1. Jack’s back

We loved Toni Erdmann. To the extent that Tom deemed it “one of the funniest things committed to film this century,” in his five-star review. So the news that it’s to be the subject of an American remake provokes… feelings. But at least one of those feelings is pure, unbridled joy. Jack Nicholson is to return to acting! The execrable How Do You Know will no longer be his final film! Evidently, he’s a little bored of basketball at the moment. 

According to Variety, Nicholson was such a fan of the original that he approached Paramount with the idea to take the eponymous role, a father with a passion for pranks who tries to reconnect with his daughter via the use of an alter ego. Kristen Wiig is set for the role of his daughter but no director or writer has yet been attached. 

2. Kristin Scott Thomas is also back

Three years after admitting she was bored of filmmaking and thought herself a “recovering actress”, Kristin Scott Thomas is set to return to cinema. The actor, who was last seen in the “uncomplicated” and “often sedate” Suite Française, will star in, and direct, The Sea Change. Based on Elizabeth Jane Howard’s novel of the same name, the plot concerns a rocky marriage that is seemingly rescued by the arrival of an outspoken young girl. Scott Thomas will play Lillian while Mark Strong is in talks to play her husband, Emmanuel, a playwright. [via Variety]

3. Over 110 million people got to see a car fight a submarine thanks to Fate of the Furious

The Super Bowl is probably the biggest showcase for movie trailers out there—after this weekly roundup. Fittingly then, some of the biggest franchises popped by during Sunday’s game, whether they had new clips to share or not (right, Baywatch?). Those on show included Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: So Very, Very Tired and The Fate of the Furious. We’ve linked the latter, because cars vs. submarines, cars vs. gravity, and Vin Diesel vs. reality are all (usually) better contests than the national pigskin classic.

4. Paramount use their braiiiins, pull World War Z sequel from schedule

For a while now, it’s looked a good thing that World War Z’s zombies move faster than the shuffling variety. Not least because the film’s sequel has long been slated for release on 9 June and not a second of film has been shot. Now though, Variety reports that Paramount have removed WWZ2 from the schedule. It’s still thought that the project will be made—the first grossed $540 million worldwide after all—but in 2018 or even 2019.

Also caught up in Paramount’s bout of pre-spring cleaning is the Friday the 13th reboot. That’s been cancelled altogether. The Hollywood Reporter suggests that the move, coming just six weeks before principal photography begins, could be due, in part, to the poor box office of Rings. That too was hoped to reboot a franchise but it’s made just $13 million from a budget nearly double that so far.

5. Spinal Tap reunite for a rockin’ lawsuit

It may have been 28 years since the release of This Is Spinal Tap but the gang are still ready to rock all the way to court, or at least arbitration. The Guardian reports that stars Christopher Guest and Michael McKean have joined the lawsuit raised by Harry Shearer (the lukewarm water to their fire and ice) last year. Plus director Rob Reiner is also on board. The suit claims that Vivendi, the parent company of Universal Music, hasn’t shared profits since buying the rights to the film in 1989. Allegedly, the company reported that the total income from soundtrack sales between 1989 and 2006 came to just $98. And that’s even with all their Japanese fanbase. Said Reiner, “such anti-competitive practices need to be exposed. I am hoping this lawsuit goes to 11.” Oh, Rob…

6. The LEGO NINJAGO Movie loves capital letters, daddy issues

Superhero fatigue arguably took nine years to reach (though the box office generally disagrees). LEGO fatigue may come a little sooner if Warner Bros. keep churning them out at their current pace. Although, considering how great The LEGO Batman Movie was, we’re still on the easily-assembled hype-train. So we’ll happily take a look at the first trailer for The LEGO NINJAGO Movie, in which Jackie Chan raises his team of six ninjas called upon to defend their island home in the face of Justin Theroux’s evil Garmadon. Also starring Dave Franco, Olivia Munn, Michael Peña and Zach Woods, the ninjas will appear in UK cinemas on October 13.

7. Dwayne Johnson and Stephen Merchant tag-team up

Stephen Merchant and Dwayne Johnson are getting the gang from The Tooth Fairy back together. At last! Deadline has it that Johnson and his Seven Bucks Productions are teaming with natural bedfellows WWE Studios and Film4 to produce Fighting With My Family. The comedy-drama is set to be written and directed by Merchant and based on the true story of WWE star Paige. Plus her family, with whom she presumably fights.

As well as producing, Johnson will star in the project alongside Florence Pugh as Paige and Jack Lowden as her brother Zak. Nick Frost and Lena Headey are also on board, though their roles aren’t known. What with the resemblance, however, Frost will surely play a sibling of Johnson’s.

8. Bad Boys goes back to back to November 2018

Sony’s third foray into the Bad Boys universe, the distressingly titled Bad Boys For Life, has stalled. Exhibitor Relations reports that the Joe Carnahan-directed vehicle is now set for November 9, 2018 rather than January 12. The latest in a long, long line of legacy sequels, we confidently affirmed that BBFL would try and ape the success of the Ride Along franchise, which held no.1 status over the MLK weekend in 2014 and 2015. We were wrong. Now it looks like those boys (who are bad) have an extra 10 months to play with. At least until the release date is pushed back again to make space for the 25th Bond film.