WIRE Buzz: Black Adam zeroes in on director, Conjuring 3 kicks off shoot, more

The Black Adam film attempts to land a director, the Warrens attempt to stop another haunting, and Anthony Mackie attempts to prevent the apocalypse, all in this edition of SYFY’s WIRE Buzz.

First up, it appears that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s long-in-development Black Adam film may soon lock down its director. Per The Observer, Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows) is in talks to direct Black Adam for New Line.

Based on the character from DC Comics, Black Adam is Shazam’s archnemesis. New Line had intended for Johnson to make a cameo appearance as the character in Shazam!, but the producing team decided against it.

Originally created by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck in 1945 for Fawcett Comics, Black Adam was a predecessor to Billy Batson, aka Captain Marvel. The character was given magical powers by the wizard Shazam but was quickly corrupted by them. Shazam was forced to exile Black Adam, but he returned to the present day, where he became the primary antagonist for Captain Marvel (later renamed Shazam). Now Black Adam has morphed into a corrupted 21st-century antihero who is far more heroic than his younger self.

Now that Shazam! has been a hit, it’s looking as though this movie, which has been in the works for years, is a priority for the studio. Johnson, who was officially cast in the role back in 2014 but has been attached to the project for even longer than that, has said he anticipates production on Black Adam to begin in about a year.

(Via The Observer)

Meanwhile, with a new Annabelle set to hit theaters this month and a sequel to The Nun in the works, the Conjuring horror-verse is clearly not going anywhere anytime soon. This is made all the clearer now that production on the third Conjuring film is underway.

After producer Peter Safran confirmed last year that The Conjuring 3 was in the works, actress Vera Farmiga took to Instagram to post a photo of her with co-star Patrick Wilson on the first day of production.

“Happy first day #Conjuring3, Mr. Warren, my PWilz,” Farmiga wrote alongside the photo.

Farmiga and Wilson are reprising their roles of real-life alleged paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, whom they played in both The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2. They will also appear as the Warrens in Annabelle Comes Home, which comes home to theaters June 26.

The Conjuring 3, directed by Michael Chaves, is set to haunt theaters Sept. 11, 2020.

And finally, after being an Avenger and starring in one of the latest episodes of Black Mirror, Anthony Mackie is still not done with the world of sci-fi. A report from Deadline reveals that the Captain America: Winter Soldier star is on board to produce and star in a sci-fi action film, Outside the Wire, for Netflix. Mikael Håfström (Escape Plan) is set to direct a script by Rob Yescombe and Rowan Athale.

Here’s what we know about the film so far: It’s set sometime in the future, where Mackie plays a drone pilot sent into a deadly militarized zone. Working for an android officer, Mackie’s character must find a doomsday device before it falls into the wrong hands. (Zany antics are presumed to ensue?)

Production is scheduled to begin in August. Additional casting is currently underway.

(Via Deadline)