Pedro Pascal to Star as Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards in Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four” Reboot

Pedro Pascal is preparing for a fantastic project…

Marvel Studios has revealed the cast of its new film The Fantastic Four, with the 48-year-old Chilean actor among those set to star in the reboot.

Pedro PascalPascal will play Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic).

His cast mates will include Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach is Ben Grimm (aka the Thing). The news was made official on Instagram.

WandaVision helmer Matt Shakman is directing Fantastic Four off a script by Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer.

Disney is swapping Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts release dates in 2025: The latter will now kick off summer on May 2, while Fantastic Four will open July 25.

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in 1961, The Fantastic Four is a family of astronauts who after being exposed to cosmic rays during a space mission gain superhero powers. Thing (Ben Grimm) is actually a former college football star, Reed’s college roommate and a skilled pilot.

The film is a major reboot by the Kevin Feige-led Marvel after Disney absorbed the 20th Century Fox Marvel assets, one of those IPs being Fantastic Four. 

That studio made two films in 2005 and 2007, Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of Silver Surferwhich combined grossed more than $635 million at the global box office.

A 2015 reboot by Josh Trank crashed, making just $167.8M worldwide.

Pedro Pascal Reportedly Inching Closer to Deal to Portray Mr. Fantastic in Marvel Studios’ “Fantastic Four”

It appears Pedro Pascal may be in for a Fantastic time…

Following months of speculation about who may be playing Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic in Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four, the 48-year-old Chilean actor’s name has emerged as a top contender for the role.

Pedro PascalWhile a deal is nowhere near complete, Deadline is reporting that three-time Emmy nominee  is in talks to play the leader of the iconic superhero team.

Insiders add that scheduling is still being worked out, but multiple sources close to the negotiations say it’s headed in the right direction for Pascal to take on this role and his other future projects.

Pascal has a full dance card that includes Gladiator 2, which is expected to go into production before the end of the year, as well as the second season of his popular HBO series The Last Of Uswhich is expected to shoot next year. He’s also expected to shoot Zach Cregger’s Weapons.

Marvel had no comment.

Director Matt Shakman is currently in pre-production at Pinewood Studios in England.

Lauren Sanchez Starring in the Vito Schnabel-Led Dark Comedy “The Trainer”

It’s training day for Lauren Sanchez.

The 52-year-old Mexican-American media personality, Emmy-winning journalist and actress, is starring in Vito Schnabel-led dark comedy The Trainer, which has wrapped filming in Los Angeles, New York and the Bahamas.

Lauren SánchezSanchez, who gained fame as an entertainment reporter and news anchor, is part of a cast that includes Paris Hilton, Finneas O’ConnellSandra Seacat and journalist Gayle King.

Written by Schnabel and Jeff Solomon, the film is based on the former’s original story. It unfolds over eight days of sleep-deprived chaos and follows Jack (Schnabel), a down-on-his-luck fitness expert living with his mother in Los Angeles, who takes a maniacal swing at fame and fortune, trying to realize his version of the American dream.

Tony Kaye directed the film boasting one of the most eclectic ensembles in recent memory, which also includes Julia FoxSteven Van ZandtTaylour PaigeStephen Dorff, John McEnroeGina GershonLuka SabbatGus Van SantLenny KravitzBeverly D’AngeloColleen CampGavin RossdaleSoo Joo ParkBrock O’HurnBella ThorneLaird Hamilton and Duke Nicholson.

Schnabel, Kaye and Jeremy Steckler are producing The Trainer, with George Paaswell serving as executive producer.

Sanchez has been seen on programs like The View, KTTV Fox 11’s Good Day LA, the Fox 11 Ten O’clock NewsExtra, Larry King Live, The Joy Behar Show and Showbiz Tonight. Past film credits include Ted 2White House DownCeleste & Jesse ForeverWe Bought a ZooFantastic Four and Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver SurferAkeelah and the BeeThe Longest YardThe Day After Tomorrow and Fight Club. She’s also been seen on series like RakeDirt and Girlfriends, among others.

Sanchez also notably founded aerial production company Black Ops Aviation and serves as Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund.

Jessica Alba to Star In & Executive Produce Netflix’s Film Adaptation of “Confessions on the 7:45” Novel

Jessica Alba is headed to the confessional

The 40-year-old half-Mexican American actress and entrepreneur will executive produce and headline a series based on Lisa Unger’s international bestseller Confessions on the 7:45, currently in development at Netflix.

Jessica AlbaCharise Castro Smith, co-writer and co-director of Disney’s Oscar-winning amimated film Encanto, is attached to adapt Unger’s novel. She’ll also serve as showrunner and executive produces with Alba and 3 ArtsMichael Rotenberg and Oly Obst.

Confessions on the 7:45 is a psychological thriller in which a working mom (Alba) meets a stranger on a train as she’s commuting home who upends her life. As her life unravels and betrayals are revealed, she questions whether we can ever truly know the people closest to us.

Alba, a working mom herself, had a strong reaction when she read Confessions on the 7:45, leading to her involvement in the project.

“I could not put this book down. The moment I read the line, ‘If you want to keep a secret you must first hide it from yourself,’ I was hooked,” Alba said. “This book is about trying to bury secrets and the shame we carry until the truth exposes us. I can’t think of a more exciting person to partner with on this project. Charise is so ridiculously talented and truly gets every nuance under the skin of these characters and their web of lies.”

This would mark the second project Alba is starring in and executive producing for Netflix.

She also has the upcoming action thriller Trigger Warning. In the movie directed by Mouly Surya and produced by Thunder Road, Alba plays an active-duty Special Forces officer who takes ownership of her grandfather’s property after his sudden death.

Alba, a Golden Globe-nominated actress, advocate, bestselling author and founder of The Honest Company, has made more than 25 feature films that have earned a combined box office total of $800 million-plus, including Fantastic Four and Sin City.

In television, she and Gabrielle Union recently headlined and executive produced the action drama series, L.A.’s Finest, which has performed well on Netflix following its original run on Spectrum and Fox.

Alba is also the author of the New York Times bestselling book The Honest Life and co-author of A Bear to Share.

Jessica Alba to Begin Filming Netflix’s “Trigger Warning” This Fall

Jessica Alba is pulling the Trigger

The 40-year-old half-Mexican American actress and entrepreneur will begin filming the action thriller Trigger Warning for Netflix in New Mexico this fall, starring and executive producing her first feature film in a few years.

 

Mouly Surya is directing from a script by Josh Olson and John Brancato.

Alba plays a traumatized veteran who inherits her grandfather’s bar, and is faced with a moral dilemma after discovering the truth behind his untimely death.Jessica Alba

This is believed to be a possible franchise starter with high hopes for its success, considering the reception of the streamer’s other action films, including Spenser Confidential and Extraction.

Best known for her work on James Cameron’s Dark Angel TV series, and the films Sin City and Fantastic Four, Alba recently starred and executive produced Spectrum Originals’ “LA’s Finest,” alongside Gabrielle Union. The series, an action-packed spinoff from Jerry Bruckheimer’s Bad Boys universe, returned for its second and final season this June.

Alba is also attached to the Disney+ documentary series with the working title Parenting Without Borders, which she will host and executive produce. She’s also the entrepreneur behind the billion-dollar Honest Company and Honest Beauty.

Jessica Alba’s Honest Company Surges in NASDAQ Trading Debut

Jessica Alba is rolling in the dough…

The 40-year-old half-Mexican American actress and entrepreneur’s eco-friendly personal care products brand Honest Co. (HNST) surged 44% in its trading debut on the Nasdaq.

Jessica Alba

Shares of Honest Co. sold for $16 in their initial public offering to close at $23 per share in trading Wednesday, giving the company a market value of about $2.1 billion.

Honest CEO Nick Vlahos told Yahoo Finance Live that the successful IPO was a “validation” of the company’s strategy.

“We’re a mission driven brand. We are at the forefront of this kind of clean movement as it pertains to how consumers are looking at products from an ingredient perspective, around sustainability, around social responsibility.”

That produced a hefty return for Alba, whose stake in the company she founded a decade ago is worth about $130 million — at least on paper. Alba didn’t plan to sell her shares in the offering, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Though she has stepped down as chair of the board, Alba remains a director of the board and is also the company’s chief creative officer.

Alba founded Honest Co. in 2011 as a direct-to-consumer brand built on a commitment to healthy products, free of harmful toxins and chemicals. The Fantastic Four actress has said she got the idea for the company after breaking out in a rash from detergent that she touched while washing her baby’s clothes.

Since then, Honest has grown into a national brand and has partnerships with retail giants including Amazon, Costco, Target and Walgreens.

In addition to baby products like wipes, diapers and shampoos, the company also sells skincare and cosmetics. During the pandemic, Honest expanded its product line to include cleaning supplies, and it paid off. Vlahos said its household and wellness business grew 111% in 2020.

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Signs New Multi-Year Deal with Warner Bros. Television

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasahas landed a major deal…

The 44-year-old Nicaraguan-American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer who is currently the Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics and the key creative force behind Warner Bros. Television’s growing Archie comics-based TV universe, has signed a massive new multi-year overall deal with the studio. 

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

No details are being disclosed but the pact is said to be for five years, and it’s in the high eight figures. 

Under the agreement, Aguirre-Sacasa will develop, write, and produce new series through his banner, Muckle Man Productions, while also continuing as executive producer/showrunner on WBTV series Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,as well as pilot Katy Keene, co-developed with Michael Grassi.

Shortly after he was named Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics in 2014, Aguirre-Sacasa teamed with WBTV-based Berlanti Prods. to bring the Archie characters to television. He is the developer/executive producer behind Riverdale, which has been a major hit for the CWand Netflix, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which quickly established itself as a breakout for Netflix, and the co-developer/executive producer on the Riverdale spinoff pilot Katy Keene, which has been garnering solid early buzz at the CW.

Before becoming Archie Comics COO, Aguirre-Sacasa wrote two of the company’s best-selling horror series: Afterlife With Archie and Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina. He previously worked for Marvel Comics, scripting the adventures of Spider-Man, Nightcrawler, and the Fantastic Four.

Aguirre-Sacasa’s TV series writing-producing credits include Fox’s GleeHBO’s Looking and Big Love, as well as a stint on WBTV/Berlanti Prods.’ Supergirl.

Aguirre-Sacasa is an accomplished screenwriter and playwright. He penned the feature remakes of Carrie and The Town That Dreaded Sundown, as well as the musical adaptation of American Psycho, which had runs in London and on Broadway

Aguirre-Sacasa was part of the team that was brought in to overhaul Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark. This summer, Pasadena Playhouse will produce his prep school thriller, Good Boys and True, and he wrote the book to the Broadway-bound Magic Mike the musical, with Brian Yorkey (lyrics) and Tom Kitt(music).

ReelzChannel Orders Sanchez’s “The Big Picture” Talk Show

Lauren Sanchez is shining a spotlight on the big picture to television…

ReelzChannel has ordered 26 episodes of the 43-year-old Latina news anchor’s The Big Picture.

Lauren Sanchez

The weekly talk show will cover the world of entertainment. The new late night show aims to cover all aspects of film and television in a chatty and irreverent manner.

Sanchez will co-host The Big Picture, which is set to debut on June 20, with former Telemundo host Alex Cambert.

The former So You Think You Can Dance host will also serve as the executive producer of The Big Picture.

A former Good Day LA back-up anchor and Extra! correspondent, Sanchez also appears later this summer in the Roland Emmerich-directed White House Down.

Sanchez has previously played a TV reporter in other movies like Fight Club, Fantastic Four and 2011’s We Bought A Zoo.

Alba Promotes Her Honest Company Products in South Korea

Jessica Alba is taking her line of eco-friendly baby and home products to Asia…

The 32-year-old half-Mexican American actress returned to South Korea to promote the Honest Company and participate in the Seoul Design Forum 2013 last week.

Jessica Alba

Alba, best known in South Jorea for her role in Fantastic Four, launched her business last year. The Honest Company offers a collection of toxin-free household goods, diapers, and body care products.

Alba, who was saluted at Self’s Women Doing Good Awards last year, brought along her Korean-American business partner Brian Lee on the trip.

“When I was pregnant, I developed allergic reactions to a washing detergent, which was among baby products that were known to be relatively safe,” Alba was quoted as saying by Yonhap News. “If I could be allergic, I thought about how bad it could be for the baby. I learned that many products out there contain toxins.”

 

Her company is named after her older daughter, Honor Warren.

The mother of two is said to be actively involved in every step of the business, from brainstorming ideas to designing the product and packaging, as well as the brand image.

 

“When Jessica Alba doesn’t have to be on the production set she comes to the office every day,” said Lee.

The actress also gave a speech during the forum, and emphasized the importance of “thinking outside the box” when it comes to business.

Alba tweeted photos of various local dishes such as raw crab and spicy octopus, and wrote Noryangjin Market, one of the largest seafood markets in East Asia, has “the freshest lobster ever.”

Alba has yet to visit Korea as part of a movie promotion tour, but she was in the country in April 2012 on a family vacation. Her low-profile visit made headlines as she posted photos taken in front of local tourist sites — from traditional palaces to seafood markets and shopping districts.