International Women’s Day Profile: Director Tan Chui Mui
Pioneering Malaysian New Wave director Tan Chui Mui was on the final recce of her latest film, Barbarian Invasion, in a remote fishing village when the national lockdown news broke in mid-March last year following the World Health Organization’s declaration of the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Her shoot was about to start in early April, which would be after the end of the supposedly two-week lockdown. But Tan was fully aware of the severity of the situation in China.
“WandaVision” Finale Caps Marvel’s Remarkable First Disney+ Series
Well folks, if you’ve been watching Marvel’s WandaVision on Disney+ and you’re anything like us, you’ve slowly come to realize this really is a remarkable series. Showrunner Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman created something wholly original, plopping Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) down into an evolving world of sitcoms that has gotten progressively darker, sadder, and more intense. The show has generated serious discussions about grief, thanks to (spoiler alert) the reveal that the entire world of Westview,
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Top of Mind at the Berlin Film Festival
There are no live audiences aside from the judges at this year’s 71st Berlinale and obviously no parties or red carpets to speak of, but in one way or another, the show goes on. The Motion Picture Association and the entertainment law firm Greenberg Traurig hewed to joint tradition and held their industry panel discussion, bringing their speakers and audience together over video conference instead of Greenberg Traurig’s premises perched above the Berlin cityscape.
“A Quiet Place Part II” Release Bumped Up to Memorial Day
Chalk this up as some good news to start your Friday. Paramount has announced that they’ll be releasing John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place Part II earlier than we’d thought. They’ve pushed up the release date to Memorial Day, making Krasinski’s hotly-anticipated sequel our official summer kickoff film. What’s not to love about this?
Krasinski took to Twitter to share the news. The new release date means that the writer/director’s follow-up will have now been delayed well over a year from its original March 20 release date.
Here Are The Six Chapter Titles For “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”
We’re almost at the long-awaited premiere date for Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max. The official Twitter page for Snyder’s upcoming film has revealed its six chapter titles, giving us at least a broad outline of how the four-hour film will be broken up narratively.
You’ll note that three of those chapters appear to be actual quotes from the film. For example, the very first chapter sounds like something Jason Momoa’s Aquaman says to Ben Affleck’s Batman when he’s asked to join the fledgling super-group.
Anthony Mackie is Ready to Soar in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”
Anthony Mackie has been donning the metal wings as Falcon since his first appearance in the Russo Brothers’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014. He’s now appeared in six films as Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon, but now, at long last, Mackie’s finally poised to be the title character in Marvel’s upcoming Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The series, directed by Emmy-award winner Kari Skogland, features Mackie’s Falcon and Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier,
Makeup Artist Angie Wells on Remaking Carey Mulligan in “Promising Young Woman”
Writer/director Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman delivers a deliciously punchy twist on the revenge narrative. Carey Mulligan stars as Cassie, short for Cassandra, which happens to be the name of the priestess in Greek mythology who was cursed to speak true prophecies that were never believed. Mulligan’s Cassie, however, is a woman who eschews speaking prophecies for becoming them. She’s on a personal mission, fueled by a tragic event in her past, to teach every would-be date rapist a lesson they’ll never forget.
“Thunder Force” Trailer Reveals Melissa McCarthy & Octavia Spencer’s Superhero Film
One of Netflix’s big releases this year is the Ben Falcone written and directed Thunder Force, starring Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer as estranged childhood best friends who band together to take on a surfeit of supervillains. The superstar duo was on hand on The Ellen Show where the trailer for their upcoming comedy appeared, giving us a glimpse of what they’ve got cooking here.
You’ll note right from the jump that the Thunder Force trailer is going to create a Pavlovian response in superhero film fans.
Makeup Artist Laini Thompson on Helping Transform Andra Day Into Billie Holiday
For Billie Holiday’s listeners, her music is eternal, but her life story may be less so. Directed by Lee Daniels, The United States vs. Billie Holiday (now streaming on Hulu) envelops itself in both aspects of the star’s biography, opening on Billie (Andra Day) on stage, glamorous, impeccable, and singing “Strange Fruit,” the most political ballad in her oeuvre. Eerie and heartbreaking, “Strange Fruit” was first published in 1937 as a poem by Russian-Jewish schoolteacher Abel Meeropol,
“Snowfall” DP Tommy Maddox-Upshaw on Transforming Memory Into Light & Optics
Season 4 of the FX drama Snowfall opens on antihero Franklin Saint (Damson Idris) imploring CIA agent Teddy (Carter Hudson) to help him keep local gang rivalries in check. Tensions are getting out of hand in mid-1980s Los Angeles, even if Franklin, erudite and unassuming, appears as on top of his own drug-related dealings as ever. Far and near, the show’s other characters are going through upheavals of their own. Teddy’s machinations in Mexico go off the rails in part due to trouble with an Israeli gangster,
“Game of Thrones” Actress Indira Varma Joins “Obi-Wan Kenobi” Disney+ Series
These are not the droids you’re looking for, but this is the kind of news you want to hear about Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The long-gestating live-action spinoff featuring Ewan McGregor as the younger Kenobi finally seems to be cruising in hyperdrive. Deadline broke the news that Game of Thrones alum Indira Varma has joined the show. Varma was excellent as Ellaria Sand in Thrones,
“Lovecraft Country” Creator Misha Green on Confidence and Taking Risks in Hollywood
Name a vocation and Misha Green has probably done it. And if not in her own lifetime, then through the lives of the characters she creates.
“My sister just reminded me the other day, she was like, ‘You actually got into UCLA for acting,’” Green said. “And I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s RIGHT!’”
But ultimately, it was a life behind the camera that Green preferred. She decided to study television and film at New York University and a few years later landed her first industry job as a staff writer for FX’s Sons of Anarchy.
Netflix Reveals First Look at Their New Superhero Series “Jupiter’s Legacy”
Netflix just released the first proper look at their upcoming superhero series Jupiter’s Legacy, which centers the superpowered children of famous superheroes (hence the “Legacy” in the title) and is based on Mark Millar and Frank Quitely’s graphic novels. The series looks at what the second generation of superheroes have to live up to—and overcome—as they take the reigns of responsibility from their parents. This new teaser gives us a glimpse of our main characters,
Writer/Director Anna Kerrigan & Jillian Bell on Making the Modern-Day Western “Cowboys”
A stirring, “stay with you” drama about family, tolerance, and rescue, Cowboys centers on the disparate reactions from newly separated parents Sally and Troy (Jillian Bell and Steve Zahn) upon learning their child, Joe (newcomer Sasha Knight), is transgender. While Sally remains in denial, Troy is determined to allow Joe to live authentically and runs off with him into the wilderness of Montana, with authorities not far behind. Ann Dowd plays the detective assigned to the case,
Golden Globes 2021: Chadwick Boseman, Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland,” “The Crown” & More Win Big
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the bi-coastal, virtual 78th annual Golden Globes last night, wringing some laughs and joy out of a very unusual setup, following a very sad, unusual year.
The big winners this year included the late, great Chadwick Boseman, who was awarded for Best Actor in a Drama for his sizzling performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Chloé Zhao had a major night, taking home the Best Director award (in a year that featured three female nominees in the Director category) and seeing her Nomadland win Best Motion Picture,
New “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” Teaser & Images Hype Marvel’s Next Series
The last few days have brought a lot of exciting news about Marvel’s next big Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and we’ve compiled it all together for you for a little Friday feast. There’s a new, action-packed teaser. There’s a bevy of new photos. And, there’s the reaction from assorted critics who have gotten a sneak peek at the series. All of this combines into some excellent pre-release hype. If you were only marginally interested in the series,
Writer/Director Tiller Russell on his Real-Life Crime Drama “Silk Road”
Writer/director Tiller Russell was ideally suited to take on the crime thriller Silk Road. As the director of The Last Narc and Netflix’s Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, Russell is no stranger to looking squarely at the darker corners of the human soul. For Silk Road, which was inspired by David Kushner’s Rolling Stone article “Dead End on Silk Road: Internet Crime Kingpin Ross Ulbricht’s Big Fall,”
The First Teaser for Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” is Here
Most of the buzz around Zack Snyder these days has been about his upcoming Justice League refresh. Snyder’s second crack at DC’s biggest superhero film has understandably garnered a lot of attention, but he’s got another big movie coming out for Netflix, and it’s worth paying attention to. Behold, the first teaser for Snyder’s zombie flick Army of the Dead, which mashes two beloved cinematic genres into one epic—it’s a zombie heist movie.
Your Official “Spider-Man 3” Title is Here
And now we have an official title for Spider-Man 3, and it turns out, one of those fake titles we wrote about this morning was closer to the truth than we realized. Tom Holland, Jacob Batalon, and Zendaya all shared absurd titles on social media, but the one Holland offered was somewhat close to reality. So no, Spider-Man: 3 is not Spider-Man: Phone Home, but it is…
“Star Trek: Picard” Director Hanelle Culpepper Charts a Diverse Path in Hollywood
America had its eyes locked on Mars this past week as the NASA rover, Perseverance, landed on the red planet and sent color photos back to Earth. It’s an optimistic step in space exploration that may expand human understanding of the Milky Way, but things don’t rest so peacefully in the galaxy on the first season of Star Trek: Picard.
The latest critically acclaimed series in the Star Trek franchise follows a synthetic attack on Mars that set the planet ablaze and propelled former admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) into retirement.
