News Round-Up: ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Casting; ‘Lego Ninjago’ Release Date; ‘My Little Pony’; and More

There aren’t a lot of weeks like this when it comes to new news stories. Hollywood has really outdone itself this time as I finally get to find a way to incorporate The Conjuring 2 into the same post as a My Little Pony film. Before that, I’ll talk about some casting (for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Green Room), release dates (three Lego movies), and some misc. plans about a standalone Batman film and The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them project.

All of that and more are below!

We’re still feeling ripple effects from all of Warner Brothers and DC’s announcements last week involving their upcoming projects (which will be felt throughout this post as well). Another key piece of news came out involving Jena Malone (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire). She is set to join Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Officially speaking, her role is still undetermined. However, rumors have been flying that she’ll be playing a female Robin alongside Ben Affleck’s Batman. Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, and director Zack Snyder are all returning in the March 25, 2016 movie. (Source: Variety)

Another superhero commodity, Patrick Stewart, has added to his ever-growing filmography. He won’t be playing Professor X this time, though. Instead, he’ll be playing about the opposite – a white supremacist in the movie Green Room. Stewart joins Imogen Poots (Need for Speed) and Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) in Jeremy Saulnier’s (Blue Ruin) film. As of now, there is no specific date set other than the year 2015. (Source: The Wrap)

As for release dates, I did want to mention that Lego Ninjago received a firm release date of September 23, 2016. This was mentioned at a shareholder’s meeting last week. Both Lego Batman and The Lego Movie 2 were also announced; however, they don’t have specific dates in 2017 and 2018 yet. Keep your ears peeled for more information on each film (including directors and stars). (Source: Collider)

If you already saw the slate of DC movies releasing in the future, you may have noticed the absence of a standalone Batman movie. I’m here to calm you down a bit if you are pining to see Ben Affleck as the major focus. Although it won’t be until 2019 (or beyond), there still are plans to give him a chance. So be patient folks! (Source: ScreenRant)

We already knew we were getting a Harry Potter spin-off because of course we are. However, now we know we’re getting at least three spin-offs. The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them story (which is set to be written by J.K. Rowling herself) was confirmed this week as a trilogy. David Yates will likely direct one (or all) of them but nothing is confirmed yet. We don’t have a release date yet either. (Source: The Verge)

It turns out James Wan is directing The Conjuring 2. Since his original Conjuring (and its subsequent spin-off entitled Annabelle) killed it at the box office (no pun intended), it only makes sense we’ll get another one. The original release date did move back to 2016 (with the rumored release date being around Halloween time). We don’t know too much more but Wan’s name is surely a good sign. (Source: Deadline)

I’m starting to think I need to make a “Ridiculous Crap” section on these News Round-Ups because of news similar to what we found out this week about a My Little Pony movie. I thought a Tetris movie was strange but a My LIttle Pony one might take the cake. Hasbro is working on the project (with no news on a director or stars) and is hoping for a release in 2017. (Source: Variety)

If you missed this week’s trailers, posters, and photos, make sure to check those out as well!