‘Dear White People’ Vol. 4 Trailer: Senior Year At Winchester Goes Out On A Musical High Note

By

-

August 17, 2021

Of the many successful films to emerge from Sundance, Justin Simien’s Dear White People was probably the most unlikely to be turned into a hit series. But three years after its 2014 premiere, which I took a lot of heat for thinking was merely okay, the show arrived on Netflix and at least in my opinion surpassed the movie in every way imaginable. Simien was given the space to explore issues of race with humor and depth, and now after four seasons it is coming to a close.

However, this won’t be just a typical season, as Simien is taking us through senior year at Winchester as a year-long musical finale. Pretty cool, and definitely ambitious. Logan Browning, Brandon P. Bell, Antoinette Robertson, and DeRon Horton. John Patrick Amedori, Ashley Blain Featherson, and Marque Richardson return, along with new additions Karamo Brown (Queer Eye) and Rome Flynn (How to Get Away with Murder).

Here’s the season synopsis: Set against the backdrop of senior year at Winchester as well as a not-so-distant, post-pandemic future, Dear White People Vol. 4 finds our characters looking back at the most formative (and theatrical) year of their lives. Both an Afro-futuristic and 90s-inspired musical event, Dear White People Vol. 4 is a can’t-miss, farewell experience with one pitch-perfect promise: sometimes the only way to move forward is to throw it back.

We already know where Simien is headed next. After directing Bad Hair a couple of years ago, he’ll shoot on over to Star Wars for a Lando event series, as well as a remake of Disney’s Haunted Mansion.

Dear White People Vol. 4 hits Netflix on September 22nd.

DC Readers: Attend Tonight’s Free Early Screening Of ‘The Protege’

By

Travis Hopson

-

August 17, 2021

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend tonight’s free early screening of The Protege, starring Maggie Q, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Keaton. The film is directed by Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, Casino Royale).

Synopsis: Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) and trained in the family business, Anna (Maggie Q) is the world’s most skilled contract killer. But when Moody – the man who was like a father to her and taught her everything she needs to know about trust and survival – is brutally killed, Anna vows revenge. As she becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer (Michael Keaton) whose attraction to her goes way beyond cat and mouse, their confrontation turns deadly, and the loose ends of a life spent killing will weave themselves ever tighter.

The screening takes place tonight at 7:00pm at AMC Tysons Corner. If you’d like to attend, simply go to the Lionsgate ticketing site here! Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!

The Protege opens on August 20th.

Incredible ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Trailer Reveals A New Force In The Animated Universe

By

Travis Hopson

-

August 17, 2021

With The Bad Batch having wrapped up its first season (quite successfully, I might add) and no live-action shows or films immediately on the horizon, Star Wars fans may ask themselves where they can get their fix? Short of cracking open a book (what are those??), I’m here to tell you that Star Wars: Visions might be the most exciting new Star Wars project in years. Don’t believe me? Check out this new trailer and judge for yourself.

Holy shit that looks badass! This isn’t our first look at the raft of Japanese animation styles that will comprise the nine-episode anthology series’ first season, but it’s by far the most action-packed. And we also have the starry voice cast that includes Brian Tee, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Harbour, Henry Golding, Neil Patrick Harris, Alison Brie, George Takei, Jordan Fisher, Lorraine Toussaint, Temuera Morrison, Simu Liu, Kyle Chandler, and more. Holy shit.

Here’s the official synopsis: Lucasfilm is partnering with seven of the most talented anime studios in Japan to bring their signature style and unique vision of the Star Wars galaxy to this inspired new series,” says James Waugh, executive producer and Lucasfilm Vice President, Franchise Content & Strategy. “Their stories showcase the full spectrum of bold storytelling found across Japanese animation; each told with a freshness and voice that expands our understanding of what a Star Wars story can be and celebrates a galaxy that has been such an inspiration to so many visionary storytellers.”

The complete list of episodes and voice casting is below. Star Wars: Visions hits Disney+ on September 22nd.

The Duel: Brian Tee (Ronin), Lucy Liu (Bandit Leader), Jaden Waldman (Village Chief)

Tatooine Rhapsody: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Jay), Bobby Moynihan (Geezer), Temuera Morrison (BobaFett), Shelby Young (K-344), Marc Thompson (Lan)

The Twins: Neil Patrick Harris (Karre), Alison Brie (Am), Jonathan Lipow (B-20N)

The Village Bride: Karen Fukuhara (F), Nichole Sakura (Haru), Christopher Sean (Asu), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Valco), Andrew Kishino (Izuma), Stephanie Sheh (Saku)

The Ninth Jedi: Kimiko Glenn (Kara), Andrew Kishino (Juro), Simu Liu (Zhima), Masi Oka (Ethan), Greg Chun (Roden), Neil Kaplan (Narrator), Michael Sinterniklaas (Hen Jin),

T0-B1: Jaden Waldman (T0-B1), Kyle Chandler (Mitaka)

The Elder: David Harbour (Tajin), Jordan Fisher (Dan), James Hong (The Elder)

Lop & Ocho: Anna Cathcart (Lop), Hiromi Dames (Ocho), Paul Nakauchi (Yasaburo), Kyle McCarley (Imperial Officer)

Akakiri: Henry Golding (Tsubaki), Jamie Chung (Misa), George Takei (Senshuu), Keone Young (Kamahachi), Lorraine Toussaint (Masago)

Amazon Angles To Secure Deal Nearing $100M With Sony For ‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’

By

John Nolan

-

August 16, 2021

If you asked me to name Hollywood’s billion dollar franchises I can promise you that Hotel Transylvania would not even enter my mind. I, apparently, am dumb, as the Sony animated films have grossed $1.3 billion to date. What are you gonna do? The people love Adam Sandler.

Needless to say, the series has been incredibly successful for Sony Pictures Animation (who has curated quite the catalog of quality animated films) but the very real threat posed to, well…everything, by the Delta variant of COVID-19 has lead the studio to start entertaining deals to premier the final chapter of the series on a streaming service. Sony is one of the few majors to not have their own service and has bounced around quite a bit with the deals they’ve made with their features, selling major titles to HBOMax, Apple TV+, Netflix, and Hulu. Amazon seems to be their partner du jour as Cinderella is set to premier on Amazon Prime Video in September, and word is that they are nearing the close of a 9-figure deal on Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, which originally had an October 1st theater premier date. Seeing as how families are the least likely to brave a theater, especially with no vaccine being available for kids, I don’t see how they had another choice. Still, it’s got to be a hard decision not to delay the film until 2022. Yes, $100M is a ton of cash, but when the last installment in your series (Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation) took in over $500M worldwide you could see how it’s still a sacrifice. Granted, series stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James are not returning, but for a film like this it’s not like that has a big effect on the audience.

The rest of the cast, including Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, Molly Shannon, Keegan-Michael Key and Fran Drescher are all still on board for the final film, so if the cast was the draw you should still be in good hands.

Victoria Justice Gets A Second Chance In The Trailer For Netflix’s ‘Afterlife Of The Party’

By

John Nolan

-

August 16, 2021

My first thought seeing the title Afterlife of the Party was that we were getting another, oddball non-threatening take on the zombie genre. Yet, after watching the trailer, I was pleasantly surprised to not find zombies, but instead a wisp of nostalgia. You see, back in the 90s there were a steady sprinkling of films about people that died and got another chance at life, or at least a chance to fix some mistakes they made (Soul followed this same storyline I guess, but that’s animated so it didn’t spark the same memories).

Disney alum Victoria Justice plays Cassie, a party girl who bites it in the bathroom of a nightclub. Don’t worry parents, it was a freak accident not an OD or anything. She wakes up in the afterlife to find her temporary guardian angel waiting for her with an offer. She has 24 hours to go back and fix her relationships with her Mom, Dad, and best friend. I’m not going to lie, the trailer makes me feel like all kinds of schmoltzy mush stuff lies beneath but, somehow, I feel like it would still be a fun watch.

Check out the trailer below and look for Afterlife of the Party on Netflix September 2nd, 2021!

Official Synopsis:
Social butterfly Cassie experiences the biggest party foul of all… dying during her birthday week. To her surprise, she’s gifted a second chance to right her wrongs on Earth by reconnecting with loved ones, and most importantly, prove that she’s worthy enough to get into the big VIP room in the sky.

Scarlett Johansson Added To Wes Anderson’s New Movie Shooting In Spain

By

Travis Hopson

-

August 16, 2021

Under any normal circumstance, a film with a cast of Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Rupert Friend, and Scarlett Johansson would be cause enough for me to conclude the news with a hearty “DAMN!”. But this is also for Wes Anderson’s upcoming movie shooting in Spain, and honestly, I’m so confused by my sudden excitement for a director whose work very rarely inspires me.

It’s Johansson who is the latest addition to this starry bunch, making her the third, along with Hanks and Robbie, who have never worked with Anderson before. What’s going on that he’s mixing things up so much all of the sudden? Whatever the reason, Anderson seems to be trying something a bit different here, and I for one can’t wait to see it.

Details on the film are under wraps, of course. While production is underway in Spain, we don’t know if the story is actually set there. Filming should conclude in September, which will leave Anderson time to jump right in to promoting The French Dispatch which opens soon after.

Johansson is coming off of Marvel’s Black Widow, and is currently embroiled in a very public spat with Disney over back-end profits lost due to its dual-release strategy.

DC Readers: Attend A Free Advance Screening Of ‘Reminiscence’

By

PunchDrunkCritics

-

August 16, 2021

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free advance screening of Reminiscence, starring Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson. The film is written and directed by Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy.

SYNOPSIS: Nick Bannister (Jackman), a private investigator of the mind, navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken Miami coast, his life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae (Ferguson). A simple matter of lost and found becomes a dangerous obsession. As Bannister fights to find the truth about Mae’s disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy, and must ultimately answer the question: how far would you go to hold on to the ones you love?

The screening takes place on Wednesday, August 18th at 7:00pm at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring. If you’d like to attend, simply go to the Warner Bros. ticketing site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!

Reminiscence opens in theaters and HBO Max on August 20th.

‘Shang-Chi’ Is A Marvel Icon In New TV Spot; Simu Liu Responds To Disney CEO’s “Experiment” Comment

By

Travis Hopson

-

August 16, 2021

Tickets for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings went on sale today, and to celebrate Marvel has dropped a new TV spot. It’s an important one, I think, in helping audiences to see Shang-Chi as on the same level as Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. That’s key for a character that many people will be unfamiliar with, played by an actor, Simu Liu, they probably have never seen before.

The clip arrives at a time when there’s a bit of turbulence right out there in the open. Liu has taken issue at Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s recent comments about the film’s staggered release strategy, in which it will open in theaters for 45 days before moving to streaming. That’s different than many other Disney films, including Black Widow, which opened simultaneously in theaters and Disney+ Premier Access.

Chapek commented, “On Shang-Chi, we think it’s going to be an interesting experiment. The prospect of taking a Marvel title to [Disney+] after just 45 days would be an interesting data point.”

It was the description of Shang-Chi as an “experiment” that infuriated Liu and led him to respond on Twitter with…

We are not an experiment.

We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year.

We are the surprise.

I’m fired the f**k up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US. pic.twitter.com/IcyFzh0KIb

— Simu Liu (刘思慕) (@SimuLiu) August 14, 2021

So let’s be clear about something: Chapek did NOT call Shang-Chi an experiment. He was saying the release strategy is an experiment. His words have been misconstrued to stir controversy, and sadly, it worked. That said, I’m glad to see Liu’s passion in fighting for his movie which is going to need all the help it can get.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opens September 3rd. Check out an additional clip below that features some daring martial arts action on a scaffold!

James Gunn Considered Superman For ‘The Suicide Squad’ Villain

By

Travis Hopson

-

August 16, 2021

There’s a scene during the introduction of Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad where Amanda Waller says he’s locked up “for sending Superman to the hospital from a Kryptonite bullet.” It’s a cool way to show how badass the character is, but it could’ve been more than just a single line. It could’ve been the whole damn plot.

Director James Gunn appeared on the Script Apart podcast and revealed that Superman was nearly the foe for Task Force X to defeat, and not Starro.

“…there was a time when I thought The Suicide Squad should fight Superman”, Gunn said.

You can probably guess why he didn’t go that route, though, and it mostly has to do with all of the questions swirling around the use of Superman over at Warner Bros…

“At the time, there were a lot of questions like, ‘Who is Superman in the DCEU? Is this movie outside the DCEU?’, and I just didn’t want to deal with it all that much,” Gunn said.

I think it turned out for the best. The Starro fight is the best villain showdown of any DCEU movie, and while it would’ve been cool to see what Polka-Dot Man could do against Superman, the Man of Steel probably should get figured out first. And who knows? Maybe Gunn will be the guy to figure that out? He’s turned down a Superman movie in the past but that could change.

Johnny Depp Talks Delayed ‘Minamata’ Release, Says He’s Victim Of “Hollywood’s Boycott”

By

Travis Hopson

-

August 16, 2021

Every time I post on Twitter how I really want Amber Heard to get more screentime in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, fans come out of the woodwork to @me about it. Suffice it to say, the actress has her share of haters out there for the legal battles she’s engaged in with her ex, Johnny Depp. But the very vocal group of detractors haven’t stymied her career at all. The same can’t be said for Depp, who has lost the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, as well as Fantastic Beasts, while the few films he does are ignored.

Depp feels this isn’t a coincidence but an orchestrated set of circumstances designed to destroy his career. In a conversation with The Times about his long-shelved film Minamata, in which he plays real-life journalist W. Eugene Smith who in 1971 exposed the mercury poisoning of people in Japan, Depp talks about the impact his legal troubles have had on its release. In short, MGM is the distributor but pulled the release because of Depp’s situation. Nothing has changed despite Depp’s lawyer stating MGM has decided to “bury the film”…

“We looked these people in the eyeballs and promised we would not be exploitative. That the film would be respectful,” said Depp. “I believe that we’ve kept our end of the bargain, but those who came in later should also maintain theirs.”

He added, “Some films touch people. And this affects those in Minamata and people who experience similar things. And for anything . . .For Hollywood’s boycott of, erm, me? One man, one actor in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years? But, you know, I’m moving towards where I need to go to make all that . . .To bring things to light.”

As I’ve seen personally, Depp’s supporters can be…um, enthusiastic in his defense, and they have not gone unnoticed…

“They have always been my employers,” Depp said. “They are all our employers. They buy tickets, merchandise. They made all of those studios rich, but they forgot that a long time ago. I certainly haven’t. I’m proud of these people, because of what they are trying to say, which is the truth. The truth they’re trying to get out since it doesn’t in more mainstream publications. It’s a long road that sometimes gets clunky. Sometimes just plain stupid. But they stayed on the ride with me and it’s for them I will fight. Always, to the end. Whatever it may be.”

Currently, there’s nothing on the horizon for Depp, but I don’t think we should write off everything he’s done lately. He was pretty good in Waiting for the Barbarians, which was released last year, and another delayed movie, City of Lies about the murders of Biggie and Tupac, opened just months ago.