WIRE Buzz: Bond 25 heading to Italy; Blood Craft summons first trailer; and more

Top o' the morning and welcome to another edition of WIRE Buzz. Today, we're delivering updates on the James Bond franchise, a chilling supernatural horror film, and a foreign spin on The Handmaid's Tale.

After a number of false starts and setbacks, the 25th James Bond movie is finally ready to start shooting in Matera, a town in southern Italy, Variety confirms. The European country is an ideal place for film shoots as it offers some pretty enticing tax credits.

Comprised of just 600,000 residents, Matera is expected to serve as the setting of the film's opening action-centric prologue, a staple of the 007 franchise. That being said, it'll be hard to top the opening of 2015's Spectre, which featured an ambitious tracking shot during a Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City.

Production on the new movie is expected to kick off in late July with around 500 crew members. Cary Joji Fukunaga (Maniac) is directing, having replaced Danny Boyle (Sunshine) in the fall. The screenplay was penned by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Scott Z. Burns.

Daniel Craig is reprising his role as the globe-trotting MI6 agent — perhaps for the final time in his career. Léa Seydoux (Madeleine Swann), Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), and Ralph Fiennes (M) are also returning. As for new faces, Lupita Nyong'o (Black Panther) is being circled to play a Bond girl, while Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) is being touted as the favorite for the film's villain.

Bond 25 (working title: Shatterhand, but almost certainly not final) will open in theaters April 8, 2020. It is set to be the first Bond project not to open in the fall or winter since 1989's Licence to Kill.

Earlier this week, we reported that Vertical Entertainment would be releasing Blood Craft, a supernatural horror project about two sisters summoning the soul of their late and abusive father, so that they can exact revenge on him.

Well, now we have a first trailer to back up that intel and you can watch it below:

Starring Dominique Swain (Face-Off), Dave Sheridan (The Devil's Rejects), Mark Rolston (Aliens) and Michael Welch (Twilight), the film was directed and co-written by James Cullen Bressack. 

“We can’t wait for audiences to discover this unique, thrilling, and very disturbing film," said Bressack in an official release obtained by SYFY WIRE.

Check out the poster:

Credit: Vertical Entertainment

Playing a number of festivals this month, Blood Craft arrives on digital April 9.

And finally we have...the Bollywood version of The Handmaid's Tale? 

Yesterday, Netflix released the first teaser for Leila, a series from India set in a dystopian future. The short trailer gives off some serious Margaret Atwood vibes.

Watch now:

Here's the official series description:

In the forgotten margins of the segregated communities of a dystopian future, a woman searches for the daughter she lost upon her arrest years ago.

Leila drops on Netflix June 14.

Speaking of The Handmaid’s Tale…

To ring in the publication of her long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, Margaret Atwood will be appearing on movie screens across the country with exclusive readings and special guests.

Here’s the announcement ad:

The event will be held on Sep. 10, the same day as the book’s wide release.

Atwood’s fans won’t have to wait long to get their Gilead fix, however, as Season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale arrives on Hulu June 5.