Calling all you cool cats and kittens. The Tiger King TV show has been officially cast. Titled Joe Exotic, the Peacock series just announced Dennis Quaid will play Rick Kirkham, the reality show producer responsible for the phenomenon. Quaid will join Kate McKinnon and John Cameron Mitchell as the show’s leads.
Though the series is named after the infamous tiger park owner, Joe Exotic, it will focus on his rival and eventual hit Carole Baskin, played by McKinnon. Mitchell is set to play Exotic. According to Variety the show will be as follows:
Adapted from the Wondery Podcast of the same name, “Joe Exotic” centers on Carole Baskin, a big cat enthusiast, who learns that fellow exotic animal lover Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel is breeding and using his big cats for profit. She sets out to shut down his venture, inciting a quickly escalating rivalry. But Carole has a checkered past of her own and when the claws come out, Joe will stop at nothing to expose what he sees as her hypocrisy. The results prove dangerous.
Bringing up the rear the show’s cavalcade of characters is Brian Van Holt as zoo manager Jon Reinke, Nat Wolff as joe’s first husband Travis Maldonado, and Sam Keeley as Joe’s second husband John Finlay.
No release date has been given yet. Amazon is also working on a Tiger King project with Nicholas Cage as Exotic.
A couple of years ago John Boyega made Rebel Ridge, a Netflix film from Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier, one of the projects he would star in. The pandemic delayed a spring 2020 start date until this year, but now that shooting has begun, Boyega has left unexpectedly.
Deadline reports Boyega has exited Rebel Ridge mid-shoot due to a personal family matter. No further details are known, and honestly, it’s not our business, anyway. All we need to know is that it was enough that Boyega felt it necessary to drop out of the rare film he agreed to be part of.
The rest of the Rebel Ridge cast includes AnnaSophia Robb, Emory Cohen, Don Johnson, James Cromwell, James Badge Dale, Zsane Jhe, and Al Vicente. Plot details are being kept a secret for now.
While this is disappointing news, we hope all turns out well for the Boyega family. Other films he has coming up are a long-awaited Attack the Block sequel, and the already-wrapped sci-fi comedy They Cloned Tyrone with Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris.
I don’t know about you guys, but my day to day tasks don’t involve choosing who lives and who dies. It seems like an unimaginable burden to carry, but that’s exactly what hospital administrators do on a day to day basis. When a heart transplant patient dies unexpectedly it needs to be decided what will be done with that transplant heart. Does it go to the worthy regular guy who’s been waiting forever, or the rich guy’s kid that will donate enough money to keep the hospital in all the latest tech? I have to be honest, my current disgust with the healthcare industry in general has me worried about going to see this film, but at the same time I don’t know how I could not. A timely and impactful subject that seems to be handled with care, and an eclectic, but extremely talented cast with Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles, Janeane Garofalo, Dan Hedaya and Colman Domingo playing out this moral tragedy.
I’m just going to make sure I have some happy images at the ready for when I walk out of the theater.
Chasing Wonders is a heartwarming tale of a family who moved from wine country Spain to start a vineyard in Australia after experiencing an unexpected tragedy. A young boy is given a telescope and encouraged by his grandfather to live a life of hope and possibility by searching for wonders on the magical Emu Plains. He’s surrounded by the love and support of his family who only want to see him happy. However, the young boy’s father is strict and keeps him grounded to the harsh realities of life. Struggling to see eye-to-eye, this father-son relationship teeters on learning to acknowledge the complexity of what may come ahead of them while struggling not to be defined by the past. A past that could cause further division within a family already broken.
Chasing Wonders is a wonderful coming of age film filled with exquisite scenery and starring award-winner Spanish star Paz Vega (Rambo: Last Blood, Sex and Lucia), Academy Award® nominee Edward James Olmos (Blade Runner, Miami Vice), Quim Gutierrez (Spy Time, The Last Days), iconic Almodóvar “girl” and multi award-winner Carmen Maura (Volver, The Women of the 6th Floor), Goya award-winner Antonio de la Torre (The Candidate, The Last Circus), Australia’s Jessica Marais (Love Child, Packed to the Rafters), and introducing the young Michael Crisafulli as Savino. Australian award-winning screenwriter Judy Morris (Happy Feet, Babe: Pig in The City) wrote the screenplay, which was shot over a five-year period. The film’s original music comes from KT Tunstall and Ilan Eshkeri.
A beautiful story that brings forward the truth and wisdom of love and loss experienced within a family torn apart by grief and confusion. Eager to find peace and understanding, Savino (Crisafulli) and his father are on separate paths yet similar quest for acceptance. Chasing Wonders immerses you in a folklore-esque, atmospheric bubble that richly combines the earth’s lush and starry landscapes with the soul-searching determination of bringing a family back together. Outstanding performances throughout the cast and film are certainly memorable; further embracing the anecdotal context. So much visual and sentimental beauty!
Chasing Wonders can sometimes feel like the film drags on a bit. I think the intent is to really absorb the intertwining of expressed emotions, the natural wonder of the Spain and Australian environments, and array of amazing characters. Aside from that, this truly is an exceptional film. As a wife and mother having been through similar experiences and still face these forever existent challenges of keeping family together, I get it. Next up on my agenda… planning vacations to Spanish and Australian vineyards! Definitely worth a watch.
Chasing Wonders will be available in theaters and on North American digital HD internet, cable and satellite platforms, June 4th.
We’re happy to offer our readers the chance to win Spiral: From The Book of Saw on digital! The return of the horror franchise is available right now on PVOD, and stars Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, and Max Minghella.
SYNOPSIS: A criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw. Working in the shadow of his father, an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L. Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.
To enter, simply complete the Rafflepress contest form below. Ten winners will be selected on Sunday, June 6th and notified by email. Good luck!
It’s been a long time coming, but Neill Blomkamp is back with his first movie since Chappie way back in 2015. He spent his time during pandemic developing the horror film Demonic, which certainly looks to live up to the malevolent title.
Details on Demonic have been kept close to the vest, and honestly, this footage doesn’t give too much away, either. The story follows “a young woman unleashes terrifying demons when supernatural forces at the root of a decades old rift between mother and daughter are revealed.”
But there’s also something going on in the digital realm that I can’t quite put my finger on. Blomkamp seems to be operating on a level outside of your typical horror, which is pretty much what we’d hope from him. He could use a good bounce back movie, too. I liked Chappie more than most, but it was hardly on the level as his Oscar-nominated breakthrough, District 9. Of course, he also had a couple of failed projects including a Halo series and an Alien sequel.
Starring Carly Pope, Chris William Martin, and Michael Rogers, Demonic opens August 20th.
When making a TV show surrounding a pandemic in today’s climate, timing and precision is everything. We kind of like post-apocalyptic pandemic movies/shows (The Walking Dead shows, Contagion, and countless others), but we want it to be a little too far outside our reality. For example, last summer’s pandemic conspiracy thriller Utopia on Amazon proved to be a little too realistic: to the point that the show had to put a disclaimer in the beginning of each episode that it’s a work of fiction. But unfortunately, people weren’t too receptive to a TV show where a pandemic outbreak happens, and the vaccine is a huge global conspiracy to control the masses, now why wouldn’t we want to watch that (sarcasm)? Luckily for us, Netflix found the perfect way to give us an engaging post-apocalyptic thriller, but having an incredible story filled with adventure, charm, and hope in their adaptation of the DC Comic (well, their offprint division Vertigo) Sweet Tooth by comic writer Jeff Lemire.
The story of Sweet Tooth (with perfect narration at the beginning of each episode by James Brolin) begins 10 years after “The Great Crumble,” where a pandemic has pretty much transformed society as most apocalyptic movies/shows usually are. The pandemic also introduces “hybrids,” which are children born part human, part animal. It not clear or known if these hybrids are a result of the pandemic, or the cause of the pandemic. Naturally, this causes some parts of humanity to be distrustful of the hybrids, and a militant group called “The First Men” emerges with the purpose to hunt and kill all hybrid children they can find. It’s how we meet our hero Gus (Christian Convery) under his care of his “Pubba” (Will Forte) hiding out in a fenced-in wildlife park away from society. First off, Gus is adorable. His deer ears and antlers turn up the cute factor to the max. Pubba does his best to care for an inquisitive child who just wants to learn about what lies beyond Pubba’s self-imposed borders, as well as learn about his mother, who Pubba is very cryptic in revealing any information about.
Unfortunately, things happen that force the world to come to Gus’ home and soon enough he learns firsthand about how dangerous the world outside can be. Luckily for him, he also crosses paths with Jepperd (Nonso Anozie of Game of Thrones and Zoo fame), a large loner also wondering the landscape. After Jepperd helps Gus out (and gives him the nickname “Sweet Tooth” after his liking of candy after being introduced to it by the outside world), Gus becomes smitten and wants to hang with “The Big Man” (the nickname Gus gives him) as Gus learns his mother is living in Colorado and asks Jepperd to be his guide. Jepperd, with his own past, that Sweet Tooth slowly reveals wants nothing to do with the child, but knows he’d be dead within a day if he goes alone, becomes his reluctant guide as they trek across the country in search of Gus’ mother.
In addition to our core characters, Sweet Tooth introduces us to very compelling supporting characters. Dr. Singh (Adeel Akhtar) is a former MD who now just wants to live in peace and quiet while caring for his wife Rani (Aliza Vellani) who is infected with “The Sick” as he tries to secretly work on a cure for her in their private community (which also has their own dark little secrets). In addition to Dr. Singh’s adventures, we are also introduced to Aimee (Dania Ramirez), a young woman who lived a very ordinary life as a therapist prior to the pandemic, but in the aftermath has discovered herself and her true purpose in life, which is transformatively different than what it was prior to The Great Crumble. There’s even a great montage at the beginning of the episode that introduces her as she is vegging out on the couch during the stay-at-home order (ordering food delivery and watching TV) during the initial stages of the pandemic that’s all too familiar to our current reality. Slowly but surely, their stories become intertwined with Gus and Jepperd as the series progresses.
Speaking of Gus and Jepperd, they meet Bear (Stefania LaVie Owen) the leader of a small community that’s gone complete “Lord of the Flies” that is absent of adults, where the teens have adapted personas of animals, hunt, fight outsiders, and play video games. Although Bear and her community are not Hybrids, they are very protective of Hybrids. This leads Bear to be very standoffish with Jepperd as she feels he has ulterior motives with Gun. Slowly but surely, Bear joins Gus and Jepperd on their quest for Colorado.
At the same time, there’s a dark cloud over everything in Sweet Tooth. The First Men led by General Steven Abbot (Neil Sandilands) is on the hunt for Hybrids. They’ve chased Gus out of his preserve and interacted with both Dr. Singh and Aimee in their own adventures. But because not only Gus is a Hybrid, but he’s older and can actually talk (something that surprises everyone who interacts with Gus), he’s a top prize for them to get. It’s always a cat and mouse game with Jepperd, Bear, and Gus trying to avoid The First Men. Luckily for Gus, Jepperd is a former professional football player, skilled fighter, and also has a soft spot for Gus and time and time again comes to Gus’ defense to save everyone from certain doom. By the end of the 8-episode inaugural season, there’s a confrontation that raises the stakes and sets the tone for the inevitable second season.
Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way: almost nothing! If anything, it’s too few episodes as Netflix is often known for bloating their shows with 10 episodes. By the end of the 8th episode, you are almost craving an additional two episodes
This is a damn near-perfect first season of a show. While all the headlines will be giving praise to Robert Downey Jr. (still staying in the world of comic books) and his “Team Downey Productions” he runs with his wife Susan Downey for executive-producing Sweet Tooth, a lot of the credit is due to showrunner Jim Mickle, who is best known for Sundance TV’s Hap and Leonard.Sweet Tooth manages to be genre-defying as the show merges so many different types of storytelling elements together. It has the “lone wolf and cub” dynamic that made The Mandalorian so popular, it has incredible world-building to give you a post-apocalyptic world devoid of governments similar to a Walking Dead or a Mad Max, where societies have to really try and figure things out on their own, and plenty of other things that make it extra awesome.
Because we live in a Covid world, Sweet Tooth is also gripping as there are so many traits in the show that feel all too familiar with what we are going through. Flashback scenes show the chaos and confusion at the beginning of the pandemic show overwhelmed hospitals and everyone wearing masks and fearful of who may have the virus and who may not. There’s a scene where Gus and Jepperd encounter a family that refuses to take off their masks, even after it’s been confirmed that they don’t have The Sick. There’s even a comedic moment later on in the series where two people working at a hospital engage in conspiracy theories in regards to the idea of wearing a mask or not. While Sweet Tooth is based on a 2009 comic and most of the production was filmed before a Covid-induced shutdown, plenty of things feel as though the entire story was made during the pandemic as so many things echo real life in the most brilliant way.
In addition to the story and the hyper-realism of a fantasy TV show about animal children, the brightest part of the show is the performances by the chore characters. There isn’t a weak link at all in the cast as everyone brings their A-Game in Sweet Tooth. Will Forte, who’s often known for his comedic performances, is exceptional as Gus’ father “Pubba.” He plays the role completely straight and is a significant departure from what he’s known for (very much like Bob Odenkirk showed how good he can dramatically act in Better Call Saul). Nonso Anozie has given plenty of supporting performances in his career, but his performance as Jepperd “The Big Man” is sure to raise his profile exponentially as he delivers an incredible performance of the gentle (but still very rough) giant who cares for a young boy and by the end of the season you are completely in love with him. Finally, Christian Convery as Gus delivers a career-defining performance. Once again, Netflix opened their “perfect child actor” lab and cast Convery as Gus, who is the heart and soul of Sweet Tooth. Gus is a big bucket of hope and no matter how bad things get for him, Jepperd, and Bear, he’s always hopeful and confident that they will succeed in their adventure. Convery acts with a wisdom beyond his years and truly delivers in this role.
While Netflix is still king of streaming, they have been somewhat needing a big hit to justify their ever-increasing subscription costs. And it looks like Sweet Tooth is it for them. Dare I say, they might have found their next Stranger Things! The show marvels because it’s an incredibly hopeful post-apocalyptic show with much less doom and gloom that we are used to from the genre. Sweet Tooth almost operates like an adventure fantasy that just happens to be during a pandemic. While there are some moments of horror and terror (the show isn’t without its share of killing and bloodshed (and probably a step above the TV-14 rating it has), it’s the heart, compassion, and soul of the series that makes this possibly the BEST new TV show of 2021 (Yeah, I said it!).
Sweet Tooth is available on Netflix beginning June 4th.
There have only been a handful of anime films, six exactly, to be an Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature. Mamoru Hosoda’s 2018 film Mirai is one of them, which makes the arrival of his follow-up, Belle, quite an occasion. Judging by the trailer, we may be in store for another magical experience that wins hearts and possibly earns another nod from the Academy.
The story of Belle centers on a depressed 17-year-old girl who finds escape from reality in a virtual world called “U”. There she is no longer herself, but a popular singer with millions of adoring fans. And at least one monster who she embarks on a strange journey of self-discovery and love.
Hosoda has consistently been behind some of the best non-Ghibli anime films out there, including Summer Wars, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Wolf Children, all personal favorites of mine. Can’t wait to see what Belle has to offer when it opens in Japan on July 16th. Hopefully a U.S. date is soon to follow.
“Belle” follows Suzu, a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters “U,” a virtual world of 5 billion members on the Internet. There, she is not Suzu anymore but Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature. Together, they embark on a journey of adventures, challenges, and love, in their quest of becoming who they truly are.
Damien Chazelle is rounding up quite a cast for his 1920s Hollywood film Babylon, set during the transition from silent movies to “talkies.” Already he’s lined up Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, with Katherine Waterston joining yesterday. As if this wasn’t a starry enough group, the film has now added even more, led by Ready or Not star Samara Weaving.
Deadline reports Weaving will add to her already-impressive slate of films by joining Babylon, along with Spiral and The Handmaid’s Tale actor Max Minghella, and Red Hot Chili Peppers musician Flea. Also in the cast are Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Rory Scovel, Lukas Haas, Eric Roberts, P.J. Byrne, and Damon Gupton. Quite a lineup.
Weaving has been killing it lately, popping up in everything from Bill & Ted 3, Guns Akimbo, and her upcoming role as Scarlett in GI Joe spinoff Snake Eyes. It’s going to be hard to tell her apart from fellow Aussie Margot Robbie since they are practically doppelgangers, but that’s okay because they’re both pretty great.
While attempts to launch a Red Sonja reboot stalled under the guidance of Robert Rodriguez and Bryan Singer previously, things seem to be moving right along now with Joey Soloway (Transparent) directing and Ant-Man‘s Hannah John-Kamen as the sword-swinging warrior. And now the film might be adding some Oscar-nominated talent in Borat‘s Sacha Baron Cohen in a villainous role.
A rumor at The Illuminerdi says Sacha Baron Cohen has been offered the role of Kulan Gath in Red Sonja. There aren’t any further details than that, so take it with a grain of salt. If true, Cohen would be playing the evil sorcerer who has been a thorn in the side of not only Red Sonja, but the X-Men, as well. The character debuted in the pages of Conan the Barbarian in the 1970s before making the jump fully to Marvel Comics where he’s been depicted as a sorcerer on practically the same level as Doctor Strange.
Cohen is on fire right now following the critical success of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and his role as Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7. He received Oscar nominations for both, so if Red Sonja can add him it would be a huge get. I can’t picture Cohen playing Kulan Gath which makes his casting even more intriguing. Lord knows what he’d do with it.
Red Sonja has a script from writer Tasha Huo, but there’s still a lot that we don’t know. Stay tuned.
