Kevin Costner has perhaps done more to keep the Western alive than anyone. The man behind such films as Dances with Wolves, Open Range, Wyatt Earp, and former star of Taylor Sheridan’s popular Yellowstone has spent the better part of three decades starring in and directing Westerns to great success on multiple platforms. He’s also spent nearly three decades developing his frontier magnum opus, Horizon: An American Saga. And the long-awaited passion project finally arrives this summer in two parts.
After a teaser dropped last year, a brand new trailer gives our best look at the frontier drama about America’s expansion into the Old West. Costner is joined in the cast by a huge ensemble that includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Jamie Campbell Bower, Luke Wilson, Thomas Haden Church, Jena Malone, Tatanka Means, Alejandro Edda, Michael Rooker, Isabelle Fuhrman, Ella Hunt, Jeff Fahey, and Tom Payne.
Here’s the synopsis: In the great tradition of Warner Bros. Pictures’ iconic Westerns, “Horizon: An American Saga” explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won—and lost—through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.
Even through the synopsis, which calls back to the great Western tradition of past Warner Bros. classics, you can see that Costner’s got grand ambitions for this project. With three sequels already in the works, we could be talking about a huge long-running franchise.
Horizon: An American Saga Part One hits theaters on June 28th, with Part Two coming on August 16th. If these are successful, Warner Bros. and Costner are look at a third and possibly fourth movie.
Sophie Nélisse, whose career took off withThe Book Thiefin 2013, returns to the Nazi era with her new film, Irena’s Vow. Based on an inspirational true WWII story of Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish nurse who risked all to aid Polish Jews persecuted by the Nazis, the film also stars Dougray Scott, Andrzej Seweryn, and Maciek Nawrocki.
Here’s the official synopsis: Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman comes the remarkable true story of Irena Gut Opdyke and the triumphs of the human spirit over devastating tragedy. 19-year-old Irena Gut is promoted to housekeeper in the home of a highly respected Nazi officer when she finds out that the Jewish ghetto is about to be liquidated. Determined to help twelve Jewish workers, she decides to shelter them in the safest place she can think of: the basement of the German commandant’s house. Over the next two years, Irena uses her wit, humor, and courage to hide her friends until the end of the German occupation, concealing them in the midst of countless Nazi parties, a blackmail scheme, and even the birth of a child. Her story is one of the most inspiring of our time.
Behind the camera is director Louise Archambault with a screenplay by Dan Gordon. Gordon not only wrote the Broadway play from which the film is adapted, but he also co-wrote one of our favorite all-time flicks around here, Passenger 57! I know it seems weird, but Gordon was a former member of the Israeli Defense Forces so his background is pretty extensive. He also wrote Wyatt Earp, another classic.
Fathom Events will release Irena’s Vow in theaters nationwide on April 15th and April 16th!
In the realm of cinematic experiences, few things capture the heart and tickle the funny bone quite like a good underdog story.
Enter “Dream Horse,” a film that prances onto the screen with a tale so heartwarming, that it could thaw the frost off a winter morning in Wales. Horse racing movies, especially true story ones can carry such emotions that will touch even the hardest equestrian fans.
So, does it cross the finish line with the grace of the Secretariat, or does it stumble out of the gate? Let’s dive into this stable of wonder without stepping in… well, you know.
The Plot Trots Along
At its core, “Dream Horse” tells the story of Jan Vokes (played by Toni Collette), a cleaner and bartender in a small Welsh village, who becomes the unlikely breeder of a racehorse. Jan convinces her neighbors to chip in their meager earnings to help raise Dream Alliance, an endeavor that is as much about community spirit as it is about horse racing.
It’s not the first time someone sees financial freedom in horse racing, is it? After all, the sport is called The Sport of Kings with a lot of money at stake.
Jan and Brian, with the assistance of tax expert Howard (Damian Lewis), join a syndicate after purchasing a broodmare, providing scriptwriter Neil McKay with the ideal chance to construct a gang of one-note comedic relief (Karl Johnson’s old drunk, Siân Phillips’ widow).
When a foal is born, the villagers optimistically name the horse Dream Alliance and hire a trainer (Nicholas Farrell), and the dreary community gets a ray of hope.
What follows is a predictable sequence of triumphs (the racing scenes are skillfully done, underlining the tremendous degree of risk in jump racing), small setbacks, cultural conflicts, and domestic troubles.
It’s a similar underdog story to the one of Rich Strike winning the Kentucky Derby in 2022, who according to TwinSpires, had 80:1 odds.
However, we expected the wins since we are talking about an underdog story. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing that we haven’t predicted when watching the movie.
Now, you might ask, “Haven’t we seen this story a hundred times before?” Yes, and no. While the underdog sports team (or in this case, the horse) is nothing new to the world of cinema, “Dream Horse” brings fresh energy to the table, mixing humor, heartache, and triumph in a way that feels like a warm hug from a dear friend you haven’t seen in years.
Characters
Toni Collette’s performance as Jan is a true masterpiece. She brings a depth to the character that makes you root for her from the get-go.
The supporting cast, including Owen Teale as Jan’s husband, Brian, and Damian Lewis as Howard Davies, a local accountant turned horse syndicate leader, add rich layers to the story. They’re like the perfect side dishes to a main course, enhancing the overall flavor without overpowering it.
Laughs a Furlong
What sets “Dream Horse” apart from other films in its stable is its humor. It’s not just funny; it’s Welsh funny.
That means dry wit, a touch of self-deprecation, and an uncanny ability to find humor in the mundane. One moment, you’re on the edge of your seat as Dream Alliance races towards the finish line; the next, you’re laughing out loud at a joke about sheep.
But Is It All Rosy?
No film is without its flaws. At times, “Dream Horse” can feel a bit formulaic, trotting along a path well-worn by other sports underdog stories.
In other words, you’d know what is going to happen even before it actually happens. It feels predictive, and something that we are used to seeing, especially in underdog movies.
However, it’s the film’s heart and soul that forgives these occasional stumbles. After all, that is what makes it so special. Horse racing is a sport that is filled with emotions and soul, just like “Dream Horse”
Plus, who doesn’t love a good montage of a horse overcoming the odds?
By the Numbers
While I’d love to regale you with statistics about the average number of laughs per minute or the precise increase in heartwarming moments over the standard sports film, let’s face it: movies like “Dream Horse” defy quantification.
They’re about feeling, not numbers. But, for the sake of fun, let’s just say it scores a solid 8/10 on the “feel-good-o-meter.”
But that’s my review, let’s see what the critics have to say about the movie.
Dream Horse got a 6.9/10 rating on IMDb, which is not bad at all, and 88% rotten tomatoes following a strong 97% audience score.
Basically, even the critics love the movie.
Final Words
Even though the plot of the movie might feel predictable, it is still a great watch, especially for horse racing enthusiasts. The scenes are beautifully made, and it is not depressing like most other underdog stories, in fact, it is quite hilarious.
It is a classic underdog story that will fill you with emotions and will make you appreciate life more and definitely a movie worth watch.
Scarlett Johansson is making the most of her post-MCU career by embarking on her directorial debut. And as you’d expect from someone with her clout and star power, the film, titled Eleanor the Great, has already attracted top notch talent, including two Oscar-nominated actors.
Variety reports that Eleanor the Great has added June Squibb to the cast, the Oscar-nominated Nebraska actress and star of the beloved Sundance comedy, Thelma. Also joining the cast are Marvel alum and fellow Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, known for the Doctor Strange movies and 12 Years a Slave. Another Marvel actor, Falcon & the Winter Soldier‘s Erin Kellyman, is in the film along with veteran Broadway actress Jessica Hecht who Johansson worked with on the play A View from the Bridge.
It’s not expected that Johansson will have an on-screen role in the film. The script was penned by Tory Kamen.
Formerly titled Eleanor, Invisible, the film follows “Eleanor Morgenstein (Squibb), a 90-year-old woman trying to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. As a result, she moves back to New York City after living in Florida for decades.”
Coming up for Johansson is Andrea Arnold’s next film, Featherwood, along with rom-com Project Artemis alongside Channing Tatum. It’s unclear when Eleanor the Great will shoot, but we assume Johansson will fit it into her busy schedule.
Some have been calling for the Fast & Furious franchise to end for years, and saw last year’s Fast X as the sure-fire best time to do it. But there’s more money to be made, and we knew a sequel was coming in 2025 that would not only bring back Vin Diesel and the rest of his “family”, but also Dwayne Johnson back into the fold. But now we know for sure that those who have been eyeing the finish line are about to get their wish, once and for all.
In a new Instagram post, Diesel confirmed the next Fast & Furious movie, the eleventh, will be the last.
“Just finished our end-of-the-week’ Fast meeting’ with the writers and the whole team… to say the excitement for our finale was incredibly powerful is an understatement,” Diesel wrote. “Wow. So exciting… While everyone was heading into the weekend amped and excited, I thought of you all… reminded of the countless moments when your enthusiasm and passion became the driving force behind our creative journey. Your commitment to our saga has had a unique impact on its success and evolution… as my youngest daughter would say, it’s profound. Thank you for being the backbone of this global saga that because of you, transcends the screen. This grand finale is not just an ending; it’s a celebration of the incredible family we’ve built together.”
Let’s be clear; this sounds like the end of the core series of movies. But don’t be surprised if there are more Hobbs & Shaw flicks, and perhaps another spinoff or two. Universal will never let this thing die.
There was no mention of the sexual battery allegations against Diesel that emerged late last year. Speculation was this could derail the next movie or perhaps get Diesel removed from them entirely, but that’s not happening.
Currently, Fast & Furious 11 is set to hit theaters on April 4th 2025, directed by Louis Leterrier.
Move over, Snake Eyes. The actual most popular ninja in the world, Naruto, is about to get his own movie, too, and this one might actually be a hit. A live-action Naruto film has been talked about for years, but now it’s finally taking shape with Destin Daniel Cretton coming aboard to direct.
Cretton is best known as the director of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He had been aboard their upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty film but dropped out, while staying aboard Shang-Chi 2 and Marvel’s Wonder Man series. Cretton also helmed the terrific drama Short Term 12 that introduced the world to LaKeith Stanfield, Kaitlyn Dever, and showed everyone Brie Larson’s dramatic skills. And like that film, Cretton will also be writing the screenplay for Naruto.
THR notes that Cretton will be rewriting the script based on an earlier draft by Tasha Huo.
The film is based on the popular manga by Masashi Kishimoto that centers on Naruto Uzumaki, a ridiculed but carefree ninja who aspires to become the Hokage, leader of his village, to receive the approval he’s long sought. Naruto remains one of the best-selling manga of all-time around the world.
With so much on Cretton’s plate it’s unclear what comes next, but one would assume Marvel takes the pole position here.
We can debate the value of the various guild awards when it comes to predicting the Oscars, but what’s indisputable is that very few award shows are actually entertaining to watch. The Independent Spirits are one of the handful that are, and last night the art house crowd gathered to pick the best indie movies of the year. it turned out to be a very big night for Past Lives, the acclaimed drama from Celine Song winning Best Feature, while Song herself took Best Director. The film overcame stiff competition from All Of Us Strangers, American Fiction, Passages, and more to perhaps make a case for itself in the upcoming Oscars where it is a Best Picture nominee.
The Holdovers continued its strong run towards the Oscars. Da’Vine Joy Randolph perhaps solidified a few victory by taking the Indie Spirit for Best Supporting Performance, while the film also won for Best Cinematography and Best Breakthrough Performance for star Dominic Sessa.
Jeffrey Wright won Best Lead Performance for his starring role in American Fiction, while director Cord Jefferson followed his BAFTA victory with a win for Best Screenplay. Meanwhile, a really well-deserved win for director A.V. Rockwell and her film A Thousand And One, which earned Best First Feature.
The full list of Independent Spirit Award winners, including TV, are below!
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon
Passages
Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd
Past Lives – ***WINNER**
Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
We Grown Now
Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
Director: Raven Jackson
Producers: Maria Altamirano, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
Director: Tomás Gómez Bustillo
Producers: Gewan Brown, Amanda Freedman
Earth Mama
Director/Producer: Savanah Leaf
Producers: Sam Bisbee, Shirley O’Connor, Medb Riordan, Cody Ryder
A Thousand and One– ***WINNER***
Director: A.V. Rockwell
Producers: Julia Lebedev, Rishi Rajani, Eddie Vaisman, Lena Waithe, Brad Weston
Upon Entry
Directors: Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Producers: Sergio Adrià, Carlos Juárez, Alba Sotorra, Carles Torras, Xosé Zapata
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer)
The Artifice Girl
Director/Writer: Franklin Ritch
Producers: Aaron B. Koontz, Ashleigh Snead
Cadejo Blanco
Director/Writer/Producer: Justin Lerner
Producers: Mauricio Escobar, Ryan Friedkin, Jack Patrick Hurley
Fremont– ***WINNER***
Director/Writer: Babak Jalali
Writer: Carolina Cavalli
Producers: Rachael Fung, Chris Martin, Marjaneh Moghimi, George Rush, Sudnya Shroff, Laura Wagner
Rotting in the Sun
Director/Writer: Sebastián Silva
Writer: Pedro Peirano
Producer: Jacob Wasserman
The Unknown Country
Director/Writer/Producer: Morrisa Maltz
Writer: Lily Gladstone
Writers/Producers: Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux, Vanara Taing
Producers: Katherine Harper, Laura Heberton, Tommy Heitkamp
BEST DIRECTOR
Andrew Haigh All of Us Strangers
Todd Haynes May December
William Oldroyd Eileen
Ira Sachs Passages
Celine Song– ***WINNER*** Past Lives
BEST SCREENPLAY
David Hemingson The Holdovers
Cord Jefferson – ***WINNER*** American Fiction
Laura Moss, Brendan J. O’Brien Birth/Rebirth
Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott Bottoms
Celine Song Past Lives
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik– ***WINNER*** May December
Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt Theater Camp
Tomás Gómez Bustillo Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
Laurel Parmet The Starling Girl
Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez Upon Entry
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
Jessica Chastain Memory
Greta Lee Past Lives
Trace Lysette Monica
Natalie Portman May December
Judy Reyes Birth/Rebirth
Franz Rogowski Passages
Andrew Scott All of Us Strangers
Teyana Taylor A Thousand and One
Jeffrey Wright– ***WINNER*** American Fiction
Teo Yoo Past Lives
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Erika Alexander American Fiction
Sterling K. Brown American Fiction
Noah Galvin Theater Camp
Anne Hathaway Eileen
Glenn Howerton BlackBerry
Marin Ireland Eileen
Charles Melton May December
Da’Vine Joy Randolph– ***WINNER*** The Holdovers
Catalina Saavedra Rotting in the Sun
Ben Whishaw Passages
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Marshawn Lynch Bottoms
Atibon Nazaire Mountains
Tia Nomore Earth Mama
Dominic Sessa– ***WINNER*** The Holdovers
Anaita Wali Zada Fremont
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Katelin Arizmendi Monica
Eigil Bryld– ***WINNER*** The Holdovers
Jomo Fray All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
Pablo Lozano Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
Pat Scola We Grown Now
BEST EDITING
Santiago Cendejas, Gabriel Díaz, Sofía Subercaseaux Rotting in the Sun
Stephanie Filo We Grown Now
Daniel Garber– ***WINNER*** How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Jon Philpot Theater Camp
Emanuele Tiziani Upon Entry
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast
Showing Up
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Casting Director: Gayle Keller
Ensemble Cast: André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez, Michelle Williams
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)
Bye Bye Tiberias
Director: Lina Soualem
Producer: Jean-Marie Nizan
Four Daughters –***WINNER***
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Producer: Nadim Cheikhrouha
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Directors/Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson
Producer: Tommy Oliver
Kokomo City
Director: D. Smith
Producers: Bill Butler, Harris Doran
The Mother of All Lies
Director/Producer: Asmae El Moudir
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)
Anatomy of a Fall– ***WINNER***
France
Director: Justine Triet
Godland
Denmark/Iceland
Director: Hlynur Pálmason
Mami Wata
Nigeria
Director: C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi
Tótem
Mexico
Director: Lila Avilés
The Zone of Interest
United Kingdom, Poland, USA
Director: Jonathan Glazer
PRODUCERS AWARDpresented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 27th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.
Rachael Fung
Graham Swon
Monique Walton– ***WINNER***
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 30th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.
Joanna Arnow
Director of The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed
Laura Moss
Director of Birth/Rebirth
Monica Sorelle – ***WINNER***
Director of Mountains
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 29th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.
Set Hernandez– ***WINNER***
Director of unseen
Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli
Director of Lakota Nation vs. United States
Sierra Urich
Director of Joonam
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court
Executive Producers: Vinnie Malhotra, Aaron Saidman, Eli Holzman, Dawn Porter
Dear Mama– ***WINNER***
Executive Producers: Lasse Järvi, Quincy ‘QD3’ Jones III, Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles D. King, Peter Nelson, Adel ‘Future’ Nur, Jamal Joseph, Ted Skillman, Allen Hughes, Steve Berman, Marc Cimino, Jody Gerson, John Janick, Nicholas Ferrall, Nigel Sinclair
Murder in Big Horn
Executive Producers: Matthew Galkin, Vinnie Malhotra
Co-Executive Producers: Lisa Kalikow, Joshua Levine
Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
Executive Producers: Mindy Goldberg, Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Zach Heinzerling, Krista Parris, Daniel Barban Levin, Felicia Rosario
Co-Executive Producer: Julie Gaither
Wrestlers
Executive Producers: Greg Whiteley, Ryan O’Dowd
Co-Executive Producers: Alejandro Melendez, Adam Leibowitz
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
Beef-***WINNER***
Creator/Executive Producer: Lee Sung Jin
Executive Producers: Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Jake Schreier, Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich
Co-Executive Producers: Alice Ju, Carrie Kemper
Dreaming Whilst Black
Creator/Executive Producer: Adjani Salmon
Creators: Maximilian Evans, Natasha Jatania, Laura Seixas
Executive Producers: Tanya Qureshi, Dhanny Joshi, Bal Samra, Thomas Stogdon
I’m a Virgo
Creator/Executive Producer: Boots Riley
Executive Producers: Tze Chun, Michael Ellenberg, Lindsey Springer, Jharrel Jerome, Rebecca Rivo
Co-Executive Producers: Marcus Gardley, Carver Karaszewski
Jury Duty
Creators/Executive Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky
Executive Producers: David Bernad, Ruben Fleischer, Nicholas Hatton, Cody Heller, Todd Schulman, Jake Szymanski, Andrew Weinberg
Slip
Creator/Executive Producer: Zoe Lister-Jones
Executive Producers: Ro Donnelly, Dakota Johnson, Katie O’Connell Marsh, David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Emma Corrin A Murder at the End of the World
Dominique Fishback Swarm
Betty Gilpin Mrs. Davis
Jharrel Jerome I’m a Virgo
Zoe Lister-Jones Slip
Bel Powley A Small Light
Bella Ramsey The Last of Us
Ramón Rodríguez Will Trent
Ali Wong– ***WINNER*** Beef
Steven Yeun Beef
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Murray Bartlett The Last of Us
Billie Eilish Swarm
Jack Farthing Rain Dogs
Nick Offerman– ***WINNER*** The Last of Us
Adina Porter The Changeling
Lewis Pullman Lessons in Chemistry
Benny Safdie The Curse
Luke Tennie Shrinking
Olivia Washington I’m a Virgo
Jessica Williams Shrinking
BEST BREAKTRHOUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Clark Backo The Changeling
Aria Mia Loberti All the Light We Cannot See
Adjani Salmon Dreaming Whilst Black
Keivonn Montreal Woodard– ***WINNER*** The Last of Us
Kara Young I’m a Virgo
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Jury Duty
Ensemble Cast: Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball, Pramode Kumar, Trisha LaFache, Mekki Leeper, James Marsden, Edy Modica, Kerry O’Neill, Rashida Olayiwola, Whitney Rice, Maria Russell, Ishmel Sahid, Ben Seaward, Ron Song, Evan Williams
For the second week in a row, Bob Marley: One Love led the week in the face of soft competition. That will definitely come to an end when Dune: Part Two hits in a few days. The reggae legend’s biopic now has $120.5M worldwide.
2. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To the Hashira Training– $11.5M
A surprisingly mid start for Ordinary Angels, the Hilary Swank/Alan Ritchson faith-based drama from Kingdom Story, who are used to raking in at least twice this much in an opening weekend. The reviews were decent, but I’m going to guess the reason this didn’t perform better is because it doesn’t have obviously Christian actors (What, no Kevin Sorbo??) and no mention of Jesus in the title. Crazy that a little thing like that could have such an impact, but I think I’m right.
4. Madame Web– $6M/$35.4M
A generally good week for Sony with Demon Slayer scoring a big debut and Anyone But You surpassing $200M globally, is blemished a little by the second week of Madame Web. The Spidey spinoff fell another 61% and has just $77M worldwide.
Ethan Coen’s first shot out of the gate as a solo director after years of teaming with brother Joel was the queer crime caper, Drive-Away Dolls, and folks had no time for it. It’s easy to see why. The film has middling critic scores and not a lot of buzz for a movie that has been pushed in cinemas for months. But the cast of Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Beanie Feldstein aren’t box office draws, while cameos by Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal weren’t enough to attract buyers.
I’ll be Garth Ennis had no clue when he was first creating The Boys that he was developing a property that would one day be such an apt allegory for modern politics (and really society in general). The twisted take on the Superhero genre is heading into its fourth season and, as of it’s season 3 finale, has never been better. While season 3’s highlights were undoubtedly surrounded by Jensen Ackles turn as Soldier Boy it was the continued madness of Homelander that will be carrying the story for the next set of episodes. Just to recap, Homelander’s sanity slipped just enough to reveal the evil below his public, PR crafted mask, and was delighted to find out that a certain subset of the population actually liked him more as a tyrannical malicious demi-god then as the white-toothed, flag-draped personification of Americana.
One of the last scenes of season 3 saw Homelander laser a guys head off in full view of the public for throwing something at his son. You’ve all seen the popular reaction gif by now, but it would suffice to say that getting cheers instead of condemnation for such an attack is likely pushing the villain into full on power drunk.
If you needed any further proof that the rise of Trum….err, Homelander, will be the focus of season 4 look no further then the just released promo poster showing the star spangled one doing the campaign shuffle with Presidential hopeful and prolific head popper Victoria Neuman. The most important detail to be found in the poster, however, is found at the very bottom…a release date of June 13th, 2024! Looks like we have just under 4 months to wait to see just how crazy the world of The Boys can get, for those that aren’t familiar with the graphic novels let me just say this, no matter what you think the limits of this insanity might be, the actual line is about 20 feet past that.
With the momentum built for season 4, the phenomenal first season of Gen V, and the upcoming spin-off The Boys: Mexico, it looks like we’re going to have plenty to consume from this universe for some time to come and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Look for The Boys Season 4 on June 13th, 2024 on Prime Video!
Official Synopsis:
In Season Four, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power, Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.
stgar inHot off of Tom Cruise’s new strategic partnership with Warner Bros., one that could see him join Quentin Tarantino’s The Movie Critic, Cruise has also joined a new film by Mexican auteur Alejandro González Iñárritu that is being acquired by WB and Legendary Entertainment.
The film would mark Iñárritu’s first since 2022’s Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, and his first English-language project since 2015’s The Revenant. Details are being kept under wrapped, but Iñárritu will produce and direct from a script he co-wrote with Sabina Berman and Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolas Giacobone, who he worked with on Birdman a decade ago.
Cruise, who will also act as a producer, has been seeking more films outside the realm of action, plus a chance to work with auteurs again. Iñárritu fits the bill, and it’ll be interesting to see how this project takes shape for them both. Iñárritu’s movies tend to lead to Oscar nominations for his stars, and Cruise could be next. [Deadline]
