A breakdown of the biggest movie news of the year so far (1 January – 9 January).

Will Arnett Replaces Armie Hammer In Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins (3 January)

Upcoming football film Next Goal Wins, the latest from director Taika Waititi, has replaced Armie Hammer. After Hammer’s legal troubles last year, he’s found himself cut out of trailers, dropped by his agent and his publicist, and replaced in various projects.

Next Goal Wins has replaced Hammer with Will Arnett, who will now feature alongside Michael Fassbender and Elisabeth Moss in the comedy-drama. As yet, Next Goal Wins has no scheduled release date.

Morbius Delayed – New Release Date April 2022 (4 January)

Sony’s vampiric horror-thriller Morbius is no stranger to delays, and it’s been pushed once more. Originally slated for a 10 July release in 2020, Morbius‘ latest release date was set for January 28. However, it’s now been pushed back to 1 April, meaning that fans of the SonyVerse will be waiting a little longer to see Jared Leto’s turn as the researcher-turned-vampire.

Gene Kelly Film In The Works, Developed By Chris Evans (4 January)

First it was Spider-Man as Fred Astaire, now it’s Captain America as Gene Kelly – Chris Evans is developing a film based on the legendary actor.

It’s still early days for this one, as no studio is yet attached, but Evans reportedly has John Logan (Gladiator, Alien: Covenant) on hand to write the script and produce the film. It will reportedly follow a young boy working on the MGM lot in 1952 who begins to form an imagined friendship with Kelly.

Mike Judge Reveals New Look For Beavis And Butt-Head Ahead Of Next Movie (5 January)

Beavis and Butt-Head creator Mike Judge has revealed the characters’ new look ahead of their return to our screens on Paramount+ later this year.

In a tweet, Judge revealed that the pair appear to have grown up since their last outing, and while no dates are confirmed yet, he affirms that they will be appearing in 2022.

Moonfall – “Shocking Discovery” Trailer (6 January)

Roland Emmerich’s upcoming disaster movie, Moonfall, got a new trailer this week. The latest trailer offers further glimpses of Moonfall‘s story, indicating that the sci-fi action film will feature as much conspiracy as it does disaster.

Starring Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, and John Bradley, Moonfall is currently set for release on February 4, 2022.

Sidney Poitier Has Died Aged 94 (6 January)

Hollywood legend Sir Sidney Poitier has died aged 94.

The actor, the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor (for his role in 1963’s Lilies of the Field), died earlier this week at his home in the Bahamas.

Poitier’s acting career, which started in the 1940s, spanned over five decades, with him retiring in the late 1990s. He also acted as a the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan from 1997 through to 2007.

Rooney Mara Cast As Audrey Hepburn in Biopic (7 January)

Rooney Mara has been cast to play Hepburn in an upcoming biopic.

The Belgian-born British actress had an impressive career, with roles in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Charade, and 1953 romantic comedy Roman Holiday (for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress). The American Film Institute rank Hepburn as the third greatest female movie star ever.

Mara has most recently appeared in Guillermo Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, but is perhaps best known for her role in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo alongside Daniel Craig.