Elaine May To Make Directing Comeback With ‘Crackpot’ Starring Dakota Johnson

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November 3, 2019

It’s a shame that the many acclaimed contributions by comedienne, actor, screenwriter, and director Elaine May have been lost to a generation. She hasn’t directed a feature film since 1987’s critical disaster, Ishtar, but she’s found the right project to make her comeback with the Dakota Johnson-starring Crackpot.

First noted by Deadline then expanded by The Film Stage, the 86-year-old May will direct Johnson in Crackpot, which we have no details about. Honestly, the movie isn’t really the story here, it’s the return of May behind the camera. It’s funny, because she’s only directed four movies- 1971’s A New Leaf, 1972’s The Heartbreak Kid, 1976’s Mikey and Nicky, and 1987’s Ishtar, that May has managed to build such a sterling reputation despite that. While some of her films received critical acclaim, they were largely met with studio resistance and then ignored at the box office. The most recent project May directed was the TV documentary Mike Nichols: American Masters, about her longtime comedy collaborator.

May recently won the Best Actress Tony Award for Kenneth Lonergan’s The Waverly Gallery, and is now coming back to her directing career. Hopefully, this time will be smooth sailing and make this return more than worth the long wait.

Rian Johnson Says He’s Still “Engaged’ wth Lucasfilm About His ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy

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John Nolan

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November 3, 2019

With Benioff and Weiss’ Star Wars trilogy put on ice, many, and I include myself in this, wondered if Rian Johnson’s films were even still happening. Well, they aren’t confirmed by any means, but Johnson assures us he’s still in talks with Lucasfilm about making them a reality.

Johnson dropped the news at a recent Deadline event…

“We’re still engaged with Lucasfilm and we’ll wait and see. No updates on it at this moment, but yeah.”

And that’s good news for fans of the Knives Out and The Last Jedi director, despite the latter drawing an apparently unending well of hate by certain vocal fans. It’s probably a wise move for Lucasfilm to keep things quiet until they have a solid gameplan for the future because the franchise is in flux right now. Nothing is on the table following next month’s The Rise of Skywalker.

Johnson’s next film, the whodunnit Knives Out, opens on November 27th, and one of the things a lot of people noticed was a particular character who seemed to be a reflection of the trolls who still send him hate tweets about The Last Jedi.

“Anyone who’s on Twitter these days, God bless you because it’s rough waters out there, but there’s also wonderful stuff about it. That’s why we’re all still on it I guess. That’s one of the things [Knives Out] engages with, the current state of online culture. Whether you made a Star Wars movie or you have a cooking show, whatever you’re doing on there, someone’s going to be screaming at you about it probably. Let’s put it on a screen in a way we can all maybe have a laugh about it.”

Netflix’s Release Of ‘The Irishman’ Called “A Disgrace” By Theatre Chief

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John Nolan

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November 2, 2019

This week has kinda sucked, having to do reviews for the theatrical release of Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman as if anybody around here could see it. Because Lord knows I got enough questions from people asking where it was playing. The answer? In 8 theaters…in NY and LA. >sigh< This has done Netflix absolutely no favors, and people aren’t happy with the way the anticipated gangster film has been rolled out.

You may recall in August it was reported that Netflix was trying to negotiate with the major theatre chains, AMC, Cineplex, and Regal, about a release window for The Irishman. The chains hoped for a traditional window of 72 days before moving to a VOD release, but Netflix fought hard against that. No compromise could be worked out, hence the meager opening we saw yesterday.

In interviews with THR and the New York Times, John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, labeled Netflix’s handling of The Irishman a “disgrace“.

“Netflix is facing a challenge to their business model for the first time and missed a strategic opportunity,” Fithian said. He also said that Netflix is sending “a signal to filmmakers that even if you’re Martin Scorsese, you won’t get the wide theatrical release you want through Netflix.”

Somebody else who is disappointed The Irishman won’t be getting a bigger rollout? Al Pacino and Ray Romano, who play Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa and attorney Bill Buffalino respectively. During an interview on The Today Show, Pacino and Romano tried to reconcile with the limited theatrical release and the fact that potentially more people will see it on Netflix…

“It’s a different experience,” said Pacino. “When you’re watching something on television, you know, if you wanted to, you could stop it and take that break. In the movie house, you’re just there. You are sort of prepared for another experience. I think that changes when you’re home…“But it’s still great that it’s [in theaters] and we have that.”

Romano added, “I think if there’s a movie that is an argument for keeping the theater experience alive, it’s [‘The Irishman’]. But the fact that it is on Netflix means that people who can’t see it will be able to see it also.”

The Irishman is out there for the few of you who can check it out, and will expand next week. Or you can wait until November 27th and watch it on Netflix. Honestly, given the 3 1/2-hour runtime that might be the way to go, anyway.

‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ Sequel Swings Into Theaters In April 2022

By

John Nolan

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November 2, 2019

Showing a confidence that Sony hasn’t always shown with their blockbuster franchises, a sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was announced before the movie even hit theaters. That would prove to be a wise move given the animated film’s Oscar and Golden Globe wins, not to mention the critical acclaim and strong box office. While they made us wait a while, that sequel now has an official release date.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 will swing into theaters on April 8th 2022. The news was revealed in a tweet by Christopher Miller, who will return to produce with Phil Lord. Variety adds that Joaquim Dos Santos (Voltron: Legendary Defender) will direct from a script by Dave Callaham. Callaham is also the writer on Marvel’s Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Warner Bros. sequel Wonder Woman 1984.

We’re coming back. April 8, 2022. #SpiderVerse ?️ pic.twitter.com/DMzzjbzVkd

— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) November 1, 2019

The previous film was a breath of fresh air in a crowded superhero market, introducing fans to multiple versions of Spider-Man from alternate universes, including the popular Miles Morales. Produced on a budget of $90M, it went on to earn $375M worldwide.

DC Readers: Win Passes To A Free Screening Of ‘Last Christmas’

By

John Nolan

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November 2, 2019

We’re happy to offer our DC area readers the chance to attend tomorrow night’s special free screening of Last Christmas, starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. The film is directed by Paul Feig and co-written by Emma Thompson.

SYNOPSIS: Kate (Emilia Clarke) harumphs around London, a bundle of bad decisions accompanied by the jangle of bells on her shoes, another irritating consequence from her job as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop. Tom (Henry Golding) seems too good to be true when he walks into her life and starts to see through so many of Kate’s barriers. As London transforms into the most wonderful time of the year, nothing should work for these two. But sometimes, you gotta let the snow fall where it may, you gotta listen to your heart … and you gotta have faith.

Last Christmas features the music of George Michael, including the bittersweet holiday classic of the film’s title. The film will also premiere brand new unreleased material by the legendary Grammy-winning artist, who sold more than 115 million albums and recorded 10 No. 1 singles over the course of his iconic career.

The screening takes place Tuesday, November 5th at 7:00pm at AMC Mazza Gallerie. If you’d like to enter, simply complete the Rafflecopter contest form below. Winners will be selected tomorrow and notified by email. Good luck!

Last Christmas opens on November 8th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

‘Hunters’ Teaser: Al Pacino Hunts Down Nazis In Jordan Peele’s Amazon Series

By

John Nolan

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November 2, 2019

We’re entering a period when there are multiple streaming projects announced and teased every day, so many they can get hard to keep track of. But when a series like Hunters (formerly The Hunt) comes around and it teams up the legendary Al Pacino with producer Jordan Peele, there’s no losing track of something like that.

Amazon has dropped a teaser for Hunters, and appropriately enough it’s focused on Pacino, who is having a moment right now with his performance in The Irishman. Pacino is joined by Logan Lerman in the series that follows a ragtag group of Nazi hunters in 1977 New York City. This brief footage doesn’t reveal much other than Pacino’s accent, which ought to be a hoot keeping up with.

Peele is on board as an exec-producer, along with series creator and writer David Weil. Few are having a greater impact on TV and film right now than Peele, and I can’t wait to see how this one turns out.

Hunters comes to Amazon Prime next year.

Lady Gaga To Star In Ridley Scott’s Film About The Assassination Of Maurizio Gucci

By

Travis Hopson

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November 1, 2019

When Lady Gaga was cast in A Star is Born, I think many saw it as a stunt orchestrated to get the movie some attention. Well, it definitely worked, but Gaga proved herself to be one Hell of an actress, earning herself an Oscar nomination and going on to win one for Best Original Song. And now we finally know what she’s decided to take on next, and it’s a true crime film that will find her working with Ridley Scott.

Deadline reports Ridley Scott will direct Lady Gaga in a film about the 1995 assassination of multi-millionaire Maurizio Gucci. The former head of the Gucci fashion estate was gunned down by a hitman hired by his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani, who will be played by Gaga. The script will be written by Roberto Bentivegna, adapted from Sara Gay Forden’s book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed.

This one is still a ways off. Scott will first direct The Last Duel with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Adam Driver. That could leave some time for Gaga to take on another role first, but she’s been reluctant to jump into anything since her star-making performance.

‘Ant-Man 3’ Is Officially Happening With Peyton Reed Returning As Director

By

John Nolan

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November 1, 2019

Coming out of Avengers: Endgame, it seemed like there were no plans for Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. The first two Ant-Man films were modest hits, but the Scott Lang character’s story really looked to have been completed. The former criminal had come full circle and literally saved the world. What’s left for him to do? Well, his story’s not over, as Ant-Man 3 is happening and Peyton Reed is coming back to direct it.

THR confirms Ant-Man 3 is in the works and Reed, who directed the previous two films, is coming back. There was some question about all of this, not only because Marvel had been quiet on any Ant-Man plans, but because many thought Reed would transition over to a Fantastic Four project since he’s been openly campaigning for it. That may still happen, but it’ll have to wait until Reed’s schedule clears up.

The hope is for Ant-Man 3 to shoot late next year or 2021, meaning we wouldn’t see it until 2022 at the earliest. As far as storyline goes, another journey into the Quantum Realm is probably in order. Also, there’s the expectation that Scott’s daughter, Cassie Lang, will come into her own as a superhero. In the comics she is the Young Avenger known as Stature, and rumors are that team will come to the MCU soon.

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DC Readers: Attend A Free Early Screening Of ‘Doctor Sleep’

By

John Nolan

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November 1, 2019

We’re happy to offer our DC area readers the chance to attend a free screening of Doctor Sleep, the anticipated followup to Stephen King’s The Shining! The film stars Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Kyliegh Curran with Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House) directing.

SYNOPSIS: “Doctor Sleep” is the continuation of Danny Torrance’s story 40 years after the terrifying events of Stephen King’s The Shining. Still irrevocably scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook, Dan Torrance has fought to find some semblance of peace. But that peace is shattered when he encounters Abra, a courageous teenager with her own powerful extrasensory gift, known as the “shine.” Instinctively recognizing that Dan shares her power, Abra has sought him out, desperate for his help against the merciless Rose the Hat and her followers, The True Knot, who feed off the shine of innocents in their quest for immortality. Forming an unlikely alliance, Dan and Abra engage in a brutal life-or-death battle with Rose. Abra’s innocence and fearless embrace of her shine compel Dan to call upon his own powers as never before—at once facing his fears and reawakening the ghosts of the past.

The screening takes place on Tuesday, November 5th at 7:00pm at Regal Majestic. If you’d like to attend, go to the Warner Bros. ticketing site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you’ll need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show, shiny people!

Doctor Sleep opens November 8th.

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‘The Photograph’ Trailer: Issa Rae And Lakeith Stanfield Get Steamy For Valentine’s Day

By

John Nolan

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November 1, 2019

For the longest time representations of black love were all but forbidden on the big screen, which is why films such as Love Jones, Love & Basketball, and Brown Sugar always felt so special. To be honest, it’s still extremely rare to find a true romance movie featuring people of color, but it looks like we’re getting a good one this Valentine’s Day with The Photograph, which features the unbelievable romantic pairing of Lakeith Stanfield and Issa Rae.

Already having made their mark separately in acclaimed movies and TV shows, Stanfield and Rae finally get together for a new film by writer/director Stella Meghie, an up ‘n comer who broke out with the teen romance Everything Everything, then followed it up with indie film The Weekend.

The Photograph stars Rae as a woman shattered by the sudden death of her mother. While she tries to come to grips with that loss, she also begins a relationship with a journalist writing a story on her late mother.

Also in the cast are Chanté Adams, Y’lan Noel, and Rob Morgan, Lil Rel Howery, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Teyonah Parris, Chelsea Peretti, and Courtney B. Vance.

SYNOPSIS: On Valentine’s Day, Issa Rae (HBO’s Insecure, Little) and LaKeith Stanfield (FX’s Atlanta, Sorry to Bother You) connect in a romance where a woman must learn from the secrets in her mother’s past if she is to move forward and allow herself to love and be loved. When famed photographer Christina Eames unexpectedly dies, she leaves her estranged daughter Mae Morton (Rae) hurt, angry and full of questions. When a photograph tucked away in a safe-deposit box is found, Mae finds herself on a journey delving into her mother’s early life and ignites a powerful, unexpected romance with a rising-star journalist, Michael Block (Stanfield).

This one’s going to be a smash, bank on it. I wouldn’t have ever thought of Stanfield and Rae for anything other than comedy, but The Photograph might be the steamiest film to heat up Valentine’s Day in years. Check out the trailer below.