Don’t let the top spot fool you, a $10.5M domestic opening and $15M global for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is pretty bad. The easy comparison, both in terms of target demographics and genre, would be In the Heights, but that had an $11.5M launch and a simultaneous HBO Max release. The plus side is that it’s very much in the Oscars race and will be a big part of the conversation for weeks, if not months. December is a busy month, and some will look for counterprogramming to stuff like Spider-Man: No Way Home, which opens in a few days.
2. Encanto– $9.4M/$71.3M
3. Ghostbusters: Afterlife– $7.1M/$112M
4. House of Gucci– $4M/$41M
5. Eternals– $3.1M/$161.2M
6. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City– $1.6M/$15.8M
7. Clifford the Big Red Dog– $1.3M/$47.7M
8. Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers– $1.2M/$13.4M
It’s funny how rumors come full circle. A big one involving an actor cast in The Batman has reemerged over the last couple of weeks, thanks to new reporting from THR‘s Heatvision blog involving a final cut of the movie. Matt Reeves actually finished shooting some time ago, but Warner Bros. reportedly “is testing two different cuts of The Batman, one with a certain actor, one without.”
So here’s where the old rumor springs back to life. When Eternals actor Barry Keoghan was cast as GCPD Officer Stanley Merkel more than a year ago, it was one of those things that instantly raised a red flag. Keoghan, who had recently played a creeper opposite The Batman co-star Colin Farrell in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, instantly gives off Joker vibes. And it wasn’t long before rumors that he was secretly set to play the Crown Prince of Crime emerged.
Those talks about Keoghan quieted for a while, but have picked up again recently. Now this story by THR adds fuel to the fire.
And then there’s Keoghan’s brother, Eric, who didn’t just add fuel to the fire but nitroglycerin by posting, then quickly deleting, this FB comment…“So it’s finally out my brother playing the JOKER in the new Batman. Unreal stuff,” he wrote.
Actually, it could be because of this slip that WB decides NOT to go with the Keoghan cut of The Batman. We’ll just have to wait and see, but if it’s true I think Keoghan would kill as the Joker. Just sayin’.
The Last Son is the latest film from Redbox Entertainment that includes a blacklist script written by Greg Johnson (My Name Is Rabbit) and directed by Tim Sutton (Dark Night, Donnybrook, Funny Face). The film is set in the late 19th century and is filled with outlawed & gang driven cowboys, prostitutes, and the talk of Native Americans, more specifically, the Cheyenne tribe. Sam Worthington (Avatar, Terminator Salvation, Clash of the Titans) stars as Isaac LeMay; a notorious outlaw who rose to fame after he was recruited by the United States Army to help wipe out the Native population to make way for white pioneers. Cutthroat and ruthless but not invincible, LeMay (Worthington) was told by a Cheyenne shaman of a prophecy that one of his own children would put an end to his life. Determined to outlive his own children, whom he fathered by several prostitutes, has set out to kill them all himself. A bounty is placed on his head as word gets out that LeMay has already killed six of his own kin.
We don’t see the killings of all 6 children but the film’s story picks up on LeMay hunting down the last remaining three children. Twin sons that were mothered by prostitute, Anna (Heather Graham, Boogie Nights, The Hangover, From Hell) who placed them into adoption at birth because she couldn’t (given her lifestyle) give them healthy and protected lives. One was killed off right in the beginning of the film and Lemay searches for his last son, Cal (Colson Baker AKA, musician: Machine Gun Kelly) who is very much like his father. For whatever reason Heather Graham, although plays a good hearted character, can’t seem to get away from the prostitute role. Please let this woman play anything but a sex driven/prostitute maniac. She is much better than this! Lemay, in the midst of looking for his last son, visits the home of another woman who left her old life and raised her daughter Megan (Emily Marie Palmer, Ithaca, Jungle Cruise, Just Beyond) away from danger. Unfortunately, this does not stop Lemay from coming around and even places a gun in her hand to see if she would actually pull the trigger. Seeing her weakness, Lemay spares her life but kills her stepfather instead. He leaves to hunt down who he thinks will fulfill the prophecy, his last son Cal (Baker).
Cal has his own gang and together with his hand cranked machine gun set out to rob banks. His personality is unique in the sense that he is very protective over nature’s animals and even has a bit of an Oedipus complex as his sexual attraction toward his own mother, despite him being much older, can be seen several times throughout the film. Cal is not the only one wanting to hunt his father down either. A bounty gang that also includes Anna’s true love, the enigmatic U.S. officer Solomon (Thomas Jane, The Punisher, Deep Blue Sea, The Crow: City of Angels) is hot on Lemay’s trail. Soloman is a quiet man whose expertise stems from him being raised and trained by the Cheyenne tribe. Tension flares as each gang gets closer to their stand offs and shootouts.
The Last Son is a gritty western whose slow burning mood centers around darkness and isolation as characters are faced with imminent death and turmoil. It lacks intensity and sometimes feels out of place however, the cinematography and landscape imagery are beautiful and well constructed. Bullets could hit on point but even the most skilled shooters/weapons failed to hit the mark, even when up close; totally lacking real dramatic and emotional effect. Although the film was a little better than I expected it to be, including the debut performance of Colson Baker/Machine Gun Kelly, however, it still does not pass as an enrapturing/memorable cowboy/western kind of film. A weekend spent warm under the blankets to pass the time of a watch but certainly not a must-see film at all.
The Last Sonwill have a limited premiere in theaters and be available day-and-date widely On Demand. Will be available at Redbox on December 10th.
All of this constant speculation and guesswork around Tom Holland’s Marvel future after Spider-Man: No Way Home is tiresome. There’s been teasing of a new trilogy that would see Marvel Studios and Sony continue their collaboration, with one of those movies possibly in the works already. None of this is actually coming from Holland himself, so it’s good to get the actor on the record to clarify exactly what’s going on.
“That’s not accurate at all,” Holland told THR in what must be interview number one thousand this week alone, all asking him variations of the same questions. “The new deal that was struck up was this understanding between the two studios that should Marvel want me to appear in one of their movies, then it would be an open conversation. I don’t think it’s as black and white as ‘I have a three-picture deal with Marvel and a three-picture deal with Sony.’ It’s just this open conversation and open dialogue between Mr. Iger and Mr. Rothman.”
The good news is that this encourages continued communication between Disney and Sony, to keep giving fans what they want to see most. And right now, they want more of Tom Holland as Spider-Man, and they want to see some crossovers of Sony characters into the MCU. Everything Holland is saying tells me that’s going to happen very soon.
After all of that fan excitement, years in development, followed by weeks of stylish promos that built the fan anticipation even further, Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop lasted exactly three weeks. The series has been canceled after only one season, there will be no return for stars John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda.
While no official reason was given for the show’s cancellation, THR says the mixed-to-poor reaction was a big part of it. I’ll be honest, I’ve watched four episodes and none have really stuck with me. Try as it might, it just didn’t have the cool that made Cowboy Bebop one of the most popular anime ever.
All of that said, this is genuinely disappointing if only because the cast is great and I think Cowboy Bebop would’ve gotten better over time. Alas, we’ll never know.
The question has been asked over and over again, but here we go with it anyway: What happens to the Spider-Man franchise after No Way Home? Will it continue forward with star Tom Holland, Sony and Marvel Studios working hand-in-hand? We know that both studios want Holland suited up for a long time, but this is a business and he’s an actor with a lot of options.
Well, according to a report from Puck (judge accordingly), Marvel Studios is already developing the fourth Marvel film to star Tom Holland. This suggests that a deal between Disney and Sony is either close to being worked out or already has been.
I don’t know how much stock I put into this, but let’s assume it’s true. The report doesn’t explicitly call it a fourth Spider-Man movie, and honestly, I think they’ll hand that solo franchise over to another actor. Instead, we could see Holland continue as Spidey in crossovers with Sony characters, such as Venom or Morbius, or appearing in MCU teamups as part of The Avengers. There’s a lot that could happen.
But this is all premature. First things first, and that’s Spider-Man: No Way Home which arrives on December 17th.
Three estranged best friends in their 50’s are reunited when their fourth best friend Anna, from their college years, has passed from breast cancer. Kate (Jenny Seagrove, Local Hero, Another Mother’s Son, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart), Liz (Sally Phillips, Bridget Jones’s Diary) and Cassie (the late Kelly Preston, For The Love of The Game, What a Girl Wants, Jerry Maguire) have grown apart over the years with work, families, and a bit of drama that has led to their estranged friendships and personal struggles over the years. Judy Dench (Philomena, Shakespeare in Love, Victoria & Abdul)makes a cameo appearance as Anna’s mother who is happy that her daughter’s (Anna) friends showed up to the funeral but was quick to lay down the disappointment of their falling out. She passes Anna’s last wishes to her group of long time friends and with that, the adventure begins.
Off the Rails is directed by Jules Williamson (See No Evil, Tattoo) and is a wonderfully touching film that pulls at the heartstrings and punches the gut to realities of ageing women. Kate, Liz, and Cassie must recreate their post graduation trip across Europe to honor the memory of their dear friend Anna. Joining them this time around will be Anna’s 18 year old and only daughter, Maddie (newcomer Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips). Together, they will fulfill Anna’s last wishes but their journey turns out to be more challenging than expected. They have five days to get to Palma to catch what they’ve dubbed, “God’s Disco Ball”. A twice yearly occurrence of when the sun shines through the town’s cathedral stained glass window; an event they missed on their postgraduate journey.
While traveling through Paris, Spain, and Italy each woman encounters lost passports, train strikes, romantic entanglements, and other hurdles that get in their way. Old feuds come back to light and each is faced with turmoil that stray them from their venture. They have met a possible love interest, Ben Miller (Paddington 2, What We Did on our Holiday) and mayor of a rural Spaniard town, Franco Nero (Django Unchained, John Wick: Chapter 2), along their way who end up being helpful in their quest. In the midst of their falling out, Maddie takes off to Palma on her own to see the ‘dancing lights’ and fulfill her mother’s dying request. Liz, Kate, and Cassie must put aside their differences, connect with Maddie, and also, fulfill their late friend’s dying wish.
Off the Rails is the kind of film that will largely appeal to older women. Being close to their age, I totally understand the amount of shit that may have been going through their brains and hearts as we hit this next level milestone/conundrum in our lives. I can’t imagine what must have been going through Kelly Preston’s soul as she was filming knowing she was battling breast cancer too. It’s not raunchy like Bridesmaids and although Mamma Mia-esque, the film doesn’t include song & dance nor over the top circumstances. There are cute and heart filled moments, especially those that I certainly will do with my daughters when they are old enough. For memory’s and female legacy’s sake. Other moments are the gut wrenching truth of what women at this age face and endure that I think are often overlooked or deliberately passed over because of ageism and sexism. There aren’t a lot of laughs or wild and off the wall scenarios but a film focused more one female bonding and triumph. Makes you not want to carry your internal burdens to the grave and with that being said; it’s definitely worth a watch.
Off the Rails is available in theaters and VOD now.
Is Disney about to unload erotic thriller Deep Water, the film that gave us, for a time, the power couple of Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas? It sure seems that way, because about a month away from its theatrical release, it has now been pulled off the schedule with no replacement date.
This is similar to what Disney did to another 20th Century Studios thriller, The Woman in the Window, which was shipped off to Netflix. In the case of Deep Water, we’ve yet to see a single trailer or teaser image, which tells me the film isn’t good enough to be seen publicly.
And that’s sad because this is to be the comeback of director Adrian Lyne, his first since Unfaithful 20 years ago. He practically built this genre in the ’80s and ’90s with Flashdance, Indecent Proposal, 9 1/2 Weeks, Fatal Attraction, and Lolita.
So we’ll see where Deep Water ultimately ends up. Perhaps Disney will keep it in-house and ship it over to Hulu? [Deadline]
It’s funny how Harry Potter stuff seems to pop up when there’s news about Johnny Depp. I’m not saying it’s a coordinated effort by ANYONE, but today is not the first time. So shortly after a new Fantastic Beasts 3 trailer, y’know, the mega-franchise Depp was booted from, we also get a trailer for Depp’s long-delayed drama Minamata, which is finally opening next week.
Originally having premiered in Berlin last year, Minamata stars Depp as Life magazine photographer W. Eugene Smith, who captured the devastating effects of mercury poisoning on the people of Minamata, Japan, and face the corrupt government that is allowing it to happen.
The film’s release was repeatedly pulled by MGM, leading director Andrew Levitas to accuse the studio of deliberately burying it because of Depp’s trashed public image. Ultimately, MGM sold the rights to Samuel Goldwyn Films who plan to release Minamata on December 15th.
With the glory days of World War II far behind him W. Eugene Smith (Depp) has become a recluse, disconnected from society and his career. But an old friend and a commission from “Life Magazine” editor (Nighy) convinces him to journey back to Japan to expose a big story: the devastating annihilation of a coastal community, victims of corporate greed and complicit local police and government. Armed with only his trusted camera, Smith must gain the trust of this struggling community and find the images that will bring the story to the World. The victims’ case against the corporation responsible for this environmental disaster represents one of the biggest payouts of all time, with present day sufferers of Minamata disease still in court today seeking compensation. Production has spent time in Minamata meeting some of the victims and their families and the film is being made with their support.
We’re in the midst of a Harry Potter celebration right now, with WarnerMedia doing a lot to honor the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. What better time to remind fans that the magic is alive and well and flowing through the current version of the franchise, Fantastic Beasts, and its upcoming third film, The Secrets of Dumbledore.
And let’s be honest; the Potter-verse has taken a beating of late and could use some a magical charm spell cast on it right now. The drama surrounding Johnny Depp and author JK Rowling has been a public black eye. Not only that, but the previous film The Crimes of Grindelwald…well, it sorta sucked.
The latest trailer seems geared to address all of these issues by reminding you that Harry Potter is pretty amazing when you leave the outside shit behind. It’s basically a walk down memory lane before getting down to the real business. The cast is back, including Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein, Jude Law as Dumbledore, and we get our first brief look at Mads Mikkelsen as Grindelwald, replacing Depp.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore opens April 8th 2022.
