1. Pokémon Go is go

What the hell is Pokémon Go you ask? A social and technological phenomenon, Pokémon Go is a location-based augmented reality game based upon the Pokémon universe (yes, that’s still a thing). Over the last few weeks, Pokémon Go has been taking the world by storm as people head out into the real world intent on becoming bona fide Pokémon masters.

Never one to pass up an opportunity to cash in on a major phenomenon – seriously, Nintendo’s stocks have jumped up $9billion since the game’s release – the film industry has taken notice of the frenzy as Legendary Pictures move in on a live-action film with Chronicle‘s Max Landis being courted for script duties [via Deadline]. (On a side note, here’s hoping that Legendary Pictures will learn from their mistakes on game adaptation Warcraft. Side side note, they probably won’t.) Little more is known just yet – the game is still only weeks old – but it will be interesting to see how they approach the game’s virtual-reality elements. Will this be a live-action Pokémon film, or will it be a live action film of people playing Pokémon Go? Who knows. Somewhere David Cronenberg is watching these events unfold with a smug grin: long live the new flesh…

Courtesy of: Nintendo/Pokémon

2. Matt Damon open to the superhero game, if Affleck directs

Speaking to The Irish Examiner a fortnight before the release of Jason Bourne, Matt Damon has professed an interest in that most lucrative of holies – the superhero genre. Although Damon has superhuman form – what with his altering the surface of Mars in The Martian (Dr Manhattan), exposing global conspiracies in the Bourne franchise (Captain America), or commanding a legion of animals in We Bought A Zoo (Aquaman), Damon is yet to officially sign up to a Marvel or a DC property. There is one prerequisite, however: Ben Affleck needs to direct.

Speaking at the London premiere of Jason Bourne, Damon explained that while he “can’t imagine there are any superheroes left” he’d still “love to work with Ben” and, should his fellow Bostonite conceive a role for him, Damon would “jump on it in a New York minute”. If the two don’t give into the inevitable and repurpose the Super Friends franchise, then there does at least exist a fortuitously named character in the DC universe called… Damon Matthews.

3. Javier Bardem to play Frankenstein’s monster…

Javier Bardem has played monsters before, but now he’s being approached to play one of the most iconic movie monsters of all. Because ridiculously large shared universes are now a thing in the movies (thanks for that one, Marvel) it seems that Universal are looking to bolster their monster universe set to kick off with The Mummy starring Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe in 2017. Universal are currently approaching the Oscar winning actor to play Dr. Frankenstein’s monstrous creation [via Variety]. Great casting if you ask us.

It seems that Universal are now keen to mine their archives for classic monster movies to reboot which means it is only a matter of time before a new Dracula is announced. Just hurry up and give the role to Mads Mikkelsen already…

4. La La Land lands its first trailer

Where does one go after receiving the highest accolade in the film industry? No, we don’t mean Oscars; rather, we ask what does one do next after being awarded film of the year by yours truly? Whiplash came out of nowhere and hit the world like a symbol to the jaw; J.K. Simmons’ Oscar was so assured that it’s a small surprise the other nominees even bothered showing up to the 2015 Oscar ceremony (maybe one day, Ruffalo). Damien Chazelle, the man behind it all, is back with L.A.-set musical La La Land. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone and is set to premiere at Venice in August ahead of an Oscar-baiting December release. From the trailer, the film looks absolutely sumptuous – what’s more, La La Land will mark Gosling and Stone’s third film together. Let’s hope it’s better than The Gangster Squad…

5. Alien: Covenant will not be funny, says funnyman Danny McBride

Although the Hollywood Foreign Press Association might disagree, Ridley Scott is not a man known for his comedy. So it’s probably good news that Danny McBride, who will be playing a pilot in the upcoming sequel to Prometheus and is funny, has revealed that Alien: Covenant “is dark; there’s no comic relief… at all” [via HitFix]. This likely means no wacky chest-burster gags, or goofy android-based humour where Michael Fassbender’s David learns to love and laugh – or it could mean that Danny McBride just doesn’t get Ridley’s sense of humour. Sort of like how everyone didn’t get it in The Good Year or Matchstick Men.

6. Gambit rumours start up again, as they do on a-Cajun

Gambit, the (first Rupert Wyatt, then) Doug Liman directorial project has been looking a little like a busted flush. Where it once seemed a done deal for a 2016 release, we reported back in March that Fox were pushing the Channing Tatum vehicle back to an unannounced release date, and since then the trail had gone cold. This week, however, writer/producer Simon Kinberg has intimated that the movie could be back on the… cards sooner than expected. In an interview with Indiewire, Kinberg, stated that the team “have a great script… and hope to shoot that movie at the beginning – or spring of next year.” Should things move ahead with Gambit, it’ll be starting production at the same time as Deadpool 2. But, hey, don’t take my word for it – watch it all here:

7. Helen Mirren won’t get to drive speedily and angrily in Fast 8

She may be a Dame, an Oscar winner and no stranger to the action-world but the recent addition to the Fast 8 cast, Helen Mirren, won’t be getting behind the wheel in the next instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise. Even though she demanded it. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mirren let slip a few details about the upcoming film – namely that she is on set for a single day of filming, so probably won’t be playing a super significant role. Then again, Judi Dench was in Shakespeare in Love for a whopping eight minutes, and snagged the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1998 – and we all know Fast and Furious is overdue its statuette. For her part, Mirren also professed disappointment at the decision, claiming “I’m probably one of the few people on the set who knows how to drive a gear shift car… I doubt the Rock knows… but I do.” Boom.

8. Holler, Hollars trill ya’ll in trailer for The Hollars

Not content with being married to Emily Blunt in real life and counting Amy Adams, Jenna Fischer and Rashida Jones as fictional paramours, John Krasinski has taken it upon himself to suffer through having Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Anna Kendrick play paramours past and present in his upcoming film The Hollars. Tackling familiar indie tropes, Krasinki is directing from a script by James C. Strouse, which sees John Hollar return to his family only to find that so much has changed since he’s been away, what with his brother getting divorced and his mother (beloved character actress Margo Martindale) being hospitalised.

9. First look at Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise

For those old enough to remember It, Tim Curry’s monstrous clown Pennywise is a fair embodiment of most childhood nightmares. Curry’s iconic performance is in fact far better than the dated 1990 miniseries deserves but, while a new adaptation of Stephen King’s novel is understandable, Bill Skarsgård certainly has his work cut out trying to fill Curry’s clown-sized shoes. That said, there is no denying that, from the first image released this week, it is clear that the young actor is bringing a palpable air of menace to the role which is, hopefully, more than just make-up [via Entertainment Weekly]. The film will be directed by Mama‘s Andrés Muschietti.

Courtesy of: Entertainment Weekly.

10. J.A. Bayona’s A Monster Calls looks beautiful

J.A. Bayona might not be one of the most talked right now, but he soon will be. After delivering a great horror film in 2007’s The Orphanage and real world tragedy in his sobering dramatisation of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami in The Impossible, he is set to adapt Patrick Ness’ best-selling young fantasy novel A Monster Calls before moving on to direct the next Jurassic Park film. Told you you’d be talking about him. Before that, however, A Monster Calls is incoming and will star relative newcomer Lewis MacDougall alongside Felicity Jones and Liam Neeson. Based upon this most recent trailer, this film looks like it will provide both thrills and heartbreak at the same time.

• SON & EF