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

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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.

Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, & Sam Claflin Join ‘Cape Fear’-esque Thriller ‘Every Breath You Take’

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John Nolan

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November 1, 2019

In 2008 Christine Jeffs directed what would be one of that year’s biggest art house hits, Sunshine Cleaning, driven by the star power of Emily Blunt and Amy Adams. Jeffs has pretty much vanished since then and never capitalized on her moment, but now more than a decade later she’s back with another star-driven vehicle, Every Breath You Take.

Deadline reports Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Claflin, and Veronica Ferres will star in Every Breath You Take, which Jeffs will direct. The story has been described as Cape Fear-esque, with Affleck as a psychiatrist struggling with a patient’s suicide. He becomes friends with the patient’s brother and makes the mistake of allowing him in to meet his wife and daughter, a decision that tears the family apart.

This film has actually been around for quite a few years. When we first reported on it in 2012 it was going by the title You Belong To Me and had Rob Reiner directing Harrison Ford and Zac Efron. Obviously, a lot has changed since then but a project like this doesn’t stick around so long without there being something good in the script. So I imagine Jeffs will stick with the screenplay by David Murray and not fiddle around with it too much.

Jake Gyllenhaal-Produced True Crime Film ‘Gilded Rage’ Casts Christoph Waltz, Lily Collins, And Bill Skarsgard

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John Nolan

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November 1, 2019

When Tommy Gilbert murdered his father, wealthy hedge-fund manager Thomas Gilbert Sr., it was the kind of sordid tale of the rich and powerful that can grip a nation. It was also practically gift-wrapped to become a big Hollywood movie, and now that’s starting to come together with Gilded Rage, which has a wealth of talent on both sides of the camera, starting with Jake Gyllenhaal as a producer.

Gilded Rage is set to star Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds), Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror), and Bill Skarsgard (It), with Gyllenhaal producing through his XYZ Films label. Directing and co-writing is Charlie McDowell, best known for the offbeat sci-fi film The One I Love and its bizarre followup, The Discovery. He’s a director who comes with big ideas, and it’ll be interesting to see his approach on this true crime tale. McDowell co-wrote the script with Justin Lader, who worked with him on his two previous films.

Skarsgard is set to play Tommy Gilbert, and while it’s not made clear, I’m guessing Waltz will play his doomed father. They’re pretty similar as actors, gravitating to roles with an ominous edge to them. I really want to see how this one plays out. Gilded Rage begins shooting next spring. [Deadline]

George R.R. Martin Says ‘House Of The Dragon’ Won’t Interfere With Finishing ‘The Winds Of Winter’

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John Nolan

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October 31, 2019

I don’t read the Game of Thrones books, probably never will. But I get a kick out of those who curse George R.R. Martin’s name for doing pretty much everything other than finishing work on The Winds of Winter. With Martin involved in the upcoming prequel series House of the Dragon, one might think it another reason for the novel’s delay, but the author assures readers that he knows what his priorities should be.

Taking to his blog to talk about all things Game of Thrones, Martin confirmed he’d be involved on the creative side of House of the Dragon, but promised he wouldn’t let it get in the way of finishing his book…

“I expect to be involved in all of this to some extent… and, who knows, if things work out, I may even be able to script a few episodes, as I did for the first four seasons of ‘Game of Thrones,’” wrote Martin.

“But… let me make this perfectly clear… I am not taking on any scripts until I have finished and delivered ‘Winds of Winter.’ Winter is still coming, and ‘Winds’ remains my priority, as much as I’d love to write an episode of ‘House.’”

Should he be taken at face value, folks?

In a busy week of ‘Thrones’ news, we saw the prequel series starring Naomi Watts get canned, mere hours before House of the Dragon got picked up by HBO. Martin doesn’t have an explanation for one’s cancellation but says it has nothing to do with the other moving forward…

“I do not know why HBO decided not to go to series on this one, but I do not think it had to do with ‘House of the Dragon, This was never an either/or situation. If television has room enough for multiple ‘CSIs’ and ‘Chicago’ shows… well, Westeros and Essos are a lot bigger, with thousands of years of history and enough tales and legends and characters for a dozen shows.”

If Martin writes for TV before finishing his book, will that be the final straw for his fans? Probably not, but I’m curious to see how this plays out.

Interview: ‘The Laundromat’, Scott Z. Burns And Jake Bernstein On Finding Humor In The Panama Papers Scandal

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John Nolan

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October 31, 2019

How does one go about making sense of one of the biggest financial scandals in history, one with numbers so big we literally can’t fathom them? It would be hard enough for an economics professor to unwrap in a way for regular folks to understand. But what about a screenwriter with the daunting task of making it into a movie? That was the burden faced by Scott Z. Burns, who adapted Jake Bernstein’s book on the Panama Papers scandal into Netflix’s film, The Laundromat.

What’s interesting about Burns’ approach is how much it differs from what he did on Steven Soderbergh’s The Report. Both movies that take a deep dive into the murky depths of corruption and illegality, only The Laundromat is a screwball fourth-wall-breaking comedy. It’s an unusual path to take, especially since it veers so wildly from Bernstein’s serious, deeply-analytical novel.

I had a chance to talk with Burns and Bernstein about their approach to The Laundromat, and what made them decide this was the best means of delivering so much information to the film’s audience. You can listen to my interview below, and check out my review of The Laundromat here!

Listen to “Interview: ‘The Laundromat’ Writers On Finding Humor In The Panama Papers Scandal” on Spreaker.

DC Readers: Attend A Free Early Screening Of ‘Midway’

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John Nolan

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October 31, 2019

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of Roland Emmerich’s WWII thriller, Midway. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Ed Skrein, Nick Jonas, Luke Evans, Patrick Wilson, Aaron Eckhart, Mandy Moore, and Darren Criss.

SYNOPSIS: MIDWAY centers on the Battle of Midway, a clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy which marked a pivotal turning point in the Pacific Theater during WWII. The film, based on the real-life events of this heroic feat, tells the story of the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome the odds.

The screening takes place on Monday, November 4th at 7:00pm at AMC Mazza Gallerie. If you’d like to attend, go to the Lionsgate site here for one Admit-Two pass. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!

Midway opens on November 8th.

‘The Witcher’ Trailer: Netflix Sets Release Date For Henry Cavill’s Monster Hunting Series

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John Nolan

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October 31, 2019

We may never see Henry Cavill suit up as Superman again, not even today on Halloween, but you can watch him fight monsters in The Witcher. Netflix has dropped the full trailer for the anticipated series based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s popular novels, which in turn became bestselling video games.

The trailer gives us a lot more footage than the sneak peek from last summer’s Comic-Con. Cavill plays monster hunter Geralt of Rivia, who also apparently spends a lot of time in bathtubs when he’s not out tracking his prey.

Joining Cavill in the series are Freya Allen as Princess Ciri, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Jodhi May as Queen Calanthe. The Umbrella Academy’s Lauren Schmidt Hissrich will act as showrunner and writer, and she’ll have a little help from Sapkowski who will keep an eye on things as a Creative Consultant.

SYNOPSIS: Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.

Netflix has set The Witcher to debut on December 20th.

Interview: ‘Harriet’ Director Kasi Lemmons On Doing Justice To Harriet Tubman’s Story

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John Nolan

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October 31, 2019

It’s hard to believe that Kasi Lemmons’ Harriet is the first major feature film about legendary abolitionist, activist, suffragette, and spy Harriet Tubman. How is that possible? Why did it take so long for Tubman’s story to finally be told? And what roadblocks, if any, did Lemmons face in making this film a reality?

Harriet stars Tony Award-winner Cynthia Erivo as Tubman, but don’t go in expecting the usual tale of her time as a leader in the Underground Railroad. Designed almost like a superhero origin, it looks at her deep commitment to family, justice, and the faith that helped her lead so many to freedom.

I had a chance to talk with Kasi Lemmons about her work on Harriet and the responsibility she felt in bringing her story to the big screen. You can listen to that interview below, and check out my review of Harriet here!

Listen to “Interview: ‘Harriet’ Director Kasi Lemmons On Doing Harriet Tubman Justice” on Spreaker.

Details Emerge On Benioff & Weiss’ ‘Star Wars’ Exit, Trilogy Would’ve Explored Origin Of The Jedi

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John Nolan

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October 31, 2019

It’s still pretty fresh, the exit of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss from their planned Star Wars trilogy, and as is usually the case we’re getting details quickly. Variety has the info, and while there aren’t any explosive confrontations or anything like that, it does look like Kathleen Kennedy was unhappy with the duo’s proposed ideas.

According to the report, Benioff and Weiss were basically given freedom to tell any story they wanted, and the duo decided to focus on the birth of the Jedi. That’s a big, ambitious story to tell, and when the folks at Lucasfilm had other ideas in mind, the partnership began to crumble. All of this was taking place last summer, and was exacerbated by the duo signing an exclusive nine-figure deal with Netflix to develop new films and TV projects. With this deal in their back pocket, Weiss and Benioff just decided it was best to part ways from Lucasfilm.

When relations started to breakdown, Kennedy began entertaining Star Wars pitches from other writers, and she may want to start dialing some of them up now. There’s a huge void to fill now, as Benioff and Weiss’ trilogy was to begin in 2022 and stretch through 2026 before the baton would be passed to Rian Johnson and his series of films. It’s unclear if Johnson is even moving forward on his at this point. Who knows? Marvel’s Kevin Feige has a project in the earliest stages of development, but as of right now there’s nothing concrete beyond The Rise of Skywalker. That can’t last, so don’t be surprised if we hear something very soon about the direction Lucasfilm plans on going.

Marvel Will Keep Releasing “Three Or Four” Movies A Year Despite The Disney+ Shows

By

John Nolan

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October 31, 2019

Sorry, Martin Scorsese, but Marvel Studios will continue to turn movie theatres into amusement parks multiple times a year. I think there was some genuine concern from fans that with so many Disney+ shows on the way, there would be fewer movies on the big screen. Surely, Kevin Feige can’t keep up that kind of pace, right?

According to Disney’s Alan Horn in an interview with THR, yeah, Kevin Feige can totally keep it up.

“…Kevin Feige is working away. He will be making three or four a year. And they are very different from one another, so we’ll see”, Horn said when asked if Marvel could keep up its streak of 23 hits in a row.

Next year sees the release of Black Widow and The Eternals, with Falcon and the Winter Soldier hitting Disney+ towards the end of 2020. In 2021 Marvel really kicks into high gear with Shang-Chi, Doctor Strange 2, Spider-Man 3, and Thor: Love & Thunder. Over on the Disney+ side there’s Loki, WandaVision, What If?, and Hawkeye.

You weren’t hoping for a Marvel break, were you? Not gonna happen.