The World Hangs In The Balance In The New Trailer For Lord & Miller’s ‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’

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March 31, 2021

It’s a story as old as film itself, a family that’s finding trouble connecting takes a road trip to rediscover themselves and strengthen that family bond only to discover robots are taking over the planet and they are humanities last hope. Ok, so that last part is usually left out of the equation, the whole robot apocalypse thing is pretty unique to The Mitchells vs. The Machines. The animated family film is the latest from The LEGO Movie and Spider-man: Into The Spiderverse‘s now iconic team Lord and Miller. It doesn’t look like this will be much of a departure from their usual fun and exciting style that manages to put standard action sequences into their films in a way that doesn’t disturb the “family fun” aspect of it all.

The trailer below gives us a pretty good look at the tone and story, which combines to make something that I’m adding to my Netflix queue today. Beautiful visuals, sharp writing, and perfectly placed pop culture references. I mean, c’mon, we all knew that the Furby’s were going to exact their revenge one of these days, right?

Official Synopsis:
A quirky, dysfunctional family’s road trip is upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity’s unlikeliest last hope!

Catch The Mitchells vs. The Machines only on Netflix on April 30.

Latest ‘Death On The Nile’ Delay Reportedly So Disney Can Figure Out Their Armie Hammer Problem

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Travis Hopson

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March 31, 2021

Only a week ago Disney was further delaying Kenneth Branagh’s Death On the Nile, as part of a slew of release date shuffles. While it would be easy to cast it as another COVID-19 related decision, it actually turns out to be quite a bit more. And that has to do with cast member Armie Hammer, who has become…well, a bit of a problem for any movie he’s in.

As you probably well know, Hammer is facing numerous scandals right now, some ridiculous, like the whole cannibalism thing, and some VERY serious, like accusations of rape and being investigated by the LAPD. During this process, he’s lost his agent, dropped out of rom-com Shotgun Wedding and The Godfather movie he was going to a part of, and now people are wondering if Disney will find a way to remove him from the already-completed Death On the Nile.

Variety reports this latest delay on the film was so Disney could figure out what to do about the Armie Hammer problem. One thing they aren’t willing to do is recast his role and reshoot his scenes, similar to what Ridley Scott did on All the Money in the World by replacing another alleged sexual assaulter, Kevin Spacey, with Christopher Plummer.

A rival studio exec suggests Disney just be real about the whole thing and release the movie, saying “Hundreds of people worked on this project, and we’re not scrapping it because of one individual.”

Here’s the thing, though: we have evidence of the kind of impact Hammer’s presence now can have on a movie. The recent opioid thriller Crisis has a star-studded cast and was getting positive reviews until Hammer became persona non grata. Suddenly, the reviews began to focus primarily on him, and things turned negative. You think Disney didn’t notice?

My best guess is that Disney will just release the movie in its current 2022 date and hope the situation has relaxed by then. Hammer has denied all of the accusations against him, but really, his career is toast unless he’s definitively proven to be innocent. He’ll be seen at some point in a tiny role in Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, but after that, who knows? That Call Me By Your Name sequel is probably dead and buried now, though.

‘Zola’ Trailer: Riley Keough And Taylour Paige Bring A Wild Twitter Thread To Life

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Travis Hopson

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March 31, 2021

We’ve seen Twitter accounts become TV shows, so why can’t a Twitter thread become a movie? That’s where we are now, heaven help us, and incredibly true, bizarre story by A’Ziah King became the Sundance sensation, Zola, starring Taylour Paige (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and Riley Keough (Logan Lucky) with Janicza Bravo (Lemon) behind the camera. It’s a story of trashy hoes being trashy to one another, wild road trips, betrayal, stupid ass boyfriends, and pimps who look like Colman Domingo. And you just know Florida fits into this equation somehow.

“Y’all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.”

Yes we do.

Here’s the synopsis: Thus began the odyssey of one A’Ziah King, aka ZOLA. From acclaimed writer/director Janicza Bravo, Zola’s stranger than fiction saga, which she first told in a now-iconic series of viral, uproarious tweets, comes to dazzling cinematic life. Zola (Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress, strikes up a new friendship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough), who seduces her to join a weekend of dancing and partying in Florida. What at first seems like a glamorous trip full of “hoeism” rapidly transforms into a 48-hour journey involving a nameless pimp, an idiot boyfriend, some Tampa gangsters, and other unexpected adventures in this wild, see-it-to-believe-it tale.

The cast does indeed include Colman Domingo, reuniting with Paige after Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, along with Jason Mitchell, Ari’el Stachel, and Nicholas Braun.

A24 currently has Zola set for release on June 30th, but the trailer simply says “this summer.” We’ll see if something changes, but expect this to be one of the buzziest indie releases of the year.

Sony Pushes ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Back One Week

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Travis Hopson

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March 31, 2021

It was just a couple of weeks ago that Sony moved Venom: Let There Be Carnage out of the summer and into September, avoiding a showdown with F9. And already they’re moving the superhero sequel once again, but this time only by a week.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage has been pushed back to September 24th. It’s unclear why, as the film only had Boss Baby: Family Business to contend with at the earlier date. Now it faces a ton of competition with Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, along with The Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, the Mark Wahlberg sci-fi film Infinite, and Universal’s screen adaptation of Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen.

The next two weeks boast huge films, as well, including Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and long-delayed No Time to Die with Daniel Craig as 007.

Tom Hardy returns as the titular head-chomping symbiote, with Andy Serkis taking over as director of the film. Michelle Williams also returns as Anne Weying, joined by Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady aka the villain Carnage, Naomie Harris as Shriek, plus Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, and Sean Delaney.

‘The Man With The Miraculous Hands’: Woody Harrelson Reteams With ‘Rampart’ Director For WWII Thriller

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Travis Hopson

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March 31, 2021

Woody Harrelson and director Oren Moverman have teamed up twice before, and in both cases the actor had two of the finest performances of his career. The first was in the military drama The Messenger, and then a couple of years later with the cop thriller, Rampart. And now they’re back together again for The Man with the Miraculous Hands, and we should probably expect Harrelson to be at the top of his game once more.

Deadline reports Harrelson will play Felix Kersten, the personal doctor to Heinrich Himmler, one of the most powerful men in Hitler’s Nazi regime and a Holocaust architect. The film will depict the true story of Kersten who used his various therapies to ease Himmler’s chronic abdominal pains, thus earning his trust. Kersten would then use that relationship with Himmler to dangerously negotiate deals to save thousands of lives from the concentration camps. Joseph Kessel’s novel The Man with the Miraculous Hands: The Fantastic Story of Felix Kersten, Himmler’s Private Doctor will serve as the basis.

Next up for Harrelson is superhero sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, followed by action-comedy The Man from Toronto with Kevin Hart.

‘Mortal Kombat’ Pushed Back A Week By Warner Bros.

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Travis Hopson

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March 30, 2021

Those of you screaming “Get over here!!!” to the new Mortal Kombat movie will have to wait a few days longer. The video game adaptation has been pushed back a week by Warner Bros., and will now open on April 23rd in theaters and HBO Max.

What’s the reason for this? Well, it won’t hurt to give some extra elbow room to Godzilla vs. Kong, which is opening this week and is expected to be a huge blockbuster smash, the biggest since the pandemic. Early estimates are for a $30M+ opening for the Monsterverse throwdown when it opens tomorrow. Already it has earned over $120M internationally.

But the prime reason is the open real estate throughout the month of May now that Disney has moved Black Widow to July. Mortal Kombat will be the only major film that month with the exception of A Quiet Place II which drops the final weekend.

‘Shadow & Bone’ Trailer: The Grishaverse Comes To Netflix From ‘Arrival’ Writer Eric Heisserer

By

Travis Hopson

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March 30, 2021

I’ll be the first to admit that Shadow & Bone is something I know nothing about. The Grishaverse, which is apparently a wildly popular series of YA fantasy novels, is completely foreign to me. But I do know when a bunch of really talented creative folks gather on a project that is then snatched up by Netflix and hyped as the next big series in streaming, it’s worth paying attention to.

Behind the upcoming series is writer, producer, and showrunner Eric Heisserer, who wrote Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, one of the best sci-fi movies in years. He’s joined by director Lee Toland Krieger of Celeste and Jesse Forever, and Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy.

The huge ensemble includes Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov), Archie Renaux (Malyen Oretsev), Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker), Amita Suman (Inej), Kit Young (Jesper Fahey), Ben Barnes (General Kirigan), Sujaya Dasgupta (Zoya Nazyalensky), Danielle Galligan (Nina Zenik), Daisy Head (Genya Safin), Simon Sears (Ivan), Calahan Skogman (Matthias Helvar), Zoë Wanamaker (Baghra), Kevin Eldon (The Apparat), Julian Kostov (Fedyor), Luke Pasqualino (David), Jasmine Blackborow (Marie), and Gabrielle Brooks (Nadia).

I won’t even attempt to describe what it’s about. Here’s the synopsis: Based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, Shadow and Bone finds us in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. But as she struggles to hone her power, she finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive. Shadow and Bone is a Netflix production from 21 Laps Entertainment, starring Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov), Archie Renaux (Malyen Oretsev), Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker), Amita Suman (Inej), Kit Young (Jesper Fahey), and Ben Barnes (General Kirigan).

I’m getting a strong His Dark Materials vibe from this one, and the production values, which can sometimes be a bit sketch on some Netflix shows, look pretty high. Color me intrigued.

Shadow & Bone hits Netflix on April 23rd.

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 4 Trailer: Elisabeth Moss Is Leader Of A Rebellion

By

Travis Hopson

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March 30, 2021

The big question I have going into season 4 of The Handmaid’s Tale is “Why the fuck hasn’t someone killed June yet?” I know I know, the real answer is because she’s played by series star Elisabeth Moss, but come on. The hardest thing to believe about this show, which was Hulu’s first huge hit and grew the streamer exponentially, is that so many have had her dead to rights and not just hung her from a Gilead wall.

It’s been a long wait for this new season, but it finally arrives on Hulu beginning on April 28th with the first three episodes available immediately. From there, new episodes will debut weekly. June finds herself the leader of a rebellion against the men of Gilead, and she will stop at nothing to get justice for herself, her friends, and her family. We’re going to see more of June’s dangerous relationship with commander Nick Blaine (Max Minghella), and she seems to be giving testimony of some kind about the risks of returning to Gilead.

Returning for this season are Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley, Alexis Bledel, Ann Dowd,Madeline Brewer, O-T Fagbenle, Amanda Brugel, Bradley Whitford, and Sam Jaeger.

In the upcoming fourth season of The Handmaid’s Tale, June (Elisabeth Moss) strikes back against Gilead as a fierce rebel leader, but the risks she takes bring unexpected and dangerous new challenges. Her quest for justice and revenge threatens to consume her and destroy her most cherished relationships.

David Ayer Says His ‘Suicide Squad’ Cut “Scared The Sh*t” Out Of WB Execs

By

Travis Hopson

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March 30, 2021

David Ayer and Will Smith in SUICIDE SQUAD

It’s something I’ve said before, but that first trailer for David Ayer’s Suicide Squad which he showed at Comic-Con was one of the best things I’ve ever seen there. And the energy surrounding that moment was just incredible. Then the movie came out and it was…well, okay. Ayer has insisted Warner Bros. execs chopped up his film and altered his vision of it, and in recent months we’ve seen a campaign of fans demanding #ReleaseTheAyerCut, following in the footsteps of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Well, that’s not happening, and Ayer is still upset about it.

“I get it, it’s a business,” Ayer told EW. “It’s frustrating because I made a really heartfelt drama and it got ripped to pieces and they tried to turn it into Deadpool, which it just wasn’t supposed to be. And then you take the hit, you’re the captain of the ship, my name was on it. [Laughs] Even though it didn’t represent what I actually made, I would take all the bullets and be a good soldier. I made an amazing movie. It’s an amazing movie, it just scared the s— out of the executives.”

I’m not sure what he meant by it scaring them. What, they saw an incredible movie and thought “Oh no, we can’t have that!!”? Still, the Ayer Cut is something I desperately want to see, if only because I believe he shares a similar mindset as Snyder.

“I think the studios see now that there can be canon, there can be non-canon, the fans just want to touch it,” Ayer continues. “They love the characters, they just want to spend more time with it. And people are way more sophisticated about how movies are made and want to be participants in the journey. There’s room for different things, different versions, different assets being shared with the audience. I think it just helps strengthen the community. But absolute credit to Warner Bros. for supporting Zack and having the courage to explore that.”

Since this doesn’t appear to be happening, Ayer’s next film is a remake of The Dirty Dozen. He most recently directed Shia LaBeouf in the controversial crime thriller The Tax Collector.

‘The Disciple’ Trailer: A Classical Musician Strives For Greatness In This Alfonso Cuarón-produced Netflix Drama

By

Travis Hopson

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March 30, 2021

Unless you pay a lot of close attention to the film festival circuit, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of The Disciple or anybody in it. However, there’s one name you probably do know and that’s Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón. He’s lent his name to the film as an exec-producer, giving this acclaimed festival darling his stamp of approval.

Coming to Netflix next month, The Disciple centers on an Indian classical violinist diligently honing his craft through the traditions and teachings of his mentors. But as time goes by, he wonders if he’s good enough to achieve the greatness he strives for.

Behind the camera is director Chaitanya Tamhane, with a cast that includes Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deepika Bhide Bhagwat, and Kiran Yadnyopavit.

Entered as part of the main competition at last year’s Venice Film Festival, it became the first Indian film since 2001’s Monsoon Wedding to compete. Ultimately, it came away with the prestigious FIPRESCI award and Best Screenplay.

The Disciple comes to Netflix on April 30th.

A musician’s unadulterated devotion, a mirage-like quest for divinity, and the courage to fight your own mediocrity. The Disciple is the tale of an Indian classical vocalist, Sharad Nerulkar, searching for the traditional absolute in a contemporary city that never stops hustling.