Whoa! There are transformations, and then there’s whatever happened to Jared Leto for his role as Paolo Gucci in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci. The Oscar-winning actor routinely undergoes a radical reconstruction for his most prominent roles, think the Joker in Suicide Squad or Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club, and once again his look has social media buzzing.
But the images we got today aren’t just of Leto. We also get a new look at Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani and Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci, along with Al Pacino as Aldo Gucci and Jeremy Irons as Rodolfo Gucci. A photo released some weeks back had shown Gaga and Driver rockin’ stylish winter gear.
The film is based on the book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed, centering on the 1995 murder of Maurizio Gucci, orchestrated by his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani. It is the second major film to be released by Ridley Scott this year. The Last Duel hits theaters on October 15th, while House of Gucci arrives a month later on November 24th.
Bill Skarsgård is known for playing dark and emotionally heavy characters. From his breakout role in It as Pennywise the Clown to his portrayal as a PTSD ridden soldier and father in The Devil All The Time, you wouldn’t say
In Nine Days, directed by first time director Edson Oda, Skarsgård plays what is perhaps his lightest morally gray character yet. In the highly conceptual film, the actor portrays Kane, a soul applying for the chance to be born from an older spirit played by Winston Duke. Moving and deeply thought provoking, Skarsgård’s performance dissects what it means to survive in this world, both the good, the bad, and the areas in between.
I had the opportunity to chat with the actor over Zoom, where we discussed reading the script for the first time and what memory from shooting Nine Days he would like to live over again.
You can catch Nine Days in New York and Los Angeles this Friday or everywhere August 6th.
While we’re never going to get Guillermo Del Toro’s remake of Disney’s The Haunted Mansion, I’d argue this latest version holds nearly as much promise. With a script by Katie Dippold (2016’s Ghostbusters) and Dear White People and Bad Hair director Justin Simien at the helm, THR reports LaKeith Stanfield and Tiffany Haddish are in talks to star.
I don’t know about you, but I’d venture into a haunted mansion with those two, any day.
Rumors had been swirling about Haddish’s casting for a little while, but this is confirmation the stories were true. She’ll play a psychic who can communicate with the dead, while Stanfield is a widower who moves into the haunted New Orleans home.
The film is a remake of the 2003 comedy led by Eddie Murphy, based on a popular Disney theme park attraction similar to Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise.
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Simien is also attached to direct Disney’s Lando Calrissian miniseries, so the studio obviously likes what they have in him. Stanfield just earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in Judas and the Black Messiah. Haddish recently starred with the great Billy Crystal in Here Today.
While it doesn’t have a set date, Haunted Mansion should arrive sometime in 2022.
The Evening Houris an authentic portrait of an Appalachian landscape that depicts the complex entanglement of hardship, hope, and drug addiction in rural America. Braden King (Here) directs screenwriter Elizabeth Palmore’s adaptation of the 2012 acclaimed novel by Carter Sickel. The autumnal mountains of southern Appalachia hold a haunting power of history and survival that grips onto a small town in constant decline.
Cole Freeman (Philip Ettinger, First Reformed) is a quiet, gentle, and caring man. He works for a home that looks after the elderly. Cole is often called upon to calm the spirits of restless residents. He plays an even bigger asset to his community by looking after elder residents who can’t afford or acquire proper care. To make extra cash, he buys and sells their unused prescription medications. Neighbors can buy food, supplies, and pay bills while others have a means toward their pain and/or addiction. As a rule, Cole never steals from his job and does his best not tangle with the area’s head drug dealer, Everett (Marc Menchaca, Ozark, The Outsider).
Cole (Ettinger) is the grandson of a staunch preacher (of sorts) who’s life is coming to an end. In the meantime, he cares for his grandmother Dorothy Freeman(Tess Harper) by cleaning up around the home and providing extra cash for essentials. When he’s not working and caring for the community, Cole spends his time hooking up with childhood friend, Charlotte (Stacy Martin, Nymphomaniac and Casanova, Last Love). Seemingly content, it’s just another day in the life for Cole.
In The Evening Hour, an old friend, Terry Rose (Cosmo Jarvis, Lady MacBeth) comes back into town. Terry, fired from his last job, returns as a retail manager and also oversees the employ of his ex-girlfriend, Charlotte. Despite their previous friendship, Terry has dangerous new plans that threaten the fragile balance Cole has sustained for years. Amidst the addiction, economic stress, and environmental devastation that have his declining mining town in a stranglehold; his world and identity are thrown into deep disarray.
Life is pushed further out of balance by the death of his grandfather, Clyde Freeman (Frank Hoyt Taylor) and sudden homecoming of Cole’s estranged mother, Ruby (Lili Taylor, The Conjuring). Conflict increases with the region’s alpha drug dealer, Everett (Manchaca), Terry (Jarvis), and with local law enforcement closing in. To throw in the mix, Cole finds himself shifting feelings for Charlotte (Martin) to local bartender, Lacy (Kerry Bishé, Argo). Faced with intensifying pressure from all sides, Cole decides that he has to suck it up and take action. He wants to save the tight-knit fabric of family, friendship, and land that binds everything and everyone he loves. Before it all completely falls apart.
There’s no doubt that the Appalachian landscape is rich in color, especially in the fall. Scenic images and calming sounds of nature surround dilapidated homes, small town businesses, and outdated vehicles fitting of rural America. Although mesmerizing in it’s own way, these lovely images couldn’t save The Evening Hour from a slow and hole filled narrative, empty dialogue, and emotionally confusing characters.
Cole has flashback memories of his grandfather preaching to a small group of people. At first, it seems innocent until each memory unveils a unique practice to their worship. That backstory would have been nice to know considering, and I suspect, is the reason of his mother’s absence. Having a small dialogue isn’t terrible, as long as actors can convey readable emotions to help tell the story. The Evening Hour severely lacks both. Moments between Cole and Charlotte are so empty that it’s difficult to know, let alone believe, when they’re upset or genuinely care for each other.
There are confusing moments where characters display odd emotions under certain circumstances. A scene shows Cole and Terry reminiscing of their past friendship while Terry begs for Cole’s help. The interaction is sloppy, hard to watch, and had me wondering if there is something deeper going on between the two. I don’t think there is, and who cares if there was, but it shows to how chaotic the film is. I respect the statement and reasoning of bringing to light a true epidemic that’s sweeping across the country. I’m sure Carter Sickle’s book is a testament of that. Having grown up in an area like this, I understand a lot more than even I care to admit. However, this film poorly executes the essence of almost all major categories that make it watchable. As someone who can relate, The Evening Hour is an unfortunate letdown that I do not recommend.
Star-studded murder mysteries are all the rage right now. Thank you, Rian Johnson. But the latest isn’t one of his Knives Out sequels, it’s the newly-titled See How They Run. After first being announced late last year, we’re getting our first look at Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan in the film which Searchlight Pictures has set for a 2022 release.
Along with the image comes the full cast, which reads like a who’s who of British cinema. Joining the previously announced Rockwell, Ronan, David Oyelowo, Adrien Brody and Ruth Wilson are Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats), Sian Clifford (Fleabag), Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (The Queen’s Gambit), Shirley Henderson (Stan and Ollie), Reece Shearsmith (High-Rise), Paul Chahidi (Twelfth Night), Pearl Chanda (I May Destroy You), Charlie Cooper (Avenue 5) and Pippa Bennett-Warner (Harlots).
Marking the feature debut of director Tom George (This Country), the film is set in 1950s London where “plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. When world-weary Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and eager rookie Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) take on the case, the two find themselves thrown into a puzzling whodunit within the glamorously sordid theater underground, investigating the mysterious homicide at their own peril.”
Marvel is shooting their shot at another hit Disney+ series, and their sights are set on November 24th. That’s the date for the premiere of Hawkeye, the live-action series that returns Jeremy Renner as the Avengers’ resident archer, joined by Hailee Steinfeld as his protege, Kate Bishop.
EW also has our first official look at the series, which could be the beginning of Bishop taking over the mantle of Hawkeye, just as she does in the comics. She’s also a crucial member of the Young Avengers, a team of junior heroes who have been slowly introduced in every Disney+ series so far.
Also in the cast are Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Alaqua Cox, Zahn McClarnon, and Florence Pugh, who returns as Yelena following her debut in Black Widow. As we saw at the end of that film, she’s been set on a collision course with Clint Barton, and I don’t think he’s going to walk away from it.
Hawkeye is written and exec-produced by Jonathan Igla, and is the fourth live-action Disney+ series from Marvel. With this timing, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Ms. Marvel until 2022 at the earliest.
We’re happy to offer our readers the chance to attend a free early screening of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad! The expendable villains of Task Force X are back on another suicidal mission, led by Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, John Cena as Peacemaker, and more.
SYNOPSIS: Welcome to hell—a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-anddestroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them.
The screening takes place on Tuesday, August 3rd at 7:00pm at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring. If you’d like to attend, simply register at the Warner Bros. ticketing site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and if you’re late you’ll have to answer to Amanda Waller.
Enjoy the show! The Suicide Squad opens in theaters and HBO Max on August 6th.
Need a catchy tune? Just call Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Hamilton and In the Heights creator is back on the screen, this time as you’ve never seen him before, in Netflix’s animated Vivo. The film stars Miranda as a kinkajou, which may sound like a giant Japanese monster, but is actually a mammal referred to as a “honey bear.”
And what a helpful little singing kinkajou Vivo is! He spends his days on the streets of Havana, sharing a love of music along with his owner, Andrés . The story finds Vivo on a journey to Miami, joined by a young girl named Gabi, to find Andrés’ lost love, Marta.
Also in the voice cast are Zoe Saldana, Ynairaly Simo, Juan de Marcos González, Brian Tyree Henry, Nicole Byer, Gloria Estefan, and Michael Rooker. Kirk DeMicco (The Croods) directs alongside Brandon Jeffords.
Vivo comes to Netflix on August 6th.
The film follows a one-of-a-kind kinkajou named Vivo, who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively Havana square with his beloved owner Andrés. Though they may not speak the same language, Vivo and Andrés are the perfect duo through their common love of music. But when tragedy strikes shortly after Andrés receives a letter from the famous Marta Sandoval, inviting her old partner to her farewell concert in Miami, Florida with the hope of reconnecting, it’s up to Vivo to deliver a message that Andrés never could: a love letter to Marta, written long ago, in the form of a song. Yet in order to get to the distant shores of Miami, Vivo will need to accept the help of Gabi – an energetic tween who bounces to the beat of her own offbeat drum
Shea Whigham and low-budget crime flicks just go hand-in-hand. For that matter, Frank Grillo is pretty much a staple of the genre, too. That bodes well for The Gateway, a new thriller that puts both actors on opposing sides, with Olivia Munn caught in the middle.
Directed by Michele Civetta, also a co-writer on the script, The Gateway follows a hard-luck social worker as he tries to protect one of his clients hold on her daughter from. That puts him at odds with her recently-paroled husband and the man’s boss, a violent drug lord played by Grillo.
Also in the cast are Mark Boone Junior, Taryn Manning, Taegen Burns, and Bruce Dern. Pretty much everyone in this cast are crime thriller veterans, so at least this should be entertaining. And who doesn’t want to see a pair of fan-favorites like Whigham and Grillo butt heads?
The Gateway opens in select theaters and digital on September 3rd, followed by Blu-ray and DVD on September 7th. Pretty quick turnaround.
Shea Whigham (American Hustle), Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse), and Frank Grillo (The Grey) star in this gritty, edge-of-your-seat crime-thriller. Whigham is Parker, a down-on-his-luck social worker who finds himself in over his head when he tries to protect his client from her recently paroled husband. Can Parker save the family from the violent threat of the maniacal drug dealer and his crew, desperate to reclaim their priceless stash?
As Sony continues developing their Kraven the Hunter film, it’s clear the model is to follow what was done previously with Venom. And who can blame them considering the $800M+ success? Aaron Taylor-Johnson was recently set to play the big game hunter and antihero, and now The Illuminerdi reports that he could be joined by Queen & Slim star, Jodie Turner-Smith.
The story goes that Turner-Smith is being eyed for the role of Calypso, who in the comics is a powerful voodoo priestess and Kraven’s occasional lover and partner. Her specialty is mind control, and in one famous Spider-Man storyline took over the mind of The Lizard and sent him on a murderous rampage.
If prior rumors that the Chameleon will play the film’s chief villain, then it seems Kraven is going to be pretty busy. There may be other baddies to content with, as well.
Turner-Smith has been red hot since her breakout role in Queen & Slim, and recently starred alongside Michael B. Jordan in Without Remorse. I can see director JC Chandor working with Turner-Smith to change the perception of Calypso, updating the stereotypical Caribbean voodoo character with something more modern.
