Warner Bros just dropped a trailer for the DC movie Blue Beetle from filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto. The movie was originally conceived for HBO Max, but then the studio pivoted to a theatrical release before Blue Beetle started production. The first Latin DC superhero feature was developed under the Walter Hamada run era of the studio. Word is the character will be incorporated in the universe being developed by new DC bosses Peter Safran and James Gunn. In DC canon, Blue Beetle is amigos with Booster Gold, another DC character who Gunn/Safran are developing a TV series around.
The pic hits theaters on Aug. 18 and will be available to be seen in Imax.
Xolo Maridueña stars in the title role and as his alter ego Jaime Reyes. Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.
Starring alongside Maridueña are Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood, Thor) as Jaime’s grandmother, Nana, Damían Alcázar (Narcos franchise) as his father, Elpidia Carrillo (Mayans M.C., the Predator films) as his mother, Bruna Marquezine (Maldivas, God Save the King) as Jenny Kord, Raoul Max Trujillo (the Sicario films, Mayans M.C.) as Carapax, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) as Victoria Kord, and George Lopez (the Rio and Smurf franchises) as Jaime’s Uncle Rudy. The film also stars Belissa Escobedo (American Horror Stories, Hocus Pocus 2) as Jaime’s sister, Milagro, and Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) as Dr. Sanchez.
Soto (Charm City Kings, The Farm) directs off a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Miss Bala), based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.
Below the line team includes DP Pawel Pogorzelski (Ari Aster’s Midsommar, Hereditary), production designer John Billington (Bad Boys for Life), editor Craig Alpert (Deadpool 2, The Lost City), Oscar-nominated costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo (Jojo Rabbit, the Thor films), visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain (The Suicide Squad, Aquaman) and composer Bobby Krlic (Midsommar, Beau is Afraid).
