anya Taylor-Joy and Ineson.

In 2019, he directed "The Lighthouse," which starred Robert Pattinson and Dafoe.

Persona’ Live-Action TV Adaptation in the Works at Netflix, 21 Laps & Story Kitchen to Produce

Netflix is making a live-action series based on the "Persona" video game series, according to Variety.

Christopher Monfette is writing the show and will also be the executive producer and showrunner.

Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Robert Atwood from 21 Laps are also executive producers, along with Dmitri M.Johnson, Michael Lawrence Goldberg, and Timothy I.Stevenson from Story Kitchen.Toru Nakahara from SEGA is also an executive producer.Emily Feher is managing the project for 21 Laps, which is currently under an overall TV deal with Netflix.

Netflix has not made any comments about the project.

The "Persona" games are very popular RPGs.

Each game has a different story, but they usually follow Japanese high school students who go through daily life, build friendships, and fight supernatural threats.

The games were created by P-Studios, part of Atlus, and published by Sega.

There have been six main games so far, and the seventh, "Persona 6," is set for release in June 2026.There are also 15 spinoff games in the series.The "Persona" games started as a spinoff of the "Shin Megami Tensei" series, with the first "Persona" game, "Revelations: Persona," released in 1996.The most recent game was "Persona 5: The Phantom X" in 2025, and "Persona 4 Revival" is coming out in February 2027.

If this series goes ahead, it would not be the first Netflix show based on a video game.

Netflix produced the live-action "The Witcher" series, as well as animated shows like "Arcane," "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners," and "Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft."

Monfette has worked on shows like "12 Monkeys" on Syfy, "Star Trek: Picard" on Paramount+, and "9-1-1" on Fox and ABC.

He is also writing and co-producing the upcoming Marvel Disney+ series "VisionQuest."

On the TV side, 21 Laps is best known for creating the hit Netflix series "Stranger Things," which ended after five seasons.

The show helped make Netflix originals popular and showed that streaming series can be just as good as TV shows from traditional networks.21 Laps has also made other shows like "The Perfect Couple" and "Last Man Standing," and has produced movies like "Backrooms" and "Deadpool & Wolverine," with Levy directing and co-writing the latter.

Story Kitchen was started in 2022 by "Sonic the Hedgehog" producer Johnson and his former partner Goldberg.

The company also includes veteran production executive Stevenson and creative executive Elena Sandoval.They focus on turning video game and other non-traditional IP into TV and film.Their current projects include live-action versions of "Tomb Raider" and "Life Is Strange," both set up at Amazon Prime Video.

Monfette is represented by Industry Entertainment.

21 Laps is represented by WME and Ziffren Brittenham.Story Kitchen is represented by WME and Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn.

Variety Wins 16 Southern California Journalism Awards

Variety won 16 first-place awards on Sunday night as the Los Angeles Press Club gave out the 68th annual Southern California Journalism Awards.

Variety's top wins included awards for music criticism, won by music editor Jem Aswad; film criticism under 1,000 words, won by Owen Gleiberman; and TV criticism, won by Aramide Tinubu.

These awards were given during a long ceremony held at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

Variety entered the night as the top nominee with 100 total mentions.

The Southern California Journalism Awards include print newspapers and magazines, TV, radio, and digital news outlets, as well as radio, podcasts, and social media.Variety's wins were spread out across their large editorial team, which is the biggest in the industry focused on entertainment business news.

Other first-place winners from Variety included:

Selome Hailu for a feature under 1,000 words titled "How Planned Parenthood's Caren Spruch Works With Lena Dunham and Other Creatives to Sensitively Portray Abortion on Screen"

Brent Lang for a film/broadcast-related feature online titled "Controversy Swirls, Legal Threats Fly After Sundance Documentary 'The Stringer' Questions Origin of Iconic 'Napalm Girl' Photo"

Trish Deitch for a personality profile titled "'I Can't Not Be Who I Am': Jamie Lee Curtis on Her 47-Year Career, Falling in Love With Christopher Guest and Why She Hopes Charlie Kirk Found God"

Ellise Shafer for a personality profile, music and arts personalities titled "Diana Silvers on Her Debut Album 'From Another Room' and Following Folk Heroes by Speaking Truth to Power: 'If Your Art Doesn't Scare You, It's Not Really Worth It' (EXCLUSIVE)"

Richard Phibbs, Jennifer Dorn, and Jennifer Halper for an entertainment photo titled the May 2025 cover "A$AP Rocky"

Daniel D'Addario for an obituary appreciation for film and TV personalities titled "Hollywood's Humanist: Rob Reiner Was a Gifted Collaborator Who Understood Why We Tell Stories"

K.J.

Yossman for consumer news or feature titled "BBC Crisis Explained: How the Beloved U.K.Broadcaster Walked Into One of the Worst Scandals in Its 100-Year History — and Where It Goes From Here"

Kate Aurthur for a film feature, production histories titled "Bravo Boss Frances Berwick on the 'Joy' of BravoCon and Who Can Be Forgiven by the Network (Karen Huger!) — and Who Can't (Jen Shah, Probably)"

Naman Ramachandran for a theater/arts feature titled "'MJ the Musical' Star Jamaal Fields-Green on the 'Huge Responsibility' of Playing Michael Jackson on Stage"

Ethan Shanfeld for a music feature titled "Inside the Diddy Trial Circus: How Screaming Fans, Baby Oil and Street Preachers Turned the Courthouse Into a Madhouse"

Ramin Setoodeh for an entertainment feature, TV/streaming related titled "Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri Aren't Holding Back: 'After the Hunt' Stars on Making the Year's Most Provocative Movie"

Brian Steinberg for culture news/TV feature-related titled "CBS Put 'Evening News' Through Massive Overhaul.

Now It Needs People to Watch"

Brian Steinberg for business reporting titled "TV News Faces Creator Chaos as Anchors Chase Digital Dreams That Bring Big Bucks (or Return Little Reward)"

Owen Gleiberman also placed second in the category of film critic over 1,000 words.

Brian Steinberg placed second in the online journalist of the year category, as did Daniel D'Addario in the print journalist of the year category.

Honorary awards were given out at the ceremony to Rob Fukuzaki, a veteran Los Angeles sportscaster at KABC-TV, for lifetime achievement; singer Kenny Chesney for public service; NBC News' Craig Melvin for social impact; and civil rights attorney Carol Sobel for defense of journalists.

Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa was honored with the club's Daniel Pearl Award for extraordinary courage and commitment to journalism in the face of adversity.

Ressa, who is a strong advocate for press freedom and investigative reporting in her native Philippines, shared a compelling story of her long investigation into Southeast Asian links to Al-Qaeda, which was responsible for the 9/11 attacks, and the brutal January 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Ressa warned the audience of top journalists in the region about what she called "the Philippine-ization of America" and urged them to "hold the line" on First Amendment rights and protections.

She mentioned her own experience of facing 11 separate prosecutions in her home country for doing her job as a journalist.She noted she had to get permission from the country's top court to travel to Los Angeles to accept the award in person.Her main opponent, former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested last year under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

"Here I am in front of you," Ressa said to the crowd.

"He's now in prison at The Hague awaiting trial."

Ressa also spoke about Pearl's tragic death, which often comes to mind as she pursues a dangerous profession.

She said the current era is no less dangerous for journalists, given the attacks on the media in many countries and the decline in public trust in journalism.In a time of what she called "information armageddon," she said journalists must be brave in their work.She pointed out the alarming spread of misinformation and outright "lies," and said journalists need to ask themselves, "What are you willing to sacrifice for the truth?"