Luke Cage

[GeneChing]

This is somewhat redundant to the Iron Fist thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49086-Iron-Fist&p=1262523#post1262523), but I'm starting it in reaction to what I just posted on the Badlands thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67844-Badlands).


Netflix Boss Talks Marvel TV Plans (http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=42004)
Daredevil and co. might end up meeting the movie characters
26 August 2014 | Written by James White

http://www.empireonline.com/images/uploaded/jessica-jones-marvel.jpg

As part of Empire's packed new issue, we have a great TV preview focusing on upcoming series including Gotham, The Flash and Star Wars Rebels. And, of course, we spoke to Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos about the heavily anticipated series, or series-of-series, that Marvel is producing for the streaming service featuring Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Daredevil.

Talking about the plan for the characters – who will debut separately in their own series before coming together for a big miniseries under the Defenders banner – the idea mirrors how Kevin Feige and co. tackled their big screen brethren.

"It was really based on the theatrical model of The Avengers," says Sarandos. "Could you take another group of characters, The Defenders, and go about it the same way? Normally they do the big movie and then eventually they get to the group origin story. Having 13 hours to tell each of these stories, you can go right to the origin story and the action at the same time."

Shooting on Daredevil, of course is already underway in New York, with Charlie Cox as main man Matt Murdock, True Blood’s Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Rosario Dawson as a mysterious character and Vincent D’Onofrio as the Kingpin.

The next to head into production is most likely Jessica Jones. “Right now, the writers' rooms are open and they're looking at casting Jessica,” says Sarandos. “Eventually the series will run very close together. You can then have a separate season where the characters will cross over."

And given that these street-level heroes share the same universe as Tony Stark and his pals, could they eventually also hit the big screen? Sarandos is sketchy: "It has definitely been talked about."

[GeneChing]

I don't really know anything about Luke Cage. I like Colter though - he's great on The Good Wife.


Mike Colter to Star as Luke Cage in Marvel's A.K.A. Jessica Jones (http://marvel.com/news/tv/23866/mike_colter_to_star_as_luke_cage_in_marvels_aka_je ssica_jones)
Colter joins Krysten Ritter on the Netflix series in 2015!

Marc Strom @Strommy
Published Dec 22, 2014 Updated Dec 22, 2014

Marvel and Netflix are proud to announce that Mike Colter will star as Luke Cage in "Marvel's A.K.A. Jessica Jones," an all-new 13-episode series premiering on Netflix in 2015 following "Marvel's Daredevil."

During the course of an investigation in New York City, private investigator Jessica Jones encounters the enigmatic Luke Cage – a man whose past has secrets that will dramatically alter Jessica in ways she could never have imagined.
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Mike Colter to play Luke Cage, photo credit Kim Nicholais.
Colter will star opposite Krysten Ritter, who plays the title role in “Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones.”

“Mike embodies the strength, edge and depth of Luke Cage,” said Executive Producer/Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg. “We're excited to have him bring this iconic Marvel character to life.”

"Fans have longed to see Luke Cage and in Mike we’ve found the perfect actor,” said Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer/Marvel's Head of Television. "Viewers will get to meet Luke Cage in ‘Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones,’ and experience why he is such an important super hero in the Marvel mythos.”

Colter is currently starring in the XBox original series “Halo: Nightfall” as Jameson Locke. He has appeared in a number of critically-acclaimed television series, including “The Good Wife” and “American Horror Story: Coven.”

http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/9/f0/549862da38bee.jpg
Luke Cage Comic Book Art
After a tragic ending to her short-lived super hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.

"Marvel's A.K.A. Jessica Jones" is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix.

For more information on "Marvel's A.K.A. Jessica Jones," and the other exciting new Marvel Television series coming to Netflix, stay tuned to Marvel.com.

[GeneChing]

Will Civil War Cross Over with an Upcoming Marvel Netflix Series? (http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/673815-civil-war-marvel-netflix-crossover#/slide/1)
BY SILAS LESNICK ON APRIL 5, 2016

http://cdn2-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/2016/04/rashalfrebar.jpg
Jim Rash and Alfre Woodard are in Captain America: Civil War! Does the addition of the latter mean a Marvel Netflix series crossover?

As Captain America: Civil War prepares for its Hollywood premiere next Tuesday, April 12, Walt Disney Pictures has revealed that two additional actors are part of the film’s cast. Both Jim Rash (Community, The Way, Way Back) and Alfre Woodward (Desperate Housewives, True Blood) are listed on the studio’s premiere announcement. While there are no details yet available as to the extent of their respective roles, the addition of Woodard is of particular interest to fans of the Marvel Netflix series. After all, it was revealed last year that Woodard will be playing Mariah Dillard on the upcoming Marvel Netflix series, Luke Cage.

Dillard, a local Harlem politician (and cousin to Mahershala Ali’s Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes) is, in Luke Cage, looking to bring a new era of change to the streets she grew up on. Her personal life and professional career are thrown into turmoil by both Harlem’s newest hero Luke Cage as well as her cousin’s nefarious acts. Then again, Woodard may be playing a different character altogether in Civil War and we’ll have to wait a bit longer before we see more back and forth between the movies and the Marvel Netflix shows.

As for who Jim Rash might be playing, only time will tell. Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo are Community veterans, though, and previously cast star Danny Pudi for a quick but memorable role as a SHIELD agent in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Civil War is set to feature the return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America, this time joined by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as The Vision, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye and Don Cheadle as Jim Rhodes/War Machine. Sebastian Stan will also be back as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier alongside Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter / Agent 13, Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow / Crossbones, William Hurt as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man, and Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man.

(Photo Credit: Brian To / WENN.com) Too many crossovers. Too much to keep up with... :o

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_cufeg2SFs

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymw5uvViqPU

[GeneChing]

Review: 'Luke Cage' is Marvel's best TV series (http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2016/09/29/marvel-luke-cage-review/91229702/)
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY 10:47 a.m. EDT September 29, 2016

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(Photo: Myles Aronowitz/Netflix)

Harlem’s got a new superhero, and he’s the baddest man on the block.

Netflix’s Luke Cage (Friday, ***1/2 out of four) brings together what Marvel does best, in both its movie slate and its streaming series: Mike Colter’s good guy could probably hold his own against the Hulk, and he also has the emotional depth of Daredevil or Jessica Jones.

But Cage has the added appeal of timeliness, as a black man stands up for what’s right, even when he’s being shot at and his neighbors sometimes would rather he not stir up trouble.

After a brief introduction in Netflix’s Jessica Jones, Luke has moved from Hell’s Kitchen to Harlem, where he's working multiple jobs and has good reason to stay on the down low, though his barbershop boss Pop (Frankie Faison) tries to inspire him to do the right thing. Obviously, anyone who’s super-strong and bulletproof could probably help out around the community.

He gets a chance soon enough: Local gangster Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (a sublimely vicious Mahershala Ali) throws his weight around after a gun deal goes wrong, and a lot of his pull goes toward helping his ambitious politician cousin Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard), who wants to maintain Harlem's African-American status quo. “For black lives to matter,” she says, “black history should matter.”

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Mahershala Ali and Alfre Woodard play cousins out to rule Harlem in 'Luke Cage.' (Photo: Myles Aronowitz/Netflix)

Cage mines the cultural roots of its comic-book character’s blaxploitation beginnings, and weaves in elements of crime dramas such as The Wire. A whole lot happens in just the first seven episodes made available for preview of the 13-episode season — gang warfare, corrupt cops, big twists, wanton destruction by way of a bazooka, plus origin stories for our hero and both of his major foes — and some characters fall through the cracks.

But executive producer Cheo Hodari Coker (Southland) manages to keep most of it focused on Luke, and the sounds are good, too, one advantage of having that old snake Cottonmouth run a nightclub is getting musical luminaries like Raphael Saadiq and Faith Evans to appear on your series.

The success of the show firmly rests on the burly shoulders of Colter, (The Good Wife), who comes into his own as a bona fide star. He looks like a guy who could shake off having a building dropped on his head, but physical presence aside, Colter is full of charisma as the well-read, hoops fan Cage. The women all want him, and the men don’t want to get hit by him.

Coker’s surrounded Colter with a stellar supporting cast, Ali and Woodard give extra dimension to their complex antagonists, and Simone Missick is a welcome discovery as Misty Knight, a detective who acts as both Luke’s love interest and foil.

Cage is Marvel’s best TV series yet, yet more importantly he's the superhero that the world seems to need most right now, mainly because he’s the most real.

Cool. I just finished The Get Down (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69690-The-Get-Down)and Stranger Things. I need something new to watch.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Luke Cage reminds me of the "retired gunslinger or samurai", hero.
He just wants to be left alone, he didn't ask for this but deep down he knows that with these gifts he should do something.
He just wants a normal low-key life ( whereas anyone else with these powers would do the opposite).
Sort of the "never seek nor shun the fight".

[GeneChing]

...so I have yet to form an opinion on this yet. So far, so good.


Marvel's Luke Cage is so popular, it actually caused Netflix to crash (http://entertainment.ie/tv/news/Marvels-Luke-Cage-is-so-popular-it-actually-caused-Netflix-to-crash/385950.htm)

http://images.entertainment.ie/images_content/rectangle/620x372/luke-cage-still.jpg

Luke Cage has been one of Netflix's most hotly anticipated shows, so it should come as no surprise that pretty much everyone with a Netflix account was trying to watch it last night.

Set in the same universe as Daredevil, Jessica Jones and the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, Luke Cage follows the titular character as he struggles to defend Harlem from crime boss Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes, played by House of Cards alum Mahershala Ali.

The series was so popular, in fact, that last night saw Netflix go down across much of the US and in parts of the UK and Ireland.


Follow
Netflix CS ✔ @Netflixhelps
Hi all - we are aware of streaming issues and we are working quickly to solve them. We will update you when they are resolved.
12:25 PM - 1 Oct 2016
1,753 1,753 Retweets 3,303 3,303 likes

As best as we can tell, Netflix went down for a few hours between 5PM and 10PM last night our time. It does appear that only a small number of viewers in Ireland were affected, but it looks like normal service has been resumed and Netflix is back up and working.

Speaking of Luke Cage, we'll have our review of the entire season on Monday - once we actually get to finish it (we've been trying to pace ourselves, but it's SO GOOD).

[GeneChing]

The Bring the Ruckus scene was my fav so far. :)


When Luke Cage adds kung fu to the mix, its world gets richer (http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/when-luke-cage-adds-kung-fu-mix-its-world-gets-ric-243844)
By Ali Barthwell
Oct 9, 2016 12:47 PM

http://i.onionstatic.com/avclub/6044/30/16x9/960.jpg

B+
Marvel's Luke Cage
“Who’s Gonna Take The Weight”
Season 1 , Episode 3
Community Grade (19 Users) B

In the 1970s, the only two places to see a non-white action hero was either in a kung fu film or a blaxploitation one. The two genres came together in Enter The Dragon starring Bruce Lee and Jim Kelly, who went on to star in several martial-arts inspired blaxploitation films. One model for a kung fu hero is the outsider challenging the system, upholding the legacy of his mentor and living by his own code. Sound like anyone we know? I’m not going to say that Luke Cage is also a kung fu movie while also being a blaxploitation homage. But there are thematic and stylistic choices that blaxploitation and hip-hop take from kung fu. Like Dead Prez said “They say karate means ‘empty hands’ / So then it’s perfect for the poor man.”

What brings up these references to kung fu movies? The introduction of Wu-Tang Clan, whose debut studio album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), drew on martial arts and kung fu film dialogue alongside soul samples to create an image of New York City that was gritty, caustic, and on the edge of falling apart. The dialogue sampled in “Bring Da Ruckus”—the song Luke plays during his storming of the Crispus Attucks center—is from Shaolin And Wu-Tang, about a rivalry between two schools of martial arts. The film follows two students from two masters who are turned against each other by a feudal lord who attempts to have the students destroy each other, but the students come together to avenge the ones they’ve lost. (I was a little disappointed there aren’t as many parallels between Luke Cage and Shaolin And Wu-Tang, at least so far.) Most importantly, “Bring Da Ruckus” is about calling out all those who challenge you.

“Who’s Gonna Take The Weight” is where we see the teachings of Pop become action in Luke’s life. Luke goes from drop house to drop house destroying the guns of Cottonmouth’s men and revealing his money as well as the final “heist” at Crispus Attucks. Luke’s plan is to make sure Cottonmouth’s money ends up where he can’t get it: in the hands of police. Luke’s sense of honor motivates these attacks. He doesn’t start going after Cottonmouth and his money after he talks with Bobby Fish about the money needed to keep the barbershop alive. He just wants to take away the thing that gives Cottonmouth his power: his money. Everything that Cottonmouth has either comes from or is protected by his money.

Cottonmouth and Luke come together when Luke’s empty hands can’t pay for the funeral arrangements Pop deserves. As much as Cottonmouth is defined by money, Luke is defined by his lack of it. He’s the penniless warrior walking the earth like so many kung fu heroes before him. Luke appeals to the mortician’s sense of family and decency to put Pop’s arrangements on lay-away. Cottonmouth uses his cash to pay for the top-of-the-line casket. A hunt for Cottonmouth’s money put Pop in the ground; Cottonmouth’s weak spot for Pop and his influence on Cottonmouth’s life could bring Luke and Cottonmouth together, but instead Cottonmouth uses it to drive a wedge between them. Cottonmouth and Luke knew Pop at different times in his life. Cottonmouth knew him when Pop when his nickname was a reference to the violence he could inflict and Luke knew him as a figurative father-in-law. Luke also is shamed by Chico, another person touched by Pop’s influence. Chico accuses Luke of bringing all trouble to Pop’s shop. He claims that the bullet that killed Pop bounced off his back. Luke is as motivated by guilt as he is by Pop’s code of honor.

Pop was such a positive force for change that his death warrants a piece on the local news, and the vacuum created in his absence provides the opportunity for Cottonmouth and Domingo to battle more openly. Whether it’s at his club during the day watching a Charles Bradley rehearsal or a conference in the park with Mariah, Pop’s death seems to have emboldened the criminal element. The attack on Cottonmouth’s gang trying to move guns happens during the day. The nefarious activities in this episode are brought to the light. The hierarchies and relationships of the crime world are expanded and exposed.

The other part of the crime world that is brought to the light is Cottonmouth’s relationship with Rafael, Misty’s partner. Misty reveals she got into basketball because her father and Pop would argue about the sport while she watched. While Misty and Rafael deal with the wreckage Luke caused at the Crispus Attucks center, Rafael suggests that they let the vigilante do their work for them: Let him do a year’s worth of patrol work. Misty bristles at the suggestion because a vigilante would bring anarchy and a complete breakdown in the system. Another person who absorbed a strict moral code who spent their time watching Pop in his barbershop. Rafael takes Chico out for a burger and strangles him with a tie. Rafael offers Chico’s body as an offering to Cottonmouth and gives up Luke Cage’s home address because he’s tapped Misty’s GPS.

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Mahershala Ali as Cottonmouth, looking at casket options.

I’m not going to hide my glee that the sole white character in Luke Cage is a corrupt cop. Cottonmouth calls him “Virginia Slim” because he’s a skinny white *****. Bless.

When Luke goes to hit up “Fort Knox,” he doesn’t bring anything with him and he goes in the front door. The action sequence is brutal and Luke summoning the security that lies within is with one of the most classic kung-fu movie moves, “The Four Finger Beckon.” All of his moves are as if the security are flies buzzing around him. He uses the fewest moves possible and expends the least energy. It’s the most choreographed fight so far but it still lacks the flourish of a kung fu flick. It’s what this would look like in real life—if the hero was bullet proof.

He’s not afraid of whatever these men have at their disposal. He even uses the center against them, slamming them through walls, picking up a couch and swinging it with ease. In the end, Luke takes only what he needs and gives it to Bobby Fish to pay for the barbershop and to pay for the damage at Connie’s. Unfortunately, the real damage to Connie’s is coming. Buildings keep being destroyed in Luke’s wake and we’ll see who is left standing when the smoke clears.

Despite all the allusions to kung fu, Luke Cage is a man without style, without guile. Luke doesn’t have the finesse or grace of a martial arts master. He has no powers to master. Luke has no weapons or tools to command; he destroys the weapons right out of Cottonmouth’s goons’ hands. There’s no training montage for the man with impenetrable skin. As the world of Luke Cage grows more complicated with more motivations and allegiances coming to light, what makes Luke Cage special is simple. He’s big. He’s tough. He walks in the front door.

Stray observations

A friend of mine joked that Luke Cage’s fighting style is “annoyed.”
Domingo’s candy bar of choice are Milky Ways. Mine too, Domingo.
Enter The Wu-Tang is credited as being one of the most influential hip-hop albums in history, one that contributed to the resurgence of New York hip-hop as a major cultural force, brought indie and underground recording techniques and bizarre thematic characters to mainstream hip-hop.
Mariah is planning to build a new set of low-income housing all named for famous black heroes. That’s her ultimate goal, apparently.
This episode featured a lot of table-setting, thus the slightly lower grade than the first two episodes.

[GeneChing]

DECEMBER 04, 2016 11:28am PT by Lesley Goldberg
Marvel's 'Luke Cage' Renewed for Second Season at Netflix
(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/luke-cage-renewed-second-season-at-netflix-952525)
http://cdn4.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2016/09/luke_cage_still.jpg
Courtesy of Netflix

The streaming giant continues to build out its comic book universe.

Netflix is not done with Luke Cage.

The streaming giant on Sunday announced that it has renewed the Marvel drama for a second season.

The series is Marvel's third drama for Netflix, joining Daredevil (renewed for its third season) and Jessica Jones (renewed for season two), with a fourth — Iron Fist — due in 2017. The stars of all four shows will team for Marvel mash-up The Defenders, which is awaiting a premiere date at Netflix.

Luke Cage stars Mike Colter as the titular superhero, an African-American ex-con with bulletproof skin and superhuman strength living in Harlem. The series has been praised for its inclusive casting and timeliness, with THR TV critic Daniel Fienberg calling it "vital and alive and of-the-moment."

Mahershala Ali, Alfre Woodard, Simone Missick, Theo Rossi and Frank Whaley round out the cast of the drama that was developed by Cheo Hodari Coker and Marvel. It's unclear when season two of Luke Cage will debut, given Netflix's crowded Marvel landscape and forthcoming miniseries The Defenders, in which Colter will reprise his role alongside stars from Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist.

Marvel has become a major provider of content for Netflix. In addition to the four dramas and upcoming mini Defenders, Marvel next has Daredevil spinoff The Punisher, starring Jon Bernthal. The comic book powerhouse also has FX's Noah Hawley X-Men take Legion due on top of ABC veteran Agents of SHIELD and Imax co-production The Inhumans, the latter of which is set for fall. On the development side, Marvel is working with Hulu on The Runaways and scored a straight-to-series order at Freeform for Cloak and Dagger, the latter of which is due in 2018 and remains uncast.

I guess I should finish season 1...:o

[GeneChing]

I remember owning his book, The Art of Stretching and Kicking, way back when I was in my teens.


‘Luke Cage’ Stunt Coordinator Talks Set Dangers Following Tragedies: “We’re Only Making Entertainment, It’s Not Worth it” (http://deadline.com/2017/09/stunt-coordinator-james-lew-tragedy-stunt-actor-deaths-emmys-1202166340/)
by Antonia Blyth
September 10, 2017 6:46pm

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/shutterstock_9049693i.jpg?w=446&h=299&crop=1
REX/Shutterstock

While the industry is still reeling from the recent deaths of stuntman John Bernecker on the set of The Walking Dead and stuntwoman Joi Harris on the set of Deadpool 2, there were no mention of the tragic accidents by either of the two stunt coordinators who picked up awards at the Creative Emmys.

However, James Lew of Marvel’s Luke Cage, winner for Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Drama Series, Limited Series Or Movie, spoke backstage–without referencing Bernecker or Harris personally–about the importance of safeguarding stunt actors. “I truly believe that the more experienced stunt coordinator,” he said, “you can give a better judgement on what you feel is not going to work story-wise, and also for danger. I like to tell producers, ‘I like to be stupid safe, because we’re only making entertainment, it’s not worth it.'”

In the Stunt Coordination For A Comedy Series Or Variety Program category, winner Eddie Perez for Shameless said onstage, in accepting the award, “We put our lives at stake every day when we go to work, and I appreciate that everybody supports us.”

Bernecker also was not featured in the In Memoriam montage that was played on both nights of the Creative Emmys. It is unclear whether he would be in the similar segment that airs during the main telecast next weekend. Bernecker is on the In Memoriam list of 2017 deaths posted on TV Academy’s web site.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Stuntmen has always been the unsung heroes of the industry.
The amount of training and work they do is amazing.
You'd think that they would get far better recognition than they do now, especially from the actors that they make look so good.

[GeneChing]

...the comic, not the Netflix show...


LUKE CAGE Cancelled Due to Poor Sales, WALKER Elaborates (https://www.newsarama.com/37890-luke-cage-confirmed-cancelled.html)
By George Marston, Newsarama Contributor
December 20, 2017 10:56am ET

https://img.purch.com/o/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5uZXdzYXJhbWEuY29tL2ltYWdlcy9pLzAwMC 8xOTYvNTk4L2kwMi9MdWtlX0NhZ2VfMV9Db3Zlci5qcGc=
Credit: Marvel Comics

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Credit: Marvel Comics

Luke Cage has been cancelled by Marvel, according to series writer David F. Walker. Walker confirmed the cancellation on Twitter after the title was not included in Marvel's March 2018 solicitations.

"Sad but true...Luke Cage (the comic book, not the TV series) has been cancelled," Walker said. "Issue #170 is the last (and best) of the series. Oh well, on to other adventures. Thanks to everyone who supported the series."

"Time to get real," he continued. "Luke Cage was cancelled because it sold poorly. Very poorly. There are various factors that contributed to those poor sales, but they all add up to the same conclusion. The success of superheroes in film, television and video games only carries over to comics when people actually buy the comics. Truth is not many people buy comics. Of the top 10 best selling comics in November, only four sold more than 100,000 units. That's sad."

Luke Cage #170 is scheduled for a February 21 release.

[Jimbo]

I'm not surprised that comic books don't sell. Time and the world have moved on. 'Comic-Con' decades ago ceased having anything to do with 'comics'. They should change the name to 'Hollywood-Con' or 'Cosplay-Con'.

I liked the early original Luke Cage comics (Hero For Hire/Power Man). That was back in the '70s, when the character was fresh and the concepts were fun. The comics I've browsed through nowadays all look the same and take themselves WAY too seriously. I even liked Luke Cage's corny exclamations: "Sweet sister!" "Sweet Christmas!" :)

[GeneChing]

An Emmy for a Martial Master. READ Life Is Good: Catching Up with James Lew (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1393)by Corey Danna.

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/admin/site_images/KungfuMagazine/upload/1478_James-Lew-award.jpg

This article is in conjunction with Emmy Award for Martial Arts Legend by Corey Danna in our JAN+FEB 2018 issue. (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1390)

Thread: SHAOLIN SPECIAL January+February 2018 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70538-SHAOLIN-SPECIAL-January-February-2018)
Thread: Luke Cage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68058-Luke-Cage&p=1304845#post1304845)
Thread: James Lew (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?13969-James-Lew)

[GeneChing]

So I'll post this here because John Bernecker's death because it was mentioned here before (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68058-Luke-Cage&p=1304845#post1304845) (It was also mentioned on the Deadpool 2 thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69436-Deadpool-2) but that's more about Joi.


'Walking Dead' Production Company Fined for "Serious" Citation Over Stuntman's Death (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/walking-dead-production-company-given-maximum-fine-stuntmans-death-1072086)
2:47 PM PST 1/5/2018 by Lauren Huff

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2017/07/john_bernecker.jpg
John Bernecker

OSHA issued the maximum fine allowable, citing the company's "failure to provide adequate protection from fall hazards," following its investigation into John Bernecker's death.
Following the death of 33-year-old Walking Dead stuntman John Bernecker in July 2017, OSHA has imposed the maximum fine allowable in the citation's category against the show's production company, Stalwart Films LLC. The stuntman fell more than 20 feet on the Georgia set of the show July 12.

OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, issued a "serious" citation "for the company’s failure to provide adequate protection from fall hazards" following its investigation into Bernecker's death. The fine for the citation is $12,675.

According to its website, the majority of OSHA citations are listed as "serious," as opposed to "willfull" or "repeat" violations, which are considered more serious.

“This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the entertainment industry,” said OSHA Atlanta regional administrator Kurt Petermeyer in a statement. “The entire industry needs to commit to safety practices for actors and stunt people involved in this type of work.”

The company now has 15 business days to comply or contest the findings.

In response to the fine, Stalwart Films LLC released the following statement, obtained by THR: "This was a tragic and terrible accident. We take the safety of our employees extremely seriously on all of our sets and comply with — and frequently exceed — industry safety standards. We disagree with the issuance of this citation and are considering our response.”

In addition to OSHA's investigation, SAG-AFTRA announced at the time it was looking into the matter as well.

According to a sheriff's report issue following the incident, it took almost a half-hour for the medevac to reach Bernecker. The report also stated that prior to his fall, Bernecker had told an actor that he had done “a few” high fall stunts before, but “never this high up” and, per the report, he seemed nervous beforehand.

Bernecker was supposed to fall off of a balcony and onto the collection of pads, boxes and PortaPit pads below, but he missed them by inches. Production on The Walking Dead was halted following his death, but resumed days later on July 17.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, arts, entertainment and recreation is the 12th most dangerous industry in Georgia, with 5.3 nonfatal injuries and illnesses for every 100 workers in 2015, the most recent year with data available. The California rate was 4.6 per hundred.

Stuntman John Bernecker died from injuries sustained during a fall on the AMC show, now filming its eighth season.


Jan. 5, 3:57 p.m. Updated to clarify the different types of citations; added Stalwart Films LLC statement.

[GeneChing]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DT1diMIUMAAdFLu.jpg:large

Thread: SHAOLIN SPECIAL January+February 2018 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70538-SHAOLIN-SPECIAL-January-February-2018)
Thread: Luke Cage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68058-Luke-Cage&p=1304845#post1304845)
Thread: James Lew (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?13969-James-Lew)

[GeneChing]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DT6hSOgVwAAOnBp.jpg:large

Thread: SHAOLIN SPECIAL January+February 2018 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70538-SHAOLIN-SPECIAL-January-February-2018)
Thread: Luke Cage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68058-Luke-Cage&p=1304845#post1304845)
Thread: James Lew (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?13969-James-Lew)

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOkh-mM27Es

[GeneChing]

https://fsmedia.imgix.net/36/10/8b/6e/80a5/4f91/a785/ba128bb59851/daughtersofthedragonsimonemissickjpg.jpeg?rect=0%2 C0%2C1000%2C500&auto=format%2Ccompress&w=650

'Luke Cage' Star Has Ideas for a 'Daughters of the Dragon' Spin-Off (https://www.inverse.com/article/46334-luke-cage-season-2-simone-missick-shares-daughters-of-the-dragon-series-ideas)
With Season 2 bringing the Marvel duo to live-action, Simone Missick shares her thoughts on a full-fledged series.
By Eric Francisco on June 23, 2018

The series may be titled Luke Cage, but Simone Missick regularly steals the spotlight as the hard-boiled Harlem police detective Misty Knight. And in one episode of Season 2, now streaming on Netflix, Misty Knight teams up with a new friend, kung fu master Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) from Iron Fist, bringing to life the cool-as-ice duo known as the Daughters of the Dragon.

In an interview with Inverse, Missick reveals she has serious thoughts about a live-action Daughters of the Dragon show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And in the climate of #MeToo, the Michigan-born Marvel actress says a Daughters series would be especially relevant, socially and politically.

When asked if Missick would be interested in a Daughters of the Dragon series, she replied, “Absolutely.”

“Jessica [Henwick] and I are very similar in the way we look at storytelling for women, for women of color, making sure that the narrative is authentic,” Missick says. “I think the two of us would make sure that we tell stories that are culturally and politically relevant in this time period right now.”

So what would Missick’s culturally relevant Daughters of the Dragon series look like? “Not stereotypical or derisive against Asian women, African-American women, women in general,” she explains.

In comics, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing first teamed up as the Daughters of the Dragon in issue #64 of Marvel Team-Up, a Spider-Man-centric series that often featured Spidey briefly join forces with characters like the Human Torch, Thor, Daredevil, She-Hulk, Black Widow, Shang-Chi.

Sure, we all want our own spin-off. :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

https://fsmedia.imgix.net/85/aa/cd/1d/5c85/4903/98e5/ee61334f9aa3/powermanironfistjpg.jpeg?rect=0%2C0%2C1000%2C500&auto=format%2Ccompress&w=650

Why the Big 'Luke Cage' Season 2 Crossover Is More Than a Marvel Easter Egg (https://www.inverse.com/article/46423-luke-cage-season-2-iron-fist-crossover-history-of-kung-fu-in-hip-hop)
Cheo Hodari Coker unpacks the history of kung fu in hip-hop.
By Eric Francisco on June 28, 2018

Filed Under Fighting, Hip-Hop, Iron Fist, Marvel Comics, Marvel Movies, Marvel Universe, Netflix, Superheroes, The Defenders & TV Shows
In the tenth episode of Marvel’s Luke Cage Season 2, now streaming on Netflix, the eponymous hero (played by Mike Colter) teams up with an old buddy from The Defenders: billionaire kung fu master Danny Rand, known as the Immortal Iron Fist (Finn Jones). Together in the comics, the two are the “Heroes for Hire,” a dynamic duo of contrasts who fight crime side-by-side.

But bringing Marvel’s tag team to life on Netflix is more than an ass-kicking Easter egg. For showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, it represents the intersection where black and Asian-American pop culture meet.

In Luke Cage, Danny comes to Pop’s Barbershop to help his bulletproof BFF take down Bushmaster. On bringing Iron Fist to his show, Coker says he wanted a throwback to kung fu movies like the Iron Fist comics of yore.

“I felt if we had the chance to have [Iron Fist] in our show, it would be more like the comic book and a lot more like that friendship,” Coker tells Inverse. “Capture that Enter the Dragon flavor that comic was always supposed to have.”

But there’s more to evoking kung fu than aesthetics. “There’s so much that comes from that crossing of culture,” he says. “The reason Grandmaster Flash is called ‘Grandmaster’ is because he and his friends would come and go to the kung fu forts on 42nd Street.”

https://fsmedia.imgix.net/f4/67/00/83/7100/4de9/a9ac/b04a87bae8c2/finn-jones-left-and-mike-colter-right-in-season-2-of-luke-cage-on-netflix.jpeg?rect=0%2C434%2C5627%2C2811&auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200
Finn Jones (left) and Mike Colter (right) in Season 2 of 'Luke Cage' on Netflix.

In 2018, Asian media like K-pop and anime attract a diverse audience, including many African-Americans. But for Coker’s generation, the racial crossover came in the appetite for kung fu films by black audiences. Ground zero for this intersection were the grimy theaters of Manhattan, like the Cine 42 nestled in the heart of Times Square before it became a sanitized tourist destination.

If Coker didn’t catch the Saturday kung fu marathons on local TV stations in Connecticut, the soon-to-be producer watched John Woo and Shaw Brothers flicks like The 36 Chambers of Shaolin and The Eight Pole Diagram Fighter in New York for a buck fifty.

“I’ve always wanted to do a modernized version of Last Hurrah of Chivalry or A Better Tomorrow,” Coker says.

In fact, it was in the same theaters Coker frequented where the legendary hip-hop outfit the Wu-Tang Clan was born. “I got my introduction to kung fu flicks in ‘78 or ‘79,” wrote Wu-Tang founder RZA in the 2004 book Wu-Tang Manual. “At that point, all of 42nd Street had kung fu movies.”

On one cold night, RZA and the late rapper ODB found refuge “at this funky theater at 42nd Street and 7th Avenue.” Screening that night was Gordon Li’s 1983 classic, Shaolin and Wu Tang.

“When it came on, it woke us up,” RZA recalled. “It was the best kung-fu movie I’d ever seen in my life — the fighting, the ideas, the concepts, everything.”

https://fsmedia.imgix.net/8b/58/67/98/9f98/41a3/bef2/f038f389c5f0/shaolin-vs-wu-tang-1983.jpeg?rect=81%2C41%2C2296%2C1148&auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200
'Shaolin vs. Wu Tang' (1983).

A variety of forces led to the crossover of black and Asian cinema in the 1970s: White flight to the suburbs, black veterans returning home from Korea and Vietnam, and the meteoric growth of Asia’s economy created a storm for artistic intersectionality.

“As white people abandoned the cities, downtown theaters became spaces for people of color,” said Amy Obugo Ongiri, author of Spectacular Blackness, in a 2009 interview with SF Gate. “Theater owners started screening stuff that was less marketable, mostly cheap imports — and that meant martial arts movies.”

But arguably no one did as much to popularize kung fu as Bruce Lee, the film icon whose achievements exude the mystique of folk hero. Among many things, Lee was a progressive who taught non-Chinese, including black people, kung fu. NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was among Lee’s students.

“In the 1970s, [Bruce] Lee was a rare non-white leading man, and an unfeasibly cool one at that,” observed Phil Hoad for The Guardian. “His creed of righteous self-reliance appealed to black audiences, who were emerging from the civil rights struggles … Martial arts films, like blaxploitation, were adrenalin-drunk revenge fantasies.”

“There was a time in hip-hop where people would actually dress like Bruce Lee,” Coker remembers. “They used to call it the kung fu suits, that black suit Bruce Lee would wear. They would walk around in the kung fu suit and maybe had nunchucks. That **** was real.”

https://fsmedia.imgix.net/62/27/be/4c/6db0/42cf/a766/a7fc22fe793a/bruce-lee-and-kareem-abdul-jabbar-in-the-1978-film-game-of-death-released-several-years-after-lee.jpeg?rect=0%2C35%2C800%2C400&auto=format%2Ccompress&w=800
Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in the 1978 film 'Game of Death' released several years after Lee's death.

Lee’s death in 1973, just before the release of his first and only Hollywood film Enter the Dragon, ignited a voracious hunger. Pop culture exploded with martial arts, from the popular TV series Kung Fu with David Carradine to the 1974 pop jingle “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas.

Kung fu’s popularity soon inspired one Roy Thomas. Like many comic book creators, Thomas lived and worked in New York and created Iron Fist after watching a kung fu movie in the city. While Thomas imagined Iron Fist as a white American who learns kung fu in mystical K’un-Lun (which became an issue for the Netflix series decades later), Iron Fist is still energized by the west’s obsession for Asian culture.

When sales of Iron Fist and Luke Cage’s comics began to decline, Marvel editors paired the two together, creating the iconic series Power Man and Iron Fist. Even after their series ended, the two characters often appeared together in Marvel crossovers and revivals. The most recent iteration of Power Man and Iron Fist, written by David F. Walker in 2016, ran for fifteen issues.

https://fsmedia.imgix.net/7d/95/0d/88/b607/4b73/95c8/c1b8afe3a20c/cover-of-power-man-and-iron-fist-15-illustrated-by-sanford-greene.jpeg?rect=0%2C649%2C1280%2C641&auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200
Cover of 'Power Man and Iron Fist' #15, illustrated by Sanford Greene.

Now, they’re back again in the Marvel/Netflix franchise. “That was one of the things we wanted to capture in the show,” Coker says about the Heroes for Hire, “these fights having a deep kung fu base.”

“I’ve told all of my fight choreographers, I want Shaw Brothers’ type coverage, not the hyper-cut Paul Greengrass does in Bourne Identity,” he explains. “I want where you actually see people fighting in frame. The Wachowski Brothers did that. Quentin did it with Kill Bill. Those fight scenes, that’s where the fun is. That’s where the genre is. It’s important to reflect that.”

Marvel’s Luke Cage is streaming now on Netflix.


THREADS:
Luke Cage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68058-Luke-Cage)
Iron Fist (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49086-Iron-Fist)

[GeneChing]

First Iron Fist (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49086-Iron-Fist&p=1311091#post1311091) (thankfully) now Luke (not so grateful).


Netflix Pulls The Plug On ‘Luke Cage’, No Season 3 For Marvel’s Harlem Hero (https://deadline.com/2018/10/luke-cage-cancelled-marvel-netflx-mike-colter-cheo-hodari-coker-1202486487/)
by Dominic Patten
and Nellie Andreeva
October 19, 2018 7:14pm

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/luke-cage-s2-feature-image-wordpress.jpg?w=768&h=515&crop=1
Netflix

EXCLUSIVE: One week after Iron Fist was canned and the same day that the long awaited third season of Daredevil launched, Netflix has canceled Luke Cage.

“Unfortunately, Marvel’s Luke Cage will not return for a third season,” Marvel and the streaming service said on Friday. “Everyone at Marvel Television and Netflix is grateful to the dedicated showrunner, writers, cast and crew who brought Harlem’s Hero to life for the past two seasons, and to all the fans who have supported the series.”

This axing of Luke Cage came as a surprise.

A writers’ room under showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker had been working for around six months producing scripts and taking notes from Netflix and Marvel. As actors including lead Mike Colter remained under contract, a formal Season 3 order was considered almost a foregone conclusion by all concerned.

After rising tensions over the past month, that conclusion was scrapped as it all went distinctly south in the last 48 hours.

The pink slipping of Luke Cage was ultimately a combo of the age old Hollywood “creative differences” and the inability for the parties involved to reach a deal on how to move forward, according to sources. With a season springing from the conclusion of the June 22-launched Season 2 plotted out months ago, detailed drafts for the first half of the 10-episode projected third season were delivered to Marvel and Netflix this week.

We hear that some execs had issues with the more developed scripts, even though the scripts strongly incorporated suggestions from both Netflix and Marvel brass.

Add to that, the writers’ room was put on hold for a week in September as the streamer and the Disney-owned company were figuring out the mechanisms of changing the deal for the planned Luke Cage third season from the original 13 episodes to 10 episodes. It eventually escalated to behind-the-scenes turmoil in the past two days and demands for changes in creative regime. With Marvel and Netflix seemingly intractable and on different sides of the disputes, a harsh cancelation became the only viable exit strategy, it appears.

The revolving door of showrunners on Marvel’s Netflix shows has made new creative teams coming and going almost the norm. There have been new showrunners for every season of Daredevil, Raven Metzner took over Iron Fist for its second and final season, and Jessica Jones’ Melissa Rosenberg is heading off to an overall deal with WBTV once Season 3 of the Krysten Ritter-led series is done.

In another sense, the cancellation was a done deal as the situation became tense on the corporate level. The Marvel shows on Netflix are costly to make, even with New York’s generous tax credits. Back in 2013, the streamer paid top dollar for the series that it doesn’t even own, so cutting Luke Cage loose was a shifting bottom line call. With the high cost, there has been pressure on the Marvel series to overperform in viewership. That was easier early on when they were among a handful of Netflix originals but is getting harder today as they compete with dozens of other buzzy shows on the Internet network.

At this point there are no plans for owner Marvel to resurrect Luke Cage on the upcoming Disney streaming service. But, being that the Simone Missick co-starrer crashed Netflix in its first season opening weekend in September 2016 and had a very well watched and well received 13-episode Season 2, it could be a Sweet Christmas, as Cage likes to quip

After the end of the Finn Jones-led Iron Fist on October 12 and now Luke Cage down for the count, the number of Marvel series on Netflix has been cut by 40%. Only the Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio toplined Daredevil series, Jessica Jones and The Punisher remain.

As things stand, the Ritter-fronted and the Jon Bernthal-fueled shows have been renewed for third and second seasons, respectively, and are still on track for their scheduled launch dates. There has never been an intention for a second season of the organizationally challenging The Defenders miniseries, as Netflix VP original content Cindy Holland told Deadline this summer.

No formal word yet if Netflix’s first Marvel series Daredevil will be coming back for a fourth season. However, with the axe swinging, a lack of Daredevil Season 4 would be the clearest indication that the once warm and fuzzy halcyon days between Marvel and Netflix has hit an ice age.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/defenders_key-art.jpg?w=300&h=445

[GeneChing]

Curious what price they'll bring and imagining what price the original MCU memorabilia might garner.



CULTURE & LIFESTYLE
Published March 21, 2019
Marvel Television Props & Costumes To Be Auctioned for the First Time Ever by Prop Store (https://www.marvel.com/articles/culture-lifestyle/marvel-television-props-costumes-to-be-auctioned)
Fans and collectors will have the opportunity to own an authentic piece of 'Marvel's Daredevil,' 'Marvel's Luke Cage,' and 'Marvel's Iron Fist'!
BY MARVEL
Prop Store, one of the leading film and TV memorabilia companies, in association with the world renowned Marvel Entertainment, has today announced it is hosting the first ever MARVEL TELEVISION live auction featuring original costumes, props and set decoration from "Marvel’s Daredevil," "Marvel’s Luke Cage" and "Marvel’s Iron Fist."

https://terrigen-cdn-dev.marvel.com/content/prod/1x/announcement.jpg

Over 750 lots will be offered in this first of its kind live two-day auction, taking place in August 2019 at Prop Store’s auction facility in Los Angeles County, California. In addition to live bidding, out-of-town fans can participate via telephone or online via www.propstore.com/marvel. You can now subscribe to receive e-mail updates about the auction and bidding opens in July 2019.

Chuck Costas, VP of Business Development & Operations for Prop Store, commented on the upcoming auction: “Marvel created ground-breaking television with the shows featuring their 'Street Level Heroes' including Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. The shows were true to their comic book roots, and fans can now celebrate these shows and appreciate the art that went into creating them by owning a real piece of their production."

Mike Pasciullo, SVP, Marvel Marketing and Communications, spoke about the upcoming auction: “The props and costumes created for these series are the living embodiment of the comics come to life. We’re happy to work with Prop Store to give fans this unique opportunity to own authentic iconic mementos that were used to create these beloved Marvel shows."


THREADS:
Luke Cage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68058-Luke-Cage)
Iron Fist (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49086-Iron-Fist)
Daredevil (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?19985-DareDevil)

[GeneChing]

New 'Star Wars' Movie in the Works With 'Sleight' Filmmaker (Exclusive) (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-movie-works-jd-dillard-matt-owens-1280459)
FEBRUARY 21, 2020 2:40PM by Borys Kit

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/768x433/2020/02/star_wars_j.d._dillard_inset.jpg
Inset: J.D. Dillard | Lucasfilm/Photofest; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Director J.D. Dillard and 'Luke Cage' writer Matt Owens have been tapped to develop a project, but it is unclear whether it is a theatrical or Disney+ release.
As Lucasfilm maps out the next phase of Star Wars movies, executives are grappling with this question as development moves ahead: Which characters and stories justify theatrical releases and which should arrive exclusively on the streaming platform Disney+?

The Hollywood Reporter learned Friday that a new Star Wars project is in the works: J.D. Dillard, best known for writing and directing the sci-fi thriller Sleight, and Matt Owens, a writer on the Marvel shows Luke Cage and Agents of SHIELD, have been tapped to develop it. But insiders say it is undecided whether the project will be for the big screen or for Disney's highly prioritized streaming platform.

Plot, character and setting details are unknown and are being kept in the murky underworld of Exegol. It also is unclear whether Dillard would direct, should the project move forward. The Dillard project is understood to be unrelated to a Star Wars film pitch by Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige and potential work from Last Jedi director Rian Johnson.

Disney and Lucasfilm appear to be shifting gears on the franchise to help boost Disney+, with Disney chairman Bob Iger saying earlier this month that Star Wars’ foreseeable future was in television, with theatrical movies going on a hiatus. The next theatrical film remains on the release calendar for Dec. 16, 2022, with other entries planned in December 2024 and December 2026.

While Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has grossed $1.07 billion globally since its December launch and will likely end its run as the sixth-highest-grossing film worldwide of 2019, the trend line for Star Wars films at the box office has declined during the Disney era since 2015's Force Awakens' $2.07 billion haul. The 2018 spinoff film Solo, in particular, grossed $392.9 million and led Iger to concede last September in a New York Times profile that "we might've put a little bit too much in the marketplace too fast."

Meanwhile, since its Nov. 12 launch, The Mandalorian, the series created by Jon Favreau, has been credited with helping to drive Disney+ to 28.6 million subscribers. (A second season of The Mandalorian is set to arrive in October.) On a Feb. 4 call with investors, Iger described the show as "a bona fide hit and a cultural phenomenon" and said the studio has "a few Star Wars series in varying stages of production and development."

Iger added that "the priority for Star Wars in the short term is going to be, I'll call it television for Disney+, and then we will have more to say about development of theatrical soon after that."

Disney+ Star Wars spinoffs are now being targeted even as several other shows are in the works, including one centering on Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and another on Rogue One character Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna). And, on Friday, the first episode of the seventh season of the revived animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars landed on the streaming platform.

Owens is currently co-writing One Piece, an ambitious live-action adaptation of the manga, for Netflix. He is repped by CAA and Circle of Confusion.

Dillard made waves with 2016's Sleight, a genre thriller that was well-received when it debuted at Sundance and subsequently picked up by Focus. His last movie was Sweetheart, a horror thriller that starred Kiersey Clemons, and he recently helmed an episode of Utopia, the Gillian Flynn-created series set up at Amazon. Dillard already has some Star Wars experience, as he worked in a production capacity on 2015's The Force Awakens and played a stormtrooper in Rise of Skywalker. Dillard is repped by CAA, Circle of Confusion and law firm Ginsburg Daniels.



The Hollywood Reporter
BORYS KIT
@borys_kit


THREADS
Star Wars rumor control (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?36548-Star-Wars-rumor-control)
Luke Cage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68058-Luke-Cage)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65907-Marvel-s-Agents-of-S-H-I-E-L-D)