1. Benicio Del Toro runs from Shane Black’s Predator

Let’s start this week’s news with a depressing bang: sometimes dreams don’t come true. Although it looked like Benicio Del Toro was all set to take the lead role in Shane Black’s Predator reboot/sequel, it is now apparent that the Sicario star has finally dropped out of some very protracted negotiations. Instead Boyd Holbrook, who will soon be on screens in James Mangold’s Logan and is probably best known for his work in Netflix’s Narcos (but that’s television so don’t worry about it) has been earmarked for the lead role. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox is content to do without Del Toro’s star power and will instead beef up the supporting cast—though considering the studio put production dates back in an attempt to woo the actor, this is obviously a hefty blow.

2. Jurassic World 2 will splice dinosaurs with complex concepts

Other than the obvious—that it’ll feature dinosaurs, Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt wearing a vest—we don’t know much about Jurassic World 2. But in an interview with El Mundo, Colin Trevorrow, director of Jurassic World, offered up a few plot nuggets for the sequel. Of course, the interview’s all in Spanish, but the essential message is that la segunda parte será una película muy diferente, que explorará nuevos caminos. A reliable source has it that this means the sequel will tackle more complex concepts than the first offering, which was intended to be a simple and direct film that could play in a global market. According to Trevorrow, Jurassic World 2 will be a very different film to its predecessor, backing up Bayona’s intention to make things more suspenseful and generally scary. No matter what, the age-old question remains: when it comes to man and dinosaur, who is the real 12-metre tall monster?

3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story looks BEAUTIFUL

For the past few months, the buzz around Rogue One in the entertainment world has been a cautionary one. It’s a Star Wars film, so it immediately receives a bump through association, but rumours of behind-the-scenes issues have been proliferous; the fact that Tony Gilroy (he of Bourne trilogy fame) arrived two months before release to do some requisite tinkering raised several eyebrows. So for the time being, it’s nice to go back into the bubble of ignorance and enjoy this very pretty trailer. It’s got goosebump-y music, eye-catching cinematography and Ben Mendelsohn revelling in his villainous role. Sure, the jury is still out as to whether it will be good—especially following the rise and fall of emotions surrounding Gareth Edwards’ last flick Godzilla—but let’s live in the now.

4. Disney get their wish: Guy Ritchie will direct a live-action Aladdin…

Barely a week goes by without our faithful relation of some Disney live-action news. Usually it’s of the “well, duh” variety such as Emily Blunt stepping into the shoes of Mary Poppins or Jon Favreau directing The Lion King. But not today! Deadline reports that the ol’ dry ‘n itchy* has signed onto direct a remake of Aladdin. John August, who penned Frankenweenie and Corpse Bride, has written the script but no casting decisions have yet been made. However, when you consider the Mulan news below, it looks like Disney is likely to hew closer to ethnic authenticity (sorry, Jake Gyllenhaal) so it won’t hurt to put just one suggestion out there: Oscar Isaac. 

*cockney rhyming slang for Guy Ritchie.

5. …But Ang Lee will not direct live-action Mulan

Whilst me ol’ shy ‘n twitchy meddles with Aladdin, it’s interesting to see Oscar-winning director Ang Lee turn down Disney’s lucrative offer to direct a live action Mulan. With a script rewritten by Jurassic World‘s Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, THR insiders say the studio loved the rewrite so much that it fast-tracked the project—hence the urgent need for a director.

Disney has said they’re performing a global search for an Asian lead actress and an Asian director, but the approach for Ang Lee seems a little half-hearted – surely they reached for the director simply because he’s Asian and rather good. Next up: John Woo! In any case, how can one improve upon perfection? Unless Donny Osmond shows up, we remain skeptical. [via The Hollywood Reporter]

6. The Power Rangers are go—in the latest trailer

Come March 24th when Power Rangers is released in UK cinemas, those who don’t identify as a Buzzfeed ’90s kid will likely be asking “what the hell is Power Rangers?” before doing the dab and being on fleek or something. As a means of explanation, and if the latest trailer is anything to go by, it’s not quite Breakfast Club and it’s not quite Animorphs but man… so to answer your question, I don’t know. You can make up your own mind below.

7. Hellboy is done, alright?

Ron Perlman is now 66. He’s far from over the hill, but there’s an expiry date on every actor’s ability to kick ass in head-to-toe red body paint. For Perlman it seems as though that time has come to pass; it appears Hellboy 3 has been shelved indefinitely. Speaking at New York Comic Con, the actor said, “We don’t talk about that anymore… [Guillermo Del Toro’s] busy, and I’m busy. Maybe one day he’s going to call and say, ‘Hey, let’s do it.’ But for right now? We’re happy discovering new worlds to conquer.” While this is a very pleasant front-end quote, we can’t help but feel as if the fire still burns for Perlman. Will Del Toro pick up the phone for one last ride? It’s unlikely, but it would be fun to see Big Red for a final time. [via ScreenRant]

8. Bad Moms begets Bad Dads, obviously

Bad Moms made $170 million from a $20 million budget. Normally, when those numbers are reported, it’s inevitably followed by sequel talk. Well, STX Entertainment doesn’t play that way. Instead, the production company responsible for the gross-out lady-bros out has determined that sequels to similar fare have grossed 68% less from more expensive budgets and what the Bad Moms “brand” needs is actually “a series of film spinoffs, a reality television show, short form digital content, and a robust consumer products program.” The first example will be Bad Dads, due out on July 14, which will see a female-centric film be remade to have more of a male perspective. And about time too. [via Deadline]

– SON & DB