Season 3 Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’ Already In The Works

By

-

February 29, 2024

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - 108 — Morfydd Clark (Galadriel)

Can I be honest? For the most expensive series…well, ever, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was just alright. You don’t hear a lot of people buzzing about season two which should arrive later this year. But Amazon Studios is fully invested in the world of Tolkien, and have inked new deals with showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne that should keep them around for a long time. And part of that? Getting to work on season three.

According to Variety, McKay and Payne are already at work on The Rings of Power‘s third season, developing the initial storylines for the return to Middle Earth. This is all happening without a writer’s room having been put into action. Then again, McKay and Payne wrote all of season one and are showrunners on season two, so they might not need a ton of help at this stage.

“We began this remarkable journey with JD and Patrick more than five and a half years ago and have never looked back,” Amazon MGM Studios TV head Vernon Sanders said in a statement. “We continue to be amazed by the scope and scale of their vision and the enormous global success achieved by ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ in its record-breaking first season. We can’t wait for Prime Video customers to experience the epic adventure and high-stakes drama that JD and Patrick are continuing to build throughout season two and beyond. Naturally, the studio is thrilled to extend our overall deal with these brilliant creative minds as they continue to deliver on their passion for great storytelling.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was the most-watched original series in Prime Video’s history, so there’s reason for excitement. Can season two live up to the same heights? We’ll find out soon enough.

‘The Donovans’: Guy Ritchie To Direct ‘Ray Donovan’ Series Spinoff

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 29, 2024

What an incredible couple of years it’s been for Guy Ritchie, as he has moved faster than any other filmmaker while doing some of the best work of his career. He’s also ventured into television with a spinoff series based on his movie The Gentlemen which hits Netflix in March. Ritchie will stick to similar territory for yet another new project, The Donovans, a Showtime//Paramount+ series loosely baed on the popular hit show, Ray Donovan.

Ritchie will exec-produce and direct The Donovans, with all of the scripts penned by author and screenwriter Ronan Barrett. While the seven seasons of Ray Donovan starred Liev Schreiber as a NY/LA fixer, the new series will follow a London-based family of criminal fixers. Sounds like it should be right in Ritchie’s wheelhouse, given his experience on films such as Snatch, Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, and The Gentlemen.

How long can Ritchie keep up this pace? In 2023, Ritchie completed both The Covenant (one of my top films of the year) and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. This year he’s got The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare coming up in April, and has already completed an action movie with Jake Gyllenhaal and Henry Cavill. He also has Fountain of Youth, an adventure movie with John Krasinski and Natalie Portman.

Look for The Donovans to debut on Paramount+ and Paramount+ with Showtime later this year.

DC Readers: Attend A Free Early Screening Of ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 28, 2024

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda 4, featuring the voices of Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane and Ke Huy Quan.

SYNOPSIS: Po must train a new warrior when he’s chosen to become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. However, when a powerful shape-shifting sorceress sets her eyes on his Staff of Wisdom, he suddenly realizes he’s going to need some help. Teaming up with a quick-witted corsac fox, Po soon discovers that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.

The screening takes place on Tuesday, March 5th at 7:00pm at Regal Majestic. If you’d like to attend, RSVP at the Gofobo site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you’ll need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show, and skadoosh!!

Kung Fu Panda 4 opens in theaters on March 8th.

‘Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead’ Trailer: June Squibb Is Doomed In Comedy Remake With Simone Joy Jones & Nicole Richie

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 28, 2024

June Squibb in DON'T TELL MOM THE BABYSITTER'S DEAD

Who doesn’t love June Squibb? The 94-year-old Nebraska star is sorta having a moment right now, with her new action-comedy…that’s right, action-comedy Thelma a beloved hit at Sundance. She also has a role coming up in Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut. Why would anyone cast her just so she could die? Well, she has the misfortune of being the titular doomed babysitter in BET+’s upcoming remake of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.

Based on the classic 1991 comedy, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead finds Simone Joy Jones in the role made famous by Christina Applegate. Also in the cast are Nicole Richie, Donielle Tremaine Hensley, Jermaine Fowler and Ms. Pat with newcomers Miles Fowler, Iantha Richardson, Gus Kenworthy, and Tyriq Withers.

1 of 3

Plus June Squibb, of course, and in the new teaser we see her as the elderly babysitter encountering Jones’ Tanya Crandell for the first time.

Here’s the synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Tanya Crandell (Simone Joy Jones) can’t wait to spend the summer living it up with her friends in Spain before heading to Howard University in the fall. But when her mom (Ms. Pat) decides to head to a much-needed wellness retreat in Thailand, Tanya is forced to stay home with her three siblings instead. Following the unexpected death of their elderly babysitter (June Squibb), Tanya gets a job working for the confident and ambitious Rose (Nicole Richie). Juggling work, family, and a complicated romance, Tanya faces the responsibility of adulthood at the cost of her summer of freedom.

The R-rated comedy is written by Chuck Hayward (Ted Lasso, WandaVision, Dear White People) and directed by Wade Allain-Marcus.

Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead opens in theaters on April 12th courtesy of Iconic Events Releasing.

‘The Crow’ Reboot First Look: Bill Skarsgard’s Tatted Up Spirit Of Vengeance Finally Arrives This Summer

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 28, 2024

It seems like no matter what, a Skarsgard is having their moment in the sun. Stellan Skarsgard toiled away in arthouse and foreign dramas before hitting it big in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now in the Dune movies. Alexander Skarsgard has been hot since True Blood, leading to recent roles in The Northman and Infinity Pool. And now it’s Bill’s moment, who after impressing as Pennywise in the It films is poised to have a huge 2024 with Boy Kills World, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, and finally the much-anticipated reboot of The Crow.

And now today we finally get our first look at Bill Skarsgard as the spirit of vengeance in The Crow reboot. The images come from Vanity Fair and…well, they’re something. The emo tatted-up look is out, I thought. Then again what do I know. The Crow’s look has definitely evolved since the original comic book and first movie starring the late Brandon Lee. I expect this new look will be divisive.

The story, based on James O’Barr’s graphic novel, centers on Eric Draven, a rocker who returns from the grave as a spirit of vengeance against those who murdered him and his girlfriend.

Also in the cast are Shelly Webster (aka FKA Twigs), Danny Huston, Laura Birn, Isabella Wei, Sami Bouajila, Jordan Bolger. Zach Baylin and Will Schneider co-wrote the script for Rupert Sanders (Ghost in the Shell) to direct.

“What drew me to this was the opportunity to make a dark romance, something that dealt with loss, grief, and the ethereal veil between life and death and reaching through that. Look, I grew up listening to Joy Division and the Cure, and this movie is a bit like a Cure song—the beauty of melancholy”, Sanders said.

The Crow opens in theaters on June 7th.

1 of 3

‘I Saw The TV Glow’ Trailer: Justice Smith’s Reality Is Blurred By A TV Show In Jane Schoenbrun’s Buzzy Sundance Horror

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 28, 2024

There was no other Sundance movie discussed more in our lodge than Jane Schoenbrun and A24’s I Saw the TV Glow. Now, I never saw it myself, but others did and some found the surreal film about two people who bond over a TV series to be utterly pointless and nonsensical. Others saw it as a clever horror-esque spin on nostalgia, loneliness, and trans identity. What’s the truth? Well, we can begin to answer that question now with the arrival of its first trailer.

The film stars Justice Smith (who had a busy Sundance with The American Society of Magical Negroes),Brigette Lundy-Paine (Bill & Ted Face the Music), Ian Foreman (Exhibiting Forgiveness), Helena Howard (Shoplifters of the World), Danielle Deadwyler (Till), and Fred Durst (!!!). There are also appearances by former TV show actors such as Amber Benson, and Pete & Pete‘s Danny Tamberelli and Michael C. Maronna. Indie rock stars Lindsey Jordan, and Haley Dahl also appear.

Emma Stone and Dave McCrary are aboard as producers, too, putting their significant muscle behind the project.

Here’s the official synopsis: Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.

Schoenbrun made a splash at Sundance a couple of years ago with the coming-of-age horror We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and just keeps generating buzz at the festival.

A24 will release I Saw the TV Glow into theaters on May 3rd.

‘The Department’: Michael Fassbender Eyes Role In George Clooney’s Spy Series

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 27, 2024

Michael Fassbender to star in George Clooney's THE DEPARTMENT

Following the disastrous X-Men: Dark Phoenix, you didn’t see much from Michael Fassbender for a while. After a break from acting he returned with last year’s Next Goal Wins and The Killer. but he’s far from done. Variety reports Fassbender is eyeing a new Showtime thriller series from George Clooney titled The Department.

Directed by Clooney and announced about a year ago, the new show is based on The Bureau, a French spy series starring Matthieu Kassovitz as a member of the French Secret Services (DGSE), returned home after a six-year mission in Damascus. But letting go of his false identity proves hard, the same with his affair with a Syrian woman, and he finds himself caught in the middle a dangerous game between the DGSE and the CIA.

Producers on The Department include Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures, along with MTV Entertainment and Taylor Sheridan’s 101 Studios. A lot of folks with experience making prestige TV.

Clooney is coming off the sports drama The Boys in the Boat, and will star in Jon Watts’ Wolfs alongside Brad Pitt. Fassbender has the long-delayed martial arts comedy Kung Fury 2 which should’ve opened last year but has no current release date.

Review: ‘Stopmotion’
Robert Morgan Creates A Waking Nightmare That Blurs The Lines Of Reality

By
Ronny Sharpes
-

I’ve been a fan of stop-motion animation ever since I first laid eyes on the work of Ray Harryhausen. The way he brought the fantasy creatures to life in films like Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans captured my imagination. Then once I saw Adam Jones’ work in the early 90’s for Tool’s music video, Prison Sex I saw how that style of animation could easily be translated into bone chilling horror scenery. I was left craving more, leading me to learning all I could about the painstaking process.

Stop-motion animation is the process of moving a model millimeters at a time, snapping a picture and repeating in order to create a cohesive film. When done properly, one can take a simple piece of clay and weave an extremely beautiful, sometimes horrifying tale. It’s a tedious undertaking but director Robert Morgan is no stranger to the process. With multiple shorts under his belt marrying the strange with the macabre, the script for the film Stopmotion is in his very capable hands.

Ella (Aisling Franciosi) is a hungry young animator living under the oppressive rule of her mother, an accomplished stop motion animator herself recently left crippled by arthritis. Ella is left to wait on her mother hand and foot, cutting her food and animating her final film while her mother barks orders from behind. When a medical emergency leaves her mother in a coma, Ella’s boyfriend Tom (Tom York) moves her in to an empty apartment to complete her final oeuvre. There she meets a little girl (Caoilinn Springall) who leads her on a journey taking the story to deep dark places.

Between the well-done animation, a soundscape that leaves you on edge and gut-wrenching visceral practical effects, Stopmotion simply ticked all the boxes for me. The relationship between Ella and her mother was played to perfection leaving the viewer to sympathize with the young woman yearning to get out from under her mother’s thumb and be able to create what she wants. The soundscape is minimal but creates a vibe that gets under your skin. The practical effects? Wow. When the little girl starts guiding Ella’s story taking things from the mundane to macabre things get messy quickly and will leave the viewer squirming. I mean, I’m a seasoned gore hound and I had to turn away at a scene about 75 minutes in.

I would recommend this one to anybody looking for something unique in the horror genre. Robert Morgan blends eerie stop-motion animation with a captivating performance from Aisling Franciosi creating a waking nightmare that blurs the lines of reality and will leave you questioning what you just saw.

Stopmotion is in select theaters now and will be streaming on Shudder May 31st

Review: ‘Bad Hombres’
Luke Hemsworth And Thomas Jane Shine In Forgettable Thriller

By
Jake Sokolsky
-

Immigrating to a new country typically comes with its fair share of difficulties. Felix (Diego Tinoco) is about to find out the hard way how difficult things can become in Bad Hombres. Felix has entered the country illegally to stay with his cousin in the Deep South. His cousin is showing him the ropes, how to try and get quick work. Day after day lining up in the morning in front of a hardware store, hoping someone chooses them for a quick job. Get paid in cash, rinse and repeat the next day. Seems simple enough, right?

Felix’s time in the country gets off to a rocky start to say the least. Donnie Boy (Luke Hemsworth) decides to hire Felix for a job. $150 for Felix, $150 for a partner Felix brings with him. Donnie has hurt his hand, so he needs Felix and friend to do some work on his uncle’s ranch. Felix convinces Alfonso (Hemky Madera) to split the job. Alfonso is only interested in work and not at all in Felix’s attempts at getting to know him.

Then Donnie takes them out to a secluded patch of land and tells them to dig a big hole. Things quickly go off the rails and Felix gets shot. Alfonso takes him to see Rob (Thomas Jane), an old associate of his that can help in sticky situations. Alfonso and Felix are in quite the web that Alfonso is trying to untangle. Little do they know how much of a shitstorm they’re really in. An unnamed assassin (Tyrese Gibson) is hot on their tail.

John Stalberg Jr. directed Bad Hombres and was involved in creating the story along with Rex New and Nick Turner. New and Turner took that idea and worked together to write the screenplay. Bad Hombres is both New and Turner’s second feature length film. They co-wrote the other, 2016’s Dance Camp, so have experience working together in the same capacity. Similarly, Stalberg has worked with Hemsworth, Tinoco, and Madera on prior films he has directed. These relationships only help strengthen a film, knowing how to get the best out of the talent both onscreen and behind the scenes.

Bad Hombres is full of some crazy characters. Most notably the foul mouthed Donnie and cynical Rob. Hemsworth does a great job just letting loose. His nonstop talking and absurd actions, bordering on insanity, are quite enjoyable. New & Turner’s script has several comical pieces of dialogue mixed in with over-the-top violence and questionable decisions. Rob’s interactions with Alfonso and Felix are hilarious and Jane excels in the role.

Stalberg & co. make sure to really show the isolation of the area, mirroring Felix’s internal struggles. There is no shortage of landscape shots, both bare and stretching on as far as the eye can see or filled with rundown homes and businesses. Stalberg uses interest framing and angles to be able to convey to the audience what is happening off screen as well as on. These shots were executed perfectly, adding another level of tension to several scenes. Bad Hombres has a lot of successful pieces, but they were just not able to piece it all together. The film devolves into absurdity. Once it goes off that cliff, it picks up speed. The end result is a decently entertaining flick, but not one that’s going to be memorable or rewatchable for most.

‘The Watchers’ Teaser: Dakota Fanning Stars In Ishana Night Shyamalan’s Debut Horror This Summer

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 27, 2024

Just as Brandon Cronenberg inherited the horror gene from his father, David Cronenberg, the apple doesn’t appear to have fallen from the Shyamalan family tree. Warner Bros. has dropped the first teaser trailer for The Watchers, the directorial debut feature from Ishana Night Shyamalan, daughter of M. Night Shyamalan.

The film stars Dakota Fanning and is adapted from the A.M. Shine’s 2021 gothic horror. Fanning stars as Mina, an artist who becomes stranded in an untouched forest in western Ireland. Upon finding shelter, she is trapped inside with three other strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.

M. Night Shyamalan is a producer on the film, naturally. The cast also includes Georgina Campbell (Barbarian), Oliver Finnegan (Creeped Out) and Olwen Fouere (The Northman), all quite familiar with the genre.

You can see that Ishana has picked up a lot of her father’s knack for creepy, voyeuristic horror, perhaps from working alongside him on the AppleTV+ series, Servant. Ishana wrote and directed a number of that show’s episodes while her father acted as exec-producer and showrunner.

The Watchers opens in theaters on June 7th. Just two months later, her father’s next horror film, Trap, opens on August 2nd and stars Josh Hartnett with another of the Shyamalan clan, M. Night’s other daughter, Saleka Shyamalan.