Following a much-needed holiday, it appears that I may have missed a few interesting film stories whilst away.

This article looks back on the news that has dominated the headlines in the past fortnight.

First up, British actors James McAvoy (Filth, X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter series) team up to bring a monster to life in the horror reboot Victor Frankenstein.

The film’s official trailer shows scenes that pay homage to the classic Frankenstein tale with the duo playing Victor and Igo respectively.

Victor Frankenstein will be released in the UK on December 4th.

Elsewhere, Scooby Doo is making his big-screen comeback in the form of an animated film which is due to come out on September 21st 2018.

Sigourney Weaver’s comeback to the Alien franchise is being delayed because of production taking place for the sci-fi thriller sequel Prometheus 2. Ridley Scott, who directed both Alien and Prometheus, is back on board to helm the follow-up to the 2012 blockbuster.

Meanwhile, Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale (The Fighter, The Dark Knight trilogy) has landed the role of motoring great Enzo Ferrari in the upcoming sports biopic Ferrari.

Vin Diesel (Fast and Furious series, Guardians of the Galaxy) has officially confirmed that he will be returning as protagonist Xander Cage in the XXX sequel The Return of Xander Cage. The film is likely to be released in cinemas around 2017.

It’s a busy time for Star Wars especially with The Force Awakens due for worldwide release in December. Interesting news coming from the spin-off Rogue One is that Death Star Commander character Grand Moff Tarkin will appear through the use of digital CGI despite the fact that actor Peter Cushing died over 20 years ago.

On the superhero front, French beauty Lea Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Colour, Spectre) has been cast as Bella Donna Boudreaux in the comic-book film Gambit. She will be starring alongside Channing Tatum (Magic Mike, Foxcatcher) who plays the titular role with the film due to hit cinemas on October 2016.

Hollywood veteran Bruce Willis (Die Hard series, The Sixth Sense) has dropped out of appearing in Woody Allen’s untitled film due to schedule clashes with his work on Broadway. He will be tackling the role of writer Paul Sheldon in the theatrical adaption of Stephen King’s thriller classic Misery.

Elsewhere, with key roles in Jobs and Macbeth coming up later this year, Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave, X-Men: Days of Future Past) has been shown in costume as he tackles the lead part in the big-screen adaption of the popular computer game Assassin’s Creed.

On the awards front, two-time Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett (The Aviator, Blue Jasmine) will be receiving the BFI Fellowship at this year’s London Film Festival while maverick director Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X) and veteran actresses Gena Rowlands (Gloria, A Woman Under the Influence) and Debbie Reynolds (Singin’ in the Rain, The Unsinkable Molly Brown) are all recipients of the Academy Honour Awards.

Finally, with his raunchy British comedy Bad Education doing well on the big-screen, comedian actor Jack Whitehall (Fresh Meat, A League of their Own) has landed a key role opposite Hollywood heavyweights Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston in the romantic comedy Mother’s Day.