Okay, we done talking about Zack Snyder’s Justice League now? Good, because he’s got another film on the way that looks even better. A colorful new poster has been released for Army of the Dead, teasing the neon-flavored casino setting and cast led by Dave Bautista.
A Las Vegas that is ground zero for a zombie outbreak is the setting for Army of the Dead, which finds Bautista leading a band of mercenaries into the city for an insane heist. Also pictures on the poster are , Ella Purnell, Matthias Schweighöfer, Omari Hardwick and Ana de la Reguera, which suggests they are the main crew we’ll be following. Also in the cast are Tig Notaro, Theo Rossi, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Samantha Win, Huma Qureshi, and Garret Dillahunt.
This is becoming a pretty big undertaking, too. Netflix is keen on turning Army of the Dead into a major franchise, with an anime series and a live-action prequel that will center on Schweighöfer’s character, Ludwig Dieter.
So this isn’t at all a surprise, even if it is disappointing. Stallone has been talking a lot recently about the Rocky character, and basically he’s not done lacing up the gloves even if it’s no longer as part of the Creed franchise.
Stallone has talked in the past about a Rocky sequel and possibly a prequel series, one that he teased a treatment of just last week. So while we won’t be seeing the Italian Stallion in Creed III, we’ve not seen the last of Rocky Balboa. But as Stallone has told us, he has no rights over the character, so even if he does create something new there’s no guarantee that it gets off the ground.
On paper, Timur Bekmambetov doesn’t seem like the kind of filmmaker to spark a genre all its own. As the director of hit Russian superhero flicks Day Watch and Night Watch, he parlayed that into stateside action flicks Wanted, Ben-Hur, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. But since then he’s primarily worked as a producer, and as one of the major purveyors of Screenlife technology, movies that take place entirely on computer screens. Some have been pretty terrible, but every now and then you get something clever, like Searching or the Sundance film R#J. And now Bekmambetov’s latest, Profile, is using Screenlife to tell a very timely story in a unique way.
Bekmambetov actually takes the camera for Profile, along with co-writing the script and producing. The film centers on a journalist who uses social media to infiltrate a terrorist group that has been recruiting its members through Facebook. But as she gets deeper into her investigation, it becomes unclear whether she is becoming radicalized herself.
The cast is led by Valene Kane, Shazad Latif, Christine Adams, and Morgan Watkins.
There’s some truth behind the film, as well. It’s based on the book In the Skin of a Jihadist by French journalist Anna Erelle. It actually debuted three years ago at the Berlin Film Festival but is only just arriving stateside. Focus Features will release Profile on May 14th.
PROFILE follows an undercover British journalist in her quest to bait and expose a terrorist recruiter through social media, while trying not to be sucked in by her recruiter and lured into becoming a militant extremist herself. The unconventional thriller plays out entirely on a computer screen in the Screenlife format, pioneered by Bekmambetov.
We’re happy to offer our readers the chance to win a digital copy of the hit action flick Nobody, starring Bob Odenkirk as you’ve never seen him before.
SYNOPSIS: When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe, The Shack), is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen, Wonder Woman), seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary (famed Russian actor Aleksey Serebryakov, Amazon’s McMafia)—and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again.
To enter, simply complete the Rafflepress contest form below. Five winners will be selected on April 16th, which is also the day Nobody becomes available on PVOD. Good luck!
Loki has been a trouble-maker ever since he first appeared in the MCU. It’s no wonder he’s become such a fan-favorite, with his smarmy Asgardian attitude and penchant for mischief that often confounds his noble brother Thor and his fellow Avengers. But Loki made even more of a nuisance of himself in Avengers: Endgame, stealing the Tesseract and transporting to who knows where. And all of this after he had been killed by Thanos.
And that is where Lokipicks up. Tom Hiddleston is back in the role, only now he’s been captured by the Time Variance Autority, run by Owen Wilson’s officer Mobius M. Mobius, and must fix some of the wrongs he’s caused in the timeline. But why would anybody EVER trust Loki to do anything on the side of good? Fortunately, that question gets asked a lot in this trailer, so it’s something the series will deal with.
What we get is a lot of time-hopping and far more action, like Loki actually kicking ass, than I would’ve expected. This series should be a blast. It looks quite a bit larger in scope than Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and could be the next big thing for Marvel on Disney+
Also featuring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Richard E. Grant, Sasha Lane, and Wunmi Mosaku, Loki hits Disney+ for six episodes beginning June 11th.
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
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”
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.
— Space Jam: A New Legacy (@spacejammovie) April 3, 2021
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.
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.
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.
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.
