Behind the Scenes Buzz

JOHN CENA TO STAR IN JASON BATEMEN FILM: John Cena is set to star in Jason Bateman‘s upcoming Netflix action comedy, which is as yet still untitled. Bateman will also appear. The film will be a reunion for Bateman and Game Night writer Mark Perez. The story will follow a family trapped in an old movie studio; when the sets come to life, the family’s stuck in a time warp. Bateman can currently be seen in Netflix‘s Ozark.

JAMES WAN SEEKING SCRIPT FOR AQUAMAN SEQUEL: James Wan‘s Aquaman is changing the DC Universe; this weekend, it’s set to eclipse Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight Rises as the all-time top-grossing film featuring a DC Comics superhero. Wan’s underwater epic closed in on $1.07 billion last weekend, $17 million short of the record-making Dark Knight Rises. Warner Bros. is reportedly gearing up to make Aquaman 2, and is currently in talks with Wan on his salary. His rep tells Deadline he is taking a break from talks until he finds a decent script.

KEVIN SMITH’S JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT GEARS UP: Saban Films and Universal have picked up the rights to Kevin Smith‘s Jay and Silent Bobreboot, the sequel to 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Jason Mewes and Smith are returning as stars, along with several of the other original cast-members from the Miramax cult hit. Shooting begins February 25^th, the one-year anniversary of Smith’s severe heart attack.

DETECTIVE PIKACHU SEQUEL IN THE WORKS: A sequel to Warner Bros.‘ Pikachu is in the works, three months before the film takes a bow. Dubbed Detective Pikachu, Oren Uziel is set to write the film, which (like the original) is based on the titular video and card game in which players act as trainers who collect cute but powerful monsters called Pokemon. The Ryan Reynolds-toplined original bows on May 10^th.