If you’re going to enter the world of dreams, wouldn’t you want Jason Momoa as your guide? Such is the luck of Nemo (Marlow Barkley), who meets Flip (Momoa) in the dreamworld called Slumberland, where she’ll need Flip’s help to make it through this illogical, often insane place to achieve her ultimate goal—seeing her late father again. The second trailer for Slumberland has arrived, a mere two days before its premiere, giving us a deeper look at what director Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and his cast and crew have dreamed up for us.
Dangers certainly lurk in Slumberland, and as a guide, Flip seems less concerned with safety than he is with having a good time. That should be a recipe for success for younger viewers—an adorable stuffed animal (a pig) that’s come to life will help—but the excellent cast and filmmaking chops of Lawrence make Slumerbland the type of kid’s movie adults can not-so-secretly love.
Lawrence directs from a script by David Guion and Michael Handelman. Joining Momoa and Barkley are Kyle Chandler, Chris O’Dowd, Cameron Nicoll, Weruche Opia, India de Beaufort, and Antonio Raine Pastore.
Slumberland arrives on Netflix on November 18. Check out the trailer below:
Here’s the official synopsis for Slumberland:
Slumberland takes audiences to a magical new place, a dreamworld where precocious Nemo (Marlow Barkley) and her eccentric companion Flip (Jason Momoa) embark on the adventure of a lifetime. After her father Peter (Kyle Chandler) is unexpectedly lost at sea, young Nemo’s idyllic Pacific Northwest existence is completely upended when she is sent to live in the city with her well-meaning but deeply awkward uncle Phillip (Chris O’Dowd). Her new school and new routine are challenging by day but at night, a secret map to the fantastical world of Slumberland connects Nemo to Flip, a rough-around-the-edges but lovable outlaw who quickly becomes her partner and guide. She and Flip soon find themselves on an incredible journey traversing dreams and fleeing nightmares, where Nemo begins to hope that she will be reunited with her father once again.
For more on big titles on Netflix, check these out:
Movie lovers have had their engines running for a new film from George Miller from his Mad Max franchise. After the high-octane blast that was Mad Max: Fury Road—one of the best action movies of the century—all eyes have been on Miller for a follow-up. When we learned that he’d be filming a prequel based on Charlize Theron’s beloved Furiosa, we were as thrilled as everyone else. Now, a crucial step in the pre-production process has been completed—Miller’s Furiosa has found its VFX house, a brand new facility that’s being built by DNEG in Miller’s native Australia, in Sydney.
DNEG Sydney will be a full-service VFX studio (think Industrial Light & Magic in California or Weta in New Zealand) that will take the lead on highly detailed projects, from feature films like Miller’s upcoming prequel to episodic projects. The studio will also feature DNEG Animation, which was the animation house behind Kid Cudi’s animated love story Entergalactic for Netflix.
The man running DNEG Sydney will be Oscar and BAFTA-winning VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson (an Australian native), Jackson’s resume includes Mad Max: Fury Road (of course), Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (which he nabbed an Oscar and a BAFTA award for), Dunkirk, and his upcoming Oppenheimer. Jackson will have a talented team, including VFX wizards like Dan Bethell, who will as the DNEG VFX supervisor on Furiosa and who recently worked on Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder.
The creation of DNEG Sydney continues the country’s growing footprint in the VFX world. Being the lead house to work on Furiosa is an incredible place to start building your legacy. The film will find Anya Taylor-Joy playing Furiosa before the events in Fury Road, joined by Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke. Filming has already begun.
For more on Warner Bros., HBO, and HBO Max, check out these stories:
As the afternoon light waned in Toronto, production designer Tamara Deverell recently found herself sitting on the floor of an abandoned psychiatric hospital on break from the new Sofia Coppola movie she’s working on. With dusk approaching, she joked, “I’m getting scared because it looks like I’m in this spooky Guillermo del Toro room right now!”
If anybody would know about spooky spaces, it’s Deverell. She earned an Oscar nomination earlier this year for designing Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley and recently completed work on Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. The eight-episode anthology series, now streaming on Netflix, draws inspiration from shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone to explore a warped universe filled with creepy creatures and haunted houses.
Deverell, who started working with del Toro back in 1997 when she art directed his insect horror movie Mimic, spoke to The Credits about creating habitats for giant rats, stunted trees, and alien artifacts.
In terms of sheer logistics, it must have been daunting to design eight shows for eight different directors simultaneously. How did you organize that?
I had a head start because Guillermo asked me to be involved even before hiring the directors. I’d read some of the stories he was basing the tales on. Then I realized this would be one of the most incredibly difficult projects of my life because not only was I going to be representing Guillermo’s vision — that was the easy part because I’m in synch with him — but I also had all these directors with very different personalities. To be quite honest, it was exhausting.
Breaking down your work for specific episodes, can you talk about the tunnels in Graveyard Rats?
Technically, that was probably the most challenging build. It wasn’t just our department. We had to have cameras on a track custom-built to go through these tunnels. My amazing art director Brandt Gordonworked with the grips, electric people, and camera department to make that happen. And then they were building the animatronic rats in L.A. and shipping them up here, so we had to interact with that to figure out how big the tunnels had to be.
Designing a maze of rat tunnels — that would be a first for you?
Actually, my first foray into the tunnel world was building sewage tunnels for Mimic when I was still art directing for the wonderful production designer Carol Spier. And then when I worked on [TV series] The Strain, another Guillermo thing, where we did tunnels for vampires, subway tunnels, sewage tunnels. I have to say; it’s fun building weird things like that. If I ever got another courtroom set or doctor’s office, shoot me in the foot, like, I’d just run. I run toward the danger of doing something like Cabinet of Curiosities, which has so many different looks.
The Viewing episode, directed by Panos Cosmatos, culminates when guests invited to this eccentric man’s compound try to make sense of a strange glowing object.
We called that “the artifact,” the thing that came from outer space or from the middle of Panos’ brain [laughing]. This wonderful guy Andy Tsang, who works in 3D modeling, modeled it up. Then we handed it over, and the whole piece was hand carved. One thing Guillermo likes to do is to use practical effects and creature effects to great advantage. His new Pinocchio speaks to that, being so tactile and reality-based.
In The Murmuring, bird watchers live in this magnificent mansion by the sea.Where did you find that house, and how did you make it so spooky?
Well, we built that house.
What?
Entirely built. There was another movie, Scary Stories, which, full disclosure, I did not design, but they’d built a mansion set which they kept in a trailer. We re-assembled that, and, like any good dog, I peed in all the corners. But it had great bones, a staircase, and some paneled walls. We added the kitchen and the turret room. The director Jennifer Kent is wallpaper crazed, and so am I, so we went a little nuts with this beautiful William Morris period wallpaper. And we painted the whole house deep blue to set the mood. It’s a period look within a period film because the original house is the 1930s when ghost mother and son were alive, and then [the main story takes place in] the 1950s, so everything’s covered in dust. Very poetic, I thought.
Dreams in the Witch House features this spooky forest thick with stunted trees. How did you approach that setting?
We kicked around the idea of shooting in an actual forest, but it was too difficult to do in November in Canada. The director Catherine Hardwicke made the Red Riding Hood movie, and they’d built the forest for that. We wanted this ethereal life-or-death no man’s land, so we looked at all this different imagery and found these truncated trees that looked like giant tuning forks. We took actual bark from locust trees in front of the house, where we shot the childhood home at the beginning. I noticed that bark was so twisty and strange, so we cast the bark and molded it as the skin of our trees, which were made from metal armature covered in foam. Once we put the skin of the bark on, we painted that and added moss. That was our forest-in-a-studio set.
You built most of the environments on the soundstage, but did you also use real-world locations?
Yes. It was a big challenge to shoot 1920’s Boston for Pickman’s Model. We had just one night to shoot the cobblestone streets of Toronto’s Old Distillery District. It used to be that we could control that area because nobody but us lunatics in the film industry went there. But now it’s gentrified and full of restaurants. That was tough because we only had six hours to dress the streets before the crew came in. “We have to cover the security cameras!” and this and that. Shooting in a studio is easier because you have complete creative control.
The Cabinet of Curiosities itself, featured in the introductory segments, looks like a fiendishly complicated piece of furniture.
Guy Davis, one of Guillermo’s long-standing collaborators, did the initial concept sketch. I took that and did 3-D renderings. We actually built three cabinets: a shortened one, like the first tier of a wedding cake that would pop up with CGI. The second one, made from oak, was a mind-boggling build for our carpenters because it had all these secret compartments, drawers within drawers. And then a third one for different camera angles.
Each introduction includes a tiny statue of that episode’s director. Did you see that coming?
I thought Guillermo had lost it when he said he wanted a little netsuke — a Japanese statuette — of each director. We drew them on paper, and two of our sculptors carved them up. For Panos, we put horns on him, and [Rat Graveyard director] Vincenzo [Natali]was surrounded by rats. We had fun with it.
You’ve designed for Guillermo del Toro many times over the years. What’s he like to work with?
He’s very respectful, very collaborative, truly a gentleman, and he’s an artist. I’m able to speak to Guillermo artist to artist, storyteller to storyteller. A lot of time, we don’t talk in words. Instead, we draw together. I’ll bring my iPad to set and show him something, and he’ll grab my stylus and draw over my drawing.
Guillermo del Toro is known for his sketchbooks. It seems like he can probably get very specific when it comes to visual ideas.
Guillermo has such an understanding of geometry and architecture and structure. When he says, “Let’s make this ceiling really low, like seven feet high,” he means it. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to communicate. Just look at the way he worked with eight directors on this series and how he pulled these stories out of them! It’s not like he’s a puppet master but more of a collaborator in the way he gently helped us reach this high level of artistic achievement.
Anything else you like to add?
I have many stories, but I have to go because it’s getting dark.
You’re in an abandoned psychiatric ward. I get it.
Seriously, it’s getting creepy in here.
For more on big titles on Netflix, check these out:
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw helped co-writer/director Ryan Coogler realize his ambitious vision for the sequel. Speaking at the EnergaCameriage cinematography film festival in Torun, Poland, Durald Arkapaw explained how she helped capture Wakanda Forever’s mood, shot with a “texture of grief throughout the film,” over the loss of King T’Challa, and the star who played him, Chadwick Boseman.
“As far as aesthetic choices for this, because of the importance for [Coogler] of grief, rebirth, migration, and all of this stuff that is so textural and delicate, we decided to de-tune and modify some T-series lenses,” Durald Arkapaw said. “And then we used a wider lens for close-ups.”
“And then with lighting, I tend to light moodier, and it was embraced here, and Ryan’s very specific in what he wants out of a scene and how he captures the scene and where the cameras should be,” Durald Arkapaw said. “For me, light shouldn’t fall everywhere. A character should be coming in and out of light, like it happens in real life. And there’s so much texture and drama to a face, and if you just don’t shape it, then you don’t feel that emotion. So I think it was just very important for this story.”
Durald Arkapaw cited two iconic blockbusters for their ability to blend VFX into a natural environment to create something seamless—Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Both films, Duran Arkapaw said, “told you a. lot in the darkness just as much as the light.”
As for the scenes set in Namor (Tenoch Huerta)’s underwater kingdom of Talokan, Durald Arkapaw said Coogler made the decision to embrace the darkness.
“It was very important to Ryan to have a deep space movie underwater. Things are dark,” she said. “It creates more tension, they’re textural, there’s a lot of turbidity, the clarity’s off. When you make a decision like that, that’s brave; everyone has to be on the same page. So we shot everything underwater that we could so we had a reference, and we also shot it dry-for-wet, and they took both of those and were able to make something that was very beautiful and felt real – as real as it could with people walking and talking underwater. That was very important to Ryan from the beginning.”
The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever shoot was a labor of love, lasting 130 days, in which everyone involved wanted to give Coogler and the memory of Boseman their absolute all.
“This film is so important culturally and to so many people, and it’s not just another action film,” she said. “So you always have that in mind too. You’re paying homage to an individual but also a character that was beloved. And every person and head of department that came before me worked very hard on the first one. And so, game on, on the second one to do it justice. Also, everyone loved [Boseman] on set as well, so you’re always reminded of that. So [this job] was very important for me.”
For more on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, check out these stories:
The Kevin Costner-led neo-western Yellowstone rounded up an astonishing 12.1 million viewers on Sunday night.
This haul is the biggest overnight launch for Taylor Sheridan’s juggernaut series, and, according to Samba TV (via The Hollywood Reporter), this makes Yellowstone the top scripted series premiere of 2022.
The numbers for Yellowstone are the kind that TV creators and studio executives dream of. Sheridan’s western was up double digits in every demographic, which includes growing 52% among adults 18-34, growing 10% from season four with 8.8 million viewers for its first airing on Paramount Network, a number that rose first to 10.3 million when you include simulcast airings on CMT, TV Land, and Pop, and then to 12.1 million when you include encore telecasts. All in all, it’s a ravishing start for TV’s premiere series.
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family’s efforts to protect their Montana ranch from all would-be usurpers. The two-episode premiere leaped forward to give us a seminal moment in John Dutton (Kevin Costner)’s life, as he’s sworn in as governor of Montana. Dutton keeps his staff a family affair, appointing his daughter Beth (Kelly Reilly) as his chief of staff, while his son Jamie (Wes Bentley) arrests his own political interests—for now—to help his sister steer his father’s career. The sibling rivalry is but one of the series’ boiling subplots, as the Duttons are often under some kind of assault, be it from the political scene in Montana, outsiders threatening Dutton family ranchers or tragedies within the family itself.
Sheridan’s prolific writing and creating have become so pronounced there was a story from last week that he might have broken another record when he wrote the pilot for another one of his series, Tulsa King, in a single day. That show, starring Sylvester Stallone as a formerly incarcerated mobster relocating to Tulsa to start afresh, is now streaming on Paramount+. And then just yesterday we got the first teaser for the Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren-led Yellowstone: 1923, the second Yellowstone prequel to arrive (along with 1883), which will feature Ford and Mirren as Jacob and Cara Dutton.
For more films and series from Paramount and Paramount+, check out these stories:
David Harbour is set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Red Guardian, so the man knows what he’s talking about when he starts dishing on one of the most mysterious upcoming MCU films.
Harbour is reprising his lovable Soviet antihero from Black Widow for Thunderbolts, the mysterious Phase 5 capper that Kevin Feige teased during San Diego Comic-Con 2022. The film will be Marvel’s version of The Suicide Squad, getting a bunch of antiheroes together to save the day. When Harbour sat down with Collider to discuss his upcoming Christmas action flick Violent Nights, he gamely took a few questions about returning to the MCU.
The first thing to know is Thunderbolts is still a ways off—Harbour said that the script isn’t finished yet. But he does know what the story is about, and he promises that it’s going to be something different for MCU fans. “It’s not what you’d expect. It incorporates a couple of new elements, new things that we have yet to see in the universe.”
Harbour expanded on the film to Collider and riffed a bit about some of co-stars. They include Julia Louis Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (fresh from her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Florence Pugh returning as Yelena Belova from Black Widow, Sebastian Stan returning as Bucky Barnes from a slew of MCU movies, and Wyatt Russell returning as John Walker from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier:
“It’s really cool. We introduce a thing that’s super cool. It’s vital. I’m psyched that Julia Louis Dreyfus’ character is going to be, in a bigger way, explored. One of the things you’ll probably know is that the me and Florence [Pugh] dynamic will be in there and explored in a way that’s really cool. But all these guys, Sebastian’s character, Wyatt’s character, I just love this mercenary element in the MCU. MCU has always been sort of elevated in a certain way. Captain America, even Iron Man, although he has an ego, are always in it for the right reasons or ultimately does the right thing. And I like these guys who are a bunch of losers or a bunch of guys who can’t quite get it right. And so far, what they’ve pitched me just feels really cool.”
The above group—Harbour’s Red Guardian, JLD’s mysterious Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Florence Pugh’s Black Widow (the non-Scarlett version), Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier, and John Walker’s disgraced former Captain America aren’t the only MCU troublemakers in the film. Olga Kurylenko returns as Taskmaster, and Hanna John-Kamen as Ghost, from Black Widow and Ant-Man and the Wasp, respectively, are also onboard. The movie might have a deeper ensemble than any other Marvel flick that doesn’t have an Avengers in its title.
Thunderbolts is due to close Phase 5 when it premieres on July 26, 2024.
The first trailer for the HBO documentary series Shaq is here, and it’s mannan from basketball heaven for all you NBA fans. The doc will give us the first in-depth look at the legendary life and career of one of the greatest to play the game, centered on the story from the man himself and rounded out by interviews with family members, fellow NBA legends, and former teammates. What’s thrilling about the trailer is how Shaq reminds us just how otherworldly Shaquille O’Neal was in his prime, how ferocious he was as a competitor, and how dominant he was with his size and skill. It also reminds us that while the Shaq that younger generations have gotten to know—a lovable presence on TV leading a massively successful post-NBA career—the Shaq who dominated the NBA was a force to reckon with. For those foolish enough to get in his face, Shaq would put you on your backside.
“We kept this documentary real from the start, and I do feel like it is the most honest look into my life and career up until this point,” Shaq said in a statement when the doc was announced. “This process allowed me to reflect publicly in a way I haven’t before, and I’m so proud of the work everyone has done to put it all together.”
The interviews in Shaq include a slew of legends. His former teammates and coaches, like Penny Hardaway, Dwyane Wade, Dennis Scott, Brian Shaw, Derek Fisher, and Rick Fox offer thoughts and memories. Former head coaches Phil Jackson and Pat Riley discuss what it was like to lead a team with him at center. Former Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Jerry West on Shaq’s effect on the Lakers franchise and the sport. Members of the O’Neal family weigh in, including his mother, Dr. Lucille O’Neal, siblings Jamal and Lateefah Harrison, and three of his children — Taahirah, Shareef, and Myles. This will be the definitive look at the life, thus far, of Shaquille O’Neal.
The series is four episodes long and will take us through Shaq’s origins in a military household throughout his career, from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers and, finally, the Miami Heat.
Check out the trailer below. Shaq premieres on HBO on November 23.
For more on Warner Bros., HBO, and HBO Max, check out these stories:
Yellowstone: 1923 is a prequel, of course, to the massively successful Yellowstone and yet another outpost of creator Taylor Sheridan’s growing western universe. A new teaser from Paramount+ reveals the third series from the ever-busy Sheridan, who has tapped some major film talent to lead his new show. If you’re going to extend your already burgeoning western project, who better to enlist than Harrison Ford and Hellen Mirren, who lead a new generation of Duttons in 1923? The answer is no one.
This brings us to the first teaser for Yellowstone: 1923, which reveals Ford’s and Mirren’s Jacob and Cara Dutton as Jacob saddles a horse on the Yellowstone Ranch. “Violence has always followed this family from the Scottish Highlands to the slums of Dublin, and it followed us here,” a voiceover tells us over scenes of all sorts of mayhem. “Where it doesn’t follow, we hunt it down. We seek it.” 1923 won’t skimp on the action—the Yellowstone universe thrives on skirmishes of one type or another—and the teaser ends with Ford’s Jacob aiming his rifle at an unseen threat.
Yellowstone: 1923 is set between Sheridan’s two other series—the Kevin Costner-led Yellowstone and the prequel series 1883. The new series tracks Jacob and Cara Dutton’s lives as they lead the Yellowstone Ranch through a particularly volatile point in American history. Prohibition, drought, a pandemic, and the coming Great Depression are all bearing down on the Dutton family, the same as they are for every American. 1923 will follow a two-season arc, with Ford and Mirren joined by Sebastian Roché, Jerome Flynn, Darren Mann, Michelle Randolph, James Badge Dale, Marley Shelton, Brian Geraghty, Aminah Nieves, Jennifer Ehle, Julia Schlaepfer, Brandon Sklenar, and Robert Patrick.
Check out the teaser below. Yellowstone; 1923 begins streaming on Paramount+ on December 18.
For more films and series from Paramount and Paramount+, check out these stories:
There was little doubt that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was going to be a huge movie, but shattering the record for November releases is still something to behold. Co-writer/director Ryan Coogler’s phenomenal sequel brought in $180 million domestically and $330 million globally, which makes it the all-time biggest launch of any film in November. It clawed past The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which took in $158 million in November of 2013. It’s the second biggest opening for the year for Marvel, just shy of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which pulled in $187.4 domestically, and it knocked Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam from its perch.
The international haul proves, yet again, the massive interest in the Black Panther franchise overseas. Wakanda Forever gobbled up $150 million internationally as audiences poured into the theater in places like the U.K., France, Mexico, South Korea, and Brazil. It also had the highest opening in history in Nigeria, where it had its African premiere.
Wakanda Forever currently ranks as the 13th biggest opening ever, and its Friday opening alone was historic. It pulled in $84 million, just about tying it to Avengers: Age of Ultron as the 9th largest single-day haul. The reviews only fueled more people into theaters (Wakanda Forever enjoys an A CinemaScore), and those audiences were diverse. According to PostTrak, the audiences were led by Black moviegoers (34 percent), followed by Caucasians (31%), Latinos (21%), and Asian/Other (14%). Another impressive stat speaking to the massive interest in the sequel is that females made up 45% of the audience, a much higher percentage than is usually the case for a superhero film.
Then there is the fact that Wakanda Forever isn’t like other superhero films and was never going to be. The original Black Panther obliterated the lie that audiences wouldn’t go see a film made by and starring a predominately Black cast. Wakanda Forever then had another humongous challenge when Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away back in August 2020. Coogler and his team refocused Wakanda Forever on his loss and found its narrative thrust in how the women of Wakanda, led by Ramonda (Angela Bassett), dealt with that loss and carried on. Ramonda, Shuri (Letitia Wright), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) were the heart and soul of Wakanda Forever, and their journey, and the crowning of a new Black Panther, led to an immensely satisfying, bittersweet cinematic experience. The introduction of a new, immensely powerful figure in Namor (Tenoch Huerta), and a brand new, gorgeously evoked world in the underwater empire of Talokan, made Wakanda Forever the rare intimate epic. The box office numbers, while historic, are unsurprising when you factor in all this talent and all this heart.
For more on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, check out these stories:
A tremendous number of spoilers ahead—if you haven’t yet seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, back away from this story.
Co-writer/director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had a massive weekend. It conquered the box office with the biggest November opening of all time, commanding $180 million domestically and $330 million globally. There was huge interest in this franchise, of course, and for a sequel that had to find its way without Black Panther star and leader Chadwick Boseman, who died tragically in August of 2020. There was a palpable desire for fans of Boseman and the franchise to be together in a theater, and, even for an MCU film, there was a tremendous amount of curiosity about what the world of Black Panther could even be without Boseman. Rarely (if ever, frankly) has a comic book movie, let alone a blockbuster, felt so bittersweet and cathartic and personal.
Coogler and his co-writer Joe Robert Cole had to completely retool the script after Boseman’s death. Originally, the Black Panther sequel was going to focus on T’Challa (Boseman) as he grew into his role as the Wakandan King and Black Panther, looking squarely at what being a leader meant to him and how he absorbed the responsibilities of the dual role of king and literal protector. After Boseman passed, Coogler and Cole had to shift the focus onto an entirely different character, had to fashion a script that doubled, in a way, as a tribute to both Boseman and T’Challa, and find a new Black Panther to contend with Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the ancient, immensely powerful ruler of the Talokan Empire.
Incredibly, Coogler and Cole pulled it off. Wakanda Forever is told primarily through Shuri (Letitia Wright)’s eyes as she buries herself in her work after the death of her big brother. Shuri blames herself for being unable to cure T’Challa of the disease that kills him—Wakanda Forever wastes not a second putting us into Shuri’s wrenching situation, trying to come up with a solution in her high-tech lab in the Wakandan capital for T’Challa’s disease. She’s too late. T’Challa dies within a few minutes of the film’s opening, and Coogler then moves us into one of the most stunning sequences in any Marvel movie to date, T’Challa’s funeral procession. Here, with all Wakanda citizens dressed in white as the Dora Milaje carry T’Challa’s casket through the capitol, the work of Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter and production designer Hannah Beachler stun.
During the funeral, Shuri is thunderstruck and furious—she’s not one to believe in the ancestor worship or rituals of Wakanda and would rather be in her lab. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) is the iron-will force that will keep what’s left of her family intact and the entire nation of Wakanda from believing they are leaderless and in danger (even if they are). In a brief scene after the funeral, when Ramonda takes Shuri out into the countryside to try to get her to re-connect with T’Challa’s soul and tells her daughter of how she felt T’Challa’s presence and in the wind, Shuri makes her case clear—her brother is gone, and if she thinks too much about it, all she feels is a desire to watch the world burn. Little to their knowledge, they’re being watched and listened to. Enter Namor, who has breached Wakandan security forces and emerged from the water as quietly as an angel. Yet he is not here to help them mourn. He tells them that thanks to T’Challa revealing the existence of Wakanda to the world, now Namor’s Talokan people are in danger as the Americans, French, and everyone else search the sea for Vibranium. (The Talokans have their own stache under the sea). Either join Talokan and go to war with the rest of the world, or Wakanda will fall. The search for a new Black Panther is now even more pressing.
Eventually, Shuri finds a way to synthetically re-create the heart-shaped herb, the vibranium-infused native plant that has given Black Panthers their immense powers in the past and that Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) burned in the first film. With the new herb re-created, Shuri takes up the mantle of the Black Panther herself. Yet there’s a complication—when Shuri ingests the liquid form of the heart-shaped herb to get guidance on the ancestral plane from T’Challa, she’s greeted, instead, by Killmonger. It’s his vengeful, ferocious spirit that Shuri currently contains, and Killmonger challenges her directly, asking her if she’s going to be like her father, a traitor (he had Killmonger’s father killed), her brother T’Challa, too noble to be an effective protector of Wakanda, or will she be like him, strong enough to do what’s necessary?
The fight against Namor and the Talokan requires more than just the Black Panther’s superpowered protection. The Wakandans are massively out-numbered, and it takes new super-suits invented by Shuri, the help of the American teenager and genius inventor Riri Williams (Dominque Thorne), and, crucially, Shuri’s slow burn maturation into the kind of leader her brother T’Challa could admire to save her people. After the climatic final battle between Shuri and Namor, Shuri has him where she wants him. As the new Black Panther, she could kill him. Instead, she demands he yield and force his army to stand down, and in return, Wakanda will protect the secret of the Talokan Empire. Namor agrees.
This leads us to the mid-credits scene. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was less invested in the business of extending ongoing and upcoming MCU narrative threads than most films in the franchise, considering its focus was so squarely on honoring Boseman, positioning a new Black Panther, and introducing a gorgeously rendered new world in Talokan. So it’s fitting that the mid-credits scene was not in service of connecting Wakanda Forever to some upcoming Phase 5 film but rather in deepening the film’s study of its characters and the future of Wakanda. Shuri travels to Haiti to visit Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) to do what Ramonda had wanted her to do out in the country before they knew Namor existed—burn her funeral clothes and move on to a new phase of mourning T’Challa.
Shuri sits on that Haitian beach alone, watching her white funeral robes burn and thinking of T’Challa. It’s the first time in the entire film, since the opening credits when the Marvel logo’s superhero lineup is made up entirely of T’Challa, that we see images of Boseman from the first film. Shuri openly weeps, only now, her tears feel cathartic, almost replenishing, sourced by an undercurrent of gratitude that she’d had all those years to be T’Challa’s little sister. Then we see Nakia approach, holding a little boy’s hand. This is Nakia’s son, Toussaint (his namesake is Toussaint Louverture, a former slave who led the Haitian Revolution in the late 18th century), and Shuri is once again thunderstruck. Only now, it’s with awe and wonder—Nakia had kept Toussaint’s existence a secret, and it explains why Nakia herself has been absent from Wakanda for all the years. Only Ramonda knew. Then, Toussaint tells Shuri his Wakandan name—he shares it with his late father—T’Challa.
This is how Wakanda Forever ends, giving us a living illustration of its title. Shuri will carry on the mantle of Black Panther, while Toussaint/T’Challa will eventually carry on the name and character of T’Challa for the MCU. It’s a quiet, devastating scene (Letitia Wright’s performance, here and throughout, is wondrous), equal parts heartache and hope. Heartache that Boseman is gone and hope in a future that’s as bright as we’re willing to make it. Wakanda Forever managed to be both a mega-blockbuster in the massive, sprawling, ever-expanding colossus that is the MCU and an aching portrait of grief, fury, and hope. It’s a marvel.
For more on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, check out these stories:
“It was a total restart,” production designer Chris Kennedy tells us of the Apple TV series Shantaram, which follows the daring life of an Australian prison escapee named Lin (Charlie Hunnam) as he hopscotches his way to Bombay to avoid being captured. While filming portions of the first two episodes in Bhopal, India, production halted due to pandemic restrictions. Those scenes were eventually scrapped and the entire crew picked up and left for Bangkok, Thailand. Everything from the props, dressing and vehicles were shipped to Southeast Asia (although the cars never cleared customs in time for their shoot days).
Even with the hiccup, Kennedy designed a number of period authentic sets that transport viewers back to the 1980s storyline where a Bangkok backlot (and areas of Melbourne) fill in for the slums of India. Below, Kennedy details the seemingly impossible transition, how it affected the production design and the challenges behind filming in Bangkok.
In Shantaram, you have this compelling novel from Gregory David Roberts to pull from. I’m curious; whate were the initial conversations in developing the imagery and color palette?
The weird thing about the process you allude to here is that there were not many substantive initial conversations in this regard. I went on a location scout to Thailand and Malaysia with producer Richard Sharkey, looking for a stand-in location for India, as India was out of the running due to Covid at the time. We spent three two-week stints in hotel quarantine and two weeks scouting Thailand. In the end, Bangkok became the preferred base, just as we got out of quarantine in Malaysia, so that leg was abandoned. This was truly a Covid evolved production process!
Outside of pandemic restrictions, were there any challenges from a design perspective?
I think the most difficult task for me was illustration and convincing people about the historical differences of the time period and place, Bombay in the ‘80s, and the design aesthetics and color palette involved. Even the notion of using bare bulbs and random fluorescent lighting required turning some heads around. But in the end, this was all largely embraced and appreciated.
A scene from “Shantaram,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
What’s compelling about the series is that we’re pushed into the story immediately and see Lin make a daring escape from prison. Those scenes are shot at Pentridge Prison in Melbourne, which closed in the ‘90s. Were all the elements of the escape available at the practical location, or did you have to blend set builds with practical ones?
The exterior and rooftop in the prison escape sequence are in the exact location of the original escape. Also, the interiors were shot in the remaining wings of the old prison. The interior roof space was a studio set, and the building site section was another location that matched architecturally. Numerous other small sets made up parts of the escape, crawl spaces, manholes, etc., and provided transitional elements to tie the pieces together.
Charlie Hunnam in “Shantaram,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
Speaking of practical, the storyline has scope, traveling from Australia to India. What conversations are you having with the location scout to find the ideal settings?
Basically, we were presented with a backlot location in Bangkok, a development site in Chinatown, consisting of several interconnecting streets and numerous blocks of old multi-storied buildings. When dressed, this became the Colaba streets of Bombay circa the 1980s. The slums were built on about four acres of backlot land at Studio Park outside of Bangkok. These two backlots provided the insulated space, which allowed us to continue shooting during the worst of the pandemic.
Shubham Saraf and Charlie Hunnam in “Shantaram,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
And what about what you filmed in Australia?
In Melbourne, we shot all of the studio sets, Melbourne locations, and various Bombay locations where possible. There was also a seaside interface section of the slum set built in Melbourne. Other locations in Melbourne included the train station in episode twelve, which we built in an old railway shed. The real issues around location sourcing were losing them to Covid and having to constantly re-imagine and reinvent solutions to an ever-shifting situation. To say that this was the most difficult job of my career is to grossly understate the reality we faced over a year and a half throughout the pandemic.
We get to see the famous Chowk Bazaar when Lin initially lands in India. How did you go about recreating it for the series?
It was a fully controlled, dressed, and populated set within the Bangkok Chinatown backlot location. The original iteration of the show – the first two episodes – was shot in India, and this scene utilized a real street. In that instance, they couldn’t control very much or make many changes; as a consequence, the scene was full of largely contemporary elements, signage, costume, colors, vehicles, etc. In Bangkok, we were able to fully dress every shop, create every sign, and build and decorate every element of the entire town. In this way, it was authentic to the period and place. Additionally, it was very practical from a production point of view, as we owned the streets 24/7.
A scene from “Shantaram,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
Reynaldo Café is one of the mainstay sets where all the “business” is conducted in the pilot episode. How did you want to approach the build?
It was all shot in the Bangkok Chinatown location. My desire was to build the location into a real location to bring the street life into the interiors. The Reynaldo’s Café set very much benefited dramatically from seeing the real street life passing by from the interior, they blend together. There is so much of the atmosphere of India and the thrill and excitement of the mood being created around the lead characters. Originally a studio set was built in Melbourne for Reynaldo’s, but when the Bangkok location came up, I really pushed to set it there.
Shubham Saraf and Charlie Hunnam in “Shantaram,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
One of the more sinister places in the first episode is The Palace with Madame Zhuo. The use of cyans, blues, and darker earthy hues give it an ominous tone. Was that something you pilot cinematographer Stefan Duscio collaborated on?
Yes, very much so. There were various discussions with the directors about being able to see out the window, but my thought was that this is a hidden, mysterious place. Zhou is like a spider in her lair, in the dark – all seeing but unseen. Much restraint was needed to keep the curtains shut and hold this mood, although she does get to glimpse comings and goings through a gap from time to time.
Gabrielle Scharnitzky is Madame Zhou and Rachel Kamath is Parvati in “Shantaram.” Courtesy Apple TV+
Bangkok during a pandemic cannot be an easy challenge. Any advice you can share for those looking to film there?
It was a matter of constantly improvising. And during the wet season, storms sweep in and can destroy your sets, only for you to go back and put it all together again the next day. So, my advice? Take a good drinking buddy, you’ll need them!
Shantaram is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Featured image: Shubham Saraf and Charlie Hunnam in “Shantaram,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
Hispanic Heritage Month ended on October 15th, but that doesn’t mean we stop celebrating the incredible films and series that focus on Hispanic culture. We figured it’s always the perfect time to create a list of binge-worthy content from across the wide spectrum of Hispanic and Latino-focused streaming content. From the lighthearted camaraderie of On My Block to the mouth-watering imagery of The Taco Chronicles to the quiet beauty of Oscar-winner Roma, here’s an incomprehensive-but-eclectic list of films and series to tuck into.
Luis Miguel: The Series
Arguably, this is the best Spanish-language biopic on Netflix. This Netflix original, co-produced by GatoNegro and MGM, tells the authorized version of the life of singer Luis Miguel. The multi-Grammy winner, aka “The Sun of Mexico,” started his larger-than-life career as a child in the 80s. To this day, Luismi enjoys the loyalty of a millions-strong fan base throughout Latin America. Netflix houses other great stories about musical legends of Hispanic and Latino heritage: El Rey, about ranchera singer Vicente Fernandez, and Mariposa de Barrio, about Chicana superstar Jenny Rivera.
The Queen of Flow
It’s 2022, so when you mix Telenovela with reggaeton, you get a worldwide success. This Colombian telenovela follows the steps of Yeimy as she rises to fame while planning her revenge against those who destroyed her life. The drama of The Queen of Flow will introduce you to one of today’s most popular music genres and one of the best Puerto Rican exports in history, reggaeton. And if you fall for the intoxicating beats of reggaeton, you must know that Bad Bunny—the history-making icon of the genre—is on Netflix as well, not on The Queen of Flow, but rather on the third season Narcos: Mexico, as Kitti Páez.
A splendid ode to the ballroom culture in New York in the 80s, Pose immerses us in the dramatic scene where African American and Afro-Latino queer stars walked for the recognition of their peers. Pose made history this year at the 79th Golden Globes awards, with MJ Rodriguez winning the award for Best Actress in a TV Drama, the first ever for a transgender actress.
Halftime
Jennifer Lopez’s documentary depicts the legend’s bumpy road to success. We see her turning 50 as she rose from her beginnings as a dancer in In Living Colors to her ground-shaking performance during halftime of the 2020 Super Bowl. The doc offers viewers a rare, very intimate look at J. Lo putting in the work, celebrating the legendary Bronx native as she kickoffs the second half of her life. It’s a thrilling look at how Jenny from the Block has become a global icon.
On My Block
In this Netflix original, life in South Central Los Angeles is depicted with nuance, authenticity, and honesty. This Goonies-like coming-of-age story features an amazingly diverse cast, led by Afro-Latina Sierra Capri. On My Block manages to showcase multidimensional and relatable characters that we don’t often get to see on screens.
One of the things that unite Latinos of all walks of life is our profound love and pride for our food. We’re lucky because we actually have of the best gastronomies in the world (not that I’m biased). In fact, Mexican gastronomy is part of Humankind’s Intangible Heritage. Taco Chronicles provides a beautiful exploration of Mexico’s signature dish: tacos. The two-season series has been dubbed “a love letter to Mexico,” with each of its 13 episodes dedicated to a specific variety of taco: pastor, carnitas, canasta, barbacoa, and so on. Narrated from the point of view of a taco, this legit documentary is going to leave you hungry. If your cravings go beyond tacos and you’d be in for a Colombian ajiaco or a Peruvian ceviche, you’re going to appreciate Street Food Latin America, also available on Netflix.
There’s little chance you haven’t heard about Bruno and why we don’t talk about him: After spending more than 3 months topping Billboard’s charts, Lin-Miranda’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” became Disney’s most popular song ever, further contributing to the success of Disney’s vibrant animated feature. The film pays homage to Colombian culture, magical realism, and the family values that characterize Latino cultures. The tender way it addresses healing from intergenerational trauma has been praised by audiences everywhere.
One Day At a Time
This family-centered series will captivate you with its heartwarming allure. A reimagined version of the 70s classic, this Netflix original tells the everyday life of a Cuban American family, headed by a vivacious single mom and nurse, Penelope (Justina Machado), and a fabulous abuelita played by legendary Rita Moreno. One Day At a Time was not renewed by Netflix after three seasons, so you’ll have to catch the fourth and last season on Pop.
Studios and streaming services are more than ever realizing the importance of having more Hispanic and Latinos represented on screen and telling stories as diverse as the public who’s watching. Our last pick, Netflix’s first multi-Oscar-winning film, is a perfect example of the great things that can happen when a powerhouse in the streaming industry actively amplifies the voices of Latino filmmakers. I’m talking about Roma, Alfonso Cuarón’s black and white masterpiece that made history at the 2019 Oscars, winning Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Foreign Language Film. Roma is an exquisite portrait of life in the capital city of Mexico in its turbulent 70s, and it shook audiences for centering a point of view not commonly seen in Hispanic and Latino productions, that of a young indigenous woman.
Not only will these selections entertain, but they’ll give you an enhanced panorama of mainstream Hispanic and Latino culture. Disfruta!
Featured image: Diego Bonte and Jade Ewen in “Luis Miguel: The Series.” Courtesy Netflix.
Keanu Reeves returns as the unkillable John Wick, and this time, he’s facing Pennywise the Clown from It.
Okay, not exactly, but Wick’s rival in John Wick: Chapter 4 is Bill Skarsgård’s villain Marquis de Gramont. Skarsgård is a top-notch performer, and he’s proven he knows how to crush a villain role; he was absolutely terrifying as Pennywise in director Andy Muschietti’s It films. Lionsgate has revealed the official trailer for Chapter 4, and the franchise hasn’t lost a step in the insane stunt sequences department. Reeves is, of course, a huge part of that, deploying the gun-fu style he’s been honing for years now. Director Chad Stahelski, who returns to shepherd the mayhem, is a crucial component of the franchise’s success.
Wick can do it all, with any weapon, but he appears to be facing a formidable challenge in Marquis de Gramont, who offers Wick his freedom, but only if he can defeat foes from across the world who appears as skilled in the deadly arts as he is. It’s single combat, folks, and the set-up lets Wick prep for the big match like a boxer preparing for his title fight. You want nunchucks, car chases, battles on horseback, fighting with axes and swords? You’ve got it.
Chapter 4 was written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch. Joining Reeves and Skarsgård are Ian McShane, Donnie Yen, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, and Scott Adkins.
Check out the trailer below. John Wick: Chapter 4 premieres on March 24.
The wait is over. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is finally here. And to celebrate the film’s release (it opens in thousands of theaters, here and abroad, on November 11), Marvel Studios has unleashed one final teaser. This last glimpse offers the longest look yet at the new Black Panther, whoever she may be (we have our suspicions).
You know the basics by now. Co-writer and director Ryan Coogler and his cast and crew had to somehow craft a sequel without their star, Chadwick Boseman, who passed away tragically in August 2020. Coogler and his co-writer, Joe Robert Cole, rewrote the script entirely, scrapping what was supposed to be an exploration of T’Challa (Boseman)’s growing maturation as a leader and instead reframing the story from an entirely new perspective, centered on the loss of T’Challa and a looming new threat in the form of Tenoch Huerta’s Namor.
The position of Black Panther within Wakanda society is one that’s passed from hero to hero, so while Boseman’s T’Challa was not recast, Wakanda Forever will introduce a new Black Panther. The final teaser gives us a thrilling look at whoever she is, arriving at the 0:22 second mark as she leaps into battle.
It will be a bittersweet moment for the millions of fans of both Chadwick Boseman and the Black Panther franchise when they tuck into their seats tomorrow. The wait is finally over, but more tears are likely to come.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens wide on November 11.
For more on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, check out these stories:
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will open wide, on thousands of screens, on November 11. The film has already received stellar reviews, with movie critics and those lucky enough to catch the scattered premieres across the globe marveling at director Ryan Coogler’s rousing, soulful sequel. Wakanda Forever does something truly remarkable—it’s a comic book movie that looks squarely at the loss of Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman, and delivers a meditation on grief and a thrilling superhero epic.
The new images give us fresh looks at some of Wakanda Forever‘s most crucial characters. We’ve got Letitia Wright’s Shuri, T’Challa’s brilliant sister, who is the frontrunner in almost everyone’s mind to take over as the next Black Panther. We’ve got Michaela Coel’s new character Aneka, a combat instructor in the Dora Milaje with feelings for one of the fiercest members of that vital Wakanda force, Florence Kasumba’s Ayo. We’ve got the main image, featured above, of the Dora Milaje leaping into action. We’ve got Winston Duke’s M’Baku, leader of the Jabari Tribe and one of T’Challa’s most important allies from Black Panther. We also have our first still image of Dominque Thorne’s Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, the engineer with Tony Stark-level genius. And finally, we have a new shot of Tenoch Huerta’s Namor, the film’s ostensible villain, the leader of the Talocan people, and one of the most formidable and longest-standing Marvel characters of them all.
The unthinkable happened in August of 2020 when Boseman passed away at just 43, and his Black Panther collaborators, especially Coogler, could have been forgiven for not seeing a way forward. Instead, they found a path toward making a movie that honored Boseman and, incredibly, delivers a moving tribute with all the action and excitement an MCU movie demands. There’s nothing left to do now but see the film. Bring tissues.
Universal Pictures has tapped Black Panther: Wakanda Forever co-writer Joe Robert Cole and veteran director Allen Hughes (Menace II Society, Dead Presidents) to steer the project. This will be the first definitive biopic to capture the rap icon (and major entertainment mogul), with Snoop set to be heavily involved, including as producer, alongside Hughes and Sara Ramaker. The film will mark the first film for Snoop and Ramaker’s Death Row pictures. Unsurprisingly but crucially, the film will include music from his legendary career.
“I waited a long time to put this project together because I wanted to choose the right director, the perfect writer, and the greatest movie company I could partner with that could understand the legacy that I’m trying to portray on screen, and the memory I’m trying to leave behind,” said Snoop in a statement. “It was the perfect marriage. It was holy matrimony, not holy macaroni.”
There are few living musicians with a richer history and career to mine than Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.’s—snoop’s real name. He became a household name and mega-star back in the early 1990s, one of the leading lights of the West Coast rap scene, collaborating with another living legend, Dr. Dre, and then going on to release solo albums that only bolstered his status as one of the best in the game. Snoop’s “Doggystyle” and “The Dogfather” rocketed him into superstardom and set the stage for a career that would go on to include successful business ventures and a larger role in the broader entertainment industry, including as a tech entrepreneur, food and beverage, the cannabis world, and increasingly meaty TV and movie roles. As Day Shift director J.J. Perry recently told us about casting Snoop in his vampire thriller, “Selfishly, Snoop is a massive star. When I think of L.A., I think of palm trees and Snoop Dogg. He was a total pro and an asset, and I’d love to work with him again.”
As varied a career as Snoop has had, as many areas of the business and entertainment worlds as he’s conquered, the music will likely always come first. With 17 Grammy nominations and 35 million albums sold, his incredible music career is more than enough to fuel a film.
“Snoop Dogg is one of the most internationally beloved figures in hip-hop,” said director Allen Hughes in a statement. “There’s just something about his energy that brings people of all walks of life together. Snoop Dogg, not just the artist, but the man and his brand, has transcended generations with his connection and appeal to audiences. His story is so authentic and utterly inspiring, and to have the opportunity to tell his story allows me to go back to the hood 30 years after Menace II Society, and say more now than I could then.”
“Snoop Dogg’s life and legacy makes him one of the most exciting and influential icons in popular culture,” stated Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. “We met with Snoop shortly after he acquired Death Row Records and had the opportunity to hear his story in his own words. We are humbled to be able to create the lasting document of this singular artist.”
And Universal is a great home for this project. It’s the same studio that brought out Eminem’s 2002 film 8 Mile (essentially a biopic) and F. Gary Gray’s 2015 film Straight Outta Compton, which captured the West Coast rap scene just before Snoop arrived when Dr. Dre N.W.A. changed the game.
For more on Universal Pictures and Focus Features projects, check out these stories:
Featured image: NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 28: Snoop Dogg attends the 2022 MTV VMAs at Prudential Center on August 28, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
The immensely busy director Shawn Levy might be taking on his biggest film franchise yet. The helmer of the Night at the Museum franchise earlier in his career is already poised to direct Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool 3, as Wade Wilson and Wolverine finally get to team up years after their, shall we say, unbeloved encounter in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (in that film, Reynolds’ Wade Wilson had his mouth sewn shut). Now, Deadline has reported that Levy is in talks to develop and direct a Star Wars film, which he’d start working on in earnest after he completes his work on Deadpool 3.
Levy’s a very busy man. Not only does he have Deadpool 3 on the horizon, but he’s also just now finishing work on an adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s best-selling novel All the Light We Cannot See for Netflix. This project is a 4-episode limited series, and Levy directed all four. Also at Netflix, Levy will be helming at least two episodes of Stranger Things’ final season (he’s also an executive producer on the series). Staying with the streamer for a second, Levy also worked with Reynolds for the Netflix film The Adam Project.
Meanwhile, at Disney, Levy doesn’t just have Deadpool 3 in the works but also a potential sequel to his hit action/comedy film Free Guy (again starring Reynolds). With his sights next set on a Star Wars film, he joins Taika Waititi, Patty Jenkins, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy as premiere directors plotting their course to a galaxy far, far away.
For more on all things Star Wars, check out these stories:
“I would like to go back,” says former U.S. soldier Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence) to her physiotherapist (Stephen McKinley Henderson), who is overseeing her rehabilitation following a traumatic brain injury from an IED while serving in Afghanistan. But her reasoning for returning is more than a flashy comeback story found on the front page of a sports magazine. Her wounds run deeper, and the question of “should she go back” is the resonating theme of director Lila Neugebauer’s (Maid, Room 104) debut feature.
Biding her time until she can redeploy, Lynsey picks up a job cleaning pools and meets James (Brian Tyree Henry), who lends a helping hand in fixing her truck. Their relationship flourishes into an affinity for one another, leading her on an unexpected path. Tasked with photographing the intimate visual language was cinematographer Diego Garcia (Tokyo Vice, Too Old to Die Young).
Cinematographer Diego Garcia and Jennifer Lawrence on the set of “Causeway.” Courtesy Apple TV
Framing the narrative with an ARRI Alexa LF and Panavision H series lenses, the widescreen (1.85:1) format invites us into Lynsey’s psyche without getting close, a choice that viscerally complements her independence, her desire to keep those close to her at arm’s length – especially her fickle mother (Linda Emond) – as well as her physical and emotional struggles. Layered through a vivid tapestry of colors and symbolism, for instance, the continuous presence of water representing Lynsey’s journey to cleanse her body and mind, Causeway was beautifully shot, exploring an unconventional (yet welcoming) side of PTSD. Not to mention Lawrence and Henry are both phenomenal in their roles. Garcia shares how the color palette impacted his approach and the defining moment for Lynsey in this subtle and subtly moving film.
Blue hues are the dominant color palette in Causeway. We see them in the locations, lighting, costumes…pretty much everywhere. Did you discuss that creative idea with director Lila Neugebauer and production designer Jack Frost early on in the process, or was it something already established when you joined the project?
There was nothing established before I joined the project. The whole idea of the visual language was explored and founded on the way of making the film as an open creative process. It’s true; blue is an important color in the palette. In life, you can see different kinds of blue in the sky and sea, so it’s a direct representation of depth and open spaces. It was probably a way to create a visual connection between Lynsey’s interior world into her process of re-adaptation, healing, and personal seeking.
When you are working with a prominent color as a cinematographer, how does that affect your approach to photography?
I try not to force my approach or think in a rational way about how to use color. There are some conceptual and symbolic bases that I integrate into my creative process, and once I have them in me, it’s easier for me to flow with them and make creative decisions on a practical level during prep or on set. It feels that they come out more in a natural way. This sometimes resonates and pays back later on the final result.
There’s a subliminal nuance to the blue palette that plays into Lynsey’s recovery. There’s almost this turning point for the character when she has drinks with James at the bar. The atmosphere becomes warmer.
It’s true that the bar scene comes at a turning point in the story, especially in Lynsey’s and James’ relationship. This is probably the night when they open themselves in a more intimate way. The red as a counterpoint or contrast from the prominent blue and cold tones was something that appeared on the way spontaneously. Jack Fisk did wonderful work going around the city, doing research in different neighborhoods just by driving or walking around. He found this iconic bar, and he thought it was rich in character and that it could give the scene a warm vibe at that particular moment for the characters. I loved the energy of the place, and I thought my job was to take whatever the bar was offering already and just tune up the lighting for the atmosphere of the scene, keeping the real essence.
Bryan Tyree Henry and Jennifer Lawrence in “Causeway.” Courtesy Apple TV.
How did you want to approach lighting that bar scene?
The lighting in the bar scene was based on the real ambiance the bar already had. I did want to keep the warm tones and the mood. I decided to enhance the lighting on them by adding three different lighting qualities. I used a tungsten bulb on an unbleached pancake, trying to keep some clean skin tones. Also, there’s some red coming from the practical fixture, and I also added a fluorescent tube coming from the outside, which I thought was a nice blend with the neon sign. In general, my intention was to create a cozy vibe atmosphere where they could feel comfortable and be themselves.
Lynsey’s relationship with James is unique. Did you want to address their arc in a specific way through coverage?
The structure and dramatic arc of the film changed in many ways over the whole process of the film. So what I think worked better for the creative process was to frame with intuition for what we thought was emotionally correct and connected with the characters’ moments in each scene. For me, it was more like absorbing the locations, staying present on the blocking, and zooming out while being aware of the dramatic importance of the scene and making them part of the whole picture.
Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Lawrence in “Causeway.” Courtesy Apple TV. premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.
There are a number of pool scenes with Lynsey cleaning them or swimming. It’s a place where she feels at home, and maybe a place where she’s cleansing her mind of her tragedy. One scene in particular that breaks that idea is when she invites James to swim, and it ends in an argument. Can you share how you wanted to approach that scene?
The Octavia pool scene was probably one of the most challenging ones. It is a sensitive moment in the film where there’s an important change of tone in their relationship. We wanted to stay close and intimate with them and also give them a sense of freedom. For the first part of the scene, we used a Techo Crane so the camera could stay re-adjusting in position on the surface of the water. Then for the kiss part, we used splash bags and we did handheld, so the camera could stay close with a human pulse flowing with their slow movements. For lighting, I used tungsten light units in the pool with water housings. I bounce them on the surface of the pool, picking up the blue that the pool originally had, and I just tried to find interesting angles to shape it. I thought of using the light coming from the water as the key.
Bryan Tyree Henry and Jennifer Lawrence in “Causeway.” Courtesy Apple TV.
While on the topic of composition, what I liked about Causeway is its static frame. It adds more tension to Lynsey’s character as she copes with the trauma of Afghanistan. Was that something you and Lila Neugebauer wanted to do from the start?
I believe each frame in this film is linked to the emotional and physical state of our characters. Composition is probably one of the stronger tools it has to translate their feelings and psychology into a visual expression – the unspoken language where the empty space and depth is telling us about them in a silent way. For me, each composition is like a little window into their time and reality.
Interestingly, Lynsey’s home isn’t where she wants to be. How did you want to present that idea photographically?
Lynsey is constantly working on her recovery and re-adaptation. Finding her place and her space. New Orleans and her house open her past, and this makes her want to move on. We tried to be respectful in the way we photograph her spaces. Rooms in her house, streets in the city, pools. The distance of the camera from her and how we present her reality. Framing and lighting were not trying to accentuate this oppression but just to keep a natural and subtle approach into her world.
Jennifer Lawrence in “Causeway.” Courtesy Apple TV
Was there anything you took away from photographing this wonderful film?
I would say a big lesson that I took from this film was to be patient and always open and receptive to whatever the process is, always flowing and focused on linking the storytelling to the visual language, even in small and imperceptible ways and details.
Causeway is streaming on Apple TV now.
For more stories on Apple TV series and films, check these out:
Keanu Reeves is reprising one of his (many) iconic roles. Colliderbroke the story that Reeves is in Prague, prepared to reprise his role as John Wick in the Ana de Armas-led Ballerina, a John Wick spinoff.
Reeves will now join Ian McShane, who is also returning to the franchise as Winston, the manager of the Continental Hotel.
Lionsgate, the studio behind John Wick and Ballerina, have yet to confirm Reeves’ casting, but they did confirm that McShane is returning. Ballerina will find Ana de Armas playing a young assassin on a path of vengeance against those who killed her family. So yes, her motivation is just slightly more pressing than John Wick’s was in the very first movie, when he was avenging the death of his dog Daisy. That’s about all the information anyone has on the plot of Ballerina, nor is anyone quite sure how big of a role Reeves will have in the film.
Ballerina producer Basil Iwanyk did confirm that McShane’s role will be meaty. “We’re thrilled to have Ian McShane joining us for a pivotal role in Ballerina,” Iwanyk said in a statement. “He’s been such an integral part of the franchise since the original John Wick. It’s been fun to have him on this journey as the Wick universe expands.”
Ballerina will be directed by Len Wiseman from a script by Shay Hatten. We’ve already seen how capable De Armas is in an action role—she nearly stole No Time To Dieright out from under Daniel Craig in her brief, thrilling turn as a Paloma, a CIA agent working in Cuba. Before we see her kicking butt in Ballerina, however, we’ve got Reeves and McShane teaming up once again in John Wick: Chapter 4, which is due in theaters on March 24, 2023.
Featured image: Keanu Reeves stars as ‘John Wick’ in JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM. Photo by Niko Tavernise. Courtesy Lionsgate.
The reviews are pouring in for co-writer/director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and while they’re not surprising, it’s still heartening and amazing that the Black Panther team pulled this off. Marvel Cinematic Universe fans and movie fans, in general, are still brokenhearted over the loss of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who passed away at 43 in August 2020. A sequel without him seemed unthinkable until it was a reality, and even given the immense talent involved, it was still hard to imagine how Coogler and his team were going to pull this off. Even Coogler himself admitted that he struggled initially with how they might move on without their North Star.
Coogler had to completely re-tool the script for Wakanda Forever after the tragic loss of Boseman, and the result is a powerful, soulful, riveting sequel that pays its proper respect to its lost star. Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa in Coogler’s 2018 Black Panther meant the world to millions of people, especially young Black boys and Black men the world over. That film changed the landscape not only of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but arguably for the broader film community. Wakanda Forever offers an MCU film that deals directly with the grief over Boseman’s absence.
RollingStone‘s K. Austin Collins, for example, writes in his review that viewers should both be “prepared to weep” in the theater. The headline of his review calls the film a “grief-stricken tribute.” Coogler has created a “messier movie trying to reckon with a messier range of feelings.” This is not, it goes without saying, typical for a superhero film.
Among many facets of the film that critics are applauding are the performances Coogler got from his cast, specifically returning star Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda and newcomer Tenoch Huerta as the film’s villain Namor. The cast, which includes returning stars Letitia Wright as Shuri, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, and Winston Duke as M’Baku, had to bring their everything to a shoot that must have felt very much like an extended, painful tribute to the memory of their colleague and friend.
Now, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever mere days away from its premiere (November 11), critics are telling the world what Coogler and his cast and crew have known for a while now—they gave it everything they have.
Without further ado, let’s take a brief, spoiler-free look at what the critics are saying:
Get ready for all the feels when you watch #BlackPanther: Wakanda Forever, a profound (and, naturally, action-packed) story about life, loss and family legacy https://t.co/92FLvjyS64
What Ryan Coogler accomplishes w/ #WakandaForever is astonishing, imo. Aside from the pressure of delivering a sequel to #BlackPanther, itself a global phenomenon, he had to do so while he & his cast & crew were mourning the loss of star Chadwick Bosemanpic.twitter.com/JM8uvQCZC1
Grief is not felt in slow motion. It hits hard and fast like waves on the shore. #BlackPanther#WakandaForever is a true epic, offering catharsis whether you’re mourning Chadwick Boseman or someone more personal. My review on Marvel’s most moving film yet: https://t.co/qRABVvtK7A
#BlackPanther has so much swagger. Wright fulfills leading woman shoes w/ ease, Bassett crushes, but Huerta’s Namor is my rockstar. Brilliant use of music / costumes too. And shoutout MCU Boston! Criticisms are minuscule – this is the theatrical course correction Phase 4 needed. pic.twitter.com/Mjo6iAyB7M
#BlackPanther#WakandaForever is absolutely brutal and absolutely beautiful. It drags out just a little too long in some parts, but so much of it is genuinely exhilarating that I almost didn’t mind. I am in awe for so many reasons. pic.twitter.com/XcWEDFU6Tu
#BlackPanther#WakandaForever contributes different stakes to the MCU that feel fresh and exciting. Angela Bassett is magnificent. Killer soundtrack. Highly cathartic and respectful to Chadwick Boseman’s memory and the impact he made on the world. pic.twitter.com/nPbWEB3PyC
