Queen Latifah to star in true-life drama ‘Hope’s Wish’ – Taron Egerton’s ‘Robin Hood’ moved back

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LOS ANGELES, Feb 27, (RTRS): Queen Latifah will star in the inspirational true-life drama “Hope’s Wish.”

Production will start on April 9 in North Carolina.

Alcon Entertainment co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson made the announcement on Monday. Los Angeles-based finance and production company Torridon/16:14 will finance and produce with Alcon Entertainment, continuing the companies’ collaboration that began with “Blade Runner 2049.”

Walden Media is set to produce alongside Steven P. Wegner, and Val Hill and Yale Badik of Torridon/16:14. Alcon’s Kosove and Johnson will executive produce. The film will be released by Warner Bros. via Alcon’s output deal with the studio.

Laurie Collyer, whose credits include “Sherrybaby” and “Furlough,” will direct the film from screenwriter Diana Ossana (“Brokeback Mountain”), adapted from Stuart & Shelby Stout’s non-fiction “Hope’s Wish: How One Girl’s Dream Made Others Come True.”

“Hope’s Wish” is based on the true story of Hope Stout, a precocious 12-year-old girl, who, when diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, sets out on a mission to fund the wishes of 155 other health-challenged children with the help of Make-A-Wish Foundation executive Toni Dubois (Latifah) and the community of Charlotte, N.C.

Latifah’s recent acting credits include the Universal comedy “Girls Trip,” co-starring Tiffany Haddish and Jada Pinkett Smith, and the Emmy-winning HBO film “Bessie.” She is repped by CAA, Shakim Compere, and Randi Michel.

Lionsgate has moved back Taron Egerton’s “Robin Hood” back two months from Sept 21 for a Nov 21 release — the second time the movie has been pushed back.

Lionsgate announced Monday that it had set a Sept 14 slot with its film noir thriller “A Simple Favor,” starring Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, and Henry Golding.

Egerton is starring in the Robin Hood origin story along with Jamie Foxx as Little John and Eve Hewson as Maid Marian. “Fifty Shades of Grey” star Jamie Dornan will portray Will Scarlett, the half-brother of Robin Hood.

Otto Bathurst is directing “Robin Hood” from Joby Harold’s script. Producers are Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson, Basil Iwanyk, Tory Tunnell, and Harold. Production companies are DiCaprio’s Appian Way, Safehouse Pictures, and Iwanyk’s Thunder Road Pictures. The story will center on Robin Hood being a war-hardened crusader and joining with a Moorish commander in an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown.

“Robin Hood” is opening against four other wide releases on the pre-Thanksgiving weekend — MGM’s “Creed 2,” Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2,” STX’s Jennifer Lopez comedy “Second Act,” and Universal’s untitled Robert Zemeckis project. “Robin Hood” was originally set to open on March 18 of this year.

“Robin Hood” received strong recently response from buyers at the Berlin Film Festival.

“A Simple Favor” centers on Kendrick’s character trying to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of her best friend, portrayed by Lively. Golding plays the husband of Lively’s character. Paul Feig is directing the film. Feig and Jessie Henderson are producing through their Feigco production company. Jessica Sharzer wrote the script based on Darcey Bell’s book of the same name.

After bowing out to direct the sequel to “The Equalizer,” director Antoine Fuqua looks to have come back into the fray to direct Universal’s new re-imagining of “Scarface.” Sources tell Variety that, while an official offer is not yet on the table, discussions are underway for Fuqua to direct the film.

Fuqua left the project just over a year ago when his commitments to “The Equalizer” sequel forced him to drop out. The studio would eventually turn to David Ayer to helm the project, but the “Suicide Squad” and “Bright” director ended up parting ways with movie due to scheduling conflicts, which opened up the door for Fuqua’s return.

Universal originally set the film to open this August, but it was recently taken off the calendar.

The latest script was written by Ayer, Jonathan Herman, and Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. The film will be produced by Dylan Clark for his Dylan Clark Productions. Scott Stuber will executive produce. Martin Bregman, producer of the 1983 “Scarface” film, will also produce.

Paramount Pictures has given its live-action “Dora the Explorer” movie a late summer release date of Aug 2, 2019.

Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes partners, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, are producing the movie, which has been in the works since 2015. “Dora the Explorer” is being developed through the studio’s Paramount Players division, which hired writer-director Nick Stoller in October to work on the script. James Bobin, whose credits include “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Muppets Most Wanted”, is attached to direct “Dora.”

The animated “Dora the Explorer” television series ran on Nickelodeon from 2000-2014 for eight seasons with 172 episodes aired, and followed a young Latina girl who went on adventures around the world. The movie will center on Dora as a teenager moving to the city and living with her cousin.

Platinum Dunes has a first-look deal with Paramount. Stoller’s writing credits include “Get Him to the Greek,” “Neighbors,” the Muppet movie reboots, animated films “Storks” and “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,” and Kevin Hart’s “Night School.”

 

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