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‘Tokyo Vice’ Season Two Trailer: Ansel Elgort And Ken Watanabe Return To Japan’s Criminal Underworld In February

By
Travis Hopson
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Tokyo Vice

HBO’s Tokyo Vice series saw its cinematic language established by the great Michael Mann, who directed the opening episode. But the series maintained that muscular structure through the guidance of showrunner, writer, and creator J.T. Rogers, taking us into the Japanese criminal underworld to show its darkening impact on society. And now the show is back with season two, taking viewers further into the seedy underbelly experienced by author Jake Adelstein and captured in his memoir.

Ansel Elgort returns as Jake Adelstein, an American reporter in Tokyto to investigate the Japanese yakuza, with Ken Watanabe as altruistic police detective Hiroto Katagiri, who takes Adelstein under his wing.

Season one of Tokyo Vice ended with a major character, Show Kasamatsu’s Sato getting stabbed with his life hanging in the balance. The new trailer for season two confirms the character’s fate, but I’m not going to spoil anything here. You can watch for yourself.

All of the primary cast returns including Rinko Kikuchi, Rachel Keller, Ayumi Ito, and the always-awesome Rinko Kikuchi. They’re joined by new series regulars Yosuke Kubozuka and Miki Maya.

Here’s the season two synopsis: Loosely inspired by American journalist Jake Adelstein’s first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat, season two of the series, filmed on location in Tokyo, takes us deeper into the city’s criminal underworld as Adelstein (Ansel Elgort) comes to realize that his life, and the lives of those close to him, are in terrible danger.

Tokyo Vice returns to Max on February 8th.

‘Shirley’ Teaser Trailer: Regina King Is Trailblazing Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm In John Ridley’s Biopic This March

By
Travis Hopson
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Regina King and Terrence Howard in SHIRLEY

In her first role since 2021’s The Harder They Fall, Regina King is taking trailblazing figure in civil rights and politics. King transforms into Shirley Chisholm for the upcoming Netflix biopic, Shirley, from writer/director John Ridley.

Chisholm, who has been a supporting subject in numerous projects, including the 2020 miniseries Mrs. America, has long been overdue to have her story told. In 1968, Chisholm became the first Black elected to the United States Congress, representing New York’s 12th district from 1969 to 1983. But that’s not all, as Chisholm broke another barrier in 1972 when she ran for President of the United States, becoming the first Black woman to seek a major party’s nomination for that office.

According to Netflix, Shirley “chronicles her audacious, boundary-breaking 1972 presidential campaign.”

The film marks one of the final roles of the late Lance Reddick, who died suddenly last year. Also in the cast are Lucas Hedges, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Christina Jackson, Michael Cherrie, Dorian Crossmond Missick, Amirah Vann, W. Earl Brown, Brad James, Reina King, André Holland and Terrence Howard.

This is a passion project for King, who worked with her sister Reina for over 15 years to get off the ground.

Ridley is best known as the Oscar-winning writer of 12 Years a Slave. He most recently directed sci-fi/romance Needle in a Timestack, and before that the unfortunate Hendrix biopic Jimi: All is by My Side. He has not found the same success as a director than as a writer.

In keeping with that, some rumors have surfaced about poor Shirley test screenings after numerous delays and reshoots. World of Reel has an account by one attendee who called the film “every cliche of a generic biopic” while also criticizing King’s performance.

Take any such rumors with a grain of salt, though. There’s a lot of talent on this film and just as much passion behind it.

Shirley streams exclusively to Netflix on March 22nd.

 

Attend A Free Virtual Screening Of ‘Role Play’ Starring Kaley Cuoco & David Oyelowo

By
Travis Hopson
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Role Play opens 1/12 on Prime Video

We’re happy to offer our readers the chance to attend a free virtual screening of Prime Video’s Role Play, the action-comedy film starring Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo.

SYNOPSIS: Emma has a wonderful husband and two kids in the suburbs of New Jersey—she also has a secret life as an assassin for hire, a secret that her husband David discovers when the couple decide to spice up their marriage with a little role play.

This is a virtual screening, taking place on Wednesday, January 10th at 7:30pm. If you’d like to attend, RSVP at the Amazon screening link here. Enjoy the show!

Role Play will premiere globally on January 12th, exclusively on Prime Video

 

‘Mother’s Instinct’ Trailer: Psychological Thriller Stars Jessica Chastain And Anne Hathaway As 1960s Suburban Housewives

By
Travis Hopson
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Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastan in Mother's Instinct

The year is only a few days old, with a great many films to look forward to. One that is high on a lot of most anticipated lists is Mother’s Instinct, the directorial debut of French cinematographer Benoît Delhomme, known for At Eternity’s Gate, A Most Wanted Man, and photo work on Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life. It’s that last film that put Delhomme into the orbit of Jessica Chastain, who reunites with him here. But that’s not the best reason to be excited for it.

As seen in the new trailer, Mother’s Instinct centers on the lead performances by Chastain and Anne Hathaway. They play suburban mothers in the 1960s whose friendships and seemingly perfect lives erode after a tragedy. The film is an adaptation of Olivier Masset-Depasse’s 2018 French-language drama and co-stars Josh Charles and Anders Danielsen Lie.

Here’s the official synopsis: Alice and Celine live a traditional lifestyle with successful husbands and sons of the same age. Life’s perfect harmony is suddenly shattered after a tragic accident. Guilt, suspicion, and paranoia combine to unravel their sisterly bond.

NEON plans to release Mother’s Instinct in the U.S. later this year, while Studio Canal will do the same in the U.K.

‘Stiletto’: AEW Superstar Swerve Strickland Lands Role In Slasher Horror Film

By
Travis Hopson
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The hottest man in wrestling right now, Swerve Strickland, is about to put those gruesome in-ring skills to good use on the big screen. Deadline reports Strickland has landed his second horror movie role, this time in the film Stiletto, a slasher directed by Samuel Gonzalez Jr.

Strickland joins a cast that includes exec-producer Gigi Gustin, along with Charlotte McKinney (Fantasy Island) and screen vet Colleen Camp (Police Academy, Clue). Also in the cast are Pancho Moler, Tyler Abron, Stephen Blackehart, Meghan Carrasquillo, Mia Challis, and Russel Todd.

But Strickland instantly becomes the biggest name on the roster, and it’s interesting to see him branch out beyond professional wrestling. Now is the time to strike while the iron is hot. Swerve has been on fire, with his entrance theme “Pressure” leading thousands of people to break out into dance right along with his manager, Prince Nana. Many see Strickland as a future AEW World Champion, making him the company’s first African-American at the top of the food chain.

Here’s the Stiletto synopsis: “A year after the grisly murder of a local exotic dancer, the vicim’s sister, Lyric [Gustin], searches for the serial killer responsible as he stalks and kills his favorite dancers on the night of the anniversary.

While WWE superstars have risen to become some of the biggest actors in the world, the relatively young AEW is only recently beginning to see its stars make waves in Hollywood. Former World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman can be seen right now, albeit briefly, in The Iron Claw.

Swerve Strickland can be seen right now in the horror film Night of the Missing, which is streaming now on Screambox and Prime Video.

Martin Scorsese Plans To Shoot His 80-Minute Jesus Movie Later This Year

By
Travis Hopson
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Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese’s movie about Jesus, which he’s been talking up a lot lately, is expected to be filmed this year. Or at least that is the plan based on comments by Scorsese to LA Times during an interview about Killers of the Flower Moon. He’ll be working on the film with frequent collaborator Kent Jones, who will co-direct.

Scorsese also adds that he’s completed the screenplay, but it doesn’t sound as if this will be a straight narrative feature. Perhaps more like a documentary or cinematic essay? It’s hard to tell. Here’s how the report describes it…

“They’re still “swimming in inspiration,” he tells me, still figuring it out. It’ll be based on Shūsaku Endō’s book “A Life of Jesus.” (Endō also wrote “Silence.”) And it’ll be set mostly in the present day, though Scorsese doesn’t want to be locked into a certain period, because he wants the film to feel timeless. He envisions the movie to run around 80 minutes, focusing on Jesus’ core teachings in a way that explores the principles but doesn’t proselytize. “I’m trying to find a new way to make it more accessible and take away the negative onus of what has been associated with organized religion,” Scorsese says.”

Scorsese added, “Right now, ‘religion,’ you say that word, and everyone is up in arms because it’s failed in so many ways,” Scorsese continued. “But that doesn’t mean necessarily that the initial impulse was wrong. Let’s get back. Let’s just think about it. You may reject it. But it might make a difference in how you live your life — even in rejecting it. Don’t dismiss it offhand. That’s all I’m talking about. And I’m saying that as a person who’s going to be 81 in a couple of days. You know what I’m saying?”

Jones has worked with Scorsese multiple times, beginning as a video archivist and then as co-director or co-writer on documentaries such as A Letter to Elia and My Voyage to Italy. He made his narrative feature directing debut in 2018 with the acclaimed drama, Diane.

This project got going in May 2023 after Scorsese and his wife privately met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Religion is a topic Scorsese has tackled before in The Last Temptation of Christ and recently with Silence.

 

Donald Glover, Caleb McLaughlin, & More Appear In Mysterious ‘American Dream: The 21 Savage Story’ Trailer

By
Travis Hopson
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21 Savage, Donald Glover, and Caleb McLaughlin for AMERICAN DREAM

So is it a movie? Or some kind of music video experience? Those questions have been swirling all day ever since rapper 21 Savage teased…well, something, called American Dream: The 21 Savage Story with Donald Glover and Caleb McLaughlin. I don’t know if this is a true answer or not, but a trailer for whatever that project is has dropped. Whatever it is, it’s going to be a star-studded affair. Watch for yourself.

As you saw, the American Dream begins with the Lionsgate logo so it suggests a movie. But then, the whole thing plays out like a video, albeit a starry one with Glover, McLaughlin, Natasha Lyonne, Jabari Banks, Victoria Pedretti, Chad Lindberg,Young Mazino, Druski, and Gail Bean appearing. Behind the camera are Donald and Stephen Glover, Jamal Olori, and Fam Udeorji.

Glover and McLaughlin are playing different versions of 21 Savage, as well, which again sort of suggests a narrative feature. The apparent film will center on 21 Savage’s incarceration by ICE, thanks Donald Trump, in 2019 and threatened with deportation. 21 Savage was raised in Atlanta but born in the U.K.

Frankly, I don’t know a lot about 21 Savage. Is he prone to this sort of gimmick to drum up attention? Whatever this thing is, the buzz is undeniable and that means this marketing gamble has been a success. The trailer says to watch for it to drop on Independence Day, so we’ll have to wait and see if American Dream is real or not.

 

 

‘The Marvels’ To Fly Higher, Further, Faster As Digital, 4K And Blu-ray Release Dates Are Set

By
Travis Hopson
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The Marvels is available to buy only at Digital retailers on January 16 and arrives on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 13

The Marvels might be the lowest-grossing movie in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I loved it. And so did a lot of others, who like me enjoyed that it didn’t take itself seriously at all and was there to simply be a lot of fun. But the SAG-AFTRA strike really hurt its ability to be promoted, and the film stalled out with just $197M worldwide.

Fortunately, those who missed out on The Marvels will be able to rectify that from home as the film hits all major digital platforms including Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu on January 16th.

On February 13th, The Marvels will be available to own in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on February 13.

The Marvels

The digital and physical releases will fly Higher, Further, and Faster with tons of exclusive bonus content, including deleted scenes, a gag reel, behind-the-scenes featurettes and an audio commentary from co-writer/director Nia DaCosta and VFX Supervisor Tara DeMarco.

Here is the synopsis: Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole, her powers are entangled with super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and work together to save the universe.

A sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, which earned over $1B billion worldwide, The Marvels stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Watch the new home release trailer below!

 

 

Gerard Butler To Return As Stoick In Live-Action ‘How To Train Your Dragon’

By
Travis Hopson
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Gerard Butler and Stoick the Vast

You’ll be hearing a very familiar voice in Universal’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon adaptation. Deadline reports that Gerard Butler will reprise his role as Stoick the Vast, father to film’s central hero, Hiccup, and chieftain of the Viking village of Berk which is constantly under siege by dragons. Butler has voiced Stoick in every feature-length movie since the first in 2010, including a pair of short films and one holiday TV special in 2019.

Butler joins a cast that already includes Mason Thames and Nico Parker, who are set to star as Hiccup and Astrid, respectively. The film will be directed, written, and produced by Dean DeBlois, director of all three animated features.

The How to Train Your Dragon franchise had earned $1.6B worldwide and spawned multiple spinoffs, video games, books, and a live stage show.

After a busy 2023 in which Butler starred in the action flicks Plane and Kandahar, Butler will be seen next in the upcoming Den of Thieves sequel.

The live-action How to Train Your Dragon hits theaters on June 13th 2025.

‘Winner-The-Pooh: Blood And Honey 2’ Images Feature A Deadly Showdown Between Pooh And Christopher Robin

By
Travis Hopson
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Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2

The beginning of 2024 saw Disney lose the rights to Steamboat Willie, the earliest version of Mickey Mouse, and immediately there were horror movies ready to go featuring the iconic character. There’s been a rash of these lately as popular characters become public domain, and in 2022 it was Winnie the Pooh, whom Disney also had the rights to since 1966, but was featured in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. After a surprising $5M haul at the box office, the inevitable sequel is coming and we have two new looks at it.

The images from Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 feature a showdown between Pooh and Christopher Robin! Oh, how things used to be so lovely in the Hundred Acre Wood! But now it seems things have turned deadly, bloody, and gory.

Christopher Robin is played by Scott Chambers in the sequel, taking over from Nikolai Leon who played him in the previous film. Rhys Frake-Waterfield returns as writer and director, doing things with Winnie the Pooh that A.A. Milne never could’ve dreamed.

I’m curious to see which other of Pooh’s pals might appear. His bouncy pal Tigger just became public domain in 2024, too.

Expect a trailer at the end of the month, and for Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 to open on February 14th.

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