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Lily Gladstone Sundance Favorite ‘Fancy Dance’ Heads To Apple

By
Travis Hopson
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Lily Gladstone stars in FANCY DANCE

I’m posting this just because I know it’ll make our writer Cortland Jacoby very happy, as she has been saying since last year’s Sundance that Fancy Dance was Lily Gladstone’s best movie of 2023. Well, after going this long without distribution, the film has landed at Apple, which happens to be the home of Killers of the Flower Moon, which made her an Oscar nominee for Best Actress.

Fancy Dance is the directorial debut of filmmaker Erica Tremblay, whom Cortland spoke with at Sundance following its world premiere. The film stars Gladstone alongside Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Shea Whigham, Crystle Lightning and Audrey Wasilewski.

Apple has global rights and plans a theatrical release followed by Apple TV+ streaming later this year.

Here’s the synopsis: Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. At the risk of losing custody to Jax’s father, Frank (Whigham), the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother. What begins as a search gradually turns into a far deeper investigation into the complexities and contradictions of Indigenous women moving through a colonized world and at the mercy of a failed justice system.

You can check out Cortland’s review of Fancy Dance here.

‘Drive-Away Dolls’ Trailer: Ethan Coen’s Road Trip Comedy Stars Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, And Beanie Feldstein

By
Travis Hopson
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Drive-Away Dolls

While Joel Coen has pretty much established his solo directing career already, brother Ethan Coen is hoping to go from 0 to 60 with Drive-Away Dolls. The queer road trip comedy stars a to-die-for cast of Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Beanie Feldstein on an impromptu journey to Tallahassee. Of course, everything goes wrong and they get mixed up with a bunch of criminals.

Coen directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with his wife, Tricia Cooke. Along with the core trio, there are a lot of fun cameos including Matt Damon, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, and Miley Cyrus. You can tell this one was a blast to shoot.

The talent in front of the camera is matched on those on the other side. Carter Burwell, a Coen Brothers favorite, is back to compose the score. The cinematography is by Ari Wegner, whose incredible work can be seen in The Power of the Dog, Zola, The Wonder, and Eileen.

Here’s the synopsis for Drive-Away Dolls: Written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, this comedy caper follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian, who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way. Directed by Ethan Coen.

Focus Features will release Drive-Away Dolls into theaters on February 23rd.

‘Imaginary’ Trailer: Blumhouse Horror Sees Imaginary Friends As Sinister Demons Ready To Kill You

By
Travis Hopson
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Imaginary

Don’t get the two imaginary friends movies confused with one another, because they couldn’t be more different. As seen in yesterday’s IF teaser, that one is a fun, surreal father/daughter comedy starring Ryan Reynolds. But Imaginary…well, it comes from the folks at Blumhouse, and it sees imaginary friends as decidedly more sinister.

In the new trailer for Imaginary, we see that a lonely young girl’s imaginary friend, a creepy teddy bear named Chauncey, could have evil lurking in its stuffed heart. The film stars DeWanda Wise, Pyper Braun, Taegen Burns, Tom Payne, and Betty Buckley.

Behind the camera is Jeff Wadlow, who got his start directing the underrated horror Cry_Wolf. He worked with Blumhouse previously on Fantasy Island and Truth or Dare. He also directed Kick-Ass 2, and the martial arts flick Never Back Down. He last directed the Netflix kiddie film The Curse of Bridge Hollow, which has one of the weirdest casts ever assembled.

Here’s the synopsis: From Blumhouse, the genre-defining masterminds behind FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S and M3GAN, comes an original horror that taps into the innocence of imaginary friends – and begs the question: Are they really figments of childhood imagination or is something more terrifying lying just beneath? When Jessica (DeWanda Wise) moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun) develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister. As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.

Imaginary opens in theaters on March 8th.

‘La Chimera’ Trailer: Josh O’Connor Seeks Treasure, Redemption And A Dead Soulmate In Alice Rohrwacher’s New Period Drama

By
Travis Hopson
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La Chimera

Believe it or not, last year’s Cannes was the place for two movies built around treasure seekers. Of course, the one we all remember was the world premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, such as it was. But the other, lesser-known film was the one that competed for the Palme d’Or; Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, and the trailer for it has just arrived.

Starring Josh O’Connor, Carol Duarte, Alba Rohrwacher, and Isabella Rossellini, La Chimera centers on a group of archaeologists, grave robbers, and thieves on a quest for riches and redemption, and even a lost soulmate.

Rorhwacher has earned many accolades in her career, including the Grand Prix at Cannes for The Wonders. Her previous film, the live-action short Le pupille was an Oscar nominee in 2022.

Here’s the synopsis: Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but never manage to find. For the band of tombaroli, thieves of ancient grave goods and archaeological wonders, the Chimera means redemption from work and the dream of easy wealth. For Arthur, the Chimera looks like the woman he lost, Beniamina. To find her, Arthur challenges the invisible, searches everywhere, goand es inside the earth – in search of the door to the afterlife of which myths speak. In an adventurous journey between the living and the dead, between forests and cities, between celebrations and solitudes, the intertwined destinies of these characters unfold, all in search of the Chimera.

NEON plans to release La Chimera in theaters on March 29th.

‘Club Zero’ Trailer: Mia Wasikowska Pushes An Extreme Nutritional Agenda On Students In Jessica Hausner’s Subversive Thriller

By
Travis Hopson
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Club Zero

A controversial entry at last year’s Cannes, Jessica Hausner’s Club Zero stars Mia Wasikowska as a teacher pushing an extreme diet plan on her students. As long as there are people in the world who feel bad about themselves, there will be nutritional experts around to hook them on a new diet plan that will fix everything. It’s gotten worse in the era of YouTube celebrities and social media, where it’s easy to connect with susceptible people. But what if you’re someone who is in a position of power speaking directly to those under your guidance?

In the new Club Zero trailer, we see Wasikowska as a nutrition teacher who joins the staff at a prestigious boarding school, where she begins pushing her “conscious eating” plan on a new class. But her lessons soon spiral out of control and reach sinister levels, drawing the attention of parents and the faculty.

The film also stars Mathieu Demy, Elsa Zylberstein, Amir El-Masry, and Sidse Babett Knudsen.

Hausner directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Géraldine Bajard. She last directed 2019’s Little Joe with Emily Beecham and Ben Whishaw. Like Club Zero, it also competed for the Palme d’Or.

Here’s the synopsis: At an international boarding school, an unassuming, yet rigorous, Miss Novak (Mia Wasikowska) joins the teaching staff to instruct a new class on “conscious eating.” Her impressionable teenage students each have their own reasons for joining the class – to improve fitness, reduce their carbon footprint, or get extra credit. Although early lectures focus on mindful consumption, Miss Novak’s discussions soon become increasingly disordered and extreme. A suspicious headmistress, concerned parents and the failing health of her students lead everyone to question the inscrutable Miss Novak’s motivations for teaching the class. As a few devoted pupils fall deeper under her cult-like tutelage, they are given a new, even more sinister goal to aspire to – joining the ominous “Club Zero.”

Club Zero opens in theaters on March 15th.

Diablo Cody Talks Up ‘Jennifer’s Body’ Reboot, Says ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ Is Set In The Same Universe

By
Travis Hopson
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Lisa Frankenstein and Jennifer's Body

It’s impossible to miss the similarity in tone between Diablo Cody’s upcoming horror-comedy, Lisa Frankenstein, and her 2009 film Jennifer’s Body. Both tackle the genre from a specifically female perspective, exploring the tropes of body horrors and zombie films. And now we know that the connection between the movies is much stronger than we knew, at least in Cody’s mind.

While speaking with Deadline at the Lisa Frankenstein premiere, Cody says the film takes place in the same universe as Jennifer’s Body…

“I am just declaring that this movie takes place in the same universe. I have decided that. I will not say that you’d see any overt references to that but I’m saying it.”

In other words, she’s just making it up that it’s a real thing. Hey, why not? They’re her movies, she can do what she wants. She could say they exist in the same universe as Juno and who would we be to refute it?

It’s just amazing how the perception of Jennifer’s Body has changed in recent years, because I guarantee you Cody wouldn’t have wanted to connect ANYTHING to it back in 2009. The film, which starred Megan Fox as a hot gothic high schooler who becomes possessed and begins devouring her classmates, was a box office dud and an embarrassing critical failure.

Jennifer’s Body has become a cult favorite over the year, though, and Cody has begun considering the idea of a reboot. She says Lisa Frankenstein could be the “final push that I need to actually make it happen. It’s hard to get things made these days.”

I doubt any studio would invest in another Jennifer’s Body, but Cody sticking around the horror-comedy realm for a while longer? It seems as if she’s found her groove in this niche, despite being wary of coming back to it…

“I was nervous to get back into that. And then this magical thing happened the last few years where that movie found an audience and people began to really appreciate it. And it gave me the confidence to say, ‘You know what? I never lost my passion for that world and I want to do another one.’ So, I’m here.”

Lisa Frankenstein opens on February 9th, directed by Zelda Williams.

‘Saw XI’ Will Bring Back ‘Saw X’ Director Kevin Greutert

By
Travis Hopson
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Saw

Last year’s Saw X went back to the franchise’s beginning, acting as a sequel to the original movie and a prequel to future films. It proved to be a winning move, as the revitalized horror scored $111M worldwide, nearly triple what 2021’s Spiral did and that film had Chris Rock in the lead role. Well, that kind of success has led to, what else, a brand new sequel, and a familiar name back to direct it.

Bloody Disgusting has confirmed that Kevin Greutert will return to direct Saw XI. Greutert is a franchise vet, having directed Saw VI in 2009 and Saw: The Final Chapter a year later. He also served as editor on the first five Saw movies, as well as 2017’s Jigsaw. James Wan and Leigh Whannell may have launched these movies back in 2004, but you could argue Greutert has been the biggest creative influence.

Saw X writers Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger are not coming back, though, so Greutert will be working with a new creative team. As long as Tobin Bell returns as John Kramer aka Jigsaw, and Shawnee Smith as Amanda, fans should remain happy. There’s something about the two of them together that just clicks, and I think it’s safe to say these movies aren’t as good when they’re apart.

And as usual, these movies get made pretty damn fast. Saw XI is set to hit theaters on September 27th, so we don’t even have to wait too long.

New ‘Evil Dead’ Spinoff Film In The Works With Sébastien Vaniček As Director

By
Travis Hopson
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Evil Dead Rise

The $147M success of Evil Dead Rise last year proved that Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise is alive and well. It did far and away better than 2013’s reimagining, which is surprising given it was a spinoff with little connection to the other movies. Well, Raimi’s no fool, and he’s got another spinoff in the works with a director already attached.

Deadline reports that Sébastien Vaniček will direct and co-write a new Evil Dead, which is being described as as a spinoff, similar to the standalone Evil Dead Rise. No details are available at this point, but it doesn’t need to stray too far from the straight horror model involving possession, deadites, and other supernatural threats. Gone is the horror-comedy tone established by the early movies featuring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, although his portrayal remains the franchise’s most popular.

Vaniček’s best known for his directorial debut, last year’s spider horror Infested, which debuted in Venice and then won Best Picture and Best Director in its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest. His hiring fits with the pattern established by Raimi, picking rising star filmmaker with an affinity for the horror genre, such as Evil Dead Rise‘s director Lee Cronin, and Fede Alvarez before him.

New ‘Jurassic World’ Trilogy Lands David Leitch As Director

By
Travis Hopson
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David Leitch won't join new Jurassic World trilogy

Stuntman-turned-filmmaker David Leitch continues to branch out from the John Wick franchise he helped launch. Since then he’s directed Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and the upcoming summer blockbuster The Fall Guy, so a variety of films that are either franchises or potential franchises. But now Leitch is joining one of the longest-running franchises ever, as Deadline reports he’ll direct Universal’s new Jurassic World trilogy that they are moving forward with rapidly.

This new trilogy was revealed just days ago, and has original Jurassic Park writer David Koepp aboard. Leitch joins a film that Universal has big hopes for, having already set a July 2nd 2025 release date. The film will feature an entirely new cast, so don’t expect to see Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, or any of the originals such as Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum. Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall are exec-producers on the new trilogy, further cementing connections to the original trilogy.

Leitch should be able to do some amazing things with Jurassic World. He’s shown an ability to handle action on multiple levels, from beautifully-choreographed fight sequences to blistering car chases, and even big superhero spectacles.  The potential here is through the roof.

That said, this franchise has seen better days. While it has made $6B across six total movies, the feeling right now is that it could use a break. Fallen Kingdom, released in 2022, made just over $1B but was critically panned.

 

‘Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood And Honey 2’ Red Band Trailer: Evil Public Domain Pooh Is Back And He’s Brought Friends

By
Travis Hopson
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Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2

The Hundred Acre Wood just got a lot deadlier! We’ve seen a few images from Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, the sequel to the public domain horror that started a craze! But today brings the official red band trailer, which features new look at seriously twisted versions of Tigger and Owl.

In the sequel, Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Owl aren’t out looking for honey. They want the blood of Christopher Robin (Scott Chambers) for exposing their existence. But now that it’s been done, they refuse to live in the shadows and cut a bloody swath of vengeance through the town of Ashdown.

The film is once again written and directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who I guess is like the godfather of these weird horror twists on beloved fictional characters. He also has Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare coming up later this year.

One thing that’s clear from this footage? The increased budget has made a dramatic impact, because Pooh looks a lot scarier this time around!

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 arrives soon.

 

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