Jon Spaihts Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

! Queen of taking breaks! Queen of quality over quantity! It's a lesson Jennifer Lawrence has learned, but not before making a movie that even she agrees is a bit of a stinker. And her friend warned her not to do it.Speaking to the New York Times about her career's ups and downs, the Oscar winner revealed that prior to making —I'll get to the plot in a sec—the singer tried to discourage her from taking the project. "She was like, 'I feel like space movies are the new vampire movies,' " Lawrence said, per .

Last week saw the global launch of Denis Villeneuve’s second “Dune” film, wrapping up the conclusion of the first novel adaptation while also leaving everything on a cliffhanger for a third movie that the filmmaker is co-writing with franchise screenwriter Jon Spaihts. Strong critical responses and audience word of mouth have paid off big time for the film as it has made some history over the weekend, becoming the biggest opening for the director and overperforming compared to the first part that was released back in September 2021.

Anya Taylor-Joy will be seen on screen in Dune: Part 2, in a surprise casting revealed the day of the film’s London world premiere, Deadline has confirmed.

Selome Hailu Olivia Williams and Jodhi May have been cast in Max’s “Dune: The Sisterhood” (working title) following the exits of previously announced cast members Shirley Henderson and Indira Varma. Henderson departed the series amid “creative changes” made in February, while Varma’s departure was due to scheduling conflicts. Additionally, Anna Foerster is now set as a director on the series, replacing Johan Renck, who departed at the same time as Henderson. In November, series creator Diane Ademu-John stepped down as co-showrunner, but she remains involved as executive producer.

EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Williams (The Crown) and Jodhi May (The Witcher) have joined the cast of the Max Original series Dune: The Sisterhood (w/t).

Craig Mazin, showrunner of The Last of Us, is opening up about working on the script for Dune: Part Two.

Julia MacCary editor Warner Bros. has dropped the first official trailer for the highly anticipated sci-fi epic sequel “Dune: Part 2.” In 2021’s “Dune,” Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) ventured to Arrakis, the universe’s most dangerous and sandiest planet, to ensure his family and people’s future as evil forces exploded in conflict. The Denis Villeneuve drama, based on Frank Herbert’s novel, was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won six.  In the sequel, Atreides teams up with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen to exact revenge on those who destroyed his family, and he must juggle his love life with the fate of the universe at stake. The trailer shows Paul riding the back of a massive sand worm on the deserts of Arrakis while Chani and the Fremen cheer him on.

“Dune Part II,” with the first trailer dropping on Wednesday morning. The poster simply offers a vast desert vista with its two young leads, Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya standing with weapons raised against the blazing sun. The film will be the second half of a two-part theatrical adaptation of Frank Herbert’s first 500-page tome, and will again feature Chalamet and Zendaya alongside the likes of Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson and Josh Brolin.

Spaihts said in a statement to Variety which first reported the news. “It wants to be cinema, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to help that happen.”The Coalition added: “We’re thrilled to partner with Jon and the Netflix team to bring Gears of War to life.

Netflix has tapped Academy Award nominee Jon Spaihts (Dune: Part One & Two) to pen its live-action Gears of War film, based on the hit video game series, Deadline can confirm.

Angelique Jackson Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the popular video game “Gears of War” moves one step closer as Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Jon Spaihts has boarded the project. Best known for co-writing “Dune,” “Dune: Part Two” and “Doctor Strange,” Spaihts will now take on the challenge of adapting “Gears of War,” one of gaming’s richest and most acclaimed video game sagas, with over 40 million copies sold. “’Gears of War’ is one of the all-time great action games, with vivid characters, a beautifully designed world, and a combat system that drives home the lethality of war and the importance of standing by your squadmates,” Spaihts said in a statement to Variety. “It wants to be cinema, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to help that happen.”

If you want proof of how badly HBO Max wants the “Dune” franchise to succeed, look no further than the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the spinoff TV series, “Dune: The Sisterhood.” Before the most recent news (more on this in a second), the series has already gone through multiple showrunners (Jon Spaihts, Dana Calvo, and creator Diane Ademu-John have all stepped away) over the years it’s been in development.

exit as co-showrunner last November.“As ‘Dune: The Sisterhood (wt)’ has entered a pre-scheduled hiatus, there are some creative changes being made to the production in an effort to create the best series possible and stay true to the source material,” an HBO Max spokesperson told TheWrap. “Johan Renck has completed his work on the series and a new director will be brought on; through mutual agreement, Johan is moving on to pursue other projects.

Tim Blake Nelson is the newest addition to the cast of Dune: Part 2, Deadline can confirm. 

EXCLUSIVE: Talent management firm One Entertainment is joining forces with Talent Management and Production Company Circle of Confusion. The two will merge under Circle’s banner.

Mark Strong (1917, Kingsman films), Jade Anouka (His Dark Materials, Small Axe) and Chris Mason (Broadchurch, Dirty John) have been cast opposite Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson and Travis Fimmel in HBO Max’s series Dune: The Sisterhood (wt), from Legendary Television.

EXCLUSIVE: As HBO Max’s Dune: The Sisterhood (wt) moves into production, series creator and writer Diane Ademu-John is stepping down as co-showrunner. She will remain creatively involved in the prequel as executive producer but will focus on other commitments. Veteran TV writer-producer Alison Schapker, who has served as co-showrunner with Ademu-John, will now be the sole showrunner for the series.

Travis Fimmel has been tapped as the male lead opposite Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson in HBO Max’s series Dune: The Sisterhood (wt), from Legendary Television.

Sarah-Sofie Boussnina (The Colony), Shalom Brune-Franklin (The Tourist), Faoileann Cunningham (The Northman), Aoife Hinds (Normal People) and Chloe Lea (Foundation) have joined the cast of HBO Max’s Dune: The Sisterhood (wt), from Legendary Television. They join previously announced leads Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson and Indira Varma.

EXCLUSIVE: Filming will get underway next month in Budapest, Hungary, on anticipated prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood (working title) from HBO Max and Legendary Television.

Selome Hailu Indira Varma has been cast as Empress Natalya in “Dune: The Sisterhood” (working title), HBO Max’s upcoming “Dune” prequel series co-produced with Legendary Television. Empress Natalya is described as a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino. Varma is best known for playing Ellaria Sand in four seasons of “Game of Thrones” and recently starred as Tala Durith in “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Other prominent credits include “Luther” on BBC and “Paranoid” on ITV and Netflix. Up next, Varma will appear in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” and “Extrapolations” on Apple TV+. She is reppedmby Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA and James Adams.

EXCLUSIVE: Game Of Thrones, Obi-Wan and Carnival Row actress Indira Varma is the third actor to join anticipated prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood (working title) from HBO Max and Legendary Television.

Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson will lead the “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max. Watson and Henderson have been cast as Valya Harkonnen and Tula Harkonnen, described by the streamer as “the formidable Harkonnen Sisters, who have risen to power in the Sisterhood, a secret organization of women who will go on to become the Bene Gesserit.”The prequel series, titled “Dune: The Sisterhood,” is set 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.The series is adapted from the novel “Sisterhood of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J.

Dune prequel series is on the way, with Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson cast in the lead roles.Dune: The Sisterhood will take place 10,000 years before Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet in Denis Villeneuve’s recent film) rose to the throne, and will focus on the Harkonnen Sisters.The story is based on the 2012 sci-fi novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, taking place in the same Dune universe created by Herbert’s father, Frank Herbert.Watson and Henderson will play Valyva and Tula Harkonnen, Deadline reports, who are the sisters who rise to power within the Sisterhood that goes on to become the Bene Gesserit.In Villeneuve’s film, Charlotte Rampling plays Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother who tests Paul before he leaves for Atreides.The Sisterhood was created, written and executive produced by Diana Ademu-John, who will also serve as a co-runner of the show alongside Alison Schapker.Villeneuve is an executive producer on the series as well, alongside Jon Spaihts, Scott Z.

Emily Watson (Chernobyl, God’s Creatures) and Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter, Stan & Ollie) will lead the cast of HBO Max’s Dune: The Sisterhood (wt), from Legendary Television.

greenlit in Oct. 2021, sci-fi fans will be pleased to know that production has officially begun this month.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment film Dune: Part Two has begun production, reports Business Wire. 

EXCLUSIVE: Souheila Yacoub has joined the cast of Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Dune: Part Two. Yacoub will join the all-star ensemble that includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Josh Brolin, who are expected to reprise their roles, as well Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Austin Butler, who were also recently announced. Denis Villeneuve is back to write, direct and produce. Jon Spaihts will return to co-write with Villeneuve. Yacoub will play Shishakli.

Clayton Davis Anya Taylor-Joy, Billie Eilish, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan and Disney exec Dana Walden are among the 397 artists and executives invited to join the membership of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. If all of this year’s invitees accept membership, it will bring the total number of Academy members to 10,665, with 9,665 eligible to vote for the 95th Oscars set to take place on March 12, 2023.The 2022 class is 44% women, 37% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 50% are from 53 countries and territories outside the United States.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Tuesday that it is inviting 397 artists and executives to join the Oscar organizer’s membership ranks. The prospective 2022 class includes 71 Oscar nominees and 15 winners, with 44% of the invitees women, and 37% of the group belongs to underrepresented communities.

Director Joseph Kosinski first made big waves when he helped Disney with a slick, soft reboot of their beloved film “Tron” with “Tron: Legacy.” Though the film didn’t really perform well at the box office, it’s become something of a cult classic. Also, it easily features one of the better modern film scores from the former Parisian electro-pop duo Daft Punk.

EXCLUSIVE: Striking while the iron’s hot following her critically acclaimed performances at the recent Cannes Film Festival, Denis Villeneuve has tapped Léa Seydoux play Lady Margot in Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Dune: Part Two. Seydoux is currently in negotiations and will join the all-star ensemble that includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Josh Brolin, who are expected to reprise their roles, as well Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Austin Butler, who were also recently announced. Villeneuve is back to write, direct and produce. Spaihts will return to co-write with Villeneuve.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterThe House of Atreides has gained an ally.Léa Seydoux has joined “Dune Part Two” in the critical role of Lady Margot, a vital ally to Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) in his war with the House of Harkonnen.Director Denis Villenueve is set to start filming on the sequel to “Dune” later this year, with Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgard and Dave Bautista set to reprise their roles.

Dune: Part Two” as Christopher Walken will play the devious Emperor Shaddam IV in the follow-up to last year’s Oscar-winning sci-fi epic. In “Dune,” Emperor Shaddam IV had a major off-screen presence as he assigned House Atreides and Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) to take over Arrakis from the Harkonnens, only for that assignment to be a double-cross as the Emperor had anticipated that the Harkonnens would move to exterminate House Atreides, thereby eliminating a potential threat to the Emperor’s rule.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max has brought Johan Renck onboard to direct the first two episodes.Renck will also serve as an executive producer on the show, currently titled “Dune: The Sisterhood.” It was ordered straight-to-series at HBO Max in June 2019. Previously, “Dune” director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve was attached to direct the pilot for “Dune: The Sisterhood,” but his work on the “Dune” sequel film will prevent him from doing so.The show is set 10,000 years prior to the events of “Dune” and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.Renck won two Emmys for his work on the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Chernobyl” — one as an executive producer when the show won best limited series and another for best directing for a limited series, as he directed all five episodes.

Jason Momoa (Dune) is in early talks to star in a live-action Minecraft film in the works at Warner Bros., sources tell Deadline.