In Brief: James Gunn says retitled film ‘Superman’ has taken flight, and more

Superman: Legacy writer-director James Gunn has revealed that production on the film, which is now just Superman, has officially begun. “Overjoyed to be announcing the start of principal photography on SUPERMAN today, February 29, which just so happens to be – coincidentally and unplanned – Superman’s birthday,” the co-CEO of DC Films shared on Instagram. “When I finished the first draft of the script, I called the film Superman: Legacy. By the time I locked the final draft, it was clear the title was SUPERMAN.” The film is set to hit theaters in July 2025 …

Emily Blunt is in talks to join Dwayne Johnson in Benny Safdie’s solo directorial debut for A24, The Smashing Machine, according to Variety. She would reportedly play Dawn Staples, the wife of MMA and UFC champion Mark Kerr, played by Johnson. Per the studio, “While trying to set up a new life together … (Dawn) struggles to find her place within Mark’s chaotic and contradictory world.” Production is set to begin this summer …

Anne Whitfield, best known for playing Susan Waverly, the granddaughter of Dean Jagger’s Major Gen. Thomas F. Waverly in the holiday classic White Christmas, died February 7 at a hospital in Yakima, Washington, after suffering an “unexpected accident” while on a walk in her neighborhood, according to B-Town Blog. She was 85. Whitfield also appeared on dozens of TV shows, including Father Knows Best, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, That Girl, Ironside and Emergency! Her other film credits include The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, Peter Pan, Juvenile Jungle and Tick, Tick, Tick …