Anyone who knows and loves a theater kid understands that they can be… a little much. To their credit, theater kids accept and embrace this reputation. Both the excessiveness of theater kids and their willingness to celebrate their extremities can be seen in the comedy Theater Camp, directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman. After winning over critics and earning a strong, if limited, return in theaters, Theater Camp has come to Hulu.
Based on a short film that Gordon and Lieberman made with Ben Platt and Noah Galvin, Theater Camp features a group of theater kids trying to save their camp from the founder’s jerky son, who wants to sell it off for something more profitable. Both self-aware and sincere, Theater Camp is a love letter to the over-the-top nerds who can sing every word of A Chorus Line and know that Andrew Rannells was in Street Sharks.
Based on a short film that Gordon and Lieberman made with Ben Platt and Noah Galvin, Theater Camp features a group of theater kids trying to save their camp from the founder’s jerky son, who wants to sell it off for something more profitable. Both self-aware and sincere, Theater Camp is a love letter to the over-the-top nerds who can sing every word of A Chorus Line and know that Andrew Rannells was in Street Sharks.
- 9/14/2023
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: Ed Harris (Westworld), Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery) and Natalie Morales (No Hard Feelings) have closed deals to lead My Dead Friend Zoe, a dark dramedy about two generations of veterans, family and friendship, which Kyle Hausmann-Stokes will direct in his feature debut.
The film written by Hausmann-Stokes and A.J. Bermudez tells the story of a female veteran (Martin-Green) engaged in a mysterious but comfortable friendship with her wise-cracking (and dead) best friend from the Army (Morales). When the vet is summoned to the remote lake house of her estranged Vietnam vet grandfather (Harris), she is tasked with providing the one thing he refuses…help.
Pic is based on Merit x Zoe, a short that Hausmann-Stokes co-wrote and directed last year, and both films draw inspiration from his real-life experiences during and after the military. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Hausmann-Stokes served five years in...
The film written by Hausmann-Stokes and A.J. Bermudez tells the story of a female veteran (Martin-Green) engaged in a mysterious but comfortable friendship with her wise-cracking (and dead) best friend from the Army (Morales). When the vet is summoned to the remote lake house of her estranged Vietnam vet grandfather (Harris), she is tasked with providing the one thing he refuses…help.
Pic is based on Merit x Zoe, a short that Hausmann-Stokes co-wrote and directed last year, and both films draw inspiration from his real-life experiences during and after the military. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Hausmann-Stokes served five years in...
- 5/17/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
In contrast to a number of "standalone" films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Guardians of the Galaxy" was notable upon its release in 2014 for containing a fantastic ensemble cast right out of the gate (as opposed to 2012's "The Avengers" being built of characters established in earlier films). The film made Chris Pratt a marquee leading man, gave Zoe Saldaña a third famous character who frequents alien planets, and made us believe that a raccoon and a tree could not only talk but sound like Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, respectively.
Yet the biggest surprise of that movie, when it came to the cast, was Dave Bautista's portrayal of the lovably dense Drax the Destroyer. While the film was not Bautista's first turn as a thespian, it put the actor on the proverbial Hollywood map, shifting his public persona from his history as a professional wrestler. Appearing as...
Yet the biggest surprise of that movie, when it came to the cast, was Dave Bautista's portrayal of the lovably dense Drax the Destroyer. While the film was not Bautista's first turn as a thespian, it put the actor on the proverbial Hollywood map, shifting his public persona from his history as a professional wrestler. Appearing as...
- 4/29/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have been to the SXSW Film Festival twice before — for 2013’s “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,” which they wrote, and 2019’s “Stuber,” which they produced. But when the pair debut the action-comedy “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” as the opening film of the annual Austin event this Friday, it will be the first time they’ve done so as directors. They couldn’t be more excited.
“It’s the perfect setting for this movie,” Goldstein says, sitting in the Paramount lot office he shares with Daley, for an interview with Variety about the release of their latest movie.
“It feels like the quintessential South By film,” Daley adds. “It’s big and all-encompassing but there’s also something a little bit subversive about it.”
If it wasn’t for a Chicago Cubs game and a lightning-fast superhero, however, it may have never happened.
In June 2019, Daley and his wife,...
“It’s the perfect setting for this movie,” Goldstein says, sitting in the Paramount lot office he shares with Daley, for an interview with Variety about the release of their latest movie.
“It feels like the quintessential South By film,” Daley adds. “It’s big and all-encompassing but there’s also something a little bit subversive about it.”
If it wasn’t for a Chicago Cubs game and a lightning-fast superhero, however, it may have never happened.
In June 2019, Daley and his wife,...
- 3/9/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
Hey, "Late Late Show With James Corden" fans. We're back on here to tell you that you're in for another brand new episode of the Late Late Show with host James Corden tonight, February 1,2023. You guys are going to see another set of actors show up to speak with James, and there's going to be a musical performance. The first description for tonight's brand new show reveals that 54 year old American actor and retired professional wrestler Dave Bautista is going to show up at some point. Aside from being a very successful former wrestler in the WWE, Dave has had a pretty nice acting career. Dave has been involved in productions like: Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy movies, Marvel's Thor: Love And Thunder movie, Army Of The Dead movie, Marvel's Avengers movies, Blade Runner 2049, Heist, Riddick, The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption, Smallville TV show, Stuber movie, Dune movie and many more.
- 2/1/2023
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
When compared to other wrestlers who have crossed over into acting in mainstream films, Dave Bautista has an impressive career path. Whereas The Rock has become the powerhouse producer/megastar, Dwayne Johnson, and John Cena has mostly geared his resume toward comedic projects, Bautista has worked on varying movies with filmmakers like Sam Mendes, Rian Johnson, Denis Villeneuve, Zack Snyder, James Gunn, and now M. Night Shyamalan. Variety is reporting that the muscular actor would love to star in a romantic comedy, but never seems to get any offers for them.
In an interview with Page Six, Bautista had this to say, “I know I’m not your typical rom-com lead. I’m a little rough around the edges. But I always, you know, I look in the mirror and I say, I ask myself, ‘Am I that unattractive? Is there something that unappealing about me that excludes me from these parts?...
In an interview with Page Six, Bautista had this to say, “I know I’m not your typical rom-com lead. I’m a little rough around the edges. But I always, you know, I look in the mirror and I say, I ask myself, ‘Am I that unattractive? Is there something that unappealing about me that excludes me from these parts?...
- 2/1/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Dave Bautista’s filmography spans comic book movies (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), science-fiction tentpoles, action comedies (“Stuber”) and family movies (“My Spy”). One genre that’s missing is the romantic comedy, but that’s not been a deliberate choice. Bautista told Page Six that he’d love to star in a rom-com but he’s never gotten a single offer to do so. Not one.
“I know I’m not your typical rom-com lead,” Bautista said. “I’m a little rough around the edges. But I always, you know, I look in the mirror and I say, I ask myself, ‘Am I that unattractive? Is there something that unappealing about me that excludes me from these parts?’”
“I don’t know,” Bautista added. “It’s just never come my way. I’ve never had an offer to do a rom-com. I still have high hopes. I’ll just keep searching.
“I know I’m not your typical rom-com lead,” Bautista said. “I’m a little rough around the edges. But I always, you know, I look in the mirror and I say, I ask myself, ‘Am I that unattractive? Is there something that unappealing about me that excludes me from these parts?’”
“I don’t know,” Bautista added. “It’s just never come my way. I’ve never had an offer to do a rom-com. I still have high hopes. I’ll just keep searching.
- 1/31/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Was Disney right to pay 71 billion for Fox’s entertainment empire? The sprawling properties it brought in-house helped fuel Disney+ and have given returning CEO Bob Iger a much-needed box office hit with “Avatar: The Way of Water” as he settles back into his old chair.
But investors are scrutinizing spending much more closely than they used to. Disney still carries a hefty debt load from the Fox deal and Iger’s rebound tenure has a time limit as he searches once again for a successor.
As adult-skewing movies struggle in theaters and Wall Street changes the rules in the streaming war, Disney’s purchase of Fox’s studio properties may prove to be Iger’s biggest blunder, dealing lasting damage to the company’s reputation among shareholders for media-merger magic. The idea that Disney could take any given property, get audiences to associate it with its megabrand and make...
But investors are scrutinizing spending much more closely than they used to. Disney still carries a hefty debt load from the Fox deal and Iger’s rebound tenure has a time limit as he searches once again for a successor.
As adult-skewing movies struggle in theaters and Wall Street changes the rules in the streaming war, Disney’s purchase of Fox’s studio properties may prove to be Iger’s biggest blunder, dealing lasting damage to the company’s reputation among shareholders for media-merger magic. The idea that Disney could take any given property, get audiences to associate it with its megabrand and make...
- 1/31/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Many, many wrestlers have attempted to transition into acting over the years. This has come with mixed results, ranging from disastrous to impressive. Heck, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is arguably the biggest, most recognizable star on the planet. Then, we have guys like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin who have little to show beyond direct-to-video fares, such as "Hunt to Kill." But, in the eyes of director Rian Johnson, one wrestler-turned-actor stands tall above the rest: Dave Bautista.
Johnson recently worked with Bautista in "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," which is now streaming on Netflix (read our review here). In a recent interview with The Atlantic, the filmmaker explained that he originally hadn't thought of a guy like Bautista for the role of right-wing video game streamer, Duke Cody. "When I was writing [his character], I was picturing a scrawny dude who's trying to overcompensate. When Bautista was brought up, I was...
Johnson recently worked with Bautista in "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," which is now streaming on Netflix (read our review here). In a recent interview with The Atlantic, the filmmaker explained that he originally hadn't thought of a guy like Bautista for the role of right-wing video game streamer, Duke Cody. "When I was writing [his character], I was picturing a scrawny dude who's trying to overcompensate. When Bautista was brought up, I was...
- 12/28/2022
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Harry Connick Jr. (Dolphin Tale) and Mira Sorvino (Shining Vale) are set to star in the romantic comedy The Islander, from Cyprus-based filmmaker Stelana Kliris, which has also cast newcomer Ali Fumiko Whitney (The Road Dance).
The film shooting next month in Cyprus follows a has-been musician (Connick Jr.) as he moves, sight unseen, to a remote cliffside house on an island, only to discover his new home has an unfortunate notoriety. Through a series of charming mishaps, it turns out maybe love can be found right where he left it.
Kliris will direct from her own screenplay, and produce alongside Keith Arnold and Steven Shapiro. The project is from Uinta Productions (Tommy’s Honour) and Kliris’s Cyprus-based Meraki Films, in association with Das Films (The November Man), with support from the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture, and the Cyprus Film Commission’s incentives scheme. Pic will...
The film shooting next month in Cyprus follows a has-been musician (Connick Jr.) as he moves, sight unseen, to a remote cliffside house on an island, only to discover his new home has an unfortunate notoriety. Through a series of charming mishaps, it turns out maybe love can be found right where he left it.
Kliris will direct from her own screenplay, and produce alongside Keith Arnold and Steven Shapiro. The project is from Uinta Productions (Tommy’s Honour) and Kliris’s Cyprus-based Meraki Films, in association with Das Films (The November Man), with support from the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture, and the Cyprus Film Commission’s incentives scheme. Pic will...
- 4/28/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Mary Parent will be honored with the David O. Selznick achievement award at the upcoming Producers Guild Awards. The Producers Guild of America announced the honoree on Thursday morning.
Parent is currently serving as the vice chairman of worldwide production at Legendary Entertainment. Her work has contributed to a gross above $20 billion at the global box office. Her most recent producing credits include “Dune” and “Godzilla vs. Kong.”
Before working at Legendary, Parent served as founder and CEO of Disruption Entertainment. Prior to that, she operated as vice chairman of worldwide production at Universal Pictures and chairman of MGM. She also cofounded the production label Stuber/Parent.
“Mary has been at the forefront of bold, breakthrough studio projects for decades, and we both felt that the time has come to shine a light on Mary’s trailblazing career as a producer,” said Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher, presidents of the PGA.
Parent is currently serving as the vice chairman of worldwide production at Legendary Entertainment. Her work has contributed to a gross above $20 billion at the global box office. Her most recent producing credits include “Dune” and “Godzilla vs. Kong.”
Before working at Legendary, Parent served as founder and CEO of Disruption Entertainment. Prior to that, she operated as vice chairman of worldwide production at Universal Pictures and chairman of MGM. She also cofounded the production label Stuber/Parent.
“Mary has been at the forefront of bold, breakthrough studio projects for decades, and we both felt that the time has come to shine a light on Mary’s trailblazing career as a producer,” said Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher, presidents of the PGA.
- 1/20/2022
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
A panel of industry experts will present workshops at the Creating Content for the Global Marketplace program from Netflix and Stage 32.
Designed as a series of educational virtual workshops, the program is aimed at emerging talent from around the world who will learn how to turn their ideas into compelling structured series.
The presenting experts include Vijal Patel, an Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award winning writer and producer who has worked on shows such as “Black-ish” and “The Middle”; Mickey Fisher, a showrunner, writer and producer for Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan,” “The Strain,” and “Extant”; Anna M. Henry, a development executive and producer whose body of work can be seen on Netflix, HBO, Starz and CBS; “Stuber” writer Tripper Clancy; and “13” producer Jeanette B. Milio.
Over the course of the five-part series, participants will learn how to format a television pilot and create a series budget, in addition to sessions...
Designed as a series of educational virtual workshops, the program is aimed at emerging talent from around the world who will learn how to turn their ideas into compelling structured series.
The presenting experts include Vijal Patel, an Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award winning writer and producer who has worked on shows such as “Black-ish” and “The Middle”; Mickey Fisher, a showrunner, writer and producer for Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan,” “The Strain,” and “Extant”; Anna M. Henry, a development executive and producer whose body of work can be seen on Netflix, HBO, Starz and CBS; “Stuber” writer Tripper Clancy; and “13” producer Jeanette B. Milio.
Over the course of the five-part series, participants will learn how to format a television pilot and create a series budget, in addition to sessions...
- 12/6/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Steve Howey has been cast in one of the lead roles in the CBS drama pilot based on the movie “True Lies,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Howey will star as Harry, the role played in the film by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The character is described as a benign, play-it-safe, seemingly risk-averse computer salesman and devoted family man, married with two kids. But in reality, Harry is an undercover operative, a first-class spy working for a covert U.S. Intelligence organization.
Like the film, Harry’s unfulfilled suburban wife is propelled into a life of danger and adventure when she’s recruited to work alongside him to save the world as they try to revitalize their passionless marriage. The wife role, which was played by Jamie Lee Curtis in the film, has yet to be cast.
Howey most recently starred in the hit Showtime series “Shameless,” playing the role of Kevin throughout...
Howey will star as Harry, the role played in the film by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The character is described as a benign, play-it-safe, seemingly risk-averse computer salesman and devoted family man, married with two kids. But in reality, Harry is an undercover operative, a first-class spy working for a covert U.S. Intelligence organization.
Like the film, Harry’s unfulfilled suburban wife is propelled into a life of danger and adventure when she’s recruited to work alongside him to save the world as they try to revitalize their passionless marriage. The wife role, which was played by Jamie Lee Curtis in the film, has yet to be cast.
Howey most recently starred in the hit Showtime series “Shameless,” playing the role of Kevin throughout...
- 9/8/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Dave Bautista is always looking for a challenge. The Guardians of the Galaxy films may have transformed the former professional wrestler into a household name, but he’s not resting on his laurels. He’s constantly working, headlining action movies, stretching his comedic chops, and lending unexpected gravitas to science fiction […]
The post ‘Army of the Dead’ Star Dave Bautista on Bringing Emotion to a Zombie Movie and the Future of Drax in the MCU [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Army of the Dead’ Star Dave Bautista on Bringing Emotion to a Zombie Movie and the Future of Drax in the MCU [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 5/17/2021
- by Jacob Hall
- Slash Film
You might know Natalie Morales for her work as an actress on shows like Parks and Recreation, The Little Things, Happily, Stuber, or Bojack Horseman. But after directing several short films and multiple episodes of television, she’s making her feature debut in 2021. Her first film is a pandemic-era drama called Language Lessons, but it […]
The post ‘Plan B’ Trailer: It’s Like ‘Never Have I Ever’ Meets ‘Unpregnant’ appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Plan B’ Trailer: It’s Like ‘Never Have I Ever’ Meets ‘Unpregnant’ appeared first on /Film.
- 5/5/2021
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
AGC International has sold most major territories on “Universe’s Most Wanted,” a sci-fi fantasy about a small town’s fight to save the world, starring Dave Bautista and directed by Brad Peyton.
Deals have been closed with Entertainment Film Distribution in the U.K. and Ireland; Constantin Film in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; Metropolitan in France; Vertice Cine in Latin America, Spain, Italy and Portugal; Elevation Pictures in Canada; Volga Film in Cis and Baltics; The Searchers in Benelux; and Spi International in Eastern Europe and Turkey.
Deals have also been struck with Joy N Cinema in South Korea; Long Shong International in Taiwan; Mvp Entertainment in India; Empire Entertainment in South Africa; Sahamongkolfilm in Thailand; Panorama Entertainment in Hong Kong; Pioneer Films in the Philippines; Selim Ramia & Co. in the Middle East; United King in Israel; and Echo Lake Entertainment for airlines.
AGC said that buyers responded warmly to...
Deals have been closed with Entertainment Film Distribution in the U.K. and Ireland; Constantin Film in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; Metropolitan in France; Vertice Cine in Latin America, Spain, Italy and Portugal; Elevation Pictures in Canada; Volga Film in Cis and Baltics; The Searchers in Benelux; and Spi International in Eastern Europe and Turkey.
Deals have also been struck with Joy N Cinema in South Korea; Long Shong International in Taiwan; Mvp Entertainment in India; Empire Entertainment in South Africa; Sahamongkolfilm in Thailand; Panorama Entertainment in Hong Kong; Pioneer Films in the Philippines; Selim Ramia & Co. in the Middle East; United King in Israel; and Echo Lake Entertainment for airlines.
AGC said that buyers responded warmly to...
- 11/17/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Actor Dave Bautista and director Brad Peyton are teaming up on “Universe’s Most Wanted,” a sci-fi fantasy about a small town’s fight to save the world. AGC Studios and CAA Media Finance are launching worldwide sales on the project in the coming weeks.
In addition to Bautista starring and Peyton directing, they will also produce “Universe’s Most Wanted.” F. Scott Frazier (“xXx: Return of Xander Cage”) and Jimmy Loweree wrote the script. The story centers on a small town that sees a space ship carrying the universe’s most wanted and dangerous criminals land in their backyard. The sheriff’s son soon becomes a hero as he works with an intergalactic peacekeeper (Bautista) to rally up the alien prisoners and keep them from taking over the world.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to get going on ‘Universe’s Most Wanted,'” Peyton said in a statement.
In addition to Bautista starring and Peyton directing, they will also produce “Universe’s Most Wanted.” F. Scott Frazier (“xXx: Return of Xander Cage”) and Jimmy Loweree wrote the script. The story centers on a small town that sees a space ship carrying the universe’s most wanted and dangerous criminals land in their backyard. The sheriff’s son soon becomes a hero as he works with an intergalactic peacekeeper (Bautista) to rally up the alien prisoners and keep them from taking over the world.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to get going on ‘Universe’s Most Wanted,'” Peyton said in a statement.
- 10/30/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Hollywood star Dave Bautista says he was a shy and introvert kid. Bautista was a wrestler before Hollywood beckoned, and he says he now loves acting.
"I love it, it's my passion. It's different type of training, but for sure I put in a lot of passion into it absolutely. I was always a shy kid, I mean people even were surprised when I got into wrestling they just couldn't believe it. I was always an introvert," said the actor, who has become popular globally playing Drax the Destroyer in the "Guardians Of The Galaxy" and "Avengers" blockbusters.
On the best career advice he has received, Bautista shared: "For me it was, I think Triple H once said to me...he said 'just pretend like everybody in the locker room has got a gun pointed at your head and it's up to you how many bullets you give them'. It's...
"I love it, it's my passion. It's different type of training, but for sure I put in a lot of passion into it absolutely. I was always a shy kid, I mean people even were surprised when I got into wrestling they just couldn't believe it. I was always an introvert," said the actor, who has become popular globally playing Drax the Destroyer in the "Guardians Of The Galaxy" and "Avengers" blockbusters.
On the best career advice he has received, Bautista shared: "For me it was, I think Triple H once said to me...he said 'just pretend like everybody in the locker room has got a gun pointed at your head and it's up to you how many bullets you give them'. It's...
- 9/19/2020
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Actress Natalie Morales, known for her role in Netflix’s Emmy-nominated series Dead to Me, will make her solo feature directorial debut with Plan B, a Counterbalance Entertainment and American High comedy which is set up at Hulu.
Set to begin production next month in Syracuse, NY, the film follows a straight-laced high school student and her slacker best friend who, after a regrettable first sexual encounter, have 24 hours to hunt down a Plan B pill in America’s heartland.
Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy penned the screenplay. Producers are Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald and Dina Hillier of Counterbalance Entertainment, Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps, Ryan Bennett of American High, Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon of Ld Entertainment, and Matt Lottman.
Morales has directed and starred in multiple episodes of HBO’s Room 104 from creators Jay and Mark Duplass. On the big screen, her recent credits include Fox...
Set to begin production next month in Syracuse, NY, the film follows a straight-laced high school student and her slacker best friend who, after a regrettable first sexual encounter, have 24 hours to hunt down a Plan B pill in America’s heartland.
Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy penned the screenplay. Producers are Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald and Dina Hillier of Counterbalance Entertainment, Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps, Ryan Bennett of American High, Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon of Ld Entertainment, and Matt Lottman.
Morales has directed and starred in multiple episodes of HBO’s Room 104 from creators Jay and Mark Duplass. On the big screen, her recent credits include Fox...
- 9/16/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
With North American moviegoing slowly coming back, Disney’s “The New Mutants” delivered a respectable $750,000 in Thursday night previews domestically.
The “X-Men” spinoff has been tracking for an opening weekend of $7 million to $10 million at 2,412 locations. The preview number matches “Stuber,” which went on to open with a $8.2 million weekend in July 2019. It’s better than 2018’s “Strangers: Prey at Night,” which generated $610,000 in previews and a $10.4 million launch weekend, and 2019’s “Bad Times at the El Royale,” which took in $575,000 in previews and $7.1 million for its first weekend.
“The New Mutants” was directed by Josh Boone, and stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt and Henry Zaga as young mutants held in a secret facility fighting to save themselves. It was originally intended for release in 2018 from 20th Century Fox, but has been delayed several times since then.
UA-Orion’s comedy sequel “Bill & Ted Face the Music,...
The “X-Men” spinoff has been tracking for an opening weekend of $7 million to $10 million at 2,412 locations. The preview number matches “Stuber,” which went on to open with a $8.2 million weekend in July 2019. It’s better than 2018’s “Strangers: Prey at Night,” which generated $610,000 in previews and a $10.4 million launch weekend, and 2019’s “Bad Times at the El Royale,” which took in $575,000 in previews and $7.1 million for its first weekend.
“The New Mutants” was directed by Josh Boone, and stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt and Henry Zaga as young mutants held in a secret facility fighting to save themselves. It was originally intended for release in 2018 from 20th Century Fox, but has been delayed several times since then.
UA-Orion’s comedy sequel “Bill & Ted Face the Music,...
- 8/28/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“The New Mutants,” the long-delayed superhero movie from 20th Century Studios that’s set in the X-Men universe and stars Maisie Williams and Anya Taylor-Joy, made $750,000 in Thursday night previews as audiences returned to the box office in earnest for one of the first times in months.
In all, just 62% of the domestic marketplace of movie theaters is open across the country, and “The New Mutants” did not play in California, New York, New Jersey, Arizona (partial), North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, New Mexico and in major cities such as Seattle, Miami, Portland and Philadelphia. The film did however open in some drive-in theaters, including in a special showing on Thursday evening at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Not to mention, Hurricane Laura making landfall in Houston as well as in Louisiana and Arkansas further limited the number of theaters that were open.
And these numbers are of course with additional social distancing protocols in place,...
In all, just 62% of the domestic marketplace of movie theaters is open across the country, and “The New Mutants” did not play in California, New York, New Jersey, Arizona (partial), North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, New Mexico and in major cities such as Seattle, Miami, Portland and Philadelphia. The film did however open in some drive-in theaters, including in a special showing on Thursday evening at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Not to mention, Hurricane Laura making landfall in Houston as well as in Louisiana and Arkansas further limited the number of theaters that were open.
And these numbers are of course with additional social distancing protocols in place,...
- 8/28/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Disney/20th Century Studios’ New Mutants got an early jump on the weekend last night, grossing $750K in a pandemic marketplace where only 62% of all movie theaters are open.
Studios have often said that preview figures aren’t perfect indicators of the weekend box office. I beg to differ: It was more predictable during pre-pandemic times. Now, we don’t know what to expect. One of the reasons why Disney is leading with this movie as theaters reopen is because research shows that the 18-34 crowd is more open and eager about returning to cinemas. Atom Tickets’ polling indicates that 40% of moviegoers are comfortable returning to theaters immediately. A reminder why it’s hard to draw conclusions about how the 3-day will ultimately look is because hard-top theaters in California, New York, New Jersey, Arizona (partial), North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, and New Mexico remain closed along with the metro areas of Seattle,...
Studios have often said that preview figures aren’t perfect indicators of the weekend box office. I beg to differ: It was more predictable during pre-pandemic times. Now, we don’t know what to expect. One of the reasons why Disney is leading with this movie as theaters reopen is because research shows that the 18-34 crowd is more open and eager about returning to cinemas. Atom Tickets’ polling indicates that 40% of moviegoers are comfortable returning to theaters immediately. A reminder why it’s hard to draw conclusions about how the 3-day will ultimately look is because hard-top theaters in California, New York, New Jersey, Arizona (partial), North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, and New Mexico remain closed along with the metro areas of Seattle,...
- 8/28/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood has been trying to make a movie adaptation of the popular action/adventure video game Just Cause for more than a decade, and it seems like its producers have finally settled on a director. Michael Dowse, who recently directed the action comedy Stuber and directed the beloved sports movie Goon, has been hired to take […]
The post ‘Just Cause’ Movie Zeroes in on ‘Stuber’ and ‘Goon’ Director Michael Dowse appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Just Cause’ Movie Zeroes in on ‘Stuber’ and ‘Goon’ Director Michael Dowse appeared first on /Film.
- 7/15/2020
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
Over his past couple of features, “Stuber” and “Coffee & Kareem,” Michael Dowse has established himself as a director that loves to play with the combination of over-the-top violence and raunchy humor. And if there was ever a video game franchise that Dowse could apply that style to with a film adaptation, it would be “Just Cause.”
Read More: ‘Coffee & Kareem’: An Awful, Exploitative, Tone-Deaf Riff On ’48 Hours’ & ‘Kindergarten Cop’ [Review]
And according to Deadline, Dowse is going to do just that, as it’s been announced that the filmmaker will tackle a big-screen adaptation of the popular video game franchise, “Just Cause.” The film will follow a similar story as the games, with the hero Rico Rodriguez on a mission to stop the mercenary group, The Black Hand.
Continue reading ‘Just Cause’: ‘Stuber’ Director To Take On Film Adaptation Of Popular Video Game Franchise at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Coffee & Kareem’: An Awful, Exploitative, Tone-Deaf Riff On ’48 Hours’ & ‘Kindergarten Cop’ [Review]
And according to Deadline, Dowse is going to do just that, as it’s been announced that the filmmaker will tackle a big-screen adaptation of the popular video game franchise, “Just Cause.” The film will follow a similar story as the games, with the hero Rico Rodriguez on a mission to stop the mercenary group, The Black Hand.
Continue reading ‘Just Cause’: ‘Stuber’ Director To Take On Film Adaptation Of Popular Video Game Franchise at The Playlist.
- 7/15/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
“Stuber” director Michael Dowse has closed a deal to direct the movie adaptation of the “Just Cause” video game for Constantin Film, the company announced on Wednesday.
“John Wick” Creator Derek Kolstad is writing the script. Constantin is teaming up with Prime Universe Films to launch “Just Cause” as a global action franchise.
The video game series from Avalanche Studios and Square Enix follows the adventures of Rico Rodriguez, an operative for a fictional U.S. covert agency sent to destabilize and overthrow oppressive regimes. “Just Cause” is well regarded for its wide-open sandbox environments, over-the-top action and humor.
Also Read: 'John Wick' Creator Derek Kolstad to Adapt Video Game 'Just Cause' for Constantin Film
While the film’s plot is being kept under wraps, as with the four “Just Cause” games the film will follow Rico Rodriguez on a race-against-time mission to stop the Black Hand, a lethal mercenary group.
“John Wick” Creator Derek Kolstad is writing the script. Constantin is teaming up with Prime Universe Films to launch “Just Cause” as a global action franchise.
The video game series from Avalanche Studios and Square Enix follows the adventures of Rico Rodriguez, an operative for a fictional U.S. covert agency sent to destabilize and overthrow oppressive regimes. “Just Cause” is well regarded for its wide-open sandbox environments, over-the-top action and humor.
Also Read: 'John Wick' Creator Derek Kolstad to Adapt Video Game 'Just Cause' for Constantin Film
While the film’s plot is being kept under wraps, as with the four “Just Cause” games the film will follow Rico Rodriguez on a race-against-time mission to stop the Black Hand, a lethal mercenary group.
- 7/15/2020
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Michael Dowse, who last directed the action comedy Stuber, is set to helm Just Cause, the adaptation of the hit video game franchise.
Constantin Film is behind the project, which is being produced by Constantin’s Robert Kulzer as well as Adrian Askarieh via his Prime Universe Films. Derek Kolstad, the John Wick creator who is also writing Cause, is also producing.
Hailing from Avalanche Studios and Square Enix, the four games in the franchise follow Rico Rodriguez on a race-against-time mission to stop The Black Hand, a lethal mercenary group.
While plot details are being kept under wraps, the character’s well-known grappling ...
Constantin Film is behind the project, which is being produced by Constantin’s Robert Kulzer as well as Adrian Askarieh via his Prime Universe Films. Derek Kolstad, the John Wick creator who is also writing Cause, is also producing.
Hailing from Avalanche Studios and Square Enix, the four games in the franchise follow Rico Rodriguez on a race-against-time mission to stop The Black Hand, a lethal mercenary group.
While plot details are being kept under wraps, the character’s well-known grappling ...
- 7/15/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Paramount Pictures is lucky to have Emma Watts as their new motion picture group president, replacing outgoing Wyck Godfrey. It’s not a huge surprise, as she is reuniting with her old boss at Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount studio chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos, who took over the studio in 2017 and likes to lean on his trusted former Fox colleagues, from distribution chief Chris Aronson to press relations executive Chris Petrikin.
Things were going fine for Watts at Fox after 22 years of steady success under mentors Gianopulos and Tom Rothman (now at Sony). Watts is a moviemaker in the Rothman mold, who believes passionately in people and projects and — if it makes for better movies — is willing to take risks and piss off producers and agents along the way.
She pushed Ridley Scott’s Mars drama “The Martian,” starring Matt Damon, David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike,...
Things were going fine for Watts at Fox after 22 years of steady success under mentors Gianopulos and Tom Rothman (now at Sony). Watts is a moviemaker in the Rothman mold, who believes passionately in people and projects and — if it makes for better movies — is willing to take risks and piss off producers and agents along the way.
She pushed Ridley Scott’s Mars drama “The Martian,” starring Matt Damon, David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike,...
- 7/1/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Paramount Pictures is lucky to have Emma Watts as their new motion picture group president, replacing outgoing Wyck Godfrey. It’s not a huge surprise, as she is reuniting with her old boss at Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount studio chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos, who took over the studio in 2017 and likes to lean on his trusted former Fox colleagues, from distribution chief Chris Aronson to press relations executive Chris Petrikin.
Things were going fine for Watts at Fox after 22 years of steady success under mentors Gianopulos and Tom Rothman (now at Sony). Watts is a moviemaker in the Rothman mold, who believes passionately in people and projects and — if it makes for better movies — is willing to take risks and piss off producers and agents along the way.
She pushed Ridley Scott’s Mars drama “The Martian,” starring Matt Damon, David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike,...
Things were going fine for Watts at Fox after 22 years of steady success under mentors Gianopulos and Tom Rothman (now at Sony). Watts is a moviemaker in the Rothman mold, who believes passionately in people and projects and — if it makes for better movies — is willing to take risks and piss off producers and agents along the way.
She pushed Ridley Scott’s Mars drama “The Martian,” starring Matt Damon, David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike,...
- 7/1/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Paramount Pictures has named influential production executive Emma Watts president of its motion picture group, studio chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos announced on Tuesday.
The former Twentieth Century Fox leader replaces Wyck Godfrey, who will exit Paramount and transition back to producing film and TV. Watts starts July 20, and will report directly to Gianopulos.
The move reunites Gianopulos with Watts — the two worked together at 20th Century Fox for decades and enjoyed a close collaboration on hit franchises such as “Planet of the Apes” and “Kingsman.” It was Watts’ ability to oversee big, tentpole features that helped earn her the job. Godfrey’s tastes veered more towards the young adult and smaller fare he made his reputation on by producing “Fault in Our Stars” and “Twilight.”
At Paramount he championed the likes of Damien Chazelle’s upcoming Hollywood drama “Babylon” and last year’s hit “Rocketman.” Word in the industry...
The former Twentieth Century Fox leader replaces Wyck Godfrey, who will exit Paramount and transition back to producing film and TV. Watts starts July 20, and will report directly to Gianopulos.
The move reunites Gianopulos with Watts — the two worked together at 20th Century Fox for decades and enjoyed a close collaboration on hit franchises such as “Planet of the Apes” and “Kingsman.” It was Watts’ ability to oversee big, tentpole features that helped earn her the job. Godfrey’s tastes veered more towards the young adult and smaller fare he made his reputation on by producing “Fault in Our Stars” and “Twilight.”
At Paramount he championed the likes of Damien Chazelle’s upcoming Hollywood drama “Babylon” and last year’s hit “Rocketman.” Word in the industry...
- 6/30/2020
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Five of TV’s top costume designers will reveal the secrets behind their success when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Btl Experts” Q&a event with key 2020 Emmy contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to be published soon: one-on-one with our senior editor Joyce Eng and a group chat with Joyce and all of the designers together.
SEEalmost 300 interviews with 2020 Emmy contenders
This “Meet the Btl Experts” panel welcomes the following 2020 Emmy contenders:
Johnetta Boone represents Paramount Network for “Yellowstone”
Boone has worked on such projects as “Uncle Drew,” “Greenleaf,” “A Madea Christmas,” “Steel Magnolias,” “For Colored Girls” and “Cadillac Records.”
Christine Bieselin Clark represents CBS All Access for “Star Trek: Picard”
Clark received a Costume Designers Guild nomination for “Tron: Legacy.” Other projects have included “Into the Badlands,” “Spy,” “The Maze Runner,” “Ender’s Game” and “Raising Genius.”
Sarah Evelyn represents Netflix...
SEEalmost 300 interviews with 2020 Emmy contenders
This “Meet the Btl Experts” panel welcomes the following 2020 Emmy contenders:
Johnetta Boone represents Paramount Network for “Yellowstone”
Boone has worked on such projects as “Uncle Drew,” “Greenleaf,” “A Madea Christmas,” “Steel Magnolias,” “For Colored Girls” and “Cadillac Records.”
Christine Bieselin Clark represents CBS All Access for “Star Trek: Picard”
Clark received a Costume Designers Guild nomination for “Tron: Legacy.” Other projects have included “Into the Badlands,” “Spy,” “The Maze Runner,” “Ender’s Game” and “Raising Genius.”
Sarah Evelyn represents Netflix...
- 6/17/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
‘Jumanji: the Next Level’ star Awkwafina and Karen Gillan are set to star in action-comedy ‘Shelley’
Jude Weng is directing the film that takes place a decade after an embarrassing prom prank ran Shelly Wheeler (Awkwafina) out of town and so hardened her heart that she became an ice-cold hit-woman. Revenge threatens to be sweet when she learns her next target is her former high school tormentor, Dianna Park (Gillan). But when Dianna unexpectedly befriends Shelly, the assassin finds herself in with the cool crowd, protecting her old nemesis against another hit crew hired to kill them both.
Michael Doneger penned the story. ‘6 Underground’ Ian Bryce is producing, with Will McCance executive producing and Katie Malott co-producing.
Also in news – Henry Cavill in talks to return as ‘Superman’ in DC Movie
Awkwafina was last seen in ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, ‘Between Two Ferns: The Movie’ and ‘The Farewell’. She...
Jude Weng is directing the film that takes place a decade after an embarrassing prom prank ran Shelly Wheeler (Awkwafina) out of town and so hardened her heart that she became an ice-cold hit-woman. Revenge threatens to be sweet when she learns her next target is her former high school tormentor, Dianna Park (Gillan). But when Dianna unexpectedly befriends Shelly, the assassin finds herself in with the cool crowd, protecting her old nemesis against another hit crew hired to kill them both.
Michael Doneger penned the story. ‘6 Underground’ Ian Bryce is producing, with Will McCance executive producing and Katie Malott co-producing.
Also in news – Henry Cavill in talks to return as ‘Superman’ in DC Movie
Awkwafina was last seen in ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, ‘Between Two Ferns: The Movie’ and ‘The Farewell’. She...
- 5/29/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It seems like every other week brings a new streaming service with it, but the May 27 launch of HBO Max is, indeed, a potential watershed moment. While presented as a branch of the existing HBO brand, it’s more accurately a WarnerMedia behemoth effort that unites the conglomerates many properties (plus a few original efforts) in one convenient place — that is, if you can figure out how to get it, let alone whether or not you already have access to it.
On its debut day, Variety’s chief TV critics Caroline Framke and Daniel D’Addario took a look through the new service to discuss its library, interface, and overall potential.
Caroline Framke: The first thing I did this morning was figure out how, exactly, to access HBO Max at all. In the months, weeks, days leading to this moment, the seemingly simple question of “how do you get HBO Max?...
On its debut day, Variety’s chief TV critics Caroline Framke and Daniel D’Addario took a look through the new service to discuss its library, interface, and overall potential.
Caroline Framke: The first thing I did this morning was figure out how, exactly, to access HBO Max at all. In the months, weeks, days leading to this moment, the seemingly simple question of “how do you get HBO Max?...
- 5/27/2020
- by Caroline Framke and Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
The studio comedy has been on the endangered species list for the majority of the last decade. You can blame the bloated financial expectations of the comic book boom, as well as the exponential rise of streaming services and digital libraries, which have become the new creative playgrounds for comedians to develop scripted content. The current pandemic hasn’t helped, either, of course. Despite the box office success of some recent outliers, this historically mid-budgeted genre has lost its relevance within the current theatrical model.
It’s an inevitable trend that makes The Lovebirds, Michael Showalter’s latest feature, microcosmic of an increasingly shifting landscape. Though it was originally scheduled to be released in theaters by Paramount in early April, the studio sold it to Netflix and it’s now arriving in mid-May. Neither the movie’s material nor the studio’s reasoning for the change make this a watershed moment,...
It’s an inevitable trend that makes The Lovebirds, Michael Showalter’s latest feature, microcosmic of an increasingly shifting landscape. Though it was originally scheduled to be released in theaters by Paramount in early April, the studio sold it to Netflix and it’s now arriving in mid-May. Neither the movie’s material nor the studio’s reasoning for the change make this a watershed moment,...
- 5/20/2020
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
Jim Gaffigan is preparing to play former Toronto mayor Rob Ford in a scripted series currently in the works at AMC, Variety has learned exclusively.
Jesse McKeown will write and executive produce, with Ed Helms and Mike Falbo executive producing under their Pacific Electric Picture Co. banner. Michael Dowse will executive produce and direct.
The dark comedy series would detail the rise and fall of the controversial Ford, who served as the mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014 after many years as a city councilor. He was infamously caught on video smoking crack cocaine during his reelection campaign and was known to suffer from other substance abuse issues.
Should the project move forward it would not be the first onscreen depiction of Ford. Damian Lewis played Ford in the film “Run This Town,” which debuted at SXSW last year.
Gaffigan is best known for his stand up comedy career, having released specials like “Beyond the Pale,...
Jesse McKeown will write and executive produce, with Ed Helms and Mike Falbo executive producing under their Pacific Electric Picture Co. banner. Michael Dowse will executive produce and direct.
The dark comedy series would detail the rise and fall of the controversial Ford, who served as the mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014 after many years as a city councilor. He was infamously caught on video smoking crack cocaine during his reelection campaign and was known to suffer from other substance abuse issues.
Should the project move forward it would not be the first onscreen depiction of Ford. Damian Lewis played Ford in the film “Run This Town,” which debuted at SXSW last year.
Gaffigan is best known for his stand up comedy career, having released specials like “Beyond the Pale,...
- 5/5/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Is watching a movie in a theater a different experience from watching it at home? There are two answers to that, and both of them are correct. The answers are: 1) Yes, of course it is! and 2) It’s sort of different, but not really.
It’s a different experience for all the reasons you know in your heart it is. I won’t bother to list each of them. But I will say that every time I’ve ever been asked this question, which I have for decades before the streaming wars existed, I have always led my “Yes, of course!” with the same quintessential example: that there is no movie on Earth you would rather see with an audience, and that benefits more from a theater setting, than a Hollywood comedy.
Laughter, by definition, is an infectious thing. So when I think of watching a movie like “The King of Staten Island,...
It’s a different experience for all the reasons you know in your heart it is. I won’t bother to list each of them. But I will say that every time I’ve ever been asked this question, which I have for decades before the streaming wars existed, I have always led my “Yes, of course!” with the same quintessential example: that there is no movie on Earth you would rather see with an audience, and that benefits more from a theater setting, than a Hollywood comedy.
Laughter, by definition, is an infectious thing. So when I think of watching a movie like “The King of Staten Island,...
- 4/29/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon Prime Video has acquired Dave Bautista’s “My Spy” from STXFilms and Mwm Studios, Amazon announced Wednesday.
The film will now launch on streaming after the theatrical release date of the action comedy was pushed several times. Peter Segal directs from a script penned by Jon and Erich Hoeber.
“My Spy” stars Bautista, Kristen Schaal, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Chloe Coleman and Ken Jeong. Chris Bender, Segal, Jake Weiner, Robert Simonds, Gigi Pritzker, Bautista and Jonathan Meisner are producers.
Also Read: Dave Bautista-Led 'My Spy' Pushed to 2020 at Stx Entertainment
The film follows a hardened CIA operative (Bautista) who finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl (Coleman) after being sent undercover to spy on her family.
Initially “My Spy” was set up to come a little more than a month after “Stuber,” which Bautista also starred in alongside Kumail Nanjiani. After “My Spy” was pulled from the July 2019 release schedule,...
The film will now launch on streaming after the theatrical release date of the action comedy was pushed several times. Peter Segal directs from a script penned by Jon and Erich Hoeber.
“My Spy” stars Bautista, Kristen Schaal, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Chloe Coleman and Ken Jeong. Chris Bender, Segal, Jake Weiner, Robert Simonds, Gigi Pritzker, Bautista and Jonathan Meisner are producers.
Also Read: Dave Bautista-Led 'My Spy' Pushed to 2020 at Stx Entertainment
The film follows a hardened CIA operative (Bautista) who finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl (Coleman) after being sent undercover to spy on her family.
Initially “My Spy” was set up to come a little more than a month after “Stuber,” which Bautista also starred in alongside Kumail Nanjiani. After “My Spy” was pulled from the July 2019 release schedule,...
- 4/8/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Fecal Weapon: Dowse Gets Derivative with (Another) Odd Couple Comedy
The odd couple dynamic in comedy is as old as the genre itself, and thus, is a formula as often cliched as it is tried and true. Unfortunately, Coffee & Kareem, the latest film from director Michael Dowse, falls more often into the former, especially as it compares to his own filmography which has brought him from successful Canadian comedies such as the Fubar (2002) films and Goon (2011) to the comedic parameters of Hollywood, with the likes of Take Me Home Tonight (2011), What If (2013), and the recent Stuber (2019).…...
The odd couple dynamic in comedy is as old as the genre itself, and thus, is a formula as often cliched as it is tried and true. Unfortunately, Coffee & Kareem, the latest film from director Michael Dowse, falls more often into the former, especially as it compares to his own filmography which has brought him from successful Canadian comedies such as the Fubar (2002) films and Goon (2011) to the comedic parameters of Hollywood, with the likes of Take Me Home Tonight (2011), What If (2013), and the recent Stuber (2019).…...
- 4/3/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
An action-comedy whose default mode is a kind of sustained hysteria, “Coffee & Kareem” starts with buddy-movie tropes, massive amounts of firepower and even more four-letter words. It tosses them in a meat grinder with some wry psychobabble, some social commentary and a dash of family values and throws them against Netflix’s virtual wall to see what sticks.
It’s kind of a mess, a crazy balancing act that flails as often as it connects. But director Michael Dowse, working from a Black Listed script by Shane Mack, has fun with the whole crazy concoction and finds at least one scene-stealing performance that hits just the right note of insanity.
Over the years, Dowse has shown to be adept with mockumentary (the 2002 Sundance hit “Fubar”) and indie romantic comedy. But “Coffee & Kareem” is his second straight movie to focus on odd-couple crimefighters, after last year’s “Stuber” with...
It’s kind of a mess, a crazy balancing act that flails as often as it connects. But director Michael Dowse, working from a Black Listed script by Shane Mack, has fun with the whole crazy concoction and finds at least one scene-stealing performance that hits just the right note of insanity.
Over the years, Dowse has shown to be adept with mockumentary (the 2002 Sundance hit “Fubar”) and indie romantic comedy. But “Coffee & Kareem” is his second straight movie to focus on odd-couple crimefighters, after last year’s “Stuber” with...
- 4/3/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
For anyone who hasn’t gotten their fill of Betty Gilpin maniacally screaming while brandishing a deadly weapon this year — and, no, even with the actress’ outstanding performance in “The Hunt” already available to watch in your own home, you have not yet gotten your fill — Michael Dowse’s uneven “Coffee & Kareem” at least offers that in heady doses. The “Stuber” and “Goon” filmmaker has decamped for Netflix for his latest feature, a raunchy, foul-mouthed buddy comedy about mismatched maybe-pals that never quite lives up to its caffeine-infused title.
Diverting enough at just under 90 minutes, “Coffee & Kareem” likely won’t do for the R-rated comedy that other Netflix offerings have done for the rom-com, but a strong finale helps end thing things on a high point. And while the film is understandably concerned with its titular characters — Ed Helms as straight-edge Detroit cop James Coffee, young star Terrence Little Gardenhigh...
Diverting enough at just under 90 minutes, “Coffee & Kareem” likely won’t do for the R-rated comedy that other Netflix offerings have done for the rom-com, but a strong finale helps end thing things on a high point. And while the film is understandably concerned with its titular characters — Ed Helms as straight-edge Detroit cop James Coffee, young star Terrence Little Gardenhigh...
- 4/3/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
There’s politically incorrect, and then there’s just plain wrong.
Netflix’s “Coffee & Kareem” pairs a young black kid with an inept white cop and hopes that their differences will amuse (or at least distract) stuck-at-home audiences for 90 minutes or so. But what audiences? What adult wants to watch this kind of “Kindergarten Cop” nonsense? that no parent in his or her right mind would let Junior tune in.
But that’s the beauty of Netflix, I guess: Age-based MPAA ratings are for the chumps who make movies for theaters (such a 20th-century — or at least pre-coronavirus — concept), whereas when it comes to serve-yourself at-home streaming, there’s no divide between bad movies and bad-for-you movies.
So here’s the pitch: James Coffee is an awkward, overly cautious cop — a role for which Ed Helms is well suited. Kareem Manning is a chubbier-than-most Detroit public school misfit forced...
Netflix’s “Coffee & Kareem” pairs a young black kid with an inept white cop and hopes that their differences will amuse (or at least distract) stuck-at-home audiences for 90 minutes or so. But what audiences? What adult wants to watch this kind of “Kindergarten Cop” nonsense? that no parent in his or her right mind would let Junior tune in.
But that’s the beauty of Netflix, I guess: Age-based MPAA ratings are for the chumps who make movies for theaters (such a 20th-century — or at least pre-coronavirus — concept), whereas when it comes to serve-yourself at-home streaming, there’s no divide between bad movies and bad-for-you movies.
So here’s the pitch: James Coffee is an awkward, overly cautious cop — a role for which Ed Helms is well suited. Kareem Manning is a chubbier-than-most Detroit public school misfit forced...
- 4/3/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Well here we are. April is going to be a fairly sedentary and isolating month for a lot of people. At least we now thankfully have some guidance as to our entertainment options as HBO has released its new streaming releases for April 2020.
HBO’s original series premieres are pretty busy this month. The fourth season of Issa Rae’s excellent comedy Insecure arrives on April 12. That’s preceded by the fascinating docuseries Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children and followed by book adaptation I Know This Much is True.
On the film side of things there are a few exciting options. Good Boys arrives on April 4, It: Chapter Two on April 11, and Stuber on April 18. Some older movies arriving on April 1 are Team America: World Police, Die Hard, and Slumdog Millionaire.
Here is everything else coming to HBO Now and HBO Go in April 2020 via HBO PR.
HBO’s original series premieres are pretty busy this month. The fourth season of Issa Rae’s excellent comedy Insecure arrives on April 12. That’s preceded by the fascinating docuseries Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children and followed by book adaptation I Know This Much is True.
On the film side of things there are a few exciting options. Good Boys arrives on April 4, It: Chapter Two on April 11, and Stuber on April 18. Some older movies arriving on April 1 are Team America: World Police, Die Hard, and Slumdog Millionaire.
Here is everything else coming to HBO Now and HBO Go in April 2020 via HBO PR.
- 3/19/2020
- by jbindeck2015
- Den of Geek
After this weekend’s box office totals were revealed, estimates put “The Call of the Wild” at a domestic total of $45 million. With a debut last week of $24.8 million, you would assume that the Harrison Ford-led family film is on track to become a profitable film. But then you look at the cost of the production and you realize that ‘Call’ is now going to sit alongside “Dark Phoenix,” “Stuber,” “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” “Ad Astra,” and “Underwater” as Disney films inherited from the Fox deal that have greatly underperformed.
Continue reading ‘Call Of The Wild’ Will Likely Lose $50 Million And Become Disney’s Latest Fox Flop at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Call Of The Wild’ Will Likely Lose $50 Million And Become Disney’s Latest Fox Flop at The Playlist.
- 3/2/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Harrison Ford’s canine adventure “The Call of the Wild” is shaping up to be the latest box office dud for the Disney-owned 20th Century.
The film, based on Jack London’s best-selling novel, has made $45 million in the U.S. and $79 million globally after two weeks in theaters. That wouldn’t be a bad result, had “The Call of the Wild” cost a moderate amount to make and market. However, it carries a price tag above $125 million, meaning the film needs to make between $250 million and $275 million to break even, according to sources close to the production and rival studio executives. Given the unlikeliness that it’ll reach those ticket sales, “The Call of the Wild” is expected to lose around $50 million. Tsg co-financed the film, which will help mitigate damages for Disney.
After Disney broke box office records last year with billion-dollar blockbusters like “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Lion King” and “Captain Marvel,...
The film, based on Jack London’s best-selling novel, has made $45 million in the U.S. and $79 million globally after two weeks in theaters. That wouldn’t be a bad result, had “The Call of the Wild” cost a moderate amount to make and market. However, it carries a price tag above $125 million, meaning the film needs to make between $250 million and $275 million to break even, according to sources close to the production and rival studio executives. Given the unlikeliness that it’ll reach those ticket sales, “The Call of the Wild” is expected to lose around $50 million. Tsg co-financed the film, which will help mitigate damages for Disney.
After Disney broke box office records last year with billion-dollar blockbusters like “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Lion King” and “Captain Marvel,...
- 3/1/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Last March, Emma Watts, Fox vice chairman and president of production at Twentieth Century Fox Film, was a new recruit to Team Disney, shepherding her crew as they were ingested by another studio. She went along for the ride, hoping for the best.
Last week, after 22 years at Fox, Watts bid Disney good-bye, leaving in charge senior executives Scott Aversano, Mike Ireland, and Steve Asbell. While she ran Fox as a studio, she leaves behind a glorified Disney label. Her resignation memo stated her need to “pursue new opportunities.”
While that’s boilerplate language for high-profile executive exits, here it has the added benefit of being true. “They cut her off at the knees,” said one agent. “Fox remains as a pod for Jim Cameron. It’s another sign of the diminishment and Disneyization of that company. They’re dismantling it.”
When Watts started at Fox as a creative executive more than two decades ago,...
Last week, after 22 years at Fox, Watts bid Disney good-bye, leaving in charge senior executives Scott Aversano, Mike Ireland, and Steve Asbell. While she ran Fox as a studio, she leaves behind a glorified Disney label. Her resignation memo stated her need to “pursue new opportunities.”
While that’s boilerplate language for high-profile executive exits, here it has the added benefit of being true. “They cut her off at the knees,” said one agent. “Fox remains as a pod for Jim Cameron. It’s another sign of the diminishment and Disneyization of that company. They’re dismantling it.”
When Watts started at Fox as a creative executive more than two decades ago,...
- 2/4/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Emma Watts has resigned as president of production at Twentieth Century Studios, ending a two decade-long run at the film company. The move comes after mutterings that Watts was unhappy about not being given more to do at Twentieth after the company was acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 2019. In her resignation letter, Watts cited a need to “pursue new opportunities.”
It hasn’t helped that many of the films that Twentieth was slated to release, such as “Dark Phoenix” and “Stuber,” bombed at the box office. She is the latest in a long line of Fox veterans and top executives to leave the company following the sale, joining the likes of studio chairman Stacey Snider, domestic distribution chief Chris Aronson (now at Paramount), and Fox 2000 chief Elizabeth Gabler (safely ensconced at Sony in a deal that will have her develop movies based on Harper Collins properties). Some long-time Fox executives remain,...
It hasn’t helped that many of the films that Twentieth was slated to release, such as “Dark Phoenix” and “Stuber,” bombed at the box office. She is the latest in a long line of Fox veterans and top executives to leave the company following the sale, joining the likes of studio chairman Stacey Snider, domestic distribution chief Chris Aronson (now at Paramount), and Fox 2000 chief Elizabeth Gabler (safely ensconced at Sony in a deal that will have her develop movies based on Harper Collins properties). Some long-time Fox executives remain,...
- 1/30/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Apple has lifted the veil on a major casting for the sophomore season of See, which stars Jason Momoa as Baba Ross - a man hoping to survive the distant future, after a deadly virus has all but wiped humankind off the planet. As per today's reveal, it's been announced that Guardians Of The Galaxy and Stuber actor Dave Bautista will star opposite Momoa in the…...
- 1/13/2020
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
‘1917’ (Photo credit: Universal Pictures).
Sam Mendes’ WW1 epic 1917, which ranks fourth in the betting for the best picture Oscar, opened in top spot in Australia last weekend and was No. 1 in the Us.
The pundits polled by Gold Derby have the Amblin/DreamWorks production at odds of 8/1, behind Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood at 7/1 and Martin Scorcese’s The Irishman and Boon Joon Ho’s Parasite, both at 15/2.
The odds for best film, director and other categories may well change tomorrow when the Academy Awards nominations are announced.
In Oz the new releases including Roadshow’s My Spy, Studiocanal’s A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon and Indian imports Darbar, Sarileru Neekevvaru, Ala Vaikunthapurramloo and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior kept ticket sales at a healthy level.
The top 20 titles generated $23.8 million, down 10 per cent on the previous frame, according to Numero. Nationwide, the calendar 2019 grosses totaled $1.22 billion,...
Sam Mendes’ WW1 epic 1917, which ranks fourth in the betting for the best picture Oscar, opened in top spot in Australia last weekend and was No. 1 in the Us.
The pundits polled by Gold Derby have the Amblin/DreamWorks production at odds of 8/1, behind Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood at 7/1 and Martin Scorcese’s The Irishman and Boon Joon Ho’s Parasite, both at 15/2.
The odds for best film, director and other categories may well change tomorrow when the Academy Awards nominations are announced.
In Oz the new releases including Roadshow’s My Spy, Studiocanal’s A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon and Indian imports Darbar, Sarileru Neekevvaru, Ala Vaikunthapurramloo and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior kept ticket sales at a healthy level.
The top 20 titles generated $23.8 million, down 10 per cent on the previous frame, according to Numero. Nationwide, the calendar 2019 grosses totaled $1.22 billion,...
- 1/12/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 344 feature films are eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
- 12/18/2019
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
https://www.facebook.com/joecomposer
Just in time for the holidays is Disney+ original new movie Lady And The Tramp.
In Disney+’s “Lady and the Tramp,” life is good for Lady, an overachieving American Cocker Spaniel who resides in an upscale suburban neighborhood. Her owners, Jim Dear and Darling, spoil her daily and her neighbors, Jock, an outspoken Scottish Terrier and Trusty, a world-weary Bloodhound, are always within barking distance. But when a baby enters the picture, Lady is no longer the center of attention, and the arrival of cat-loving Aunt Sarah only complicates matters. Lady soon finds herself alone on the streets in an unwelcoming part of town. Fortunately, Tramp steps in, and the streetwise mongrel is quick to teach her the ways of the world. Before long, the prim and proper purebred and the fast-talking mutt are partaking in moonlight strolls in the park and romantic spaghetti dinners by candlelight.
Just in time for the holidays is Disney+ original new movie Lady And The Tramp.
In Disney+’s “Lady and the Tramp,” life is good for Lady, an overachieving American Cocker Spaniel who resides in an upscale suburban neighborhood. Her owners, Jim Dear and Darling, spoil her daily and her neighbors, Jock, an outspoken Scottish Terrier and Trusty, a world-weary Bloodhound, are always within barking distance. But when a baby enters the picture, Lady is no longer the center of attention, and the arrival of cat-loving Aunt Sarah only complicates matters. Lady soon finds herself alone on the streets in an unwelcoming part of town. Fortunately, Tramp steps in, and the streetwise mongrel is quick to teach her the ways of the world. Before long, the prim and proper purebred and the fast-talking mutt are partaking in moonlight strolls in the park and romantic spaghetti dinners by candlelight.
- 12/17/2019
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“The Eternals” star Kumail Nanjiani got absolutely shredded and vascular for his role in the Marvel superhero movie, the actor revealed on Instagram Monday.
“I never thought I’d be one of those people who would post a thirsty shirtless, but I’ve worked way too hard for way too long so here we are,” said Nanjiani.” “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I found out a year ago I was going to be in Marvel’s Eternals and decided I wanted to transform how I looked. I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world. I’m glad I look like this, but I also understand why I never did before.”
View this post on Instagram...
“I never thought I’d be one of those people who would post a thirsty shirtless, but I’ve worked way too hard for way too long so here we are,” said Nanjiani.” “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I found out a year ago I was going to be in Marvel’s Eternals and decided I wanted to transform how I looked. I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world. I’m glad I look like this, but I also understand why I never did before.”
View this post on Instagram...
- 12/16/2019
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
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