Welcome back Studio Coffee Folks! Today we’re talking about Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez in her starring role in The Aliens Are Stealing Our Weed, as well as a new Adam Driver flick, and an Indonesian superhero movie making its way to the states.

ICYMI:

The Aliens Are Stealing Our Weed and Gina Rodriguez is going to figure out why

aliens stealing weed

Gina Rodriguez is starring in The Aliens Are Stealing Our Weed for Paramount Pictures. The Jane the Virgin and Annihilation actress is producing with her own I Can and I Will banner and working with The Eternals writer Ryan Firpo. Rodriguez stars as a pot grower who discovers one day that her crop is missing and, in the process of solving the mystery, unravel an alien plot to steal all of humankind’s weed, per Variety. It’s being compared to Anchorman and Airplane! by studio execs, and really has incredible timing considering that just this week the government released official information on U.F.O.s. 2020 sure is weird.

Adam Driver joins the cast of The Yankee Comandante

the yankee comandante

Adam Driver is set to reunite with Midnight Special director Jeff Nichols for an adaptation of The Yankee Comandante, per Variety. Nichols will both write and direct the movie, which is based on David Grann’s New Yorker article about an Ohio man and Che Guevara rising to the ranks of comandante during the Cuban Revolution. Quickly spinning out of his Star Wars claim to fame, Driver recently garnered critic attention for Marriage Story as well as The Report, and was also shooting The Last Duel with Ridley Scott when COVID-19 stopped traditional film and TV production in its tracks. Hoping to avoid any further complications, The Yankee Comandante is planning to begin shooting in 2021.

Gundala, the first of an Indonesian superhero cinematic universe, is coming to the U.S.

Indonesian superhero film, Gundala, is officially set for its U.S. release, thanks to a recent acquisition deal with Well Go USA. The first of what will be a full on cinematic universe of Indonesian superhero titles, Gundala debuted first at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019, and will hit Stateside on July 28.

Based on the trailer above, the movie deals with themes of societal suppression at the hands of super villain Pengkor, who also commands an army of orphan assassins who are indebted to him. The hero, Gundala, is based on the comic book character created in 1969 by Harya “Hasmi” Suraminata. Abimana Aryasatya stars in the title role, alongside Tara Basro, Bront Palarae and Ario Bayu with Joko Anwar writing and directing. It’s unclear for the time being if the film is planning on a theatrical release, or if it will head straight to digital, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

HBO’s My Brilliant Friend is heading back for a third season

my brilliant friendIn a recent announcement, RAI and HBO reupped their partnership to renew My Brilliant Friend for its third and (presumably) penultimate season, per THR. Based on Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels and named after the first in the series, the coming-of-age story follows two witty girls growing up, trying to find the silver lining in the violent and impoverished Naples neighborhood they call home. Each season of the show corresponds directly to one novel in the series; this next entry will follow the third book, titled Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay. My Brilliant Friend airs its second season finale on HBO on May 4.

Hulu’s RAMY sets its season 2 return with Mahershala Ali                            

Ramy Youssef is back with a new trailer and his second season return sets him out on a spiritual journey in a politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. To help him out, he’s enlisting the help of Muslim mentor (and two-time Oscar winner) Mahershala Ali. The dramedy is produced by A24 and will launch its 10-episode second season on May 29. RAMY is a Hulu original following the daily life and struggles of Ramy himself, maintaining a balancing act of spiritual, sexual and self-exploration with everyday humor.