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‘The Flash’ Final Trailer With New Footage Arrives, Rave Reviews Continue After DC Fan Screening

By
Travis Hopson
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I believe that fan screenings of The Flash were held across the country last night. We definitely had one here in DC, because I’ve had some friends report back to me on it. And based on what they said, the jam-packed crowd in attendance loved it, and buzz about how good the DCU film is continues to grow. Perhaps the response will be enough for James Gunn to keep aspects of it, such as star Ezra Miller and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, for his newly-formed DC Studios?

While the two things are almost certainly unrelated, two brand new trailers for The Flash have dropped with tons of new footage, including a look at Jeremy Irons who returns as Alfred Pennyworth.

Of course, we know the film will see the swansong of Ben Affleck as Batman and the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman. Michael Shannon is also back as General Zod, who is once again a threat after Barry Allen disrupts time by traveling backwards to fix all of the tragedy in his life.

The Flash opens in theaters on June 16th!

 

‘Fast X’: Alan Ritchson Says He Replaced Keanu Reeves In Key Role

By
Travis Hopson
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Alan Ritchson

Ever since Dwayne Johnson arrived in Fast Five, adding star power with each new film has been a hallmark of the Fast & Furious franchise. For instance, Fast X really piles it on with Jason Momoa and Brie Larson, nearly making you forget other recent additions such as John Cena and Charlize Theron. But another new member of Vin Diesel’s familia is Reacher brickhouse, Alan Ritchson, as the mysterious agent Aimes. But according to Ritchson, he wasn’t the first in line for that role.

Talking with EW about how he landed the role of Aimes, Ritchson revealed that he was busy on another project when he got the offer. But it only came after the previous actor, Keanu Reeves, ran into scheduling conflicts and had to split…

“It was just a little stroke of luck and good timing. I was working on a movie with Hilary Swank up in Winnipeg in the freezing cold, and I got a call that things had shifted in the plans with Keanu Reeves, which is I think who was originally intended to play my part. Tough act to follow.”

If that’s true, then Universal and Vin Diesel did a damn good job keeping it secret. Reeves is rumored for just about every major franchise under the sun, though, and maybe Ritchson is getting rumor mixed-up with fact. Then again, he’d know better than any of us, right?

Ritchson also talked about the shake-up on Fast X that saw longtime director Justin Lin exit, only to be replaced by Louis Leterrier. At first, Ritchson thought the axe might be coming down on his head, instead.

“I got another call while I was filming from Jeff Kirschenbaum, who produces ‘Fast,’ and he sounded real low,” said Ritchson. “I was like, ‘Oh, God. Whatever you’ve got to say, just say it. I can take it. I’m a big boy.’ He goes, ‘You’re not going to be working with [director] Justin [Lin] on this.’ I was like, ‘Okay … am I still in the movie?’”

He continued, “He was like, ‘Yeah, of course. We’re excited to work with you, but we’ve decided to go our separate ways with Justin.’ I was like, ‘Okay, you can just say that next time!’ So I’m very grateful that it worked out.

Ritchson can be seen now in Fast X in a very important role.

‘Skull Island’ Trailer: King Kong Rules In Netflix’s Monsterverse Anime Series Arriving Next Month

By
Travis Hopson
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Netflix and Legendary have been so quiet about their upcoming MonsterVerse anime series Skull Island you’d think it was buried deep underground of the mystical home of the Titans. But all of that changes today with a brand new trailer that reveals King Kong is only one of the kaiju behemoths whose undeniable power will be on display.

The series from exec-producers Brian Duffield and Jacob Robinson centers on a group of shipwrecked researchers trying to escape the mysterious Skull Island, a place teeming with unfathomable monsters of incredible strength and surprising intellect.

Leading the voice cast are Nicolas Cantu, Mae Whitman, Darren Barnett, Benjamin Bratt and Betty Gilpin.

Skull Island hits Netflix on June 22nd.

‘Susie Searches’ Trailer: Kiersey Clemons Goes To Insane Lengths To Save Her True Crime Podcast

By
Travis Hopson
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It’s about to be a busy time for Kiersey Clemons. The actress who broke out in Dope years ago will finally get her moment to shine as Iris West in The Flash, and having already starred in Dave Franco’s rom-com Somebody I Used to Know, she also has one more film on the way. That would be Susie Searches, yet another film that cashes in on our obsession with true crime podcasts.

Clemons stars as the titular Susie, a college student with a failing true crime podcast whose plot to revive it depends on her solving the case of a missing man. Well, Susie does solve that crime…because she kidnapped the victim herself, which is when things really start to get wild.

Also in the cast are Rachel Sennott, Alex Wolff, Ken Marino, and Jim Gaffigan. The film is directed by newcomer Sophie Kargman in her directorial debut.

Susie Searches opens on July 28th after its world premiere last year at TIFF.

‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’ Trailer: Dreamworks’ Aquatic Coming-Of-Age Tale Emerges Next Month

By
Travis Hopson
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It’s time to go under the sea for an emotional, thrilling story about self-confidence, overcoming prejudice, and female empowerment. No, it’s not The Little Mermaid. It’s Dreamworks Animation’s Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken, about an aquatic teenage girl who is eager to be part of another world.

Lana Condor voices 16-year-old Ruby Gillman, a shy kraken girl who just wants to fit in with the other students at Oceanside High. The problem is that krakens are frowned upon in society, while all of the attention goes to the mermaids, who are popular and trusted completely by humans. But everything is not what it seems. Mermaids aren’t who they project themselves to be, and neither is Ruby, who learns she is from a long line of warrior krakens meant to inherit the throne.

Toni Collette voices Ruby’s commanding, overprotective mother, with Annie Murphy, Sam Richardson, Colman Domingo, Jaboukie Young-White, Liza Koshy, Blue Chaptman, and Jane Fonda also part of the cast. The film was directed by The Croods filmmaker Kirk DeMicco from a script co-written by Emmy-winning South Park producer Pam Brady.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken opens on June 30th.

 

 

Kickin’ New ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Poster; New Trailer Next Week

By
Travis Hopson
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Cowabunga! Good news, Turtles fans! Seth Rogen’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, will be coming your way a couple of days earlier as the film’s new release date is August 2nd 2023. Not only that, but a killer new poster has been released in celebration of World Turtle Day.

The TMNT news isn’t finished, either, as a new trailer will drop next week on May 31st.

Directed by Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs. the Machines) and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the film features an amazing voice cast of Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael, plus Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and Maya Rudolph.

Here’s the synopsis: After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

 

Joaquin Phoenix And Todd Haynes Developing An NC-17 Gay Period Romance

By
Travis Hopson
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If the wildly positive response out of Cannes is to be believed (and one should always be skeptical of Cannes “ovation” stories), Todd Haynes might be back in the awards season race with May December, his dramedy led by Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. But Haynes is already looking forward to what comes next and taking on a new challenge, namely telling a gay love story with Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix.

So Haynes has been telling any outlet that’ll listen about this new project they’re developing together. It’s an NC-17 period romance centered on two gay men. Here is what he told Indiewire…

“I have more features planned. I have also episodic projects coming that are planned, that are really exciting. I’m going back to work with Kate Winslet with something she brought me for HBO. The next film is a feature that’s an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me. We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me and Jon Raymond and Joaquin share the story credit. And we hope to be shooting it beginning early next year. It’s a gay love story set in 1930s LA.”

Raymond most recently worked with Reichardt on the Michelle Williams art world drama, Showing Up, which is in theaters now.

This would be the first time Phoenix and Haynes have worked together. It’s probably not a coincidence that Phoenix is dating Rooney Mara, Haynes’ Carol star. She may have felt Haynes was the right filmmaker to bring this story to, and judging by what we’ve heard so far, she’s probably right.

It’s way too early to start speculating on much of anything at this point, except for one thing. If this project comes together as intended, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be an Oscars darling, so best to keep our eyes on it.

‘The Color Purple’ Trailer: Fantasia Leads Steven Spielberg And Oprah Winfrey’s Musical Remake

By
Travis Hopson
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Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg are an undeniably powerful duo who can probably do anything they want, and do it successfully. They’ve teamed up for what, on paper, seems like an improbable task remaking 1983 classic The Color Purple as a movie musical. Well, it’s done and coming our way soon, and now the first trailer for this ambitious effort has arrived.

Directed by Blitz Bazawule, the film features what looks like a stand-out performance by Fantasia Barrino who reprises her Broadway role as Celie. Also in the cast and completing this story of Black sisterhood in the early 20th-century south are Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, H.E.R., Corey Hawkins, Halle Bailey, Ciara, Louis Gossett Jr., Aunjanue Ellis, Tamela J. Mann, Deon Cole, Elizabeth Marvel, and Jon Batiste.

Marcus Gardley wrote the script based on Alice Walker’s novel and the musical stageplay. Spielberg and Winfrey, who worked together on the first movie, reteam on this one as producers.

The Color Purple will open in theaters on Christmas Day and you can bet it’ll be a holiday must-see event for a lot of families.

 

RIP: Ray Stevenson, ‘Thor’ And ‘Punisher: War Zone’ Actor Dead At 58

By
Travis Hopson
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A very sad day today as actor Ray Stevenson has passed away at the age of 58. Stevenson was mainly known from his role as Frank Castle in Punisher: War Zone, Volstagg in Marvel’s Thor movies, and most recently in Tollywood blockbuster RRR.

Stevenson was born in 1964 in Lisburn. The British actor had his breakout film role opposite Helena Bonham Carter in 1998’s The Theory of Flight. His next big feature role would come in 2004 when he played Sir Dagonet in Antoine Fuqua’s King Arthur. A major series part in HBO’s Rome series would follow, playing Titus Pullo for the entirety of its run. But Stevenson’s career would take a turn when he played Frank Castle in Lexi Alexander’s brutal Marvel actioner Punisher: War Zone.

Other blockbuster films followed for Stevenson; GI Joe: Retaliation in which he played Firefly, he appeared in all of the Divergent movies, and played Volstagg of the Warriors Three in every Thor movie. Most recently, Stevenson played the villainous colonizer Governor Buxton in RRR, one of the biggest films of 2022.

Stevenson was in Italy shooting Cassino in Ischia at the time of his passing. His final TV appearance will be that of Baylan Skoll, a former Jedi in the upcoming Star Wars series, Ahsoka.

We here at Punch Drunk Critics send our condolences to Stevenson’s friends and family for their loss.

‘Asteroid City’ Clips: Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, & Jason Schwartzman Are Stuck In Wes Anderson’s Desert Town

By
Travis Hopson
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Wes Anderson fans, your two-year-long draught since The French Dispatch is nearly over. Anderson is back with Asteroid City, a sci-fi story set in a small desert town in 1955 when students and parents gather for a Junior Stargazer competition. The event is being held on Asteroid Day, which commemorates the day an asteroid struck the town thousands of years earlier. The people find themselves quarantined together as the threat of possible alien invasion looms.

As that plotline suggests, the story Anderson is telling will feature a large ensemble of old favorites and actors he’s never worked with before, such as Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan, and Jeff Goldblum.

The film is set to have its world premiere at Cannes this week, and the first three clips have dropped ahead of it. Of course, they’re all stylized a bit oddly in that Anderson sort of way, utilizing deeply saturated color schemes that make everything look like the aftermath of a nuke.

If you want to watch big stars like Hanks, Johansson, and Schwartzmann chat about extraterrestrials, death-rays, and such, this is for you.

Asteroid City opens in theaters on June 16th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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