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2021 SAG Awards: Chadwick Boseman And Viola Davis Part Of Historic Night For Actors Of Color

This was a historic night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. For the first time ever, all of the major acting categories were won by persons of color, and bodes well for something similar happening down the line at the Oscars. But this was also a huge night for Netflix, which came away with seven total victories, including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, Best Drama Series Ensemble for The Crown, a Best Actor win for Jason Bateman in Ozark, Anya Taylor-Joy winning as predicted by most for her amazing performance in The Queen’s Gambit.

On the feature acting side, Chadwick Boseman came away with the win for Best Male Actor in a Leading Role for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, as expected. His prospects look very good for the Oscars right now. His co-star Viola Davis won for Best Female Actor. Youn Yuh-Yung won Supporting Actress for her performance in Minari, while Daniel Kaluuya continued his hot streak by winning Best Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah.

The full list of SAG Award winners is below!

MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

“Da 5 Bloods”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Minari”
“One Night In Miami”
“The Trial Of The Chicago 7” – ***WINNER***

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”
Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – ***WINNER***
Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”
Gary Oldman, “Mank”
Steven Yeun, “Minari”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Amy Adams, “Hillbilly Elegy”
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – ***WINNER***
Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Chadwick Boseman, “Da 5 Bloods”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah” – ***WINNER***
Jared Leto, “The Little Things”
Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
Olivia Colman, “The Father”
Youn Yuh-Yung, “Minari” – ***WINNER***
Helena Zengel, “News of the World”

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

“Da 5 Bloods”
“Mulan”
“News Of The World”
“The Trial Of The Chicago 7”
“Wonder Woman 1984” – ***WINNER***

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

“Better Call Saul”
“Bridgerton”
“The Crown” – ***WINNER***
“Lovecraft Country”
“Ozark”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

“Dead To Me”
“The Flight Attendant”
“The Great”
“Schitt’s Creek” – ***WINNER***
“Ted Lasso”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman, “Ozark” – ***WINNER***
Josh O’Conner, “The Crown”
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Rege-Jean Page, “Bridgerton”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Gillian Anderson, “The Crown” – ***WINNER***
Oliva Colman, “The Crown”
Emma Corwin, “The Crown”
Julia Garner, “Ozark”
Laura Linney, “Ozark”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”
Daniel Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”
Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”
Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” – ***WINNER***
Ramy Youssef, “Ramy”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me”
Linda Cardellini, “Dead to Me”
Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”
Annie Murphy, “Schitt’s Creek”
Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek” – ***WINNER***

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Bill Camp, “The Queen’s Gambit”
Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton”
Hugh Grant, “The Undoing”
Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird”
Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True” – ***WINNER***

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Cate Blanchett, “Mrs. America”
Michaela Coel, “I May Destroy You”
Nicole Kidman, “The Undoing”
Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit” – ***WINNER***
Kerry Washington, “Little Fires Everywhere”

Outstanding Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

“The Boys”
“Cobra Kai”
“Lovecraft Country”
“The Mandalorian” – ***WINNER***
“Westworld”

Zendaya Takes The Court As Lola Bunny In ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’

Wasn’t there just a controversy over the outfit redesign of Lola Bunny in Space Jam: A New Legacy? She was too sexy or something and needed to be more all-ages appropriate? I’m curious how those complaining will feel now that Zendaya, who many of them probably saw grow up as a kid on the Disney Channel and is now an acclaimed actress and sex symbol, is voicing Lola in the film.

Lola Bunny is, as I’ve said before, one of my favorite Looney Tunes characters even though she was created in the 1996 Space Jam with Michael Jordan. She’s become more than just Bugs Bunny’s girlfriend, but has gone on to appear in many Looney Tunes cartoons and video games.

Malcolm D. Lee directs the film from a script by Juel Taylor & Tony Rettenmaier & Keenan Coogler & Terence Nance. LeBron James stars as himself, who enters the “The Serververse,” a digital space where his son has been captured by an evil algorithm known as Al-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle). James must shoot hoops with Looney Tunes characters against the Goon Squad in hopes of saving his boy.

The first full trailer debuted only yesterday, and basically it looks like ESPN’s version of Ready Player One, or an advertisement for HBO with so many Warner Bros. characters showing up.

Zendaya is turning out to be quite a favorite around the WB studios. She’ll also be seen for them in Denis Villeneuve’s remake of Dune later this year.

Space Jam: A New Legacy opens in theaters and HBO Max on July 16th.

Box Office: ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ Smashes Pandemic Record With $48.5M Debut

It took a giant ape and a giant lizard punching one another to revive the U.S. box office. Godzilla vs. Kong, which opened in theaters and HBO Max simultaneously on Wednesday, had a pandemic-record $48.5M debut. Throw in Monday as part of the Easter weekend and you’re looking at roughly $52M for the anticipated MonsterVerse film, overperforming analyst projections.

The haul takes down Wonder Woman 1984‘s $16.7M as the top three-day start over the past year. Right behind that was Tom & Jerry with $14M.

This is really good news for the theatrical market which has been suffering with a lack of releases, in particular the lack of blockbuster films such as Godzilla vs. Kong. Many of them have been delayed until later in the year or moved to streaming exclusively.

At the rate it’s going, Godzilla vs. Kong will pass the entire theatrical run of Tenet, which capped at $57.9M.  Worldwide, the Warner Bros./Legendary MonsterVerse film a global total of $283M, and it should easily break $300M. In normal times this would be average, but grading on a curve it looks damn good.

The other new releases this weekend was Sony and Ghost House Pictures horror The Unholy with just $3.2M.  The Sam Raimi-produced, Jeffrey Dean Morgan-starring thriller wasn’t the kind of buzzy genre film that would bring people out during a pandemic, so this isn’t surprising. It does feature one potential breakout performance from Cricket Brown, however, which will be worth seeking out down the road.

  1. Godzilla vs. Kong– $32.2M/$48.5M
  2. The Unholy– $3.2M
  3. Nobody– $3M/$11.8M
  4. Raya and the Last Dragon– $2M/$32.1M
  5. Chaos Walking– $380K/$12.2M
  6. The Croods: A New Age– $210K/$56.3M
  7. French Exit– $193K
  8. The Marksman– $165K/$15M
  9. Boogie– $115K/$4M
  10. Minari– $109K/$2M

‘Black Widow’ Trailer: Scarlett Johansson Delves Into The Avenger’s Dark Past

Marvel fans have been teased by the prospect of a Black Widow movie for years, and then when it was finally about to happen…well, COVID-19. The film has been delayed for more than a year, but is finally being released this summer, not just in theaters but through the comforts of Disney+, making this the first Marvel Studios feature you can watch at home.

Given that this is basically a farewell to Scarlett Johansson’s character after the events of Avengers: Endgame, it’s good that Disney has made access as wide as possible. This is the story that will find Natasha Romanoff trying to make amends for all of the “red in her ledger”, sins of the past that need fixing. And to do it that means delving into her history as part of Russia’s “Red Room”, and the relationship she holds with her family, which includes Florence Pugh as Yelena (due to become the new Black Widow, most likely), David Harbour as the Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz as Melina.

Also in the cast are O-T Fagbenle as Rick Mason aka The Agent, Ray Winstone as Dreykov, and William Hurt reprising his role as General “Thunderbolt” Ross. Expect the film to tie-in closely with the Hawkeye series, as well.

Black Widow arrives in theaters and Disney+ Premier Access on July 9th.

Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz as Melina. “Black Widow”—the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige.

 

 

‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Trailer Has LeBron James Sharing The Court With Looney Tunes

I’m not going to sit here and argue with you about who the better NBA player was, Michael Jordan or LeBron James (it’s His Airness), because the true measure comes later this year with the release of Space Jam: A New Legacy. The original 1996 film with Jordan was huge, and something of a cultural event. Now more than two decades later, with James’ sequel arriving in theaters and HBO Max, I’m not getting that same feeling, but King James has been known to pull one out in the clutch a time or two.

James teams up with Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes to engage in some b-ball action against the villainous Goon Squad led by a megalomaniacal algorithm played by Don Cheadle. The cast also includes Sonequa Martin-Green, Khris Davis, Cedric Joe, Ceyair J. Wright, Harper Leigh Alexander, along with a host of NBA all-stars and appearances by characters from across the Warner Bros. landscape. Ever wanted to see Lola Bunny hang out with the Amazons of Wonder Woman? Now’s your shot.

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee with Ryan Coogler as a producer, Space Jam: A New Legacy takes the court on July 16th.

Joker’s “We Live In A Society” Deleted Scene From ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ Has Been Released

I really dug Zack Snyder’s Justice League, as you well know, but it wasn’t all great. I have some real issues with the Knightmare sequence because…well, it just doesn’t make any sense, is badly acted, and I don’t know what purpose it serves. It’s “cool”, I guess, which is what a lot of Snyder’s stuff amounts to, but doesn’t really add anything to a film that is full of new stuff that makes the DCEU a richer universe.

Before the film was released, Snyder dropped a teaser from that Knightmare scene, featuring Jared Leto’s Joker saying “We live in a society…”. The Internet killed that joint hilariously, but ultimately, the scene never made it into the film. Well, Snyder has now released that scene in full and you can check it out below. It’s also available as part of the “Justice is Gray” edition of the film.

Yeah, I’m glad this was left out, but at least the Snyder completists can say they got to see it so there’s nothing to start another hashtag about. Think about it; Snyder cut this scene from his 4-hour version, the version of Justice League that allowed him to include anything and everything he wanted. That anybody was eager to see this at all is beyond me.

 

 

Steven Yeun Joins Daniel Kaluuya & Keke Palmer In Jordan Peele’s Next Film

There’s not much we know about Jordan Peele’s followup to Get Out and Us. We’re not totally sure of the genre, and definitely aren’t aware of the plot. But one thing we can count on is that it will have one Hell of cast, including two current Oscar nominees.

Variety reports that Steven Yeun is the latest addition to Peele’s next film, which already has Judas and the Black Messiah‘s Daniel Kaluuya and Hustlers star Keke Palmer in the cast. We have zero information on his role, as that would be too much and Peele doesn’t give away anything for as long as he can help it.

Yeun is really on a hot streak right now. He’s coming off his Oscar-nominated performance in Minari, preceded by Burning which he also earned tremendous acclaim for. At this rate, every casting move made by Peele has been killer. I can’t wait to see who else he brings along.

Peele’s next film opens July 22nd 2022 with production to begin shortly.

‘Yasuke’ Trailer: LaKeith Stanfield Is History’s First Black Samurai In Netflix’s Anime Series

This is gonna be hype, son. I don’t know if anything coming to Netflix has been more anticipated by me and my friends than Yasuke, an anime series about history’s first recorded Black samurai, voiced by that chill dude LaKeith Stanfield. Not that this is something you can just look up on Wikipedia. Based on the trailer, they’re clearly having some fun with this and going with a fantastical style that could have this replacing Afro Samurai in my heart.

Yasuke is based on the real-life Black samurai warrior of African origin who would wield his sword as a retainer in 16th-century feudal Japan. But this is no Japan as we know it, there’s magic and mechs to go along with all of the swordplay.

The series is the brainchild of Cannon Busters creator LeSean Thomas, and boasts a hip-hop soundtrack by Flying Lotus. Yes, please. The cool animation is by MAPPA, the studio behind Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, both wildly popular.

Hollywood has been showing a lot of attention on Yasuke’s story lately. A few years ago Chadwick Boseman was going to play him in a live-action movie that, sadly, we’ll never get to see come to fruition.

Yasuke hits Netflix on April 29th. Just gimme it!

“The tale is set in a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, the greatest ronin never known, Yasuke, struggles to maintain a peaceful existence after a past life of violence. But when a local village becomes the center of social upheaval between warring daimyo, Yasuke must take up his sword and transport a mysterious child who is the target of dark forces and bloodthirsty warlords. “

 

‘Above Suspicion’ Trailer: Emilia Clarke & Jack Huston Star In A True Story Of Scandal Within The FBI

Interpersonal relationships are generally frowned upon in dangerous lines of work, for obvious reasons. You never know when feelings for another will compromise a mission, putting another’s life in jeopardy. Above Suspicion, the latest film from Salt director Philip Noyce, is a thriller that looks at just such a real-life situation for the FBI, with Emilia Clarke and Jack Huston as the lovers in question.

Based on a true-crime book by Joe Sharkey, Above Suspicion stars Clarke as a Kentucky woman who gets romantically involved with the FBI agent (Huston) she’s turned informant for. Suffice it to say, their relationship only puts them in more dangerous circumstances. If you know the true story of what happened to these two, you know the severe swerve this one takes.

So there’s a ton of talent on this beyond Noyce, Clarke, and Huston. The script is by Oscar-nominated Mississippi Burning writer Chris Gerolmo. Also in the cast are Blow the Man Down breakout Sophie Lowe, Kevin Dunn, Thora Birch, and Johnny Knoxville.

Originally set to open in 2019, Above Suspicion will now arrive in theaters and VOD on May 14th, followed by DVD/Bluray release on May 18th.

“Based on the true story of one of the most notorious crimes in FBI history, this gritty crime-thriller stars Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”) as Susan Smith, a young woman desperate to escape a seedy life of crime and drugs in a Kentucky coal-mining town. When a newly minted FBI agent named Mark Putnam (Jack Huston, “Fargo”) recruits Susan as his informant for a high-profile case, she believes her bad luck may finally be changing. But as Susan and Putnam’s relationship deepens, so does the danger, setting them both on a collision course with deadly consequences.”

 

Review: ‘The Unholy’

Devotion Is All That Saves This By-The-Book Religious Horror

Jeffrey Dean Morgan might want to get himself a traveling priest, because he’s stumbled into another horror film meant to scare the breath out of the devout. The Unholy is a reteaming with Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures, with whom Morgan starred in The Possession years earlier. That film was surprisingly good for an Exorcist knockoff, with a plot that waded into the waters of Jewish myth. But this time Morgan finds himself neck-deep in Catholic symbolism and glimpses of the Virgin Mary. Chances are truly God-fearing will want nothing to do with this movie on this particular weekend, but those of a different disposition will find it satisfying this battle of good and evil and the dark shadow it casts over the faithful.

In a rarity for the genre, The Unholy has a couple of plot lines really working in its favor. Morgan brings his disheveled beard and Negan-like sleaze to the role of Gerry Fenn, a disgraced journalist in the small rural town of Banfield, MA looking for a religious story he can sell for a few bucks. What he finds, instead, is a local deaf-mute girl named Alice (Cricket Brown, a future star), who suddenly enters a trance near a prominent, dead hollow. Suddenly, Alice is able to hear, speak, and heal the sick. She says it was a gift granted to her by the Virgin Mary. She can use these powers only on the most devout, those who pledge their undying faith to Mary, and if there’s even a shadow of a doubt…well, there’ll be some bad mojo.

For Gerry, this offers him a chance to be back in the spotlight again. He not only befriends Alice, but finds himself at the center of this global phenomenon that she has become. What’s interesting about Gerry is that he’s not just a straight scumbag, although he certainly gives that impression. And there’s definitely a side to him that sees this solely for the opportunity it affords him to get back on top. But as a lapsed Christian himself, seeing Alice make a paralyzed boy walk, or witnessing her cure Father Hagen (William Sadler) of his emphysema, offers Gerry another chance; to get right with God. There’s a tug of war going on within him between his personal greed and renewing faith that Morgan conveys extremely well.

Morgan gets upstaged by Cricket Brown, though. The newcomer shows uncommon maturity and the ability to take charge. As Alice, she shows both the awkwardness of your average teenage girl but the wide-eyed vision of someone who has had their connection to the world broadened. But when she’s under Mary’s thrall, Morgan shows Alice to be a fiery, resolute leader. You can see why so many would want to follow, and believe in, someone so young. I think Cricket Brown is going to be something before too long. She and Morgan fare better than their co-stars. Cary Elwes delivers a dubious Boston accent as a shady bishop testing the veracity of Alice’s miracles, while personal favorite Katie Aselton has the most ludicrous role of all as the town doctor who seems to know something about whatever it is the plot needs in the moment.

I’m not going to sit here and pretend The Unholy is amazing. Once you get beyond Gerry and Alice’s inner turmoil it’s slow and pretty rote: statues bleeding from the eyes, a phantasm-like woman shambling in the shadows, quick bursts of evil meant to jolt you from your seat. But there’s very little that’s actually scary, at least not in that way. What does grip you is how easily faith is perverted for causes so common, whether it be the glitz of showbiz or money or politics. All weave their sinister, and very human, tentacles in such a way they supersede the supernatural: the devil has fertile soil with which to ply his trade.

The film marks the directorial debut of longtime franchise writer Evan Spiliotopoulos (Beauty and the Beast, Charlie’s Angels), and he brings those sentiments to a very simple, easy-to-follow brand of PG-13 horror.  He’s not looking to elevate the genre here, but there’s value in his less-is-more mentality. Mary, who is obviously not the Virgin Mary but something else entirely, is scary for what we don’t see of her. Her masked visage makes her resemble a burnt porcelain doll, and is there anything creepier than an evil doll? Well, maybe children. Children are terrifying whether they’re good or bad. The Unholy isn’t out to find new converts, but to maintain the devotion of the genre’s zealots.

The Unholy is in theaters now.