Travolta And Willis Set To Share The Screen For The First Time In 27 Years with ‘Paradise City’

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May 17, 2021

I’m cringing looking at the headline I just wrote, could it really be 27 years since Pulp Fiction? ‘Fraid so kids, but perhaps even more surprising is that Tarantino’s hallmark film was the last time that two titans of Hollywood, John Travolta and Bruce Willis stared in a film together. These guys were two of the biggest action stars of the 90s, how did they never end up on film together again? Pulp Fiction is widely credited for rehabbing Travolta’s career and pushing him back up to A-List status, and while the same isn’t usually said about Willis, if you look close, you’ll see he was saved by the film as well. Hudson Hawk and album called The Return of Bruno and several other bad choices left Willis hanging on to stardom by a thread.

I wish I could say that the two were reuniting for a new Tarantino film, or at least some film with gravitas, but it looks like it’s going to be another one of Willis’s factory made action flicks, something he’s become famous for in recent years. Paradise City is the name of the film and it’s being directed by Chuck Russell who started his career off strong with A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and The Mask but then fell off the map with a string of big budget flops. Hey look, I could be way wrong on this and the movie may end up being awesome, I’m just saying…if it walks like a Duck…..

Paradise City will star Willis as renegade bounty hunter (because that’s a thing) Ryan Swan, who embarks on a mission to dismantle the Hawaiian criminal underworld in an effort to take out the crime boss who killed his father, Travolta is set to play the as of yet unnamed crime boss. Not for nothing, but isn’t Willis a little old for this role? I mean, unless Travolta’s character killed Ryan Swan’s dad YEARS ago and he’s just now getting angry about it then I can’t really see it as something you’d call untimely. Anyone playing Willis’s dad would have to be at least 85.

I will say one thing for this film, I have ALWAYS loved John Travolta in the villain role.

Amazon Reportedly Nearing Huge Deal To Acquire MGM And The James Bond Franchise

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Travis Hopson

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May 17, 2021

The tumors have been around for months that MGM was up for sale, possibly to a major streaming outlet. And now it looks to be true. Industry sources (via Variety) say Amazon is on the verge of a $9B deal to acquire MGM and its extensive library which includes twelve Oscar winners and multiple franchises.

This is just the way of the business right now, with arguably the most revered movie studio of all-time going to a streamer like Amazon. These rumors perked up when MGM began pitching the long-delayed No Time to Die to Netflix and other digital outlets. That deal fell through, but the talk about it never really stopped, and elevated after this morning’s news of WarnerMedia going to Discovery.

The acquisition would give Amazon a ton of new content to bolster their Prime subscription service. Obviously, having control of James Bond is the golden nugget here, but also the Rocky and Creed franchises, the Fargo TV series, The Handmaid’s Tale, Robocop, Legally Blonde, and so much more. They also have Ridley Scott’s upcoming film House of Gucci.

This is all positioning in the streaming wars, and Amazon may have just made a serious power move. Neither Amazon or MGM has commented on this yet, though, so we’ll just have to stay tuned.

‘The Bride’: Dracula-Inspired Horror To Star Nathalie Emmanuel And Garrett Hedlund

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Travis Hopson

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May 17, 2021

A new film inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula is in the works, and no, it’s not one of Universal’s reboots of classic monsters. This one is from Screen Gems, titled The Bride, and will star F9 beauty Nathalie Emmanuel and Tron: Legacy‘s Garrett Hedlund.

Described as a contemporary horror thriller, The Bride centers on “a young woman who is courted and swept off her feet, only to realize a gothic conspiracy is afoot.”

Interestingly, the script comes from Blair Butler, best known for her time on G4’s Attack of the Show, and her work writing Marvel’s short-lived Helstrom series. Behind the camera and revising the screenplay is Jessica M. Thompson, who previously directed SXSW award winner The Light of the Moon.

Emmanuel is super busy right now. Not only will she return as Megan Ramsey for the third time in F9, but she has Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead prequel Army of Thieves. Hedlund was last seen in The United States vs. Billie Holliday.

The Bride is being fast-tracked for a late summer start as it’s being seen as a potential franchise. [Deadline]

‘Attack The Block’ Sequel Is A Go With John Boyega And Joe Cornish Returning

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Travis Hopson

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May 17, 2021

We often say that nothing is truly dead anymore in Hollywood, and it applies to both blockbuster franchises and cult favorites. The latter is definitely the case for Attack the Block, the sci-fi comedy from director Joe Cornish and the breakout film for star John Boyega. Fans have often asked for a sequel over the last decade, and now it’s officially happening.

Cornish will return to write and direct Attach the Block 2, with Boyega also back in the role of Moses. In the original movie, Moses and his street gang fought back against an extraterrestrial invasion of their neighborhood. The film also featured Nick Frost and future Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker.

This follows after rumblings about another film have perked up recently, with Cornish teasing to fans a meeting he had with Boyega.

“It’s been a decade since Attack the Block was released and so much has changed since then,” Boyega said. “I’m excited to see this heightened story return to the streets of London. Moses has remained one of my favourite characters to play and bringing him back is a huge honour.”

Said Cornish: “I’m thrilled we’re officially announcing our return to the world of Attack the Block on the tenth anniversary of the film’s release. I can’t wait to work alongside John again, bringing audiences an even bigger slice of inner-city alien action.”

No word on plot details yet, but I’m anxious to see where this can go. Perhaps Moses has a son who must also fight a new alien threat?

[Deadline]

WarnerMedia Merges With Discovery In Major Deal As AT&T Exits Media Business

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Travis Hopson

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May 17, 2021

The streaming wars just took an interesting turn. AT&T, who just acquired Time Warner five years ago, have struck a $43B deal with Discovery, Inc. that will spinoff WarnerMedia to Discovery and form an entirely new media company, or as the press release states, a “premier, standalone global entertainment company.”

Basically, AT&T is getting out of the entertainment business, perhaps not really digging how much of a challenge it’s been for HBO Max, which launched awkwardly just a year ago.

So what does this mean? Well, I guess if you were really hoping to see a crossover between Grocery Games and Titans, this might be the chance. All of the WarnerMedia assets, which includes Warner Bros., HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Cinemax, TBS, TNT, Adult Swim, and DC Comics, will exist under the same umbrella as Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, OWN, TLC, and Animal Planet.

Don’t be surprised if somewhere down the line we see the companies’ two streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+, merged into one. That has not been announced just yet.

I’m not going to go through all of the business mumbo jumbo. It’s unclear what this actually will mean for the future, but these sorts of deals always have major ramifications. For us as movie fans, it could mean yet another restructuring at Warner Bros., which could have a drastic impact on their future slate. We will just have to wait and see. Look for John Oliver to have some fun jokes at AT&T’s expensive on the next episode of Last Week Tonight.

Zack Snyder Says WB Passed On A ‘300’ Sequel He Wrote During The Pandemic

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Travis Hopson

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May 17, 2021

Zack Snyder broke out in a big way with 2004’s Dawn of the Dead, a genre he’s now returned to with equal success with Army of the Dead. But he followed that film with his first huge action blockbuster, the Spartan war film 300, which became something of a cultural phenomenon. It was followed by the…um, well, not very good 300: Rise of an Empire (directed by Noam Murro, who hasn’t made a movie since), but you could see Warner Bros. possibly wanting to revisit that franchise someday.

Well, according to Snyder in an interview on ThePlaylist’s Fourth Wall podcast, he was actually hired to write a 300 sequel over the pandemic. So what happened to it? The studio passed.

“I just couldn’t really get my teeth into it. Over the pandemic, I had a deal with Warner Brothers and I wrote what was essentially going to be the final chapter in ‘300,’” said Snyder. “But when I sat down to write it I actually wrote a different movie. I was writing this thing about Alexander the Great, and it just turned into a movie about the relationship between Hephaestion and Alexander. It turned out to be a love story. So it really didn’t fit in as the third movie.”

So Snyder was hired to make a 300 movie and he gave them something entirely different. Gee, I wonder why they passed? Of course, Snyder sees it as a personal grievance…

“But there was that concept, and it came out really great. It’s called ‘Blood and Ashes,’ and it’s a beautiful love story, really, with warfare. I would love to do it, [WB] said no… you know, they’re not huge fans of mine. It is what it is.”

I’m a big fan of Snyder and his movies, but if you deliver the wrong movie you can’t expect the studio to do backflips over it. Just sayin’.

Anyway, we walked about 300 on this week’s podcast. I’ve been thinking it’s time to revisit both films and this has encouraged me to do so.

‘Sweet Tooth’ Trailer: Jim Mickle’s Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Series Hits Netflix In June

By

Travis Hopson

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May 17, 2021

A boy who looks like a deer, a brutal wanderer, and a road trip through a post-apocalyptic world. All of these things make what Netflix hopes will be their big breakout series. Don’t let the title Sweet Tooth fool you, Jim Mickle’s adaptation of the acclaimed comic isn’t for the kiddies.

The series stars Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Adeel Akhtar, Aliza Vellani, Stefania LaVie Owen, Dania Ramirez, Neil Sandilands, Will Forte, and James Brolin. Mickle is best known for his seedy crime thriller Cold in July, the horror We Are What We Are, the series Hap & Leonard. Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan are on board as producers, putting some serious muscle behind this one. Look, there’s a reason the Downeys didn’t take this to Disney when you know they could have.

Sweet Tooth hits Netflix on June 4th.

Ten years ago “The Great Crumble” wreaked havoc on the world and led to the mysterious emergence of hybrids — babies born part human, part animal. Unsure if hybrids are the cause or result of the virus, many humans fear and hunt them. After a decade of living safely in his secluded forest home, a sheltered hybrid deer-boy named Gus (Christian Convery) unexpectedly befriends a wandering loner named Jepperd (Nonso Anozie). Together they set out on an extraordinary adventure across what’s left of America in search of answers— about Gus’ origins, Jepperd’s past, and the true meaning of home. But their story is full of unexpected allies and enemies, and Gus quickly learns the lush, dangerous world outside the forest is more complex than he ever could have imagined.

New ‘Black Widow’ And ‘Loki’ Clips Tease Marvel’s Two Biggest Summer Events

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Travis Hopson

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May 17, 2021

Last night during the MTV Movie Awards, the folks at Marvel debuted two new clips from their big summer projects: Black Widow and the Disney+ series, Loki. Marvel Studios dominated the event with six victories in total.

The Black Widow clip features Scarlett Johansson (who actually won the Generation Award during the show) as Natasha Romanoff and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, the latter expected to take over as the costumed Avenger in future Marvel projects. In the scene, we see both on a high-speed chase from someone who appears to be another Black Widow, possibly Rachel Weisz’s Melina?

In the Loki clip, Tom Hiddleston’s god of mischief gets an unwelcome introduction to the Time Variance Authority’s Agent Mobius, played by Owen Wilson. He explains everything that the TVA is about, which is protecting the timeline, something which Loki finds absolutely ridiculous. Funny, considering he’s the one who may have broken it.

Black Widow hits theaters and Disney+ Premier Access on July 9th. Loki arrives before that on Disney+, beginning June 9th.

‘Poker Face’: Russell Crowe To Star In High-Stakes Thriller From ‘Homefront’ Director

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Travis Hopson

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May 17, 2021

When theaters were still many months away from opening fully, Russell Crowe’s Unhinged became the first movie to get a wide release in the midst of the pandemic, and did quite well. The film Crowe has just signed on for will have a more welcoming climate to open into, but will that equate to equal success at the box office? Deadline reports Crowe will star in Poker Face, a high-stakes gambling thriller from director Gary Fleder.

Penned by Stephen M. Coates, Poker Face stars Crowe as a tech billionaire and master game player who invites a number of his childhood friends to his Miami estate for some high-stakes poker, as a means of exacting justice against them. But his plans are upended when his home is taken over by a murderous home invader.

Fleder is a veteran filmmaker known for directing Don’t Say a Word, Homefront, and Runaway Jury.

Coming up for Crowe are horror thriller The Georgetown Project, and a jump to the MCU for Thor: Love & Thunder where he’ll play Zeus.

Cinema Royale: Talking ‘Army Of The Dead’, ‘Profile’, ‘The Woman In The Window’, ‘Knives Out 2’, & More
Special Guest: Scott Menzel of We Live Entertainment

By
Travis Hopson
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May 17, 2021

On this week’s Cinema Royale, we’re joined by Scott Menzel of We Live Entertainment to rave about Zack Snyder’s anticipated Zombie heist film Army of the Dead, and talk about the future of it as a Netflix franchise. Plus, the latest ScreenLife thriller Profile made quite an impression, and so did The Woman in the Window and Spiral: Saw but not in the same way. Finally, Angelina Jolie returns to action in the fiery Those Who Wish Me Dead!

All this plus more on Dave Bautista’s comments about Marvel, Knives Out 2, and that’s not even everything.

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