News Round-Up: Dwayne Johnson Cast in ‘Baywatch’ Movie; ‘Vacation’ Release Date; Adam Sandler to Netflix; and More

In today’s News Round-Up I’ll be talking about casting for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (in Baywatch!), Casey Affleck (in Boston Strong), and Bryan Cranston (in The Infiltrator). I’ll also have a release date (for the Vacation reboot) and new projects that include Adam Sandler’s Netflix deal, Antonie Fuqua’s involvement in The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, and plans for The Purge 3.

If you missed this week’s trailers, posters, and photos, check those out as well.

First up in the casting department comes the news that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be headlining Baywatch! If you’re like me, you didn’t know there was a film adaptation on the horizon. The Rock does make sense in the role given his physical prowess. It’s unknown if Pamela Anderson or David Hasselhoff will have roles in the film but we’ll update you on that and more (like a director and release date) when we know more. (Source: Comingsoon)

Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone) was added to Boston Strong, the movie about the tragic Boston Marathon bombing. Affleck, who is on the cusp of showing off his performance in the upcoming movie Interstellar, still has an undisclosed part in the movie (which was written by The Fighter’s Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy). We’ll update you more on this one, too, when the movie is optioned. (Source: /Film)

Bryan Cranston – who became famous for his evil/awesome turn in AMC’s Breaking Bad – will enter familiar(ish) territory when he stars in The Infiltrator. Brad Furman’s (The Lincoln Lawyer) movie is about an undercover officer in the Colombian drug cartel. The movie is based on a true story. Unfortunately, we don’t have a release date for this one either. (Source: Comingsoon)

Today’s lone release date belongs to the Vacation reboot starring Ed Helms, Chris Hemsworth, and Christina Applegate (Anchorman). John Fancis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (who both wrote Horrible Bosses 2) will direct the reboot, and it’ll hit theaters October 9, 2015. For those wondering, both Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo will reprise their roles. (Source: Collider)

Up until last week, I didn’t know Netflix was on the verge of releasing original movies. Now it looks like they landed an integral name for marketing. Love him or hate him, if you’re into Netflix, it looks like you’ll get four films (probably comedies) starring Adam Sandler. There isn’t much in the way of the potential content but I’m hoping a Billy Madison follow-up is in order. Keep your ears peeled for more.

Antoine Fuqua, fresh off the release of The Equalizer, will apparently direct The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace. This book-to-film adaptation is also based on a true story (about an African-American that attends Yale rather than staying in crime-stricken Newark). Stars and a release date aren’t know yet, though. (Source: THR)

Lastly, I wanted to assure fans of The Purge franchise that a third one is on the way! I do agree the second film built on the first movie, but I still don’t think the franchise has hit its full stride quite yet. James DeMonaco will likely be in charge of alleviating that when he again returns to write and direct the movie. At this point, we don’t know about stars and a release date, but I’d guess it’s not that far off. (Source: IGN)

Thanks for stopping in. Come back tomorrow for the latest clips!

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