Interview

Stunt Coordinator/Stunt Person

La La Land‘s Choreographer Puts the Pep in the Musical’s Steps

Mandy Moore, 40, a four-time Emmy nominee lauded for her routines on the talent competition show So You Think You Can Dance, is one of the most in-demand choreographers working today.  She just finished Season 23 of Dancing With the Stars and is currently in rehearsals for the touring version, which kicks off Dec. 16. And she is film director David O. Russell’s go-to dance guru, overseeing the fancy footwork performed by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in 

By  |  December 7, 2016

Interview

Stunt Coordinator/Stunt Person

Tom Cruise’s Most Insane Stunt Yet: the Zero Gravity Scene in The Mummy

We've written about the insane dedication Tom Cruise has put in to accomplishing the most ambitious practical stunts, rivaling some of the work of the very best stunt performers. When we interviewed stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood about Cruise's work on Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation, he talked about all the ways Cruise is consistently prepared and extremely hard working. What Cruise wants is to make the audience feel as if what they're watching is real,

By  |  December 6, 2016
Inside the Epic Finale of Westworld

We'll have to wait until 2018 to find out how the thrilling events in Westworld's epic 90-minute finale, "The Bicameral Mind" play out. Obviously, if you haven't seen the finale, stop reading.

If there's one thing that seemed apparent throughout the entirety of Westworld's first season, it was that Dr. Ford (Anthony Hopkins) was always several moves ahead of everyone else. It was apparent in nearly every scene he was in,

By  |  December 6, 2016
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story—Getting to Know Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso

As we rapidly approach the December 16 premiere date for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,  Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Studios are giving us a final flurry of glimpses at director Gareth Edwards non-saga Star Wars film, the first of its' kind.

By now you're aware the story involves the heist of the Death Star plans, the very event that's mentioned in the scrolling text that kicks off the first film in the franchise, 

By  |  December 6, 2016
Transformers: The Last Knight Drops First Trailer

Transformers: The Last Knight is taking a page from Westworld’s book and placing the gravitas machine himself, Anthony Hopkins, in the middle of the action. Michael Bay, never one to skimp on, well, anything, is also introducing an adorable new Autobot in the form of Squeeks, a little Vespa Transformer. Mark Wahlberg returns as Cade Yeager, a genius inventor who can build just about anything.

The film picks up where Age of Extinction left off,

By  |  December 6, 2016

Interview

Actor

Breakout Star Janelle Monáe on Moonlight and Hidden Figures

The multi-talented Janelle Monáe is having one of the most remarkable starts to a film career in recent memory. The iconic musician has moved into acting with two roles in films that will likely vie for Oscars, and her performances in both have been earning plaudits from critics far and wide.

As Teresa in Barry Jenkins' remarkable Moonlight, the story of a young man name Chiron's struggle to find himself,

By  |  December 5, 2016
See the First Trailer for Tom Cruise’s The Mummy & Go Behind-the-Scenes

As we told you last Thursday, Universal Pictures is well under way announced in a multi-film effort of rebooting some of their classic monsters in a brand new shared cinematic universe. The studio boasts some of the most iconic monsters in film history, and they've already got an incredible list of actors portraying them. For Frankestein's Monster, it'll be Javier Bardem. For the Invisible Man, you've got Johnny Depp. You'll also be seeing films about Count Dracula,

By  |  December 5, 2016

Interview

Production Designer

Passengers Production Designer Takes Trip to Outer Space

Two actors and one space ship command center stage in Passengers, the science fiction star vehicle opening December 21. Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt hold up their end of the entertainment bargain as travelers on the Starship Avalon who wake up way too early during their 120-year voyage to a distant planet. To craft a backdrop equal to the performances, British production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas challenged himself to infuse the story's familiar trapped-in-space premise with fresh visuals.

By  |  December 5, 2016
Go Inside the Rogue One Creature Shop

The Creature Shop is one of the most important production aspects of any Star Wars film. No amount of CGI can ever make up for how crucial it is for Star Wars films to be inhabited by creatures created by hand, giving actors the unbeatable advantage of being able to interact with a creature that’s really stand there before them. For Rogue One director Gareth Edwards, that meant leaning on Creature Effects Supervisor Neal Scanlan and his team to help build the beings that will populate the many worlds of the film,

By  |  December 5, 2016
Behold Baby Groot! Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Drops new Teaser

There's one proven one (and one only) to make your Monday a little less miserable—his name is baby Groot. And you can thank the good people of Brazil for this bit of adorableness, as Marvel Studios and director James Gunn dropped the new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. teaser at the Comic Con Experience in São Paulo, Brazil. And folks, this one has a ton more footage than the first teaser,

By  |  December 5, 2016
Real Stunts Enhance Carriage Chase Scene in Assassin’s Creed

We've written before about how Justin Kurzel wanted to ground as much of his film Assassin's Creed in reality, using "in-camera" stunts from some of the best stunt performers in the business. Kurzel's committment to flesh-and-blood actors peforming death defying feats is one reason we think he might be one of the few filmmakers able to take a video game franchise and adapt it into a wholly realized film, one that functions on its own terms. We showed you the 

By  |  December 2, 2016
Why Jyn Erso is Going to Make Rogue One Great

You’re well aware that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story comes out in just two weeks on December 16. This means we’re within that promotional window where we’ll see a final flurry of teasers, and promos. Just as we warned before The Force Awakens, you’ll need to decide for yourself if there’s a point you want to stop taking in new information, or, if you’re like us and can’t help but absorb every new image and sequence. 

By  |  December 1, 2016
See the First Look at Tom Cruise’s The Mummy

When Universal Pictures announced they were going to be rebooting some of their classic monsters in a brand new shared cinematic universe, we were optimistic. The studio has some the most legendary monsters in film history, including Count Dracula, the Wofl Man, Frankenstein's monster (Javier Bardem), the Invisible Man (Johnny Depp), Van Helsing, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Bride of Frankenstein, and, the Mummy.

While there are a slew of projects in the works,

By  |  December 1, 2016
Watch the Glorious 9 Minute Long Trailer for The Great Wall

If you’re looking for one of the boldest, longest, most wild trailers of the year, the new international trailer for Zhang Yimou’s The Great Wall will do it. It runs an astonishing nine minutes long and has no subtitles, which means you’ll likelyi only be able to understand Matt Damon’s voice over. What you want need to help appreciating, however, is Yimou’s gift for stunning visuals, the gorgeous costumes, and the film’s breathtaking scope.

By  |  December 1, 2016

Interview

Cinematographer

Cinematographer Mandy Walker Frames History in Hidden Figures

Mandy Walker knows a thing or two about defying expectations. One of the movie industry's very few female cinematographers, she decided at age 13 to become a DP. "My dad made me a little dark room in the back yard and I loved going to movies, so I decided to join those two things together," says Walker, an award-winning Australian with credits that include Shattered Glass and Mia Wasikowska's desert adventure Tracks.

By  |  December 1, 2016
Real Life Genius on Cosmic Inspiration in new Hidden Figures Promo

Hidden Figures, the upcoming biographical drama from 20th Century Fox, has unveiled a video segment called Modern Figures. In a video interview, Tracy Drain, a Systems Engineer for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, says “I used to spend nights lying awake trying to imagine the stars…to try and feel your place in the universe.” She recalls the struggles of being a woman and person of color in the science and mathematics industry,

By  |  November 30, 2016
Drink Like a Game of Thrones Character

Of all the guilty pleasures provided by HBO's juggernaut Game of Thrones one has been making of yourself a Tyrion (or a less lethal Cersei) and enjoying a glass or two of wine while watching the show. For all the dragons, swords, betrayal, sex, and death depicted over the course of the show's wild six seasons, one of the other constants has been drinking. Tyrion drinks (a lot), as does Cersei,

By  |  November 30, 2016

Interview

Location Scout

Behind-the-Scenes of Rogue One on a Deserted Island in the Maldives

While a good chunk of any Star Wars film will be filmed at the colossal Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, there are still quite a few crucial set pieces that take place all across the world. For Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, that includes films shot in Jordan, Iceland, the Isle of Dogs, and, a deserted island in the Maldives. 

On location in the Maldives.

By  |  November 30, 2016

Interview

Animator

Gorgeous Early Concept art for Arrival

If you haven't seen director Denis Villeneuve's brilliant sci-fi film Arrival yet, you're in for a treat. The short and sweet synopsis is this: Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors.

By  |  November 30, 2016
Twitter Announces Rogue One Live Streaming Event for This Friday

As we inch closer to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's December 16 premiere, fresh news arrives every day on the first non-saga Star Wars film ever. Today, it was word that Twitter, in collaboration with Disney and People Magazine, will be live streaming a special Rogue One event. People will host the live stream, which will debut brand new scenes from the film and which will be followed by a Q&A with director Gareth Edwards and some of the film's cast.

By  |  November 29, 2016