Sequel Bits: 'Star Trek 3', 'Mad Max: Fury Road', 'Mockingjay', 'Bad Santa 2'

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Everyone's feeling a little chatty in this quote-heavy edition of Sequel Bits. After the jump:

  • Evan Daugherty talks G.I. Joe 3 and Snow White and the Huntsman 2
  • Julianne Moore's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay role has been beefed up
  • The Mortal Instruments author teases some City of Ashes spoilers
  • Simon Pegg says Star Trek 3 is looking to shoot in the UK, possibly
  • Bad Santa 2 will shoot next year, according to Billy Bob Thornton
  • Is Steve Aoki working on the Transformers: Age of Extinction soundtrack?
  • 2016: Obama's America filmmaker revisits his predictions in an update
  • Keanu Reeves says Bill & Ted 3's heavy CG costs are holding it back
  • George Miller confirms Mel Gibson won't appear in Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Well, first of all, there's a lot of... I'm not entirely sure that it's going to happen. I keep hearing rumblings every few months that they're going to do some type of Snow White sequel, and sometimes I hear rumors that the director would be involved or won't be involved, certain star will be involved or not involved.

    Although Daugherty came up with the story for the first film, he hasn't been invited back for the second film. Asked why, he responded, "I wish I knew."

    For now, though, he's plenty busy working on G.I. Joe 3. "I gotta stay quiet because I'm literally in the middle of writing it. When you called, I was writing it," he said when pressed for plot hints. Daugherty added that he expected to submit the script "sometime in the next few months." [Rama's Screen]

    Alma Coin is a key character in Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay, but producer Nina Jacobson says to look for her to play an even bigger role in the Francis Lawrence's movie adaptation, where she'll be portrayed by Julianne Moore.

    You'll see that Julianne Moore's role in Mockingjay [the third installment] is much bigger in the movie than it is in the book. Again, in the book, you can only see it from Katniss' point of view. There are a lot of scenes that Katniss wasn't a part of that we get to see in the film.

    That can only be great news for those of us who are Julianne Moore fans — which is to say, just about everyone. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 opens November 21, 2014, followed by Part 2 on November 20, 2015. [Women and Hollywood]

    Now that the Mortal Instruments sequel is getting back on track, what can we expect from City of Bones? Author Cassandra Clare has some juicy hints. (Potential spoilers follow.)

    "Simon (Robert Sheehan) is turned into a vampire, and he goes from being this human who's Clary's friend to this ravenous undead thing," said Clare. She also revealed that the climax of the second installment involves a massive battle on the deck of a warship. Of course, if you really want all the details on the sequel, you could just pick up the book. [MTV]

    We already know that the next installment of Star Wars is set to shoot in London. Could competitor Star Trek be headed there as well? Simon Pegg thinks so. "There's a lot of big productions in the UK," he said. "Maybe even Star Trek 3, there's talk of filming here."

    Pegg isn't in charge of the decision so his isn't the final word on the matter. If Star Trek does shoot across the pond, though, it'll be a change of pace for the rebooted series. Both previous films were shot mostly in the Los Angeles area. [BBC America via OLV]

    Bad Santa 2 could finally go in front of cameras in 2014, according to star Billy Bob Thornton:

    It's been very hard trying to get the script right. We've been through three or four drafts but we're getting real close. Then there's the business dealings to sort out, all the stuff I don't understand. But one way or another, the sequel will happen and the idea is to shoot it next year. We know we'll never beat the first film but we'll get as close as we can.

    It's worth noting, though, that Thornton's also previously said that filming would get underway in late 2012 or late 2013. Obviously, neither of those predictions came through. At any rate, Doug Ellin was scripting the new comedy last we heard, and no director had been confirmed yet. [The Telegraph]

    It's been confirmed that composer Steve Jablonsky is returning for Transformers: Age of Extinction, having scored the last three movies, but now it looks like Steve Aoki could be contributing to the soundtrack as well. The Grammy-nominated musician hinted as much in a recent tweet.

    We'll see what comes of that dinner when Transformers: Age of Extinction crashes into theaters June 27, 2014. [TFW2005]

    In 2016: Obama's America, Dinesh D'Souza made all kinds of predictions about the terrible things that would come to pass if President Barack Obama were elected to a second term in 2012. Now that we're one year into that second term, D'Souza is ready to revisit some of his earlier theories.

    D'Souza has created an eight-minute update to the film, which reveals how his predictions played out. You can watch it below, if you're so inclined.

    Or, if you can't be bothered, here are his conclusions in a nutshell: "When I directed 2016: Obama's America over a year ago, I prayed that I would be wrong," he said. "Unfortunately, I wasn't wrong." [TheWrap]

    Although Keanu Reeves previously claimed that "darkness" was holding back Bill & Ted 3, it seems the real culprit may be something far more mundane. Like budget issues.

    "It needs to be adapted because right now, it would cost $400 million to make," Reeves said. Part of the issue is that it's quite heavy on CG because "There's a rift in the universe and there's all sorts of creatures," he explained. [Access Hollywood]

    Despite some rumors, the original Max Rockatansky will not appear in Mad Max: Fury Road, confirms director George Miller. Asked about the possibility of a cameo for Mel Gibson, he responded, "'It would have been nice somehow but, no, it's not true."

    However, his famed Interceptor will show up. "Without giving too much away, there is one that appears," Miller revealed. Starring Tom HardyMad Max: Fury Road is set to open May 15, 2015. [Sydney Morning Herald via AICN]