Blumhouse’s Wolfman reboot has been a long time coming. Following the success of The Invisible Man, director Leigh Whannell was quickly hired to revive another legendary movie monster. Ryan Gosling joined the cast shortly thereafter, only for Whannell to drop out and be replaced by Gosling’s Blue Valentine director, Derek Cianfrance. And then…well, nothing. But it seems Universal is going back to square one on the project, with a new actor and a familiar face as director.
THR reports that both Gosling and Cianfrance have exited Wolfman, only to be replaced by Christopher Abbott and a returning Leigh Whannell. Abbott is one of the best actors working today, and can be seen right now opposite Emma Stone in Poor Things. Whannell is obviously talented in the genre space as one of the creators of the Saw and Insidious franchises, but also his recent sci-flick Upgrade which needs a damn sequel already.
As for why Cianfrance and Gosling left the project? Who knows? Cianfrance has never done anything like Wolfman before and perhaps he had a change of heart, with Gosling deciding he didn’t want to do it without him? Or it could just boil down to scheduling or creative direction?
Personally, I think this is a compelling project either way. I would’ve loved to see what the Gosling/Cianfrance combo would do with a Blumhouse-style horror, but Whannell rarely misses and I expect he’ll be on point here, too.
The good news is that all of these moves have actually kicked things into overdrive. Wolfman is now scheduled to arrive on October 25th 2024, just in time for Halloween.
DwaWell, here’s a project I never thought would come to fruition. It’s been so long since Dwayne Johnson has done anything outside of an obvious studio blockbuster that when one comes along, with A24 backing it no less, it comes as a shock. The Rock will star in The Smashing Machine, an MMA drama by writer/director Benny Safdie. Yes, that Benny Safdie. The guy from Oppenheimer and a co-director on Uncut Gems.
Johnson is set to play MMA legend Mark Kerr, meaning he’ll get to step inside of the octagon rather than the professional wrestling ring. Kerr is a former two-time UFC champion and PRIDE fighter, whose life and career, his struggles with substance abuse, were previously highlighted in the HBO documentary also titled The Smashing Machine.
Here’s the synopsis: THE SMASHING MACHINE is a drama based on the story of Mark Kerr, the legendary MMA fighter from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC at the peak of his career. He struggles with addiction, winning, love and friendship in the year 2000.
The film will mark Benny Safdie’s solo directing debut away from his brother, Josh, who is also in the works on a new project reuniting with Adam Sandler. Benny has been doing a lot more acting of late, including a role in this year’s acclaimed Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.
For Johnson, it’s been a long time since he’s done a project of this size, and with a role that might require some dramatic heft. Maybe since Pain & Gain in 2013? His production company acquired the rights to Kerr’s story years ago and the film has been in development with Safdie ever since. So this one could move along pretty swiftly.
A24 seems to have found a new niche for themselves by spotlighting dramas about athletes in combat sports. They are currently behind The Iron Claw which is receiving rave reviews ahead of its release next week.
*NOTE: This review was originally part of our Middleburg Film Festival coverage.*
In 1985, Robert Townsend offered one of the most insightful, and funniest looks at the relationship between art and Black culture with Hollywood Shuffle. The film followed a Black actor who struggled with staying true to himself, or “selling out” and pandering to a White audience that craved stories full of Black stereotypes. Writer/director Cord Jefferson’s equally brilliant and pointed American Fiction is like a spiritual cousin exploring the literary landscape, where many of the themes that Townsend addressed 40 years ago are sadly still relevant.
Jeffrey Wright, one of the best actors working today, paints a complex, hilarious portrait of delusion as Thelonius “Monk” Ellison. An accomplished author who has been struggling to get his next, highly-intellectual novel published as viral authors such as Sintara Golden (Issa Rae) make waves with stories of Black trauma and pain in the inner-city that make White people feel comfortable and critics call “important.” Fed up by it all, Monk turns the tables by writing a pandering piece of trash full of every cliche about African-Americans he can find, which he comes up with by watching a bunch of Black movies from the ’90s, an era in which these stories were prevalent. Of course, Monk’s book becomes a smash hit, and while he’s hidden under a pseudonym (the ridiculously thuggish Stagg R. Lee), he still wants to find a way to get out of this mess he created.
This would be extremely silly if Monk wasn’t such a complicated, fascinating jumble of contradictions and biases. There’s clearly a lot of self-loating eating away at him, in particular regarding his upper-middle-class upbringing and taste for the finer things. It’s as if he resents the idea of being judged for his blackness, so he steers clear of anything that could remotely be defined as “Black”. He doesn’t even like it when one of his books is placed in the African-American Studies section of the library. This is the same guy whose angry defense of teaching Flannery O’Connor’s The Artificial Ni**er drove an offended white student out of the classroom in tears. Mostly, he resents authors such as Golden who, in his mind, diminish Black potential so they can make money making entertainment to comfort the white gatekeepers.
So does that make Monk a sell out for doing exactly the same thing? His scheme is netting big money, which he uses to pay for medical treatment for his ailing mom (the always-great Leslie Uggams) and to help keep the struggling family afloat. Jefferson, adapting Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, smartly ensures that his film isn’t limited by comedic satirization. In fact, what’s great about American Fiction is that it isn’t so easily defined. It’s part family dramedy, part literary and Hollywood satire, and part character study. Monk’s family life is just as critical to this story and helps lend dramatic heft. The Ellison clan are all brilliant, a total family of doctors in different fields. Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, and Uggams make for incredible elements of this ensemble, while it’s also great to see Erika Alexander in a love interest role as a neighbor whom Monk falls for. The problem is Monk is also extremely closed off from his emotions and fails to connect with just about everybody. He’s not quite on the American Splendor Harvey Pekar scale, but Monk is a bit of a curmudgeon.
Jefferson nearly lets things spin out of control with the introduction of Adam Brody as a hot-shot Hollywood producer who wants to turn the Stagg R. book into a movie. As he confirms all of the industry ignorance the film has been commenting on, he also nearly throws the film out of balance comedically. But it’s hard to complain when you’re laughing so hard. The only time the film does get away from Jefferson is in the closing moments, a branching set of paths that are too cute by half. American Fiction is nonetheless an impressive feature debut for Jefferson, offering sharp wit, and a heartfelt, at times heartbreaking look at Black intellectuals living their lives outside of how the world perceives them.
American Fiction opens in select theaters on December 15th, before expanding on December 22nd. Everywhere in January.
For nearly a decade, Ian McShane has been surrounded by killers in his role as Winston in the John Wick franchise. But he can’t be expected to look after assassins all of the time. In the new film American Star, McShane becomes an assassin himself for, you guessed it, one…last…job before retirement.
McShane’s got a gun and a target in his role as Wilson, an aging hitman taking on one last big job. This one sends him to a tropical island to kill a man he’s never met, but when the target doesn’t show up on time, Wilson’s plans get all botched up, and he decides now might be a good time to take a vacation, see the sights, fall in love, etc.
The film pairs McShane with co-stars Nora Arnezeder and Adam Nagaitis. Behind the camera is Spanish filmmaker Gonzalo López-Gallego, known for the found footage horror Apollo 18, Open Grave, and Backdraft 2.
Here’s the synopsis: Seasoned assassin Wilson (Ian McShane) is on final assignment in the island of Fuerteventura to kill a man he has never met. But the target is delayed, and Wilson’s plans must change. Instead of following protocol and returning to London, Wilson decides to stay on the island. It’s been a long time since he’s had a vacation. When his target finally returns, Wilson is there waiting for him in his house, as he had been a few days earlier. But in this brief time, everything has changed. He came to kill a man who he had never laid eyes on. That was easy. Now, nothing will be.
American Star hits theaters and VOD on January 26th 2024.
Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas! It’s like a bounty of gifts for fans of Marvel’s What If…? animated series! Not only did we learn recently that season 3 of the Multiverse-spanning show is already in the works, but today brings a brand new trailer. It arrives with season 2 right around the corner, set to hit Disney+ on December 22nd.
“There are infinite stories to be told across the Multiverse”, says Jeffrey Wright’s Uatu the Watcher.
In this case, the stories seem to be holiday-themed, or at least this footage certainly is. But the season will once again span the entire Multiverse to present tales with unique twists on our favorite MCU heroes, with many of the original actors returning to voice their characters. There’s a lot to listen out for here, too, like Sam Rockwell returning as Iron Man 2 villain Justin Hammer, and Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis. We also get a gun-toting Howard the Duck and that’s just cool no matter who voices him. We also see the return of Captain Carter, voiced by Hayley Atwell.
Loki fans will also want to check out a new look at the Yggdrasil the World Tree, protected by the god of mischief at the end of Loki season two, which is now decked out with Christmas lights. Awwwww.
With some of the What If…? characters crossing over into the live-action MCU, this show is more crucial to watch than ever. It’s not just some throwaway anthology to be ignored.
Here’s the synopsis followed by the new trailer:
With a new episode debuting nightly beginning Dec. 22, season two of “What If…?” continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles.
Yesterday it was announced that Miller’s Girl, the feature debut of writer/director Jade Halley Bartlett, would make its world premiere at next month’s Palm Springs Film Festival. Why is this a big headline sort of deal? Because the film is led by red-hot Wednesday and ex-Scream star Jenna Ortega, along with The Hobbit and MCU vet Martin Freeman.
Miller’s Girl explores the knotty relationship between a failed writer and teacher played by Freeman, and his talented young student played by Ortega. Bartlett adapted the screenplay from her own 2011 stageplay, with the script landing on the 2016 Black List.
Others in the cast include Dagmara Domińczyk, Bashir Salahuddin, and Gideon Adlon.
More reason for the buzz surrounding this film? Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are among the list of producers, adding to an impressive track record with The Boys, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Preacher, and more.
Here’s the synopsis: A talented young writer (Jenna Ortega) embarks on a creative odyssey when her teacher (Martin Freeman) assigns a project that entangles them both in an increasingly complex web. As lines blur and their lives intertwine, professor and protégé must confront their darkest selves while straining to preserve their individual sense of purpose and the things they hold most dear.
Lionsgate and Point Grey Pictures will release Miller’s Girl into theaters on January 26th 2024.
Emerging out of FantasticFest with a ton of buzz from the genre crowd, Andrew Cumming’s directorial debut Out of Darkness arrives early next year from Bleecker Street. The prehistoric survival thriller, previously-titled The Origin, has an impressive 94% currently on Rotten Tomatoes. While it’s tough to put a lot of stock in reviews from the festival circuit, based on this footage from the debut trailer, the positive response appears justified.
Starring Safia Oakley-Green, Kit Young, Chuku Modu, Iola Evans, Arno Lüning, and Luna Mwezi, the film is set 45,000 years ago as a group of six people try to find a new home in an inhospitable landscape. Meanwhile, at night they are stalked by a dangerous enemy.
The film marks the feature directing debut by Cumming, as well as the first script from screenwriter Ruth Greenberg.
Here’s the synopsis: A small boat reaches the shores of a raw and desolate landscape. A group of six have struggled across the narrow sea to find a new home. They are starving, desperate, and living 45,000 years ago. First they must find shelter, and they strike out across the tundra wastes towards the distant mountains that promise the abundant caves they need to survive. But when night falls, anticipation turns to fear and doubt as they realize they are not alone. Terrifying sounds suggest something monstrous at large in this landscape, something that could kill or steal them away. As relationships in the group fracture, the determination of one young woman reveals the terrible actions taken to survive.
Out of Darkness opens in theaters on February 9th 2024.
Christmas is right around the corner, and there are loads of unforgettable, iconic moments in holiday films that we look forward to watching every year. One of those is the inspiration for the new Dolby Cinemas poster for next year’s Mean Girls. You know the scene I’m talking about. It’s the classic “Jingle Bell Rock” dance number featuring all of the film’s central clique of high school frenemies.
This new Mean Girls is a big-screen adaptation of the popular stage musical, itself based on Tina Fey’s hilarious 2004 comedy film. The image features stars Angourice Rice as Cady Heron, Reneé Rapp as Regina George, plus Bebe Wood as Gretchen Wieners, and Avantika Vandanapu as Karen Shetty, all decked out like scantily-dressed little Santa elves.
“We’re thrilled to reveal the exclusive Dolby Cinema artwork for the upcoming musical comedy film Mean girls,” Jed Harmsen, Head of Cinema and Group Entertainment at Dolby said. “With Dolby Cinema, audiences will feel like they’re transported to Northshore High as every detail (and shade of pink) is captured in stunning clarity with Dolby Vision and the iconic musical numbers are brought to life with the immersive sound of Dolby Atmos. There’s no better way to experience Mean Girls than at Dolby Cinema.”
The new film was written by Fey and is directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.
Here’s the synopsis: From the comedic mind of Tina Fey comes a new twist on the modern classic, MEAN GIRLS. New student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls called “The Plastics,” ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George (Reneé Rapp) and her minions Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and Karen (Avantika). However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), she finds herself prey in Regina’s crosshairs. As Cady sets to take down the group’s apex predator with the help of her outcast friends Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), she must learn how to stay true to herself while navigating the most cutthroat jungle of all: high school.
Mean Girls opens in theaters on January 12th 2024, and you can pre-order tickets to experience it in the Dolby Cinema near you by going here.
The Critics Choice Association is happy to be living in a Barbie world. The 2024 Critics Choice Awards nominations were announced today, and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, the highest-grossing film of the year, led all with 18 total nods. The highest-grossing movie of the year broke the record for most nominations ever in the group’s 29-year history.
Barbie‘s list of nominations included Best Comedy, Hair and Makeup, Best Director for Greta Gerwig, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress for star/producer Margot Robbie, Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, Best Supporting Actress for America Ferrera, Best Young Actor/Actress for Ariana Greenblatt, Best Ensemble, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, and Best Score. There were also nominations for original songs “Dance the Night”, Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken”, and Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For.”
Tied for the second most nominations with 13 were Oppenheimer and Poor Things. Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon was closely behind with 12 nominations.
The 29th annual Critics Choice Awards will be hosted by Chelsea Handler, and air live on The CW on Jan. 14th 2024.
The full list of nominees is below:
BEST PICTURE
American Fiction
Barbie
The Color Purple
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
Saltburn
BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Leonardo DiCaprio – Killers of the Flower Moon
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction
BEST ACTRESS
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall
Greta Lee – Past Lives
Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Margot Robbie – Barbie
Emma Stone – Poor Things
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling – Barbie
Charles Melton – May December
Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
America Ferrera – Barbie
Jodie Foster – Nyad
Julianne Moore – May December
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Abby Ryder Fortson – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Ariana Greenblatt – Barbie
Calah Lane – Wonka
Milo Machado Graner – Anatomy of a Fall
Dominic Sessa – The Holdovers
Madeleine Yuna Voyles – The Creator
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Air
Barbie
The Color Purple
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
BEST DIRECTOR
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Greta Gerwig – Barbie
Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things
Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer
Alexander Payne – The Holdovers
Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Samy Burch – May December
Alex Convery – Air
Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer – Maestro
Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach – Barbie
David Hemingson – The Holdovers
Celine Song – Past Lives
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Kelly Fremon Craig – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Andrew Haigh – All of Us Strangers
Cord Jefferson – American Fiction
Tony McNamara – Poor Things
Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer
Eric Roth & Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Matthew Libatique – Maestro
Rodrigo Prieto – Barbie
Rodrigo Prieto – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robbie Ryan – Poor Things
Linus Sandgren – Saltburn
Hoyte van Hoytema – Oppenheimer
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Suzie Davies, Charlotte Dirickx – Saltburn
Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman – Oppenheimer
Jack Fisk, Adam Willis – Killers of the Flower Moon
Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer – Barbie
James Price, Shona Heath, Szusza Mihalek – Poor Things
Adam Stockhausen, Kris Moran – Asteroid City
BEST EDITING
William Goldenberg – Air
Nick Houy – Barbie
Jennifer Lame – Oppenheimer
Yorgos Mavropsaridis – Poor Things
Thelma Schoonmaker – Killers of the Flower Moon
Michelle Tesoro – Maestro
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Jacqueline Durran – Barbie
Lindy Hemming – Wonka
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck – The Color Purple
Holly Waddington – Poor Things
Jacqueline West – Killers of the Flower Moon
Janty Yates, David Crossman – Napoleon
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Barbie
The Color Purple
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Priscilla
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Creator
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
BEST COMEDY
American Fiction
Barbie
Bottoms
The Holdovers
No Hard Feelings
Poor Things
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Wish
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Anatomy of a Fall
Godzilla Minus One
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Taste of Things
The Zone of Interest
BEST SONG
“Dance the Night” – Barbie
“I’m Just Ken” – Barbie
“Peaches” – The Super Mario Bros. Movie
“Road to Freedom” – Rustin
“This Wish” – Wish
“What Was I Made For” – Barbie
BEST SCORE
Jerskin Fendrix – Poor Things
Michael Giacchino – Society of the Snow
Ludwig Göransson – Oppenheimer
Daniel Pemberton – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Robbie Robertson – Killers of the Flower Moon
Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt – Barbie
You just can’t keep a good panda down! The Kung Fu Panda franchise has made Dreamworks over $1.8B worldwide, and yet they still waited eight years after Kung Fu Panda 3 to launch a new sequel. After revealing the new additions to the voice cast yesterday, including Awkwafina, Ke Huy Quan, and Viola Davis, today brings the first trailer for Kung Fu Panda 4.
What would Kung Fu Panda be without Jack Black voicing Po, the bouncy martial arts master who first debuted way back in 2008? Reprising their previous roles are Dustin Hoffman, Ian McShane, Bryan Cranston, and James Hong.
Here’s the lengthy synopsis which also reveals details on the new characters:
After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Golden Globe nominee Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.
That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.
Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Oscar winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.
So, Po’s going to need some help. He finds it (kinda?) in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Golden Globe winner Awkwafina), a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur but whose skills will prove invaluable. In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws, this comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together. In the process, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.
The Kung Fu Panda franchise is extensive, and there have been multiple shows set between sequels. The most recent, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, ran for three seasons on Netflix and concluded this year. I’m sure there are some completists out there who have seen every single one of Po’s adventures. This film seems to springboard directly out of the series’ events.
Directed by Mike Mitchell (Trolls) and Stephanie Stine (She-Ra Princess of Power), Kung Fu Panda 4 hits theaters on March 8th 2024.
