Michelle MacLaren

If you, like me, have been following Michelle MacLaren’s career closely since the Breaking Bad days, then you’ll be stoked about this news: The acclaimed television director has finally landed a blockbuster gig. MacLaren has signed on to helm Chris Pratt’s Cowboy Ninja Viking, the upcoming action flick based on the graphic novel of the same name.

The Deuce landed on HBO last night with a special 90-minute premiere of the seedy new drama from the great David Simon (creator of The Wire) and frequent collaborator George Pelecanos. Featuring a beautifully reimagined ’70s New York, the first episode immerses us in the state of the sex industry on the verge of a major turning point in history by introducing an ensemble of prostitutes, pimps, and a handful of johns. (Oh, and the twin brothers played by James Franco.) As you might expect, there was quite a bit of nudity in that first 90 minutes; actually, the first hour alone had more full frontal male nudity than all seven seasons of Game of Thrones combined.

In the world of filmmaking, one day you are in, and the next you are out. Such has definitely been the case for Disney‘s and Lucasfilm‘s Star Wars sequels and spin-offs, which have both gone through a bit of an identity crisis these past few months. With Colin Trevorrow and Lucasfilm parting ways on Star Wars: Episode IX, we thought to take it upon ourselves to find a suitable replacement for the final movie in the modern trilogy.

As noted in a new item at Variety today, Sony has been on something of a roll when it comes to getting female talent behind the camera. They’ve put together a respectable slate of films directed by women: Catherine Hardwicke was tapped to translate narco thriller Miss Bala for American audiences, Broad City mastermind Lucia Aniello wrote-directed the upcoming bachelorette-shenanigans comedy Rough Night, Michelle MacLaren landed the Sam Claflin-led thriller Nightingale, and perhaps most intriguingly of all, Elizabeth Banks has taken her next directorial project with a reboot of Charlie’s Angels. And for the latter two, today brings concrete news of impending developments.

Okay, now here’s a bit of exciting news to end the week: Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, director Michelle MacLaren and Octavia Spencer are teaming up to develop a new project for HBO about the infamous Jonestown cult. The incredibly talented trio are joining forces to produce the limited series, with MacLaren also set to direct.

HBO’s Westworld has had its share of production setbacks (as of publishing, without a premiere date as well), but showrunner Jonathan Nolan insists that the sci-fi drama hasn’t undergone any re-calibration, only that the massive production requirements proved significantly more complicated than HBO thought.

HBO had plenty to announce by the recent TCA press tour (as well to keep quiet), and now some more good news has flown in under the wire. The network has handed a series order to a ‘70s New York porn drama from The Wire creator David Simon, rounded out by James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal. No, we’ve made none of this up.

While HBO has given director David Fincher an incredibly difficult time with his two prospective pilots (both of which are now likely dead), the network is moving ahead with two pilots from our other favorite David — The Wire creator David Simon is working on two new dramas, one a political series (of course), and the other inspired by the ‘70s porn scene in New York. Guess which one James Franco has joined? Actually, that’s not a question. You know which one.

Following the disappointment of Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life, it’s not as if anyone has particularly high expectations for a Tomb Raider reboot — it wouldn’t have to do too much to surpass the quality of the last film. But Warner Bros. and MGM are apparently working quite hard to get this one as right as possible, and a new report suggests that part of that plan includes hiring a woman to direct.

Ever since Michelle MacLaren parted ways with Warner Bros. on their Wonder Woman solo film, we’ve been hoping she’d line up another big screen project soon. She’s been rumored as one of Marvel’s choices for Captain Marvel (obviously), and now it looks like she’s caught the eye of another major studio franchise: Star Wars.