Best of Summer 2023: “Barbie” Casting Directors Allison Jones And Lucy Bevan on Populating Barbie Land
*It’s our annual “Best of Summer” look back at some (not all) of our favorite interviews from the past few months. This non-comprehensive look back includes the Barbenheimer phenomenon and the wonderful interviews that followed those two history-making films, chats with the talented folks behind Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, our profile of MPA Creator Award Recipient and filmmaker extraordinaire Gina Prince-Bythewood and more.
Since its release last month, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has been hailed as a marvel of a balancing act between sincerity and hilarity.
Best of Summer 2023: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Look of Picture Supervisor Bret St. Clair on Spider-Punk, Mumbattan & More
*It’s our annual “Best of Summer” look back at some (not all) of our favorite interviews from the past few months. This non-comprehensive look back includes the Barbenheimer phenomenon and the wonderful interviews that followed those two history-making films, chats with the talented folks behind Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, our profile of MPA Creator Award Recipient and filmmaker extraordinaire Gina Prince-Bythewood and more.
Not bad for a sequel. Following on its 2018 Oscar-winning predecessor,
Emmy-Nominated “House of the Dragon” Cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt on Lensing a Bloody Family Affair
House of the Dragon cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt stepped back into Westerosi history in the Game of Thrones prequel and into Emmys history when she was nominated for an Emmy for her work in the 8th episode of season one, “The Lord of the Tides.” In that episode, Goldschmidt was tasked with subtly taking viewers six years into the future as two bloody succession battles are taking place. The immediate quarrel is over who will succeed Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) on the Driftwood Throne,
Best of Summer 2023: How “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” DP Fraser Taggart Pulled Off That Insane Train Sequence
*It’s our annual “Best of Summer” look back at some (not all) of our favorite interviews from the past few months. This non-comprehensive look back includes the Barbenheimer phenomenon and the wonderful interviews that followed those two history-making films, chats with the talented folks behind Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, our profile of MPA Creator Award Recipient and filmmaker extraordinaire Gina Prince-Bythewood and more.
Editors’ Note: This story contains mild spoilers.
Emmy-Nominated “The Last of Us” Hairstylist Chris Harrison-Glimsdale on Shaping the Locks of the Living and The Dead
Calgary-based hairstylist Chris Harrison-Glimsdale happily pursued the apocalypse and lived to tell the tale. In fact, she’s got an Emmy nomination for her efforts, alongside her colleagues Penny Thompson and Courtney Ullrich, for shaping the locks of the survivors and their undead pursuers who populated HBO’s critically acclaimed series The Last Of Us.
Co-created by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (creator of the critical and commercial smash hit video game that the series is based on),
Emmy-Nominated “Barry” Cinematographer Carl Herse Steps into the Darkness for the Final Season
The life of a hired hitman may seem mysterious and exotic, but Barry has a blunt message for us all. No one is immune to insecurities, mundane moments, or our own very bad ideas. The series’ final season freed the characters to face their fates, be they heroic, humble, or humorous. Barry ended with tight and tense action where no one was able to outrun their past and step out into the light.
New “Rebel Moon” Images Widen Scope on Zack Snyder’s Sweeping Two-Part Sci-Fi Epic
A slew of new images for Zack Snyder’s space opera Rebel Moon have landed here on Earth. They follow the meaty official trailer, which offered our most expansive look yet at what Snyder and his cast and crew have been cooking up. The images give us a closer look at the characters who are thrust into the trailer’s relentless action, which reveals the crux of the story Snyder and his team are telling.
First “Rebel Moon” Trailer Reveals Zack Snyder’s Space Epic
The first official trailer for Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon is here, revealing the sci-fi epic he’s been dreaming about for years. The trailer abounds in action, with the thrust of the story—a peaceful galaxy is set upon by the armies of a tyrannical lunatic and must count upon one woman to help lead them to victory against this madman—is mostly left to the visuals to do the explaining. Helpfully, we also have narration from none other than Anthony Hopkins (he plays a man named Jimmy in Snyder’s film),
Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista to Star in “The Wrecking Crew” From “Blue Beetle” Director Ángel Manuel Soto
An epic team-up for the ages will take place when Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista join forces to star in Ángel Manuel Soto’s Wrecking Crew. Warrior creator Jonathan Tropper has penned the script, which Soto, fresh from helming DC Studios’ Blue Beetle, will direct. The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop that both Bautista and Momoa were in talks to co-star in the film before the actors’ strike began,
“Barbie”: Watch Ryan Gosling Crush “I’m Just Ken” in Hilarious Rehearsal Video
It’s long been evident that Ryan Gosling has the chops for comedy. His timing and line delivery are spot on, evident in films like The Nice Guys and his stellar performance on Saturday Night Live, specifically that now iconic digital short Papyrus. Yet in Barbie, Gosling proved he’s got dance moves and a singing voice to boot, as he absolutely crushed his performance in belting out “I’m Just Ken.”
“Reptile” Trailer Finds Benicio Del Toro and Justin Timberlake in Twisty New Thriller
Netflix has revealed the first trailer for director Grant Singer’s new thriller Reptile, from a script he co-wrote with Benjamin Brewer and star Benicio Del Toro. Del Toro plays Nichols, a detective dealing with a nightmare of a case. The murder of a young real estate agent leads Nichols down a dangerous rabbit hole where nothing is what it seems, and his own life, and the illusions he labors under, will unravel with the case.
James Gunn Clarifies What “Superman: Legacy” Will Be
With James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy in pre-production—it won’t begin filming until the SAG-AFTRA strike is reconciled—fans are understandably enthused about what is a major reboot for DC’s most iconic superhero, arguably the most iconic superhero of them all. Gunn cast David Corenswet as his new Clark Kent, taking over for Henry Cavill, the man who played the most recent iteration of Superman, starting in Zack Snyder’s 2013 film Man of Steel and then again in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.
Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” Reaches New Milestone
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has now exploded to over $700 million at the global box office. This makes Nolan’s epic biopic about J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) the fourth-biggest film in his career, with yet more time for it to climb even higher. With a current haul of $718 million, Oppenheimer has surpassed Nolan’s 2014 cosmic epic Interstellar ($715 million) and trails only his two final Batman films, The Dark Knight ($1.06 billion) and The Dark Knight Rises ($1.08 billion) and his mind-trip heist movie Inception ($837 million).
“Ahsoka” First Reactions: Rosario Dawson And Natasha Liu Bordizzo Shine in Latest “Star Wars” Series
The first reactions to Ahsoka, the latest live-action Star Wars series coming to Disney+, have arrived in under twelve parsecs (Star Wars nerd alert!). It’s good news for those eager for some more Star Wars action and even better news for fans of the animated series Star Wars: Rebels, which debuted in 2014 and is the source from which this Rosario Dawson-led series draws many of its characters and narrative drive.
“Barbie”: How Michael Cera Nabbed the Role of Allan (At the Last Second)
Sure, Greta Gerwig’s longtime collaborators Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan might not have been able to snag roles in Barbie (scheduling conflicts, unfortunately), but one actor who made sure he was available to get a plum part was Michael Cera. In fact, Certa, who plays the lonely, singular Allan, a doll introduced as Ken’s pal that was ultimately neglected and discontinued, managed to get his role at the last possible second.
Godzilla Returns in First Look at Apple TV+’s “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”
Apple TV+ has revealed the first look at their upcoming series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which will continue the epic story of the Titans and Monarch, the shadowy organization that tracks them. The Titans, cinema’s most iconic beasts, are epitomized by the king of them all, Godzilla, who will be a part of the new series.
The reveal includes a good look at good old Godzilla, as well as the father and son duo of Kurt and Wyatt Russell,
“Oppenheimer” is About To Make History in a Very Unique Way
The news broke this week that Greta Gerwig’s Barbie just surpassed Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight as the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office in Warner Bros. history. You likely also know that Gerwig and Nolan have been sharing the spotlight this entire summer, thanks to the simultaneous July 21 release of Barbie and Nolan’s Oppenheimer, his three-hour epic about J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) that has wowed audiences across the globe.
Timothée Chalamet Was One of the Many Stars Who Was Almost in “Barbie”
We laughed when Barbie casting directors Allison Jones and Lucy Bevan described eager actors auditioning for the role of Ken removing their shirts unnecessarily while they read their lines for a scene where two Kens challenge each other. “Those scenes were fun to audition,” Bevan told us. “Some of the Kens would take off their t-shirts, and we were like, no, no, you don’t need to take off your t-shirt.” The role of this one particularly challenging Ken (facing off against Ryan Gosling’s version) ultimately went to Simu Liu.
“Barbie” Tops “The Dark Knight” as Warner Bros. Highest-Grossing Domestic Release in History
Barbie has beaten Batman.
Greta Gerwig’s take on Mattel’s iconic doll has now become the highest-grossing domestic release in Warner Bros. history as Barbie has officially passed Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Barbie crossed the $537.5 million mark at the domestic box office, topping Nolan’s The Dark Knight‘s $536 million haul. The Margot Robbie-led look at what happens when Barbie starts questioning her reality has struck a major chord with audiences,
“Scott Pilgrim Takes Off” Teaser: Original Cast Including Michael Cera & Mary Elizabeth Winstead Return for Anime Series
Scott Pilgrim is back in a form that would no doubt suit the flesh-and-blood character from Edgar Wright’s 2010 hit Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Making the transition from Wright’s live-action film to the new Netflix anime series all the smoother is the fact that the original Scott Pilgrim himself, Michael Cera, voices Scott Pilgrim, and he’s joined by a ton of stars from Wright’s film, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aubrey Plaza, Anna Kendrick,
