New ‘Ahsoka’ Posters Feature Snips, Anakin, And Captain Rex

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September 15, 2023

This week’s episode of Ahsoka was jam packed with surprises. We got the World Between Worlds, a flashback to the Clone Wars, young Ahsoka Tano, the return of Anakin Skywalker, and even a brief Captain Rex appearance. Pretty cool, and Disney is honoring all of that fun fan service with three new character posters.

The images feature Ariana Greenblatt as young Ahsoka Tano, who we got to see during two fierce Clone Wars flashbacks. What a year it’s been for Greenblatt, who also starred in the recent Barbie movie.

We also have the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, back as mentor to his young padewan, “Snips” aka Ahsoka Tano. It was incredibly cool to see him leaping back into the fight on the side of good, although flashes to his future turn to the Dark Side were never far behind.

And while it was brief, we also got to hear Temuera Morrison as Captain Rex, another fan favorite from The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels animated shows.

One has to imagine that the next posters we’ll get will be for Ezra Bridger and Thrawn, right? Or perhaps the Purrgil will get one of their own?

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Donald Glover’s ‘Lando’ Is Now A Movie, Not A Disney+ Series

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Travis Hopson

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September 14, 2023

When next we see Donald Glover’s Lando Calrissian, it won’t be in a Disney+ series. It’ll be in his own movie. And not like a streaming movie, but a theatrical one.

The news was revealed by Glover’s brother, Emmy-nominated Atlanta writer and EP Stephen Glover, on an episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast.

“It’s not even a show,” Stephen Glover said. “The idea right now is to do a movie. … Right now because of the strike, it’s like [a game of] telephone.”

Over the summer, we learned the Glovers had taken over as writers of Lando, replacing Justin Simien.

Glover debuted his younger take on Lando Calrissian in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. Despite that movie flopping hard at the box office with $393M worldwide, fans loved Glover as Lando and have clamored for his return. Looks like they’ll get it on the big screen, which feels like the right place for a character as iconic as Lando Calrissian.

PTFO SOURCES: The new Star Wars show about Lando Calrissian — made by Donald Glover and @Steve_G_Lover — is not supposed to be a show.

It's a movie.

👀 Full episode: https://t.co/IQzGDgbQSb pic.twitter.com/byp60HRZ6k

— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 14, 2023

Review: ‘Outlaw Johnny Black’
Michael Jai White Shoots From The Hip With Gunslinging Blaxploitation Western

By
Travis Hopson
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Michael Jai White follows his cult favorite spoof Black Dynamite with his directorial debut, Outlaw Johnny Black, turning his satirical gaze to the Old West. Long one of Hollywood’s best action stars and screen martial artists, Michael Jai White finally turns his attention to filmmaking. Not only does he direct and co-write the film, but he stars as the title character, a gunslinger on a quest for vengeance against the man who murdered his father years earlier. But Johnny Black is no saint; and taking advantage of a preacher’s misfortune, he assumes the man of the cloth’s identity, moves in on his job and his woman, while also trying to allude the posse on his trail.

White’s Black Dynamite was a popular favorite that inspired a ton of copycats, so the assumption is that he would follow the same formula with Outlaw Johnny Black. But that’s not the case. Sure, there are blaxploitation elements to it and the humor is certainly goofy at times, however, the style is closer to Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, which managed to be funny, topical, and critical of the genre while being respectful of it. This is more of a straight-forward Western than many will expect.

Outlaw Johnny Black owes a lot to the Westerns of the ’60s and ’70s that featured Black celebrities such as Jim Brown, Jim Kelly, and Fred “The Hammer” Williamson. While shootouts are common, White mixes in a healthy dose of kung-fu, giving his fans what they’re looking for in that regard. And fitting with the style of the period, Johnny Black is a smooth operator with the ladies who can’t keep their hands off of his rippling abs. At the same time, White has made a film that pays respect to faith-based culture, surrounding Johnny Black with devout characters who hope to change his path through scripture. Their Christian beliefs, while often part of the movie’s humor, are never a joke.

If that sounds like a lot of different tones competing against one another, it’s true the film can be a bit messy. But White is making a movie that combines many aspects of his personality and touches on the many different phases of his career. Outlaw Johnnny Black is a film that fans of Westerns can love as much as fans of White’s previous work, and if it leads to White tackling more genres, we’ll be lucky for it.

Outlaw Johnny Black opens exclusively in theaters on September 15th.

‘Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom’ Trailer: Jason Momoa Is A Dad With An Aqualad In The Anticipated DCEU Sequel

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Travis Hopson

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September 14, 2023

“Four years ago, I was basically unemployed, a wanderer with no home. But now, I’m a husband and a father. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry certainly isn’t in the same place he was at the start of 2018’s Aquaman, the highest-grossing DCEU film with $1.1B. The sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, arrives with rumors of multiple reshoots, and the unenviable distinction of being the final DCEU movie before James Gunn takes over. It also follows what has been a really awful year for DC movies at Warner Bros., putting a lot on its shoulders.

Fortunately, anticipation is high for the sequel, which finds Aquaman as the new ruler of Atlantis and responsible for the lives of millions. That includes his villainous brother, Orn (Patrick Wilson), who he must team up with when Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) arrives seeking vengeance.

The new footage promises new lands, new underwater creatures, a dose of the horror we know director James Wan for, and lots of brotherly squabbling. There’s a definite Thor/Loki vibe going on.

The cast also features the returns of Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, and Willem Dafoe, and Temeura Morrison.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens on December 20th.

‘Appendage’ Trailer: Huluween Sprouts An Original Body Horror Coming In October

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Travis Hopson

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September 14, 2023

Huluween is back and just in time for spooky season! Horror takes over Hulu in October, starting with the original body horror, Appendage, marking the debut of writer/director Anna Zlokovic.

Starring Hadley Robinson and Emily Hampshire, the film centers on a self-doubting fashion designer whose buried feelings manifest physically in the form of an extra growth on her body.

Gross! This thing is fleshy and throbbing and sticky. Cronenberg would be proud.

Here’s the synopsis: Hannah (Hadley Robinson), a young fashion designer, seems fine on the surface, but secretly struggles with debilitating self-doubt. Soon these buried feelings begin to make Hannah physically sick and sprout into a ferocious growth on her body: The Appendage. As Hannah’s health declines, The Appendage begins to fuel her anxieties – her perceived lack of talent at work, her deteriorating relationships with her boyfriend and best friend, and her parents’ lack of love and understanding. At her breaking point, Hannah makes a shocking discovery—there are others out there like her.

Also in the cast are Kausar Mohammed and Brandon Mychal Smith.

Appendage hits Hulu exclusively on October 2nd.

‘Divinity’ Trailer: Bella Thorne Seeks Immortality In Steven Soderbergh-Produced Sci-Fi Film

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Travis Hopson

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September 14, 2023

After premiering as part of the NEXT lineup at Sundance earlier this year, a new trailer has been released for Divinity. The bizarre sci-fi film from writer/director Eddie Alcazar and exec-producer Steven Soderbergh stars Scott Bakula, Stephen Dorff, and Bella Thorne, along with Moises Arias, Jason Genao, and Karrueche Tran. Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs did the music, joined by Dean Hurley.

Here’s the official synopsis: Set in an otherworldly human existence, scientist Sterling Pierce (Scott Bakula) dedicated his life to the quest for immortality, slowly creating the building blocks of a groundbreaking serum named “Divinity.” Jaxxon Pierce (Stephen Dorff), his son, now controls and manufactures his father’s once-benevolent dream. Society on this barren planet has been entirely perverted by the supremacy of the drug, whose true origins are shrouded in mystery. Two mysterious brothers (Moises Arias and Jason Genao) arrive with a plan to abduct the mogul, and with the help of a seductive woman named Nikita (Karrueche Tran), they will be set on a path hurtling toward true immortality.

Divinity opens in theaters on October 13th.

‘The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar’ Trailer: Benedict Cumberbatch Is A Gamblin’ Man In Wes Anderson’s Whimsical Short

By

Travis Hopson

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September 14, 2023

Netflix is really doing it big for Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl adaptation, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Not only did the 40-minute short have its world premiere at Venice, but the upcoming release is part of a special 4-night event with three other Dahl shorts by Anderson. This is like the streaming equivalent of rolling out the red carpet.

Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Henry Sugar, a gambling man who looks for an edge by learning from a guru who can see without using his eyes. Henry sets out to learn this skill and use it to cheat.

The film also stars Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade, who will all be in Anderson’s other Dahl films, too.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar kicks off the 4-night event on September 27th on Netflix.

Jigsaw Rips Into The Nicole Kidman AMC Ad In New ‘Saw X’ Teaser

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Travis Hopson

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September 14, 2023

Honestly, it’s amazing that those hilariously awful Nicole Kidman ads for AMC, that we’ve all seen hundreds of times at this point, aren’t made fun of more. I feel like as long as we are still forced to watch them, there must still be more jokes at its expense. Fortunately, Lionsgate agrees, and Jigsaw rips into with merciless glee in the new teaser for Saw X.

We all know the Kidman ads by heart, right? She walks elegantly into the empty theater, dressed like she’s about to go to a ball at the White House or something, and she sits down in her seat to tell us all of the reasons why movies are the greatest thing in the world.

But Jigsaw’s take is much better. Instead, after leaving a trail of blood behind his iconic tricycle, he describes the joy that comes from his particularly gruesome brand of murder.

“We come to the theater to scream, to beg, to play.”

“Somehow, self-amputation feels good in a place like this.”

“Traps. They make movies better.”

Yessir, I agree. This is really smart marketing for a franchise that is a bit long in the tooth.

Saw X fits between the original Saw and Saw II, with Tobin Bell returning as John Kramer/Jigsaw who travels to Mexico for a miracle cancer cure, only to realize the entire operation is a fraud. Finding new purpose, Kramer unleashes his own deadly brand of vengeance on those who conned him.

Saw X opens in theaters on September 29th.

‘Brightburn’ Sequel In The Works With Plans To Incorporate AI Into Its Production

By

Travis Hopson

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September 14, 2023

Remember Brightburn? James Gunn’s gory Superman-inspired horror had a lot of buzz among comic book fans, but it didn’t attract much of an audience, earning just $33M overall. Fortunately, it was an inexpensive movie to make, and there have been talks of a sequel ever since. Well, now as producers The H Collective are launching a new company, H3 Entertainment, Brightburn 2 is one of their top priorities. However, there’s a catch that could rub people the wrong way.

Deadline reports that H3 Entertainment is moving forward on a Brightburn sequel. The 2019 film reimagined the Superman origin story, except the extraterrestrial grows up to be an evil psychopath. Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, and Jackson A. Dunn starred.

So here’s the thing; H3 plans to incorporate AI into the making of Brightburn 2. The plan is to use “new technology” including Web3, the Metaverse, and AI, at at time when two Hollywood strikes are going on with a major issue being the extensive use of AI in Hollywood.

Producers do say they will “respect professionals and fans while promoting responsible technology integration.”

At the very least this sounds like disastrous timing to make such an announcement. It’s also possible they’ll have trouble finding quality filmmakers who want to work on a movie that uses AI extensively. Then again, who knows? The original movie was directed by David Yarovesky from a script by James Gunn and his cousin Mark Gunn. At this time it does not appear that anyone is returning. Gunn has spoken about a sequel before, but that was years ago and we don’t know his thoughts on it now. You can bet he’ll eventually have something to say over social media.

‘Lessons In Chemistry’ Trailer: Brie Larson Inspires 1950s Housewives In New Apple Series

By

Travis Hopson

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September 14, 2023

One of Brie Larson’s early breakthrough roles was on the Showtime series, The United States of Tara. And while she has become a huge movie star since then, she has continued to be a presence on the small screen in guest appearances, including recently on Ms. Marvel. But now she returns to series television with Lessons in Chemistry, in which she plays a 1950s woman who uses her cooking show to teach housewives they can be anything they want to be.

The series is based on Bonnie Garmus’ novel and developed by Good Boys and Bad Teacher director, Lee Eisenberg. Larson exec-produces and stars alongside Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Kevin Sussman, Patrick Walker, Beau Bridges, and Thomas Mann.

Here’s the synopsis: Set in the early 1950s, “Lessons in Chemistry” follows Elizabeth Zott, whose dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a patriarchal society. When Elizabeth finds herself fired from her lab, she accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show, and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives – and the men who are suddenly listening – a lot more than recipes.

Lessons in Chemistry hits Apple TV+ on October 13th and runs for 8 episodes.