It's no laughing matter!

THR reports that Zazie Beetz is in talks to join Joaquin Phoenix in Joker, the stand-alone origin project from Warner Bros. and The Hangover helmer Todd Phillips.

While details of the script are being kept under wraps, if a deal is made, Beetz would play a single mother who catches the interest of the man who will become the "clown prince of crime."

Deadlineis reporting that Stargirl, the live-action series premiering later this year on the DC Universe digital subscription service, has rounded out its core cast with the addition of four actors in series regular roles: Amy Smart, Neil Jackson, Hunter Sansone, and Trae Romano.

Smart will play Barbara Whitmore, the mother of Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl (Brec Bassinger) and new wife of Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson).

Romano will play Mike Dugan, the overly charming offspring of Pat (Wilson) and the unctuous new step-relative to household newcomers Barbara and Courtney Whitmore.

Producers of Stargirl have not disclosed the roles claimed by Jackson and Sansone.

The release date of Stargirl has not been announced.

The New York Times is reporting that there will soon be a new home for an iconic character these days.

Cartoonist Stan Sakai and his 17th-century samurai rabbit, Usagi Yojimbo, are leaving the familiar grounds of Dark Horse Comics to journey to a new publisher, IDW. The series had been at Dark Horse since 1995, but has been extant since 1984.

The character's IDW era will begin with a new ongoing series and collections of all of the previous stories. The new volume of Usagi Yojimbo will begin with a three-part story involving bunraku (Japanese puppetry).

Variety reports that David Oyelowo is set to join the cast of Sony Pictures’ Peter Rabbit 2, the live-action hybrid sequel to the 2018 family hit.

Plot details are vague other than it following the adventures of Peter as he continues to stir up trouble with his fellow furry friends.

It is also unknown who Oyelowo will be playing, but it will be a live-action role.

According to Variety, Luke Wilson is set to join the ensemble of the upcoming Zombieland sequel.

In the sequel, the zombie slayers must face off against new kinds of living dead that have evolved since the first movie, as well as new human survivors. They have to also deal with the growing pains of their own makeshift family.

It’s unknown who Wilson will be playing in the pic.

The sequel is currently in production and will be released this October, on the 10th anniversary of the first film.

Deadline is reporting that Fox/Lightstorm’s Alita: Battle Angel took the fight to China today with an estimated $19.8M opening Friday. That includes $1M in limited Thursday midnights. An opening in the $50M zone had been expected, then buzz increased this week.

With Friday’s start, the full frame is now looking at a three-day upwards of $60M. The international box office total on Alita is $115M through Thursday and worldwide it’s at $163.7M (this does not include China).

Alita is the first Hollywood movie in China following the Lunar New Year holiday rush on local titles which has blanketed the past few weeks. The Robert Rodriguez-directed, James Cameron-produced adaptation got a boost on Monday when the filmmakers and talent visited Beijing.

Deadline reports that after collecting $185M at the overseas box office, DreamWorks Animation’s threequel How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World finally touched down in the U.S./Canada with a Thursday night preview gross of $3M at 3,200 theaters.

Hidden World‘s Thursday figure twice bests the $1.5M Thursday earned recently by Warner Bros.’ The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part which went on to do $34.1M in its opening weekend. Hidden World also beats the preview B.O. of The Lego Batman Movie ($2.2M), How to Train Your Dragon 2 ($2M), Zootopia ($1.7M) and The Boss Baby ($1.5M).

Going into this weekend, the Universal-released Dragon has several facets working for it. Not just its overseas box office momentum, but a 91% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and $2.5M in paid previews from its Fandango partnership, a number that beats the early preview cash made by Sony/Amazon’s preview team-up for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. Hidden Worldplays even wider today at 4,259 locations.

IDW Publishing is proud to announce that Dash Shaw, the comic book auteur and creator of the celebrated animated film My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea, will unravel an all-new mystery in CLUE: Candlestick, a three-issue comic book miniseries launching in May.

All of your favorite suspicious characters are back in this new brain twister based on the timeless detective game. The CLUE: Candlestick miniseries is rife with puzzles, secrets, and lies, and everyone's a suspect! Visionary creator, Dash Shaw unleashes his murderous imagination – and writing, illustrative, coloring, and lettering prowess – on the quirky, thrilling and mysterious world of CLUE!

“What a total honor and joy it is to play with the CLUE universe. I grew up loving the colorful characters, the map of the manor, and the whodunit of it all,” says Shaw. “Readers familiar with my other work might be surprised to see me doing this, but when they get the comic, they'll see it makes total sense... I'm having a total blast drawing this thing. The monthly serialized format will really help milk the mystery, so I hope readers will follow/play along!”

“I’ve been a fan of Dash Shaw since his dynamic experimental work in the early 2000s, and his moving long-form stories like Bottomless Belly Button and Body World really blew me away—it was incredible to see that kind of depth below an already-impressive surface,” says Editor-in-Chief John Barber. “I couldn’t be more excited to see Dash’s mind and pen crafting this CLUE story.”

Shaw’s loyal fans will thrill to know that, in addition to his fantastic main covers for the series, variant editions of each issue will form a triptych of the iconic suspects and their murderous instruments, and illustrator Jed McGowan (Time in Nature) will also provide a special incentive cover. For added value, each issue features extra-length story content and will feature brand new CLUE game cards based on the comic.

For information on how to secure copies of the CLUE: Candlestick comic book series, please contact your local comic shop or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you.

Deadline reports that Netflix has secured the rights to Gina Prince-Bythewood’s female-fronted action film The Old Guard, which is based on the comic book series by Greg Rucka and illustrator Leandro Fernández.

The feature stars Charlize Theron and If Beale Street Could Talk breakout KiKi Layne. Rucka is writing the screenplay.

The Old Guard tells the story of a small covert group of immortal mercenaries who must fight to keep their team together when they discover the existence of a new immortal and their extraordinary abilities are exposed.

Deadline is reporting that MGM has acquired the original spec script, Samaritan, from screenwriter Bragi F. Schut and Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions. As was previously reported, Stallone is attached to star in the film, which was announced as part of the forthcoming film slate from Stallone’s recently formed production banner.

Plot details are scarce but the pic has been described as a dark, fresh take on the superhero genre. MGM will develop the project with Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa. Schut will serve as an executive producer.

The War Of The Realms is coming…and no corner of the Marvel Universe will be untouched! Today, Marvel is excited to release two new stunning variant covers: one by superstar artist Adi Granov and one by Ron Lim (with colors Israel Silva).

This April, all hell will break loose as Marvel’s epic event from the award-winning creative team of Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, and Matthew Wilson usher in an event of unparalleled scale! Plus, don’t miss a special midnight release of WAR OF THE REALMS #1 for retailers – be sure to check Marvel mailers for details!

WAR OF THE REALMS #1 (of 6) Written by JASON AARON Art by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN

WAR OF THE REALMS #1 Variant Cover by ADI GRANOV (JAN198214)

WAR OF THE REALMS #1 Variant Cover by RON LIM (JAN198217)