Exclusive: Lionsgate Taps David F. Sandberg to Direct Psychological Horror Movie 'Mommy’s Home'

It’s a sad Monday in Hollywood, which is mourning the tragic loss of Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, who died on Sunday at age 36 from what appears to be a drug overdose after years of struggling with addiction. She was a true talent who was put through the wringer in this town, and sadly, despite her best efforts, she never quite recovered. May her memory be a blessing, and her story be a cautionary tale. R.I.P.

Before being stunned by the awful news on Sunday night, I spent the weekend in Joshua Tree dominating the pickleball court and avoiding the internet for my own mental health after that X-Men casting rumor about Storm blew up in my face. I’ll be addressing it later this week on The Hot Mic podcast, but I’d like to apologize to Suzy Bemba — not for posting a rumor about her that didn’t pan out (that’s part of the gig) but for setting her up for a tidal wave of hate that she didn’t deserve from the internet, which was absolutely vicious. I was left pretty disappointed in humanity.

The truth is that casting rumors never hurt anyone, and for the first time since Poor Things, people were talking about Suzy Bemba again, so the rumor put more eyes on her work. But in the end, she merely proved to be one of several finalists, as the role of Storm went to newcomer Maya Boyd, a stage actress best known for the Broadway play & Juliet. I’d never even heard of Boyd before Friday night and hadn’t seen anyone mention her, either. I was just glad that the internet was thwarted in its attempt to force the casting of Jayme Lawson.

Congratulations to Boyd, to Christopher Abbott and Adam Driver (whose castings I tipped before D23), and to Obsession star Inde Navarette, who telegraphed her X-Men casting in such an obvious manner that I thought she must be joking, but as it turns out, she was not. I thought for sure she’d be playing Mystique, not Rogue, but as it turns out, Freaky Nikki got the last laugh. The joke was on me…

Does this mean that Navarette will turn up in Michael Mann’s Heat 2, for which Driver has also been rumored? Perhaps… though their ability to do both projects will depend on scheduling. And the Heat 2 schedule depends on one man — Leonardo DiCaprio.

Speaking of DiCaprio, did you know that Whitney Peak nearly played his daughter in One Battle After Another? As I like to say, the right actor — Chase Infiniti — ultimately landed that plum part, but Peak is no slouch herself, having just landed the female lead opposite Michael B. Jordan in Miami Vice ‘85. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s her second major blockbuster following the next Hunger Games movie due in November. Take note — she’s a major star on the rise…

And speaking of the new Miami Vice movie, I’m told that Alden Ehrenreich won’t be playing the villain in the film, which supposedly has dark vibes in the vein of Nightcrawler. That’s what I heard, at least. On the flip side of that coin, I’m told that Charles Melton will be a villain of sorts in the Daniels’ new movie, which is currently filming with Matt Damon in the lead role.

This weekend, I fell further in love with Quincy Tyler Bernstine’s ferocious performance in the Hulu series Furious, though I must report that I found the new season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to be a tad disappointing, even though I loved the Ren Faire episode, which ends on a hilarious note. David Hornsby’s s Rickety Cricket is a supporting player, though he’s the season’s MVP nonetheless.

I’ve got an interesting comedy scoop coming later this week, but tonight belongs to the genre fans out there. Premium subscribers who love horror movies may now enter the Sneider-Verse to read more… and don’t forget to hit THE MERCH STORE before the end of the year for limited-edition swag from yours truly.

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