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Film News Roundup: Michael B. Jordan, Jordan Vogt-Roberts Team for Monster Movie

In today’s film news roundup, Michael B. Jordan is producing a creature feature, billiards champ Cisero Murphy is getting a movie, the sixth Terminator movie gets a title, and Graham King receives an honor.

PROJECT UNVEILED

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New Regency and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society are partnering on an untitled monster movie from “Kong: Skull Island” director Jordan Vogt-Roberts.

Vogt-Roberts, who’s based in Detroit, will produce alongside Outlier Society’s Jordan and Alana Mayo as well as New Regency. Exact plot details are being kept under wraps other than the project being set in Detroit. A search for a writer will get underway immediately.

“Kong: Skull Island” grossed $565 million at the global box office, leading Legendary to ramp up its Monsterverse franchise with the upcoming “Godzilla vs. Kong.” His other credits include “The Kings of Summer,” which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and the pilot for FX show “You’re the Worst,” in addition to episodes in the final season, which is currently airing. He is attached to the film adaptation of video game “Metal Gear Solid” for Sony Pictures.

New Regency produced “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which won four Academy Awards and grossed $879 million worldwide. It’s also set to release James Gray’s upcoming “Ad Astra,” starring Brad Pitt, Ruth Negga, Tommy Lee Jones, and Donald Sutherland.

Outlier Society was founded by Jordan in 2016 and was one of the first companies to publicly adopt the inclusion rider. It’s signed a first-look film deal with Warner Bros. Studios and a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios earlier this year. Forthcoming projects include an adaption of “Red Wolf”; WWII action drama “The Liberators”; “61st Street” for AMC; and the OWN drama series “David Makes Man” from Tarell Alvin McCraney.

Jordan broke out as Oscar Grant in the drama “Fruitvale Station” and portrayed boxer Adonis Creed in the two “Rocky” sequels. He played the antagonist Erik Killmonger in last year’s hit “Black Panther.” Vogt-Roberts is represented by UTA and 3 Arts Entertainment. Jordan and Outlier Society are represented by WME.

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The Lagralane Group and United Film House have secured rights to the manuscript detailing the life of billiard champion Cisero Murphy, Variety has learned exclusively.

In 1965, Murphy became the first African-American to play in and win a world billiards tournament. Cisero Murphy Jr. has written the manuscript.

“We’ve been developing this project for several years with Cisero Jr. to make sure his father’s story will be told as authentically as possible,” says Camille LaBry West from United Film House.

Camille LaBry West and Blake West will be producing the project from United Film House with Jason Delane Lee, Yvonne Huff Lee, and Matthew Soraci from Lagralane.

MOVIE TITLE

Paramount has announced “Terminator: Dark Fate” as the title for the sixth Terminator movie, which will open Nov. 1 against Sony’s revamped “Charlie’s Angels.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger is reprising the role of his iconic cyborg, while Linda Hamilton will be returning as Sarah Connor.

The sequel will be produced by Skydance and series creator James Cameron. The upcoming installment will mark the first time that Hamilton, Schwarzenegger, and Cameron will be working together on the franchise since 1991’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

HONOR

Graham King will receive this year’s CinemaCon International Filmmaker of the Year Award on April 1 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas at the International Day Luncheon.

“With over 20 years of bringing films to audiences around the world, Graham King has continued to produce not only blockbuster releases but films that have been heralded by critics, film groups and audiences alike,” said Mitch Neuhauser, managing director of Cinemacon.

“With the astounding success of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ a passion project which took nearly 10 years to bring to the big screen, King continues to show his dedication to bringing audiences worldwide films that entertain, empower and intrigue,” he added.

King won the Academy Award for best picture for “The Departed” and was nominated for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Aviator,” and “Hugo.”

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