Joe and Anthony Russo are two of the hottest directors/producers in Hollywood right now. After directing some of the biggest blockbusters of all time in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, this directing duo is looking to try new things.
At this year’s San Diego Comic Con, the brothers had their own panel where they announced all their upcoming projects. Many of the biggest movie studios will only announce a couple movies at a time. The Russo brothers alone announced several movies and TV shows they have on the docket. In terms of film, they have some very exciting projects coming that film fans have to look forward too, with all these projects coming from their recently established AGBO Studios.
21 Bridges
As executive producers, the first project the Russos are coming out with is 21 Bridges. In the film, an NYPD detective shuts down all of New York City in order to find two cop killers. Reuniting with Black Panther himself Chadwick Boseman, this film is a surefire hit for the brothers’ AGBO Studios.
These two film masterminds will most likely have an important influence over the direction of this project. 21 Bridges tonally resembles the Avengers movies that the brothers directed for Marvel Studios. It combines high stakes action, such as the city shutting down, with deeply personal character arcs, like the protagonist having lost his father to a cop killer.
Coming to our screens September 27th, 2019, 21 Bridges is most definitely a must see.
Cherry
At this year’s Comic Con, the movie the Russos talked most about was Cherry. Cherry follows the real-life story of Nicholas Walker, a US Army veteran currently serving time for bank robbery. Walker went undiagnosed with extreme levels of PTSD, leading to many of the key conflicts in the story. Another key plot point in Cherry is Walker’s opioid addiction and the opioid crisis in general.
This rated R character study will be a deeper, more emotional character study than the directing duo has ever tackled before. At their panel, Joe Russo admitted, “It’s touched us both, it’s a deeply personal movie for us. The gent who wrote the book went through the same growth arc in the same part of the city we grew up in – but different experiences.”
The main character will be played by Tom Holland, reuniting the Russos with yet another MCU actor.
Their deep personal ties to the story of Cherry will likely lead to this being one of their best films. The political messaging and deeply personal character work makes this a possible Oscar contender.
Dhaka
Written by Joe Russo, this upcoming Netflix film will follow a mercenary hired to rescue the kidnapped son of a Bangladeshi businessman. Reuniting the Russos with yet another MCU actor, Chris Hemsworth, this movie has a strong cast and lots of potential.
Featuring the underground world of weapons dealers and traffickers in the middle east, Dhaka will explore a world that few of us in the western world know much about. With international adventure and high stakes action, Dhaka is sure to be a standout among Netflix’s catalog.
Electric State
A narrative artbook about a low tech apocalyptic version of America in the 90s, the Russos recently won the bidding war for the film rights to Electric State. The story follows a teenage girl and her robot as they travel across the desolate country. Such a narrative will most likely be well received by the public given the recent success of films such as Ready Player One and television series such as Black Mirror.
The script will be written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the duo who wrote the Captain America trilogy as well as the final two installments of the Avengers’ series. Teaming up these four creators again is an exciting notion, given the fact that the last few movies they put out are some of the highest grossing blockbusters of all time.
The final core member of the creative team is the director, Andy Muschietti. Just coming off of the critical and financial success of It, Muschietti is a highly coveted director that will bring a unique vision.
Possible MCU Return
At the beginning of their panel, the Russos were asked if a return to Marvel could be possible. More specifically, the brothers were asked if they would return to direct an adaptation of Secret Wars, a popular event mini-series from Marvel comics.
While coy with their answers, Joe Russo did note that they had a great time working with Marvel, and would love to do so again in the future. Secret Wars was a favorite comic of his growing up, and the pair have hinted that they want the story adapted for the MCU.
Ever since they directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this filmmaking twosome has been reshaping the cinematic landscape. They have given us some of the most innovative stories, while also showing a mastery of showcasing personal character arcs. With all these projects on the docket, we can’t wait to see what’s next.
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