WIRE Buzz: Michelle Williams back for Venom 2; Star Wars rolls out BB-8’ed animated shorts; more

We’ve got some more casting news for Venom 2 and Cruella and some info on a series of animated shorts from a galaxy far, far away in our latest edition of WIRE Buzz.

First up, after it being up in the air as recently as Monday whether Michelle Williams would reprise her role of Anne Weying for the upcoming Venom sequel, the actor has confirmed that she'll be back for more antihero symbiote action in Venom 2.

“I’m in,” Williams told Yahoo Entertainment.

This follows the recent reveal that Andy Serkis will direct the sequel. And we've known that Tom Hardy will be reprising his role of Eddie Brock ever since Sony confirmed that Venom 2 is in the works. In fact, Hardy is helping shape the story with returning screenwriter Kelly Marcel.

Williams said of Serkis taking on directorial duties: “I’m such a fan of Andy’s, and I’m so inspired by what he’s been able to accomplish. He’s so gifted in such a specific way, and I’m very excited to learn from him and be around him."

Venom 2 does not yet have a release date.

(via Yahoo Entertainment)  

Next, Lucasfilm is on a roll! Star Wars is unveiling a new series of animated shorts created by Lucasfilm and Hideo Itoyanagi, where everyone’s favorite characters from that galaxy far, far away have been … well, for lack of a better term … BB-8’ed.

Check out the adorable teaser below and you’ll see what we mean:

See? What did we tell you? Adorable.

In these digital shorts, Chewbacca, Rey, Finn, and others take the form of droid BB-8 and go on an array of adventures, from Chewie dealing with porg annoyances to the heroes confronting legitimate threats.

“As Star Wars evolves with each passing year, it’s important for us to find new, lighthearted, and kid-friendly expressions of the franchise that still carry the heart, soul, and adventure of its original form,” said James Waugh, Lucasfilm’s vice president, franchise content and strategy, in a statement. “One of the wonderful things about our Star Wars Kids channel is that we can experiment to see how far we can stretch the franchise to a new expression, while still being totally rooted, recognizable, and authentic.”

Star Wars Roll Out rolls its way into our hearts this Friday, Aug. 9, via StarWarsKids.com and YouTube.com/StarWarsKids.

And finally, Game of Thrones alum Joel Fry has been cast in Disney’s Cruella, a live-action origin story based on 101 Dalmatians’ villain Cruella de Vil, Variety is reporting.

Fry, who played Hizdahr zo Loraq on eight episodes of HBO's hit series from 2014-2015, will play Jasper, one of Cruella’s bumbling goons, who helps kidnap the Dalmatians along with his equally dumb partner.

Joel Fry and Emilia Clarke in Game of Thrones (Credit: HBO)

Paul Walter Hauser has been cast as the live-action film’s Horace, with Emma Stone playing a younger version of the eponymous puppy-obsessed villain previously played twice in live action by Glenn Close (in 1996’s 101 Dalmatians and 2000’s 102 Dalmatians). Emma Thompson also stars.

Helmed by I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie, the film will take place in an '80s-era punk setting.

Cruella hits theaters Dec. 23, 2020.

(via Variety)