Earlier this week, we learned that Chris Evans is coming back to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday. This opened up speculation on who he would play, since Steve Rogers was old and had passed the shield to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Also, with Robert Downey Jr. coming back as Doctor Doom, it just felt like Evans could be anybody. Well, maybe not anybody, but if rumors are true, he definitely won’t be Captain America.
According to Jeff Sneider on The Hot Mic, Evans will play Nomad in Avengers: Doomsday. So who is Nomad? In the page of Captain America #180, Cap learns that a high-ranking elected official (probably Tricky Dick Nixon) is actually a member of the evil Serpent Society. Growing disillusioned with the United States government, he abandons the Captain America mantle and becomes Nomad, a hero who serves no country.
Following events in Captain America: Civil War and heading into Avengers: Infinity War, fans thought Evans would be playing the Nomad version of Rogers, but the Russo Brothers said [via LRMOnline] only in “spirit.”
“Some people have suspected that he may be Nomad heading into ‘Avengers 3’ and I wouldn’t say that he is exactly Nomad, but he is the spirit of that character.”
So how could this version of Steve Rogers fit into the MCU? It’s likely to be a Multiverse thing, and if so it would create an entirely new dynamic between Rogers and Stark, whose ideologies have never quite aligned.
Warner Bros. did Looney Tunes fans a disservice when they shelved the anticipated comedy Coyote vs. Acme, despite efforts by stars John Cena and Will Forte. There hadn’t been a non-Space Jam theatrical featuring Bugs Bunny and the gang since Looney Tunes: Back in Action way back in 2003, and that one was a big ol’ flop. But the studio must still have some love for the animated ‘toons because there’s a new feature-length movie opening in Los Angeles today before it goes nationwide in February.
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck as Earth’s last hope against a secret alien mind control plot.
While it’s good to see WB giving these legendary cartoons some shine, they’re technically not distributing this one as they sold the rights to Ketchup Entertainment last summer. However, if the film does well at the box office it may encourage the studio to invest more in Looney Tunes and maybe…just maybe…they’ll give Coyote vs. Acme a second look.
The film is directed by Pete Browngardt, known for his work on HBO Max’s Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry shows. Eric Bauza reprises his voice role as Daffy and Porky, joined by Candi Milo as Petunia Pig, Peter MacNicol as the alien Invader, Fred Tatasciore, Laraine Newman, and Wayne Knight.
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie gets an awards qualifying run starting today in Los Angeles, before opening nationwide on February 28th 2025.
During the opening minutes of Netflix’s new thriller Carry-On, I jokingly posted on social media “A new Christmas classic?”, fully expecting to forget the film almost as soon as it was over. I’m okay admitting when I’m wrong, as I am in this case because what a surprising holiday treat this turned out to be. A welcome throwback to the high-octane thrillers of the ’80s, it’s clear that director Jaume Collet-Serra wants to bring back that Die Hard feeling, and with Taron Egerton attempting his best Bruce Willis, he largely delivers.
Egerton, who will probably always be either that Kingsman guy or that dude who played Elton John, is lowly TSA agent Ethan. After failing the police entrance exam, Ethan is pretty much checked-out at this current gig at LAX. However, he’s got a lot to look forward to. He’s about to become a father with his girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson), a manager at the same airport. She wants Ethan to reapply, to feel motivated again. Even his colleagues at work (including Dean Norris as his boss and Sinqua Walls as his best friend) can see that Ethan’s heart isn’t in it. But on this busy Christmas Eve, Ethan recommits to the job, even convincing his pal to give up his spot at the baggage security checkpoint to show he’s a team player.
But that initiative Ethan is showing comes with a price. Finding a Bluetooth earpiece, followed by a text telling him to use it, Ethan is commanded by a mysterious Traveler (Jason Bateman) to allow a piece of luggage through security checkpoint without being flagged. If Ethan doesn’t do it, someone will die. And if he tries to alert anyone, someone Ethan cares about will pay the price. “One bag for one life” he’s told, menacingly. With help from his tech accomplice (Theo Rossi) in a nearby van, they’ve discovered everything they need to know about Ethan and they have him dead to rights.
Collet-Serra might be best known for recent studio duds such as Jungle Cruise and Black Adam, but he also directed Liam Neeson in a string of thrillers similar to Carry-On, such as Non-Stop and The Commuter. One can easily imagine that TJ Fixman’s script was written with Neeson in mind, with the lead role aged down considerably with Egerton aboard. Whether that’s true or not, Egerton is a much better fit. He’s still got that everyman quality but he’s young, athletic, and earnest. You can easily believe he’s a good guy who has lost his way a little bit. You also feel his shame at all of the shady things he must do to obey the Traveler’s wishes, including spiking his friend’s coffee to get him busted out of a key checkpoint. But Ethan has no choice. While he tries to push back against the criminal’s demands, he quickly learns the fatal consequences of defiance.
The trick for a movie like Carry-On is to keep finding clever ways to dial up the tension with unpredictable scenarios. For the Traveler, his arrogance leads him to constantly underestimate Ethan, who devises a nifty way to find the ballcap-wearing villain. For Ethan, he is frequently thrown off by the Traveler’s cold demeanor. He claims he’s not a terrorist, just one of the few people in the world who can facilitate things for bad people. We don’t know immediately what’s in the suitcase but we can take a guess. Nor does it really matter in the larger scheme of things.
The film is about Ethan and the choices he must make in a constantly evolving, fluid environment. An airport like LAX has thousands of people moving through it at all times. On Christmas Eve that number probably doubles. It’s impossible for anyone to predict what will happen from moment to moment, and that causes more and more trouble for Ethan and the Traveler. Fixman’s script keeps track of all of the spinning plates in the air, and calculates how the crashing of one impacts another. The introduction of Danielle Deadwyler as dogged detective Elena Cole throws the situation into greater chaos, amping up the excitement even further.
Carry-On is a smartly-crafted, heartstopping thriller that would be a blast to watch on the big-screen, but will do just as well on your living room TV. It keeps raising the stakes without straining credulity, no easy feat. Egerton gives Ethan loads of personality, and Bateman’s smugness comes through both as a threatening voice over the phone and when Traveler’s forced to get his hands dirty. Collet-Serra is doing what he knows best, but is there a better way to get back on track after a couple of blockbuster flops? So maybe Carry-On isn’t going to win any awards or anything like that, if it’s something you can rewatch again and again over the holidays, doesn’t that make it a gift that keeps on giving?
And there’s a new target on Ghostface’s hit list. Deadline reports Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire‘s McKenna Grace is the latest to join the Scream 7 cast. She joins the returning Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, plus new franchise cast members Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor and Asa Germann.
Other than Campbell, this is starting to look like an all-new direction for Scream, which is probably warranted given the raft of exits since the last movie which starred Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega. Both actresses have left the sequel for different reasons.
It’s unknown who Grace will be playing. With Isabel May cast as Sidney’s daughter, it’s possible Grace will portray another of her three kids with husband Mark. It’s also unclear if Patrick Dempsey will reprise that role, and the same goes for Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, although the veteran reporter is expected back.
Franchise writer and creator Kevin Williamson will finally step behind the camera as director. He’ll have a script by Guy Busick.
Is Kraven the Hunter the final hunt for Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man spinoffs? With reports that Sony is giving up trying to make these movies a thing, Kraven the Hunter opens in theaters with Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the infamous Spidey villain. Reviews are already in the tank for the JC Chandor-directed film, but is it really as bad as other critics are saying? Or has Sony finally hit the bullseye just when they needed it most?
On this episode of Cinema Royale, I’m joined by my home Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com to talk about Kraven the Hunter and what it could mean for Sony’s future developing Marvel Spider-Man flicks…without Spider-Man. We also talk about some of the big films still left for the end of 2024, our wish for Marvel to let Mahershala Ali run free from his Blade contract, our other wish to direct a Blade movie with Wesley Snipes, and a lot more because you know we can’t stay on topic.
All of this and more, because you know we love a good tangent and can’t resist a digression.
You can also subscribe to Cinema Royale anywhere you get your podcasts! Please leave us a review or Like, Share, and Subscribe as it helps us immensely. Thanks! And enjoy the show!
And the band is starting to come together. Following recent news that Paul Mescal is playing Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ series of movies about The Beatles, Deadline now confirms that Joseph Quinn is the pick to play George Harrison.
This is the first confirmed casting that wasn’t from somebody with loose lips. The news of Mescal’s casting came from a chatty Ridley Scott, while it was Ringo Starr who revealed that Barry Keoghan would be playing him. That leaves the John Lennon role that many expect to go to Harris Dickinson.
News of Mendes’ ambitious slate of four Beatles movies was reported earlier this year. Each movie is expected to focus on a single member of the iconic band, with Mendes directing all of them.
This will be a reunion for Quinn and Mescal who can be seen right now in Gladiator II together. Quinn also starred in A Quiet Place: Day One earlier this year.
None of the deals are closed yet, but this looks to be shaping up nicely. That cast is simply amazing, with so much red-hot, up ‘n coming talent that it’s sure to be a buzzy awards season title. The bidding war should be blistering.
We really should be putting more respect on Martin Campbell’s name. While he’s not the only 80+ year-old director still plugging away in Hollywood, he might be the busiest. And lately, Campbell has been on a tear. He’s got two projects with Daisy Ridley coming up, and this week he debuts another female-led actioner, Dirty Angels. With two of the all-time great James Bond movies to his credit in Goldeneye and Casino Royale, Campbell is still good for a solid, well-made thriller that packs some punch. While flawed largely due to a mediocre screenplay, Campbell delivers an exciting action film with real-world parallels and a cast led by Eva Green who is watchable as ever.
Green plays Jake, an American soldier who we meet as she’s about to be stoned to death by terrorists in the Middle East. As the rocks are raining down on her, she’s rescued by U.S. military forces. But the casualties are heavy, and Jake’s team is basically wiped out. Months later, Jake is still coping with that tragedy when she’s recruited by Travis (Christopher Backus) to rescue a group of schoolgirls, all of them daughters of powerful men, who have been kidnapped by the same Taliban leader who killed Jake’s people. If the girls aren’t rescued soon or the ransom demand isn’t met, they will likely be executed in public fashion.
Jake is tasked with leading a rescue mission in Pakistan, joined by a mostly-female team of specialists, all nicknamed for what they do best. Ruby Rose plays Medic, with Maria Bakalova in her first true action role as explosives expert The Bomb. Jojo T. Gibbs is the tech Geek, with Rona-Lee Shimon as the resident Mechanic and Emily Bruni as the team Shooter. They’re joined by a doctor (who is also busy shagging one of the gals) and a pair of local Pakistani drivers Abbas (Aziz Çapkurt) and Malik (Reza Brojerdi) who could face dire consequences if their collusion with the U.S. is discovered.
This isn’t an easy snatch ‘n grab mission, though. With the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, there’s a war between ISIS and the Taliban for control of the region. Jake must navigate her team through the fighting, save some lives, and hopefully find the redemption she’s been seeking for so long.
Given Campbell’s lengthy career it’s incredible that Dirty Angels is also his first screenplay credit. What’s clear is that he’s a big fan of the mission-based action classics like The Dirty Dozen and Inglorious Basterds. Campbell doesn’t dig too deep into the conflict, framing everything and everyone in the Middle East from an American perspective. And y’know, that’s fine because this is a movie people are going to for the explosions, shootouts, and (let’s be honest), the hot female action. They get plenty of each, with Green once again proving what an authentic, commanding presence she can be. While Jake is the only character we can really invest in emotionally, Green’s co-stars acquit themselves adequately. Campbell doesn’t shy away from the lethal stakes of their mission, with a surprisingly high body count among the squad. Campbell focuses on the team’s growing rapport and resilience in the heat of battle. Too bad some of that time couldn’t have been spent digging deeper into who Jake is beyond her past tragedies.
While Dirty Angels looks good and keeps up an exciting pace, it doesn’t come close to Campbell’s best. It’s probably not fair to expect that from him at this stage, but there’s also so much wasted potential that a more thorough script could’ve fixed. Still, this is one that fans of military-grade action movies will want to check out. The premise will grab you, while Campbell’s veteran direction and the powerful female dynamic will keep you around until mission’s end.
Dirty Angels opens in select theaters and digital on December 13th.
We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free screening of Mufasa: The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins with original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda! The film is a prequel following the rise of Mufasa, the unlikely future King of the Pride Lands!
SYNOPSIS: “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, introducing an orphaned cub called Mufasa, a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline—and their expansive journey alongside an extraordinary group of misfits.
The screening takes place on December 16th at 7:00pm at AMC Tysons Corner. If you’d like to attend, RSVP at the Gofobo site here. Please remember that all screenings are first come first served and you’ll need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!
Mufasa: The Lion King opens in theaters on December 20th.
Just days after the Daisy Ridley action flick Cleaner found a home with Quiver Distribution, the first trailer for it has arrived. It’s a treat to see Ridley in a physical role like this again, sporting a very different look, and under the guidance of veteran director Martin Campbell, known for directing James Bond films Goldeneye and Casino Royale! It’s been far too long since we’ve seen Ridley in a major big-screen film.
Cleaner has a script by Simon Uttley, and co-stars Clive Owen and One Piece actor Taz Skylar.
Here’s the synopsis: Set in present-day London, a group of radical activists take over an energy company’s annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. Their just cause is hijacked by an extremist within their ranks, who is ready to murder everyone in the building to send his anarchic message to the world. It falls to an ex-soldier turned window cleaner, played by Ridley, suspended 50 storeys up on the outside of the building, to save those trapped inside, including her younger brother.
Following Cleaner, Ridley and Campbell are set to reteam for Dedication, in which she again plays a military officer who must save others from a terrorist threat. Ridley has had a busy year. She’s receiving awards season notices for her performance in Young Woman and the Sea. Ridley also recently starred the neo-noir thriller Magpie, based on her original story.
This morning, the Critics Choice Association, of which I’m a voting member, announced nominees for the 30th Critics Choice Awards! Leading the pack with 11 total nominations were Wicked and Conclave, including Best Picture for both. Dune: Part Two and Emilia Perez followed closely behind with 10 total nominations.
The list of Best Picture nominees includes the previously mentioned films as well as A Complete Unknown, Anora, The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, and The Substance. Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist had 9 nominations overall.
The competitive Best Actor field boasts nominees Adrien Brody for The Brutalist, Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, Timothee Chalamet for A Complete Unknown, Daniel Craig for Queer, Ralph Fiennes for Conclave, and in a surprise, Hugh Grant for his evil turn in Heretic.
On the Best Actress side, Cynthia Erivo was nominated for Wicked, joined by Karla Sofia Gascon from Emilia Perez, Marianne Jean Baptiste for Hard Truths, Angelina Jolie for Maria, and Mikey Madison for Anora. The last nominee in this category, Demi Moore, is part of an impressive showing for body horror The Substance which had 7 total nominations.
The 30th Critics Choice Awards will air live on January 12th, 2025 on E! with Chelsea Handler hosting. The full list of nominees is below. For more on the Critics Choice Association and its members go here.
FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 30TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
BEST PICTURE
A Complete Unknown
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
The Substance
Wicked
BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Hugh Grant – Heretic
BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Angelina Jolie – Maria
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS
Alyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Elliott Heffernan – Blitz
Maisy Stella – My Old Ass
Izaac Wang – Didi
Alisha Weir – Abigail
Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Anora
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked
BEST DIRECTOR
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker – Anora
Edward Berger – Conclave
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Jon M. Chu – Wicked
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Sean Baker – Anora
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David – September 5
Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Justin Kuritzkes – Challengers
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox – Wicked
Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley – Sing Sing
RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes – Nickel Boys
Peter Straughan – Conclave
Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts – Dune: Part Two
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jarin Blaschke – Nosferatu
Alice Brooks – Wicked
Lol Crawley – The Brutalist
Stéphane Fontaine – Conclave
Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two
Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia – The Brutalist
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked
Suzie Davies – Conclave
Craig Lathrop – Nosferatu
Arthur Max, Jille Azis, Elli Griff – Gladiator II
Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau – Dune: Part Two
BEST EDITING
Sean Baker – Anora
Marco Costa – Challengers
Nick Emerson – Conclave
David Jancso – The Brutalist
Joe Walker – Dune: Part Two
Hansjörg Weißbrich – September 5
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Lisy Christl – Conclave
Linda Muir – Nosferatu
Massimo Cantini Parrini – Maria
Paul Tazewell – Wicked
Jacqueline West – Dune: Part Two
Janty Yates, Dave Crossman – Gladiator II
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener, Neal Scanlan – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Hair and Makeup Team – Dune: Part Two
Hair and Makeup Team – The Substance
Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount – Wicked
Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton, David White – Nosferatu
Mike Marino, Sarah Graalman, Aaron Saucier – A Different Man
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Mark Bakowski, Pietro Ponti, Nikki Penny, Neil Corbould – Gladiator II
Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, David Shirk – Wicked
Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer – Dune: Part Two
Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs – Better Man
Visual Effects Team – The Substance
Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, Rodney Burke – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
BEST COMEDY
A Real Pain
Deadpool & Wolverine
Hit Man
My Old Ass
Saturday Night
Thelma
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Pérez
Flow
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
BEST SONG
“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Miley Cyrus
“Compress / Repress” – Challengers – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Camille
“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Kristen Wiig
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Maren Morris
“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Selena Gomez
BEST SCORE
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Pérez
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers
Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two
