Reviews for HBO’s “The Last Of Us” Call it an Astonishing Adaptation on Every Level
Last week, we wrote a bit about HBO’s upcoming The Last Of Us, their most ambitious new series of 2023. There has been a slow, steady drumbeat of excitement about the new show as we’ve neared its January 15 premiere date, and now, the reviews suggest the excitement was warranted. The folks who have now seen the show are calling it a phenomenal, gripping drama and possibly the best video game adaptation of all time.
New “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” Photos Reveal the MCU’s New Boss Villain & More
In the new trailer for director Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the stakes of the MCU’s first Phase 5 film are clear. On the hand, you’ve got the Lang/Van Dyne/Pym family, consisting of Scott (Paul Rudd) and Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). As the film opens, things for this super-family are going pretty well—Scott had a new book coming out,
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” Trailer Unleashes Marvel’s New Big Bad
The new trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens with one man reaching out across time and space (quantum space, in this case) to connect with another. “You’re an interesting man, Scott Lang,” a voice says at the trailer’s opening, listing some of the most salient facts of Scott Lang’s life; he’s an Avenger, he’s the father to a daughter, and, here’s the kicker, that Scott has lost a lot of time over the years (while half of the living universe was snapped out of existence by Thanos for five years,
Hugh Jackman Will Train Hard For 6 Months To Return as Wolverine in “Deadpool 3”
By now, you’ve heard that Hugh Jackman will be reprising his most iconic role as everybody’s favorite adamantium-clawed mutant Wolverine for Deadpool 3. After years of comical badgering from his former and future screen partner, Ryan Reynolds, Jackman finally found a way back to the character that he had said such a declarative goodbye to in James Mangold’s excellent 2017 film Logan, which found Jackman’s mutant laying down his life to save Laura (Dafne Keen),
“Avatar: The Way of Water” Swims Past “Jurassic World” as Seventh-Highest Grossing Film Ever
The alien wonders of Pandora have overtaken the Jurassic splendor (and dangers) of Isla Nublar. James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water has officially surpassed Jurassic World as the seventh-highest-grossing film in history. The Way of Water has now hauled in $1.708 billion globally, which moves it past Jurassic World‘s $1.67 billion.
Cameron’s epic—he’s got three more if he gets to tell the entire Pandora saga—has been in theaters for four weeks.
Denis Villeneuve Adds Tim Blake Nelson to “Dune: Part Two”
Despite the fact that Dune: Part Two wrapped filming in mid-December, co-writer/director Denis Villeneuve is still adding key people to the film. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that ace character actor Tim Blake Nelson has joined the cast for Villeneuve’s ambitious adaptation of Frank Herbert’s legendary sci-fi saga.
Butler joins newcomers Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan Corrino, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, and Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV.
Aubrey Plaza & Michael B. Jordan to Host “SNL” in January
The holidays might be over, folks, but it’s still apparently a time of gifts.
Saturday Night Live has revealed that Aubrey Plaza and Michael B. Jordan will be hosting episodes this January. Plaza, fresh off starring in season 2 of HBO’s white-hot The White Lotus, will appear first on SNL‘s return on January 21, making her hosting debut. (Perhaps Chloe Fineman will revisit her portrayal of Plaza’s The White Lotus co-star,
This “The Last of Us” Set Visit Reveals a Peek at HBO’s Biggest Swing in 2023
As we wrote yesterday, HBO’s The Last of Us is one of the biggest series coming out in 2023 and probably the most ambitious new show from the network since House of the Dragon. And while it would be unfair to set the expectations for The Last of Us at Game of Thrones levels, the hopes for the new series aren’t that far off from that.
HBO’s “The Last Of Us” Looks to Become a Truly Great Video Game Adaptation
There’s a solid argument to be made that one of the most intriguing new series coming out in 2023 is based on a video game. Putting aside the wobbly track record that video game adaptations have had across film and television, in this instance, there’s a very good reason for hope. The creators behind HBO’s The Last Of Us have gone to great lengths to break the curse of video game adaptations by both leaning into the source material and drowning out the noise about how these adaptations have proven so difficult in the past.
“Renfield” Trailer Finds Nic Cage’s Dracula Tormenting Nicholas Hoult’s Servant
Imagine the most toxic relationship you’ve ever been in. Now imagine that you’re finally ready to take the steps necessary to distance yourself from this person after years and years of abuse. Now, imagine if the person you’re trying to rid yourself of is freakin’ Dracula.
This is the conceit of Renfield, director Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War)’s film about Dracula’s long-serving henchmen finally trying to break away from his master after centuries of brutal servitude.
“M3GAN” Review Round-Up: A Murderous Toy Robot Delivers a Campy Creepy, January Jolt
There’s a new murder-doll on the scene, friends, and she’s fabulous.
The reviews are in for the toy robot run-amok horror film M3GAN, and for those looking for a campy, creepy jolt to start your year, you’re in luck—the film is getting some stellar notices.
Director Gerard Johnstone’s film (from a story by horror master James Wan and a script from Akela Cooper) centers on a brilliant robotics engineer named Gemma (Alison Williams) who creates an A.I.-backed toy robot for her recently orphaned niece,
Hugh Jackman to Academy: Please Don’t Give Ryan Reynolds an Oscar Nom
Oh, Hugh.
The feud between Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds continues, and while we all know it’s not real, it’s still, even after all these years, a consistent source of joy. The first volley of the new year in their ongoing game of comically feigned spite comes from Jackman, who took to Twitter to post a video imploring the Academy to please, please not give Reynolds an Oscar nomination.
“Avatar 3” Will Introduce Evil Fire Na’vi
Avatar: The Way of Water greatly expanded the world of the alien planet of Pandora (technically, it’s an extrasolar moon) and its native inhabitants, the Na’vi. In the first film, James Cameron introduced us to the Omaticaya, the Na’vi forest tribe. In The Way of Water, with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and their family having to flee the forest for the coast, we met the ocean-based Metkayina tribe.
“M3GAN” Featurette Introduces You to The Scariest Toy Since Chucky
Let’s take a moment to listen to the way the cast and director Gerard Johnstone describe the titular robot toy in M3GAN. “Best friend,” says star Violet McGraw. “Homeschool teacher,” describes Johnstone. “The ideal companion,” says star Allison Williams. Producer James Wan says, “she has so much personality.” Co-star Jen Van Epps enthuses, “She’s just this effervescent beaming ray of light.” And then, after a beat, Epps adds, “until she goes batsh*t crazy.”
“Evil Dead Rise” Teaser Reveals Return to Iconic Horror Franchise
“Mommy loves you to death.” This is the hard-to-beat tagline for writer/director Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise, a return to the horror franchise started by Sam Raimi. A new teaser for Cronin’s film reveals a little girl named Kassie (Nell Fisher) tip-toeing to the front door in the middle of the night. Who does she spy on the other side through the peephole? Her own mother, splattered in blood, looking quite unwell. “You don’t look so good,
Marvel’s Stan Lee Documentary Will Explore the Life & Legacy of a Legend
For all you Marvel fans, you might have missed this announcement over the holidays, and it’s a big one—there’s a Stan Lee documentary coming to Disney+ in 2023. Marvel revealed the news on what would have been Lee’s 100th birthday on December 28. Stan Lee will explore the legendary comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer’s life and legacy, which includes some of the most iconic characters of all time. Just think about the superheroes Lee co-created;
“The Consultant” Teaser Introduces Christoph Waltz’s as a Corporate Hatchet Man
If you’ve ever worked in corporate America, then perhaps you’ve been subject to one of the more unpleasant aspects of corporate governance; when a consultant is hired to “improve the business.” What “improve the business” often means is firing people after putting them through a review process, a dynamic that was explored, to hilarious effect, in Mike Judge’s 1999 comedy Office Space. (A cheerful colleague mock-frowning at another and saying, “Looks like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays”
“Babylon” Production Designer Florencia Martin Conjures Hollywood’s Decadent Early Days
She designed Paul Thomas Anderson’s flashback to 1970s-era L.A. in Licorice Pizza and shaped the fifties look inhabited by Marilyn Monroe in Blonde. Now, production designer Florencia Martin takes viewers back to 1920s Hollywood in Oscar-winning writer/director Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, which immerses Margot Robbie’s Nellie LaRoy and Brad Pitt’s Jack Conrad in the gloriously decadent early days of silent film. Chazelle, a stickler for authenticity, shot at Old Hollywood locations,
“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” Composer Chanda Dancy on Scoring Whitney Houston’s Complex Life
When the shortlist for the 2023 Oscars was announced, composer Chanda Dancy was included for her work on the film Devotion. If she is nominated, she’ll make history as the first Black female composer to be nominated for an Academy Award. Dancy brings that winning streak into 2023 with her score for the new film Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Naomi Ackie as Houston.
“George & Tammy” Costume Designer Mitchell Travers on the Power Couple’s Fashion Forward Approach
When George Jones and Tammy Wynette sang, the nation listened. The chart-topping talents performed some of the most memorable songs in country music history and their love story rivaled any of their lyrics. Together, they shaped the industry amid the rise of television and against the backdrop of a rapidly changing American landscape. Showtime’s limited series George & Tammy, created by Abe Sylvia, captures the tumult and triumph of their decades in the spotlight.
