Mission: Impossible 5 Release Date Confirmed

Paramount have confirmed the release date for the fifth Mission: Impossible movie.

Although it was known that Tom Cruise would be returning to the big screen as Ethan Hunt at some point in 2015, it has now been announced that the film will launch on Christmas Day that year.

This places the film in direct competition with JJ Abrams' Star Wars Episode VII, which launches a week earlier.

Abrams will be in competition with himself that festive season, as he will also produce M:I 5 with Cruise and Skydance Productions chief David Ellison.

It is yet to be confirmed whether Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Simon Pegg will reprise their roles from the fourth M:I movie, Ghost Protocol, and there is no word on who will be assuming the villain duty this time around.

Iron Man 3's Drew Pearce has written the script for the fifth film, while Christopher McQuarrie will direct.

The franchise had looked to be dead after a lacklustre third effort, but 2011's wonderful Ghost Protocol really breathed some new life into the series, and with perma-youth Cruise reasserting his action chops with last year's Jack Reacher, this really looks like being a fantastic Christmas present for movie fans.

Although if they call it "Mi5sion: Impo5sible" or any other such varient on the bullshit "numbers for letters" fad, I'm boycotting...

Sons Of Anarchy Spin-Off Planned

Kurt Sutter has revealed his plans for a prequel series to Sons Of Anarchy, dealing with the founding of the club, and the legendary "First Nine".

Sutter broke the news of the potential Sons of Anarchy spinoff while attending the Sons for Sandy Relief event in Asbury Park, NJ, on Sunday.

"I've had discussions with [FX] about it, and I think they are open to it," he said.

"I think there is something really interesting about the origins of the club. And to do a period piece set in the '60s, post-Vietnam could be kind of cool."

He continued: "I don't think we would dovetail and start right after the series ended, but it's something I'm potentially excited about it."

Should the show go ahead, that would mean that we would finally see John Teller in action, alongside younger versions of SOA characters Clay, Gemma, Piney, Keith McGee and Lenny The Pimp.

Sons Of Anarchy is currently airing its sixth and penultimate season.

Tom And Lalla Reunite For Big Finish?

The latest issue of DWM, due out tomorrow, is expected to reveal that Tom Baker and Lalla Ward are to appear together for Big Finish, first in adaptations of Gareth Robert's Missing Adventures stories The Romance Of Crime and The English Way Of Death, and then the fifth season of the Fourth Doctor Adventures. John Leeson will be back as K9 to join them.

Lalla Ward played the second Romana in the TV series, appearing across two seasons, and she and Baker married after an on-set romance, but since their divorce the two have reportedly rarely spoken.

Theirs was a popular pairing, so if it is true that Big Finish have been able to reunite them, then this would be quite the coup for the company.

As for the two novels reportedly being adapted, The Romance Of Crime was published in 1995, and featured Classic Series enemies The Ogrons, while 1996's The English Way Of Death featured the TARDIS trio battling a vapourious foe in 1930s Sussex.

Both are cracking adventures, so hopefully these rumours are true - it would be a real treat to hear Tom and Lalla acting them out (even if they have to record their parts in different rooms...)

Drew Goddard For Daredevil?

The Wrap are reporting that former Buffy scribe Drew Goddard has been approached to script the upcoming Daredevil mini-series.

The popular writer, who has also worked on Lost and Alias, as well as producing the screenplays for Cloverfield, World War Z and The Cabin In The Woods, is allegedly in negotiations as we speak.

Daredevil is one of four shows being developed for Netflix by Marvel, with the other three being live-action debuts for Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones. The characters will then join forces for a Defenders mini-series. Disney CEO Bob Iger has suggested that, should these series be a success, the characters could head for the big screen.

Marvel have recently reaquired the rights to Daredevil, who was played by Ben Affleck in his sole bigscreen adventure.

The series will appear in 2015.

Ghost TV Series In Development

The hit 1990 Patrick Swayze/Demi Moore movie Ghost is being redeveloped for TV.

Paramount Television is working on the TV pilot adaptation, although no network is currently attached to the project. Variety reports that Fringe producers Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner are on board.

It is Paramount Television's second attempt at a TV show based on a classic movie, after it co-produced a Beverly Hills Cop pilot earlier this year which failed to be picked up.


Beverly Hills Cop would seem to lend itself to a weekly series far more than Ghost, so that probably doesn't bode well for Ghost's chances.

But if the proposed series focuses more on the "dead man tracking his killers" aspect, and less on the "supernatural erotic pottery" side of things, it could well be one to watch out for.

Statham For Layer Cake 2

Jason Statham is to take the lead role in the follow-up to Layer Cake, taking over from Daniel Craig.

Statham and his manager and producing partner Steve Chasman have acquired the rights to J.J. Connolly's novel Viva La Madness, Deadline reports.

As with the 2004 original, Connolly is now adapting his novel into a screenplay.

Statham will play Craig's nameless character, who was last seen trying to survive a gunshot wound in Layer Cake.


Viva La Madness follows the anti-hero as he tries to find somewhere to retire. However, he soon becomes involved with a trans-Atlantic drug deal, money laundering and fraud.

It is not known if Craig was approached to reprise his star-making role, but given Statham's involvement in purchasing the rights to the novel, I'd assume not.

No release date has been set as of this time.

Truly Weird Spidey 2 Pic

The Times Of India have published a bizarre new image from the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man 2.

The picture shows Spider-Man in FDNY gear apparently helping to fight a fire. How this fits in to the bigger picture is a mystery at the minute, but I wouldn't have thought that a fire hose would be the best weapon to use against Electro.

Parker, control yourself. You don't use water on electrical fires...

Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Sally Field, Chris Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore and Paul Giamatti, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens in the UK on April 18, 2014 and May 2, 2014 in the US.